All Things EARTH... part 2

[Sailor_Sally]

Margaret , Some of the old canal houses in Amsterdam have elevators now so that is probably what we will go with . Gary has had two knee replacements so steps are hard for him.

I got my new JJill catalog . What dreamy clothes ? You could easily do a capsule wardrobe from their items.

[pacruise804]

I'm back from my "fast."  

 

Belated congratulations to Laurie on being a Grandma!  I hope everyone is well on the way to recovery from their illnesses and injuries.

 

Daughter has her formal tomorrow night, and after the alterations the dress looks lovely.  We were at my Dad's last weekend sorting through more stuff and found a beautiful black silk dress with embroidery that fits daughter really well, along with a dress coat to go over it.  I didn't understand why all the old coats seemed to have such short sleeves until I realized women wore the long gloves with them too.

 

I found a more casual dress, but still fits quite well and a nice length for me.  It's a deep chocolate brown and cream colored diamond pattern, with the brown edging the collar and running down the sides (helping to give a slimming illusion).

 

Even my son found a vest and dress jacket that will be nice once dry cleaned.

 

 

[awhfy]

Welcome back Pacruise804. Love to see a picture of the outfits. Hope DD had a good time at the formal dance 

[awhfy]

Don’t remember if I posted this or not. My friend Paula made these bracelets for our Hawaii cruise (they’re lava beads). She’s making me lapis bracelets now. If anyone wants her info it’s LifeCircles on FB or email me at awhfy51@gmail.com. Melody

[MJC]

Day 12 – Seronera

 

We woke to another harem of impalas with lots of babies in our “yard.” The herds we’ve seen have been composed of either all young males, or a breeding male with a harem.

 

 

 

We had an early start for an all day drive in this part of the Serengeti. It was interesting to see the microclimate along the river with its reeds, palm trees, and flocks of water birds. We could spot the river’s path through the plains into the far distance by the tall vegetation along its banks.

 

 

We came upon another hippo pond and watched for a bit because it was morning and they were very active. Lots of fighting and mating going on.

 

 

 

At one spot along the road there was a vast herd of buffalo heading our way. Amos stopped for a bit to scan for lions in the tall bits of grass because there were lots of babies in the herd, so there was a chance we'd see a hunt. But, a hunt wasn’t happening, and we didn’t want to be stuck in place for a long time while the giant herd passed around us, so off we went.

 

 

Mark and I spotted this unusual bird flitting around called a pin-tailed whydah. When it flies the tail flutters behind like a streamer. It was so pretty to watch, very quick and hard to photograph.

 

 

You can really see the thorns of the acacia tree in this photo. It is amazing that giraffes can navigate their tongues around the thorns to eat acacia leaves. We were fascinated to learn that the acacia tree can release a tannin to repel the giraffe that gets communicated to nearby acacia trees so they release the tannin too.

 

If you have seen Disney’s The Lion King cartoon, you will know what I mean when I say we saw Pride Rock. We followed a couple other vehicles to a large rock outcropping where there were two mature male lions resting. As they age, their manes turn dark like Scar’s in the movie.

 

 

This poor old guy had some damage to his face from a fight.

 

 

It is weird to think that your iconography for a place you haven’t seen before comes from a cartoon. But, I realized that the Disney animators must have studied a lot of photos or visited these places in person to have captured it so well. We were wishing our friend’s son could see it because when he was five he would perch on a stone in their garden and pretend he was Simba. 😁 

[57redbird]

7 hours ago, awhfy said:

Don’t remember if I posted this or not. My friend Paula made these bracelets for our Hawaii cruise (they’re lava beads). She’s making me lapis bracelets now. If anyone wants her info it’s LifeCircles on FB or email me at awhfy51@gmail.com. Melody

Can't find LifeCircles on FB....

[MJC]

Day 12 – Seronera, continued

 

We stopped for our picnic lunch at the Seronera Visitors Center, with its very clean and nicely equipped restrooms:

 

http:// https://africantourer.com/attraction/seronera-visitor-information-centre

 

There were tables with palapa-style umbrellas where we sat and ate our lunch while various birds sat at our feet waiting for handouts. We also enjoyed watching these little guys running around, a rock hyrax. They look like a rodent, like a prairie dog, but they are not. They are actually the closest relative to the elephant. Their paws act like suction cups so they can climb rocks, and they have a funny whistle/bark sound:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2vP9ie2PSY0

 

 

After lunch we were assigned a guide named James to walk us through the self-guided exhibits. Again, was it necessary to have a guide? No. It is part of the economy to share the tourist wealth though so we didn’t mind, and it was fun to talk with him and be able to ask questions. Like pretty much every Tanzanian we met, he was warm and friendly, very welcoming, and proud of his country’s beauty. We enjoyed comparing the animal skulls. In front of Mark is an elephant’s, and by his left leg is a hippo’s.

 

 

There was a stone trail to follow that wound through different exhibits and habitats, for example, one on poachers and the various means they use to thwart the rangers, another on how Tanzania has been increasingly successful at protecting its species, one on the early exploration of the Serengeti by westerners, and one on famous Tanzanian environmentalists and anthropologists.

 

We surprised some banded mongooses.

 

 

There was a detailed explanation of how the great migration works, where it is at certain times of the year, and how animals are lost to predation, starvation, and other means.

 

 

And sometimes the trail became a wooden walkway through the flora of different ecosystems.

 

I told you we are nerds.

 

 

As we were leaving, we saw this lovely topi. At first I thought it was a horse, maybe because of the color, and I thought to myself “are there horses in Africa?”

 

 

And, surprise surprise, finally we came upon a Nile crocodile, the second biggest reptile in the world, an apex predator and one of the most dangerous to people.  This one was a youngster, but adults can be 10-15 feet long. I’m sitting at my 5ft dining table and imaging an animal twice as big. Yikes.

 

 

 

[awhfy]

4 hours ago, 57redbird said:

Can't find LifeCircles on FB....

Life Circles under groups or Paula Bro Lober

[57redbird]

Thanks, awhfy.

[MJC]

Day 12 – Seronera, final

 

After the croc, we drove and drove, and it came to feel like Amos was on a mission, but we didn’t know what. In all that vastness, everything looked the same to us, so I was always amazed at his navigation skills and how the guides were able to explain to each other where to find something interesting they had seen. Well, eventually we came to a small tree, and there nestled in the branches, we got our final of the big five, an absolutely beautiful leopard. We watched her for a while, just us, another vehicle, and this small, lone tree in the middle of nowhere with its sleeping treasure. Ahhhhhh.

 

 

We had maybe an hour drive back to the camp, and we could feel the tension leave Amos after we had seen the leopard. We told him that we were having an amazing time and that we didn’t have a checklist, that we already had amazing memories to take home with us. He told us some stories of people who were angry or upset if they didn’t see the big five. He said all the guides knew that Americans were the most laid back about it, but it even so it was always a major concern for them. Most of their money comes not from salary but from tips, so an unhappy customer directly affects their livelihood. I was happy for him that he could relax about it.

 

Back at the camp we showered in our fabulous outdoor shower again and then headed to the pool for a swim and a beer. Our bodies had been jostled a lot on the rutted roads, so we were happy to lounge and be still for a while until dinner.  We had an amazing dinner of pork and lamb with a chilled glass of wine, along with all the other goodies. Every night they laid out a beautiful dessert buffet, which we enjoyed, but we really weren’t tempted to overeat and ate a pretty healthy and modest diet while traveling.

 

The next day would be our last safari day before heading home. We felt so replete with animals and vistas that we could not imagine what another day would bring. We heard lions roaring in the distance as our Maasai friends walked us to our tent for the night.

 

 

[laurspag]

Oh my gosh, those hippos...they are just so darned cute.  I know some people would tell me I'm nuts for thinking hippos are cute, but I love them!

 

I'm trying to remember now, how long was your trip?  A week?  It seems like you were able to see and do so much.  

 

Anita, I forgot to mention that I've started to save pins with earth colors as well, because even though many of the pictures aren't always right, it creates a really nice reference point for me so that I keep an open mind.  It is so easy to get focused on a particular color and shade, and overlook all the other options.  One thing I've found a few times lately is what I'd call desert rose.  Is that what you called that nail polish?  I'm trying to remember.  

 

Anyway, I got to thinking a bit about what I would call desert colors, and how nice those look in spring and summer in particular.

So, I am a week away from the wedding shower.  I plan to take lots of pictures.  I will share.  Since the shower is in a little garden bistro, there isn't a ton of room and the setting is very natural looking.  There is wood, just like you see in a barn.  They have a few silk tree like plants here and there, but the room is smallish.  Our current plan is that my other daughter is borrowing a floral backdrop that we can hang using command hooks for pictures.  I am going to use command hooks also to run a small clothesline, and I have chosen various pictures of her over the years and had them printed in black and white, all 8x10s.  I'm going to hang them on the clothesline.

 

My daughter and I are making soap tomorrow for favors, which should be fun to do.  Another of her bridesmaids got a cute recipe box with recipe cards, and we are going to ask people to write a recipe down for her.  I was thinking of a mason jar with some little pieces of paper where people can write down date night ideas and put them in the jar.

 

Just simple, but fun things.  Our approach is a bit different, I think.  We are having chicken salad wraps, pasta salad, salt potatoes, another salad of sorts, and lemonade, ice tea and water.  For dessert we aren't having cake - we are having strawberry shortcake.  I hope it turns out to be as fun as it sounds.  

[MJC]

Laurie, your plans for the shower sound lovely, and so personal and thoughtful. It is nice that you and your daughter are making time for activities to do together in the run-up to the wedding. I missed out on all of that with my mom because I was already in NYC. My sister was my matron of honor and she threw me a shower, but she was still in college and I later learned that her marriage was beginning to fail at that time, so it was at bit thrown together and basic. It was fine because I got to see cousins and aunts that I rarely saw, but it was nothing like what brides have these days.

 

I really look forward to seeing whatever pictures you have to show, both of the shower and the wedding. I love weddings. We are in that gap where all our friends have been married a long time, and their kids aren't quite there yet, so we get one wedding per year, if that. This year we have one wedding in early June, late afternoon, and I wanted something summery so I bought this:

https://www.calvinklein.us/en/womens-clothing/womens-dresses/floral-34-bell-sleeve-sheath-dress-18489050

 

It has some lovely shades of blue that work for me but it is more ICE than EARTH. The darkest blue has a teal overtone so I plan to wear it with my teal platform pumps. I haven't decided about jewelry yet.

 

I would appreciate some gift-giving advice. Our friends have a daughter graduating from college and a son graduating from high school this year. What are some good suggestions? We tend to be out of the loop on these things since we don't have kids, and my little nieces and nephews are a long way off from graduating.

 

 

[laurspag]

Margaret, we are having fun with the shower, but we are nowhere near what so many people do...our emphasis is on family and enjoying each other's company.  My daughter is not the type for games.  The location of the shower is actually within a little bistro that is part of a very country like garden center.  When people want to host an event, she uses it for the event, and it isn't open to the public that day.  She is mostly a small plates type of place.  We are trying to keep it comfy, and spring like.  We are wearing "springy" dresses, but I think most guests will be fairly casual.

 

I went to a shower a while back, and the event seemed to rival a lot of weddings.  We don't have that kind of budget, but it seemed overdone to me.

 

One thing I do love is that the wedding captures so much personality.  I can recall many weddings and receptions that were "the usual" if you know what I mean.  I'm really looking forward to the fact that it will be a fun event for everyone.

 

We are thinking ahead to the baby shower, which will be more of a full family affair, including the guys, kids, etc.  Very simple too- we are looking for a place where we can have pizza and finger foods, perhaps.  The main reason I don't host these events in my home is that in many instances, people have multiple showers now.  That is not the case with my daughter.  Although I can get 25 people in here for Christmas, it is hard when you have more, and you need a place for gifts and gift opening and so on.  I can't say we will hold it outside either because I don't have a deck or patio, and we wouldn't know if the weather would be good anyway.

 

I am hoping that when it comes to the baby shower, someone on Dashaun's side of the family may wish to host something so that I can deal with a smaller group.  That is much easier for me from a time perspective as well as a financial one.

 

With high school graduations, I have always given money.  Since many kids go to college, they have a very limited amount of space for things.  They could use cash, or restaurant gift cards.  If the parents indicate they are renting books, sometimes you can get gift cards for those specific places.

 

I haven't really gone to any college graduation parties.  With my daughter, I thought it would be fun to have food at the house after, and I ended up inviting all the aunts and uncles and cousins from my side of the family, so it really ended up being a graduation party after all.  With my other daughter, just a small group of us went to lunch after, and it was so much fun.  We stopped for ice cream on the way home!  But once again, cash or gift cards are best.  In this case, mall gift cards can be nice if they have a work wardrobe to build.  They can use the card on whatever they see fit.

[awhfy]

Laurie, I loved the hippos too. Your wedding shower plans sound wonderful. 

 

‘’Margaret, love that dress!  I’m not much on dresses, but I really like that one.

 

On gifts, cash is always well received, especially the one graduating from college. We’ve given a dorm sized refrigerator to our kids & grandkids (that are going on to college). All of them still have that little fridge in their classroom/office. If they're going into a profession, a gift card for a business outfit for interviews. Watches are coming back into trend. All depends on what you want to spend. But, cash is always king. Melody

[Joby]

Margaret,

 

I've enjoyed your report and photos. Great job on the Wydah--they're hard to capture well. Hippos--I love them too! One of my photo regrets from our 2 trips was that I never got a really nice photo of a wide open hippo mouth. Silly I guess but, I don't have a good one😏

 

Laurie, so much going on in your life. I would be sooo stressed--entertaining is not on my skill list. Congrats on all of your new life events.

 

Hi to everyone--I always enjoy the conversation over here 😃

[Sailor_Sally]

Margaret , Love the dress especially the sleeves .

 

Laurie , That shower sounds very nice . You are crazy busy . When I lived in new Jersey showers were huge and the presents were very lavish but in Florida they are small casual events . When I went to my first shower here I bought a gift that would have been perfect in Jersey . It was overkill . It was the nicest gift they got .Our wedding last year she did not have a shower which I thought was odd but now looking back after the three month marriage I am glad . That was a crazy fiasco .

[purduemom1]

Laurie, sounds like the perfect shower plan to me! Will look forward to pictures you share.

 

Margaret, more amazing picture from your trip-a trip of a lifetime for sure!

 

Our family cruise is finally happening! We are doing the Norwegian Fjords on Holland America’s newest ship! DH and I are flying to Brussels first for a day. Will take the train to Amsterdam the next day where we will meet up with the rest of our family. Two days of sightseeing there-we’ve been there before but for 2 in our family it will be a first visit. DS, who is a very experienced world traveler and I researched ports and arranged our own port tours. We will visit 4 ports on this cruise. We return to Amsterdam A week later. Our DD and DIL will fly home due to work obligations but DH, DS and I will take a train to Paris-our second visit and this time we will stay A bit longer than our first visit. DS will stay one night and then take off on the second half of his adventure. DH and I will fly home from CDG. 

 

So now I am working on packing what I need for 2 plus  weeks using my 21 inch roll aboard and a tote bag! I don’t like using a ship’s laundry service but I do have things I can easily wash out in the sink. Fortunately temps will be mostly in the 50’s so easier to rewear things. 

 

This is trip is to celebrate our 50th, a significant birthday for DS and also DS and DIL’s first anniversary. 

 

Not sure how often I will check in on these boards but eventually I will catch up, I’m sure. I’m pretty tired tonight so just hope auto correct hasn’t changed any of my intended text.

Sharon

[Sailor_Sally]

Purdue Mom, I can't wait to hear about your trip . I have been looking at that ship and it looks gorgeous . We are going to Amsterdam next year so I am interested in where you are staying . I was in Amsterdam several years ago but it has been a long time .Have a great trip and Congratulations !

[pacruise804]

Going to try posting a picture (bear with me, I'm not the most technically gifted 😉 ).  These are old purses we found in my Grandmother's stuff:

[pacruise804]

Woo-hoo! I figured it out 🙂 

 

The front bag was my favorite, but I have no need for it so I gave it and the black one to a friend who is collecting old purses.  Daughter kept the boxy gold purse.

[pacruise804]

Here she is in her formal dress.  We had a rainy day Friday so couldn't get outdoor pictures, and the lighting was off so the sparkles don't show.  Love that she wanted Great Grandmother's pearls too.

[MJC]

23 hours ago, Joby said:

Margaret,

 

I've enjoyed your report and photos. Great job on the Wydah--they're hard to capture well. Hippos--I love them too! One of my photo regrets from our 2 trips was that I never got a really nice photo of a wide open hippo mouth. Silly I guess but, I don't have a good one😏

 

Laurie, so much going on in your life. I would be sooo stressed--entertaining is not on my skill list. Congrats on all of your new life events.

 

Hi to everyone--I always enjoy the conversation over here 😃

 

Kim, you might find this interesting...

 

https://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/animals/blogs/pin-tailed-whydah-african-parasitic-bird-showing-up-california

1 hour ago, Sailor_Sally said:

Purdue Mom, I can't wait to hear about your trip . I have been looking at that ship and it looks gorgeous . We are going to Amsterdam next year so I am interested in where you are staying . I was in Amsterdam several years ago but it has been a long time .Have a great trip and Congratulations !

 

I'm interested too, a fjords cruise is high on our bucket list.

[MJC]

Love your daughter's dress, the whole look is so elegant. I still have some of my grandma's purses from when she let me raid her closet all those years ago. I had a tapestry one similar yours with a chain for a strap, and I used it until the strap broke and the needlework was a mess. I had  a hard time letting that one go, it was so "her." There's something very special about wearing things that evoke loved ones.

 

I think your daughter will be happy in the future when she looks back on her pictures that she chose such a timeless look. I am so glad I didn't pick any of the fads that were in style for brides in the 80's, I don't have to cringe when I look at the photos. 🙂

[awhfy]

Sharon, sounds like a fabulous trip. 

 

Love the purses & the formal outfit is lovely, she looks so happy

 

Margaret, I feel the same about not choosing a fad outfit for our wedding. I had a knee length dress & coat with a pillbox hat & veil.  Melody

[pacruise804]

43 minutes ago, MJC said:

Love your daughter's dress, the whole look is so elegant. I still have some of my grandma's purses from when she let me raid her closet all those years ago. I had a tapestry one similar yours with a chain for a strap, and I used it until the strap broke and the needlework was a mess. I had  a hard time letting that one go, it was so "her." There's something very special about wearing things that evoke loved ones.

 

I think your daughter will be happy in the future when she looks back on her pictures that she chose such a timeless look. I am so glad I didn't pick any of the fads that were in style for brides in the 80's, I don't have to cringe when I look at the photos. 🙂

 

We were married in 1995, and it was hard to avoid the poofy hair and shoulders - doubtful K will want to use my dress if the time comes unless there is serious alteration involved.

 

Most of the clothes we found are very timeless, but some of the patterns were very 60's/70's reminiscent of Partridge family.  (I admit if I thought I could fit into them I'd still have kept a few.)

 

I'll try to post the vintage dress clothes once we get them cleaned.  Here's K from 2 years ago in my Great Grandmothers 50th anniversary dress:

she chose old fashioned pin curls for her hair

❤️ that smile

 

a much nicer spring day that year.