bennybear

How sad to hear your story of this young man, glad your church is fully inclusive. good luck packing

Good morning and thanks all! Hope all who are ill recover quickly! We’re dealing with huge rains and winds that have toppled many huge trees. We’re under a state of emergency in case of flooding. Takamatsu is a port near Okayama, which has one of the three top gardens in Japan.

@Rowsby so sorry to hear of the loss of your kitty, Casey. @smitty34877 glad you are safe, yikes! @StLouisCruisers sorry to hear you are ill, if it’s any consolation, rest now, appears to help avoid long Covid. Hope your DH stays negative. Sorry to hear about Buddy. @srdancer yes, the waning of the vaccine effectiveness, new sub variants and high incidence of long Covid in even the vaccinated has me being ultra careful. We have had some very aggressive coyotes, attacked a man and his two dogs, so they’ve closed part of the park we live near for two weeks now to avoid those encounters.

We had a lovely lunch in Ceri, could smell that roast pork. Next time I will have it, A sweet little town.

We took a taxi to Trogir and enjoyed this ancient town, but we had been to Split previously.

Paleokastritsa is a beautiful beach but for some reason the water was freezing in summer. We enjoyed a boat tour with Nautilus for swimming. for half a day, perhaps just grab a taxi

Our lady of the rocks is simply beautiful as is the little boat trip

We used Nautilus and they were amazing, one of our best tour days ever. We visited some spectacular scenery, swam in several places and enjoyed an onboard BBQ. They picked us up at the dock, We had no trouble being back with lots of time. Suggest booking early.

@Heartgrove my deepest condolences, I’m so sorry your family has experienced so much Grief! Those stories help us keep the memories alive.

@grapau27 the good thing is that so much is treatable without side effects. I think the majority of us will experience a basal cell which is easily treatable. I consider these minor in the scheme of things. I too lost my brother to brain cancer, but he was aware and we made the best of his time. My mother in her mid 90s faced a cancer diagnosis and surgery with grace. But today is about the survivors and I am grateful for treatments that also help many with a serious cancer diagnosis.

Good morning, I am very grateful to have survived two different major cancers and a recurrence, three surgeries, radiation, drug treatment, major side effects as well as skin cancer; my DH is a melanoma survivor. I look at the glass as very much half full and refuse to dwell on the smaller and not so small things. Two of my friends who were diagnosed the same time as my recurrence are no longer with us. So I have a lot of gratitude and try to look at things in a different light. I think the quote is very important, but many prefer to avoid the difficult truth. It can be uncomfortable even when stated delicately. But is necessary for truly healthy relationships, as well as sensitivity to what others may be going through, known or not. Otherwise we have a strange dichotomy where people won’t feel safe asking questions or stating what they need for fear it will be misinterpreted. We last visited Taormina from Messina

Success at last but too late to edit. Darn those gremlins

Good morning. Some photos of beautiful Dominica and it’s waterfalls. which unfortunately will remain mysterious as no matter how I try CC will not load them.

We have had good luck with west jet, but there have been many cancellations. we have also flown easy jet without issue and it is our preference over Ryanair. Sounds like you have a day of grace, are your flights booked through the cruise line? and do you have trip cancellation and interruption insurance? That way you have some back up if you need to find other flights.

The cherry blossoms often start in later March. So go early, they’re incredible!

Good morning, London is apropos today, God Save our gracious queen! some photos of London and Buckingham Palace from the gardens

Good morning, love Dosas! Kochi, the castle is amazing as was the shopping and soups.

Kona flowers for the garden club

Good morning, Kona is our winter happy place for nearly 40 years.

The death rates have been higher,. That is like a cold isn’t true for everyone . In Canada there is random testing upon arrival, It’s unconscionable to fly knowing one is positive.

Well you know what they say about the road to …. Is paved with good intentions. I was hoping for some healthy discussion but didn’t expect to be criticized for saying things I didn’t actually say. I apologize for my lack of clarity. Thanks for those who reminded us that nuance and tone is missing. Thanks to those who reminded us how difficult things have been for the last few years, and how many of us are dealing with serious issues that may not be shared. Part of my concern has been for those struggling with very serious issues, things have seemed to me to be recently been a little insensitive to that. To be clear I have not wanted to limit anyones voice, but nor do I want this thread to be just about post count…. like posting four separate posts in a row. I hope it can be a place where we are open and honest with each other, actually listening to each other. I have learned much from this group and appreciate each one who has chosen to participate. I apologize for any upset I caused, however unintentional, enough said, hopefully the air is clear and our little daily family can settle

Good morning with Special thanks @marshhawk Some photos of welcome to and from Kanazawa with their famous gardens Are sure to visit Shirikawa

@ClippyJoewell said, nuance is so important. @Cruisercl Of course there is a difference between social and business, But in any setting monopolizing a conversation is poor form. That stifles discussion. I’m not sure where you got that impression that I believe topics were narrow and needed to be managed when I said specifically how and what you say are up to the individual.

Thank you! I too was supposed to be on a cruise right now to the holy land, we cancelled for the same reasons you did. Hopefully next year is better when I have two cruises booked to Japan. Again by trying to be delicate I am misunderstood, in my work leading groups professionally, it was unwise if one person dominated as it lessens the opportunity for others to participate. That is my only concern, and is why I spoke out. How and what you say are up to each individual.

Off course not Jim, we would love to see your photos.