All Things EARTH... part 2

[Sailor_Sally]

Speaking of cooking I got an air fryer . I usually do not like specialized appliances but I love the air fryer . I have made coconut shrimp , fabulous chicken wings , potato wedges and salmon . Everything was great and clean up is a breeze . You use no or just a spritz of oil and all the food is crispy .

We are spending a day a week with serious tossing out . I can already see the difference .

I have been looking at trips but nothing has really caught my eye .I have decided on a trip for next year .We will do another transatlantic . I have narrowed it down to a few iternaries ,now I just have to pick one .

[awhfy]

Sally, we are also doing a day a week doing serious toss out. Today (after aqua class) is going to be the cruise room. My cousin has initiated a challenge for 40 days to put an item from your closet into a large trash bag & at end of 40 days just donate the bag, don’t look back into it...I’m giving that a shot too. 

 

I got an InstaPot for Christmas but I’m returning it, I just don’t like pressure cookers. What brand of air fryer did you get?  Sounds more of what I’m looking for. Melody

[Sailor_Sally]

I have the 6 quart Gourmia air fryer . Gary bought it from Kohl's . It is simple to use and perfect for the way I cook. You just have to play around with the temperature and time . I have found out to do it for 5 minutes check on the food and then do another five minutes .

[MJC]

We left the Serengeti yesterday and are currently at Schiphol in Amsterdam waiting for a cityhopper to London, where we board the last leg of our journey home. Every day of our safari was amazing, and I look forward to sharing it with you in what will likely be way too much detail. 

 

You probably won't hear from me for a bit, though. On our last day I learned that my dad had passed away in his sleep. So, as soon as we are home we will repack to head to Michigan for a while. I took a leave from work so I can help my brother with my dads things, and he and my sister have done an amazing job planning the funeral for this coming weekend. It has been challenging to coordinate with no phone or texting, the time changes, and spotty wifi, but we've managed.

 

Even though I am obviously sad,  I am relieved that he didn't suffer the terrible decline that my mom had. I don't regret at all going on the vacation and it is not tainted for me in any way. I know I couldn't have been there with him even had I been in NY, or Michigan for that matter. It was too quick. 

 

After I got the news I told our guide that I just wanted to see some beauty for a while. He was really thoughtful and kind about everything that day. We passed elephant families and large herds of gazelle, some quiet topi, a beautiful harrier hawk. But the best surprise was a second leopard viewing, a big male in a tree. We must have watched him for easily 45 minutes. He stretched just like a kitty and came down the tree to nestle in the grass right near us. He was so beautiful. I felt like it was a gift from my daddy.

 

 

 

 

[pacruise804]

{{{Margaret}}} My sympathies with the loss of your father.  I'm glad you were still able to enjoy the trip and your guide was helpful with finding beauty to help with your grief.

[awhfy]

Ah Margaret, we’re so sorry for your loss, our sincere condolences to you & your family. Being in the middle of that beauty & having a guide that knew the benefit of contemplative time was priceless. Hugs to you. Your Mom & Dad are together now. ❤️  Melody

[Sailor_Sally]

Margaret , So sorry to hear about your Dad .

[Anita Latte]

Big hugs Margaret. Your parents were lovely people. I still remember seeing them that one time in Panera. Passing in sleep...I took a Death & Dying class in college and that would have been categorized as "good" for most people. I think it's actually kind of wonderful that you were in such an amazing place when you had the news. Such events generally are thought provoking even as they are so emotional...and to be in the midst of such widespread nature and beauty for the contemplations of life at such a time seems like a blessing to me. Big hugs again Margaret. 

[purduemom1]

I am so sorry for your loss, Margaret. Your way of handling your dad’s passing is to be admired and I bet your dad is smiling down on you, happy that your trip was a good one.

Sharon

[Ginster1]

Margaret, I’m so sorry to hear of your dad’s passing. Hugs,

-Ginny

[Joby]

Margaret,

 

What sad news to end your trip on. I hope you find it positive to have learned of the death of your  Dad while being in the birth place of humankind. Prayers to you and your family🙏

[laurspag]

Margaret, I am so sorry.  Losing a parent is very difficult.  To know that he didn't suffer must be of comfort to you.  He lived a long, fulfilling life.

 

your tour guide sounds like a compassionate, thoughtful human being. 

[laurspag]

I hope everyone is safe in this storm.  I did not pay close attention to the path, so I am not certain who is impacted.  Right now, we still have steady, light snow, as we have since yesterday.  During the night, the rate picked up quite a bit so we are at about a foot right now.  They are calling for 18-20 inches overall. 

 

It is very strange how you can go from one town to the next, within 5 miles, and see a difference.  W have note been out, but I'm comparing to what the news is saying.  They have this really neat interactive map where you can click right on your area of town and see what the difference is between places that you can literally drive to that are ten minutes away from you.  We have n o plans to go anywhere.  They are asking for no unnessary travel, and many places are closed and activities cancelled.

 

I do have plans for tomorrow, but they look iffy...

[awhfy]

This is the same storm that rolled thru here on Friday. Our section of town had less than an inch, our son (at the north end of town) had 17”. I agree Laurie, storm tracking is tough. 

 

I have have a very earthy sparkly jacket & tank in a size Large (Alex Evenings) pictured below, it’s that stretchy, comfy material. If anyone would like it, it’s yours, I wore it once when I was still a redhead, & I fade into the background in it now.  Email me at Awhfy51@gmail.com. This picture doesn’t do it justice, I’ll try to get another 

Edited January 20, 2019 by awhfy

[Sailor_Sally]

We absolutely do not have snow but it is a chilly day . We are going to the movies and then out to eat .It has been a chilly winter . I feel sorry for people on vacation here .

[purduemom1]

So here we are in Minneapolis-where it was -2 degrees when we got up this morning.  No snow to speak of but they say maybe tomorrow afternoon. In the week that we have been here we too have noticed the difference in snowfall(only very light so far) within short distances.  Drove 5 miles north to dinner last night and there was a light snow cover while we have none in the downtown area. The storm that is traveling across the country is tracking just south of the Twin Cities. Good for us since we don’t deal with this in California and just getting used to the on and off of all the winter gear is challenging enough. 

 

For those who are dealing with all the snow, stay safe and warm.

Sharon

[laurspag]

Well, it stopped snowing, and it looks like we got about a foot?  Now begins the windchill issue until tomorrow evening.

 

According to The Weather Channel app on my phone, it currently feels like -8F.  The actual air temp is supposed to keep dropping.  I'm inside for the day, and just doing household things and working on income tax, etc.  It looks like the blowing snow isn't going to be a concern, from what I can see.

 

I"m happy about that, as we have an appointment to visit the florist about wedding flowers tomorrow, and we've been looking forward to this for a while now.  It's the last major item.

 

One wedding detail that really perplexes me is that we are having the ceremony and reception at the same place, but the ceremony is outside and reception inside, weather permitting.  I was thinking about how the guests would be seated for about a half hour outside, then move inside.  I was trying to decide how I felt about spending close to $400.00 with tax for chairs being used such a short amount of time!  When I asked the venue and the rental company separately, they both told me to rent one set of chairs, and have the groomsmen carry in the chairs to set up at the tables immediately following the ceremony.  Actually, the venue said have the guests carry their chairs in, and I think that is why I was so bothered.  But I'm good with the groomsmen and maybe a few other helpful people doing it...I just didn't want all the guests expected to do it.  I really think this will work out well.

 

Plus, the rental place told me that if the chairs are outside and it rains, they charge a cleanup fee.  I don't blame them for that.   They will be the white wood chairs with the padded seats. 

 

I've spend the past few weeks with pet issues.  I guess we all know how it is with furry family members.  I am wishing i had purchased pet healthy insurance, and it isn't too late now...just concerned with the cost, deductibles and coverage.  I'm researching it now, but have any of you had health insurance for your pets, and what was your experience?

 

Harvey has some dental issues, and has had them since he was little.  About 4 years ago, he had 7 teeth pulled.  At his recent checkup, they said he needed 4 more pulled.  When he went in for this, they ended up pulling 5.  On one of the teeth, they had to break it first, and ended up losing a piece.  Xrays showed it was fairly close to a major artery, so we are being sent a different vet for that surgery.  The vet indicated it was her error, and they are paying for it.  However, when the other dentist reviewed the xrays, he stated that he saw more dental issues that might be best taken care of at the same time.

 

Meanwhile, I noticed one of his eyes didn't look right, and he started to rub it.  Before the bad weather kicked in yesterday, we took him back to the vet, fearful because dental extractions of upper teeth can create problems sometimes with infections that affect the eyes.  Luckily, it wasn't that, but he has a very bad scratch, that we got to see with an ultraviolet light.  It was pretty bad.  He loves to play outside, so he could have gotten it anywhere.  They are worried about infection because it was just a week after his teeth being pulled.  He now has antibiotic ointment for the eye to go with the oral antibiotics!  Harvey is priceless, in more ways than one.  🙂 

[purduemom1]

Laura, you and your daughter have made great progress with the wedding plans.  As for the chair situation, I attended a wedding that was held in the bride’s parents front yard and then the reception in the back yard. At the end of the ceremony, several young male guests gathered up several folding chairs at one time and moved them to the back yard. They then returned to the front for more chairs.  Some guests, seeing this, picked  up one or two chairs, moving them to back yard. While guests weren’t asked to move their chairs some just wanted to help out.  Your plan to ask the groomsmen is a good one and should work out well. 

 

Poor Harvey, he (and you) have had your share of medical issues to deal with.  Taking care of our much loved furry babies can be interesting. Our son and DIL are cruising/traveling and we are here in frigid Minneapolis to take care of their cat. She is on daily meds because of a skin condition.  I think we have about another 10 days  of meds to go. Bad part is that the meds make her very hungry and the meowing and begging is just pathetic. They are very careful about her feeding regime and use a battery operated feeder that opens twice a day with a measured amount of dry food. Well, as soon as the thing starts to rotate into position to open, the cat runs to it as if she is starved! (She also gets a small amount of wet food because that is how we give her the meds.). Probably a good thing that we don’t have any pets right now or we wouldn’t be able to spend a month away from home taking care of this one. Yes indeed, the things we do for the fur babies. 

Sharon

Edited January 20, 2019 by purduemom1

[laurspag]

This is my Harvey.  You can see Mason In the background also.

 

[Sailor_Sally]

Laurie , Do you have an alternate plan in case the weather does not co operate ? For my daughter's wedding they used the flowers from the church for vases at the reception .So think about double uses for those flowers ?  Weddings are so expensive !

[MJC]

Thank you everyone for your lovely expressions of sympathy. There was so much truth in everything you expressed. I spoke with ladies who were my dad's meal companions yesterday. They all wanted to know what happened, and when I told them he died in his sleep several of them all said that was what they hoped for. I think we all do.

 

Kim, you are spot on.

 

We were hit with the storm Saturday morning and got 5 inches of snow,  just in time for Dad's funeral. Because it was so cold, the streets were icy. So, turnout was lighter than expected and we had lots of leftover food, but in a way it was easier on us kids (we were all exhausted from the very busy visitation the day before). I got to have some very good conversations with people I hadn't seen in a long time. It was especially fun to reminisce about early times at our cottage when we were all in middle and high school. It's amazing how much one forgets.

 

It's currently -11 and today I will have to wear every top I brought and then I'll still be cold! It's not expected to get above 0 until lunchtime. I have a trunk full of donations to drop off and my great-grandmother's china to ship home. There are only a couple large things left to move to my brother's. I'm planning to leave Wednesday night and Dad's apartment will be empty by then. It's been an emotional time, but not nearly as crazy and traumatic as my mother's situation was. My older brother and I are getting some good quality time together, and we both feel satisfaction at being able to do these final things for our dad.

[awhfy]

Laurie, hope poor little Harvey is getting better. 

 

Margaret, glad this transition is easier. Glad you & family are getting good quality time. I know about doing those final things 

 

I actually have a funny story about clearing out my Dad’s senior apartment after he passed. When he sold the (15 room) house he didn’t bring many things with him. One of the things he brought were my mother’s books. Les & I & 2 cousins were boxing the books to take to the VA hospital (all mystery books). One book falls to the floor & several large denomination bills fell out. We stopped & started shaking all the books. We ended up with a little over $15K. When my Mom had passed (15 years earlier) Dad had noticed about $15K missing from the savings account & he never found out where it went. We found it!  Fifteen years & he’d never read any of those books, just dusted them weekly. My Mom’s final joke!  Still glad we were the ones to find it!  Melody 

[Anita Latte]

The storm passed us by this time. Extreme wind and it's very cold. Not as cold as -11...but it feels like 14 right now...it's 20 degrees. I'm so sick of the cold. I figured out that I don't mind the cold so much when I have a fireplace. I love the smell of a wood burning fire. It is what usually helps me get through the cold days...having that fire.

 

Margaret...your post brings to mind the fabled silver lining. It's lovely to hear about you and your older brother.

 

Lovely jacket Melody. I like that fabric, but it isn't me. Too dark overall I think. Funny story about your mom's book collection.

 

Laurie...we had our ceremony outside and our reception inside. We were married on a dude ranch. We didn't need to reuse the chairs so I don't have any suggestions there...but we did have a nice transition I wanted to mention.

 

After the ceremony, we had our picture taking time...signing the marriage license, etc. We had a string quartet play for our ceremony and they continued playing for a cocktail hour-ish before dinner was served. I know you are talking about not having alcohol but that doesn't mean that this wouldn't be a good time for whatever drinks. And we had appetizers available for the guests while we were busy with photographer et al. This happened outside. When all was done was headed inside for dinner.

 

We did a buffet dinner but I didn't want everyone to spend a bunch of time waiting in line. Everyone picked a rose on the way into dining room. Their favorite color. And then we called people to the buffet by rose color. The mix was good except that the florists had included pink AND sterling silver and when I called pink...both colors went. Except for one person who actually knew that she had a sterling silver rose... So I would make sure that I had more distinct colors in the future.

 

Did I share this already? Sorry if I am repeating myself.

[awhfy]

The storm yesterday didn’t miss us. We got hammered about 9” (mostly ice where I live) up to 18” in northern part of town. Didn’t stop us from celebrating my birthday tho. We waiting till midday & ventured out (very few on the roads).  Yummy chicken parm & an Old Blue Eyes Martini with lemon panna cotta. Nice day. Melody

[Sailor_Sally]

Happy Birthday Melody !