luvteaching

Checking in and it's sure not a nice weather day in PE.

Good morning, It's a rather overcast gloomy start to the day in this area but no snow or rain so that's good. I'll go with the wine and will toast DD DH today. He'd love battery day. For Christmas 2022 I got him the "Battery Daddy" to hold all his batteries and he was in heaven. He came home at the end of December and one of the first things he wanted to do was fill that case. It turned out to be a great manual dexterity exercise for him and he did it twice as he spilled it. That box is heavy with all the batteries in it! Today is the fun stuff - clean the bathroom, etc. I did get the income tax done and had to do a bit of research to see how to file since DH had passed away. I sent it all in snail mail as it was just easier for me. Now to do some research on "surviving spouse" as it seems I can file that way for a year or two. There's always something! Have a nice Sunday! Karen

Happy Valentine's Day! I hope everyone is having a good day. I've had texts from DS, DDIL and DGD and just got off the phone with my Mom so all is good. This is the first Valentine's Day without DH and I was a bit melancholy this morning but fine now. I am wearing the earrings he bought for me last year and I'll have a glass of wine and toast him when I have some dinner. He was a keeper and I miss him. Today was the pool for two water aerobics classes. I also stopped by the local junior college and got tickets for their production of The Music Man on March 1st. A friend and I are going and I used DD DH's account to pay for it so he's treating! Next up this afternoon is getting the income tax looked at again and ready to file and then relaxing. Have a lovely day. Karen

Since it's right around noon I usually have something light for lunch with me as I watch along with my mug of tea. Today's tea is Murchie's Paris Afternoon.

Checking in from a wet Pacific Northwest. Good afternoon to watch ships.

Good morning from a rainy Pacific Northwest, After a long day yesterday I'm planning to stay home and relax just a bit. Yesterday my friend and I went to Canada to visit my 97-year old mother. We finally got on her social calendar! She had plans for us that included cleaning her jewelry and cleaning two lower cupboards. We watched the Canucks lose to Detroit in an OT penalty shot then headed out to lunch. We went to a local Italian place that has great food, good parking (a consideration with DM's walker) and is usually quiet. The food was good and one of the best caesar salads I've had in a long time. I brought most of my cannelloni home so that's dinner tonight. Then we went to a local bakery to get scones - yum. I have a triple chocolate and a cinnamon one to munch on. This place is so popular and just a small spot. They sold out of the hot cross buns by noon! Fortunately the border crossing, both directions, was easy and less than 5 minutes. I like the quote, no on the food, maybe on the poppers. Today is getting the Valentines in the mail for the great nieces and nephews and working on the income tax. I've had to do a bit of research since I'm dealing with the DH's passing but my rough draft looks good. No to the Super Bowl unless I look at the commercials. Have a lovely day! Karen

Good afternoon, It's been a full day today and even yesterday. DS got the range hood and sink in yesterday but I had to wait until today to use the sink. Now my kitchen is all stainless steel and I love it. PT was fine yesterday but I was feeling it this morning. This morning I got brownies made, did a walk, and then headed into the potluck for the widow's support group I'm part of. It's very much a social group and there weren't that many there today but a reporter and photographer from our local newspaper was there to do a story so that was nice. I got a few groceries done as well while I was in town. This afternoon has been cleaning out my car and getting read to head to Canada for the day tomorrow. A friend and I are going up to have a visit with my 97 year old DM. She wants me to clean her jewelry and clean a couple of cupboards for her and we'll go to a local pasta restaurant for lunch. It will be a full day as I'll leave by 9 AM and probably not get home until 5:00 PM or later but that's ok - nothing planned for Sunday! Have a great rest of the day! Karen

@HappyInVan. Count me as another who always leaves the auto gratuities in place and then I tip my room stewards and dining stewards over and above especially when my DH was alive and sailing with me. His mobility issues made some extra work for them and it was always accomplished with a smile.

Good afternoon, What I thought was going to be a quiet stay-at-home day is turning out a lot differently. Oh well - go with the flow. DS was here about 10:30 and got the new range hood installed and then got the old kitchen sink out. It was set in there with the idea of not moving it and it turns out to be a cast iron one so that sink is heavy! Now the new stainless steel sink is in place and DS is off to get parts and caulking. I've given him money so he's fine. I got a call a few hours ago that there was a cancelation at PT and did I want to come in this afternoon and I said YES so I'll be out shortly. This will be my first PT session since mid-December and my stuck hip muscle is letting me know it's needed even with all the water aerobics. DS loaded up the recycling in the car so now I can make that a stop afterwards. Once I get back and my kitchen is back to normal I need to bake a quick pan of brownies to take to a Widows Support Group potluck tomorrow. Have a good day! Karen

Good afternoon everyone, Not much going on here the last while which is why I've been not contributing. It's been more of "same old, same old". I've been to the pool on Monday and Wednesdays for two water aerobics classes which I really enjoy. Today I have a memorial service to attend with a friend. It's for the father-in-law of our music teacher at school when I taught. He passed last week in his sleep at age 100. I also have to make a stop at the post office to get international stamps. That's a hit to the pocketbook! I paid for my June Alaska cruise on Majestic Princess yesterday and do need to get my parking in place which I'll do later today. I have 4 Alaska cruises this summer - one a month - and hope to do Dd DH's burial at sea on the September one (Eurodam). We'll see how it all goes. I'd better get organized. It's also the day to put out the trash for pick up tomorrow and I need to get a birthday gift for a friend ready to go for tomorrow. Karen

Checking in. It's a lovely sunny day in the Pacific Northwest. I'll take it!

When we were there a couple of years ago we rode the train from where you pictured it. The area is flat and easy for scooter use. Karen

I'm done - thanks all. It's snowing pretty good in Juneau today.

Seattle and the Alaska ports are "silent" due to noise ordinances. Too bad.

I'll be on Eurodam in early September to Alaska and the Westerdam in early July to Alaska.

Checking in

When I looked the cruise ship schedule shows you are at the ORE dock. The train does pick up right at the ship. Karen

Hi @Niagarawine. If you get on the accessible train you can take your scooter on. There is a lift that lowers to the ground, you drive on, and up you go. It's pretty cool. Then you can stay on the scooter or go to a seat. The nice thing about the accessible car is that there are a lot less people in it as compared to the other cars. My DD DH loved to ride the train and we've done it many times. Karen

@missadventure85. Welcome to Cruise Critic. I've sailed over 20 times to Alaska out of Seattle on both Holland and Princess. The Princess ships out of Seattle are 3000+ and I find them to be too big. I'm not as big a fan of the buffet area either but that's more personal preference. I find it crowded. However we traveled on Princess when DH wanted to go to Skagway and ride the train. The two HAL ships out of Seattle are more in the 2000 passenger range. I've heard great things about the kids club but we haven't traveled with kids. One advantage, to me, is that you go to Sitka which is more of an authentic unspoiled town. I would think your kids would enjoy the Raptor Center, Fortress of the Bear and the Oceanography Center. Sitka is very walkable, lots to see about Russian history of the area, there's a great playground near the Oceanography Center and the Totem Pole park has wonderful walking trails. Both lines go to Juneau and Ketchikan. If you do Glacier Bay then the National Park rangers come on board and there is separate programming for the kids. On Princess, in Juneau, Libby Riddles may be on board. It's really what you want to see. Karen

Good morning, I've been reading every day but the last few days have been busy. Currently we're in a warm spell with a high of 62F yesterday and close to that today without rain. The rain comes back tonight and they we go lower temps and sun. Love the Pacific Northwest. I hosted (with the help of DS and DDIL) my DD DH's side of the family for Christmas on Sunday. So Friday and Saturday were spent house cleaning and getting some food ready. I made hamburger stroganoff which we had over baked potatoes. Sunday morning I got the potatoes in and they were done just right when the group arrived at 1:00 PM. I had 17 between the ages of almost 4 (in two weeks) and 80. We had a wonderful time, everyone ate and visited, and the 5 "greats" (ages almost 4 - 11) played with my dollhouse, my baby doll, etc. It was a lovely Sunday but I was tired after everyone left! Yesterday was back to the pool for two water aerobics classes. Today is putting what's left away from Sunday and maybe some escaping by working on cruise plans for Alaska this summer. Karen

@HAL Sailer Happy Birthday! I have a story that I hope will give you a smile. My DD DH also had the memory loss and my last birthday (and our wedding anniversary the same day) was spent in the hospital as he was recovering from sepsis. I go in that morning and walk in to him telling me "Happy Anniversary!" and "Happy Birthday". I grinned, hugged him and wished him a Happy Anniversary as the nurse was watching. I asked him how long we'd been married and he told me 46 years (which was right) and then I asked him how old I was. He got a puzzled look, thought for a minute and then said "umpteen". I just grinned and grinned even more when the nurse went by and said "we didn't practice that". It was our last anniversary/birthday and the memory still brings a smile to my face. Enjoy your day!! Karen

Good morning, In my corner of the state of Washington the rain is coming down hard but at least it's not snowing! Tomorrow I'm having DD DH's family in for family Christmas so today is busy prepping. I need to get some house cleaning done, rearrange the living room and add some seating, clean off counters, do bathrooms, etc. In the interest of chocolate I'm not doing cake but do have the top layer of the Nanaimo Bar to finish (both the top and bottom layers have lots of chocolate in them). Tomorrow's menu is baked potatoes and toppings and I'll make a crock pot of hamburger stroganoff. I got the ground beef and onions cooked yesterday so will put it together today and let it simmer away. It's an easy recipe with the other main ingredient being canned cream soups and then sour cream. I can handle "quick and easy". Others are bringing contributions and I have lots of cookies in the freezer poised to come out in the morning to thaw. I'm expecting 15-22 people including 5 under 11 so will set up the family room with the doll house, stuffed animals, drawing paper, etc. Have a good day and stay dry! Karen

GOod morning from a rainy Pacific Northwest, I see grass, I see road, and my outdoor thermometer is above freezing! I parked the car last Monday and it hasn't moved since so it's off to water aerobics today (yay!) and errands. I haven't had a lot of human interaction the last week so it will be nice to get out and actually talk to people. Have a good day! Karen

Good afternoon, I'm honoring sweatpants and cheesy socks day! I have lots of patterned and themed socks. When I was teaching I taught 6th graders in the elementary setting and you couldn't get to over-the-top with them but having fun socks was ok. I had enough Christmas themed ones to go the whole month and not repeat a pair - including one that played music and a couple with bells on them. My newest fave pair are the hummingbird ones my cousin got me for Christmas. DD DH loved his hummingbirds and the socks give me a good memory and feel like my feet are being hugged. As for sweatpants - that's been my attire for almost the last week as I haven't been further than the end of the driveway. @atexsix Caregiving is not for the faint of heart, believe me. Take advantage of any help you can get and anybody who will come and sit with DD so you can get out for a bit even if for a walk (yes, in the rain if need be). I was advised years ago when my caretaking started to always do something for myself as our mental health is so important. Give DD a hug for me - he was alway fun to visit with on our cruise. Karen

NS is now confirmed for 15:45. Princess is confirmed at 15:00 and Ascent at 15:30.