Three Things...Gratitude Thread

[slo]

Happy Thursday Everyone

#1 - WDW Vacations - I’m grateful that we are able to afford these trips. It’s great to escape the real world for awhile and just be happy at the happiest place on earth.

#2 - My Pool - One of my most favorite escape places. No one bugs me, I just float all afternoon while reading or listening to relaxing music

#3 - Cruises - We haven’t been on one since 2007, and I’m really wanting to do another cruise soon. They are a great escape - I do love a good cruise.

 

[TiggerTrigger]

Summer Travel Ball Destinations - DD16 is at a point where her softball endeavors eat up pretty much all of our travel budget and vacation time. Still waiting on my boss to approve all of my summer time off requests, but I'm at least grateful that it all takes us places away from home and usually affords us a couple of days here and there to enjoy vacation-like activities. On tap this summer... the better part of a week outside of Oklahoma City, nearly two weeks in Colorado (one more Fort Collins and one more Denver proper), a few days in suburbia Chicago (DH is taking this one), a few days in Atlanta, and then rounding it all out with nearly 2 weeks in Huntington Beach, CA.

Europe - In June of 1998, DH and I spent a day in EPCOT. We had fun, but it triggered this desire to go to Europe. It took some time to save up, but we went on a nearly 3 week tour in October of 2000. We visited sites in England, France, Belgium, Germany, Austria, Italy, and Switzerland. We always talk about going back, but it just hasn't happened. So, I'm grateful that I acted on the impulses when I did. Still, I have some unfinished business in Florence, Italy...so really hoping we do make it back. This was also the trip that made me take the leap from basic point and shoot to SLR. I took something like 28 rolls of film.

Yellowstone - That same 1998 trip to WDW got me thinking about parts of the US we haven't seen...the stuff you always hear about, but ends up being a bucket list thing for one reason or another. I don't know what came over me, but it was January of 2005 and I suddenly decided we NEEDED to see Yellowstone. Our summer was already kind of packed with a trip to FL for my brother's wedding, a trip to NYC for a cousin's wedding, and a trip to Vegas for my birthday (definitely pre-kid life!). So, I decided to focus on a window of time after Labor Day. Mind you, I had no idea that in-park lodging opened and booked up a year in advance. Needless to say, it was an education when I called. Still, they managed to get us into cabins or hotel rooms throughout the park over a 1.5 week span. I guess it worked out because it was after school was back in session. The visit was absolutely life changing and became the foundation for all of our national parks love and trips. My only real regret was that I was still using a film SLR for this trip and not investing in a more substantial zoom lens. I took 12-13 rolls of film but still think about the shots that could have been if I'd had better gear.

 

[leebee]

Summer at the cottage- For the past 5 years, DH and I have rented a cottage just off the ocean in the town where I spent my summers as a kid, where my sister and brother and some of their kids still live. It's lovely and relaxing for the two of us to just hang out and "be," walking on the beach in the mornings and evenings (with coffee or something more "interesting" in our travel mugs), going out to dinner, hanging with my sister and cousins, having the nieces/nephews over for dinner. Unfortunately, we have pretty much been priced out on this cottage now, and it makes me sad.

My solo Disney trips: I've done this for the past 3 years, and the hotel for trip #4 is booked on a BounceBack rate. I call these my "Save My Sanity" tours. I love living as a multi-generational family, but man, does it get to me sometimes. I need the solitude and brain-space that these trips provide.

PARIS!!! When DD was in high school, her ballet company did a collaborative production with a group in Vendome. Dancers stayed with host families for 4 nights, and then we took them to Paris for 4 nights. I went to Paris with nineteen of my favorite teenagers, and It Was AWESOME.

 

[citruscurtis]

PIZZA

We take visitors to the famous Yuma county Pizza Burger...build up the size required pizza pan and 30 minute wait. It's a four hour event including travel across the foresaken desert... view of middle East Towns as we travel thru battle grounds training... the visitor having no idea that ahead is the diamond of.the county Martinez lake/resivors surrounded by millions dollar homes ... every visitor loses their breath ... how does this even exist

IN OUT burger... it's a planned escape... historical wait time for fast food... the location in Salem Oregon is a tourist destination... our Yuma location has shorter estimate wait times so all the visitors would rather invest time for the shake than go to Mexico

Loneliest IN OUT in the US is in Laughlin, Nevada ...a strange escape destination... basically a casino strip unlike any other, not any way Vegas... but on the banks of the Colorado river with views of the mountain range that inspired Radiator Springs... several days to explore US route 66 culture.... AND no waiting at IN OUT... the strangest escape experience

 

[PollyannaMom]

Definitely Florida trips! One in particular that really felt like an "escape" was in 2015. - We were in an awful pattern of weekly snowstorms and we got out for a Disney trip just in time. We happened to be staying at CBR, and it was exactly the vibe we needed!

Driving by myself and singing along to the radio with no inhibitions.

The mini-escape of ordering in and binge-watching a good TV show.

 

[citruscurtis]

Driving by myself and singing along to the radio with no inhibitions.

The mini-escape of ordering in and binge-watching a good TV show.

..... so what decade do you tune in for the

 

[PollyannaMom]

..... so what decade do you tune in for the

Sometimes a mixed country station, sometimes 70s, sometimes a playlist with Disney or musicals or Christmas music that's not really defined by decades

 

[PollyannaMom]

Today's Topic (Fri, 1/3) - 3 sticky things you're grateful for

 

[slo]

It’s Friday!

#1 - Honey - I love it in my chamomile tea (always, not just when I’m not feeling good), in my oatmeal and other things. Love it!

#2 - Post-It Notes - My life would be so screwed up without sticky notes. I use them all the time, especially at work.

#3 - Press n Seal - I use so much of this. I especially love it for wrapping up chicken breast to put in the freezer. I wrap a chicken breast in, then write the weight (I have a small food scale) and the date on it. This is a great product for wrapping and covering almost everything

 

[WDWEPCOT]

Post it Notes

Super Glue / Wood Glue - y’all know how much I love super glue

Duct Tape - universal fix it !!! If I can’t glue it I’m taping it

 

[PollyannaMom]

Another vote for duct tape - used it just yesterday to repair the folders that were falling out of my niece's school binder.

Poster tack (the blue putty stuff) - I use it all the time!

And sugar-free syrup for DH.

 

[TiggerTrigger]

Driving by myself and singing along to the radio with no inhibitions.

I still do this if I ever have the vehicle to myself. The best is when I'm in bumper to bumper traffic. Every now and then I catch the reactions of the drivers around me and it's a good laugh.

 

[WDWEPCOT]

I can’t imagine what I look like driving to work but I sing at the top of my lungs and I couldn’t carry a tune in a bucket I’m sure I’m quite entertaining at least I’m not looking at my phone

 

[TiggerTrigger]

Silicone Caulk - It can be a sticky mess until it dries, but it's a great sealant and adhesive. Our handyman recently used a ton to seal our windows. The temperature difference inside is amazing. I recently used it to make a shield along the runners for the shower in one of the bathrooms. I really need to get the motivation to re-caulk one of the sinks.

Packing Tape - I always keep several rolls handy for sealing up boxes.

Edible Glues - The aerosol spray stuff is the best, but it's pricey. So, I often resort to this brush on clear stuff or a concoction involving meringue powder. You don't normally need this if you're adhering fondant to fondant, but you need something with a stronger bond when you start working with gum paste.

 

[citruscurtis]

..... so what decade do you tune in for the

Okay.... generation check ...1971...3 dog night... can you still sing the chorus

Joy joy.... to the drivers in a traffic jam

I was on a Oregon school bus and every time the song came out... the chorus went deeper into my psyche...4 years on the bus

 

[citruscurtis]

Sticky hummingbird feeders

Palm sap sucker lands on the feeder and spills the contents which in turn attracts flying insects which in turn get stuck and a variety of tiny birds land and eat them all the while are perched at the screen with tiny holes...all this time for the hummingbird to wait for an opening in the chaos...all of this out our window

4011 stickers.... universal code for banana the last couple years or any movie.. Disney will print images for the sticker... I save them and the is selected by the condition of the sticker...can it be peeled off without damage . They are then saved in my Bible on the blank note page s

 

[leebee]

Maple syrup
Caramel ice cream topping
Rice Krispie bars!

 

[WDWEPCOT]

Silicon caulk - spent 6 hours and 4 bottles rubbing slcohol removing silicone caulk it’s some of the stickiest stuff around !!! Long story short - I had a huge mess of it that someone created that I didn’t know what it was and my neighbor was kind enough to tell me it’s silicone caulk I said oh my gosh thank you I’ve been three years trying to figure this out googled it because I’ve already tried 100 other products on it trying to remove it because I didn’t know what it was and nothing was working in good old Google said to try rubbing alcohol worked liked a dream !!!

My project for this weekend is recaulking my shower !!! Wish me luck never done this before but I’ve watched a ton of videos on how to do it !!! Just got to finish removing what’s left of the old caulk first without removing my fingers

 

[PollyannaMom]

(First Saturday in February)


Today's Topic (Sat, 2/1) ~ 3 out-of-the-ordinary things you're grateful for

 

[WDWEPCOT]

Dessert for Breakfast !!! Like after Thanksgiving - pie for breakfast!!! With a glass of milk

Warm days in winter gives you hope the cold is not going to last forever!!!

Finding you made a math mistake in your favor in your checkbook !!! It’s unusual and awesome when it happens ( not very often sadly )