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Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! We frequently contribute to the Red Cross and appreciate all the work they do for disaster relief. I've always had good handwriting, but notice lately it's deteriorating; must be a sign of age. I'll appreciate Scotch whiskey but will leave the rye and bourbon for others. I wonder if Ponce de Leon knew it was Florida because of the number of Diamonds International stores? Another clear and chilly morning out there again; we're currently at -17C with a wind chill of -26, but are expecting (hoping?) for a high of 0 today. We'll see. The boys next door were home from school yesterday and were enjoying the mounds of snow in their front yard, turning it into a sliding hill that ended on their driveway. It's amazing what you can still do with some snow and a cardboard box. My heart goes out to all in Baltimore - what a terrible thing to happen. Blessings on the first responders and prayers for the people who lost their lives. I don't know how many times we watched the bridge collapse, but like @Seasick Sailorit was in my dreams last night. @kochleffelI've been meaning to ask how DaVinci and Mona Lisa are doing - are they becoming more sociable and accepting of you as their staff? @aliaschiefdid they actually cut and serve the jackfruit/durian? I'm surprised it was even allowed on the ship, as it's such an odiferous fruit! Well we now have a countdown started . . . in 585 days we'll be boarding the Oosterdam in Barcelona for another trans-Atlantic cruise. I took advantage of the HIA Early Booking bonus and booked us on the itinerary that includes (hopefully this time) Casablanca, Morocco. The bonus includes the Elite Bev Pkg, Premium Wi-Fi and Crew Appreciation, which is nice. I told DH once we get him fixed up, we're good to go, and if a good deal appears, we can take advantage of it, but this one's happening for sure. This afternoon DH has coffee with his band mates so I'll take advantage of the time alone and do some house cleaning. He tries, but doesn't have much energy, so after he runs the swiffer around the living room, he's finished. As a result, in his absence I'll vacuum everything and dust and do the glass surfaces as well. I try not to do too much while he's here because he feels badly that he can't help, so when he's out of the house I have to go like mad to get things done. I'd like to try the drink of the day, will let others enjoy the white wine, and am not a real fan of Hollandaise sauce, so will pass. Because I'm going to be going full steam cooking for the family for the next 4 or 5 days, tonight we're going to do fast and easy. Currently I'm thawing a batch of turkey soup that we can enjoy along with cheese croissants(DH will pick those up on his way home) at the kitchen table tonight. And wine. Prayers for everyone who is in need, in pain, in grief, and in turmoil. Cheers to all with celebrations. Smooth Sailing! ☺️☺️☺️ Gerry

@AncientWanderer wow on the Scarlet Fever - I haven't heard of anyone having that since I was a child. I do hope the new antibiotics will take care of it quickly. Healing hugs to your little DGD Coco.

Good afternoon, time for a quick check-in. @AncientWandererI'm sorry to hear your DGD might have chicken pox . . . while rare, it is still possible to get them even after being vaccinated. Depending on the age of the child, (our son was 13 when he got them and had been vaccinated), a doctor may prescribe something to help lessen the outbreak. Sending prayers for your DH and his cardiac appointment today - an aneurysm is nothing to fool around with! @Vict0riann I'm happy to hear your DD's fracture is minor, but as others have said, it needs to be taken care of in order to heal properly. I hope DH's issues won't prevent you from taking your cruise - you certainly need a break from being the chief caregiver in your family. I had an email from one of my Daily friends asking for a photo of the blankets I've been making, and it was suggested I post the photo here. This morning I counted them up and was able to take 32 in to be distributed to children who are going into crisis or foster care. There isn't a particular pattern I follow, I just figure it out as I go along and quit when I think they're big enough. Watching the TV for further updates on the bridge collapse - sadly, I can't imagine a positive outcome for those who ended up in the water. Prayers for them and for their families.

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! Diabetes and epilepsy are two diseases that should be recognized, as they affect so many people. I think we all hope to live long and prosper. Jonas Salk's vaccine saved many from the ravages of polio. Our friend got polio before it became available and sadly, now suffers from post-polio syndrome. First thing I saw this morning on my news feed is the bridge collapse in Baltimore - oh my gosh, how awful! The latest is that it is still a search and rescue, but realistically the water and air temperatures are such that any chance of finding anyone alive are exceedingly slim. Prayers for all involved, the victims and the first responders who will do their utmost to find people. It's a cool one again this morning; although the sun is shining, we have a strong wind bringing the wind chill factor to -25C (-13F). For what it's worth, we heard a crow the other day, and DH said yesterday he heard the finches back in the spruce tree beside our bedroom. Better remember to fill the feeders so they have something to keep themselves warm over the next week or so until the temperatures smarten up. Spring on the "frozen tundra" is like that. @kazuthank you for your beautiful photos of Maverick - what a gorgeous creature he was. I can see why you loved him so much. @Seasick SailorI'm sorry Allen's test results weren't great yesterday; prayers for better health to come his way soon. He's just so fortunate to have you as his wife and health advocate. Extending Happy Anniversary wishes to @LAFFNVEGASLisa and Tom as they celebrate 47 years of marriage today! Today will be spent with a little more tidying up around the house, getting it ready for the family's arrival later in the week. I'm also going to pack up and deliver the blankets I've made over the past couple of months; I haven't counted them yet, but I'm thinking there are at least 25 in this bunch. I've always got one on the go so I have something to do while watching TV in the evenings. I'd like to try the drink of the day - I think it would be quite refreshing. The wine? Yikes! Sure, if someone offered me a glass I'd take it, but unless I win the lottery, there won't be a bottle sitting at our table any time soon. Not sure about the menu suggestion, as it looks like a lot of work just for the 2 of us; I'm all about fast and easy. While making some space in the freezer the other day I found a container of beef stew that is currently thawing in the fridge and will be heated up for us to enjoy with some fresh-bought crusty buns at the kitchen table tonight. And wine. Prayers for everyone who is in need, in pain, in grief, and in turmoil. Cheers to all with celebrations happening today. Smooth Sailing! ☺️☺️☺️ Gerry

Bon Voyage; enjoy your cruise!

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! I remember the bed-in for peace that John and Yoko held; it made the front page of our newspaper. If someone were to try it today, they'd likely end up with bedsores before peace around the world actually came to pass. Hurray for Greek independence, and Happy Holi to everyone who celebrates the festival of colours. It's clear and cool again this morning with a temp of -14C (6F), and we're not looking at thawing temperatures until possibly Thursday when we'll creep above the 0 mark to +2. I've already told our grandsons to make sure they bring their winter jackets, boots, and snow pants, as there's lots of snow to play in when they get here on the weekend. It could end up being sloppy wet by Sunday when the forecast is telling me is will be +5, so I'd better make sure to have the bag full of gloves ready to replace the wet ones. That's something I'll bet not everyone has in their house - a bag full of gloves in various sizes. We also have a basket of slipper socks so guests have something to wear on their feet in the house in the winter after taking off their boots. @cat shepardwishing your DS a very Happy Birthday and good luck with her recovery. @smitty34877I'm happy to hear Tana was able to take a few steps to the kitchen - hopefully she'll get stronger bit by bit and be able to venture farther. Thanks for your kind words about my coasters yesterday - as I said, I'm not very good at sewing, but figured I'd try to make use of the fabric I had on hand. BTW, the size of the coasters is 5"x5" if anyone is wondering. Initially I'd seen them on Pinterest, then went to YouTube and found a tutorial, and the rest is history. Not a lot on the agenda today, laundry, and maybe heading out to the Salvation Army with another few bags of things. After cleaning out one of the the spare bedrooms, I realized there were 2 bags in there that hadn't been donated in a previous run, so we'll get them taken care of today. The drink of the day sounds like fun - the name made me laugh - and I might order it on a BHB. I'm pretty sure I'd enjoy the Cava, and today's menu suggestion sounds tasty - I particularly like the idea of pistachios in the last one. DH loves sunflower seeds, so I could see putting that in instead. I've got a couple of pork chops thawing that will be pounded, breaded and turned into schnitzel and we'll have that along with parmesan potatoes and asparagus at the dinner table tonight. And wine. Prayers for everyone who is in need, in pain, in grief, and in wars. Cheers to all with celebrations. Smooth Sailing! ☺️☺️☺️ Gerry

@dfishI don't know who to feel more sorry for - River or you and Sue. All 3 of you have to deal with little River's trauma and try to get her through the tantrums. Poor little girl. I know she's in the best place possible with the 2 of you guiding her for the next week. @superoma, @sterling2 and @quilty964I'm attaching photos of just a few of the sets of coasters I've made. Now, please be kind - I'm left-right dyslexic, so sewing by instructions is a challenge. And I'm a novice sewer, so if you see the imperfections, just remember I'm not perfect . . . at all. I found the pattern online and have followed as best I can; I've been able to use up a bunch of fabric I'd purchased when we were in lockdown that I used then to make surgical and fitted masks. @Quartzsite Cruiser you asked about DH's book. It's being written/compiled in conjunction with the University of Sasktchewan's Music Dept in that when it's finished, he will turn everything over to them and if they choose to publish it, they have his full support. If they don't publish it, it will stay in their archives as an historical reference document for others to view. As a lifelong educator, he enjoys research and music in particular, so this project was right up his alley. The book is in 2 volumes - the first (around 80 pages) contains a paragraph or two of anecdotes on various musicians throughout the ages. The second volume is strictly statistical in that he has the names of musicians - defined as "anyone who has music in their hearts". The volume will contain their first and last name, the year of birth and year of death. The earliest musician (including singers, composers, directors, etc), date back to Aristotle, right up to present day. He gets most of his information from the internet, but I was able to add one from here - our own @marshhawkagreed to let her name be allowed in the book, which pleased me to no end! If there are any other Daily-ites who play instruments and would like to be added to the book, I'd welcome an email at ger underscore 77 at yahoo dot com Currently the second volume has over 58,000 entries - all of which DH has done himself. I keep telling him this project is keeping him off the streets and out of pool halls!! LOL Have a great evening, everyone!

That was good - thanks Leanne, Dave, and my fellow sail-away addicts! Till next time . . . . .

It's actually very clever to bring the big hand along - it really stands out. It would be even more noticeable if it were a bright colour against the white background of the ship.

Redneck Bob and apparently his twin Redbob Neck. LOL

Toots!!

Yes, it was a full 2 minute ad, a Tik Tok piece that showed a young woman who was modeling a black dress, asking people to say whether they liked it or not. There was no way I could get around it, as there wasn't a "Skip Ad" button. Today at least I have that option - not yesterday. And yesterday as well I had 2 x 30 second ads I had to view before the webcam came back when I rebooted.

If he remembered to bring his big hand, we should be able to see him.

Real growly toots from the Ascent. She's just too big for my liking.

Yes it does. My feed is buffering, but I hesitate to reload it as I might be subjected to the 2 minute advert again.

It looks like there's a storm brewing. Just heard that HAL is singling up . . .yay!

More toots

Serious PP on the Princess ship!

Why might you be late leaving?

Somebody's doing muster drill

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! I'm all for achievers - where would we be without them? The second regarding gross human rights violations and dignity of victims is so important for everyone on our planet. Any violations should be reported asap and actions taken to mitigate the situation. I've had adverse drug events to both penicillin and the opaquing dye needed for CT scans. I spent the first hour and half this morning trying to get our internet working. When I first turned on the computer all was well, but suddenly there was nothing - our security video camera tower was blinking red and the cable modem was as well. Unplug, wait, plug in. Nothing. Repeat. Nothing. Finally was able to contact the cable company via chat on my phone (which is usually useless . . . did you try unplugging and plugging it in again?), and of course, as soon as I finally got someone on the line, the internet restarted. No idea why, but at least I'm connected to the world again. @RedneckBob Bon Voyage! @cat shepardI'm happy to hear your DS is home and that she had a restful night - hopefully the next days will be as successful for her recovery. I made 7 more sets of coasters yesterday before finally dismantling my "sewing station" aka the dining room table and returning everything to it's normal resting place in our computer/craft room. After Easter when the family has returned home and we're all alone, I'll bring stuff out again and make more, as I still have more fabric to use from mask making and will require about 50 sets in total. Today is going to be spent getting the rooms ready for our family - that means moving plants from one of the spare bedrooms into another so they can close the curtains at night. We've set up shelves in front of the windows so we can overwinter the succulents and a few of DH's favourite curly fig trees, but have them spread out in 2 rooms. I have also been using the spare room on the main floor as a "catch all" when I'm not sure where something is going, so will have to do some work there as well. I know I'd like the drink of the day, as well as the wine, and I do like shrimp tacos, so it's 3 for 3 today! Unfortunately I don't have the ingredients for the drink or the shrimp tacos, so we'll be enjoying leftovers from our spaghetti dinner last night and will serve it up with another tossed salad at the kitchen table. And wine. Prayers for everyone who is in need, in grief, in pain and in turmoil. Cheers to all with celebrations today. Smooth Sailing! ☺️☺️☺️ Gerry

Came back and had to restart - this time it was a "shorter" advert that was only 36 seconds long. It said the camera view would start after the ad was finished. Sigh.

Nope, it was a tik tok video without the "skip" at the bottom.

After buffering, I finally reloaded the PE webcam and am having to endure a 2 full minute advertisement . . . that's crazy.