Chit chat for November 2023

[Flagryl]

HOAs here are mostly in gated or a couple of other communities. I sometimes wish we had uniform CC&Rs out here. It's the wild west so there's that.

I've used Access database for contacts and my Christmas card list/labels since the late 90s. You can create labels with it, Avery clear ones are cheaper elsewhere than Staples for sure. It's easy to use. I keep track of family status and children/grandchildren in a Notes Column.

I did order some return address labels when they were free except shipping from Shutterfly but I get our cards from Snapfish, none of that glitter stuff that gets in my eyes.

We had a quiet Thanksgiving, John picked up a cooked roasted chicken and he made Czech dumplings. My fresh green beans with toasted pecan halves, sauted in butter, were great. I also baked my rich pumpkin pie and we had it with Haagen Daz Vanilla ice cream, yummy. Easy peasy.

AND, our Packers beat #1 in our Division and #5 overall, Detroit Lions. We played well and they did not. One their home field to boot. There is a sliver of hope.

[Huronna]

I have a gazillion return address labels as we get them all the time from the different charities we donated to.
In the old days there was an avery package, included a disk and the labels. I don't have people's addresses anywhere on my computer only their e-mail addresses, I have one of those handy address books that everything is included in,. SO I would have to start from scratch, installing all the information in a program especially for printing out address labels, Seems that my friends addresses change all the time and at our age, there are name drops...hmm will have to mull this over (in my spare time ha ha )

[Grassy]

My Florida sister lives in the "old" ZIP code in Winter Park where most of the homes are Historical and they have certain rules about what you can do to them such as not painting them orange and not putting a deck on, etc. Construction has to follow strict guidelines so that everything remains true to the Historical-ness of the neighborhood.

I made all that potato salad and nobody ate it. My sister changed her mind on the etoufée but I will still post it when I can find it. She decided we had enough food - and we sure did.

Huronna, glad you could get your luggage fixed.

I still had a great Thanksgiving. I hope everyone else did too.

I work 4 - close tonight (9:30). I am nervous to work on Black Friday. I hope nobody is mean.

[Flagryl]

Whaaaa…no one ate your potato salad. Well maybe they are mashed potato and gravy people. I love potato salad anytime of year!

Huronna, are you about ready to go? I’ll bet Joe is packed.

Fire alarm started chirping at 4:30 this morning. Duh, knew it was past time to change the batteries. Only had 2 so will get 6 more tomorrow when I go in for a hair cut. Crossing fingers the others behave until then. Got 4ish inches of snow, beautiful and white. I’m sure you Florida folk start shivering just hearing about it.

Pumpkin pie still left…ice cream too!

[Huronna]

Right now it is 61 and I have flannel PJ's on and earlier a bathrobe. we didn't go anywhere.
Those smoke alarms can drive you crazy, I got the 10 year ones, put in about 7 years ago, and of course when our friends were here last year while we were gone, they went off. 3 years early LOL He was a sweet heart and got 7 more 10 year ones and put them in.
I'm packed except for the very last minute stuff, Joe has finally started putting all his stuff on the spare bed, I keep reminding him...what about. I let him get out what he wants and they I go over it. He like t-shirts that either have Steelers, navy or other sayings. I had bought him 5 new Grunt shirts and what did he pull out but 2 grey frayed old haggard ones. delete ha ha, had to re do that item. Then he had 12 dress shirts, yikes, this isn't a fancy dancy cruise, he can probably were bermuda or jeans to dinner, I whittled that down. By tomorrow night the suitcase will close and the boarding tags will be put on HA HA.
We still have some pumpkin pie left from the gift on Tuesday, and one more small scoop each ice cream to top it off.

[Flagryl]

After the fire, they just put in the one year ones. I did not know, too much other important stuff, so did not pay attention. Pain in the patute.

12 dress shirts, goodness they do have laundry service. I'd say 3 and pack collared T's to round it off if it's not fancy pancy. John does that, pulls out the frayed ones. I think after the cataract surgey, he doesn't see that well up close since he chose the long lens. Or lordy, frayed at the edges. I am going to give all those away, since his memory is an issue he'll never know. Oh yes, I get it. Here's our drill. One sports coat, navy. One dress slacks, dark gray. One cotton dress slacks, light colored and not khaki. 2 pair of jeans, NOT FRAYED. 3 collared Ts. 2 dress shirts, one long and one short. That's it. Good to go. NO TIES except for funerals or weddings.

[Flagryl]

John used to pack a light wool, black sports coat [summer/winter] and a pair of black jeans. The problem with that is it doesn't work with any kind of brown shoes, so cordavon works best unless everything goes w/black, ie Loafers because black dress shoes are way too formal for jeans, well depending. But stunning with his blue eyes and a blue shirt or a denium shirt. I'm simple. One long black skirt, black short boots or sandals. But I have a gray/dark brown lovely long skirt that goes with everything. Men should be so lucky.

[deezaster]

So when we pack it’s always leggings and warm tops, in winter, with boots
1 multi use coat, usually my dark grey long coat, great on planes as a blanket too lol
Summer it’s always bermudas and tops, 1 jeans,1 good pants or colletes, for a formal dinner we always do one, and I always take a pair of slides and my no lace jellies I avoid anything that needs a good steam iron, or anything that needs lacing or buckling, no belts
Gary takes 1 button up, 2 polos rest are drifting tshirts, shorts, 1 pair of khakis, jeans in winter, and a suede jacket.
We don’t really get fancy on vacations especially bowling trips. Lol

[Huronna]

This is a caribbean cruise, no no coast needed. There is laundry but there is a charge, not like our other cruises where it is included.
No sport coat needed on this one, guayaberas are dressy enough and I just bought Joe 4 new ones. This isn't the same high end cruise as the other ones, it's more like a Royal Caribbean only smaller, about 2000 guests. It's no comparison to Regent who we usually use, but it was out of Tampa, so no plane flights, we have enough of them in 2024 with four Regent cruises booked. This is just a relaxing, do nothing time, we only have two tours booked, not like one every day. Rest of the time will be on the ship in the hot tubs and pool and the gym. Just R& R

[Flagryl]

We got our first measurable snow, only 4 inches out here but looked like only an inch in town. The storm hung around the peaks and our place so ski area was helped, though I think they still make snow on the lower runs. Pretty.

[Huronna]

Hello, today we are in Key West, we did not get off the ship, we spent the day roaming around getting used to where everything was. We aren't used to such a big ship. We are all the way forward, and many of the things are mid-ship or aft and it's a long walk. Our suite is great and our butler and steward are really nice, we are already spoiled with afternoon treats and 3 bottle of liquor of out choice...coconut rum, we already had on with coke this afternoon, gin for Joe and Sambuca for the evening for both of us. Dinner tonight is at the Italian restaurant

[Flagryl]

I love Key West, great snorkling out off the reef.

Well, we had a scare last night as we were preparing dinner. Heard a beeping. A couple of our fire alarms chirped a couple of days ago and battery replacement fixed it, but the one up high in the vaulted ceiling had not been changed. But, as it turns out it was our Carbon Monoxide detector. We couldn't tell if it was a malfunction or an issue, it's plugged in and only uses the battery as backup. So, I called 911 and the firemen came with their CO reader. No issues, thank goodness. Our unit was 8 years old an I had forgotten the life span is only 7 years. Duh. BUT, since they were here, the youngest of the 3 climbed up John's ladder and changed the battery in our fire alarm. A 2-fer!!! We are set for another year or so. The fire alarms are 10 year units but like most, you have to replace the batteries every year or two even though they use electricity. Now, off to replace the CM detector, I think I'll get another one to put near the water heater.

[Huronna]

We completed out first of two tours is over, pictures tomorrow. pretty tired as it was hot and lots of walking
All is great will tell you more tomorrow

[Smilyn]

I don't know if I posted about Thanksgiving; we didn't do anything at all. I didn't feel well, there were a lot of things heavy on my heart including Zak's death a few months back, and Steve was uninterested for his own reasons. We were both tired.

Then, late on the 27th, Steve's son Jon called to tell him that his sister Amy (Steve's daughter; both from his first marriage) had been fatally shot.  We are in shock.  Amy had broken up with a boyfriend that had kept her imprisoned without use of her phone in an abusive relationship in their home in rural Maine.  She had gotten him out of her life and out of her house and thought herself safe.  He returned, kicked through the bolted front door while she called 911, shot her as she fled, then shot himself.  Jon is a wreck.  I have been gently supporting him in Messenger.  Steve is a wreck but his pattern is to lock everything inside.  I have been quietly getting him to touch his emotions and let them release.  He is very grateful that he had recently put a lot of effort into getting a card and writing a long letter to send up to her for her 50th Birthday telling her how much he loved her, how proud he was of her, and why he had let her mother end the marriage when she was young, among other things.  I was always the one to send gifts and cards to his children over the years, but he had built a connection with her since he got a phone with FB on it; a decade ago now, and this card was the first he did totally on his own.  I'm so glad he did; it would be awful if he was regretting procrastination.  I'm rambling.  Too many deaths.  I attached a photo of beautiful Amy.  I'm going now to make a FB post with a connection to Domestic Violence resources in her memory.  I'm tired.

Attachments:

[Flagryl]

My heart just breaks to read this, I am so terribly sorry. I simply cannot fathom the grief and heartache, best to you and Steve and family.

[deezaster]

I’m so terribly sorry for you and your family’s loss, especially too domestic violence, something it seems so many of us have had happen or know of someone, it’s such a tragedy.

My thoughts and prayers are with you and yours during your heartfelt grief, and please remember to take time to just take a breath now and then, it will help you get through the tough days ahead. xox 🙏🏻

[Mary]

I am so sorry for your loss! Such a senseless death

[Huronna]

I am so sorry to hear about this tragedy Milyn,sending prayers your way

[Suzie]

I am so very sorry for your tragic loss. Condolence and prayers to the family and friends Milyn.

[Smilyn]

Thank you all for your prayers and condolences. We are managing. It's surreal that she is gone.