Quartzsite Cruiser

Maureen, I'm glad you DH is doing better. It's about time. I'm also glad you got some nice visits with your stepsons and the nice card from your DH. Carolyn, good that you had more time in Yellowstone, and that the plane is on time. Sorry about the pat-down. Joy, the storm just came through here. It was predicted for 4 pm and arrived about 4:20. We had high winds and heavy rain, then, it was over in about ten minutes. I'm so sorry about Fluff and the diagnosis. I hope the oxygen, and medication will help. It's always hard to say goodbye, and I hope you don't have too any time soon. Lenda

Good afternoon. Our sunny skies have given way to increasing and darker clouds, with not much wind. There is a 50% chance of rain and thunderstorms later this afternoon and into tomorrow. At least we had good weather to go into Waco this morning. We also took advantage of being there to do a little shopping. Since we've been home, I've been trying to catch up on things. Carolyn, again thanks for all your wonderful pictures. I hope this afternoon's flight is on-time and easy. Terri, I'm glad they only had to make one pass to get everything. I also hope you can get some help for the next two weeks. Robert, thanks for your pictures from today's port. The last picture reminds me of some of the formations in Iceland and Ireland like the Giants Causeway. Jake, I loved the meme, and it's so true. I hope the week goes quickly and that you have a great cruise. Anne, I'm sorry about the nosebleeds and the headache. I hope the woman your neighbor recommended can help. If not, remember your friends will understand if somethings are quite as you'd like them. Glad you were able to get a good deal on a cruise. @StLouisCruisers Sandi, I'm sorry the Jaguars lost today. Sometimes, such a loss can provide a valuable lesson for the team. Lenda

Good morning from a sunny ☀️ and not windy central Texas. In fact, our neighbor's flag is hanging and not moving for a change. It is currently 68F and will reach 83F this afternoon before the rain returns. Now would be a great time to spray the weed killer, but I don't have time this morning. DH has a doctor's appointment in Waco later this morning, so we'll be leaving about 9:30. Today's quote is very true, and we should keep that in mind when dealing with others. Again, you had me with the word chocolate, and chocolate chips are good in cookies, muffins, pies, etc. I'll skip the sliders, but will honor the police officers killed in the line of duty. We'll pass on the drink and the wine because it is pricey. Sadly, we have not been to Tasmania, so I have enjoyed seeing Sandi's @StLouisCruisers pictures. @StLouisCruisers Sandi, thank you again for filling in for Rich @richwmn and Roy @rafinmd and getting us going every day. Enjoy being able to sleep later in the mornings. Sending positive thoughts for the Jaguars' game today, and that the referees on top of their game, too. @Cruzin Terri Terri, I'm sending good thoughts your way that your DH's MOHS procedure goes well, and they can get it all with the first pass. @kazu Jacqui, a glass of wine later to celebrate your getting the snow tires replaced. Truthfully, there will be a glass or two of wine today anyway. 🤣 I'm glad your getting some help with the yard work. @Lady Hudson Katherine, that is good news you were able to get an assessible cabin for a summer cruise. @richwmn Rich, I'm glad you are about settled back in the routine, and look forward to your posting the Fleet/Daily starting tomorrow. @aliaschief Bruce, safe travels home tomorrow. Enjoy your down time. Now we know what happened to the unicorns. Lenda

A quick good afternoon from central Texas. I've made some headway on Ancestry today, l but it can be slow going. Nancy, you got a great deal on the bike. Paul, a good picture of a lovely lady. Brenda, great pictures. Wow, that must have been something to see. Bruce, a good looking family. Roy, I can see the resemblance between you and your mother. I can also see the resemblance between Pauline and her mother. Lenda

We have been to Nanortalik twice. The first time was on the Tahitian Princess in 2009, and the second was on the Prinsendam in 2017. The first time the weather was clear and sunny, but on the Prinsendam there were low clouds and some rain. It should be easy to tell which cruise the pictures were taken on just by looking at the weather. This was the village from the ship or the tender. A few pictures as we walked around. The buildings in the third picture are part of their museum where you can go through various buildings and can climb to the view platform by the flagpole. There are stairs on the far side of the big rock. Their museum was interesting and showed how they lived. A carving representing a whale. Some overall pictures of the village and area. A call to a tender port would not be complete without a picture of the Elegant Explorer at anchor. Lenda

Good morning on this cloudy and a little breezy Mothers' Day in central Texas. It is 71F and our predicted high will be 75F. Since our rain yesterday morning it's been dry. All the storms later yesterday went around us. It is supposed to start raining again in about an hour, stop for the afternoon and rain again all night until about 9am tomorrow. We'll just have to wait and see if the forecast is accurate. It's been about 30 years since we did the chicken dance. Our oldest DD's band director would have the jazz band play the chicken dance at every band party. Even the parents chaperoning the parties were expected to get up and make fools of themselves. It was a lot of fun. Dachshunds bond with one person, and our older one boded with our older DD. That dog would not let the younger dachshund bond with anyone, but after she died, the younger dog bonded with me. I try to be decent to everyone everyday, but some people sure make that difficult. 🤣 I like the Churchill quote. The meal looks like a good way to use leftover ham, and the wine sounds nice with a decent price today. We'll pass on the drink. Lewis and Clark's expedition sure made a difference in our country. We have been to Nanortalik twice, and I'll look for my pictures in a few minutes. @StLouisCruisers Sandi, thank you for stepping up and filling in for Rich @richwmn while he was globe trotting on the Zuiderdam. I'm glad that Linda has a new dog to keep her company and that she is able to take walks now. @grapau27 Graham, that meme and story about the dog's last steps brought tears to my eyes. I don't understand people who do not treat their pets with love and decency. I would like to share that on FB if you don't mind. Thanks for information about the chicken dance. @richwmn Rich, I'm glad you made it home safely and that Callie and Leo remembered you. @JazzyV Vanessa, I'm sorry you had a bad reaction to the injection this week. I'm glad you feel better and are going out with the friend and his mom today. @cat shepard Ann, thanks for the wonderful pictures of the animal babies with their moms. @Lady Hudson Katherine, I like your idea of catering the holiday events with your family. Where we live in Texas and Quartzsite, that is not possible. @kplady Thanks for you pictures of Nanortalik. It looks like you had great weather that day. @Cruising-along Carolyn, I'm glad you saw the mama bear and her cubs. Safe travels home tomorrow. @Seasick Sailor Joy, I hope you did not have any flooding or damage from the rains yesterday. I saw on a news site that several roads in Austin were closed due to low water crossings being flooded. @ger_77 Gerry, I'm glad last night was a lot of fun, and that the little girl had a good time. @SusieKIslandGirl I hope you have a great cruise. A big thank you to everyone who posted pictures of their mothers today. I won't name everyone because I don't want to omit someone. I will add pictures of my mother and both grandmothers. All were remarkable women, and I miss them very much. Unfortunately, none of them lived to see our DDs. My mother taken on what was probably my second Easter. My paternal grandmother and grandfather. This was probably taken in 1963. I'm pretty sure I took his picture and did not do a good job of centering them in the frame. My maternal grandmother at work as the Society Editor of our local paper. I don't know how she ever found anything on her desk or bulletin boards. All three were very camera shy, but she really worked to avoid the cameras. The tables were turned on her in 1950 when Life Magazine selected her for a picture story about a week in the life of a small town Society Editor. This is one of those pictures. Unfortunately, I don't have a copy of the one with a friend and the friend's Herefords on my computer. I do have several copies of the magazine, which I treasure. This is DH's mother and father. Sadly, his mother also did not live to meet the DDs. Lenda

Me too. Lenda

Good afternoon. I've spent the day catching up on things I've neglected and working more on our family trees on Ancestry. When the various records mostly agree, it is not difficult to add ancestors. However, in some of the family trees available the information has been gathered from were, shall we say, a bit creative. It amazes me how some have ancestors marrying before they were born or after they died. I guess people don't check dates to carefully. This is in addition to the hazy records, but I've been amazed at how accurate, and precise some records are. So far, all the predicted rain has missed us. We think our lake has an effect on the rain near us. The areas south of us, including Austin and Georgetown where Joy @Seasick Sailor lives. I hope our DDs and Joy are high and dry. Susan, I hope your gal doesn't forget the appointment again, but it was good you were there to help your neighbor. A belated welcome home. I'm glad you enjoyed your cruise in spite of the weather. Your renewal of your vows sounds amazing along with the cabin when you returned afterwards. I think the carpets on HAL ships are easier to change. Paul, thanks for the information and the pictures of the wedding. Sandi, it sounds like you are making good progress on your book. I'm sorry the Jaguars lost today, and that they had a less than stellar referee. Better luck to the team Monday. Lenda

Ann, I'm glad Pat will be home later today, and that the nurse will be coming in to help for a while. I hope your headache clears up soon. I wish. The house was built in 1999, so it's a plastic bottle. At least, it wasn't added to the plasitic blob in the ocean. Roy, thanks for the information about @Scrapnana. I know we have all been concerned about her. Terri, I'm sorry the cleaner had an emergency and couldn't make it today. Hopefully, she can come next weekend, but that doesn't help today. Lenda

Good morning from a cloudy, but not raining, central Texas. It is 67F and will reach 77F this afternoon. Our forecasted rain kept getting pushed back yesterday, and we only got a small amount overnight. It is just beginning to rain again, and from looking at the radar, we should be getting a good rain until about 2 pm. Then later this afternoon, the rain is supposed to return and last through tomorrow afternoon. I think today and tomorrow will be good days to catch up on things on the computer. I will honor all birth mothers who made the very difficult decision to give their children up for adoption so they could have a better life. We don't have frogs here, and I haven't even seen any toads for several years. DD served hummus at a picnic, and I didn't hate it, just don't want to buy it. I like the meaning of today's quote, just think it could have been stated differently. However, with @0106 Tina's explanation, I understand the context in which it was said. The pizza looks good, but I would only make it if we had leftover steak, which is very seldom. We'll pass on the drink, but the wine sounds nice. We did not stop at Parintins on our Amazon River cruise. Another interesting day in history. @richwmn Rich, safe travels home today. Welcome, home. @aliaschief Bruce, I'm glad you're having good results with the three year old's potty training. Sorry that your DW had to take away iPad time from the seven year old. @summer slope Dixie and @StLouisCruisers Sandi, thank you for your pictures. I think we would pass on the show, but the park looks inviting. @Denise T I'm glad you are feeling better today. @kazu Jacqui, I hope the incision heals quickly. I also hope Ivan gets more comfortable with the grass. @Cruzin Terri Terri, good to know the clerk was helpful yesterday. It's good you already know the new cleaner and are comfortable with her. @dfish Debbie, I know you'll be happy when the deck is completely finished. @cunnorl Charlene, thanks for checking in today. I'm glad you are feeling better after a rough few days, and hope the rest of your recovery goes smoothly and quickly. @RedneckBob When we replaced our washer this spring, I pulled the dryer out after the old washer was removed to clean under the dryer too. Our clothes had also been taking too long to dry, so I vacuumed out the vent hose. All I found was a huge ball of lint. However, I think there is still an empty coke bottle stuck in the rafters from when our house was built. It was there before the ceiling was installed, and I doubt anyone removed it. @Cruising-along Carolyn, I'm glad you are enjoying your time in Yellowstone, and thank you for your pictures. @JazzyV Vanessa, I'm sorry the walk caused more knee pain. Lenda

Good! Then, I won't be alone. 😉 Lenda

Debbie, the deck looks great. I can’t wait until we can see the finished deck. I also hope Sue's neatness doesn't rub off on the rest of us. We do have standards to uphold after all. 🤣 Lenda

I'm sorry Sue doesn't live up to, or is it down to, the standards of the Messy Painters Guild. 😁 We can always use new members. Lenda

Good afternoon from a still cloudy and windy central Texas. The last time l checked the temperature, it was 80F and humid. I was lucky to get outside just after 9:30 and get finished with the yard before noon, and before it really warmed up. It's a good thing I got to the yard, because much longer and it would have been difficult to mow. It's taken me this long to shower and wash my hair, and then, to get the meat packaged and in the freezer and the strawberries cut and ready to eat. It feels good to finally sit down for a while. Karen, that is the best news we've had in a while. I know you both will be happier when your DH has been moved to the familiar rehab facility. The reduction in stress for you will be a game changer too. Thank you, Graham. I would like to return to Cyprus and find a tour to Nicosia that would allow more time to spend on the Turkish side of the green line. Debbie, I'm guessing the Messy Painters Club includes messy strainers too. 😉 I'm wondering if Sue is a member of the club, too. The more members means the more messier and merrier. Paul, I'm glad your schedule was feed up today so you could get your errands run. Glad the fridge is gone. Gerry, I'm sure your new friends will enjoy the barbecue. They are very lucky to have met you and your DH. I'm sure that has made their new beginning much easier. Nancy, I hope the plant sale goes well, and you can sell all the plants. Rich, it looks like you have a good day for your return to Ft. Lauderdale. Lenda

On our way from Limassol to Nicosia, we stopped at an archeological site called Khirakita which was discovered in 1934. It dates to the Neolithic era. Here are pictures from the site.. These were the recreations of the buildings, which were on a steep hill, that all but the very fittest chose not to climb. The real buildings on the hill The restored/recreated buildings based on the findings on the hill. Our first stop was an Greek Orthodox monastery and chapel. We were not allowed to take pictures in the chapel. A part of the walls from the time of the Crusades I don't remember what the monument was for Our main reason for taking the tour was to see the Green Line that divides the Nicosia between the Greek side and the Turkish side. We also brought our passports so we could enter the Turkish side. Our guide told us we could not do that as the lines to get back across the green line could take 45 minutes to hours. We only had about 45-60 minutes of free time, and the bus would not wait for anyone. The entire time she was telling us this, we were watching the lines going into and out of the Turkish side, and they were moving quickly. As soon as the guide left us, we headed straight for the border checkpoints, of which there were four, two each way. All of the four checkpoints went quickly with no hassle. Unfortunately, after her warning, we did not spend much time in Turkish Cyprus, but as it turns out, we could have. Once back across the border, we had 30-45 minutes left of our free time. We spent part of that getting gelato and bottled water. The irony was, we wound up waiting for several late people, but not because they crossed the line. We were the only ones who did. These are our pictures of our foray across the Green Line. One of the checkpoints The "forbidden" side of the Green Line Not sure exactly where we were when I took this picture since you can see the green line. Walking back to the pick-up point Lenda

Good morning from a cloudy and windy central Texas. I'm beginning to sound like a broken record with out weather. It is already 75F and will rise to 84F. There are supposed to be thunderstorms about 3pm and then again staring about 9pm and lasting until sometime Sunday. On the agenda this morning is a quick trip to the store so maybe I won't have to go for the next few days when it is raining. BTW, our rain should last until next Friday. That brings me to the other item on the morning agenda, mowing and trimming the yard. I just did that chore Sunday, but with all our rain and the fertilizer I put down, the grass and weeds are growing very fast. If I wait another week, it would probably be impossible to mow. CFS is a nasty disease and I hope a cure is found soon. Nurses do a very difficult and demanding job, and I salute them. I used to be able to write limericks, but not lately. Terri's @Cruzin Terri was very good, and a nice thank you to Sandi for her hard work getting the daily started each day and keeping track of the HAL fleet. Welcome back to the US to Rich @richwmn, Laura @Horizon chaser 1957, and @Cat in my lap, and I hope all of you have safe and uneventful travels home. The Lady Gaga quote is a little cynical. We'll pass on the vegan pizza (prefer meat and real cheese) and the drink. The wine sounds nice but elusive. We were in Limassol, Cyprus in 2017 on Prinsendam, and I'll repost my pictures soon. Today's port ties in nicely with today in history. Richard I of England married Berengaria of Navarre near Limassol. @StLouisCruisers Sandi, wishing Ren and the Jaguars all the best in the tournament this weekend. @kazu Jacqui, I hope today goes better and that Ivan can realize how nice grass can be. @Cruzin Terri Terri, I know it will be a great relief when you hand the paperwork into the probation court. Enjoy your lunch out. Great news that you will have help from the new cleaning lady. @Denise T I hope you feel better soon. We were in Limassol in 2017 on the Elegant Explorer. That morning we took a tour to Nicosia, and then took the shuttle into Limassol on our return. I'll post the pictures of Limassol here and then the pictures of Nicosia in a later post. An open plaza This is a fortress and chapel dating to at least the 3rd Crusade and Richard the Lionhearted, if not earlier. It is believed he married Berengaria here and made her Queen of England. At one point the island belonged to the Templars, and the Knights of St. John may have stayed here before moving to Malta. If you look carefully, this is a press used to cut the stones for their buildings. Views of Limassol from the top of the fortress. Limassol is the second largest city in Cyprus after Nicosia. Some different views as we walked around the old city and back to the shuttle pick-up point. Lenda

Rich, I've thoroughly enjoyed you posts. Thank you for letting us tag along with you. Enjoy your day in Ft. Lauderdale, and safe travels home.

Debbie, it sounds like you and Sue are making good progress on making the house your own. The forest green for the house sounds nice. I hope we will see pictures after the house is painted. Welcome home. I'm glad the weather for at least part of your cruise was good. Jake, I'm glad the afternoon meeting went well. I hope they follow through with catching up with the regulatory issues. That picture is making me hungry. Lenda

Surprise! Besides not having rain, we are actually having some sun breaks.☀️ After realizing what that strange light was, I'm enjoying have a brighter day. Sandi, our DD works for Arm Holdings which designs chips which they license to companies who manufacture the chips to put in their equipment. The company was founded and is still headquartered in Cambridge, England. Either your suggestion to type the post, then resize it, or follow Jacqui's @kazu and Roy's @rafinmd suggestion of starting in the larger size and adding the blue bubbles after typing a few words have a drawback. That is to remember to add the blue bubbles or to resize the entire post. I have a feeling some posts will be in default size, some in the larger size and some in both. 🤣 We enjoyed our Amazon cruise even with the heat. I would like to go back before the rainy season is in full swing and see what the river is like before it overflows it's banks. Carolyn, I'm glad you were still able to cook dinner last night. That may be more flexible than I am, but it will be something you'll always remember. Jacqui, I might try your method some time. I would still have to remember to go back and add the blue bubbles. Ann, I'm glad is coming along very well. That is good news on two fronts. I'm glad TT is doing well after his surgery. It's taken awhile, but at last you have the insurance approval for the Botox. Lenda

Paul, I also have no problem with the default size, but since others seem to want a larger size type, I'm tried to use size 18. The default size is about 16. Since I have a monitor hooked to my laptop, the size is not a problem. On my tablet I can change the size with a swipe of two fingers. Lenda

Thanks for the suggestion Roy. I also thought I might type the entire post in the default size; then, highlight the post and resize it that way. I guess getting it right is a work in progress. Lenda

Here are some pictures of Belterra. We stopped at the "city hall" to ask about the town, and we were taken to a back room to view an old map of the town and the rubber plantation. A rubber tree scored to collect the rubber. Pictures of the town. Lenda

We have been to Santarem twice on the old Regal Princess in 2006, as we did a b2b roundtrip from Ft. Lauderdale. Flying into and out of Manaus, unless you are on a charter flight, is difficult. Besides, who could pass up an extra 14 days on an ship, even if it is not a BHB. The first time we stopped in Santarem, we took a tour out on the river, which was very high as it was the end of the rainy season. Houses that are on land during the dry season are more than waterfront property during the rainy season. Not sure what type of fish this is, but it looks like a member of the catfish family. On the boat, they gave us primative fishing gear baited with red meat. This is the one that DH caught, but it was a small piranha One lady caught this big guy. The crew filleted and cooked it. We were each given a bite along with some manioc. The fish tasted like perch and the manioc was hard and nearly broke teeth. A couple of pictures of Santarem as we returned to town. The sunset that day as we headed towards Manaus. Heading back down the Amazon, we stopped at Santarem again. That day, four of us hired a taxi to take us to Belterra, one of Henry Ford's rubber plantations. I posted pictures of Belterra on an earlier Daily. Our first stop was to watch the locals prepare manioc. After our experience on the river cruise, we did not taste it again. Besides being hard, I don't remember it having much taste. Two boys with their green parrots When we got back to Santarem, we stopped at this museum. The museum gardens The street outside the museum. Lenda

Good morning from another cloudy day in central Texas. It is currently 72F with just a whiff of a breeze and a predicted high of 85F. Right now, there is no rain in the forecast until 7 pm tomorrow. We generally eat what I like since I'm the cook, but I'll also make things DH really likes and that I don't mind eating. Without technology, DH would not have been able to write the software program that gave us the means to travel as much as we have. Older DD works at a company that designs computer chips. Technology allows younger DD to work from home for a company in San Francisco. The only book I've made is my personal cookbook that is a compilation of recipes I use or ones I might use. It is always a work in progress, but it means I don't have to hunt through a lot of cookbooks to find the one recipe from a cookbook that I regularly use. Today's quote is one I agree with totally. Books have taken me many places. The creamy parmesan tomato soup sounds good for a winter day. I have a tomato soup recipe I like, but I haven't made it in a few years. It needs very good tomatoes or else it's not that good. Finding really great tomatoes has been difficult lately. We'll pass on the drink, but I would like to try the wine if only it wasn't slightly pricey. We have not seen "Cats", but I love the music from the show. We have been to Santarem twice in 2006 on b2b cruise from Ft. Lauderdale. I'll look for my pictures shortly. @puppycanducruise Melanie, I'm glad Bertie is getting better. @Heartgrove Jack, I hope you feel better soon. @StLouisCruisers Safe travels to your DS, DDIL and Ren today. Wishing Ren and the Jaguars good luck in the tournament this weekend. I'm trying to use size 18 type, but I found that it reverts back to default size whenever I add the blue bubble. There has to be an easier way to set the type size to 18 for all posts and including blue bubbles, etc. @kazu Jacqui, I thought of you and Ivan when I saw this. Lenda

Paul, I'm happy that Davinci and Mona Lisa will be joining you in a couple of weeks. I hope tney will adjust quickly. Lenda