cruising sister

Good morning from a gray wet day in Kansas, DGD and I stayed home from this mornings game. I don’t like to get wet. I hope our NE friends are staying safe from the storm. Annie, I agree with the others that visual changes after eye injury is an emergency. It sounds like you have a possible puncture wound to the eye that needs to be seen. This will be brief as 3 yo need constant attention. Prayers for those on our list and others in need. Have a great day.

Good morning, Another beautiful day today. Rain will move in this evening and end tomorrow afternoon. Fingers crossed that Lee does not cause much damage. Jacqui your yard is beautiful. It is hard to believe you did all that planting with a bad elbow. Bon Voyage for our cruisers this weekend. I hope the storm does not interfere with flights and ports of call. @mamaofamiit is so hard to wait for the surgery and then have it moved back. Prayers it gets back on track and goes well. Roy it seems like you have done well with your COVID. I hope you can go on your cruise. You had a rough health year and deserve a good trip. I hope everyone has a great Friday. Prayers for all on our care list and those who are suffering around the world.

I am glad you had a good time. I like the saying about the bladder behind your eyes. I cry so easily too. I hope the celebration goes well there will be some more tears to come but it will be nice to see people.

Good morning, Another beautiful day here in Kansas. I love the fall, it is the best weather. Today is errand day and most important is the groomer for Molly. The experiment of spreading out grooms has been a fail! Wooly stinky dog who has to be next to me at all times isn’t working. The touch up paint actually looks good. I was afraid it would look blotchy. I will paint again next year with better paint as this flat paint does withstand washing and with grand kids it is a mess. The only news I have on Murphy is that they will not wean the vent any further until the sedation meds are weaned off. They have weaned the pain meds but are having trouble with the sedation meds. My niece was to return to work in October. I am not sure what she will do. She has not left the hospital for more than a few hours since Murphy was born. Tough decisions all around for this young family. I hope our cruisers are successful getting to their ships. I hope those on land who will be impacted will be safe. Jacqui did get your house settled? Prayers and peace for Lou. Prayers for all on our care list and for the victims of the flood in Libya. How awful for the families and rescue workers. Stay safe and have a great day.

I loved Casa Camper too. The location was great and very close to a good bakery.

Good morning, Thanks to all that work hard to keep this thread going. I am amazed how you all do this. Yesterday I finally got my VOV cruise booked. My TA was on vacation and her assistant tried to do it. The concept of club orange and cabin choice was above her understanding. Then throw in a FCD it was a mess. I was able to save $1100 dollars using club orange to get the cabin I wanted on deck 5 aft. It was definitely worth it even if the Zuiderdam does not have a separate dining room for club orange. I can put that cruise on the back burner as it is for 2025. I will now focus on the GA. @Lady HudsonI hope you will enjoy the cruise with the new itinerary. I am sure there are a lot of upset cruisers with the changes. We can’t control Mother Nature. Stay safe Pennsylvania cruisers. It is crazy how he has not moved out of the area and they can’t catch him. Prayers for those on the care list and have a great day.

Good morning, I am waiting on the touch up painters to arrive. It is part of the one year warranty on my house. It seems impossible that I have been in this house for a year. The problem with the paint is that it is flat paint and you can’t wash it. With two young grandchildren this is a problem. I will need to repaint with better paint later. For now I will touch up the spots and wait another year or so except for the bathrooms which I will repaint sooner. I just need to decide on a color. @smitty34877 I am glad you are getting the house ready. I am sure Lou is anxious to get home. It was much better for me having DH home for his last days. It made it easier for others to spend time with him. I dipped my toe in Morocco last May on the NS when we had a port change to Ceuta Spanish Morocco. I would like to make it to Casablanca some day. I am praying for earthquake victims. I hope all of our cruisers make their upcoming cruises with the storm coming. It will mess with flights and sailings. Prayers and well wishes to the care list and have a great day.

Good morning, It will be a cool rainy day today. I am having a hard time getting motivated. I don’t have any news on Murphy. I am letting the family contact me to give them space. I remember what I was doing on 911 like I remember when I found out about JFK’s death in second grade. Two defining moments in history during my lifetime. I don’t think they would announce things like death over a loud speaker in schools today. I tried the cheesy chicken recipe from last week. Thanks Debbie the family loved it. Looking up all the recipes is a lot of work. I wanted to let you know it was appreciated. Prayers for all those on our care list and for those grieving the loss of loved ones. Take care and have a great day.

I recently cruised Holland America to Norway and loved it. I am looking at longer and more interesting cruises. I can’t afford to cruise in suites so need to find line what works best for the pocketbook. I have a 94 day Grand Australia and the 35 day Voyage of the Vikings booked with Holland America and I am looking forward to it. I too don’t like the IV balcony and the lack of outside space on the Edge class ships. I am new a solo traveler since my DH died I will stick with cruises until I am more comfortable traveling alone.

Good morning, it will be another beautiful day today. It is only 63 degrees with a high of 84. I would go for a walk but DGS is still sleeping. We will celebrate grandparents day when he gets up. @smitty34877 you are truly amazing caring for your DH and DS. Prayers for you and your loved ones. Roy I hope you continue to have a mild case of COVID. Prayers for all others on our list. I was in Amsterdam for the first time on my Norway cruise. I went on a 2 hour canal tour with Captain Dave. I walked around and actually thought the streets were pretty dirty. If I get there again I will broaden my tour to see other parts. I missed gettin Anne Frank house tickets so I will for sure try to get them again. I tried the fries as the shops were everywhere.

Good morning, First off I want to let @smitty34877 I am praying for DH. I have to make a trip to the DMV today. I got in line on line and have 200 minutes until my turn. At least I can wait at home until it is my time. I have been to todays port and really enjoyed it. I bought a a picture by a local artist that I love. She rips pieces out of magazines to get the colors she wants. It reminded me of myself on my first solo trip. tr. Prayers for all on our list and those in need. Have a great day.

Thanks for all the well wishes for Murphy. My biggest beef with the surgeon was meeting my niece alone with no support for her. They have made the decision for no trach and DNR if she codes again. Care conference was not productive as mom and dads main concern was area of stroke and new spot they saw on CT and neurology was not there. Surgeon has many times come in and gone against care team confusing the situation. As a pediatrician I have taken care of many complex kids and have been in similar situations when the team is not on the same page so I feel their frustration. Quality of life for all is the end goal. They feel terrible that Murphy has gone through such painful procedures and is unable to wean off the narcotics without severe withdrawal symptoms. This is such a mess for all involved.

Good morning, It has really cooled down here in Kansas by 20 degrees! My niece is back home in North Carolina and I am recovering from all the activity. She brings a level of energy that rivals a 5 year old. Put the two together and they are unstoppable. Unfortunately,There is more bad news for Murphy. She has another infection and vent settings went up. They are getting conflicting information from the specialists and especially the surgeon. He wanted to meet my niece alone and was almost shaming her on her negative thoughts. The palliative care team were livid that he did that. It put undo pressure on her. I told her surgeons have egos that need to be fed at times. I am really beginning to panic about my GA trip. The roll call is so active I can hardly keep up. I have decided to put a deposit on the Voyage of the Vikings for 2025. I have FCD I purchased in May so deposit is covered. It’s nice to see dailyites enjoying vacations with several more in the next few weeks. Prayers for those on our list and others in need. Have a great day everyone!

Good morning, I am savoring some peace and quiet before DGS wakes up. No school today so he had another sleepover. Daycare is open for DGD. I had the 2 of them most of the weekend. It is much easier with one. My niece is still here which helps to have another adult to keep him busy. It will be another scorcher here today with limited outdoor play. It has been a very hot summer. I am always amazed at all the wonderful pictures people share. I am hopeless when it comes to capturing my cruises. My DH took lots of pictures so I did not feel I needed to. Now that I am alone I need to step up my game. Prayers and well wishes to all. Have a great day.

The best part of the CO dining on NS was how quiet it was. I honestly did not notice people walking by. As a solo traveler CO was nice. I would like to try it on the Rotterdam to see the difference. Hmmm, maybe I need to look for a cruise.

Looks can be deceiving. Once inside it is very nice and intimate. The wait staff are great and know you well by the end. I felt spoiled.

Good morning, We had another busy day with the DGK’s and company. We went to the Royals game and watched them lose again. My sweet GK’s love to go to the games. No news on Murphy today. I think they have been thoughtful in their decisions and need time to process. Thanks to everyone who keeps this thread going. It is a lot of work! Everyone does a great job. I am glad so many are on wonderful trips. I wish the prayer list was shorter. Everyone have a great day. Niece and DGS DGD during national anthem

Good Sunday morning, It has been a while since I have read or posted on the Daily. Since my return from Tucson I have been super busy. I have an out of town guest and the DGK’s love being around her so my life and house have been a tornado. A quick update on Murphy. They had a care conference and not much new but the parents decided no trach and she is a DNR if she codes again. CT scan of head did not show much more than the head ultrasounds she has been getting (small area from previous stroke). She can not get an MRI until the pacemaker is removed. My niece is donating breast milk as she has way more than Murphy will use. So sad for this young couple. Everyone is still sleeping and I am enjoying the peace and quiet. Prayers and well wishes for our care list and travelers.

I am new to solo cruising since my DH died. I am not put off by mega ships and have quite enjoyed those sailings. I have to agree with an earlier post that they seemed less crowded than smaller ships except when going to shows. I will sail on any line that will have the itinerary I want with the right price ( I would have to think twice about Carnival. We did not enjoy those as much). If I learned anything this last year it is that I can’t take it with me and life is shorter than we may think. I enjoy the longer cruises which HAL has many great choices. We have to feel comfortable with what we spend and that is a very personal choice.

Good morning, I am back from Tucson and had a wonderful experience. Lots of tears and treatments along with laughs with some new friends. The weather was good and much cooler than KC was last week. I am glad I went. Some very sad news on Murphy she crashed about 3 days off ECMO. Her neurological status has seemed to deteriorate too. I have not talked to my niece personally but she is calling me today. They are at a crossroads with conflicting opinions from the medical team. She is not back on ECMO but still on the ventilator and unstable. When I left they were able to hold her but now they could not move the bed 10 feet to go for a CT scan when she started to crash. I feel for this young couple who have spent 8 weeks in the hospital with their baby. My GA roll call blew up while I was gone. I will need to spend time going through the posts to see if any of it pertains to me. I hope the storm does not cause to much damage and no loss of life. Prayers for those on our care list and have a great day.

Good morning, I am at the airport waiting to board the plane for my spa retreat. I will be unplugged for the most part. There are only certain areas besides your room you can use your phone. I am looking forward to the journey. No new news on Murphy. Hopefully that means things are going well. I like todays quote. It seems to fit my life. I will keep everyone in my thoughts and prayers. Have a great week.

Good morning, It is another beautiful and cool day today. The heat returns this weekend right when I fly to Tucson. The temps will be almost identical but in Kansas the humidity will be almost double. We will see how different the “dry heat” is. Baby Murphy keeps progressing. They were able to wash her hair and bathe her yesterday. They will look to wean the ventilator this weekend. They are cautiously optimistic. That young couple has been at the hospital for over 7 weeks. They have been so strong. I have been to todays port many times and have always enjoyed it. I prefer the ABC islands if going on a Caribbean cruise. @smitty34877I am glad DH is home. It is amazing how much strength they lose so quickly and how long it takes to get back. You have your hands full. Prayers for all, good luck Denise and have a great day.

Good morning, I am sitting waiting for a workman to show up at my house. It is for one of the items on my one year warranty for the house. I am a bit skeptical as I did not get a reminder call. I will give them until noon then off to do more errands. I have an update on Murphy. They are slowly weaning her sedation and removing lines and catheters. She is able to be held and they have started PT and music therapy. My niece is afraid to get to hopeful as the rug has been pulled out before. She is responsive and alert. So they are ecstatic. I leave on Sunday for my spa week. Tucson looks hot but it will be about the same temperature here but with less humidity. Most of what I will do is indoors so I will be ok. There has been so much tragedy lately that I have stopped watching the news. I need to bury my head in the sand until after next week. Prayers to all and have a great day.

Good morning, I finally got an update on baby Murphy late yesterday. They took her off ECMO Friday and they were able to hold her for the first time since July 4th yesterday. Everyone is holding their breath that this will take. It will be blessedly cool today. The heat saps your energy fast. DGS stated kindergarten on Friday and was a bundle of energy. We went apple picking and he had a foam party at school that evening. By Saturday night he put himself to bed at 7pm and slept 12 hours. Prayers for those on our list and anyone else in need. Have a great day.

@smitty34877 prayers are coming your way. How distressing. You have been such a wonderful care giver. I still have no news on Murphy. I am afraid to ask. Today is DGS first day of kindergarten. I have DGD today as she starts a new preschool on Monday. Prayers for all and have a good day day.