The Daily for Saturday 03/12/2022

[bennybear]

Good morning and thanks all!  Happy birthday to Lenda and Mitzi and our eldest DGD!   A special Happy 80 to Sheila! 
DH has uncovered all kinds of interesting tidbits re Genealogy.  We’ve visited Santorini countless times on a cruise and stayed there for several days.    Last time we were the only ship.  If you get the chance visit Akrotiri,  perhaps Atlantis? 

Edited March 12, 2022 by bennybear

[Cruising-along]

Good morning all!

We're having a little sunshine and heading to 57F today (!) That won't last, as it will be back down to the high 40's/low 50's tomorrow.  

 

I did a Family Tree on Ancestry.com, but admit I haven't done much with it after setting it up.  I did trace my maternal side back to 1624 in France, 1800's in Germany on my paternal side.

 

I never was a Girl Scout, DH and I are both big Alfred Hitchcock fans.  We watched one of his television episodes last night in fact.  He really had a lot of irony and humor in his shows, and I never found them scary.  I'm more a fan of his TV shows from the 50's than his movies.  

 

I'll pass on the meal, drink and wine.  We've been to Santorini several times, the most recent was last fall.  Once we rented a car and drove to wineries, the last time we just browsed the shops and restaurants, and once we went to Akrotiri.  I'll post some photos, hopefully there aren't repeats from before.

 

@Quartzsite CruiserLenda Happy Birthday!

@Overhead FredHappy Birthday to your DW Mitzi!

@irishjimHappy Birthday to your DW Sheila!

@mamaofamioh my goodness that's awful about your cabinet falling and your dishes all breaking!!

 

Some photos of prior visits to Santorini

 

Taken from the tender

 

Yummy Greek salad

 

Funicular

 

Scenes from Akrotiri

 

 

 

In the museum

 

A gold ibex figurine 

[marshhawk]

weather update- at 10:15 it started snowing, then the sun came out, then it was still snowing, flakes going up, not down.  guess they were flakes from another neighborhood.  cloudy again, out door cat took off in the cold, weird, haven't seen her since she got fed this morning.  where is her common sense?

 

now 12:12 temp is 30 and dropping.  i love the south in the spring.  latest i have seen snow here was 1981 snow on 4/8.

[bennybear]

1 hour ago, cat shepard said:

 

Laura

I take pics of the labels of wine that I have tried and loved. I have a couple of email “albums” that I have sent myself. Love your idea. 

 

And you can safely aerate wine in its bottle for even more than 24 hours. The neck opening is so small, it doesn’t let much air in. But many sommeliers believe swirling the wine in the glass works just fine.  I used to think swirling was pretentious, when I was much younger. Until someone shared a “before” & “after” with me. 

 

 

We use the Vivino app to keep track of wines we enjoy!

1 hour ago, fatcat04 said:

A snowy cold Good Morning to you all from Nashville, TN and a thank you to Rich for the Daily. 

 

Genealogy, yep did quite a bit of that before the kids arrived. We will get back to it one day. Alfred Hitchcock, soo many great movies. Rebecca is my favorite B/W (book is good too) and North by Northwest is my favorite color... but Cary Grant always melted my butter. 

 

Hugs and prayers for those on the care list. Cheers for those who are celebrating!

 

Sorry for the absence but my days have been over full getting MIL out of rehab and into assisted living. So many details, so many little things to think of and I am point person/chief bottle washer/slave labor  as my husband is an only child and he has to work all day. It reminds me of when you move into your first apartment, you need well, everything. We got a few things from her home of 46 years (which had become more of a prison with steps everywhere and rugs and thick carpet which are all horrible for the mobility impaired) but most of her furniture is just way too big, too heavy, too tall, or simply ready to be tossed in the dumpster. So I had 2 furniture deliveries to navigate. Mil needed some medical assistance devices so I had to coordinate that. Our Amazon delivery guy must be getting really sick of coming to my house as I have used them so much to get all the odds and ends from dish towels to bed sheets to a coffee maker to accent tables. BUT I am sooo thankful for Amazon! They have made this much easier on me.

 

The assisted living folks have been fantastic. I have told my dh when we get to that point, I pray we can be at a place like mil. It is just wonderful. Mil has a private 1 bedroom apartment with kitchen. It is very spacious but not too big as her limited mobility is an issue. She is getting all her therapy (PT/OT/ST) in her apartment which is fantastic as they are helping her get used to USING her new home to her ability level. 

 

All in all, while exhausting, this was a fantastic move for her and she looks and moves better now than she has in 2 years. I think this move will add quality years to her life. Plus, her grandchildren have far more access to her now (the most important part).

 

This experience has also taught us a great deal about how dh and I should deal with this eventuality.. plan far ahead, tour facilities, talk to others in the know, get everything in order so our kids have a seamless transition and don't feel completely overwhelmed (I have to admit I have felt that a bit lately), move in before the crisis hits and maybe we will avoid the crisis all together, know our limitations, and be willing to accept help without fear or guilt. 

 

And to leave you, you know Alfred Hitchcock loved to place himself in every single movie he directed, a hallmark of his and one of his many many quirks. Just little cameos walking a dog or sitting on a bus or waiting at a street corner but fun to watch out for. So here is a photo article of every cameo he made in his movies. Enjoy.

 

https://www.msn.com/en-us/movies/news/every-cameo-that-alfred-hitchcock-made-in-his-films/ss-BB1gzWXm

Never easy!  Blessings to you! 

3 hours ago, mamaofami said:

Good morning everyone. Last night at 3am we heard a loud crash came into the kitchen to find one of the cabinets had pulled away from the wall, spilling its contents  all over and all the dishes in pieces. No idea why it happened. The cabinet is in one piece and the handyman is coming for something else today or tomorrow so hopefully it can be rehung without keeping anything in it. We had rain last night but that happened afterwards.

Stay safe everyone,

Carol

 

Yikes!  Carol you are overdue for some good luck!

[Vict0riann]

Good morning, Dailyites, and thank you to Rich, Roy, the Food and Beverage ladies, and everyone!  Happy Birthdays to those celebrating, our younger DD had a birthday on the 10th, I forgot all about it as she is at the other end of the country, but of course DH remembered and took care of everything.   @mamaofami, how awful to have a cabinet just fall off the wall.  You are having one catastrophe after another.  

 

What have you booked, @TiogaCruiser?  We are planning to book a couple of weeks on Koningsdam on Monday, San Diego to Vancouver but we'll get off in Victoria.  We were getting really antsy and need to travel!  Now there's something to look forward to.  What kind of temperatures are you having in California?  We are excited about the cruise/s because there is an overnight in SF on each, and we hope to be able to get to Woodside to see my cousin (the one with ALS, and her DH has Alzheimers).

 

Yesterday we did a bit of research, found an easier place to get a covid test (and $1 cheaper!), but mostly I have been spending my time watching the news about Ukraine.  So sad!  

 

Our Premier has said we will not allow the protesting truck convoy to "occupy" Victoria for two months, as they have threatened.   Can you imagine what that would do to the tourist/cruise season?  

 

Looks like a dreary day here today, and we are due for rain most of the week.  

 

 

[JazzyV]

@fatcat04 Bless you for all you're doing for MIL. Her place sounds very nice. As you say, we need to plan for the future for ourselves; especially those like me who don't have kids or a spouse. Thanks for  the Hitchcock cameo link.

@irishjim Happy Birthday to Sheila!

@Sea Viewer So nice that you'll get to see your sister, however brief the visit.

@Cruise Suzy Awful about the tornado. I hope no lives were lost.

@Horizon chaser 1957 I'm glad you got your labs done. I usually schedule to make it fast, but am willing to wait as a walk in if nothing's available.

@bennybear Happy Birthday to your DGD. 

 

A picture from the St. Patrick's Day parade downtown this morning.

 

Edited March 12, 2022 by JazzyV

[StLouisCruisers]

I'm asking for an extra prayer session for Buddy today.  I just heard from my twin and she said yesterday after his last radiation session he was very ill with a 102 fever.  The oncologist said take him to the nearest ER immediately.  It was 3 miles away.  They ran tests, X-rays, did blood work and scans and said it looked like pneumonia on one side.  They gave him an IV with fluids, pain meds and antibiotics, then transported him to a major hospital in St. Louis and treated him as if he had sepsis.  This morning he's feeling better but will have to stay until his white blood count is at least 1000.  Yesterday it was 0.  Today it's 100!  He's got a long way to go but I hope they can help get Buddy back on his feet.

[Overhead Fred]

@Quartzsite Cruiser and @irishjim and others I have lost track of!

 

 

[swin26]

7 minutes ago, JazzyV said:

@fatcat04 Bless you for all you're doing for MIL. Her place sounds very nice. As you say, we need to plan for the future for ourselves; especially those like me who don't have kids or a spouse. Thanks for  the Hitchcock cameo link.

@irishjim Happy Birthday to Sheila!

@Sea Viewer So nice that you'll get to see your sister, however brief the visit.

@Cruise Suzy Awful about the tornado. I hope no lives were lost.

@Horizon chaser 1957 I'm glad you got your labs done. I usually schedule to make it fast, but am willing to wait as a walk in if nothing's available.

@bennybear Happy Birthday to your DGD. 

 

A picture from the St. Patrick's Day parade downtown this morning.

 

Good morning from a fellow Pittsburgher.  We got 9 inches of snow at our house. Nice day to stay home and do some cooking.  Had a veggie burger for lunch and maybe will have a gin and tonic later today.  Will have to try the wine, we like Cabernet Franc.   We donated our Girl Scout cookies to the troops - I would eat an entire box of thin mints. Prayers to all on the list.  

[TiogaCruiser]

21 minutes ago, Vict0riann said:

What have you booked, @TiogaCruiser?  We are planning to book a couple of weeks on Koningsdam on Monday, San Diego to Vancouver but we'll get off in Victoria.  We were getting really antsy and need to travel!  Now there's something to look forward to.  What kind of temperatures are you having in California?  We are excited about the cruise/s because there is an overnight in SF on each, and we hope to be able to get to Woodside to see my cousin (the one with ALS, and her DH has Alzheimers).

 

We’re doing Sea of Cortez on Zuidie. It will be the first time to México for DH, and replaces the one canceled in 2020 ( minus Tomplabompa (sp?). It’s our first balcony and first Vista and just ticked off enough of our requirements. We’ve had a couple months of family THINGS and just need to get away together. Zuidie has a proper promenade deck at least, so that might be enough to keep up our interest in cruising. The other things I like on a cruise are apparently history.🥴

 

 

[Sea Viewer]

13 minutes ago, StLouisCruisers said:

I'm asking for an extra prayer session for Buddy today.  I just heard from my twin and she said yesterday after his last radiation session he was very ill with a 102 fever.  The oncologist said take him to the nearest ER immediately.  It was 3 miles away.  They ran tests, X-rays, did blood work and scans and said it looked like pneumonia on one side.  They gave him an IV with fluids, pain meds and antibiotics, then transported him to a major hospital in St. Louis and treated him as if he had sepsis.  This morning he's feeling better but will have to stay until his white blood count is at least 1000.  Yesterday it was 0.  Today it's 100!  He's got a long way to go but I hope they can help get Buddy back on his feet.

Looks like the gremlins took my message, prayers for Buddy's speedy recovery.

M

[kb4683]

3 hours ago, irishjim said:

Wishing Pauline a  wonderful Birthday and  many  many more.         My  Wife  Sheilas  Birthday is today she is 80 yrs young.

 

Happy birthday, Sheila

[JazzyV]

22 minutes ago, StLouisCruisers said:

I'm asking for an extra prayer session for Buddy today.  I just heard from my twin and she said yesterday after his last radiation session he was very ill with a 102 fever.  The oncologist said take him to the nearest ER immediately.  It was 3 miles away.  They ran tests, X-rays, did blood work and scans and said it looked like pneumonia on one side.  They gave him an IV with fluids, pain meds and antibiotics, then transported him to a major hospital in St. Louis and treated him as if he had sepsis.  This morning he's feeling better but will have to stay until his white blood count is at least 1000.  Yesterday it was 0.  Today it's 100!  He's got a long way to go but I hope they can help get Buddy back on his feet.

 

So sorry to hear this. He doesn't need anything more after his surgery and treatments. Prayers for a good quick response to the antibiotics, and that his white count rebounds quickly.

[USN59-79]

Here is a suggestion if you are interested in your family history.  Have a discussion about their memories of their early days with your oldest relative.  About 50 years ago my mother's oldest sister spent about half an hour discussing what she remembered of how the family immigrated to Hawaii from Siberia and went back to Siberia and then back to Hawaii.  I have a copy of it and have learned a lot from it.  Here is a short version:  The family originally was from Poland.  They ended up at Irkutz, Siberia and he was very self sufficient.  He had greenhouses where he could grow flowers in winter and also made and sold vodka.  They saw a flyer advertising the joys of migrating to Hawaii.  The neighbors told them not to go, there are cannibals there.  This was about 1905.  They went anyway and ended up on Maui.  They found that they wanted plantation workers.  He didn't enjoy that, so they moved to Honolulu where he got a job with the Hawaiian Electric Company as he had engineering training.  Eventually his doctor told him that the warm climate was not good for his heart problems and he should go back to Siberia.  He believed him and the family got on a ship to go back.  He died of a heart attack on the ship and was buried in Kobe, Japan.  There is more to the story, of course, but I would never know it if my aunt had not made that recording.

Ray

[TiogaCruiser]

3 hours ago, StLouisCruisers said:

 

Please when you are finished with the backyard can we see some photos?  It sounds so interesting.  Maybe it would help others who are planning some outdoor updates.

Here’s a few:

The concept 

Before- across the yard 

After-across the yard 

Before- remnant of termited deck, over a sandbox

During remodel 

After

[TiogaCruiser]

A few more:

Another after the first day 

Final

Concept

Where we are today- lights to be started next weekend per DH. He’s rerouting some of the conduit now. 
 

The slope has filled in some since the pictures were taken. (We have native plants growing up there.) The last one was taken today.  We have about 70 degrees out, and the Santana winds have stopped. 
 

I get to build a redwood bench to go between the island and the pond.😁

Edited March 12, 2022 by TiogaCruiser

[StLouisCruisers]

4 minutes ago, TiogaCruiser said:

Here’s a few:

The concept 

Before- across the yard 

After-across the yard 

Before- remnant of termited deck, over a sandbox

During remodel 

After

 

It looks more usable space-wise.  I love the outdoor kitchen space, and the stairs all the way up the slope is really helpful.   I'd be using those to garden/weed that hillside.  Is that a hot tub near the kitchen?

[StLouisCruisers]

2 minutes ago, TiogaCruiser said:

A few more:

Another after the first day 

Final

Concept

Where we are today- lights to be started next weekend per DH. He’s rerouting some of the conduit now. 
 

I get to build a redwood bench to go between the island and the pond.😁

 

Those are great photos, especially from the top.  I guess what I thought might be a hot tub is actually your pond!

[TiogaCruiser]

2 minutes ago, StLouisCruisers said:

 

Those are great photos, especially from the top.  I guess what I thought might be a hot tub is actually your pond!

Yes. We have feeder goldfish in it enjoying the life. And water lilies ( which are dormant).

 

We figure whoever buys the house ( when we’re done living here) could easily put in a spa there.

Edited March 12, 2022 by TiogaCruiser

[cruzin4us]

I have a Santorini Story from long ago:  

 

When I graduated from High School in 1979, a group of 25 students and chaperones took a 3 week tour of Europe in August, one week of which was on a cruise ship (don't remember the name but I remember we had bunk beds and had to share showers down the hall and Donna Summers music blasted in the disco).

 

Anyway, our cruise was around the Greek Islands with an Italian Crew.   The drinking age was 18 on the ship and most of us were 18 so the chaperones "allowed" our table of 6 to share a bottle at dinner.

 

After dinner my friend and I would sneak the empty bottle and cork to our room and write a letter.   We'd stick it in the bottle, head to the back of the ship and toss it overboard.    Don't remember what we wrote but we did this every day for 7 days.

 

Months passed and I headed off to college and then I received a forwarded letter from my parents.   A Greek gentleman who was visiting his mother in Santorini found one of our bottles on the beach.

 

He wrote me a few letters over the next few months and even set a cassette tape where he talked.   The funniest part is he kept reiterating that he was married and that he was NOT interested in having an affair.  LOL.  Remember, I was only 18 at the time and in my first year of college.

 

We kept communications going for about a year and then it stopped.   I still have his letters somewhere in a box.

 

That my friends is my Santorini story and NO I don't still throw bottles overboard 🙂

[irishjim]

13 minutes ago, JazzyV said:

 

So sorry to hear this. He doesn't need anything more after his surgery and treatments. Prayers for a good quick response to the antibioti.cs, and that his white count rebounds quickly.

In  my  prayers that  buddy  has  a  fast  healing and  the antibiotics work for  him.

                                                                                                                                                  Jim.

[grapau27]

2 hours ago, irishjim said:

Wishing Pauline a  wonderful Birthday and  many  many more.         My  Wife  Sheilas  Birthday is today she is 80 yrs young.

 

Thank you Jim.

Happy 80th birthday to Sheila.

Graham 

[cat shepard]

53 minutes ago, StLouisCruisers said:

I'm asking for an extra prayer session for Buddy today.  I just heard from my twin and she said yesterday after his last radiation session he was very ill with a 102 fever.  The oncologist said take him to the nearest ER immediately.  It was 3 miles away.  They ran tests, X-rays, did blood work and scans and said it looked like pneumonia on one side.  They gave him an IV with fluids, pain meds and antibiotics, then transported him to a major hospital in St. Louis and treated him as if he had sepsis.  This morning he's feeling better but will have to stay until his white blood count is at least 1000.  Yesterday it was 0.  Today it's 100!  He's got a long way to go but I hope they can help get Buddy back on his feet.

 

 

Prayers winging their way. 

[Quartzsite Cruiser]

Good morning from the Koningsdam on a cool  (63F) and windy day.  Our morning began with an early for us visit to the upper MDR for our Covid tests.  We were given the choice of waiting there for 15 minutes or going back to our cabin for 30 minutes for the results.  Less than 15 minutes after DH's swab, we got a 👍 from the nurse and were good to go.  Now, this year, that was the best birthday present.  

 

I also got a birthday cupcake 🧁 and a birthday card signed by the Captain.

 

@cat shepard, @puppycanducruise, @ger_77, @smitty34877, @kb4683, @grapau27, @Cruzin Terri, @summer slope, @ottahand7, @StLouisCruisers, @marshhawk, @JazzyV, @garlictown, @Sea Viewer,

@AncientWanderer, @Horizon chaser 1957, @bennybear, @Cruising-along, @Vict0riann, and @Overhead Fred

 

A heartfelt thank you for all the wonderful birthday wishes.  ❤️  It is always nice to receive good wishes from friends.

 

Lenda

[smitty34877]

@StLouisCruisers,Sandi,I am sending along prayers for  Buddy and so sorry to hear of his latest complication.