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Good morning, everyone! @Crazy For Cats I'm glad you think it is good news that we are joining you on the Zuiderdam! That was my very first HAL ship so I am looking forward to being back on her! @Norseh2o @cat shepard Mexican street corn salad is great! Of course, I like the Mexican street corn on the cob as well. Well, we have another day of fighting with the patio furniture. We are first going to tackle the fire table. I so want to get rid of the ugly fire pit in the back yard and this will allow me to do that. I've talked Sue into planting a tree in that spot. The problem we are having is that when we go to attach the second arm to the chairs the holes don't line up. Somehow we got it to work on the couch. Eventually we will get it to work out. I may invite a neighbor to help us. Asparagus is known for making pee smell funny, but it has many health benefits. This cruciferous vegetable is good for you and can help with weight loss, prevent urinary tract infections (UTIs), promote reproductive health, and be a mood booster. Asparagus packs nutrients—including vitamins A, C, E, K, and B6, folate, iron, potassium, copper, calcium, and protein—and is a rich source of antioxidants. So, if you don't like tarragon, use one of @0106 Tina's suggestions and eat up! The first recipe cooks the asparagus and then chills it to serve with the tarragon sauce. Asparagus with tarragon vinaigrette 1 In this next recipe Nancy Fuller from the Food Network has us roast the asparagus and then serve it on a bed of greens with a creamy tarragon vinaigrette. This one can be warm or cold. Nancy Fuller's Asparagus This last recipe can be served warm or cold. It does call for putting the asparagus in ice water to stop the cooking so it doesn't get over cooked. Asparagus With Tarragon Sherry Vinaigrette Here's hoping we conquer the patio furniture today! Wishing you all a wonderful day!

Zuiderdam August 24-31 and August 31-September 7. Join us!

OMG! I would be under a mattress with a bottle of wine. We did not get the patio furniture all put together today. We got the couch and ottomans done, but we are having trouble with the last screw for the arms of the chairs. We need to get some brawn in here to do it. I may import a neighbor tomorrow. We are going to work on the fire table tomorrow. In between fighting with the patio furniture we booked a cruise for late August. I can't believe we did that, but we're thrilled. We got a large inside cabin on a private fare for two weeks. Boston to Quebec to Boston.

Good afternoon, I am taking a break from furniture construction. We have the couch and two ottomans put together. If I ever buy something like this again, I will pay for assembly. Oh, my! I have no fingernails left. @Quartzsite Cruiser Lenda, we do have instructions for the furniture, but it is the kind you mentioned. All drawings and no written instructions. But, that is better than nothing! You can have half a slice, but I won't be making it until August. I found the instructions after we put it together incorrectly. The problem now is getting it back apart. We tried the suggestions given, but it hasn't worked. Wow! I'm glad you enjoyed the blueberry lemon loaf. It did sound great. I hope DH's cold is short lived. Vitamin C. Grandma, a public health nurse, used to drown us in orange juice with sugar. I just wish we'd figured it all out correctly. My storage box has no bottom. Make sure you eat something with the zinc. On an empty stomach it can make you pretty sick. Right now my goal is to have it all together before the end of the summer.

Good morning, everyone! It is currently overcast and in the 60's but it is supposed to clear out and temps will rise to the 70's today. It will be a warm weekend with temps in the 80s. We finished staining the deck yesterday and started putting together the storage box. We had some difficulty since there were no directions included. We tried attaching sides to the bottom of the box, but that wouldn't work. We were able to attach the sides to each other and then discovered how to attach the bottom, but we have to take the sides apart to do that and we can't get them apart. I'll try again today and we'll hopefully get the furniture all assembled. I would like the pinot grigio. I liked the Alsatian version Pinot Gris when my sister lived in Strasbourg. It is difficult to find the Alsatian white wines over here. Our favorite winery was the Wolfberger winery in Eguisheim. Walnuts are great and congrats to all the grads. I hope we hear some good news from @Nickelpenny, @kazu, and @marshhawk today. The blueberry almond tart sure looks good! I'll pass due to carbs and sugars, but I hope the rest of you can enjoy it! Here's the first recipe: Blueberry Almond Tart 1 This next one looks like you can pick it up and eat it like pizza. Blueberry Almond Tart 2 This last recipe uses a blueberry curd as the filling and tops it with fresh blueberries and almond slivers. It promises a fair amount of pucker! Blueberry Almond Tart 3 Wishing you all a wonderful day!

Good morning, everyone! I am so sore from staining the deck yesterday. I still have half of it to go. Then I have to put the new patio furniture together. Tons of fun to be had today! @aliaschief I hope all with medical issues are making progress in healing, especially @Nickelpenny, @kazu, @RMLincoln, @marshhawk and anyone else I left out. Continues hugs to caregivers, especially @smitty34877, @marshhawk, and @JazzyV. Mizuna is an Asian green that is easy to grow and would make a flavorful addition to your salads. This green has antioxidant qualities, as it is a cruciferous vegetable in the brassica family. Mizuna is an excellent source of Vitamins A, C, and K-1, fiber, as well as numerous minerals. It is very versatile in the kitchen. Mizuna has a mild mustardy peppery flavor. Eat it raw in salads, especially the tender young leaves. Sauté mizuna stems and leaves with onions or garlic as a side dish. It is wonderful in stir fries and is a nutrient-rich addition to soups and stews. Substitute mizuna for basil or spinach in your favorite pesto recipe. More about Mizuna The salad is quite simple with just the greens, peanuts, dressing, and edible flowers for garnish. MIzuna Salad with Peanuts This next one doesn't call for peanuts, but you can certainly add them in. The dressing is a bit different as well. It is very simple with just oil and lemon juice. Mizuna Salad 2 Wishing you all a wonderful day!

Good afternoon, @kazu Jacqui, thanks for checking in and letting us know what is going on. I hope you get some relief soon. This has gone on way too long. @Nickelpenny Pennie, I hope you can tolerate the head raising. Most of us don't like taking pills, but there are times when you just have to do so. Don't get behind the pain again, please! I stopped at the front desk at the gym today for some clarification on the pool use. I first asked about using the lazy river. Since that is just walking I can tolerate it for longer periods at the shorter depth. I was told that I could use it when there were no activities in the middle of the pool as it would be too distracting to the classes being held. I couldn't help myself and asked if lap swimming was also curtailed during that time to minimize disruption, but no, it is not. Only my use of the lazy river would be a distraction. I noticed today that two of the lap lanes were empty the entire time I was there, so I asked if I could use a lap lane at the greater depth to do my routine in safety and was told no. The lap lanes are only for lap swimming and if I am not going to swim, they will remain unused. This was the same jerk who told me to find something else to do yesterday. He also chastised me for interrupting him. I said, Oh, like you did to me yesterday? Yes, I can understand that you wouldn't like it. Now, I am allowed to use the deeper water from 5 pm to 7 pm on Mondays and Wednesdays and 6:15 - 7 pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I am wondering why lap swimming gets so much preference. Time to find a new gym. Since they won't let me use the pool at a convenient time, I may as well go to another gym and take my business away.

Good morning, everyone! It is a sunny start to the day and that is welcome after the dreary skies yesterday. Temps are supposed to be in the mid 60s today. I am following Sue to pick her up after she drops off her car for service, then we are hitting the farmer's market. After that I'll drop Sue off at home and head to the gym. They are closing the one closest to my house, but don't have any notice up about it. I guess people will just find out when they get there. Today's meal sounds yummy, but I will pass due to the carb load. It claims the title of healthy because they don't use refined sugar in the recipe. But they do use honey and that is a sugar/carb source. I do like the blueberry and lemon combination and agree it would make a great breakfast item for those who can handle the carbs. https://hungryhappens.net/healthy-lemon-blueberry-bread-refined-sugar-free/ This one isn't claiming to be healthy, but blueberries on their own are healthy and help with heart and brain health. Most of the nutrients are in the peel of the berry, so make sure you get the whole berry! Blueberries are also a good source of vitamins K1, C, and manganese. https://www.loveandlemons.com/lemon-blueberry-bread/ This recipe claims healthy because it uses almond flour, coconut flour, coconut oil, and organic lemon juice and eggs. https://www.tosimplyinspire.com/healthy-blueberry-lemon-bread.html Wishing you all a wonderful day!

@JazzyV I am thankful that BFF did not have a blood clot and that he did not injure himself more when he fell. I sure hope he listened carefully to every syllable you said. I am composing my letter about the water fitness classes. I think this is going to be a problem for a lot of people.

Not that I know of. Besides, it would be kind of cold in the winter. The solution would be to hold the classes in the 4.5 foot depth part of the pool, but they would have to interrupt lane swimming to do that. Now, for the last 20 years they have interrupted lane swimming to hold classes in the pool, but that isn't possible to do anymore. I may be writing to the director of the facility. I'm trying to think deviously to see if I can get the on an accessibility issue. If people can bring their dogs in strollers on cruise ships..... I think some of the instructors may complain as well. They used to do half their classes in the deep end and now there is no deep end. Back in Ohio I always did the deep water classes. They were great.

No Y. The community center is the only facility with a pool.

@Nickelpenny Pennie, I am so sorry about your complications. I will be sending healing thoughts your way and let's hope that tomorrow is a great day. @marshhawk Hugs, hugs, hugs. I would be really infuriated if I were you. I am so sorry you are going through this. I went and toured the new community center today. I was excited about the water classes in the new facility until I got there. Water fitness is the best for me with my back issues. All but one disc in my back is damaged and disintegrating. I have severe arthritis, scoliosis, stenosis, you name it. This includes up into the neck. I can hear the bones scraping when I turn my head at times. I can do things in the water that I could never do on land because the water absorbs the shock. However, they have decided to hold the classes in the 3 foot deep area. That is way too shallow for me. I mentioned it to the director of aquatics and he said I'd just have to find something else to do. So, it isn't just fewer classes. Believe me, I know 3 ft is too shallow, I have tried it in other locations and had to leave the class because it was like an electrical jolt going up my back into my head.

Good morning, everyone! It is kind of dreary looking outside this morning and temps are only supposed to rise to 60F. We are meeting DS Mary Jo for yoga this morning and then doing a walk through of the new community center building. I checked my water classes on the schedule and they are only offering half as many and they moved them from 10:00 am to 8:00 am. All to better serve us, I suppose. @summer slope Today's meal looks good to me. When I was looking it up I decided that is what we would have last night, sort of. I swapped out the pasta for spaghetti squash and used some different veggies. It was really good! https://www.eatingwell.com/recipe/7901398/one-pot-lemon-asparagus-pasta-with-shrimp/ The seasoning in this recipe is a bit different and closer to what I did last night. I did use a ton of garlic in mine. https://thenaturalnurturer.com/20-minute-lemony-shrimp-asparagus-pasta/ This one is similar except it uses orzo. The type of pasta doesn't matter in this dish. This one also makes some suggestions on things to add in like cherry tomatoes and mushrooms. https://www.wellplated.com/lemon-shrimp-pasta/ @marshhawk Healing thoughts that Chuck's surgery goes well. @Nickelpenny I hope yesterday's surgery went well. @kazu Hoping the foot is doing better. @smitty34877 I hope you have the help you need. Take care of yourself! Wishing you all a wonderful day!

I was able to open the photo and I love the colors in it! You did a beautiful job. I dropped mine off at the long armers today. I was supposed to have it in last week, but I was fighting with the borders. The pattern called for mitered corners. The first two were perfect. The next two were a mess and I had a ruffle on the bottom instead of a border. I think I redid those corners 5 times each. Part of the problem was that it was a big border - 9 inches - made up of three different borders. But, it is good enough now and will have to do! Susie, my sewing room is the dining room table. Sue has taken over the entire downstairs, so that is what I am left with.

No worry on that one. It isn't being served. We have several such switches in this house. I did get one to work to turn on the lights under the cabinets. @richwmn Welcome back! Your adventure was fun to follow and I'm sure you've got another all lined up for next year. @Nickelpenny I hope all goes well today. @ottahand7 Wow, that is a long wait for your procedure. I hope there are no problems in the meantime. @JazzyV I feel for your BFF. You're correct that waiting for surgery means a longer recovery time. I would think they would want to do it ASAP. @kazu Hope all is going in a positive direction for you. Let us know how you're doing. @cruising sister I hope this week is a better one for you. @RMLincoln Sending good vibes for a positive report from the DR on DH's eye. @Haljo1935 Good luck with the OT. @StLouisCruisers I hope the new dining works out for you. Sometimes I am just not hungry that early.

Good morning, everyone! We had some thunder bumpers roll through last night that woke me up. I had a hard time getting back to sleep after that. Good news is that the flowers got watered. I did get the borders on the quilt and today I will drop it off for quilting. I have to clean the patio off again. There is a tree that is dropping so many little seed pods that you'd think it was snowing. The chipmunks are in 7th heaven with them. I am with @LambKnuckles on today's meal. If I am having a burger, I want the real thing. Remember the commercial, "Where's the beef?" That would be my question. However, these do look tasty. https://minimalistbaker.com/sweet-potato-black-bean-burger/ This one uses oats instead of rice. I like the sound of the sriracha mayo. https://www.noracooks.com/easy-sweet-potato-black-bean-burgers/ This one has some green stuff in it. My only concern with these is that they can get pretty dry. One sister was into a kick once where she wouldn't eat, buy, or serve meat, and all you got were bean burgers. Some of them were like eating hockey pucks. https://thenaturalnurturer.com/black-bean-sweet-potato-veggie-burgers-vegan/ Wishing you all a wonderful day!

Good evening, everyone! I am really enjoying the pictures of the moms. They are all so precious. I think many of us have moms in heaven and no matter how long it has been, it is still tough some days. I keep thinking of things I want to ask her! I took Sue out to dinner tonight for Mother's Day since her idiot son has not contacted her. She talks like she's ok, but I know she is really hurting. He's been pretty much a jerk for the last year or so, increasingly so since the new wife came into the picture. That is when he abandoned his daughter as well.

Good morning, everyone! Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there. Enjoy your special day! We had another short sighting of the aurora last night. I went out and the sky was a beautiful magenta, but by the time I got Sue and a camera, it was gone. I read that there is a chance of viewing tonight also. We'll give it a try! Celebrating Mother's Day, here is a picture of me and my mom. Today's meal sounds good, but the carb count on it is way too high for me. It must be the rice noodles in it that put it up that high. I would just add a ton more bok choy and leave the noodles out. https://www.eatingwell.com/recipe/8020237/bok-choy-soup-with-shrimp-noodles/ While the last recipe was on the sweet side, this one seems more on the savory side. I'd prefer that, but would probably cut down on the noodles or leave them out. https://thenutritionadventure.com/shrimp-bok-choy-noodle-soup/ Wishing you all a wonderful day!

I guess that's a step in the right direction!

Checking in.

Good morning, everyone! We were blessed with a great display from the northern lights last night. If you looked through your phone camera, you could see them even better as the camera filters really picked up the colors. My photos aren't so wonderful, but what I saw was. There was a great display right out in our back yard. Today I am working on getting my quilt ready for the quilter. I was supposed to get it in this week, but it will have to be next week. Sue is waiting to hear if River's soccer game is rained out. The maps show rain until mid afternoon where they play. @1ANGELCAT I am sorry Houdini took a turn for the worse. May his trip across the rainbow bridge be peaceful. @StLouisCruisers Sandi, I hope you and Dennis have a great time on your cruise! @Niagarawine Enjoy that cruise! @MISTER 67 Bon Voyage! Drive safely! @marshhawk I hope your mouth is feeling better after the oral surgery yesterday. I love Cobb salad. This one looks like it would more than satisfy me! They recommend making your own light ranch dressing. https://litecravings.com/skinny-cobb-salad/ Here's a recipe for the ranch dressing. https://litecravings.com/the-best-light-ranch-dressing/ This Cobb salad uses a blue cheese vinaigrette. That sounds pretty good! https://www.healthyseasonalrecipes.com/healthy-cobb-salad/ This recipe uses a lemon vinaigrette. All three sound delicious to me! https://www.wellplated.com/cobb-salad/ Wishing you all a wonderful day!

Good evening, everyone! We are going to head out for wide open spaces in a bit to see if we can catch a glimpse of the aurora. We should have clear skies for a while. The last time we were in Sydney we went to the Kitchen party at the cruise terminal. It was Celtic music and dancing and they were quite good! We'd go back. @JazzyV Vanessa, if you're looking for something that isn't too much walking, the music is good and the Cabot Trail is a good excursion. We did the ship one because it was narrated and you learned a lot. There was very little walking involved. I did get the patio power washed and it looks so much better. Now, to order the new furniture!

Good morning, everyone! We are supposed to have a partly sunny day in the high 60s today. I am going to take advantage and get the rest of that patio power washed. The part I did looks really nice. After I am done, I will order the new patio furniture. Tomorrow when it is cold and rainy I will get the borders on my quilt and get it to the quilter. Next week I will stain the deck after it has had time to thoroughly dry. I have to do some scraping first. We had a quick visit from some Ohio friends yesterday. They are on their way through the upper peninsula and then west, hoping to hit Glacier at the mid point of their trip and then head back. We may see them again in a couple weeks as they'll be coming back through Michigan. With today's meal I would have to swap out the peas and potatoes and by the time I was done, it wouldn't be today's meal. In this first recipe I don't understand why they serve it over rice. They already have enough starch in the potatoes. Oh, well. https://www.skinnytaste.com/ground-turkey-with-potatoes-and-peas/ This next recipe is similar with slightly different seasonings. They did leave out the rice. https://recipes.net/main-dish/turkey/ground-turkey-with-potatoes-and-spring-peas-recipe/ This one is way different with the seasonings. I'd leave out the potatoes and substitute lots of veggies like broccoli and brussels sprouts. The seasonings in this one sound good to me. A big flavor explosion! https://www.cookeatlaugh.com/aloo-keema-spiced-ground-turkey-with-potatoes-peas/ Wishing you all a wonderful day!