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Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! I always tried to bring my manners to work, however, others didn't always do the same. We are thankful for our newspaper carrier - I think we're the only people on the block who still get an actual hard copy. Spices are nice when used in proper amounts. The sun has a weird yellowish look this morning due to smoke coming down from northern forest fires. I hope they get some rain to help the overworked firefighters. It's supposed to be hot, hot, HOT here today again with a predicted high of 36C (96F). We've got all the windows open for now, but in about an hour will be shutting them to keep the house at a reasonable temperature before turning on the a/c. I've needed a new house key for a while, as the one I've got has pretty much been worn out, so DH and I headed over to a hardware store to have a new one cut. They needed a particular numbered blank, which it turns out they were out of, so I had to get an expensive decorative one. I was busy looking at other things, so told the fellow to just pick one and cut it, as long as it wasn't camouflage design, I didn't care what he chose. O M G did this guy know what he was doing or what? LOL I enjoy making frittatas once in a while, but with the heat, I won't be starting the oven today. I've got chicken breasts thawing that will be crumb coated and turned into chicken fingers in the air fryer (which resides on the deck), so we'll be enjoying them along with crudites and dips in the pergola for dinner tonight. And wine. Prayers for everyone who is hurting, and for continued strength for the people of Ukraine, and cheers to those with happy things to celebrate. Stay safe, everyone! Smooth Sailing! Gerry

We received our latest issue just last month and have been receiving them regularly for a number of years, even through Covid. Whenever we got the renewal notice in the mail, I’d go on the HAL site and enter my preference for Travel & Leisure.

I just realized that yesterday when when the renewal notice came in the mail. I went on HAL's mariner site and saw that the magazine subscription is no longer a perk for 4 and 5 star people. I always enjoyed receiving it, too.

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! The last time we went to the cinema was in 2018 when we saw Bohemian Rhapsody - loved that show. Prior to that, it had been years and years since we'd seen a movie in a theatre. Tailgating isn't something you normally see in Canada; I've often seen shots of tailgate parties being held prior to NFL games in the US. We've been in a few skyscrapers around the world, even though DH is afraid of heights. We don't have any here on the "frozen tundra", so I find it quite interesting to be up so high. Although it's not the tallest at only 55 stories, my favourite was the Marina Bay Sands Hotel in Singapore. Another clear, sunny day in the works, much warmer than yesterday morning at 15C (59F) with an expected high of 34C (93F) and a heat warning. Because of the heat we've experienced this past week and going into next week, the city has decided to keep the spray parks open for kids and adults to enjoy. Normally they are shut down as soon as school begins, but this is an exception to help keep people comfortable. We aren't traveling this long weekend, but do wish everyone a safe time if you're heading out on the roads. When we were working, we always took off as soon as we could on a Friday afternoon to get ahead of the crowds, then got up at the crack of dawn on Monday morning to do the same coming home. It sure helps to be retired! I'd like today's menu suggestion, but think I'll make it on a day when the temps are a lot lower. For tonight, I've got ground beef thawing that I'll make up into patties for DH to grill on the barbecue and will be serving them along with all the condiments and coleslaw for an easy dinner on a hot September night. And wine. Prayers for everyone who is hurting and need strength, and cheers for all who have something to celebrate. Stay safe, everyone! Smooth Sailing! 🙂🙂🙂 Gerry

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! The end of any war is a good thing. Our college colours are green and white, easily seen around the city. We regularly make contributions to the food bank - it's sad that it's a necessity these days. Oh, it's a chilly one out there this morning, only +5C (41F); we felt it cooling off rapidly last night and ended up only leaving a couple of the windows open for the night. Never fear, we are the land of contrasts and tomorrow the high is expected to be +36 (96F). Tank tops in the morning, sweaters at night, that's where we live. @Quartzsite CruiserHappy Anniversary to you! @marshhawkHappy Anniversary to you! Let the love and laughter continue!! Last night's dinner with our friends went well - we were all more than happy to eat around the dining table in the comfort of air conditioning, rather than roasting on the deck. It was so good to get together with these two couples, as the two women were DH's "little sisters" when they were all single. They've known him longer than I have, so of course, the stories started rolling after a few glasses of wine. LOL I'm taking a hard pass on today's menu suggestion - I just can't get past the eel part. I abhor snakes and this is a swimming snake. Aargh!! Although it's Friday night, we have lots of leftovers from last night, so we'll be enjoying salmon and salads (there wasn't even a single potato left) on the deck this evening. And wine. Prayers for those who are hurting, cheers for the celebrations. Stay safe, everyone! Smooth Sailing! 🙂🙂🙂 Gerry

Rabbit, rabbit, white rabbit! Thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! While we've never had a ginger cat, friends of ours did and he was the biggest snuggle bug I've ever seen. I'm not a fan of cherry popovers/turnovers; I'm among the few who don't care for puff pastry. Tofu can be acceptable if disguised well in dishes. LOL Another warm day in the offing; yesterday we hit 36.6 C (98F), so it was HOT! A little cooler today with a predicted high of only 30C (86F), but it will still be too warm to eat on the deck tonight. @Cruzin TerriHappy Birthday to you with many returns of the day! @luvteachingso sad to hear about your friend Wayne; may his final days be pain free and his transition into the next life be a gentle one. A busy day planned as we're preparing dinner for our friends - instead of just having to clean the kitchen and deck, now I have to include the dining and living room because of the heat. The menu tonight includes mustard/panko crusted salmon, dilled potatoes, corn on the cob, killer coleslaw, creamy cucumber salad and we'll finish it off with DH's favourite rhubarb sodas for dessert. And wine. Prayers for everyone who is hurting and cheers for the celebrations. Extra for the strength of the people of Ukraine. Stay safe, everyone! Smooth Sailing! 🙂🙂🙂 Gerry

Did someone say wine? I can bring a brush and a glass!!

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! We try to eat outside as often as possible when there isn't snow on the ground. Fortunately we have our glassed in deck and the pergola as alternate sites when the temps are either too hot or too cool. I always take trail mix with us when we travel; you never know when you'll be stuck without any food available. It is enjoyable reading memoirs - you often learn something new about the author. Another clear blue sky this morning, the last one before students return to school. I'm sure the stores are going to be busy with last minute purchases, so I think we'll steer clear. The temperature is supposed to hit 34C (95F), so we will definitely be eating outside today! For the Garden Club, here are a couple of photos of our King Tut Papyrus plants; they started off about 1.5 feet tall and now are taller than our 6'6" fence. Definitely will be purchasing them again next year. Not a lot on the agenda today, just heading to the dental office for my regular 6 month cleaning. After that I'll be cleaning the house, as we're going to try to have our friends over for dinner tomorrow night - the one we had to cancel a few weeks ago because Covid reared it's ugly head in our house. Because it's going to be so warm, we won't be having soup tonight - I'm thinking ham sandwiches and mixed vegetable plate will be on our menu in the pergola. And wine. Prayers for everyone who is hurting, cheers for those with celebrations. Remembering too, Princess Diana who sadly passed away 25 years ago today. Stay safe, everyone! Smooth Sailing! 🙂🙂🙂 Gerry

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! Many on the Daily are all too aware of grief these days. DH and I sat down the other day and counted the number of people we've lost in the past 1 1/2 years; 9 friends or family members. Lots of tears. I'd love to be on my favourite beach today - Half Moon Cay. I like the Touch a Heart Tuesday; I think I'll write out some cards to send. I can tell by the way the sun is coming up that our seasons are changing. In the summer time the sun comes through our dining room window and as we get closer to fall, it starts in the living room - where it is now. And well, in winter, it doesn't matter, as we keep the curtains closed at night to help keep the heat in and cold out. LOL We're expecting a high of +31C today, which means I'll have to head out shortly to make sure all the pots are watered. I'm going to take a photo of our papyrus which I'm absolutely loving - I'll share them tomorrow. We've already decided that we'll get twice as many next year, they're so enjoyable to have in the yard. Yesterday was a good day - we made final payment on our upcoming trans-Atlantic. This is the one that had been booked, then the ship was sold, new ship, changed itineraries, cruise cancelled, cruise uncancelled, etc. Now that final payment has been made, I'm hoping we'll actually get to board that BHB in Barcelona on November 5th. Fingers crossed! @Rowsbysafe travels to Hawaii; enjoy your time there! @StLouisCruiserssorry you're experiencing leg pain again - I hope it's short-lived. @Cruzin Terrisorry to see you're having such a lot of pain; I do hope the Prednisone helps soon. @Horizon chaser 1957safe trip to Kelowna - enjoy your visit! I like today's menu suggestion, but it's going to be too hot for pasta tonight. I think I'll thaw out a couple of chicken breasts and turn them into chicken fingers in the air fryer. Chicken fingers and crudites will be what we'll have for dinner in the pergola tonight. And wine. Prayers for everyone who is hurting, especially for the brave people of Ukraine. Cheers to all the celebrants. Stay safe, everyone! Smooth Sailing! 🙂🙂🙂 Gerry

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! We always have bats flying through our yard in the summer at dusk; they do a great job keeping the mosquitos in check. A number of years ago when we could still let our cats roam outside, one of our past kitties (Punkin) used to catch bats and leave them on the doorstep for us. Lovely gift. I don't use a lot of salt and am happy to put it on the table for others to use. My favourite herbs are basil, cilantro and dill. You have to drive for yourself and others these days - I hear of more road rage events happening which is quite disturbing. A bright sunny morning with clear skies again; we should have temps in the mid 20's which will be nice. There's a good breeze blowing so it will likely feel a few degrees cooler. I know the temp is supposed to be in the mid 30's in a couple of days, but we have to enjoy every degree, knowing what will be coming in just a couple of months. An exciting day in the offing - heading to Walmart to pick up cat food and kitty litter. LOL Sure wish I lived closer to @kazubecause I'd be there in a heartbeat to help with her housework. Wouldn't it be great if we could teleport ourselves to help friends in need? When I become Queen of the Universe, we'll be able to do that. I like today's drink selection, although it sounds like it's quite sweet. Worth a try if you've got the drink package, I think. Today's menu suggestion is definitely one to put in the book for a cold winter's day. I'm doing something different today, we're going to have breakfast for dinner. I'll make veggie omelets and bacon for the two of us on the deck tonight. And wine. Prayers for those who are hurting, cheers to those with celebrations. Stay safe everyone! Smooth Sailing! 🙂🙂🙂 Gerry

Bon Voyage everyone!

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! I used to enjoy swirling the mouse around the screen while our then kitten would chase it - until the day she scratched the screen with her claws. We remember all our kitties who have crossed the Rainbow Bridge. Woo hoo for red wine! We started yesterday with bright sunshine and lots of humidity which later in the afternoon turned to thunderstorms rolling through and even some small hail. Thankfully it was small, or it could have been devastating for all the flowers and gardens in the city. Of course, the farmers certainly don't need rain right now, just as harvest is underway. Last Christmas I made a couple of wreaths to hang under the lights on our garage, which DH seemed to really like. When I went to take them down, he suggested changing out some of the decorations and using them for Easter, which I did. Then they were turned into summer wreaths, Canada Day wreaths, etc. Well yesterday we went to the dollar store where I bought fall coloured leaves, etc., so this afternoon I think I'll remove the summer things and create the fall theme to change them once more. I've had today's menu suggestion, as a friend of ours is Lebanese and makes it fairly often. It's quite nice, and can be turned into a meal with the addition of protein. We still have some of the rotisserie chicken left, so I think we'll just be having chicken sandwiches tonight. And red wine. Prayers for those who are hurting, cheers for those celebrating good things. Stay safe everyone! Smooth Sailing! 🙂🙂🙂 Gerry

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! I'll tell DH it's Music On The Porch Day - I'm pretty sure he'll bring the guitar out to the front entryway after dinner and will play a few tunes. Every day should be speak kind words day. As others have mentioned, I'm pretty sure the Pony Express would get things delivered sooner than our current postal service does. Audrey Hepburn was a smart lady. It's interesting, I saw that @StLouisCruiserssaid the humidity in Georgia is currently 99%, well I checked ours and we're sitting at 96% . . . that's crazy! Looking at the cars on the driveway, I can see they're covered with dew, so DH will be out there cleaning the windows off in a little while. Yesterday we started with bright sunshine but by noon we had thunder and lightning for a couple of hours of entertainment. Unfortunately, in a small town about 2 hours from here, the school was struck by lighting which started a fire, resulting in the building being unusable for the coming school year. I can't imagine trying to re-route about 200 students from K - 12 to surrounding towns when school is just about to begin. @marshhawkhow awful that your friend had to wait so long for a proper diagnosis; I'll add Jesse to my prayers for a successful outcome. @rafinmdthank you for putting and keeping us on the care list, but I think you can take me off now. While my appetite hasn't returned to what it was (and that IS a good thing!), I am feeling so much better. Still a bit of a lingering cough, but that's minor in the grand scheme of things. There are many others worthy of prayers and I'm happy to be off the list now. I like today's menu suggestion but think it might be a little heavy right now - it seems to me a better idea for when the weather's cold and we're indoors. Friends dropped over last night and brought with them a rotisserie chicken from Costco, so I think we'll be having chicken and salad on the deck tonight. And wine . . . yes, I am persistent! LOL Prayers for those who are hurting, cheers to all who are celebrating. Stay safe, everyone! Smooth Sailing! 🙂🙂🙂 Gerry

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! Although I'm a cat person, I do love seeing dogs with their owners enjoying time together. Toilet paper day? Really? Does anyone totally understand the 12=20 or 10=14 rolls thing? The latest one I saw was in a print ad yesterday 30=100 rolls. Somehow I doubt it, but I'm not about to stand there and do the math. Women shouldn't have to fight for equality, but darn it, we still are! A nice quiet morning out there except for the little rascal squirrel who keeps dropping pine cones on the garbage and recycling containers outside our bedroom window. We've got several trees surrounding our property, so he/she's got lots to choose from and has been making quite a mess on the lawn this past week. It seems he/she's getting stocked up for winter already. It should get up to about +29 today but we're expecting thunderstorms to roll through by mid-afternoon and it looks like they may continue throughout the weekend. Not a lot on the docket today except one important thing - getting my hair cut - yay! It's funny how something as simple as a hair cut can improve your whole outlook; I'm sure I walk home with a lighter step after a visit to my stylist who lives at the end of our block. @StLouisCruisersI'm so sorry to hear about your neighbours; sending prayers for Linda's recovery, and for the soul of her dear husband. I'm not sure about today's menu suggestion, but I'm pretty sure DH would give it a hard pass. I know it's Friday night which is normally pizza night, but I think we're going to give pizza a rest for another week. We've still got some Chinese food in the fridge to get through, as well as a couple of leftover smokies from last night. Oh, I did try out my Cardboardeaux last evening, and it seemed to taste much fruitier than I remember, but at least it didn't have a metallic taste to it. Yay! Sending prayers to all who need them and we'll celebrate with the happy ones. Stay safe, everyone! Smooth Sailing! 🙂🙂🙂 Gerry

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! We have nothing to make up for, so we'll just kiss today. I don't remember the last time I had a banana split, although for dinner last night I had a banana with some peanut butter on it. Yay for the National Park Service founders - there are so many beautiful parks out there. It's going to be a warm one out there again for us with a forecasted high of +30(85), a day of rain tomorrow then back into the mid 30's for all of next week. We were treated to a morning of rain yesterday - a gentle rain with no wind, which was good for all the lawns and plants in the yard. Well DH and I went out yesterday for pork chops - he couldn't wait for dinner, so we went for a late lunch around 2PM. I decided I might as well order pork chops too, as nothing else on the menu seemed to appeal to me. They were good, but I still don't have my regular appetite back (which is a good thing!), so I ended up bringing at least half of my meal home. I did order wine though, and being a red wine drinker, (I know white with white meat, etc.), ordered a glass of Malbec. Well @Horizon chaser 1957, you were right, it didn't taste the same, in fact, it tasted somewhat metallic to me. I had DH try it, but he didn't get the metallic taste, so I'm pretty sure it's my taster. I'll have to tweak that before we get on a BHB!!! DH ended up eating my leftovers for dinner and as I mentioned, I wasn't hungry, so had a banana with some peanut butter on it. I like today's menu suggestion, but looking at the pictures makes me want to take out my dental floss right away. LOL Although I love corn, I always get it stuck in my teeth, so keep the floss and picks on standby in the nearest bathroom. DH wants to get the barbecue going tonight, so has suggested that we grill some smokies, I'll head to the freezer and pick out a package of them and will likely just make up a small coleslaw to go as a side. And wine - hey, I'm no quitter! Prayers for everyone who is hurting - especially the people of Ukraine who have been fending off the terror for 6 months. Cheers for the happy celebrations. Stay safe everyone! Smooth Sailing! 🙂🙂🙂 Gerry

Yes!!!!

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! I don't think we've visited any iconic American restaurants, but we've seen Vesuvius when we visited Pompeii. Whenever we hear strange music on the radio, DH and I turn to each other and one of us says: "I won't buy it for you if you won't buy it for me." LOL It's a cool, humid morning here on the "frozen tundra". We're sitting at 13C (55F) with 88% humidity - a strange thing for us for sure, but it's supposed to head up to around 27 (80F) this afternoon. I'm sure the humidity will disappear once it begins to warm up. Sadly, yesterday I noticed that a few leaves on the Virginia Creeper vines on the back fence are beginning to turn colour. And when we went for a walk the other night, also saw some of the poplar trees have yellow tinge to the leaves. Sigh. It's always disconcerting when you receive an email from HAL with the words "Itinerary Change" in the title. This morning there were 2 emails (I guess they really wanted to bring it to our attention) and it seems that on our return from Barcelona in November, we're not docking in Ft Lauderdale, but Miami instead. Now people are scrambling to make arrangements to get back to FLL in time for their flights, or are changing departures if possible. We used Flight Ease and upon checking our return flights, discover we aren't even seated together, so I'm going to have to work on that. I love today's menu suggestion - and remember eating it many times when we were in Japan. DH hates runny eggs (isn't a fan of eggs in general), so he'd always ask for no egg on his, but it was still delicious. While we still have a lot of leftovers in the fridge, DH has said he's up to his eyebrows in Chinese food, so has made the suggestion that we go out for dinner tonight. Like I'm going to argue with that! I have no idea what's going to be on our plates tonight, but I'm sure it will be good. I'm also going to order a glass of wine - my first in over 2 weeks, to see if my liver still works. Prayers for everyone who needs them, cheers for the celebrations. Stay safe everyone! Smooth Sailing! 🙂🙂🙂 Gerry

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! Spiders and dandelion seeds are great at riding the wind, and we've got both in our yard. Daffodils are such cheerful flowers and I plan on hugging my sweetheart extra today. Wine in a can? Who am I to comment or criticize; I drink Cardboardeaux! LOL Feeling a little groggy this morning; I think part of it is due to the fact that I woke up and stayed awake for at least an hour last night thinking of my dear friend. The foggy-ness showed up especially when I put a coffee pod in the Keurig and a tea bag in my cup . . . interesting drink, to be sure. Today our young Chinese student leaves - can't believe it's been almost 6 weeks since she arrived. We told her we would drive her to the airport, rather than having her taking a cab or uber, so we'll be off in about an hour. Thankfully we're very close, so the drive will only be about 10 minutes. @Vict0riannHappy Birthday to you with many more returns of the day! Even though DH and I still aren't eating much, we're both very much carnivores and today's menu suggestion doesn't cut it for a main course. A side dish, perhaps. Last night our Sophia's parents sent over 2 different kinds of home made pot stickers and a crepe like dish that had shredded squash, onions and scrambled eggs inside. It was tasty, but quite salty, so I'm not sure how to tone that down. Watching the news and am saddened by the flooding in Texas - it's terrible! My heart goes out to everyone who is suffering. Stay safe everyone! Smooth Sailing! 🙂🙂🙂 Gerry

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! I'm not always an angel, but there certainly have been a lot in our lives lately, for which we are eternally grateful. Yay for the Tooth Fairy - how many of us remember scrambling around before bed, trying to find some money to put under a little one's pillow? A hearty Hoodie Hoo to all our friends in the Southern Hemisphere! This is the first time in about 2 weeks I have felt even close to normal - what a great feeling. I now know what the "brain fog" is that others have spoken about, and it isn't nice. Thank you all for your kind condolences on the loss of my dear friend; it's so nice to know others care. After spending a couple of hours with Wayne (her husband), it was decided that hubby and I will be presiding over her funeral and burial services. The two guys will go to the funeral home this morning (along with the adult children) to work out the details as far as date, time, etc. I didn't feel the need to go along, as there will be enough people there as it is - DH's presence is mainly to support his good friend, plus the fact that he's done over 2 dozen funerals. @marshhawkplease, no apologies necessary - I certainly didn't take offence to your response, in fact, I agreed with it. I hope you weren't bothered by it, because I certainly wasn't. @superomaHappy Birthday to your DH with many returns of the day! @grapau27Happy Anniversary to you - lovely wedding photos! There's so much to do today, beginning with getting DH's suit to the cleaners, lots of yard work (trimming off the day lily stems), and laundry, but there's only so much energy to do it. We still have loads of food in the fridge, so I won't have to worry about what to make for dinner tonight. It looks like I'm going to have to re-train my liver soon because I haven't had any wine in almost 2 weeks! LOL Prayers for everyone needing them, cheers to those celebrating. Stay safe everyone! Smooth Sailing! 🙂🙂🙂 Gerry

Bon Voyage, have a wonderful time!

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! I don't remember the last time I had spumoni ice cream - I always liked the little fruit bits. Although I became a senior citizen a couple of years ago, I've never felt like one; I think I'm mentally stuck around 45. Today's quote is so true - after having a good hard laugh, taking a deep breath is like cleansing your soul and feels so good. Yesterday was a hard day for us - we received a phone call that our dear friend and cruising buddy Melodie had passed away. She and her husband had joined us on numerous cruises over the past 15 years until her travel days were curtailed by Parkinson's disease. She has been in a care home for the past 2 years, but had gone into a rapid decline this past week and passed away in her sleep. It's so sad because she was such a lovely person inside and out who never had a bad thing to say about anyone. Why is it always the nice ones who go; why can't it be the terrible ones? Her husband (who also plays in DH's band) is coming over this morning so we can talk about her service and what our roles will possibly be. Although we still aren't into much food, we do like stuffed peppers - substituting bell peppers for the poblanos. Last night we had another food delivery of the most amazing giant shrimp in a tomato sauce, courtesy Sophia's husband - another wonderful cook. Each of us had 1 shrimp and a spoonful of rice and that was all we could manage, but it was delicious. Keeping everyone in my prayers today, stay healthy everyone. Smooth Sailing! 🙂🙂🙂 Gerry

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! Love honey bees; when we still owned the farm, a honey producer set up a number of hives on the property, then gifted us with a bunch of honey at the end of each year. It was a win win situation. I'm pretty sure I've had a radio on almost every day of my life - I recall studying for exams with the radio going and my mother couldn't understand how I could do that. Mosquitos don't always go for me - they used to head for DH when he was on a particular blood pressure medication. I recall going to Atlantis Resort when we docked in Nassau in July, 1989 on our first ever cruise. We've returned to Nassau a couple of times since then and those experiences have been fraught with drug pushing or people wanting to braid my short hair. Now if it's a port stop, it becomes a ship day for us. 7 days in and I'm still testing positive - and still feeling tired. DH isn't out of the woods yet, as he got up a couple of hours ago and is now napping on the deck, so the fatigue hasn't left him either. Sure wish there was a magic bullet to take care of this feeling; I'm not used to just hanging around. Sending prayers for @HAL Sailer's sister in law that the surgery is successful. Food still isn't appealing to either of us, so unless our not quite daughter's Dad sends over more today, we'll each have another couple of teaspoonfuls of yesterday's fare. On the upside, it's a great way to lose the "quaran-ten" that I gained during the lockdown. LOL Stay safe everyone, see you tomorrow. Smooth Sailing! 🙂🙂🙂 Gerry

Good afternoon, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! I'm late to the party because the power went out around 5:30 this morning and didn't come on until after we had left the house to run some errands. I used to love flying anywhere, now it's just the means to an end. Did somebody say potatoes? I was raised on them - when we had very little else in the house, there was always potatoes and my mom could make them taste so darn good. I think it was the addition of a little bacon grease when she was mashing them ... nobody worried about cholesterol back then, you worried about your kids going hungry. There are some great humanitarians around us who never receive recognition. One of them is the sweet father of our almost daughter, Sophia. As I mentioned, he's been sending care packages over daily since we tested positive, and today he outdid himself. Around 9 the doorbell rang and there was a bag with scrambled eggs and vegetables (like a deconstructed omelet). Then at noon he arrived once more with another bag containing steamed vegetables, Kung Pao chicken and steamed rice. He told us through google translate that he had an appointment this afternoon and wouldn't be able to make dinner on time for us tonight, so thought he would bring it over early. What a gem! Both of us are on the mend - DH's son is fully recuperated, so @rafinmd, you can take him off the care list for sure. DH and I went out to get some grocery essentials and after about an hour and a half I was done. Now I'm ready for a nap and will look forward to enjoying a few spoonfuls of that delightful food tonight. @kazuI'm joining the happy dancers here with you - my heart was overjoyed knowing that Shadow was safely in your care once more. I do hope the rescue will get their act together so Shadow can't escape again. Sending love and gratitude to Liz for her tenacity and endurance while looking for Shadow. She sounds like she's one in a million; hugs going to her. I'm finished, my energy level has dropped and my eyes are drooping once more. I'll be back tomorrow - take care everyone, stay healthy and be safe. Smooth Sailing! 🙂🙂🙂 Gerry