Royal Caribbean Cruisers -- How Are Things Where You Are? (was "Routine" ​ 😁 ​day in lockdown... how was yours?)

[MJSailors]

Reading about grandparents-

My father’s father died of pneumonia when my Dad was 3. His mother died two years before my parents married.

So, I only knew my grandmother, my mother’s mother.

She and my grandfather had a farm on Eastern LI. He died suddenly of a heart attack , leaving my uncles to manage the farm. My grandmother passed away when I was 9.

I used to love to visit the farm for holidays and in the Summer. When I was 5, my mother let me spend most of theSummers with my grandmother, aunts, uncles and cousins.

I had a wonderful time then, doing simple things like going to the beach, baking with my grandmother, reading under trees in the yard, doing errands with my aunts and playing ball, badminton and croquet with my cousins, going to the movies and sharing Sunday dinners with all of them.

I was so fortunate to have that time in my childhood.

Most of the family is gone now, but they are still with me in my memories and my heart.

MJ🙋🏻‍♀️

 

Edited July 1, 2023 by MJSailors

[Sunshine3601]

17 hours ago, DaniDanielle said:

She’s feeling good today!

Awesome, Great outfit and love the smile😊   She is a Star💥

Edited July 1, 2023 by Sunshine3601

[DaniDanielle]

She said to say hello to you.

[Sunshine3601]

1 hour ago, Luckynana said:

Happy Canada Day to all of our Dani friends!🍁

+1. 🇨🇦

[Sunshine3601]

9 minutes ago, DaniDanielle said:

She said to say hello to you.

Hi to all.  I hope we all meet again on another cruise❣️

[A&L_Ont]

1 hour ago, Luckynana said:

Happy Canada Day to all of our Dani friends!🍁

Many thanks. 
 

 

 

Spotted before the game. 
 

[h20skibum]

So here is a question for our friends on this thread.  Do any of you still have family reunions, or is this a dying trend?

 

And by this, I don’t mean small gatherings with immediate family, but rather very large gatherings with extended family with all the misfits included.  

 

When I was growing up, we always had a yearly get together with descendants of my great-great grandfather.  Everyone would descend on Unk’s farm. There would be tons of food and games.  They would grease up a pig, and have all us kids run around like fools, trying to catch it.  We would usually have 200 to 300 show up. (Did I mention that my ancestors had lots of siblings and kids)

 

Well, this year marked the 120th family reunion, and there were only 19 to show up this year.  We were not ones, because we were in California to pick up our grandson.  

 

Due to low turnout, it doesn’t look like there will be a 121st.   I guess with families so busy with everything, they are too hard to coordinate anymore.  It is a shame to see this fade away. 

 

By the way, one of the relatives put together a 300+page book for the 100th, that included information on all the relatives.  I can not imagine the amount of work it took to compile and index every one of the 2,000+ names.  This is just one of the sheets from the index. 
 

 

 

[BonTexasNY]

3 hours ago, lenquixote66 said:

I grew up in Brooklyn rooting for the Dodgers.The very first baseball game I went to in person was in Yankee Stadium.

My Brooklyn born and raised BIL was a die hard Dodgers fan until the Dodgers vacated Brooklyn for greener pastures in CA.  He then became a life long Mets fan.

 

There is a sweet episode of the long ago TX series "Brooklyn Bridge" about the Jackie Robinson trade.  One brother about 7 or so, asked his big brother about 13 why Robinson was traded.  Older brother said "for more money".  Younger brother said "they get paid?"  How sweet and innocent for a kid to think they played just for the love of the game.

[grapau27]

3 hours ago, lenquixote66 said:

Today is the wedding anniversary of my older daughter and her husband .They have been married 26 years but have been together 32 years.We will celebrate the anniversaries and birthday late this afternoon and tonight.

Happy 26th wedding anniversary to your eldest daughter and her husband.

[BonTexasNY]

3 hours ago, Ocean Boy said:

This is why balloons need to be banned. This really aggravates me.

 

This is more than awful:

 

[akcruz]

14 minutes ago, h20skibum said:

So here is a question for our friends on this thread.  Do any of you still have family reunions, or is this a dying trend?

 

And by this, I don’t mean small gatherings with immediate family, but rather very large gatherings with extended family with all the misfits included.  

 

When I was growing up, we always had a yearly get together with descendants of my great-great grandfather.  Everyone would descend on Unk’s farm. There would be tons of food and games.  They would grease up a pig, and have all us kids run around like fools, trying to catch it.  We would usually have 200 to 300 show up. (Did I mention that my ancestors had lots of siblings and kids)

 

Well, this year marked the 120th family reunion, and there were only 19 to show up this year.  We were not ones, because we were in California to pick up our grandson.  

 

Due to low turnout, it doesn’t look like there will be a 121st.   I guess with families so busy with everything, they are too hard to coordinate anymore.  It is a shame to see this fade away. 

 

By the way, one of the relatives put together a 300+page book for the 100th, that included information on all the relatives.  I can not imagine the amount of work it took to compile and index every one of the 2,000+ names.  This is just one of the sheets from the index. 
 

 

 

 

That is wonderful, sad to hear there may not be a 121st.

 

My mother's family did big reunions every year in Scranton, PA.  Everyone brought a dish to share.  They continued on for many years but slowly dwindled, its at least 25 years since the last I went to.  There is a group that started them back up about 5 years ago but then covid came along.  They were always held in larger parks, they are trying again this August at a private home in upstate NY.  We have a FB group to try to stay in touch but it's hard.  The generation that knew each other well, my mom's and grandparents, aren't around anymore and the rest of us are so scattered.  Someday I hope to attend one again.

[akcruz]

8 minutes ago, BonTexasNY said:

This is more than awful:

 

 

☹️

[lenquixote66]

17 minutes ago, BonTexasNY said:

My Brooklyn born and raised BIL was a die hard Dodgers fan until the Dodgers vacated Brooklyn for greener pastures in CA.  He then became a life long Mets fan.

 

There is a sweet episode of the long ago TX series "Brooklyn Bridge" about the Jackie Robinson trade.  One brother about 7 or so, asked his big brother about 13 why Robinson was traded.  Older brother said "for more money".  Younger brother said "they get paid?"  How sweet and innocent for a kid to think they played just for the love of the game.

Your Brooklyn born and raised BIL and I lived in the same area at the same time .Every kid living in Brooklyn at that time was a Dodgers fan.

My friend Dave who grew up in the same area was a Dodgers fan and later a Mets fan even when living in Houston and later on in a Dallas suburb.

[lenquixote66]

10 minutes ago, grapau27 said:

Happy 26th wedding anniversary to your eldest daughter and her husband.

Thank you so very much Graham for this beautiful thought.

[grapau27]

7 minutes ago, lenquixote66 said:

Thank you so very much Graham for this beautiful thought.

Thank you Lenny.

I hope you all have a lovely family celebration today.

Graham 

[MJSailors]

My Dad , who grew up in Greenpoint Bklyn, was a Dodger fan.

When the Mets came in the scene, he became a fan.

I would often go to games with him at Shea which was a subway ride away.

Later, my hubby and I would go to the games, driving in on the LIE to Shea and then Citi Field. 
I still know the words to the Mets song-but I won’t sing it for you here!🙄

MJ🙋🏻‍♀️

[grapau27]

1 hour ago, BonTexasNY said:

This is more than awful:

 

This is awful Bonnie.

I hope someone was able to remove that plastic from the poor duck.

[Sunshine3601]

1 hour ago, h20skibum said:

So here is a question for our friends on this thread.  Do any of you still have family reunions, or is this a dying trend?

 

And by this, I don’t mean small gatherings with immediate family, but rather very large gatherings with extended family with all the misfits included.  

 

When I was growing up, we always had a yearly get together with descendants of my great-great grandfather.  Everyone would descend on Unk’s farm. There would be tons of food and games.  They would grease up a pig, and have all us kids run around like fools, trying to catch it.  We would usually have 200 to 300 show up. (Did I mention that my ancestors had lots of siblings and kids)

 

Well, this year marked the 120th family reunion, and there were only 19 to show up this year.  We were not ones, because we were in California to pick up our grandson.  

 

Due to low turnout, it doesn’t look like there will be a 121st.   I guess with families so busy with everything, they are too hard to coordinate anymore.  It is a shame to see this fade away. 

 

By the way, one of the relatives put together a 300+page book for the 100th, that included information on all the relatives.  I can not imagine the amount of work it took to compile and index every one of the 2,000+ names.  This is just one of the sheets from the index. 
 

 

 

Wow, that is so nice to have that 300+ page book.  I cannot imagine the time and effort to put together.

The last family reunion we had with my Dad's side of my family was in 2015.  At the time, my Dad was the oldest living male on his side.   And he was a young 85 yrs old.  

There was somewhere around 100 to 125 people.  Everyone bought a dish or desert and there was various items being BBQ.   Was held at the hall of a local firehouse.

Great day!!   I would love to have another one as it seems everyone has drifted apart after my Dad passed away.

 

[BonTexasNY]

1 hour ago, lenquixote66 said:

Your Brooklyn born and raised BIL and I lived in the same area at the same time .Every kid living in Brooklyn at that time was a Dodgers fan.

My friend Dave who grew up in the same area was a Dodgers fan and later a Mets fan even when living in Houston and later on in a Dallas suburb.

Oftentimes, the team you root for as a kid, shapes who you feel loyal to now.  I followed the Yankees (spelled correctly) even after I moved to TX.  I lost interest after Jeter retired.  Amazing longevity that spanned 20 years with the same team.

 

My BIL is still a Mets fan even though he's in TX now over 20 years.  His son now in TX, also originally from NYC is a Mets fan as well.  He named his dog Shea. 🤭

[George C]

8 minutes ago, BonTexasNY said:

Oftentimes, the team you root for as a kid, shapes who you feel loyal to now.  I followed the Yankees (spelled correctly) even after I moved to TX.  I lost interest after Jeter retired.  Amazing longevity that spanned 20 years with the same team.

 

My BIL is still a Mets fan even though he's in TX now over 20 years.  His son now in TX, also originally from NYC is a Mets fan as well.  He named his dog Shea. 🤭

I am a diehard Yankees fan for my entire life , was happy when meeting some family I haven’t seen in over 30 years that they were all Yankees fans. My wife several decades ago bought me a signed Mickey Mantle baseball and a signed sports illustrated. Planning on watching the new Yogi Berra movie . I forgive my nephew who is still a Met fan.

[dani negreanu]

5 hours ago, Luckynana said:

Happy Canada Day to all of our Dani friends!🍁

 

4 hours ago, DaniDanielle said:

I second that!

 

3 hours ago, Sunshine3601 said:

+1. 🇨🇦

 

 

... and I "fourth" that 🍁

 

[Jimbo]

6 hours ago, Sea Dog said:

Im more of a cognac guy than brandy. Though the only difference is the cognac is distilled from grapes in the champagne region of France. The main thing about Brandy that you should ask is “how long has it been aged?” A VSOP is aged longer than a VS and a XO is aged longer than a VSOP. I’m not a cigar smoker but I know a lot of people that like to smoke a cigar and drink a glass of brandy or cognac. The aromas will merge in the mouth, accentuating the flavours and scents of the cigar and spirit simultaneously. Have fun and let me know how you like it.

Very cool place,great decor. The place has only been open for about a year and half. It used to be a bank

 

The owner also owns the winery we went to last weekend.

He only makes a light and medium brandy,something to do with the 2 different kinds of barrels the brandy is distilled in.

 

We preferred  the light nice and smooth.

 

We bought a bottle of the light,it was $49.00, also bought a t-shirt.

We like to support the local businesses. 

 

We spent about an hour and half there. Others also came in while we we were there. It was a fun time.

 

Here is a few pictures, really a cool place.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Picture is not upside down, it's the bottom of barrels on the ceiling.

 

 

 

 

The old bank vault is still there, 18 inches of concrete still all around it

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 1, 2023 by Jimbo

[Jimbo]

Here is a picture of the Owner, 3 guesses how he came up with the name of his business. First 2 guesses don't count. 🤣

 

SALTY STASH Distillery

 

Edited July 1, 2023 by Jimbo

[TravelGirlinDallas]

We board Allure in 2 weeks. Last night, I decided to try on my formalwear. The last few cruises have been cooler weather, so I wore my heavier/more winter-appropriate outfits. This next one is going to be hot, so I tried on my lighter formal things. But I've lost a good amount of weight over the last 1.5 years, and they are all too big now! 

 

I still have time to order something if I do it fast, but I'm not finding anything I like. Where do you ladies shop for cruise formalwear? I usually go for separates, and tops is what I need. 

[Tree_skier]

4 hours ago, A&L_Ont said:

Many thanks. 
 

 

 

Spotted before the game. 
 

I feel a little guilty.  I have done almost nothing to celebrate Canada Day.  I did have Tim Hortons coffee this morning but that has been it.  Maybe I'll wear my Team Canada jersey when we go eat tonight.  DW is going to complain though.