for fun: Do/Would you still put on all your makeup and decent clothes if you are quarantined

[cruise kitty]

Here’s a few after shots:

 

[Lois R]

Hi Debbie, nice photos🙂 thanks for sharing.  So, is it ready to go on the market? Do you think it will sell pretty quick?

[cruise kitty]

5 minutes ago, Lois R said:

Hi Debbie, nice photos🙂 thanks for sharing.  So, is it ready to go on the market? Do you think it will sell pretty quick?

Hi Lois, it sold, & is closed thank goodness!  It sold in less than a week for a lot more than we were asking & closed when we were on our cruise..  so grateful & happy to have that behind us...   I mean really, really happy... it was so much work...  I wish we were like the people on TV who have someone do it all for them 😉 

& also, we did put hardware on the french door in the kitchen, I just noticed in the photo there isn't any lol 😉

 

[slidergirl]

Debbie - nice flip!  The housing market is off the hook right now.  Doesn't surprise me that you sold and closed so fast.  The house next to me and across the street both  went on the market about 3 weeks ago; one is closed and moving in today.  I get unsolicited inquires about selling my house.  Wild.

 

Cold and rainy/snowy day.  Ugh.  One of those gray days where you want to just curl up and drink a nice red wine.   I'm travelling the 'Net to try to come up with things to do with my days between Provence and Andrea Bocelli.  So many places, so much to do.  

[Lois R]

18 hours ago, cruise kitty said:

Hi Lois, it sold, & is closed thank goodness!  It sold in less than a week for a lot more than we were asking & closed when we were on our cruise..  so grateful & happy to have that behind us...   I mean really, really happy... it was so much work...  I wish we were like the people on TV who have someone do it all for them 😉 

& also, we did put hardware on the french door in the kitchen, I just noticed in the photo there isn't any lol 😉

 

Debbie, oh that is awesome🙂congrats on the sale!!!!!!!

[cruise kitty]

1 hour ago, slidergirl said:

Debbie - nice flip!  The housing market is off the hook right now.  Doesn't surprise me that you sold and closed so fast.  The house next to me and across the street both  went on the market about 3 weeks ago; one is closed and moving in today.  I get unsolicited inquires about selling my house.  Wild.

 

Cold and rainy/snowy day.  Ugh.  One of those gray days where you want to just curl up and drink a nice red wine.   I'm travelling the 'Net to try to come up with things to do with my days between Provence and Andrea Bocelli.  So many places, so much to do.  

thank you Kat!   Yes, housing is crazy...I feel sorry for first time buyers right now...  We had some fantastic rain yesterday, but it's sunny &  beautiful today...   the bright spot of your gloomy weather is that the smoke for the fires should be gone in your area, am I right?

 

Enjoy your planning...  it's so much more fun than working 🙂

[cruisemom42]

@cruise kittyThanks for posting pics of your flip!  It looks adorable -- good on you for seeing the potential.

 

Speaking of real estate, it looks like I'm going to join the property merry-go-round too. I put in an offer on a condo that is about 6 blocks from my house, lol. I love the area here near my little city, but wanted to shed the responsibilities of looking after an older house. Plus I'm looking at retirement in a couple of years and I want to be free to lock the door and travel.

 

Everyone's been telling me to strike while the iron is hot (prices in my immediate neighborhood are crazy high).....and I finally found a place I like.

 

 

[cruise kitty]

28 minutes ago, cruisemom42 said:

@cruise kittyThanks for posting pics of your flip!  It looks adorable -- good on you for seeing the potential.

 

Speaking of real estate, it looks like I'm going to join the property merry-go-round too. I put in an offer on a condo that is about 6 blocks from my house, lol. I love the area here near my little city, but wanted to shed the responsibilities of looking after an older house. Plus I'm looking at retirement in a couple of years and I want to be free to lock the door and travel.

 

Everyone's been telling me to strike while the iron is hot (prices in my immediate neighborhood are crazy high).....and I finally found a place I like.

 

 

 

Cynthia, congrats!  that's an exciting adventure to go on, & you definitely have the upper hand, going from a SFR to a condo...  that's a move I want to make someday,  for the same reasons, a townhome, where we lock the door & can come back weeks later...  we're still a few years from reaching that goal though 🙂

 

good luck & I hope your offer gets accepted 🙂

 

[Lois R]

9 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

@cruise kittyThanks for posting pics of your flip!  It looks adorable -- good on you for seeing the potential.

 

Speaking of real estate, it looks like I'm going to join the property merry-go-round too. I put in an offer on a condo that is about 6 blocks from my house, lol. I love the area here near my little city, but wanted to shed the responsibilities of looking after an older house. Plus I'm looking at retirement in a couple of years and I want to be free to lock the door and travel.

 

Everyone's been telling me to strike while the iron is hot (prices in my immediate neighborhood are crazy high).....and I finally found a place I like.

 

 

Congrats from me too😀.  I have lived in a condo for many, many years.......it is the best way for me.

Hope your offer is accepted and all goes smoothly👍

[slidergirl]

22 hours ago, cruise kitty said:

thank you Kat!   Yes, housing is crazy...I feel sorry for first time buyers right now...  We had some fantastic rain yesterday, but it's sunny &  beautiful today...   the bright spot of your gloomy weather is that the smoke for the fires should be gone in your area, am I right?

 

Enjoy your planning...  it's so much more fun than working 🙂

Yes, the smoke is gone.  I can get outside and walk without bringing on my asthma. 

 

I had a very bizarre thought last night.  With 8 days in between Provence and needing to be in Florence, I thought of seeing if any of my BFFs wanted to fly over and do some days somewhere.  It's hard enough to herd them in the US and deal with their "unique" requests at restaurants - I'd go batty.  Yet it's an idea.  

 

It's an actual sunny day today.  I do have some chores to do - go to Post Office, go to UPS store, hit the market.  I'm going to make ribolitta tonight and I need to get the Tuscan bread (my market carries it) and some tomatoes and leeks.  It's one of my favorite winter soups.  

[cruise kitty]

Kat, I had to look up the ribolitta, it sounds heavenly!  My car is still in the shop so I'm going to ride my bike to work in a few minutes... it's a beautiful day today here as well, feels like fall 🙂

 

& you, organizing your friends individual dietary needs in France & Italy 😬if you do that you are a better person than I am lol 😉

 

[slidergirl]

3 hours ago, cruise kitty said:

Kat, I had to look up the ribolitta, it sounds heavenly!  My car is still in the shop so I'm going to ride my bike to work in a few minutes... it's a beautiful day today here as well, feels like fall 🙂

 

& you, organizing your friends individual dietary needs in France & Italy 😬if you do that you are a better person than I am lol 😉

 

I travelled for 3 weeks with one of the besties in Spain and Italy about 10 years ago.  She has Celiac.  The two of us had no issues and I actually turned her onto risotto.  The others - I never know from one trip to the next what they will/will not eat.  This is the group that wanted to go to Denver Biscuit Co for breakfast one day and then 3 of them b!tched about the menu AFTER I told them what it was.   Sigh.  

[cruise kitty]

Hi Kat,  now I had to look up the Denver Biscuit Company... dang, biscuits w/gravy are one of my all time favorite breakfasts   🙂  sounds  like you know which friends to invite lol 😉

 

Then again, there is something about the joy of solo travel & being able to make all of your own decisions...

[slidergirl]

15 hours ago, cruise kitty said:

Hi Kat,  now I had to look up the Denver Biscuit Company... dang, biscuits w/gravy are one of my all time favorite breakfasts   🙂  sounds  like you know which friends to invite lol 😉

 

Then again, there is something about the joy of solo travel & being able to make all of your own decisions...

Melody gave me a few recs for breakfast places in Co. Springs.  This was one, along with a kind of Jewish deli/breakfast spot.  I was trying to push to the deli because it had a wide variety, but for some reason they chose the Biscuit Co.   I think I'd go crazy if they tried to substitute or something if I took them to Europe!!  It would start first thing with coffee and one need for hot chocolate...

 

The ribollita was really good.  It's so easy to put together.  I have my own recipe that I've come up with over the years:  

Put some olive oil in pot

1 pkg diced pancetta (TJ's or Boars Head or dice up you own 1/4lb)

1 carrot, chopped

1 onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, chopped

Sauté together until soft & pancetta is browned - salt and pepper as you want

add 2 tsp tomato paste - stir until it dissolves

add 1 16oz can diced tomatoes - stir to get up the brown bits off the bottom

add in:

1 16 oz can canellini beans

at least 1/2 bag of Tuscan Kale (I get mine at TJ's)

3 cups chicken or vegetable broth

my dried herbs - oregano, summer savory, thyme (I never measure, but I'd say at least 1 tsp each)

And some pieces of Parmesean rind (really important!  I get mine from the cheese guy at Whole Foods)

Stir it all together and let it cook for about 30 minutes

Add in torn pieces of 2 slices of stale Tuscan bread (or Italian if you can't find it) .  To make it stale the same day, I put the slices in the oven at 250 for 10 minutes then turn for another 10 minutes.  It should feel not soft anymore.

Stir the bread pieces and let it simmer another 10 or so.  The  bread sops up a lot of the broth, so you end up with kind of a stew.

 

If you want, you can do some Parmesean on top when you serve.  My thing is I love go eat those pieces of the rind!  If you reheat, add a little more broth to it as the bread has probably sucked up all the juice.  

Serve with your favorite Italian red wine.

 

 

[Lois R]

17 hours ago, cruise kitty said:

Hi Kat,  now I had to look up the Denver Biscuit Company... dang, biscuits w/gravy are one of my all time favorite breakfasts   🙂  sounds  like you know which friends to invite lol 😉

 

Then again, there is something about the joy of solo travel & being able to make all of your own decisions...

Hear, Hear👍.....I have been traveling solo for years........I love it!  Oh, I just booked a river cruise for next summer on the Seine😃....Paris/Normandy!  Got a great price (yes, for a solo LOL)....and have been wanting to do this for quite a few years now!

[cruise kitty]

Kat, the next rainy day we get, I am making your recipe!   tonight I have some lamb shanks going in the crock pot 🙂  

 

Lois, the river cruise sounds heavenly... what line are you going on?  I know you have been on a couple of river cruises...  have you had balconies?  or what they call a "French" balcony?  do you think it's necessary?

 

[cruisemom42]

21 hours ago, cruise kitty said:

Then again, there is something about the joy of solo travel & being able to make all of your own decisions...

 

Oh yes ... I remember one of my first real solo trips (e.g., more than just a long weekend) and at the end of it I was thinking "I should have been doing it this way for years!"

 

Of course, I have such detailed interests that dragging others along with me can be very dull for them and frustrating for me when they get bored. 😁

[slidergirl]

19 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

Oh yes ... I remember one of my first real solo trips (e.g., more than just a long weekend) and at the end of it I was thinking "I should have been doing it this way for years!"

 

Of course, I have such detailed interests that dragging others along with me can be very dull for them and frustrating for me when they get bored. 😁

I am the same.  I was, I think, having a fever dream when I thought of asking the girls along for that week!   

[slidergirl]

On 10/28/2021 at 11:24 AM, Lois R said:

Hear, Hear👍.....I have been traveling solo for years........I love it!  Oh, I just booked a river cruise for next summer on the Seine😃....Paris/Normandy!  Got a great price (yes, for a solo LOL)....and have been wanting to do this for quite a few years now!

Lois - this sounds so much fun for you!  What are the dates???   I will be in Paris for a couple of days the end of July/beginning of August after my barge trip. 

 

[Lois R]

Hi Kat😀, I fly out on 7/7 for 2 days in Paris pre-cruise..........the cruise is 7/9 to 7/16.

[Lois R]

I actually fly out on 7/6. Arriving on 7/7. 2 nights in Paris before the cruise.

[slidergirl]

3 hours ago, Lois R said:

I actually fly out on 7/6. Arriving on 7/7. 2 nights in Paris before the cruise.

that's when I'm doing my barge trip!!  Arriving at CDG on 7/8 and catching a train from CDG down to Marseille about 2 hours later.  We meet up in Marseille 7/9.  Then, I come back to Paris sometime after 7/29 for a few days before flying out.   Let's hope we both have great weather!!

[cruisemom42]

My offer on the condo was accepted and I'm headed out to do the inspection today. Looks like I'm going to cancel my December Silhouette cruise to be able to have time to deal with the logistics of closing and moving. I have never canceled/changed/moved so many trips as I have in the last two years. Hoping this is the tail end of it.

 

I'm excited but feeling stressed at all the work to be done. Today we are going to start tackling the attic. OOTD will be leggings and an old sweatshirt, lol.

 

 

[Lois R]

56 minutes ago, cruisemom42 said:

My offer on the condo was accepted and I'm headed out to do the inspection today. Looks like I'm going to cancel my December Silhouette cruise to be able to have time to deal with the logistics of closing and moving. I have never canceled/changed/moved so many trips as I have in the last two years. Hoping this is the tail end of it.

 

I'm excited but feeling stressed at all the work to be done. Today we are going to start tackling the attic. OOTD will be leggings and an old sweatshirt, lol.

 

 

WOOOHHOOOOOOO😃🙂👍YIPPPPEEEE.........CONGRATULATIONS!  Hi Cynthia, that is fantastic.!

Hope you will love your new place!!! 

[slidergirl]

Congrats Cynthia!!!!!  That was fast!  Now starts the "what do I take, what do I throw" fun of moving.   

 

Anyone watching the CNN coverage from Rome?  This isn't a political question.  When they are on that balcony that has the amazing overlook of Rome - I swear that it is the Rome Cavalieri Waldorf Astoria.  When I stayed there, the view was the same.  So nice to look out over the city at night, sitting out on the patio with a nice glass of wine in hand.  It's perched on top of the highest hill in Rome.  Yes, it's a shuttle down the hill to Via Veneto and Centro Storico, but that view... I wanted to point it out just in case anyone goes looking for a Hilton hotel in Rome to use points with.  

 

Tonight is my Andrea Bocelli concert down in SLC.  A nice way to end my off season and start to get ready for Winter.  I'm looking forward to just sitting back and hearing that wonderful voice.