• I want to alert everyone that this virus may appear as "just a cold" to some, it is NOT to everyone.

    Subie has been transferred from my regular mechanic to Subaru as there is more going on that they can not identify/. Sigh. I'd best start selling faster.

    Thankfully my neighbor took me to the Farmer's Market and the grocery so we're well stocked. I can at least relax while we wait.

  • Lots & lots of rain in NJ! So far not a lot of wind although there is still a wind advisory and a flood watch. I was going to a glass show/sale this afternoon but think I'll just stay home warm and dry (the road I'd need to take has a tendency to flood.)

    @carma/Carl, I went from Windows 7 to Windows 10 on my laptop a while a go. The real shock was going from Windows 7 to Windows 11 on my PC -- I really hate Windows 11, everything is an app not software. I'm holding out as long as I can to keep my laptop. So sad that you'll miss seeing the girls again.

    Yikes, @fyrqueen/Katie, I hope your son will be okay. My poor brother & SIL (who both have medical issues) just got Covid -- their first time. They've been very careful and are current on all of their boosters. Glad you were "rescued" quickly when your poor Subaru broke down.

    @wattleihavenext/Julie, it's pretty amazing the friendships we've all made through our glass. I'll be going to the EAPG annual convention in May and will get to see Roger and Karen, two long-time glassies.

  • Afternoon All: I haven't posted in quite some time, just life getting in the way I suppose. The last few days I've been busy setting up & getting acclimated to a whole new computer system, which took me from Windows 7 to Windows 10 in one fell swoop. It's quite a bit of a learning curve, so much is so different, but I'm getting there with it.

    We were well on our way into Spring here, with pretty much bare ground, after the warmest & least snowiest winter on record. Only 52" of snowfall for the whole winter thus far (less than half of normal), but that's about to change. HUGE storm coming in for tomorrow and we're forecast for anywhere from 16 to 24 inches! going to be cold too, only in the teens, so at least it will be light, fluffy, easy to move snow.

    So, made a trip up to the store for a few supplies we were low on, "Jenny" has plenty of fuel in case the power goes down, so we're in for the duration now. Won't be going anywhere for 2 or 3 days. Marley & Emma are both home for a few days & we were going to take them out for a seafood lunch tomorrow, but that's not going to happen now. The restaurant we were going to go to has already announced that they're not opening tomorrow (along with just about everything else). We haven't seen the girls for a year now & looks like we won't until summer.

  • I love hearing about when glassies actually got to meet each other. I still have some old emails from some who have gone on now. Those old days were fun, and I leared so much from them.

    Youngest experienced cardiac issues from a nasty case of COVID. It's still out there and can be devastating. He is in care of a cardiologist.

    My old Subaru broke down very publicly on the bridge on Broadway here that goes over Highway 63 as we were on the way to the oral surgeon for Mike. Amazingly, as police were nearby working an accident scene I had oodles of help! Tow truck arrived immediately! I think it was the original fuel pump that went. NO advance warning as I'd had the car checked out the week before (oil change, etc.). I need to sell something quick!

  • Nancy @jerseystar27 that is so lovely that you got to meet George and you also have a piece of glass to always remember him by. He was such a wonderful man. I have a lovely Fenton basket to remember Betty, that she sent to me to cheer me up when Gordon was not well. And I have the lovely Candlewick heart dish from Fran she gave me on my visit over there, for the Glassie Get together. I will always treasure them.

  • Remembering George on his birthday.. It's been 3-1/2 years since he left us and I really miss him. I was lucky enough to go antiquing/glassing with him several times when I was out visiting Seattle. So besides having a piece of glass I bought from him on eBay, I have pieces of glass I can remember buying while with him.

  • Welcome, Liz!

    NancyP I can't sign in to the Book Board with my regular sign-in. Gorgeous weather here.

    Friends from college (1968) will be through town towing a trailer with a 1954 Rolls Royce inside! This should be a fun meet up!

  • @emische Liz -- welcome to the group! Yes, you use the same sign-in for all the boards. On the right side you'll see links to the other boards. We're happy to try to help with id's.

    @fyrqueen Katie -- nice & sunny (but chilly) here in NJ too. Most of the snow has melted.

  • Good Morning -

    I'm new and seem to be dealing with adult onsite ADD.

    Will my login on this board also give me access to pottery? I'm slightly (!) vexed trying to identify both glass and restaurant ware.

    Thx - Liz

  • With all the crazy weather all over the country, we've lucked out. Sunny and decent enough for daily walks!

  • Well, today is delightfully sunny -- the better to reflect off of the snow we got yesterday. Probably 4 to 5 inches here in northeast NJ -- areas around us got more. It was a very wet snow as the temps were just above freezing so I think it started melting as it hit the ground. Roads are clear today as is my car, so I can enjoy looking at it without being too inconvenienced.

  • Greetings from delightfully sunny NJ! Last Friday (after about 10 days of gray weather), I drove down to Virginia to visit my daughter. It rained almost all the way through NJ and then in Maryland there was bit of brightness behind the clouds. By the time I made it to her place there were even patches of blue sky. And it was sunny the whole time I was there (came back home yesterday) and it's still sunny. Yay!!

  • Happy Birthday Marymelodee!

  • Good gloomy, wet morning. Off to the Farmer's Market in an hour.

    NancyP, I got my ears done and no dizzies! But I took a CBD gummy and I know that helped. I usually get White-coat Syndrome and with the gummy, my BP was normal. I love my new ENT nurse and go back every six months now. Not three years!!

  • I hope everyone is surviving all of the crazy weather. When it's colder/icier/snowier in the southeast and the Pacific northwest than here in NJ, you know the weather is crazy. That is not to say we haven't had some cold weather and a little bit of snow & ice (probably no more than 3 inches total from the two storms last week). Past few days have just been rainy and in the 40s. My husband was out in San Diego for a week visiting family. This past Monday they had the rainiest single day in January they have ever had with lots of flooding, cars being swept away, and more. Luckily my SILs house is up in a hilly area so they had no flooding. And by Tuesday, all was well for DH's flight home.

    And even though she hasn't been here in 9 years, a very Happy Birthday to @MaryR Marymelodee!! I have seen her selling on eBay, so at least I know she's still around.

  • Happy Birthday Shelly!!

  • Happy New Year a bit late. We expect the first winter storm on Monday. We have a standing order for snowplow if over 3" accumulate as we have a very long, steep driveway.

  • I'm a bit late (it's day 5 of 2024 here)

    HAPPY NEW YEAR

  • Turned my phones to "mute" so the crank new years calls don't come in. Went to bed before midnight & treated myself & slept in. Through out a pair of slippers & walking into the new year with a new pair. Not much snow on the ground and may go and shovel the deck & sprinkle de-icer on the driveway. All is well and wishing the glassies a wonderful blessed and healthy & prosperous new year. Marson

  • Happy New Year everyone!

  • HAPPY BIRTHDAY LAINEY - Have a wonderful day.
    Good morning glassies - hope you all had a great holiday and are in good spirits & health. Marson

  • Merry Christmas Everyone!

  • @carma Carl, that is wonderful!! I'm so glad you'll be able to celebrate Christmas with Marley & Emma. Wishing you a safe and wonderful trip!!

  • Great News! Made it into Rumford this morning (the town is a mess & will take weeks to fully clean up) & the gal doing the bagging at the Hannaford Market comes from Canton, Maine, nearly halfway to Auburn & she said the road is open all the way to Auburn. So, we'll be heading down to see Marley & Emma after all! Can't wait to see them.

  • Carl @carma Take care
    It sounds very much like what is happening in Queensland, down here.

  • DW & I just took a little jaunt in the Jeep. Our road is now passable & open the entire length. We CAN get to the store in Andover. The road to there is partially washed out, but open in one lane. A fair number of cars are coming up our road now, which makes me think to road connected to it that goes to Rumford is now open. We'll find out in the morning as I'm going to attempt to get to the Hannaford Supermarket in Rumford. I should be able to find out in there if any of the roads to Auburn are open yet. If Hannaford is getting their grocery deliveries, then at least some of the roads to Auburn have to be open.

  • @carma Oh,Carl, that is awful! Unbelievable that there is that much damage. And I know that in the general scheme of things, it's not that serious, but it really sucks that you may not get to see Marley & Emma. I'm hoping that by Friday things will have improved.

  • Just got an update from OCEM concerning our area:

    "Route 2 in Rumford is now open from downtown through to Bethel. Please be mindful that road crews are clearing remaining debris. There is also fairly thick mud and some ice/water in spots. Please navigate the roadway slowly and carefully.
    *To avoid the inevitable follow-up questions: Route 232 in impassable, South Rumford Rd is washed out in the area of 150 and is impassable in other areas, Wyman Hill Road is passable w some mud/ice. Route 5 is washed out just beyond the Rumford line in Andover. East Andover Road is impassable."

    The East Andover Road is our road.

  • Mahnin'All: An update on the wild conditions here. It is far worse than the "passing mention" reported by most national news coverage. Yesterday water surged over the bridge on the Swift River, connecting Rumford and Mexico. A car with 4 people tried to drive over it anyway & was swept off the bridge. Two people rescued, but the other two & the car have not been found yet.

    Right now, much of Maine is a case of "you can't get there from here". According to Oxford County Emergancy Management, Rumford is still cut off from everywhere else. All roads in & out are flooded, outright gone or blocked by trees & utility poles. Andover is the same. According to OCEM, we can drive down out road about 3 miles & up our road about 4 miles, but that's it! We can't even get to downtown Andover to Mills Market. There are 4 roads going in & out of Andover and all of them are closed. At least two of them are completely washed away & the status of the other two are both uncertain. Also, as of last night, even if we could get out of Andover, we could not get to Auburn to see Marley & Emma for Christmas. All roads between here & Auburn are closed at some point. In many cases rivers are still rising & haven't crested yet. The plan was to go down to see them on Friday, but we just don't know yet if we'll be able to get there by then. There are still almost 300,000 without power.

    We're going to take drive in the Jeep today & see just where we can or cannot get.

  • @carma Carl, wow, what a mess! And how sad that it is right before Christmas. Glad that you're okay and have power.

    @fyrqueen Katie, I hope your nephew and his family are okay.

    There is still some river flooding in areas around us (northeastern NJ) and I heard there were some schools closed today and some delayed openings but we're okay, just a few small branches and twigs down. Not sure if it would have been better or worse if it was snow.

  • Good morning.

    Carl, I have been worried about my nephew and his family along the Maine coast. No word from them. It sounds awful but amazing you have power!

  • Mahnin'All: Catastrophic day here yesterday & it's going to take days & even weeks to get everything back to normal. Over 6 inches of rain fell amid winds gusting 60 - 70 mph! Over 400,000 in Maine are without power this morning. Roads are flooded or completely washed out. Many more are blocked by downed trees, power lines & utility poles. Whole towns are completely isolated & cut off, with all roads in & out closed. Andover is one of them & so is Rumford. Virtually everything, schools, businesses etc., are closed. A foot of snowpack that we had on the ground is completely gone, which only compounded the flooding issues. In short, it's one horrendous mess!!

    We were on "jenny" power for about 5 hours yesterday, but the got our regular power back mid-afternoon. Why, I've no idea! We are one of only 3 houses on our 4 miles long road that has power. Makes no sense at all, but I'm certainly not going to complain. Many folks will be lucky to get their power back by Christmas. Our road is flooded out at both ends, about a half a mile above us & about 3 miles below us, so we're certainly not going anywhere today.

  • Good Morning. Our weather has been brutal and I am not liking it. High 30 Celsius and over 40C days , day after day. Hot hot westly winds to make it feel like a fan forced oven. Bush fires with people loosing homes and lives have already commenced. I have taken the plunge and I have ordered an aircon, hoping it is here vey soon. My fans are just circulating hot air.
    Katie @fyrqueen I am sorry to hear about your friends but happy to hear that Mike is doing well. And ditto to what Nancy @jerseystar27 said.... Remember that self-care is not a luxury, it's a necessity!!
    Carl @carma right at this moment (35 celsius at 10 a.m) that snow is sounding so good to me.

  • @fyrqueen Katie, after napping all morning, by early afternoon I was able to get out of bed and have something to eat. Like I said, this was much milder then the few other times I had vertigo. It's also the first time I had vertigo after getting excess ear wax removed.

  • NancyP I always worry about that. It has never happened but I know it can. How long did it last? I have no one here to help me if I get that,

  • @fyrqueen Katie, on the advice of my primary care doctor, I went to an ENT a few weeks ago to have excess ear wax removed. It was quick & pain free. But the next morning I woke up with vertigo. I've had vertigo a few times in the past & it pretty much knocked me out for a day. This time it was pretty mild -- I was much better by mid-afternoon. But I'm pretty sure the cause was pulling the wax out and causing something to change in my inner ear.

  • NancyP. My next thing is to get of all things an ear cleaning. I realize my hearing is not the best--and I know exactly what it is and should have done this ages ago! Always nice to hear again!

  • @fyrqueen Katie, it's good to see you! Sounds like some good things keeping you busy. So sorry to hear about your friends. And really happy to hear that Mike is doing well. Remember that self-care is not a luxury, it's a necessity!!

  • I have been MIA for a while. The trip (two weeks) to NC and GA was a huge success. Thanksgiving brought 7 to our table and I have decided next year to make it a potluck. I was so tired!!

    Since then I have a dear friend in hospital with no diagnosis yet, and we lost a darling friend who always made the day a bit sunnier for everyone. It was sudden and we are all still very broken hearted.

    Mike is walking better than ever which is amazing as Parkinson's is progressive. Therapy is the key (and good food and keeping busy). The bad news is that caregivers often burn out and die before the person they care for, so I am trying to be good to myself.

    Got to get a tree this week!!

  • Mahnin'All: Winter is certainly here in the north country. We've received about a foot of new snow overnight & it's still snowing lightly. VERY heavy, wet snow, too! We just got our regular power back about half an hour ago after being on "Jenny" power for the past 8 hours. Just got done clearing off the cars & re-shoveling the front deck & steps (3rd time for that). Going to sit & rest a bit and then tackle the rear deck & steps & path to the oil fill. Just waiting on George 2.0 to come & plow. I'm sure He will be along.

  • Well, we just had two days of winter. No white stuff but it was cold! Back to autumn temps for the next few days. But it is almost December.

  • It's not something we celebrate down here but.....

    Happy Thanksgiving my American friends

  • @carma Carl, I though I saw white stuff north of us on the weather map. We only had rain here in NJ and today it's in the 50s. Sorry you won't be sharing T'day with the girls.

    We're going to my sister's house tomorrow. She's doing the turkey& stuffing, green bean casserole, sweet potatoes (I bought them, she's cooking them), and pumpkin pie. On my side, cranberry pecan pie was made yesterday, two kinds of cranberry sauce made this morning. Tomorrow I'll roast the brussel sprouts. I decided I wasn't going to bake my dad's apple pie recipe this year -- bought one from the fancy bakery in town. And this year, my son is making what we call carrot mold -- it's a baked almost carrot pudding, done in a bundt pan. I wasn't going to argue -- just gave him the 2-pounds of carrots I bought last week. Daughter is flying up tomorrow morning and then crack of dawn on Friday we will drive her back to Virginia, hoping to arrive close to on-time for a memorial service for a cousin who died over the summer.

    And, as Carl said, have a safe and happy Thanksgiving!!!

  • 'Afternoon All: We're having a White Thanksgiving. Got a solid 6" of snow overnight & this morning. Just got done clearing off the decks & steps. Made a Pumpkin Pie this morning & DW is in kitchen right now making a Mince Pie.

    We won't get to see Marley & Emma this week. They're both having to make a quick trip home & back this year, due to work schedules. Emma got in last night & has to go back Friday morning. Marley is coming in tonight & also has to go back Friday morning. But, they both have a lot more time at Christmas, so we'll be seeing them then.

    Wishing All A Safe and Happy Thanksgiving!

  • After several chilly but mostly sunny days (there was frost on my windshield Monday morning!), we're supposed to have two days in the 60s. Then it might rain and weekend will be back in the 50s. This is a good thing as my son is running the Philadelphia Marathon Sunday morning and cool is better.

  • Good Morning. Our weather has been good. Hot/warm days and lovely cool mornings and evenings. Rain is predicted for today and it looks like they may be right, the clouds are building. I leave tomorrow for a trip north ( near the Queensland and NSW border) to help out again at BlaizeAid. The area I am going has been battling for a number of years with what Mother Nature has been dishing out to them. Catastrophic floods, followed by extreme bushfires then their worst flood ever to be followed again by extreme bushfires, No sooner do they start to see a tiny light at the end of the tunnel and Mother Nature decides to wipe them out again. I will be helping the farmers rebuild their fences. It's so important for them to be able to keep their livestock in and safe.

  • Autumn is definitely in NJ -- leaves are really starting to turn (and fall). Freeze warning for tonight. And, for a change, rain.

  • HAPPY BIRTHDAY GAIL

    Shovelled the white stuff yesterday but it snowed overnight and there's a fresh batch of the heavy snow. Lost hydro & the landline, hence not heat, light, furnace, etc. for 4 hours.
    Thank you for the many candles on the cake - they'll help warm it up here and at least I don't have to bake a cake - just enjoy it. Marson of the snow

  • Carl @carma such a sad and frightening event. I hope everyone stays safe and the shooter is caught asap without any more casualties. I am at a loss as to why he was allowed to own such a gun/ rifle. According to the news we are getting down here he was known to have mental health issues. Here all firearms ( we must be licensed to buy and own them) are confiscated.

  • @panishklo Marson -- HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

    @songbreeze Gail -- HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

  • Julie: Yes, Lewiston is only 60 miles from here. We go there at least a couple times a year for shopping. Anne & Tom ( Marley & Emma's parents) live just a couple miles from there, in Auburn. Lewiston & Auburn are twin cities, separated only by the Androscoggin River. Both cities are pretty much on lockdown right now, as the shooter is still at large. Latest is that 22 are dead and over 50 wounded.

  • Carl @carma I've just read that there was a mass shooting at Lewiston,Maine. I hope this is not anywhere close to you

  • Good Morning. Temps have dropped as predicted for today and rain is on its way. Overcast sky and you can smell it coming. I heard on the news this morning that parts of Sydney's outer suburbs are being warned to brace themselves for extreme heat this summer with predictions of 50C/122F. OMG I hope they are wrong about that because here, where I live, will get similar. Maybe 1-2 degrees lower. I may have to invest in a new Aircon so I can survive.
    On a positive note and trying not to focus on negatives. Last night when I arrived home, a nice big healthy green frog was sitting on my verandah ( frightened to daylights out of me LOL) This is the first frog I have seen in well over 20 years so I am happy about that. It means my garden is starting to be healthy again and creatures are starting to move back in. Sadly no bees this year because of the Varroa mite that has snuck into our country. So many bee hives had to be destroyed to try to stop the spread of the mite.

  • @wattleihavenext Julie, we've been having similar weather although we're moving into fall. It's chilly at night and in the morning, but then it warms up. Supposed to be in the mid-60s later today. And by the weekend it's supposed to hit 80, not a fall temperature by any means.

  • Good afternoon. Mornings here are just perfect with a nice little chill in the air and the days have been clear, sunny warm - hot (but not unbearably hot) It's 35C/95F here atm We are in desperate need of rain though. The grass is starting to turn brown and very crunchy under foot. I washed both my vehicles this morning, so I am sure I have summons the rain. It usually always rains a day or two after I have washed them LOL.
    Plans are underway for my trip to volunteer again with BlaizeAid. Have decided on which camp to help out this time and now just deciding on which route to take to get there and back and what stopovers and where .There's plenty of choices to choose from especially if I go the coastal highway. Caravan/Holiday Parks, Pub Camping and Freedom Camping. I do love Pub camping and freedom camping over Caravan Parks.

    Carl @carma Congratulations to Marley and Matt.

  • @carma That is wonderful news! Congratulations!!

  • Oh to be young and in love. Congratulatiions to Matt & Marley. Carl, I guess you'll have to start saving for a wedding gift or perhaps they'd like a special piece of glass from your collection as well. Marson who's getting her furnace tuned up for the coming season. It is getting chillier. == hope the rest of the glassies are having a warm day.

  • On the positive side, we just got some wonderful news. Congratulations to Marley & her longtime Beau, Matt! (Note what's on her third finger.)

  • So sad to see another one of the old times like Dori pass away.

    We've been having a wonderful fall - much warmer than usual. Only one frost so far & my snapdragons from last year, self-seeded & a few are still blooming as well as the dianthus.
    Trimmed them down for next year and dug up some plants aka weeds by the front entrance.
    That way it's easier to clear when the snow comes. Yes, I said that word, as it's being bantered around for this weekend and it's starting to cool off. Time to bring out the winter clothes which are never that far away to begin with. All the best, stay safe & warm. Marson

  • Sorry to hear about Dori passing, She was still active in EAPG on Face Book.. Ran into a few times there..

    CARL thanks for passing that on.. Had wondered how you were doing.. Glad to see you posting, Its a shame how so many have passed on.. Some we never hear from or about..

    JULIE, Glad you got to enjoy the Sunshine and The Kids in the Water.. Too cold here for that now.. if we get to 60* - 65* we are happy.. I have heard we will have a Mild Winter, I am hoping that is true.. Take care..

    NANCY, We too have had our share of rain, seems like 4 days out of the week, we are getting rained on.. Went for a Perm the other day and Yep it was raining.. Sun came out so made it home before it started again.. I think our Pottery board has just about petered out.. and when it was active, seemed like Katie and I the only ones left..

    You All Take Care.

  • Carl @carma thank you for letting us know about Dori. I knew she had been having some health issues lately and it was only 2 days ago I was wondering how she was doing. Dori was always very helpful to me. May she R.I.P

  • Hi All: just stopped by the say that I just heard that Dori Miles passed away on October 19th, after a series of strokes. She was one of the last surviving "old school" collectors, researchers and dealers of EAPG & I know many on this board knew her, both from personal contact and from the old Ebay Glass Chat Board. I had known her for 50 years!

  • Another rainy weekend in NJ. I heard it's the 7th rainy weekend in September/October. At least our plants and the reservoirs are happy. And apparently no fllash-flooding this time.

  • Good afternoon. Our crazy weather continues. We are now back to being cold.

    Shelly @shellyrae37 the weather was perfect over the weekend and yes it was warm enough for a swim. I didn't go in the water though but the kids did. I sat and soaked up the beautiful sunshine and admired the perfectly blue clear sky and crystal clear ocean.

  • Have fun Julie, looks like you will not be alone on the beach. Is it warm enough to go swimming yet?
    Enjoy, Our temps have been between 50 & 60* Fahrenheit.

  • Good afternoon. Our beautiful weather continues, so no complaints from me. I am going camping again this weekend to a gorgeous beach not very far from me. I can proudly say that we do have some of the most beautiful beaches here. Beautiful white sand and crystal clear blue water. If you are interested Google East Coast of NSW Australia and check out some of our beaches, especially near me ( Mid coast and mid North coast)
    This is the beach where I am going.

  • Thanks Julie.. Glad your weather is more normal for now.. Ours is cooling off, and rained so hard today.. Luckily I was in the car when it rained today, like a tourantial rain fall.. Could hardly see the dividing lines on the road.. and by the time I finished shopping it had stopped, so got home and unloaded before it started again..

    Friends of my sons, had a benefit for him today with all the food you could eat and so good seeing some of his child hood friends who came, and I did not recognize 2 of them.. It was a wonderful showing of his friends and how much they think of him.. Broke my heart for the reason that it was for. I broke down a couple of times, but held it together pretty good, not too many saw that except for the ones that were holding me at the time, I think they might have noticed..

    So any prayers are welcome..

    Take care..

  • Our weather has had a turn around and we are now experiencing some lovely sunny spring days with cool evenings and early mornings . Just perfect.
    Shelly @shellyrae37 I think most of the members that used this chatroom have now all gone over to Facebook or other social media sites. There are so many glass groups of all eras and interests for them to be involved with on FB. Carl @carma only pops in every now and then. He goes weeks without posting anything. Our dear Marson @panishklo always stops by on special occasions such as birthdays.

  • Concerned about CARL, he has not posted, hope all is well there with him and his wife.. Not sure how bad that storm hit them up there.. Praying all is ok..

    So what happened with MARSON, she just quit posting? Surely she is not snowed in yet..
    So I hope all keep checking in on occasion, as we all wonder and worry? or am I the only one that has a tendency to worry?

    HI NANCY, & JULIE, why do I feel like this is a sinking ship, are we all getting too old and the fun is all gone out of collecting Glass? I still look and I still buy.. Tho I need nothing..

    YOU ALL HANG IN THERE, or HERE !

  • HI NANCY, & JULIE, Well we too have had some unusual weather for Oct. I wonder if this is Indian Summer or if its too early for that.. it has been in the 80s for the last 3 days but suppose to get down to the 50s from tomorrow on through the weekend, then to warm up again, but do not expect much above 70*.. Hard to say the way the weather patterns have been going.

    Too nice to stay in, but no where to go.. Tho last Sunday my two Brothers, SIL and myself went out to OUR Sisters & BIL, to visit before they head for Florida for the winter.. She is on Oxygen and seldom goes out of the house, Not sure she is up to driving that far to Fl. but better then the alternative and having to deal with Snow.. BIL is going to be 80 next month and sister just 73. they have been married 52 yrs, so I guess its Death til they part.. But Nothing else exciting going on..

    YOU ALL TAKE CARE,

  • Nancy @jerseystar27 Weather report is saying a cool change is on its way and a slight chance of some rain. Rain would be great to clean the air and settle the dust.

  • @wattleihavenext Julie, how miserable!! We're having a few days of summer here in NJ -- it hit 80F today and is supposed to do the same tomorrow. The sky was a brilliant blue, but I understand that as far down as Florida, there was haze from the forest fires in Canada. By the end of the week we're supposed to get some rain and then it looks like more normal October weather. I may actually have to bite the bullet and turn the heat on next week as at night it will be in the low 50s. I hope your weather settles down and acts like spring.

  • Good morning. Our weather here is still unpleasant, to a degree. We are experiencing above average temps for this time of year. There's high fire danger alerts with many bush fires already starting. And to top it off we have dusty, gusty hot dry westerly winds, so our air is filled with dust and smoke. My energy levels are draining away already and it is not even summer yet.

  • Absolutely beautiful day today -- clear blue sky, sunny, and temps in the low70s. Went for a nice walk with my walking buddy from around the corner. And my son invited me for dinner (DH is off on a trip). As he only lives 4 blocks away, I walked to his place too. Nice to be able to enjoy being outside.

  • Good morning from rainy NJ. Apparently the remnants of Ophelia have swung back and we're getting drenched.

  • We had some unbelievable temperatures today. Some were record breaking and some were reported to be the hottest September day on record. A nice cool change has come now and it is very much welcomed by me.

    Shelly @shellyrae37 yes Egypt does sound interesting, Actually lots of places around the world look very interesting and there's some great deals at the moment. I have been so tempted to click "book" on a few of them LOL I'll wait till after Xmas, though, to plan where and when I will be going. In the mean time exploring some parts of Australia will do me. There's lots here I haven't seen yet.

  • NANCY, It is cooler here too, I am not sure I like it' but at least the AC is turned off and I am not freezing in the house.. a light jacket when I go out is sufficient. Its suppose to warm up this week.. Thankfully.. No rain to speak of.. it rained about an hour the other day..

    JULIE, Oh goodness, Egypt sounds so interesting, and doable.. its mostly flat land there right? lol If you go I know you will enjoy it.. Wish I was younger and able to travel more.. Too unsteady on my feet.. Haven't fallen over YET, but one day it might happen..

    Take care everyone

  • Here in NJ, we're enjoying a week of fall weather. Pleasantly sunny & in the 70s today. Very nice after last week's heat and all of the rain.

  • Its even hotter today 95F and a disgusting hot wind is blowing. High Fire danger alerts everywhere, bush fires have already begun and total fire bans have been put in place. It's going to be a very long hot dry summer. Bureau of Meteorology has formally declared El NiƱo weather event.
    Shelly @shellyrae37 I have been asked to join 2 friends on a trip to Egypt in January BUT I am undecided. I think I might need a little longer to save for that , especially being so close to after Christmas. Now if they were going later in the year, I'd be on board with no hesitations. But I am a very spontaneous kind of person and can change my mind in a heart beat. So who knows , I might end up in Egypt next year LOL

  • JULIE, Sounds fun.. Sounds like you have a plan all mapped out.. Good you are able to do that.. Nothing Tieing you down. Anything in mind for next years travels? We have a wedding to go to in October but its about a 6 hr drive and Hubby does not like to travel anymore so doubting we will go.. Its his niece, so if he does not want to go, thats his choice.. AND, thats ok.. Enjoy your weather.. our Fall is creeping up.. Our Propane tanks are full so we are ready for it..

  • Today it feels more like Summer then the early start to Spring. It's 92F atm and with a hot westerly wind blowing. Its not pleasant at all. Of course the media is making a huuuuge issue over it and the headlines are really over sensationalised. Yes its hot but I wouldn't call it a "Severe Heat Wave" and the headlines such as "WARNING SEVERE HEAT WAVE" is very much over the top for these temperatures in Australia. BUT that's the media for you
    Shelly @shellyrae37 Nope I haven't gotten travelling out of my system yet. Always looking and always thinking about where to go to next. Though there will be no overseas trips for me till next year sometime, I'll be jumping in my van , every chance I get and doing short road trips for a few days, here and there. I am also planning a road trip, in November, heading south for a few weeks. I'll do a week or 2 volunteering at a BlaizeAid camp helping farmers rebuild fences and then some time afterwards travelling around and back home.

  • NANCY, Thank you for clearing that up, Yes I remember now that Jim, by his collection of CAD dishes.. Don't you often wonder what happened to all our Old Deceased Members Collections and what happened to them.. I too was concerned about JIML.. We might not hear from him until a bad snow storm in Buffalo.NY. but it would be nice to hear sooner..

    I remember Betty's Collection of Milk Glass, and she had many CAD.. With only a son who survived, I often wonder if he left her Blue Dining room, with the White MG as she had it arranged.. He husband George had passed on before she did..

    I know all regulars incl, me not so reg..do miss JIML posts..

    Hope you are doing well.. all the traveling out of your system for awhile?

  • @shellyrae37 Wrong Jim. Julie & I were referring to Jim Davidson (aka Moose) who, among other things, collected covered animal dishes (CAD), Yesterday was his birthday (as noted here). He died a number of years ago (I think over 7 years ago). The Jim who does taxes always posts as JimL so as not to be confused with JimD.

    Nonetheless, I am a little concerned that JimL hasn't posted in a while and didn't respond to all of our birthday greetings.

  • I am sorry, I do not understand, JIM passed away? I guess I missed something, how did you all find out?
    I am presuming that is our Jim, who use to do taxes and worked in the Hardware store? He was not that old, I did not think.. So sorry to see that news.

  • The Statue of Maitreyi Buddha (The Future Buddha) is carved into the side of a mountain, believed to be approximately 800 years ago. It's located at Mulbekh monastery in Ladakh and is 30 ft tall

  • I watched the monks making this gorgeous sand Mandala at one of the Monasteries I visited.. Sand mandalas originate from an ancient Tibetan Buddhist custom, signifies the human journey from ignorance to Buddhahood and is used as a tool to help monks in meditation and to symbolize the concepts of impermanence, wisdom, compassion, loving-kindness and inner peace, It takes days/weeks to complete, using grains of coloured sand, much concentration and patience to create such intricate detail. Once it is completed, a ceremony is held followed by it's destruction .The destruction signifies the law of impermanence. That nothing lasts forever, and everything is in constant change.

  • @wattleihavenext Julie, yes, Moose (akaJimD) was a good person.

  • Remembering JimD on his Birthday

  • Hello all. Carl, I have relatives in Maine and I am worried about this storm. They are battening down hatches I presume.

    My neighbor's garden was terrible. She did get a LOT of peppers.

  • JUST CATCHING UP.. COULDN'T SLEEP, So here i am..

    KATIE I do have a Doc appt, coming up, will mention it, I think last time it was mentioned they said something about physical therapy.. Thanks for caring.. SUSAN's last name is
    Beshears, I got that from MAX.

    JULIE I surely wish we were looking forward to Spring/Summer, instead of Winter, they say its going to be wicked this year.. I pray they are wrong, but we will survive I am sure..
    Good you have your Yard/Garden under control, and loved the pictures of the Taj Mahal..Hard to imagine how the people accomplished those beautiful buildings, Same with Eygpt and the Pyamids.. Unbelievable..

    Oh CARL, I can imagine how you felt like almost all of your hard work planting was for naught.. but hopefully what you tomatoes you had were tasty.. My friends cucumbers did not do much either, Tomatoes were so so; but not as plentiful as usual.. Hopefully there is next year to look forward to..
    Sorry you did not get to see the girls, Hopefully the Holidays will be more convenient for all of you..

    Well going to try to get a couple hours sleep before my scheduled Sonogram tomorrow.. You all take care..

  • Good morning!

    Shelly, please see a doctor about your balance. Youmight have a vitamin dficency and there is help for that.

    Anyone know Susan's last name? I really hope she is kay, and what about her husband? He's in a veterans' home I believe. She is in a part of GA not far from my family.

    Julie--great photos! More, please.

  • Good afternoon. Our weather is perfect here atm. 79F But this weekend coming they are predicting it to get up over 90F . A bit too hot too soon, I think . It's only the beginning of our Spring, Well its not even officially Spring but down here we do it by the 1st calendar day of the month. 1st September for Spring. Officially we are still in Winter.
    Carl @carma I hope you don't get hit too hard with the storm. Fingers crossed by the time it gets near you it has run out of puff. Things in our gardens down here are not the same either. For a start we are lacking the presence of bees. My clover patch I leave for the bees is usually buzzing by now. But not a bee to be seen. There were just a few in the Grevillea But not like it should be with each flower covered in them. I live in what I would call the "cockroach capital" I don't see any of them like I use to, either. Everything seems to be amiss. At least I have lots of birds in my trees BUT that is only because progress is knocking down all the surrounding bushland and building new estates , made of bricks and concrete . Very little yards, no trees, Roof top to roof top of houses and fences. Our lush farmland is being turned into housing estates too. All the dairy farms are gone. We don't have the produce farms like we use to either but lucky for us there's still some battling along and supplying us with local fresh vegs.
    Nancy @jerseystar27 The Taj Mahal was jaw dropping gorgeous. It's hard to imagine all that work and all that marble was all done by hand. To see it up close and see just how much detail has gone into it is mind blowing.

  • Afternoon All: Glad to see a little activity here. We're getting busy with storm preparations, as the latest projections have Hurricane Lee making a landfall somewhere on the Maine mid-coast or down-east coast late Saturday/early Sunday as a minimal CAT 1 or strong tropical storm. We're 100 miles inland and in western Maine, but wind & rain effects will still be felt here. So, things to get secured & ready.

    Shelly No, we did not get very good crops from our garden this year. Yields were very small, about half or less what we normally get. Tomatoes were small, the largest about the size of large lemons at best & not a lot of them. Peppers also small, thin skinned & not much flavor. Pole Beans less than half the normal yield. Only a few squash & very small. No lettuce & no rutabagas at all. All the rain just did them in & most of DW's herbs rotted away too. Just way too much rain & too little sun. Wettest summer on record up here.
    And, we did not get to see Marley & Emma either. Changes in their work schedules & plans made for a very quick visit home. They were only home for two days & they had them pretty much filled up every waking hour. Hopefully we will get to see tham at Thanksgiving or Christmas. What can you do? They're busy living their lives.

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