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Cunard Cruisers - How are things where you are ?

Host Hattie

By Host Hattie,
in Cunard Line

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Camgirl

Camgirl

Posted
Posted
17 minutes ago, majortom10 said:

I love snow and really gutted that we will not be going this Saturday for our usual annual trip to Austria ❄️⛄❄️

Me too.

However, I'm not so keen on the namby pamby snow we occasionally get here, and make such a fuss about. I love the proper stuff like they get in alpine countries. We were in Switzerland last Feb and it was glorious in the snow there.

Sorry you are missing your trip majortom.

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Bigmike911

Bigmike911

Posted
Posted
12 hours ago, navybankerteacher said:

You don't know what hating snow is -- you have conceded to it by migrating -- I have to deal with the damn stuff every @#$%^&*() winter.

No NBT, I was born here. Went to prep school in Colorado, University in California, came home to Texas there after. Moved to California for work and after 30 years returned to Texas to live in an oak and pine forest for my sanity. As for the summer, yes hot and humid, but where else can an oak sapling grow to twenty feet in seven years? And I have to say, being able to work in my garden has been a blessing especially the last year. I am ready for Spring already.

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navybankerteacher

navybankerteacher

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, Lanky Lad said:

After watching the news, my thoughts are with our friends in the USA.  I am not sure how this will end, but I hope it does soon and peacefully.

Thanks for the thoughts --- unfortunately many people have to understand that an essential pre-requisite for democracy to function is an ability to accept the loss of an election.

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bluemarble

bluemarble

Posted
Posted
9 hours ago, Lanky Lad said:

After watching the news, my thoughts are with our friends in the USA.  I am not sure how this will end, but I hope it does soon and peacefully.

 

4 minutes ago, Host Hattie said:

Beautiful photos @Lanky LadLad, no snow here but it was below freezing all the way to work so I was grateful for the ice setting on my car.

I hope the rest of the transition proceeds more peacefully for you in the US.

 

Thank you for your thoughts and concern. After a surreal, chaotic and tragic day at the US Capitol, I stayed up late to watch congress resume their deliberations. They have just completed the process of formally certifying our presidential election results. My fervent hope is that the "better angels of our nature" may now prevail to ensure a peaceful inauguration of our next president in two weeks.

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Lanky Lad

Lanky Lad

Posted
Posted
9 minutes ago, Bigmike911 said:

LL You set a fine table. It looks very inviting. And you photos of the snow look very nice. Great to look at, but then the thaw. 

Thanks the pictures were taken on top of a local hill known as the Coppice

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LewiLewi Great Review Rare

LewiLewi

Posted
Posted
On 1/5/2021 at 10:39 PM, navybankerteacher said:

The problem is that relocating to someplace that is consistently hot is simply trading one type of discomfort for another.  At least in climate zones like Connecticut’s the Spring and Fall are close to ideal, and most of Summer is    fine - just a few days too hot/humid - but most of the time from April through early November neither heating or air-conditioning is needed.    I stay here, because for most of the year it is pretty good - that does not mean I have to like Winter and the mess that comes with it.  

 

In most years, we escape to St. Maarten in January, perhaps a cruise in Frbruary and several weeks in March-April to the Gulf Coast of Florida.  The two-house “snowbird” approach does not appeal - but picking the right spots for a couple of times when Connecticut is not desirable works for us.

 

Covid mucked that up starting in March 2020.

 

But, back on topic: snow sucks - and winter should be declared obsolete.

We enjoy Florida from Nov. to May. We should probably look for a getaway plan for the summer months, but long cruises/world cruises generally take place during the good Fl months. Any suggestions of alternate summer plans would be helpful.

On another note, we were able to get our first dose of Pfizer(me) and Moderna(hubby) vaccine. All good so far, just sore arms for 24 hours.

We are still trying to deal with the assault on our Capitol yesterday. Not to be believed or tolerated. 

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Host Hattie

Host Hattie

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8 hours ago, bluemarble said:

 

 

Thank you for your thoughts and concern. After a surreal, chaotic and tragic day at the US Capitol, I stayed up late to watch congress resume their deliberations. They have just completed the process of formally certifying our presidential election results. My fervent hope is that the "better angels of our nature" may now prevail to ensure a peaceful inauguration of our next president in two weeks.

It was good to see the process concluded this morning.

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Bigmike911

Bigmike911

Posted
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6 hours ago, LewiLewi said:

We enjoy Florida from Nov. to May. We should probably look for a getaway plan for the summer months, but long cruises/world cruises generally take place during the good Fl months. Any suggestions of alternate summer plans would be helpful.

On another note, we were able to get our first dose of Pfizer(me) and Moderna(hubby) vaccine. All good so far, just sore arms for 24 hours.

We are still trying to deal with the assault on our Capitol yesterday. Not to be believed or tolerated. 

A nice round trip Trans Atlantic, especially on that does the Fjords and Hamburg will give you nearly a month of pleasant weather in the Summer. And it is highly recommended. 

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naturelovergirl

naturelovergirl

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I am very glad to hear @LewiLewi say that you were both able to get your first dose of vaccine. Wonderful.
 

Yes, it has been an emotionally exhausting few days as all of us in the USA were watching history unfold in such disturbing ways. Very sad. I think that many of us here just feel like our hearts are very weary at the moment.

Our self-quarantine continues here so that we can hopefully go see our family safely... we watch the numbers and statistics every day. My parents are keeping their tree up- way past Epiphany (they normally take it down after Epiphany)

We all figure that Christmas is just extended this year for us... it is an extraordinary year... and we have all been trying so hard to be smart and safe.

 

May we all keep holding strong until we can gather safely again.

 

Take Care of yourself, your loved ones, and our world.

 

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Lanky Lad

Lanky Lad

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In theory my mother will get her vaccine towards the end of January and my friend some time in February. I will have to wait until the end of March and that is assuming the vaccine process goes to plan. 

 

More snow today and forecast is for a very cold night.  Thankfully, it should start to get less cold from tomorrow.

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Bigmike911

Bigmike911

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As a fitting ending to the week, the weatherman announced we will have snow in South East Texas Sunday night along with a freeze. I picked my Moorish Blood Orange and My Valencia Orange tree of all their fruit and got a bumper crop.

 

These are potted and on rollers so they will go into the potting house for a few weeks. I have others that on not on rollers and they will get covered with planketts. 

 

Tomorrow, Sunday and probably one day next week I will be in full marmalade making mode. I got the sugar, pectin and jars today. The house will be warm and fragrant. 

 

I left my battery powered lit wreath on the front door through Epiphany and then put it back into storage. I want to be able to move on with the seasons, rather than staying stuck in one place in time. 

 

I did receive one bit of good news. I bought a new pair of Full Quill Ostrich Roper boots (for our non-US readers, a roper is a western style boot but with a shoe heel, instead of a high angled heel)  for my Christmas Present to me. They were shipped on the 19th and disappeared into the caverns of the Post Office. Finally yesterday, I checked the tracking and they were delivered to my local Post Office,  so I should get them today. I had been dreading having to submit a claim. I hope everyone is healthy and will soon be vaccinated. 

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navybankerteacher

navybankerteacher

Posted
Posted (edited)
17 hours ago, Bigmike911 said:

...

 

I left my battery powered lit wreath on the front door through Epiphany and then put it back into storage. ...

 

...

They were shipped on the 19th and disappeared into the caverns of the Post Office. Finally yesterday, I checked the tracking and they were delivered to my local Post Office,  so I should get them today. ...

Yes ... “the caverns of the Post Office..”.  We received yesterday (Jan. 8) a green registered mail receipt stamped November 17, for an item we mailed in mid-September.

 

We also observed the Twelfth Night end of Christmas adornment.  

 

Now just very very cold in the Northeast - recent snow passing to the south of us.

 

’

Edited by navybankerteacher
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Host Hattie

Host Hattie

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Good to hear you got your vaccination @LewiLewi. 

Nothing much to report here, our cases are dropping slightly. The new strain doesn't seem to be as common in South Wales as it is in the South of England. Our lockdown was extended for another 3 weeks with some additional restrictions on essential shops. I don't use them but reports are that supermarkets are busier than the first lockdown.

I had my first Craft Gin Club box delivered earlier in the week so I'll be making a Lady of the Lake cocktail before dinner. No dry January here 🍸. 

Still no sign of Mr HH's Christmas present !

 

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Camgirl

Camgirl

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There have been suggestions on the BBC that people leave a few, not too christmassy, lights out this year. It is meant to suggest there is still light in the world and apparently helps people feel less lonely. We have taken most things down, but have left two lighted decorations up outside. We haven't turned them back on yet, but will do soon. Anything that might help people at this time. They are not specifically Christmassy, so I hope they make someone smile.

 

The numbers are still going up here in the east, though Cambridge is not as high as some areas around here. It is pretty scary really. We still go for daily walks but are trying to find quiet areas to go. There are way more people out and about during this lockdown. I'm afraid I agree with the scientists that it needs to be made much more strict.

 

Enjoy your cocktails, HH. And congrats on being vaccinated, lewilewi. You are the first I have heard of. 

 

Stay safe, everyone.

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Bigmike911

Bigmike911

Posted
Posted
11 minutes ago, frankp01 said:

> No dry January here 🍸

 

Well, we started out with a Dry January. We made it 6 days, until the events of Wednesday, when we broke down and had 3 Old Fashioneds each. Now we're trying to be good again.

Not to worry Frank. You deserved a cocktail or two after last week. We all did. I made my first batch of marmalade today. I had eight Bearss limes (yes there are two ss in Bearss) and they made 2 1/h half pints. I used my new Bell Jam and Jelly maker and it was a breeze. No more stirring over a boiling pot of syrup for 45 minutes like in the past. I had a bumper crop of Moorish Blood and Valencia oranges. I will make a couple of batches of each, and then juice the rest. No dry January in South East Texas. We have had six inches of rain, and I have had more than six Johnny Walker Black's on the rocks. Well it is the ninth after all. 

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Bigmike911

Bigmike911

Posted
Posted
5 hours ago, frankp01 said:

My mother was a rarity: a native Floridian. I was raised being told the only place oranges grow is Florida!

Well, having been raised in South Texas, and having lived in Southern California, I have to say that both regions grow great Citrus, as well as Florida. I am about 450 miles north of the Rio Grande Valley, Texas principle citrus region, so I have to be protective in cold weather, but I did get a bumper crop this year. By the way, I have a Ball, not bell jam and jelly maker, and I cannot think why I did it the old fashioned way so long. This machine made it easy and the results excellent

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