Glass Chatroom Board

Good Morning to those that pop in here.
It is Perfect Autumn weather here today but that can't be said for a couple of days ago. Heavy rainfalls, dumping excessive rain and causing lots of issues .
Shelly @shellyrae37 I haven't heard anything about Jim passing away. Very sad if that is true.
Yes I do have a few trips planned for this year. In May I am heading off on a road trip, with no particular plans. I will be making it up as I go and I have no real time frame. But it will most likely be 2-3 weeks on the road travelling from town to town. I will have a friend, in her van, travelling with me for the first week and then after that I will be travelling solo. Also later in the year I will go back and volunteer at a BlaizeAid camp for a couple of weeks, helping farmers devastated by Natural Disasters, repairing and rebuilding their fences and whatever else is needed. At this stage I am not sure exactly where that will be. It will depend on Mother Nature and where we are needed
Carl @carma I'd say that Jenny has been a very good investment for you.
Nancy @jerseystar27 I heard about the earthquake on the radio and I immediately thought of you.

I see it is beautiful Betty's heavenly birthday. I still have the lovely Fenton basket she sent me when my DH was very ill. She was such a lovely lady

@carma Carl, I saw you were getting snow. Glad to hear you did okay but how sad for the other areas. The windy was very scary.

What a storm that was. Wednesday night around 8pm we lost power as a tree in front of our neighbor's house split. She was very lucky as one piece landed to the side of her house, damaging her fence. The other piece fell on the sidewalk and street. We got our power back around 11am yesterday. Other areas took longer, including just around the block where a piece of falling tree hit a transformer. And now today there was an earthquake, 4.7. Epicenter was in western NJ, about 50 miles away.

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.

@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!!

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

@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.

@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. 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.

@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!!!

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.

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 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!!

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

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.

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.

Belated Happy Birthday, Carl!! @carma

Carl @carma Yes it's a bit of a "Ghost Town" most days here. It's been almost a week between posts.
WTG on your weight loss. I bet you feel so much better. It truly is amazing how much weight can be dropped by eliminating just a few items, eating healthy portioned control servings and without starving yourself either. I rarely eat bread now and mainly stick to just the good carbs.
Katie @fyrqueen I hope you are feeling better asap

I am on the countdown now, for my trip to India and I am starting to get really excited . Just 6 weeks to go. I am doing the Ladakh Jeep/Motorbike Road trip.
I will fly into Delhi,have a night there and then catch a Bus to Manali where the adventure of a life time commences to travel on the Worlds highest motorable roads on motorbikes and in jeeps Some of our accommodation up in the Himalayas will be in campsites .So it goes from Manali >Jispa > Padum via Shango La Pass >Kargil > Leh >Nubra Valley >Pangong Lake > back to Leh via the Chang La Pass (5,360metres or 17,585.3 feet ) for the Takthok Tsechu Festival >Fly to Delhi, catch a train to Agra>visit Taj Mahal > bus to Jaipur >back to Dehli> On Day 19 I will fly to Nepal and spend a week there catching up with Nepali family/friends and then home via Singapore

@Carma Carl, glad to hear you didn't get the brunt of this storm. Here in NJ we got a few snow flurries/showers yesterday (after lots of rain) and wind. It's still windy but nice and sunny today. And tomorrow it's supposed to be in the 50s. Such strange weather - but it is March, known for unpredictable weather.

Good Morning, dark, gloomy and raining here and thunderstorms predicted. Hopefully that will ease the humidity.

Shelly @shellyrae37 I had a lovely few days away camping by the river. It was hot but I had a nice shady tree to sit under and a river to swim in to cool down. The camp ground was very well kept by the managers, truly a beautiful spot and they don't pack everyone in on top of each other. We had lots of room and were well away from everyone. And the beauty of it , it was only 30 minutes drive from home. We thought there was a total fire ban so we didn't take any wood for a camp fire.
Katie @fyrqueen glad you and Mike are over covid
Marson @panishklo enjoy your exercise time. I did my gym workout this morning at 6 a.m
Nancy @jerseystar27 Looks like we may be getting our summer back at the end of the week. Crazy weather
Carl @carma I hope by now you are all dug out and no more snow for you

@carma Carl, the weather has been so crazy. After a winter of not a lot of snow, to get three storms in less than a week is crazy! The first "real" snow we've had in NJ was last Monday night into Tuesday.

@wattleihavenext Julie, we're having more "winter" weather in March than we had in January and February. Of course there's been just enough warm weather in between the cold spells that daffodils are several inches up and other things are starting to bud.

Rembering George/gable @george -- he helped us know when it was a new day on the board. He was a very knowledgeable glassie and a very nice person. I was lucky enough to meet up with him twice on trips to Seattle.

Carl @carma I can't even begin to imagine temps like that. We think its freezing with temps of 1 Celsius. Stay safe and warm. It's hot and very humid here.

Merry Christmas to all of you celebrating!

@carma I love Santa Claws! Glad you're safe and warm and will be seeing your girls later in the week.

@dorbitz JimL, glad you're safe and warm. This weather has been crazy!!

We're down at our daughter's house in Virginia. As she usually does, Kate, the critical care paramedic, is riding rescue today so someone else can be home for the holiday with family. We're happy she's only doing the day shift, not the full 24-hours. She'll join us later at her good friend's house for Christmas dinner. It is starting to warm up here -- supposed to be a high of 31 today.

@dorbitz JimL -- thank you!! We had a nice Chanukah dinner with our son. Later in the week we'll drive down to Virginia and spend a few days with our daughter for the end of Chanukah.

@carma Wow, quite a storm. Glad you're okay.

Apparently there may or may not be another snow storm at the end of the week. Every time I look at the forecast it has changed. In NJ, by Friday it's supposed to be in the 50s and raining. But, by the evening the temps are supposed to be around 18 and the forecast says "Watching a potential winter storm". Our plan is to head to Virginia on Thursday, arriving mid-afternoon, where it's supposed to be raining. Their forecast for Friday is "Watching a potential winter storm". I figure as long as we make it there, we'll be fine.

@carma Wow, that is some storm. So glad you have a generator. Looks like Maine will have a white Christmas. Take care!!

@carma Carl, a few leaves have started turning here in NJ. It's cool, but no frost yet. I have to go visit one of our apple farms and pick up some favorites.

And it's raining today.. Not sure if it's one of the bands from Ian. Supposed to stop by afternoon but then some showers (and wind) tomorrow. Of course I'm supposed to be helping my sister & her friend with their booth at the outdoor craft/antique show. She will not be bringing the books and other paper ephemera she's planned. Will probably bring some vintage aluminum pieces (perhaps some glass). Aside from not really wanting to spend the day outside when it's damp, windy, & chilly, but I don't think there will be many customers.

Good afternoon. Windy here and we have had no rain for a few days but weather reports say that will be short lived. I am still waiting on the roofer to get back here to have another look and to fix my still leaking roof. Hopefully 3rd time a charm

Nancy@jerseystar27 Yes I remember Jim aka Moose. Happy Heavenly Birthday to him. We have lost quite a few Glassies over the years 🙁 😥 This morning I was looking at some cards Marypat had made for me and sent to me and the Fenton basket Betty had sent me when DH was so ill and I was thinking of all the Glassies, no longer with us. Some I had never met in person but we had a bond, a genuine friendship.
Jim @dorbitz good to see that you will be getting a much deserved break. Enjoy
Katie @fyrqueen congrats to your son on his promotion
Carl @carma your garden sounds amazing.

@carma Carl, glad things worked out for your fridge and not losing any food. Sounds like a nice harvest.

@carma Carl, I saw those posts too. So sad. I was lucky enough to have met her. My husband had a conference every December in San Francisco. Fran & Doug came in to see us several times -- they introduced us to several restaurants we still visit when we're out there. Will miss Fran!!

@carma Happy Birthday, Carl!!

Carl @carma Yes the buyer was USA and yep knew that it was a USA thing BUT once upon a time it never use to be added to eBay sales, back in the days when it was mainly all collectable and second hand selling.

A repeat of the previous day's weather conditions, though the wind did ease off a bit earlier this morning, so at least I got outside and cleaned up a few smashed pots and put some items back where they belonged.

Carl @carma we don't have that tax system here in Aus, The price is the price, no added amounts. It's been a very long time since I have sold on eBay and back then there was no tax added to any of my USA sales. I think back then, they had started adding the postage costs to the total and hitting the sellers up for a percentage of that and of course increased their fees. Like you said, eBay is not interested in keeping the small time sellers.

Last night on our TV was the story of my dear friends,( my DD's God parents) whose 16 year old daughter was found murdered in 1997 and the killer or killers have not been found yet. A very emotional watch.

My mistake Carl @carma friend is saying it is a plate. I thought it was a bowl. She has listed it on eBay

Carl @carma OK just Googled and we call them Swedes. I love them baked with other root vegs (carrots beetroot turnips, sweet potato and onions) in some olive oil and towards the end add some balsamic vinegar. Sometimes I may also add garlic and chilli. Good in soups as well.

Nancy @jerseystar27 thank you
Carl @carma Thank you too .. I am sure it is a bowl.
You sound like you have some busy times ahead with renovations and gardening. I am now off to Google Rutabagas

Carl @carma A friend has this 8" Shell and sand bowl. Are they still hard to find?

Good afternoon Our beautiful weather continues.
I am exhausted atm. Had a training session at the gym this morning and then came home and tackled my yard. Spent almost 3 hours whipper snipping and mowing. And its just a rough job too. Grass was very long,thick and wet. It was hard work pushing the lawn mower through it. Now I have the paths, driveway and gutter to sweep. But I am just too pooped. I also do my neighbour's (on both sides) front section. In two more days I will do it all again. It should be a lot drier by then and I will tidy all the edges up much better.
Carl @carma great news about Marley and congratulations to Emma for completing her Masters Degree
Nancy @jerseystar27 I haven't had my 4th shot yet but will get it done asap.
Shelly @shellyrae37 that is a bummer about breaking your lovely creamer 🙁

@carma Carl, sounds great for both Marley and Emma, though it will make it harder to see them. Hopefully they will take the occasional vacation back home. Still, I suppose, it's better than one of my daughter's classmates. She came from Maine and went to Brandeis outside of Boston (not that far from home). But she did jr. year in Japan and then wound up working for various international relief non-profits. At this point she and her husband and children live in England. I highly approve of Marley's choice, by the way, chemical engineers are good people. My dad was a chemical engineer and I am/was a chemical/environmental engineer (now retired).

@shellyrae37 Shelly, oh, I'm so sorry to hear that! Somehow it's always the special ones that get broken. Over the years of having cats and having glass only a 3 or 4 pieces have been broken. But of course at least two were special things that I was able to buy inexpensively. I could probably replace them, but it would cost so much more.

@carma Carl, what great news about Marley!! I hope you can work something out so you can be there. I would hope that the ceremony will be available on livestream so even if you can't be there in person, you can still see (probably even better than if you're there in person). Has she decided on what happens next?

I got my fourth shot this past Wednesday. Really only a sore arm starting Wednesday night. But then yesterday I was feeling a little bit off and spent the day quietly (which meant missing a glass show!)

@carma Carl, it's good to see you!

It's certainly an odd spring. The temps in NJ keep bouncing between warm (we hit 70 last week!) and chilly. It's rainy this morning but I see on the weather map not very far northwest of us there's snow. Supposedly the rain will end around 1PM -- I hope it does as we are meeting cousins at the cemetery at 2PM for the unveiling of their father's gravestone.

@carma Stay safe, Carl! This is one big storm.

Still just rain here in NJ but the temperature is supposed to be dropping as the day goes on. By early afternoon it may be a wintry mix and/or freezing rain. As the radio commentator said this morning, I'd rather have snow. Ice is just treacherous and more likely to cause power issues.

@carma Glad to hear you made it through the storm okay.

Here in NJ it's 15 (windchill is 2). We probably got about 5 to 6 inches of snow (hard to tell after it blew around). Nice and sunny now.

And here in NJ it is looking like winter. Light snow this morning and, starting tonight, serious snow lasting into tomorrow. with an estimated 4 to 6 inches and wind gusts of 35 mph. Will be even worse east and north of us -- real blizzard conditions. Stay safe, @carma!!

@carma Carl, I was thinking of you when I was looking at the weather map and saw that the snow had moved over Maine. I can't even imagine what it's like when the temperatures get that low. Brrr!!

It's sunny for the moment in NJ. Still chilly and a bit breezy. But it is January, so I won't complain.

Carl @carma condolences to you and your family. May Sue R.I.P

@carma Carl, I am so sad to hear this. Gentle {{hugs}} and condolences to you and the family. I've enjoyed being a "virtual friend" with Sue for many years and do own a few pieces of glasses purchased from her.

Good Morning, it started out such a gorgeous morning. I was up early to go for a sunrise jog with my grandkids.The weather was perfect. But it is now overcast and raining so no lawn mowing for me, like I had planned
Carl @carma yes most definitely that was what the bots picked up on. FB needs to "educate" their bots on some of the English slang terminologies, otherwise there will be lots of ppl serving FB gaol time. One group has been totally shut down because the bots have wrongly picked up on some words or part of the words, deeming them as derogative. And so many strikes and the Group is shut down. And for nothing, no swearing (OMG some of the foul language I see posted and the bots are OK with that) , no nastiness, no violence, just talking about collecting, helping each other with information etc. The new Bot way of Facebook is just not working hopefully they will eventually work out the bugs. Last year I was given a warning because I used the word "shoot" I also had a hard time listing an old collectable empty tobacco tin because of the word "tobacco". There are so many other stories from ppl being nabbed by the bots because the Bots have no brains and are just programmed on certain words with no idea of context in a sentence or in my Gobblygook case, no idea of meanings . It's just crazy and I wonder how many other ppl served FB gaol time for using the same word. It is a common saying after all

Good Morning
Carl @carma I have been reading many disgruntled posts about the new eBay. I am so glad I quit there years ago. I don't sell very often these days but when I do , it is on FB and in a specific group for the item I am selling e.g If I have a Crown Crystal Glass Co item or an Early Australian Pottery item or general Depression Glass I list in that Group that I am a member where selling and auctions are allowed.

Good Morning... looks like we are in for another gorgeous Spring type day. I have been pulling up the old lino tiles in my sitting room. I am at the stage where I am sorry I started LOL.

Carl @carma I am so happy for you, that you finally got to see Emma and Marley.

@carma Carl, sounds like a perfectly, wonderful day! And it sure puts into perspective how long we have all know each other -- I remember when they were little kids and look at them now! It doesn't get much better for a grandparent.

It's finally cooler and less humid in NJ -- but very breezy. Not sure we actually got any of the rain overnight.

Back to Spring type weather again today but it does look like that's going to change soon. Some black clouds are starting to build up
Carl @carma OMG 2 years that would be so hard. I miss my grandchildren heaps and it has only been weeks and our lockdown has been extended for another 2 weeks. At least we have video calls where I can see their gorgeous faces and chat with them But a cuddle would be soooo good. Enjoy your cuddles with Emma and Marley. I am so happy for you <3

@carma Carl, that sounds wonderful!! Have a wonderful time.

And, yes, the heat and humidity are back. It's still nice in the shade though.

Carl @carma A lot of our farm land has gone too. We use to have a lot of potato farms and pumpkin farms, corn, tomatoes, Dairy and many more in my area. But sadly most have been replaced with new housing and industrial estates 😀
Years ago you could go for a lovely drive all around the farms and stop at road side stalls, some with an honesty box. We still have a few farms but not like before

@carma Happy Birthday, Carl!! I hope you had a lovely day.

@carma

@carma Carl, while there have been some very infrequent sightings of bear in our area, the main marauders at my feeders are the squirrels (they are little acrobats and contortionists!) and the deer. I have come out several times to find the deer happily licking seed out of the tube feeders. I did have to contend with a ground hog that one time managed to shove the large rock off the lid of the bird seed container and flipped the lid off. I caught him another time trying to move the rock, but haven't seen him in a while. (And we live in a small suburban city that is about 15 miles from New York City -- other side of the Hudson River -- so it's not like we live in the country.)

Good afternoon everyone
Carl @carma and I can not complain about our summer this year. I really don't think we had a summer.

Carl @carma unplug the microwave 😆 😆 😆

@carma Carl, glad that tree missed the house. And really glad you have your generator. We were lucky -- lots of wind but no damage around us. I was surprised that our two large trash cans (wheeled, designed to be picked up by the fancy new garbage trucks with arms) got moved around on our driveway by a wind gust -- they are very heavy.

Woke up with no fever and felt mostly okay all day, even went for a short walk this afternoon. But started feeling tired and a little achy so I'm skipping my evening Yoga class. (Teacher said she records all the sessions and will email it to me so I can take class tomorrow).

Good Morning. It is our first day of Autumn here. What a wonderful summer we have had..well I think so anyway LOL
I am doing a fundraiser for Breast Cancer, starting today. It's a 55 squats per day Challenge during the month of March. I am very please to report that on my first day and it is still only morning I have accomplished 218 squats. This was done at my bootcamp session 6a.m this morning. A good start to the day and week , a good start to Autumn and a good start for the Challenge.

Carl @carma sorry to hear about your car. My ute is due for registration and it's compulsory green slip. I do get free rego for this vehicle but the Green Slip and rego inspection I pay. $45 for the rego check and approx $300 for Green Slip. I will check out all insurance companies, compare and go with the cheapest. It's amazing the price difference for exactly the same thing.

Rainy in NJ -- but it's in the 40s.

@carma Sorry to hear about the expensive fix for you car, but better happening at home than when you were out somewhere (like off getting your vaccines).

@fyrqueen Katie, I hope you're feeling better today. Usually takes a couple of days.

@carma Carl, glad the shots went well. Sounds like you got the Moderna vaccine if it will be 4 weeks until the second shot.

I go for my second shot a week from tomorrow (Pfizer vaccine is 3 weeks between doses). My daughter, the critical care paramedic, got her shots last month. She got the Moderna vaccine -- first shot she had a sore arm and took Advil. Second shot she had a temperature over 101 the first day and spent the day sleeping. By the second day it was down to 99.5 and third day everything was back to normal. I've heard the reaction to the Pfizer vaccine isn't as bad -- guess I'll find out next week.

And it's snowing again in NJ. They're talking another 5 to 8 inches before it ends tomorrow. The past few days it was over freezing and we lost some of our snow pack (probably down to 6 inches from the almost 2 feet). But looking ahead to the forecast for next week, it looks like highs most days in the low 40s -- Yay!!

@carma Carl, and that is why it would have been nice to have a NATIONAL vaccination plan rather than leaving it up to the states. I'm glad you and DW have your appointment. There is no organization to NJ's vaccine plan -- every county seems to be doing their own thing.

Signing up for the NJ vaccine list gets you nothing as all of the sites in my county use their own sign-up lists and not the NJ list. I do understand that vaccination sites must be able to properly handle the storage of the vaccines as well as have sufficient space to give them as well as observation space for after the shots and sufficient parking. That is why in some places they are using baseball/football stadium parking lots or sports arenas.

@carma Carl, so glad you finally got to see your girls in person, even if it was short and from a distance. Hopefully once they are able to get more and more people vaccinated, things will start to get better. Remember, though, NORMAL is just a setting on the washing machine.

Wind is starting to pick up here. Supposed to get lots of rain overnight. And then tomorrow the temps will drop so it will be back to freezing by evening.

Wishing all of you who celebrate -- MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

Carl @carma That is so sad that you will not be able to spend Xmas with Marley and Emma.

A very proud moment indeed Carl @carma Congratulations to Marley. She has certainly grown into a beautiful woman

@carma Carl, how wonderful!! Beautiful photo and beautiful (inside and out) young woman. It's been a joy sharing Marley's journey -- does seem like it was just yesterday when it began.

Another brilliantly sunny day -- and it's warm. Just finished my morning walk, getting ready for my Zoom Yoga class.

Good morning, @carma!! Amazing that you're going from snow to mid-60s. We didn't get snow last Friday (though north & west of us there was some) but there were ice crystals on our skylights last Saturday morning. And now we too are experiencing mid to upper 60s. Sorry to hear your area is getting hit with Covid 19 cases -- stay safe & healthy!

Numbers are ticking up in parts of NJ. People around my town seem to be good about wearing masks and reasonably social distancing. I still consider a trip to the food store (limited to just once per week) an adventure. And I have been going for my monthly (now stretched to every 5 weeks) hair appointments. This past week I was the only client in the shop for most of my appointment. Everyone wears masks and there are plexiglass shields between stations and around the front desk. Still not sure what we're doing for T'day.

Carl @carma yes I would too

Carl @carma last posted on Facebook 3rd Sept. He was having a lovely feast on lobster

Good afternoon. We have had some lovely warm winter days but now it has become overcast and raining again.

Carl @carma our last summer was the hottest and worst I had ever experienced. Uncontrollable bushfires everywhere and day after day of temps over 40C. One day we reached 47Celsius. (117F) I hope we don't get a repeat of that this year.

Good Morning We are getting some lovely rain and a cold front is coming through later today. Winter is just around the corner

Carl @carma we have very much the same restrictions down here. They have been in place since March and no date yet of when they will be lifted. Except As of tomorrow we can now have 2 visitors (no visitors allowed before) but we must keep social distance of 1.5metres apart. But everything else is still in place,only allowed to go out for essentials (food and exercise) If for whatever legitimate reason you need to cross a border to another state (you have to apply for a pass) you must stay totally quarantined for 2 weeks, no going anywhere at all for anything and np contact with anyone. You are to stay put! All clubs, pubs, cafes and restaurants have had to close their doors too but they can do take away and home deliveries, which a lot have adapted to doing.All gyms, hairdressers, beauticians , massage/wellness centres, just about everything had to shut their doors too. My grandchildren had a day back at school yesterday. Home schooling and video link up with an education school site has been the way for everyone. But yesterday everyone was allowed a day at school. But now they are back to isolation for a little longer. I think Australia has handled all this very well and the statistic show that.If we continue this road all restrictions will be gradually lifted soon a little at a time. We also have an app to download that will monitor our movements as to who we have been close to, So in the event of someone being positive to the virus, they can then notify everyone that was close by. A quick way to get
notify and test everyone. Most who have been to the supermarket to get their groceries would have no idea who they walked past in the isles or who they stood behind at the checkout, so finding and notifying them would prove a difficult task.

Good Morning
Carl @carma yeah I don't get the toilet paper issue either. What is it with ppl??? It was the same down here too. The first thing that ppl were panic buying. Why?? There is a guy, down here, that has just tried to return the massive amount of toilet paper he bought, wanting a refund. But the store manager has refused. Apparently the guy bought up all the toilet paper so he could sell it on eBay But eBay has shut him down so now he is stuck with it all. Humans , greedy and also stupid! For here, there was never going to be an issue of no toilet paper. We make our own and the company said there was never going to be a shortage Yeah I am still scratching my head about why ppl were panic buying toilet paper, (or panic buying anything for that matter) But toilet paper, of all things to rank the most import thing to buy and stock up on in a pandemic??? Does my head in thinking about it

Good Morning. Easter holidays are upon us here and the most popular thing for most families to do is to go away camping or holiday at the beach . With all the restrictions now, that will not be possible, there are fines for NON essential travel. I did hear on the radio this morning a lot of families are planning to pitch their tents or set up their caravans in their backyards and still enjoy themselves around a campfire. I am planning an easter Egg hunt for my Grandkids, via Zoom. DD will be including a note,among their eggs, from the Easter Bunny to say he has hidden some eggs at Grandmas. We should have a lot of fun with that.I think the secret to surviving all this it to stay positive and look for ways to have a little fun. I might even camp in my backyard too and do a video call with some friends/family who I usually camp with this time of year. No reason why we can't still enjoy a campfire and camp oven meal, a glass of wine and each others company.

Carl @carma lucky for me I have totally avoided all the stupid ppl panic buying, pushing,shoving and fighting over items. Worst was happening here while I was safe in Nepal. And being in isolation when I arrived home saved me from it for another 2 weeks. My little local supermarket around the corner is nice and quiet and has all the basics I need so will stick with them. I just heard on the radio that some Pharmacists and shop assistants are still copping abuse from customers and even to the extent of being physically assaulted. Madness!!!

Good Morning. A beautiful rainy morning, perfect for a Saturday morning sleep in.

Carl @carma our petrol prices have dropped too. But I can't take advantage of it yet till I am out of isolation. Knowing my luck when I go to fill up the cars on Monday it will have gone back up.

Katie @fyrqueen we are lucky too, to have some of our local farmers doing home deliveries. Some have also set up Non contact services too. The Fresh produced boxed and customer purchases online or over phone and pick it up through a drive through process And all hygiene protocol adhered to. A lot of local businesses here have made the adaption to home deliveries, Some of the pubs that had to close their doors were selling their Kegs to the public too. These times are certainly making the business owners think outside the square. The ones that have not gone with the times and have refused to keep up with technology I would think would be suffering right now

Jim @dorbitz If you decide to wear gloves you will be required to change them for every new customer you deal with. IMHO Good hand sanitizer, recommended by the Health Department would probably be better.
BTW I emailed my bank and they are still opened for customers that require personal attention. So that's good I can organise that part of my finances when I am out of isolation.

Good Morning. It is a picture perfect day so far this morning.

Carl @carma Thanks for your concern but I am very confident I will be safe. I have very good health and take all the precautions to keep myself safe from germs.

Good afternoon.We have received some more rain and a few places did get some flash flooding as severe storms passed through. Rain and sunshine and My lawn is growing right before my eyes, Unbelievable!!
I have my suitcase all packed now, ready for my trip, (do travel very light.) Just a few last minute things need to go in and I am all done.

Carl @carma enjoy your time with Marley

Good morning from foggy, drizzly NJ -- it's 45 going up to 48 and we're supposed to get rain starting tonight. My forsythia looks like it wants to start flowering.

@Carma Carl, glad the storm will hold off until after your visit with Marley.

Good Morning It's a beautiful morning here, You can feel Summer leaving and Autumn coming. A lovely time of year. Amazing what a bit of rain can do to green things up an make the country look beautiful.
I'm having a rest and recovery day today and doing nothing that requires too much physical activity.Between my training schedule and working on the yard (many hours of hard work) to get it all under control and looking decent again, I need a day of rest. I'm meeting up with friends/family for morning tea, a weekly occurrence. My Ute/van is due for rego, so taking that to mechanics to get passed. Grandkids have their swimming Meet this afternoon, so I will watch them race, followed by my weekly Trivia Comp at our local Club.

Carl @carma I am so pleased you will get to see Marley. Nothing beats the love of a grandchild.

@carma Carl, that's great news. Have fun on Wednesday!!

It's spring-like here in NJ too. We'll see how long that lasts.

@carma Carl, thank you! Sounds like I have a new project to explore. And I imagine it's a lot easier to ship coins (well insured) as well.

@carma Carl, I had no idea that pennies could be worth something. When we cleaned out my parents house this past year, I wound up with all the containers with my dad's coins. Besides the pennies (and there are some from 1943) there are silver dimes, quarters, and half dollars. And the quarters and half dollars include standing liberty and Barber. [Side note -- I need quarters for the parking meters in town, so I was very excited when I saw there were rolls of quarters -- until I looked at the first one and realized they were silver.] Is it worth it to try to sell on eBay?

Good Morning and it is a much better morning I survived yesterday but it has really drained me of energy.A combination of the heat and of just sitting around doing nothing. Looks like we received some rain last night, not heavy rain but just misty drizzling rain which I couldn't hear on the roof. Temps have dropped, we are now down to 24C(7a.m), but it is still "sticky"
Bushfires are still raging in some areas of NSW and more homes were lost over the weekend.I read an article that the USA firefighters that came here to help said they have never seen anything like it in their firefighting lives. They fought the fires in California too. I keep asking myself "when is this ever going to end?"
Katie @fyrqueen our roads melt a bit down here. I remember as a child my best friend on I would dig out the lumps of ore in the asphalt. LOL Now I am thinking about that I have no idea why we did it LOL
Carl@carma so sad that the township is dying 🙁 Tourism has taken a huge dive down here too because of the fires and drought. so many towns that relied on tourism are struggling. There is a campaign down here now "Go support a little country town hit by droughts and fires" There is even a FB page "Buy from the BUsh" now set up that you can buy online from them. Homemade, handmade or from the little local dress shop instead of the big shopping centre companies in the Cities etc. I know quite a few friends buying gifts and items that way now. A company has also set up bus tours for shopping to struggling towns (weekend away trips) to help input some $$ into the struggling towns.
Jim @dorbitz I am struggling with this heat now. Now it is a humid heat and it has to be the worst kind. Before Xmas there was no humidity , and though it was hot and temps were way up there over the 40C, I coped much better. The weekend away I had to Currabubula (out west and very hot) It didn't feel near as bad as here. It was actually quite bearable
George @george yep give me cold over hot anyday. I just keep looking at photos of my next trek to Nepal. all those mountains with snow on them, look sooooooo good.

Good Morning It is so hot and humid here at 30 Celsius and it is only 7.30a.m I had next to no sleep last night.Storms and rain are predicted for today and over the weekend.
I am going to meet my new Grandpuppy today, Hamish is his name, a cavoodle and such a little cutie, from the pics I have seen

Carl @carma yep the grandkids loved it. Especially when the pilot tilted the helicopter over on its side so they could get a good look at the water.

Katie @fyrqueen lucky for us down here we do not have any diseases from ticks. As a child my Mum was always pulling ticks off us, after a day of running around in the bush. when we were on holidays at either the beach or my Grandfathers property. Though there have been a few isolated cases in recent years claiming ppl have contracted Lymes Disease. But I think those cases were traced back to when the person was actually overseas and not from a tick here in Aus.

Good Morning. NYE here and so it continues ,HOT and bushfires. It is 8.30a.m we are already at 30 C and suppose to reach 42C
ANother volunteer firefighter lost their life yesterday. This was further south of me. A lot of holiday areas have been evacuated all around, north and south of me. Our NYE fireworks have been cancelled this year (the decision was made yesterday afternoon) because of the extremely dry conditions and predicted strong winds and I know a lot of other towns have done the same. Some towns are donating the money they would have spent on the fireworks to the Fire Services. BUT Sydney's main one, last I heard, is still going ahead. A lot of ppl are not happy with that, saying a waste of $$$ ( $1 million just for the fireworks ) that could be spent elsewhere helping those in need, especially in times like now with the unprecedented fires just about everywhere and the longer than normal drought,leaving so many destitute.

Carl @carma WOW yes it is hard to imagine Marley will be 24. They do grow up fast, don't they.And what a beautiful young lady she has grown into. You must be one very proud Grandfather.

Julie

Good afternoon. What a difference a day makes. We are at 23 Celsius (@1.30p.m) with a lovely cool breeze blowing. Such a big relief from yesterday's fan forced oven conditions.

Carl @carma enjoy your time with Emma and Marley.
Jim @dorbitz it is our longest day here.

Well it is back to reality and the smoke filled air here. Bushfires all around are still a big issue and it feels like I am looking through orange tinted glasses. Eyes are starting to get scratchy again and I feel like I have a throat full of dust.
George @george I hope the move is going smoothly
Katie @fyrqueen Mystery Island was like a little paradise.I just relaxed there on the beach and swam in that DDG water. Some went snorkelling and the photos they took are amazing.
Jim @dorbitz my next trip is in March and I am going back to Nepal to do another trek but this time it will be to Langtang valley which is north of Kathmandu and an area I have not yet seen. I will be over there for the Holi Festival before the trek starts too. I had so much fun last year for that, I can't wait to do it again.
Carl @carma yes I did have a great time. It is a beautiful part of the world and that water is magic, so clear, so clean, so pretty and the people are beautiful. We were well looked after.

@carma Carl, I think you're right -- I thought of that just after I posted.

Hello-o-o-o!!! I hope everyone's okay. No sign of @george George or @carma Carl or @dorbit JimL or any of the other regulars. I know that Julie @wattleihavenext is off cruising.

Much of the snow/ice has melted here in NJ -- still some on the grass but the streets and driveway are pretty clear.

Good Morning. It is a beautiful Spring morning here.
Carl @carma yep there is definitely something very amiss with our weather patterns. I can't see how anyone can deny it.

Good Morning. It is truly a lovely morning here. Clear blue sky and perfect temperature. It was trying to rain yesterday but sadly nothing eventuated here and the day ended dry dusty and windy.

Carl @carma it is so sad 🙁
Nancy @jerseystar27 Thanks for the info re Susan's birthday. I was about to post her cake . It is also showing on FB that today is her birthday BUT that is always the case with FB because I am a day ahead of you. LOL Today is the 9th

Good Morning everyone. Daylight Savings has started here. I am not a lover of it and think it is the most stupidest idea ever!! And I feel for all the Parents out there with young ones trying to get them into the sleeping routine again. I know what it was like with my DD And you just get them into that sleeping routine and then it changes back.

I woke to hear the Storm Birds calling. I hope that means rain is on its way.

George @george Big ((((((HUGS))))) Its not going to be a good be a good week for you.

Carl @carma YUM Fresh juicy corn. You can't beat it. You can't beat any freshly picked produce. It always tastes so good.I am lucky to have farms around me where I can purchase fresh produce. BUT the numbers are dropping and the farmers are doing it tough. Big Supermarkets popping up everywhere and importing produce doesn't help them either. Big companies buying up the farming land and turning into housing estates is another reason there is a reduction is farmers around here. Breaks my heart when I see new housing estates popping up on what was once good farming soil or what was once a lush green dairy farm. 🙁
🙁

Good Morning. It is still raining here and we have had some heavy downfall. I am loving it. Loving the sound of the rain, loving the smell and loving the clean fresh air, no dust.

Carl @carma I was having trouble sleeping last week. Tossed and turned all night. I don't know why but my brain just wouldn't shut down BUT I didn't get up and start any cleaning LOL After a couple of nights with little sleep, I finally wore myself out.

@carma Carl, here in NJ, on the other hand, we're not happy that it's going to be almost 90 today. I'd much rather have the 70s it's been for the past few days. But I won't mind some rain for the garden (or what's left of it).

Good Morning. This glorious rain continues. It has hardly let up in the last 24 hours. I's a God send but the report says it will be all gone by tomorrow, And sadly the farming areas north and west of me have received none to very little. When is Mother Nature going to relent and give these farmers a break? It truly breaks my heart to see our country like this.Yes our famers are use to droughts, its just how it is down here "with droughts and flooded range" but this is the worst EVER. Our food sources are dieing

Carl @carma I hope your family stays safe, As I do for everyone in the path of the hurricane. I do believe Dave Partington is in its path as well.

Good Morning. We are getting rain, Rain! beautiful rain! And not just a few spots. It is nice and steady, just prefect for soaking in to our rock hard ,cracked and dry ground. OMG I had forgotten what it was like and I am loving the smell.
Carl @carma SO true But those ppl know that it won't be happening in their lifetime and they don't care about what they are doing for the future. I just hope the next generation coming through will be much better. We do have a lot of school students here trying their best to fix the problem.They are doing a lot of campaigning, fingers crossed they can succeed with their vision for a cleaner and healthier earth

Good Morning. Looks like we will be having another beautiful Spring type day. The winter chill in the mornings has gone
Carl @carma yes Mother Nature is in a turmoil and it is scary.And it is 11 BILLION not millions of ice melt per day. And ppl still bury their heads in the sand and deny it all. But as you know and I know it is all about greed and those in power don't give a toss. I could rant on and on but I won't.

Good morning Spring is still in the air and its feeling good atm. It is desperately trying to rain here but it is just not happening. Dark clouds come over, a few very light sprays, not even enough to show up on the cement paths and then its gone. There have been reports of areas north of me that did receive some much needed rain. FINALLY!!

Carl @carma seems strange that your seasonal blueberry crops are at the same time as ours. I thought that a bit weird. Also that yours are down and ours are suppose to be good, especially during such a drought that we are having. Mother Nature is very unpredictable.