AncientWanderer

Agree with Terri and Graham, @MISTER 67...test, test, test. The at-home rapid tests seem to be very accurate with the variant going around now. We did a lot of testing the past couple of weeks, with a number of different brands -- including the government ones -- and the results were always consistent. DH was positive and I was negative, until he finally also was negative. Fingers crossed that all goes well for you. 🤞

Good morning. DH will watch the Indy after golfing today. I've coveted a good compost pile, but we don't have a place for it and don't want to be like @ger_77's neighbor. No back 40 here for the compost pile. The Peacekeepers at the UN certainly do have their work cut out for them. The food, drink and wine all sound good. We used to make the enchilada pie when in college. The recipe was popular for dinner gatherings back then and was part of our "rotation" for a long time. Funny how recipes come in and out of our lives. Time to make it again! @dfish, glad your back has improved somewhat. @mamaofami, the Peter, Paul & Mary show sounds like fun. Happy Birthday to Mrs. @seagarsmoker 🎂 @durangoscots, good to hear the fire is out. We used to spend summers in McCall, Idaho, and there were fires every summer all around. Scary stuff! @Quartzsite Cruiser, thanks for posting Sandi's photos. We haven't made it to French Polynesia yet, but hope to. 2024 is the goal on that one. I'm so, so very sorry to hear about your cruise gone awry, @Dismomx5. What a disappointment after all the planning! Thank you for mentioning about the FlightEase that wasn't so easy. Something else to think about. Wishing for those in your family who test positive a quick return to health. And a return to good cheer. @NextOne, what a nice way to honor your DH and a very sweet time to share with your son. Wishing everyone a lovely Sunday. Prayers for those who are troubled and many thanks to our contributors. 🌻

I'd forgotten that you were on the Westerdam! What you went through! It seems like a million years ago. We really have come a long way, haven't we? The tests are easy now. Congratulations on the good result!

Terri, I wouldn't worry about it too much. I've been around here a long time and it's always been a friendly, open thread -- not a clique. Reality is there are a number here who had the pleasure of sailing together in the past -- a lot on the Prinsendam -- and they enjoy that shared experience, but mostly the thread has just grown organically over time. Just a kind space.

I have really bad eyesight, too, and try hard to compensate -- really do appreciate the business cards the room stewards now give out, and with fixed dining I rely on the plastic frame thing that has the servers' names in it. For other crew members around the ship, I sometimes ham it up to make clear I'm a blind old lady while I look at their name tag to thank them. Not sure you as a male could pull that one off. lol

Some good news here. It's day 11 for DH and he tested covid negative today finally. AND it is also DDIL's due date. We are to go stay with their three-year-old when she goes into labor. That negative test came just in time! 👍

What a fabulous trip you've put together, Sharon. Have a great time! Try to give some progress reports here to the folks back home! 😍

Good morning, All. It’s nice to see a prompt here today to go grab an In-and-Out burger. Any excuse…😊 Amnesty International does important work. I never learned to appreciate jazz. Not sure about the quote. Some people are authentic. I like them best. @dfishDebbie, the chicken looks delicious. Sort of like chicken piccata, right, but without the capers? I do pan fry every so often— half butter, half olive oil. The recipe is a keeper. I waited yesterday on “wig-out” day for someone to ‘fess up to wearing them. I did during chemo for breast cancer 10 years ago. The exorbitantly expensive human hair one I bought always looked like something the cat brought in. The cheap synthetic ones were cute and comfortable. Looking forward to photos of Kanazawa. Apparently Japan has finally opened up to limited tourism. Baby steps…. Many thanks to Rich and all contributors to the Daily. Wishing all a pleasant Saturday. Mine will be very lazy, as I babysat DGD last night and she took it out of me.

In all honesty, I've thought that some posters left because there came to be more discussion of health problems and troubling things. Some people just prefer to stay on the sunny side of life. As far as monopolizing, heck, some of our most prolific and chatty contributors are very well-loved. So then it comes down to picking and choosing people who may speak, which makes me very uncomfortable. As @57redbirdsuggested, just use the ignore button if there's a clash of personality. Lots of points to ponder today. ( @kazuJacqui, at least from me, you get a full pass on whatever you say. If you're crabby, go for it. Sometimes it's a lot better to feel mad than sad.)

Awww...wish you'd go. The itinerary is pretty much the same as the one you and I both had booked before, but without that great back-to-back with Norway. I wish they had that same thing offered again!

That's awesome, Jack! It's a great itinerary. We've been to some of the ports, but all are definitely worth a repeat. 👍

Good morning, All. I like the old Dracula movies. Maybe we'll binge watch some today, as DH is still in quarantine. We could probably find a Lucille Ball movie as well, to pay our respects to red-heads. I'm sorry to hear that you won't stop in Spitsbergen, @StLouisCruisersSandi. But your cruise does have many interesting stops, so it should be wonderful nonetheless. We booked the nice 30-day Atlantic Sunsets and British Isles for next May. I had booked a Cunard crossing and DH was not enthusiastic about having to dress for dinner every night. He offered to find a good alternative. His choice won't exactly be torture. lol I thought I'd give a covid update, just because this virus continues to surprise. DH is still testing positive for the 8th day. I'm still negative. We have confidence in the tests because we've used three different brands and both our results are consistent. It's curious because DH is usually the healthier of the two of us. I typically catch everything. We both had four jabs. I had Pfizer all four; DH did three Pfizer and one Moderna. We wonder if that made a difference. Who knows? His symptoms are mild -- a bit tired. @grapau27, nobody believes us, but DH and I swear by eliminating nightshades from the diet -- tomatoes, peppers, eggplant -- to ease arthritic pain. We both have bad knees and hips and really do notice less inflammation if we stick to the program. Pizza and spaghetti are hard to pass up, but we do try. That's about it here today from sunny San Diego. Wishing all a lovely day -- whether on land or at sea. 😊 Maxine

Bon Voyage! Enjoy! 🛳️ 🍾 🥂 🐳 🥩 🦞 🍦 🍰 ❤️

They will talk a lot about gun control, and that's a good discussion, but nobody ever seems to want to talk about our lack of mental health care. Even if family knows a person is a danger to others, nothing will be done until an actual crime is committed. A few years ago a friend of ours and his wife were killed by their son. They had tried to get him help. Things like this don't need to happen. They rarely come out of nowhere. What a sad day.

Good morning, Everyone. Happy Victoria Day to our Canadian friends. The strawberry salad today looks wonderful for a summer meal. It’s actually chilly and damp here in San Diego, though. We know that heat is coming. We’ll have a quiet day as we are in the covid doghouse— DH has it; I do not. 🤷‍♀️ Thanks for the Daily. Wishing all a good Monday.

That is one heck of a sweet face, Sandi! I had a hectic day and just popped in here before bed. I'll look no further. Perfect way to end the day. Your DD must be thrilled. 😍

Bon Voyage, friends. Wishing each of you a wonderful journey.

Also wishing you a great cruise. We saw the Princess ship up there while on the Eurodam and thought, h'mmm, gorgeous ship -- maybe next time. Let us know how the Medallion works out. That's my one hesitation. We've enjoyed Princess cruises, but haven't used the Medallion yet. Enjoy beautiful Alaska! 😊

Condolences to you, and your friend's family. Thinking of you as you grieve.

@rafinmdRoy, I just received a notification on my phone that I have tickets for "Come From Away" on this Sunday here in San Diego. So you will be in mind on Sunday as we're watching your favorite show and you are off on your glorious cruise. My show tickets are from season tickets pre-covid. I didn't even know it had been rescheduled. A very nice surprise. And a heartfelt Bon Voyage, Roy.

Honfleur is very “posh,” with excellent restaurants, bakeries, shops. It’s a holiday spot for the French and a great option if you don’t want the long day to Paris. Here’s a photo of my scrapbook page for Honfleur. They aren’t good photos, but might give more idea of the feel of the place.

What a joy she is! And looking straight at the camera with those gorgeous eyes. Just the best!

Good morning. I'm on task today, as I put in tomatoes, peppers and kale yesterday; we support our Boy's and Girl's Club, and our visit to Le Havre has a tie-in with Global Accessibility Awareness. We visited Le Havre in 2013, rented a car and drove to Honfleur, a small nautical village in the Calvados region. It's a picture-perfect French village and the drive to it, through the apple-growing region, is beautiful. A few years later, we stopped in Le Havre again on a cruise with DMIL and wanted to show her Honfleur. Perhaps it was a holiday there. In any case, we literally could not find a place to park the car that was manageable for elderly DMIL. We had to skip the place and just do a scenic drive for her. No accessibility that day in France. @msmayor, I'm so sorry your DD has another challenge. Things come in threes, right? She's had her three; on to better days! @marshhawk, I hope today is an improvement over yesterday. @dfish's pasta looks so good; think I'll do something like that tonight. Like others, no egg on top. @rafinmd, Roy, sorry your testing process has been rocky. Many thanks to Rich and all Contributors here. Wishing everyone a safe and lovely day.

I have the apricot jam/onion soup recipe, too. My maid of honor served it at my bridal shower. Happy memory and love the way you doctored it up. 😋

Sharon, That’s so funny about poker night. I love that! About Taormina…I vote no, double no on the tour. It’s the most charming and walkable place you could ever find. (Except maybe Sintra in Portugal.) We did a ship transfer, unguided, into Taormina, and just wish we’d had longer there. We took tons of photos. The whole place is postcard material. You’ll maybe have time for one of your lovely local meals, and I envy you that. Wonderful place.