RMLincoln

Good night from Bethesda Maryland. We made it safe and sound. We even found a better routing that I’m sure will become our normal. I brought food for our in-room supper tonight. DH can’t have breakfast tomorrow but I can. We don’t need to leave here till noon which seems nice, no hurries. But Wednesday will be early out. We have a 9:00 appt at the doctor’s office for her to check her surgery, hopefully all will be good and we’ll head home. It was 4 hrs 20 mins driving today. DH drove the first hr. We took a little break and I drove 3 hrs. I’m more confident I’ll be ok getting us home. Granddaughter and hubby both reminded me they could drop everything and come help drive. It’s very comforting to know they are willing and able! Thanks for all your support! @StLouisCruisers @Quartzsite Cruiser @JazzyV, @rafinmd @kazuand each of you, named or not! @Cruzin Terri I’m so sorry you need to get back to Mayo. Extra blessings for healing and protection on the roads. @kochleffel Paul I hope that cough gets what will help! @ottahand7 Good news you’re better, not do good John is coughing! Ugh! @atexsix One day at a time is Everything! Sometimes we have to do hard things. Sending you both some extra blessings! Celebration of Life…. Easier said …. Thanks for the news of Deb’s passing Gerry @ger_77 That just feels so wrong. I remember we were in Houston getting cancer treatment, holed up then. That story was riveting and had such a good outcome. So many people were providing information, flight tracking I think Eva helped with. And John’s heroic efforts. All while we were running out of supplies, wiping down groceries, quarantining. I had two EMT friends mail us supplies for our upcoming trip home- one sent 3 pairs of medical gloves for each of us for gas pumps! - small and XL! The other sent real hand sanitizer! For our 1000 mile drive home we carried our food and a tent in case the car broke down! Those were wild times! Good night all, tomorrow’s a big day. Putting one foot in front of the others! Glad we can! Maureen

Cold here in NJ and colder where we’re headed in Maryland! But warming up and the roads should be ok. Finishing packing this morning and foods. Checkin isn’t till 4pm. It’s 4-5 hrs drive. Thanks all for your support! I’m praying for Amazing! We were in Ushuaia! 2013 on Carnival Splendor as they repositioned her from CA to NY before the new PC locks. They call it Fine del Mundo End of the World. It was a very special trip, and a picturesque port! Good memories. Have a great day all! I’ll post later. Maureen

Sunny and still cold in north Jersey. Might break freezing tomorrow but we’ll be heading to Maryland for Tuesday eye surgery. Roads should be good! If we get to come home Wednesday it might rain most of the way. At least that should wash the salt off! Gosh they use a lot of salt here! Yesterday granddaughter and her husband visited! Got some work done, mired a bookcase, planned next work day for installing track lighting! Had lots of good conversation and a lovely dinner in our community dining room. DGD reminds me that it’s better than Carnival, we have tablecloths! Today is lots of laundry day, then pack for tomorrow. I should have done laundry Friday but was really blown away by the sad news, yesterday was great to have the young energy visit! Blessings to all in need of healing, comfort or hope, especially my little country church family in NM grieving their sudden loss! One of their family, one of the Sunday service musicians. Hugs to her husband and sons! 💔 🌈 Cheers to all celebrating and cruising, Life is Good! One day at a time is Everything! Smooth travels to all away. Get well and get home safely. Thanks all for being here, I feel your support! Maureen

Cold here! 15! Grandkids are on their way to help us with some lighting work and move a bookcase. DH’s surgery folks called, we have a 12:30 checkin time Tuesday! Great to know it before we leave. I was concerned they call while we were driving and might miss the call. Sorry to hear Pat and Maurice both need aortic valves. But it is amazing what can be done. Like my DH’s drastic surgery coming up, I’m grateful there are ways to keep hope alive! Gotta get rolling here! Blessings already sent! Thanks all, enjoy the day wherever you are at! Oh, Moscato is one of the few wines I can still enjoy! (now allergic to most, not just reds anymore) I’m in! m—

@ger_77 We’re sad you had to cancel your cruise, and for the reason. Hoping for an early procedure date. Then you’ll be looking at new cruises!! @Haljo1935 hoping your shoulder can improve quickly and you can get back to the fun stuff! @seagarsmoker Yay! What grand news!! I hope the offer is good for you and you can enjoy the job. Thank you all for your sympathy. I know how you understand from your own experiences, and I more than appreciate you, I credit you with a lot of my better managing through tougher days. ❤️ I’m learning quickly that Aging is a phase of dealing with losses - loss of our own capabilities and loss of loved ones and friends, connections. It’s not something I have felt well enough prepared for while getting here through other phases of life, but I am finding that I am developing a broad range of coping skills dealing with loss, or at least starting to develop them. It really is a different perspective for me. I think my best days are from feeling deep gratitude for the present, something that wasn’t totally lacking before but something I’m much more aware of now. I can do today, and do it well! I can do it well because of the loving connections that carry me, and I count you all in that category! I find joy in all the fun happenings here even if I’m not cooking, drinking or cruising now. These are all deeply woven into who I am, and a change in environment or activities doesn’t change that. And the shared concern for each other and our larger families and world is life enhancing! Thanks for being here! 💓 m—

@dfish Thanks Debbie! And the green chile stew would be a treat! In NM they make it with pork, onions and potatoes, a tad of oregano. There the broth isn’t usually thickened so it’s more soup-like. And green chile is a staple there! The Chile can be hot, medium or mild. It’s often served in restaurants in a very big bowl. With fresh flour tortillas. I used to make a pot whenever DH had a sinus infection, usually from spring allergies. I could use some in this cold! Thanks! m—

Snow again today in north New Jersey! My! This has been a different experience than I expected but we’re in the storm track and they just keep coming. Tomorrow will be clear and colder. Granddaughter and husband plan to come help us with some home-improvement work.🤞 Next week our travel day south to Maryland should be ok Monday; coming back north Wednesday could be rainy. Car needs the salt washed off! We have a back-up plan to stay at a friend’s if needed if the weather looks bad or if the surgeon wants us to stay longer. Can only wait and see. Sorry to hear Chuck @Catmandu will need deeper surgery coming up soon! Hoping he can recover well enough from this round. And that the neighbors’ pipes didn’t freeze and break! That’s a mess that no one wants to come home to. Good luck Annie! And good luck to @seagarsmoker on the job! Hope it’s a good opportunity for you 👍 @Cruzin Terri hoping the podiatrist can help your foot, and fast! Glad you made it home ok Paul @kochleffel . And enjoy your treasures from Total Wine. @ottahand7 Nancy, we’re all sending out out best hopes to you for quick improvement! Thanks for the updates. I’m so glad John is with you! Not the adventure you envisioned! 💔 We had a full day with a lot of different kinds of things to do, and got most done, but it started with sad news for me with a NM friend’s sudden death. She was much younger than I and seemed quite well. Seems her fatal episode was an aortic aneurysm which is often catastrophic and without warning. She died in emergency surgery. It is a long way to the hospital from there, a factor in our decision to move. She played guitar at our little country church. The church family which was very close in such a small community is in shock. I feel the same shock two thousand miles away. I was on the phone talking and texted on and off all day. Had trouble getting to sleep last night. One day at a time is Everything! Sending blessings to all in need, all on our Care list - thanks Vanessa, and haul in your share of those blessings! We’re all waiting on better days with you! Cheers for those celebrating! Life is Good 🌈 Smooth travels to those away, especially our cruisers. May you get home safely. I’ll be looking forward to a time when we can get back to cruising but right now I’m focused on being Grateful for the opportunities we have to help DH. Thank you for your support! It’s such a huge help! Prayers for Peace in our hearts, our families, our countries and the world. m—

Still cold for us in north NJ but we’re safe and warm! Glad we’re not in the frozen tundra. Please take no risks, that is dangerous cold! @seagarsmoker we’re all on your side! Excited for you! Lenda, sorry for your sad news. Jacqui, so glad you could get someone to help you! A big reason for us moving was we could no longer find helpers to hire, which had been our plan as we aged. There were just fewer and fewer tradespeople nearby until there were none. Folks from town had plenty of work there without coming up to the rural areas. I’m glad you are finding support! Vanessa too! @Denise T sounds like you are on a good path! Happy for you! We are constantly learning as our needs change. Welcome home Paul @kochleffel it’s a better day today for travel than tomorrow. Hoping you get home ok! Blessings to all in need of healing, comfort or hope, especially our Care List. Cheers to those celebrating, and smooth travels to all away, especially our cruisers! Maureen

Exactly how I felt after seeing the allergist yesterday. Sometimes moving forward needs moving sideways first. m—

@marshhawk, great to hear Chuck made it through the procedure ok. Take it slow!

Regarding yesterday’s discussion about living alone yet having a way to have the world know if you’re not ok…. Maryland has a free statewide system to call you daily, if no answer a Welfare Check is initiated. I’m guessing there are other states that do this too. Maybe an internet search for Welfare Check would show them? Also, most mobile phones have a voice activation feature. I can ask my phone to “Call 911”. Of course I must be conscious and able to speak, with the phone within shouting range. I can ask it to call someone else too of course- “Call Richard” my DH. Etc. If you can test your phone to call a friend, it will be capable of calling 911. Do not be afraid to Test Call 911, just tell them “This is a test call for location confirmation, I’ll hold if needed.” Confirm that they have an address/location come in with the call, or if they’ll need that information in an emergency. Most dispatch centers have a call-taker to log initial info; they are used to getting non-emergency calls. You may have to hold until emergency traffic clears. m—

Clear and cold in NJ, 13F climbing up to a whole 23! I think it’s supposed to be below freezing until next Tuesday, at which time we should be in Maryland. Today I need to get to a post office. There is a limited postal counter on campus but I think we’ll venture out to find a neighborhood USPS, then stop at the grocery store and the gas station. That’ll be enough. I hope I can get my weekly call into the teenaged girls I mentor in NM, we don’t always connect but it’s a lift when we do. @ottahand7 Nancy, thank you for your descriptive sharing. What a night! An experience like that of being immersed in the feel of other energies would stay with me forever. Always the pony with you, what a guardian. It may not have been all pleasant but I hope in retrospect you can feel comforted. When I was sick and feverish onboard at least I felt very safe. Gentle hugs! And continued improvement. Annie and Chuck, @marshhawkand @Catmandu I’m sending out blessings to you and all the Care team, praying for Amazing! @rafinmd hoping you can rest today Roy, keep warm and quiet, let your body deal with the assault it is undergoing. Just be good to yourself! @grapau27 hoping your internet stays for good now. Thanks always for Fr David’s messages, anytime is a good time. I’d love to get a bit more sleep but I doubt it will happen. Maybe a good quiet time to write in my journal, always a good way for me to process. Thanks for the pix @StLouisCruisers and @Quartzsite Cruiser We got to Edinburgh on a bus tour and spent a couple of chock-full days in a it’s very rich history. @Cruzin Terri hope your foot can be cared for and healed up before your trip! Extra blessings to you and Jim. Terry @smitty34877 hoping Tana’s new med helps. I admire your calm approach to each hurdle! @JazzyV Vanessa, always thanks for your excellent lists, and I look forward to a picture of the decorative radiator! Friends in the cold, north and south, please take no risks! Think extra margin of safety! Blessings and Hugs to you all, each of you are a gift to my day! You inspire me and help me with gratitude, hope and confidence through the messes of life and in the world. You help me feel the joys and beauty of life from all around the world. Maureen

@1ANGELCAT 🙏 for your friend for healing and comfort. m—

Many thanks for your positive thoughts @JazzyV and @quilty964 and others. We just got home. It is Not nice out! Car was iced in, DH did most of that hard part. Roads were snow-slush, slow going, hard to see through the snow and road spray but we left plenty early, found our way ok, only got there about 15 mins early, enough to fill out the clipboard of forms. Then waited almost 90 mins. Ugh. Got home in the dark but roads were just wet, snow had stopped. Rush-hour was light. The allergist doctor visit was underwhelming. No need to expound on that now. We have the eye surgery trip coming up to deal with first, leaving Monday for John’s-Hopkins Maryland. So glad to be home! Grateful! Time to just breathe! @bennybear, how wonderful for you to be in the soft air of Hawaii! Enjoy it all! No wonder I couldn’t make the time zones make sense 😆. Thank you! @marshhawk Turning my heart and prayers to you both for tomorrow! Praying for Amazing! Maureen

It’s still snowing but tapering off. Google maps has our route to the doctor appt slow but doable. Still some flood detours were showing up last night…. I guess we’ll brush off the car and hope for the best! @ottahand7 Nancy, glad you are improving. I’ve been on steroids awake all night and feeling like Who cares! I’m not hurting! I think we need to look into the RSV vaccine! Got flu and COVID in August before last cruise, then got with moving. Now DH’s surgery coming next week…. must get it on the radar! @bennybear Brenda, Happy to hear you are ok, home? I guess I’m confused, not understanding which side of Canada your island is at…. Newfoundland or Vancouver? Can’t make the time zones work out, but good to know you are safe! And warm! Stunning picture! ❤️ we’ve been to Tahiti twice. Stayed 5 nights in an Oceanside cabin during our Australia-NZ-South Pacific- Hawaii trip of a lifetime. Tahiti was very hot and sticky in January. But we kayaked the lagoon every morning! It was worth being uncomfortable. Papeete had wonderful fabric shops where I got three tablecloths- just gave one to my close friend when we left Maryland! That’s me in the kayak in the lagoon just a short scramble from the cabin, Mo’orea in background. Picture on living room wall. Good memories! We stayed in a family pension. No AC but the fan helped. Was 96F one night when we were going to bed. Cooled down to about 85. Was Sooo glad to get aboard our cruise on Ocean Princess 11 days Society Islands then 10 days to Hawaii. DH didn’t want to fly over 5 hrs…. Crossed west on Volendam CA to Sydney - 6 weeks in AUS - Eclipse to Aukland - 25 days in NZ - 5 hr flight to Tahiti - 5 days there, then Ocean Princess to Hawaii - 5 hr flight to CA, then short flight home to NM. Our friends in AUS had a sudden change in plans and this window of opportunity for us to visit them. Pulled it all together in 5 weeks. Sometimes life just happens! Blessings for all the needs shared here and beyond. Happy for all the reports of improvements and blessings for more, and warmth where needed. 🙏 @ger_77 that the bloodwork shows what’s needed for DH to feel better soon. Keep safe! Good luck today Roy @rafinmd, counting them down! Maureen

A laid-back day here that I’m just enjoying being in and being with DH. The best! DH’s local eye doctor called (!!!) on a holiday to say he’s in touch with the surgeon and that she wants him back on the eye drop med he’s been trialing off for a week. Too bad, he was a little better, cut his Benadryl needs in half. But he will of course follow her directives. Weather looks tough for getting to tomorrow afternoon’s appt but I’m not going to worry about it. Today is today… trying to follow my own advice! Got some paperwork done, not enough but it’s a start. Glad to hear travelers are getting home safely. Joy, thanks for updating us. . @Norseh2o, bless you! Terry and Tana, hope the new inhaler keeps helping. @Haljo1935 hoping the power holds! @ottahand7, sorry John is quarantined too! Ugh. I had a flu-type bug long ago going around S America. DH fetched food for me. Hoping the meds kick butt! And that they are caring for you adequately and you can stay on the ship🙏. (That was our fear when DH had pneumonia in Mediterranean but we hunkered down and survived ok!). Paul, @kochleffelhoping you are improving. @kazu, enjoy that visit! Thinking of you all. Settling in to watch the gust half of the Bills Steelers game, then dinner at 6, bad timing! We’ll catch up on the recording 😉 m—

Thanks for checking back in and happy for you that you are a bit improved. With the fever coming down you will feel more human. although not necessarily well. Hopefully rest will have you back to normal soon, rest and some warm sunshine! At least you are headed for warmth! Not many will have that for quite a while! Maureen

Woke up too early but it’ll have to do. Clear and chilly this morning, 19F, the snow will come tomorrow when we have to get out to DH’s allergist visit. 🤷🏼‍♀️ Today I had planned to get to the oncampus store to get a USPS priority mailer out to my sister and niece for the new baby, but I doubt they’ll be able to do today with the holiday. Add it the list for later in the week. Yesterday I didn’t do paperwork again, but I did get out to the pool! It’s been months since I did hip exercises and I was really feeling it last night. But my hip is doing better overall, I think the walking in the new complex is a help. I don’t do long walks but daily short walking with slightly longer ones a few times a week seems good. That and maybe less stress now that we are settling in. I’m just very glad everyday that I can walk and DH can see. Very grateful! Happy for the Green Bay Packers and the Detroit Lions who won yesterday. DH listened to thevKansas City Chief win over the Miami Dolphins Saturday- it was only on Peacock tv but we got a radio broadcast on Sirius satellite radio. Today we’ll see Buffalo and Pittsburg. I hope that postponing the game made it safer for everyone. I remember when Martin Luther King Jr was murdered. He certainly pushed hard in his short life to move our world forward. I’m glad we got to visit his deeply moving and thought-provoking memorial while we lived in Maryland the day we walked the tidal basin. It was an outstanding day for me, that’s the farthest I’ve walked in years! I’m a little sad that we didn’t get to do more in the DC area but we sure enjoyed what we did do! Blessings sent out much too early today! Hugs to you all! Thank you Vanessa for your dedication to keeping up our Care List and all our travelers. I hope everyone can keep warm enough and find a smile in the day. Thanks for being here! Maureen

It is sunny this morning in north NJ, but temps are dropping. No snow until Tuesday when we will try to get to a doctor appt for DH to see an allergist recommended by his new eye doctor. I’m already nervous about it. I’m really hoping it won’t endanger us. I got most of the few Christmas items that were out put away yesterday. Not the little tree, not ready yet! We used to cut our own Christmas trees near our mountain home, so they were very fresh and lasted months! I loved keeping the tree up into the last of winter, early spring!! Didn’t do paperwork so that’s still on the ToDo list for today but we did make some progress on me getting a handle on the new set of monthly and quarterly bills, when and how everything gets paid. That was important and I now have a list! Glad for niece’s recent C-section! Not all that long ago she’d most likely have died trying to deliver. Sending out blessings to all in need of hope, strength, healing, guidance and rest. Extra blessings for those in the extreme cold! Cheers for all celebrating! Bon Voyage to @sailingdutchy and smooth travels to all away! Prayers for our country, your country and for more peace in the world! If you’re watching football, May your teams win! Thank you all for being here! Maureen

We’ve split ourselves up on reservations to get better pricing because of our Star status, and for each of us to use our stock benefits. Then onboard we go to front desk to have the room keys changed and get the accounts to match the new room keys. Our TA or HAL PCC has usually assisted us in making these split reservations. Once I did a split reservation online for a Carnival cruise with the adult grandkids and it worked ok. There can be difficulties with getting insurance so using a PCC has helped.

Thank you for sharing these. I have friends on her now, it’s fun to “see them”! m—

It is 55F here! The highest it’ll be for the foreseeable future. It rained most of the night and that wet front is moving up to Jacqui. I slept through it, tired out from yesterday’s successful adventure to motor vehicle. Glad we were able to do it all! Next week Tuesday DH has an appt with an allergist but the forecast is for snow that morning. I’m nervous about it but he isn’t. I think they do well around here with keeping the roads cleared but the routing there is very busy and has a couple of quick lane changes to hit the exits at a confusing knot of secondary highway junctions that I haven’t learned yet. I’ll have to preview the google directions. I should get the Christmas lights off the porch railing this morning while it’s warm! The rest of the day should be filing papers- we’ll see how far I get. This afternoon we’ll watch the football game we can see for free, not paying Peacock to watch the Kansas City- Miami game. I reallly like peach Melba, usually it has a raspberry sauce which makes it special. Black beans are good. And whiskey highball is my go-to drink! Not very often but I like it with ginger ale. We stopped in Nuka Hiva on Tales of the South Pacific. All the islands are dreams comes true for this tourist! Thanks for the pictures Sandi! For now, it feels like we’ve put dreams on hold while we deal with reality. I’m hoping we can get through the hurdles at hand and back to looking ahead but every day is good, and in its own way, a dream come true! Thanks all for being here, sharing life - past, present and tomorrow. Blessings to all in need of warmth, healing … glad Gerri and DH are in from the cold ok! Such deep cold, as they and Brenda have, is just downright scary. Eva, ABC islands always sound good to me! 😉 I do not miss our snow blower! It was great when it worked. It broke a couple of times and we had to get it up on the little hill next to the cul de sac to roll it onto the tailgate of the pickup, which DH backed sideways into the hillside, get it strapped down in the snowy, icy, slippery bed of the truck, drive it 90 minutes into the shop for repair, pay expedited shipping for parts, then reverse it all to get it back. No, I don’t miss it at all. Paul, I hope your illness passes quickly. Getting sick on vacation is troublesome. Extra blessings to you! And to all grieving, lonely or worried. Hugs to all. Breathing is essential, mindful deep breaths help us inside and out. Cheers to those celebrating! Smooth travels to all away! (I’m just happy to be home!) Happy Saturday! May your teams win, and the world find a path towards peace! Maureen

First, the deep cold coming to so many is really something to take seriously. Please, Take no risks! Be prepared for the unexpected, even at home! We had a good day heading out to the NJ Motor Vehicle Commission, as I learned it’s called here! I think it all went as well as it did because of all your positive thoughts! Thank you! It was tiring but successful. We had a very pleasant drive west across some pretty countryside, all new to us so a nice adventure. We had appointments which made entry easier. We went to this farther-away office because they could process all our needs in one place - driver’s licenses, new title and registration, plates. The licenses took a loooong time but our passports and additional ID support docs were adequate and accepted fir REAL ID. We now have paper Interim licenses until the real ones come in the mail. They suggested we take pictures of our old licenses with our phones! They kept our Maryland licenses. Very strange. Next was a title change. First we had to show proof of NJ residency to get NJ title. Not so easy but we brought copies of our Retirement Community agreement which was thick but it worked. We don’t have a deed, aren’t legal owners so it’s complicated. I’m glad I flagged the pages with our address, names and signatures- of course 3 different pages. We used credit card bills showing new address also, all good! Then to transfer the Maryland title. “Rut-Roh!!” Our car was originally titled in New Mexico to our trust…. easy enough in NM, and in Maryland, not so easy in New Jersey! Rather than apply to Trenton for a Corporate Entity number which can take several weeks, we “sold” our car (as trustees) to ourselves as people! Signed over the Maryland title with odometer reading, and filled out application for NJ title- almost easy! Needed lots of data- VIN number, weights, etc, but we had it all. Took 15 minutes. With the new title, getting new plates was also easy! The whole visit took about 2.5 hours which wasn’t too bad considering all that we had to do. We had an exceptional person helping us through each stage and the many forms! We walked out with everything completed, plus directions to the nearby Safety Inspection station. That was very easy too because the car is a 2020, no inspection needed for first 5 years! Got a sticker good for a year! Put the new plates on the parking lot and we’re basically legal! New registration and insurance cards in effect! Licenses coming in the mail. Plus we are registered to vote, and we are once again organ donors (if these old parts could be of use). If we need photo IDs we’ll use our US Passport cards. They have come in handy more often than I’d have thought! Good we got them last time we had to renew passports. I’m so glad, once again, that we’re doing all this while we still can, and able to do it together! Moving is physically, mentally and emotionally taxing! There are many more tasks yet to accomplish but One day at a time is Everything! Today was good! Maureen

@ger_77 OMG Gerri! Are you sure you want to be out? That is dangerous weather. Prayers you stay safe! Prayers for Terri and Jim dealing with a new outlook. I’m working on not borrowing trouble, just one foot in front of the other! Not always easy… Prayers for Roy’s treatment, those in pain or other struggles. And prayers for @seagarsmoker’s job hunt! Thank you all for being here. Blessings for all in need of healing, comfort or hope! Peace in our hearts and lives and families, and the too many war zones. Smooth travels to all away, enjoy those cruise days! Thanks for sharing! Celebrating those with milestones! You remind us Life is Good🌈 Off for an adventure to a DMV an hr west of us that does all the tasks we need! Which is everything. Hopefully we have all the documents we will need to prove our ID, our NJ residency and our ownership of the vehicle🤞. Glad we have some sun and a balmy 32! Maureen

Terri, I had to read up tge test of today’s posts looking for your report. It’s such heartbreak to get distressing prognoses for our loved ones. But there is a horizon out there! You will work on changing your thinking. Enjoying here and now more! There WILL be more fun in your future with Jim! Doctors can help but love is the most amazing medicine! You have it in abundance. Give yourself a warm hug, and Jim too, like today’s celebration! 💓 Maureen