Royal Caribbean Cruisers -- How Are Things Where You Are? (was "Routine" ​ 😁 ​day in lockdown... how was yours?)

[Bailey & Sophie]

On 3/3/2023 at 3:28 AM, brillohead said:

DNA update:

I contacted my suspected half-brother on Wednesday afternoon.  He was floored.  I found out that one of his uncles was in this area at the time of my conception, so there's a possibility we're cousins instead of half-siblings.  (His other uncle isn't a possibility for my birthfather, because I got a DNA match of "cousin" with that uncle's daughter -- if it was him, we'd have matched as half-siblings instead.)  I ordered him a DNA kit, it should arrive on Monday, so hopefully within 3-4 weeks we'll know for sure.  

I actually kinda hope he's my cousin instead of brother, because his uncle is still alive and would happily accept me as his daughter, whereas my suspected brother's father passed away in 2016. The way my suspected brother put it, however long it takes to drive from Alabama to my house is how long it would take for me to get a knock on my front door if we find out it's his uncle who is my father.  

Either way, I have an aunt who lives about ten miles away from me, and a bunch of cousins and second cousins.  My paternal grandfather was one of at least 8 kids, and he had at least 10 kids with three wives.  My paternal grandmother was one of 12 kids, and she had at least 5 kids with two husbands.  So I have roughly eleventy bazillion cousins, second cousins, third cousins, etc. 

With such huge families on both my grandfather's and my grandmother's sides, it makes a lot more sense why out of the 70K matches off my DNA, 48K are from my paternal DNA and only 19K are from my maternal DNA!

And no matter which of the brothers is my father, it appears that I'm going to be welcomed into the family by pretty much everyone.  I've already been told that I'm coming to the family reunion in June!  LOL  My suspected brother has told me that he wants to get to know me, whether I'm his sister or his cousin.  ❤️

 

All in all, this is about the best outcome I could have hoped for. So many adoptees (or even just people who find out from DNA that they have a different blood family.... lots of people are discovering through DNA tests that their father wasn't really their father) get the cold shoulder when they try to make contact with their relatives.  Even in my own case, my aunts (my birthmother's sisters) have been more welcoming and accepting of me than the woman who carried me.  

So it will be about a month until we know for sure which is my father, but everyone says that they can tell by my pictures that I'm definitely one of the family.  After five decades of not belonging and not being wanted (my adoptive family put the "fun" in "dysfunctional"), it sure does put a warm fuzzy feeling in my heart to "belong" somewhere.  

 

<<< We now return you to your previously scheduled programming, already in progress. Further updates as events warrant. >>> 

 

This is so exciting!

 

[brillohead]

51 minutes ago, Bailey &amp; Sophie said:

This is so exciting!

It's funny, I didn't really expect people to be so interested in this journey.  I initially posted about it because I just kinda felt the need to talk about it in general, kinda vent about it / get it out of my system.  I was honestly a bit surprised at how much interest this has generated.  

I'll keep y'all posted on the next DNA result.  I kinda feel like the announcer of the last ten seconds of a soap opera cliffhanger: 

Will Deborah's father be Chuck.......... or his brother Bill?????
Tune in next week for the next exciting episode of
~~~~As The DNA Spirals~~~~ 
sponsored by CruiseCritic

[taznremmy]

@brillohead  We are an extended family here.  If we weren't, we wouldn't be checking in daily (when possible) to see what is happening.  I have met you (Navigator), but did not know any of this.  I am so happy for you that this is finally giving you some closure, and on such a positive note. I think I am safe in saying we all care, and are so happy for your results.  And remember, your 'new' family should be very proud of you and of your accomplishments.  As @Bailey & Sophie said....this is so exciting! 

Pat

Edited March 5, 2023 by taznremmy

[brillohead]

47 minutes ago, taznremmy said:

@brillohead  We are an extended family here.  If we weren't, we wouldn't be checking in daily (when possible) to see what is happening.  I have met you (Navigator), but did not know any of this.  I am so happy for you that this is finally giving you some closure, and on such a positive note. I think I am safe in saying we all care, and are so happy for your results.  And remember, your 'new' family should be very proud of you and of your accomplishments.  As @Bailey & Sophie said....this is so exciting! 

Pat

Thanks so much.... I love being part of this crazy Cruise Critic family, too!

[dani negreanu]

49 minutes ago, brillohead said:

I love being part of this crazy Cruise Critic family, too!

 

Debbi, would u pls give "us" the facts so far --

 

"We" know that you're aware of who your bio mother is.

1) She had other kids after giving you up for adoption?

 

2) And you're in touch with them?

 

3) Now, you've tested yourself and found out... DNA connecting you with your "supposed" dad's "part"?

 

4) What is the accuracy of the DNA's results?[Fearing disappointment on all parts...]

 

5) Pls forgive the "questionnaire"... It will be easier to follow up, IMHO 🌷

[Arzeena]

13 hours ago, Sunshine3601 said:

  

Also, placing notices on FB marketplace to pick up "used furniture" for free has been a success.    

It does make me come home and clean out our stuff so no one has to go through all the trouble of deciding what to do with everything in our home.   

 

Debbie, you have some great advice here about doing it one thing at a time.

Please tell me how the FB Marketplace works. I have a ton of unused and very gently used house stuff that I want to get rid off. Kate Spade dinner service, Lenox, cookware and other stuff. Things that I cannot pack and mail if I put it on ebay. Thanks.

Edited March 5, 2023 by Arzeena

[BonTexasNY]

4 hours ago, taznremmy said:

@brillohead  We are an extended family here.  If we weren't, we wouldn't be checking in daily (when possible) to see what is happening.  I have met you (Navigator), but did not know any of this.  I am so happy for you that this is finally giving you some closure, and on such a positive note. I think I am safe in saying we all care, and are so happy for your results.  And remember, your 'new' family should be very proud of you and of your accomplishments.  As @Bailey & Sophie said....this is so exciting! 

Pat

Well said!

 

@brilloheadDebi so glad you joined our extended family!  The very best wishes on your own family search.

 

And to think this all started by @dani negreanu Dani cleaning out her fridge almost 3 years ago.  She created a welcoming place for all of us to share our lives, the good and bad, a place filled with tolerance, warmth and caring.  

 

 

 

[Lionesss]

8 hours ago, Ocean Boy said:

I don't know how many times I have said to kids in my practice, that don't have the best family life, that they are learning what type of parent they don't want to be some day. And that they will be so much better at it because of what they are going through now.

 

Your advice is right on!

 

And with all your mentorship in all the activities you cover, as well as your practice truly reflects the role model and great leader you are.  

But more over I personally respect  your professionalism that you display here on CC.

 

 

Taking it one step further.

 

We all have those not so loving teen moments even when you know your child is under so much peer pressure, where we are the meanies.

 

My daughter was in High School, senior year and was invited to a house party for New Years Eve.

Now, I knew something was up when she first asked if she could drive and pick up her BFF.

Then, she goes change of plans, can you drive and when I call, can you pick us up?

Then it became a sleep over.

 

At first I figured its ok, Mom and Dad are prominent at the school and are hosting the event in their "heated" barn.

So as we moms investigate, we find out that the son, had a little problem with lets just say, alcohol and street drugs, and often smokes marijuana, and this party was honoring him for completing rehab.

Well, say no more.............

I told her she could not go.

After being the worst mom in the world, and her telling me, "And you never buy me anything"

This went on for a week or 2.

 

Then she was involved in a school project shortly afterwards.

They took turns going to each others house, working on their project.

At our house we set up the down stairs family room.

I let them use my large craft table. All my art supplies, crafts, pens, paper, poster boards everything they could need.

Pizza, munchies, salad, pepperoni rolls, home made cookies,and brownies and a cooler of soft drinks.

 

The next week it was another students turn.

So I took her to the "other" side of Warren aka "The hood' to Kennedys house

I was afraid to go far, so I went and parked my car a few blocks away at McDonalds, out of sight.

She would give me a notice on when to come back.

 

He lives with his mom, no dad in the picture.

Small home, not to shabby.

Neighbor was shoveling snow.

When she came out, at first she was quiet.

Then she asked if we could stop at McDonald on the way home, she saw one around the corner, she was hungry.

I said oh, really, I didn't know there was one here. ok.

On the way home, she opened up seeing how Kennedy did not have much in life, but was happy with what he had and loved his mom.

The worked on the living floor, small, close and really could not get a lot of work done.

She had PB & J for snack. 

 

Then, she apologized for ignoring me, and was sorry if she upset me.

And she opened up about the New Years Eve Party

 

She then told me, she heard,  that a group of kids at the party left early, because, "Well mom, it got down and dirty".  I wish I could have gone, But I would have left too when the drinking and smoking started.

I go how do you guys get the "drinks".  She goes, "mom, really.....just listen......"

She squelched that info rather quick.

She did say a few of her friends that did go, were grounded for a few weeks for "partying"

 

The host of the party, well to this day as a 28 year old is still a professional student.

He has had the opportunity to attend over 7 colleges/universities, after flunking out of most.

And has vacationed at a few rehab centers.

Dads money.

 

My daughter and her BFF's

All have their Masters, Married and started reproducing grand kids for their parents that were the "meanies"

 

She still says at times, I could have been a little more lenient, but over all is extremely appreciative for all we have done, and continue to do. And I was a pretty good mom.

 

Just saying

 

 

 

 

 

[bobmacliberty]

Fun day yesterday at the Cars and Coffee part of the car show here.  It rained a bit in the morning but eventually cleared up.  It was a little overcast and in the 70s, so not blazing hot.  I could have taken and bored you with a zilliion pictures but I'll just post a few of my favorites.

 

There always seems to a big Porsche contingent here.  The Porsche Club of America sponsors a few events and there's a big turnout.  Porsches everywhere you look on Saturday.  Nice looking GT3 and GT4 side by side

 

 

The Super Car section is always a favorite.  This Aston Martin looked like the Batmobile.  The aerodynamic detail was incredible...all to give it just a slight bit of additional downforce that could mean the difference in a race.

 

 

A couple of very impressive Ford GTs.

 

 

And one for Andrew (or are you a 429 guy?).  Mustangs were also everywhere.

 

Weather should be perfect today for the Concours.  I imagine that I'll have a few more pictures to post tomorrow. 😁

[Lionesss]

16 minutes ago, bobmacliberty said:

Fun day yesterday at the Cars and Coffee part of the car show here.  It rained a bit in the morning but eventually cleared up.  It was a little overcast and in the 70s, so not blazing hot.  I could have taken and bored you with a zilliion pictures but I'll just post a few of my favorites.

 

There always seems to a big Porsche contingent here.  The Porsche Club of America sponsors a few events and there's a big turnout.  Porsches everywhere you look on Saturday.  Nice looking GT3 and GT4 side by side

 

 

The Super Car section is always a favorite.  This Aston Martin looked like the Batmobile.  The aerodynamic detail was incredible...all to give it just a slight bit of additional downforce that could mean the difference in a race.

 

 

A couple of very impressive Ford GTs.

 

 

And one for Andrew (or are you a 429 guy?).  Mustangs were also everywhere.

 

Weather should be perfect today for the Concours.  I imagine that I'll have a few more pictures to post tomorrow. 😁

 

 

OMG, seeing this my husband would be on cloud 9.

 

Even though his favorite is his GTO, going to an event like this would make his day.

 

This could help expedite our re-location to the "retirement state", if more happenings like this occur.

 

Great pictures,

 

Thanks for sharing.

[brillohead]

3 hours ago, dani negreanu said:

 

Debbi, would u pls give "us" the facts so far --

 

"We" know that you're aware of who your bio mother is.

1) She had other kids after giving you up for adoption?

 

2) And you're in touch with them?

 

3) Now, you've tested yourself and found out... DNA connecting you with your "supposed" dad's "part"?

 

4) What is the accuracy of the DNA's results?[Fearing disappointment on all parts...]

 

5) Pls forgive the "questionnaire"... It will be easier to follow up, IMHO 🌷

 

 

Thanks for asking, Dani -- like I said before, I had no idea that people would be interested, but I'm more than happy to share my story.  Grab a drink and get comfy, because a whole novel is coming up! 

 

My birthmother, we'll call her J, got pregnant in high school.  She dropped out of school and got married and had my brother M, then almost immediately got divorced and moved back home with her parents.  My maternal grandmother was my brother M's primary caregiver in his formative years... J just wasn't ever mother material.  

 

J went to work at the post office and went back to night school to get her high school diploma, and she got pregnant with me.  I was born 5.5 years after my brother M, and the plan was to put me up for adoption all along.  I found out later that J wasn't even allowed to see me after I was born -- they whisked me out of the delivery room immediately after my birth, and refused to let her see me during her hospital stay after delivery.  (Adoption was SO brutal back then!) 

 

I also found out later that one of J's sisters was newly married when I was born and that sister had wanted to adopt me and keep me in the family, but J refused to allow it.  I'm not sure if J refused to allow her sister to adopt me because the sisters didn't get along, or if the source of the sisters' rift was the fact that she wouldn't let me be adopted and kept in the family.  (That aunt has since passed away, but I did get to meet her about 20 years ago, and she was the one who told me that she wanted to adopt me and J refused.)  

 

Eventually J married Ray, who was recently divorced with three kids of his own.  (This is why I thought that Ray was my birthfather -- my "non-identifying information" that I had in my adoption file stated that my birthfather was about a decade older than J, and married with three children.  The aunt that wanted to adopt me also told me that the whole family assumed that I was Ray's child.) 

 

J and Ray raised my brother M, but he didn't have a great childhood.  J and Ray were both alcoholics, and were at the bar with my brother M almost every night and driving home drunk with him in the vehicle.  My brother M moved to Arizona with his girlfriend (now wife) and her family immediately after they graduated from high school.  

 

I found J in the early 1990s with the help of a local adoption support group.  The group was a combination of adoptees and birthmothers who were either looking for or had found their missing relatives.  The non-identifying information that I had about J from my adoption file stated that she worked at the post office, had a son who was 5.5yo, and her father was a baker and her mother was a homemaker.  One of the people in the adoption support group knew someone who was a long-time postal worker, and they did some snooping for me and came back with J's name.  

 

My first clue that J wasn't the warm, touchy-feely type of person was her reaction to my phone call.  From talking to the birthmothers in the support group, I knew that most of them were keenly aware of their birth-child's existence in the world.  Most of them had similar experiences, being sent out of town to a "home for unwed mothers" and having the child removed from them immediately after birth and not being given an opportunity to say goodbye and grieve the loss of their baby.  Many of them "celebrated" their child's birthday every year, even just personally in their mind, taking note of what age the child would be, what stage of development, what might be going on in their lives, etc. 

 

But when I called J, I told her that I was born on <DOB> in <hospital name> and I was given up for adoption, and I had reason to believe that she was my birthmother.  Her response was, "Hmmmm, yeah, I guess that date sounds about right."  Needless to say, she wasn't pining over the loss of her baby girl!  But she did agree to meet with me, and we met at a park a few evenings later. 

 

She brought some photo albums to our initial meeting, and when I opened one and saw a Little League (baseball) team photo, I pointed right to one boy and said, "That's my brother!"  My half-brother M was about 8yo in the picture, and he looked EXACTLY like a picture of me at 6yo getting my picture taken before a dance recital.  We had the EXACT same scowl on our faces at getting our picture taken!  LOL  J also gave me an old picture of her at 4yo dressed in a little cowgirl outfit.  When I later showed the picture to my adoptive mother, her remark was, "I don't remember you having an outfit like that."  My adopto-mom thought that the picture of Little J was actually a picture of me. Interestingly enough, my own son was a clone of me around 5-6yo, too.  

 

When I asked J who my birthfather was, she gave me a name of "B.G." and said that she had heard that he had moved to California and died in a motorcycle accident.  I later tracked down BG's mother, who lived locally.  Stupid me, I thought that because BG was an only child, his mother would be happy to know that he had a child and she had a grandchild. 

 

Well, I called up the old lady, and it turns out that BG did move to California, but he wasn't dead, and his mother thought that there was no way I could be his child because she didn't remember any girlfriends named J.  (I didn't point out that the kinds of girls who got knocked up out of wedlock multiple times weren't exactly the type of girl you took home to meet your strict mother!)  I asked the old lady if BG had any other children, and her response was, "No, he never married."  (Again, I didn't bother to point out that my very presence on this earth was proof positive that one didn't need to be married to produce children!)  It was obvious that I wasn't going to get anywhere with her, so I ended the call and never contacted her again.

 

Over the years I had a distant relationship with J and her husband Ray, maybe seeing them once a year.  J was still a functional alcoholic, but Ray had gotten sober in the years between my birth and me finding J.  On one of her twice-a-year visits to my brother M and his family in Arizona, she told him of my existence.  At the time, he didn't want to meet with me.  (To give you an idea of how little J was involved in M's life as a young boy, he never realized she was pregnant, even though he was 5.5yo at the time of my birth.  J is 5'0" tall and weighed a whopping 100 pounds when pregnant with me, so the change in her body must have been BLATANTLY obvious, even to an oblivious little boy, but she just wasn't that important to M's life then.)  

 

It was about 5-6 years later that my brother M decided to meet with me.  He and his family were visiting from Arizona, and I went over to J's house and met him.  We talked for a couple of hours, and it felt very natural -- especially considering that it should have felt very awkward!  It turns out that he refused to meet me back in the beginning because he didn't want to "burst my bubble" if I was expecting some kind of fairy tale story of what a great mom J was when he was growing up.  He didn't even know me, and he was being a protective big brother!  I wouldn't say that M and I are "close" but we are definitely friendly and comfortable with each other.  If they're in town, they always call to see if we can get together for a meal, and it always feels very natural to talk to him.  Now that he finally joined the 21st century and got a cell phone, we send each other memes via text once in a while.  

 

So that leaves us with present day.  Ray passed away eight years ago.  For the past 20 years, I've assumed he was my birthfather.  I'd always planned on doing a sibling test with one of his kids from his first marriage after J passed away (she's "a lot to deal with" so I didn't want to rock the boat while J's still alive -- she's still in regular contact with Ray's kids). 

 

But the Ancestry.com DNA kits were on sale over the holidays, so I decided to gift myself with a test kit for Christmas (ya know, because the ten consecutive cruises I'd just taken weren't gift enough! LOL).  I figured that would be an easy way to confirm it without ever having to bring Ray's kids into the issue. I got the kit, spit in the tube, mailed it off, and waited.  My results came through in late January, when I was on Allure.  I gave it a quick once-over and didn't see anyone with Ray's surname, and figured I'd get into it more after I got back. 

 

In the meantime, Ancestry.com started a new beta program where they labeled whether your DNA matches were from Parent1 or Parent2.  Since I had some info on J, I started building her family tree until I found people in my DNA matches who had the same names in their family trees.  I was then able to determine that J was Parent2, so all the matches from Parent1 had to be from my birthfather’s family. 


I had two matches on the paternal side that were considered “first to second cousin” level, which actually includes: 

 

• 1st cousin
• Great-grandparent
• Great-grandchild
• Grandaunt/granduncle
• Grandniece/grandnephew
• Half aunt/uncle
• Half niece/nephew
• 1st cousin 1x removed
• Half 1st cousin
• 2nd great-grandparent
• 2nd great-grandchild
• Great-grandaunt/granduncle
• Great-grandniece/grandnephew
• Half grandaunt/granduncle
• Half grandniece/grandnephew
• 2nd cousin
• 1st cousin 2x removed
• Half 1st cousin 1x removed
• Half great-grandaunt/granduncle
• Half great-grandniece/grandnephew

 

Holy macaroni, what a mess!!!  Fortunately, the one I matched the most with (11% shared DNA, 758cM for those who follow such things) ALSO had a pretty decent family tree posted.  The way Ancestry.com shows family trees, if you choose to make them public, is that they don’t list the names or any information beyond gender of anyone who is listed as still living.  This family tree was what “made the case” for me.

In all the other DNA matches on the paternal side, in looking at their posted family trees, I kept seeing two different surnames over and over, we’ll call them A and B.  Every single paternal match had an ancestor named A or an ancestor name B, no exceptions.  This told me that where A and B met was where my family tree came together.  And the 11% DNA match with the family tree?  Her grandparents were John A and Abigail B.  BINGO! 

I was looking for a union between A and B, and I was looking for a DNA match, and I had them both in my 11% relative.  The ages/dates didn’t work out for A and B to be my great-grandparents, so they must be my grandparents.  And they were also 11%’s grandparents, which makes us first cousins, which is also what we matched as. 

So then I went down the rabbit hole….and what a trip it was!  John A had three different wives, and he had a passel of kids with each one.  And Abigail B had two different husbands, and she had multiple kids with both of them, too.  So I had to figure out which kids (or at least which boys) were the product of the John A and Abigail B union using only public records (mainly census data from 1930 and 1940) and whatever publicly posted family trees I could find on the internet. 

 

I finally narrowed it down to three boys:  Jack, Bill, and Chuck.  Jack and Bill both live in Alabama.  Chuck lived in Kalamazoo, Michigan.  I was born in Kalamazoo, Michigan.  So I was pretty sure Chuck was my bio-dad. 

I tried making contact with people on the Ancestry.com website, but nobody replied.  I tried making contact with people on FB, but nobody replied.  I really didn’t want to make the initial contact with a sibling….that’s a heck of a shock coming from a stranger, so I was hoping to make contact with a cousin or aunt or SOMEBODY a little more distant first, to hopefully lessen the blow.  But with nobody returning my messages, I finally bit the bullet and made contact with my suspected brother, R. 

And that’s where we are now.  I found out that Bill, one of the three brothers, actually lived in Michigan during the time of my conception, so there’s a chance that he’s the bio-dad, instead of Chuck.  (My 11% relative is Jack's daughter, and I would have matched her as closer family if Jack were my father.) I have ordered an AncestryDNA kit for my suspected brother R to take, but that takes about a month for results.  Yesterday R ordered a “sibling DNA test” for us that will be through a private lab, and we should get those results much sooner (within two business days of the samples hitting the lab).  So maybe as soon as Monday or Tuesday of next week (8-9 days from now), depending on how long it takes them to send us the collection kits and shipping time for us to return the collection kits.  If there is any ambiguity about our sibling relationship (it’s reported as a “probability range” and we’re only half-siblings, so I would expect us to be on the lower side of that range), then we’ll also do a paternity test with Bill. 

As for the accuracy of the DNA testing, according to their website:

An AncestryDNA® test can very accurately determine if two people are genetically related at the 3rd or 4th cousin and closer level. This is because AncestryDNA® test results are based on the scientific method that identifies people who share long segments of DNA. Usually this is only possible if two people have had a recent common biological ancestor.

 

The fact that I had matches to people with both surnames A and B in my list, plus my closest match had grandparents with those same surnames, plus the fact that all of R’s relatives have looked at my pictures and said, “yep, she’s one of us!”... I’m feeling pretty confident with the accuracy of the DNA results.  

 

Any other questions?  I'm an open book (full length novel, as you can see from the size of this post!).

[brillohead]

30 minutes ago, bobmacliberty said:

The Super Car section is always a favorite.  This Aston Martin looked like the Batmobile.  The aerodynamic detail was incredible...all to give it just a slight bit of additional downforce that could mean the difference in a race.

 

 

I refuse to believe it's NOT the Batmobile!!!!

[Luckynana]

10 hours ago, FromSea2ShiningSea said:

Are you on the same cruise with him? He has knee issues so I’m not sure he will be doing much Fllowrider.  I hope you get to meet him if you’re on the same cruise.  Super nice guy and his wife, too.

Yes.  I'm on my way to the Port now 😃

I didn't know about his knee...

[Lionesss]

3 minutes ago, Luckynana said:

Yes.  I'm on my way to the Port now 😃

 

Be safe

Have fun

Enjoy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Ocean Boy]

10 hours ago, brillohead said:

In my case, both my birthmother and my adoptive mother weren't cut out to be mothers... but it's taught me what NOT to do as a mother, and as a result I have what I think is a very close and healthy relationship with my son.  Basically as I was raising him, I did the exact opposite of what I experienced in childhood, and it's worked out well for us.  

Therapy and time and experience has taught me that my mothers have their own problems, and those problems have nothing to do with me as a person.  (This lesson was one that took a LOT of time, but has finally sunk in. My bio-mom is a huge alcoholic, and my adopto-mom has Narcissistic Personality Disorder.)  They will both die as lonely, insecure women, while I will not.  I'm so thankful that I was able to break the dysfunction cycle. 

 

My new family on my father's side is HUGE on both his father's and his mother's side... that's going to take some getting used to for me (pretty much everyone I knew in my adoptive family only had two kids, whereas my father was one of at least ten kids!!!!), but I'm looking forward to the new experience! It's a good thing I didn't learn about all these folks back in the days of snail mail when I used to send out Christmas cards to everyone I knew -- I'd go broke!  LOL

 

I think I understand what you are going through with your new discoveries because of my history. Though our stories are nothing alike, I know what it was like when at 12 yrs old my grandmother had the foresight to bring me to Italy and give me an entire part of my family that, though I knew existed, I had no real connection with. They welcomed me with open arms and ever since they have been as much a part of me and my life as the family in the US is.

[Arzeena]

14 minutes ago, Luckynana said:

Yes.  I'm on my way to the Port now 😃

I didn't know about his knee...

Bon Voyage!

[Ocean Boy]

15 minutes ago, Luckynana said:

Yes.  I'm on my way to the Port now 😃

I didn't know about his knee...

Ok, just remind me, which ship?

[Momof3gurlz]

15 hours ago, firefly333 said:

As I said not worried about the quilts. All I can take in my SUV will go to one cousin who will share thru her church. I'm a pack rat and will keep what I can. Got another cousin to share with. Another asked for 1 quilt I'll bring to cinn for him too. No lack of people who want a finished quilt.

 

Im now wondering about a bigger place in florida. It's a 2 2. Probably be next year before I move. Taxes, cruises booked. Might or might not cancel last 2 in my signature oct and dec 2024. Not ready to decide, until I'm clear here. I moved a lot of cash into 6 month treasuries feb 24  I'm already taking charge as trustee for my disabled sister. Got a lawyer working on new trust and putting the house in my sisters name but staying on title as trustee so her husband cant sell it. Hes been less than great in the past. Cant trust him. Been very busy. 

I’m so sorry to read all that you’ve been going through.  My advice (even though you didn’t ask lol) is to not make any big decisions while you’re still mourning and sorting through all the details of the estate.  Between the loss of both your parents, being sick for a few weeks, dealing with your BIL and also breaking your wrist it’s been a very traumatic time.  Let some time pass and some healing take place first. I truly hope the Bella cruise can be a bit of an escape for you.  

13 minutes ago, Luckynana said:

Yes.  I'm on my way to the Port now 😃

I didn't know about his knee...

I hope you have a great week on Oasis!

[dani negreanu]

21 minutes ago, brillohead said:

Ray passed away eight years ago.  For the past 20 years, I've assumed he was my birthfather.  I'd always planned on doing a sibling test with one of his kids from his first marriage after J passed away (she's "a lot to deal with" so I didn't want to rock the boat while J's still alive -- she's still in regular contact with Ray's kids).

 

Thanks. Now I've got it, and I'm much more confident in positive results. 

 

I think you've meant Ray??

[grapau27]

Good afternoon.

It is 43°F and cloudy at 15.00pm in North East England.

It is a sad day today as it is 11 years today when my dad died.

It was a lovely church service today and Father David mentioned my dad during prayers.

Afterwards we went to the crematorium where the remembrance room is and we read the books of remembrance for today.

I hope everyone is well and all have a fantastic day.

Edited March 5, 2023 by grapau27

[Luckynana]

12 minutes ago, Ocean Boy said:

Ok, just remind me, which ship?

Oasis!!

[Luckynana]

13 minutes ago, Arzeena said:

Bon Voyage!

Thank you Arzeena!

[Luckynana]

24 minutes ago, Lionesss said:

Be safe

Have fun

Enjoy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thank you Sue.  See you next week!

[Luckynana]

10 minutes ago, Momof3gurlz said:

I’m so sorry to read all that you’ve been going through.  My advice (even though you didn’t ask lol) is to not make any big decisions while you’re still mourning and sorting through all the details of the estate.  Between the loss of both your parents, being sick for a few weeks, dealing with your BIL and also breaking your wrist it’s been a very traumatic time.  Let some time pass and some healing take place first. I truly hope the Bella cruise can be a bit of an escape for you.  

I hope you have a great week on Oasis!

Thank you, Deb!  Looking forward to seeing you next week!

[helen haywood]

@bobmacliberty

Small world.  My neighbor took his Porsche over to the show.