It’s not easy…

Posted by worldwide-admin on May 31, 2024 with 2 Comments

The view from the dining room in the house in Campanario, Madeira, in May 2014.

Each day, when I load my computer to prepare another post, I ask myself, “What will I write about today?” Unless something specific has happened that inspired me for the day, I am often at a loss as to what to write. It’s easy when traveling with endless photo ops and stories to tell. Right now, it’s not easy.

At times like this, when it’s not exciting, I peruse the most recent news to see if there’s something interesting to report. Often, that news is distressing, and I don’t care to go down that road too often.

Yesterday, when a police officer and two civilians were killed (see the story here) and several injured in a shooting only 20 minutes from here, I cringed over writing about this. But a part of me feels compelled to report such local incidences to serve as a warning to everyone to be careful. Even so, there would have been no way to prevent what happened. The only lesson it serves us right now is to stay away from Minneapolis if possible and stick to the suburbs.

But even suburbs aren’t exempt from shootings and crimes. Nowhere is safe, including many areas we’ve traveled throughout the world. We’ve been fortunate, although we’ve made many efforts to stay safe, but no measures can ensure total safety.

Now, back to commenting about what to write during these quiet times, which is more in my mind now than in the past, I can’t help but be concerned about the upcoming many months. I even considered taking a break from posting, not for me but for all our readers who may become tired of our mundane posts and stories with nothing much going on.

Based on our current circumstances, it is almost three months until my appointments at Cleveland Clinic, beginning on August 28. Once we arrive, a series of tests will transpire, possibly over a few weeks. Once the tests are completed, there will be a surgical consultation with Tom and me to discuss and determine the course of action and time frame for the upcoming surgery.

From there, it could be as long as two months until I have the surgery, during which, most likely, we’ll stay in Cleveland while we wait. They will plan my surgery date based on two factors: 1. The severity of my situation, 2. The availability of a time slot for the surgery. I have no control over either of these factors.

There will be other patients lying in hospital beds with my condition, with worse symptoms disabling them, that will have precedence over my case. I fully understand and accept this reality. Also, if I were a celebrity, the waiting would be minimal. That’s another fact of life.

Thus, if the consultation occurs in mid-September, and I can have surgery within two months, the surgery might occur in mid-December. From there, with at least a three-month recovery period sufficient for air travel, it could be mid-March until we can fly to South Africa. If my recovery is slower, we could be as late as next June, a year from now. As much as that is a painful thought, it’s a possibility.

Although after my last open-heart surgery, I was able to travel three months later, it took me a year to fully recover. This may be shorter for younger patients, and also, since I already have coronary artery disease, the recovery period may be longer. I don’t know the answers to that now…everyone is different in their recovery.

Subsequently, I don’t know what I’ll write about in the next three months other than to continue on this current path…the trivialities of our daily lives, not necessarily trivial to us but undoubtedly trivial to our worldwide readers. Once we get to Cleveland, we’ll share the processes at the clinic, where we’re living, and so forth.

Once I have the surgery, most likely, there will be a two-week lull when I won’t be able to write at all. Once I can move my arms a little, I will begin again, with the utmost enthusiasm, knowing the healing process has begun. I can’t wait to get this over with.

After careful consideration, I have decided I will continue to do the posts, however dull and uneventful they may be. If you find yourselves uninterested, you know what to do. We understand and offer the utmost gratitude for your encouragement and support over all these years.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, May 31, 2014:

We chose a table closest to the ocean under a bright red umbrella, casting a red glow on our photos. For more photos, please click here.

Another fine social evening with old friends…Saving money on hotel costs…

Posted by worldwide-admin on May 30, 2024 with 0 Comment

A road in Ribeira Brava, Madeira, as we drove to a restaurant ten years ago.

At 4:40 pm, we picked up our dear friend Sue. Sue and Chip were our beloved friends and neighbors in our old lives. Chip sadly passed away a short time before we left Minnesota. Losing him was heartbreaking for Sue, us, and many who loved this special man dearly. We were with him on his last day, May 31, 2012, only five months before we left Minnesota to travel the world.

We recall him being happy about our upcoming travels, but he was also sad about the prospect of us being gone. He and Sue were a daily part of our lives, with some of the best memories of our lives. He and Tom shared the same birthday, December 23, and we often spent the birthdays together. I recall making birthday cakes, with half of each celebrating our exceptional husbands.

We have stayed in close touch with Sue all these years we’ve been away, and most often, when we were in Minnesota, we made time to get together. Last night was no exception, and dear next-door neighbors Nelleke and Dave were included with us. We had quite a close neighborhood with many great memories we’ll always cherish. Now, everyone has moved away except for Nelleke and Dave.

The conversation was delightful and only as intimate and meaningful as one would have with long-term friends. Of course, they were concerned about my upcoming surgery, asking me many questions with answers I freely shared. Over the years, we have all had trials and life challenges, and we have never failed to share them. That closeness is a treasure in this “hustle and bustle” world, often with little time to get together, let alone have time for deep conversations.

The food at Jimmy’s Kitchen & Bar was excellent as always, although a little pricey for our objectives. It was almost $200 for Sue and the two of us. But it was a special occasion, and we didn’t mind the expenditure.

Back at our hotel, by 9:00 pm, we streamed an episode of a show, and before we knew it, we were off to bed. I was thrilled to have a good night’s sleep and feel refreshed and energetic today. Yesterday, I started walking outdoors and hope to increase the distance daily.

After writing about how little I’ve walked or exercised in the past week, I am working hard to motivate myself to do more. The sidewalks at this hotel are uneven, but I am doing my best to be sure-footed. Minnesota’s winter frost and summer heat often result in uneven walkways and sidewalks, which are repaired infrequently.

Nothing much is on today’s agenda except for Tom returning the current rental car for another by noon, and then before 5:00 pm, he will leave to drive north to grandson Vincent’s trap shooting event. I will stay behind since attending this event requires standing for extended periods, not something I cannot do with ease.

Yesterday, I had an idea to contact Marriott Bonvoy, the rewards program for Marriott Hotels worldwide. After some time on the phone, they were able to get us a better price for this hotel, saving us over $1200 for July and August since we already had a great rate until June 14, when we’ll leave to drive to Milwaukee, returning here for the new booking from June 16 until August 25, when we begin the drive to Cleveland Clinic. What an unexpected break!

We’ll be back with more tomorrow.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, May 30, 2014:

As a gust of wind came in from the sea, the density of the cloud escalated in Campanario, Madeira. For more photos, please click here.

A great day with a dear friend…More social time tonight…

Posted by worldwide-admin on May 29, 2024 with 0 Comment

Fountains are often designated as spiritual shrines in some countries worldwide. This one was in Ribeira Brava, Madeira, where we had lunch several times.

Yesterday morning, Tom dropped me off at the Atelier Beauty School in Hopkins, where Chere and I were scheduled for pedicures at 11:00. On the drive there, Tom offered to stop at Dollar Tree to buy a wine glass for me. I’d looked it up on maps, and there is a store within .4 miles of our hotel.

I’ve noticed that many restaurants in the US don’t have stemmed wine glasses. It’s been trendy in the US to serve wine in short stubby glasses. With how little wine I drink, I like to drink it in a stemmed glass. I thought if I could keep one in my bag when we dine out at locations where I know they don’t have stemmed glasses, I could use my own in such cases.

For me, drinking wine is about the ritual, the feel of the glass in my hand, the aroma, the color, and the taste. None of it feels right to me in a short, stubby glass. Thus, I chose to take the matter into my own hands, literally. Also, with a few bottles of low-alcohol wine left from our month in Arizona and no wine glass in this residence hotel with a full kitchen, buying an inexpensive wine glass was on my radar.

When Tom dropped me off at the beauty school, ten minutes earlier than our appointment time, he noticed a Dollar Tree across the street. How convenient! I was shocked to find a decent-sized wine glass for $1.25. With inflation, Dollar Tree can no longer sell their merchandise for $1.00. I was happy to pay $1.25. There’s hardly anything one can buy for $1.25 these days, not even a pack of gum.

By 11:00, Chere walked in, and we were hurried off to our appointments. The pedicure at Atelier is $24 plus tip as opposed to as much as $65 in regular spas or salons. The two young women who provided our services were professional, friendly, and did a fine job. Since I left my flip-flop sandals in storage at the Marloth Park house, I had to wear the plastic throw-away flip-flops they provided at the facility.

Knowing my polish would be done when we arrived at Jimmy’s Kitchen for lunch, I wore the neon green flip-flops into the restaurant carrying my shoes in my hand. My toes would be dry by the time we finished lunch, and I apologized to the hostess for my choice of footwear. No one noticed. No one cared.

The lunch was delicious, and the conversation with Chere was delightful, as always. I love having an opportunity for “girl talk” while we are in the US, which is sorely lacking in some countries worldwide. Of course, with many friends in Marloth Park, there are many opportunities for lunch with “my girls.” I have many more such lunches planned while we are in the US.

Speaking of Jimmy’s Kitchen, we are going out with old friends and neighbors, Sue, Nelleke, and Dave, with a 5:00 pm reservation. First, we’ll pick up Sue at Friendship Village, a lovely retirement community in nearby Minnetonka, and then head to Jimmy’s, where we’ll meet up with Nelleke and Dave. This is the same restaurant where we dined together last September when we were in the US for a few weeks.

Last night, we watched another basketball game with the Minnesota Timberwolves. They lost the first three games of a seven-game series. If they hadn’t won last night, the potential of going further on to the playoffs would have been over. Much to our delight and surprise, they won, and game five will be on Thursday night.

We’re looking forward to watching it. Tom will go to grandson Vincent’s skeet shooting contest on Thursday evening but will watch the game balance when he returns to the hotel.

There are no big plans for today until dinner later on. Today will be another quiet day in the hotel.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, May 29, 2014:

No matter how busy we may become in planning for the future, we never fail to stop and notice the beauty surrounding us at the time, whether it’s a simple flower on our veranda or an expansive view. For more photos, please click here.

Rushing today…A fun day planned with a friend…

Posted by worldwide-admin on May 28, 2024 with 2 Comments

Our lovely owner/property manager, Gina, brought over roses from her garden, which was appreciated.

In less than two hours, Tom will drive me to the beauty school where my long-time friend Chere and I will be having pedicures, as we did the last time we were in Minnesota last September. As we did then, after our polish is dry, we’ll head to a restaurant for lunch, the location undecided at this point.

Chere will drop me off at the hotel when we’re done since she lives in Eden Prairie, which is not far away. Not driving anymore is an inconvenience for others but safer for me and other drivers on the road. My reflexes aren’t as good as they were before I had open-heart surgery in 2019. I am hoping they don’t get worse after this upcoming surgery, but I don’t have a clue at this point.

After this next surgery, I may find my arms and legs work better with more blood flow after my valves are repaired/replaced. That will make it all worth it. Being able to walk better could change my life. Whenever I go out, I first think about “How far am I going to walk?” or “How uneven will the roads and walkways be while out and about?” It’s been getting worse day by day.

Unfortunately, the fitness center at this hotel is a long flight of stairs. I can do fine going up, but coming down is very difficult. I can’t expect Tom to come to help me go up and down every day when the fitness center is not near our hotel room. He’d have to go back and forth four times, which makes no sense. Plus, even with his help, I could easily fall.

Instead, when it’s not raining, I will walk outdoors. Since we arrived here last Thursday, it’s been raining daily, making the walkways slippery. Some of the sidewalks are uneven, with tripping hazards, even for sure-footed walkers. Another alternative is walking indoors, often in place, in our hotel room. I am not feeling motivated right now and need to get this “show on the road” in the next few days, one way or another.

I hope I do not sound like I am complaining. These realities are part of life for any person with any type of walking disability. No, I am not willing to accept this and start using a walker or wheelchair. I will continue trying as long as I can put one foot in front of another.

In any case, I will return to doing those chair yoga exercises, which I stopped when we left Arizona for the road trip on May 1. I can’t say they helped substantially, but at least I was doing something. I am sure many of you know how hard it is to motivate ourselves to work out.

On another note, being so far from nature and wildlife definitely impacts our sense of calm and peace. Living in a hectic city with traffic and too many people directly affects our state of mind. Regularly seeing our family and friends is, without a doubt, what softens the reality of this fact.

Most likely, I will return from my day with Chere around 3:00 pm. Shortly thereafter, I will start preparing tonight’s dinner, and we’ll spend yet another quiet evening staying in. Last night, we started re-watching season six of the wonderful series Outlander. Due to the writer’s strike, the newest season won’t be out until November 2024. We highly recommend this stunning series.

That’s it for today, folks. I have a few things to do before I go in an hour. We hope you have a fantastic day.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, May 28, 2014:

The beauty of the terraced hills and gardens in Madeira. Astounding! For more photos, please click here.

Day #162 in lockdown in Mumbai, India hotel…

Today is Memorial Day in the US…Time to appreciate fallen heroes…Our photos from Normandy…

Posted by worldwide-admin on May 27, 2024 with 0 Comment

From this site:

The Civil War, which ended in the spring of 1865, claimed more lives than any conflict in U.S. history and required the establishment of the country’s first national cemeteries.

By the late 1860s, Americans in various towns and cities had begun holding springtime tributes to these countless fallen soldiers, decorating their graves with flowers and reciting prayers.

We stumbled across the burial site for Theodore Roosevelt, Jr. as we wandered through the Normandy American Cemetery in Normandy, France.

It is unclear where this tradition originated; numerous communities may have initiated the memorial gatherings independently. Some records show that one of the earliest Memorial Day commemorations was organized by a group of formerly enslaved people in Charleston, South Carolina, less than a month after the Confederacy surrendered in 1865. Nevertheless, in 1966, the federal government declared Waterloo, New York, the official birthplace of Memorial Day.

Waterloo—which first celebrated the day on May 5, 1866—was chosen because it hosted an annual, community-wide event during which businesses closed. Residents decorated the graves of soldiers with flowers and flags.

Did you know? Each year, on Memorial Day, a national moment of remembrance occurs at 3:00 p.m. local time.

It is a beautiful yet heartbreaking statue in the cemetery.

Decoration Day

On May 5, 1868, General John A. Logan, leader of an organization for Northern Civil War veterans, called for a nationwide day of remembrance later that month. “The 30th of May, 1868, is designated to strew with flowers, or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country during the late rebellion, and whose bodies now lie in almost every city, village and hamlet churchyard in the land,” he proclaimed.

The date of Decoration Day, as he called it, was chosen because it wasn’t the anniversary of any particular battle.

On the first Decoration Day, General James Garfield made a speech at Arlington National Cemetery, and 5,000 participants decorated the graves of the 20,000 Civil War soldiers buried there.

Steele was a paratrooper with the 82nd Airborne Division. He pretended to be dead for two hours when his parachute became caught on the church steeple during the Allied invasion of France. German troops eventually took Steel prisoner, but he later escaped and rejoined his regiment.

Many Northern states held similar commemorative events and reprised the tradition in subsequent years; by 1890, each one had made Decoration Day an official state holiday. Southern states, on the other hand, continued to honor the dead on separate days until after World War I.”

Last night, we attended Greg’s girlfriend Heather’s birthday party at a beautiful restaurant, Lumi, on the Nicollet Mall, a popular area of downtown Minneapolis. Three of Heather’s four children were there, and Greg’s three children, our grandchildren, for ten of us.

Both of us are standing on Normandy Beach in France in 2014.

We had a lovely dinner and evening and returned to our hotel shortly before 10:00, able to watch the last five minutes of the Timberwolves basketball game. They’ve lost the first three games of this round of the championship and most likely won’t win the next four games and will be out of the playoffs. So it goes.

Today, it’s raining again. We’ll be staying in and cooking dinner again…salmon filet for me and pork ribs for Tom. It will be a lovely, quiet day.

Be safe and enjoy the last day of the long holiday weekend.

Be well.

Photos from ten years ago today, May 27, 2014:

This is the nighttime view from our veranda! These streetlights stay on all night on the entire island. This must be entirely the view from a ship. For more photos, please click here.

Have a meaningful Memorial weekend to all of our readers in the US…Birthday party tonight…

Posted by worldwide-admin on May 26, 2024 with 0 Comment

We traveled this road when leaving Campanario, Madeira, to Ribeira Brava to go to the grocery store.

This morning, when Tom wanted to watch CBS Sunday Morning on TV, he headed to the breakfast room in the main building, loaded up our plates with eggs, turkey sausage for me, and bacon for himself, and returned it to our room. I don’t eat deep-fried bacon cooked in undesirable oil, which we’ve found commonplace when breakfast is included in the hotel rate, which is the case here.

Instead, I’ll eat the turkey or chicken sausage, which may not be ideal, but the breakfast holds us until dinner. This morning, instead of hard-boiled eggs, I ate scrambled eggs, but when I looked up the ingredients in those processed scrambled eggs, I decided I wouldn’t eat them again. They contain soybean oil and corn flour, ingredients I don’t eat.

That’s the problem when dining out…having no control over what ingredients are used in the preparation of meals. I often choose salads with grilled chicken (without oil). Unfortunately, many of these salads are dry and require salad dressing. In those cases, I ask for sour cream with fewer added ingredients.

Yesterday, we headed to the grocery shop at Cub Foods. Tom waited in the car since I prefer to shop on my own. I selected organic salad ingredients, sour cream and Fage Greek yogurt, a variety of imported cheeses, and various meats to cook: steaks, pork chops, and pork ribs for Tom and salmon, shrimp, and chicken for me.

For dinner last night, we had roasted chicken, rice for Tom, and salad for both of us. If we feel hungry for a snack after dinner, I purchased Kemps Vanilla ice cream for Tom and spicy cheese curds for me. We tend to eat early, and often, we may feel like a little treat a few hours later.

We spent about $200 on groceries, which will be enough to get us through the next few weeks since we have many dinner dates planned and will only cook a few nights each week. But it’s nice to have something in case we get hungry.

We’re celebrating Heather’s birthday tonight in a restaurant, the location I’ll know in a few hours when Greg decides where it will be. I ordered a gift for Heather from Amazon but it wouldn’t have arrived on time. Subsequently, I placed the order to be delivered to an Amazon locker in the Cub store.

We didn’t leave for Cub until I received the delivery notice from Amazon, a code to access the locker at the store. That sure was convenient! I never knew such a service existed until I saw the lockers at Cub a few weeks ago. Many items offered by Amazon that can’t be received on time for a specific situation can be delivered to an Amazon locker that day or the next. This is one of many convenience scenarios we’ve experienced in the US during this visit.

We’ll spend most of today in our room, which has a nice living room. It’s raining, and we don’t care about going out. We’re looking forward to watching the Indy 500, which starts in less than an hour from now.

Have a safe and wonderful Sunday. Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, May 26, 2014:

Wildflowers growing in our garden in Campanario, Madeira, Portugal. For more photos, please click here.

Loving the new place for several reasons…Booking for the future

Posted by worldwide-admin on May 25, 2024 with 0 Comment

Fresh seafood was available in a market in Madeira.

There’s no doubt we enjoyed Hyatt Place during several stays over the past years when we came to Minnesota to visit. The drawbacks were the lack of laundry facilities, the tiny bathroom, and a limited kitchen area with only a small refrigerator but no microwave. This resulted in us dining out most nights since few ready-made options suited us, adding to the cost of staying there. Management, maid service, and staff were excellent.

Also, the included breakfast at Hyatt was marginal, at best, with only processed eggs and no other options for me other than to eat a few hard-boiled eggs. Tom liked the donut holes. Plus, we liked the easy access to our streaming services with the smart TV with casting for all streaming services

Now, here at Residence Inn by Marriott, after only 48 hours, we’ve been pleased with several features that appeal to us, including:

Easy-to-use laundry facility close to our room.
We’ve seen an excellent breakfast with new offerings daily, which we’ve enjoyed over the past two mornings.
Massive bathroom with walk-in shower.
A coffee table is in front of the sofa, which is ideal for keeping our feet up, which is vital for me right now when my feet swell by the end of the day.
Full kitchen with all amenities.

Drawbacks to Residence Inn: (None of which is a big issue)

A queen-sized bed as opposed to a king at the Hyatt. Only king beds are located in units on the second floor, accessible only by stairs, which is unsuitable for me.
There are no drawers or storage space other than a tiny closet. We’ve left our belongings in the shared large suitcase on a luggage rack for easy access.
Smart TV only has Prime and Netflix, not Hulu or Paramount+. Instead, we have to hook up the other streaming services to our laptops using our HDMI cord.
We must walk outdoors to the reception desk, breakfast kitchen, and laundry facilities. It’s been raining a lot lately.

Otherwise, we are happy with this facility, and only moments ago, we booked it for another 28 nights for when we return from Milwaukee after Sister Beth’s Jubilee celebrating her 70 years as a nun. The booking dates will be June 16 to July 14. While we’re here during the newly booked period, we’ll decide if we’ll stay for the final month before we head to Cleveland Clinic in August and book it accordingly.

When we booked Residence Inn months ago, we got a special rate of $84 a night. With summer here and hotel rates soaring, we had to commit to $134 a night for 28 nights, plus tax, for a total of $4092, which translates to $146 a night, with taxes. We used a credit we had an Expedia/Hotels/VRBO of $135 to get the price down a little.

This is more than we usually pay for long-term hotel stays, but there weren’t any affordable vacation homes or other hotels as nice as this in this convenient location. Also, we could book the next period for fully refundable rates if we have to leave up to three days before the commencement of the booking. That’s particularly important to us right now.

Last night, we had a good time at Billy’s Bar and Grill in Anoka and returned to the hotel in time to watch the basketball game with the Texas Mavericks and Minnesota Timberwolves. Sadly, Minnesota lost, but it was fun to watch the game. We had a good night’s sleep and awoke refreshed and ready for a new day.

Soon, we’ll head to Cub Supermarket for groceries for the upcoming week. We’ll make our first dinner tonight since we left Apache Junction on May 1.

We’ll be back with you soon.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, May 25, 2014:

Would that I could! Pastries for sale in Madeira. Oh, how we find comfort and pleasure in such treats! It’s funny that eggs are also sold in this case. For more photos, please click here.

New hotel differences with photos…

Posted by worldwide-admin on May 24, 2024 with 2 Comments

Breakfast here was better than at the Hyatt, with bacon and cheese served with eggs and other items.

This morning, I intended to take photos of this hotel using my new phone’s camera. It turned out that it was raining hard when we walked across the parking lot to the cafe, and I didn’t bring my phone to avoid getting it wet. Instead, I went online looking for images I could use and had trouble uploading them since they weren’t in the proper format, and I couldn’t format them for posting on our site, except for the three photos we’re showing today.

Instead, we had breakfast in the cafe, which was better than the breakfast at the Hyatt, a hotel we prefer in many other ways. This extended stay won’t be as hard as during the lockdown in Mumbai, India, for ten months since we can get out, dine out, shop, and do our laundry with machines instead of hand washing clothes in the shower, as we did then.

We are grateful for all of this. The bed is only a queen, but we did fine last night, and both slept pretty well. The bathroom is enormous, much bigger than it needs to be, but there are no drawers for our clothes, only a tiny closet with ample hangers. The kitchen is good. Having a full kitchen is nice, but since I don’t feel like cooking, it may not be essential for us.

This kitchen is great for our needs, with a full-sized stove, dishwasher, refrigerator, and microwave.

Cheryl, one of our dear readers, sent a thoughtful email with numerous suggestions for leisurely meals, which I greatly appreciate. However, these suggestions would require me to do some planning. Thank you, Cheryl, for thinking of us. After Tom and I discussed meal options, the most leisurely meals for me to prepare include a big salad, rice for Tom (he makes that), and some meat such as steak, pork, burgers, chicken with seafood, and fish for me. We can do this.

Since we are heading to Billy’s for dinner with some family members tonight, we won’t be grocery shopping until tomorrow so that we will make our first meal in the new kitchen for tomorrow night’s dinner. We’ve eaten out many nights this past week, and a home-cooked meal would be nice.

Last night, we went to dinner with Greg, Heather, Maisie, Miles, Madighan, and her boyfriend Aiden at an excellent Mexican restaurant in Chanhassen, Rey Azteca. After dinner, we headed to Chanhassen High School to attend Madighan’s choir performance. It was sweet to see and hear her and her classmates perform a litany of songs conducted by their music teacher, who had a lively personality.

This is the layout of our first-floor hotel room.

After it was over, I was anxious to return to the hotel and put my feet up. As my condition progresses, I am experiencing some symptoms I hadn’t had a few months ago. I can only hope it doesn’t worsen over the next few months. I am doing everything I can to stay as healthy as possible.

This hotel has guest laundry facilities, which, in this case, are coin-operated. After breakfast this morning, we did a week’s laundry, folded it, and returned it to the suitcase we are sharing. The remainder of our “stuff,” including more clothes, are still in the car in other pieces of luggage. At this point, there’s no need to get into the other suitcases. We repeatedly wash the same clothes to avoid digging into the different bags.

Once settled in Cleveland, we’ll open all the bags and try to put everything away, if possible. I won’t need many clothes since I mostly wear pajama bottoms and tee shirts once I am out of the hospital. At some point, I’ll purchase the items I’ll need.

We’re staying put until it’s time to leave for Billy’s at 2:45. Only a few sisters will be there tonight since Patty and Colleen are both sick.

Have a pleasant and safe Memorial weekend for our family and friends in the US. We’ll be back with more tomorrow.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, May 24, 2014:

The pink clouds over the ocean in Madeira were quite a vision. For more photos, please click here.

Moving day…All packed and ready to go…Family dinner and concert tonight…

Posted by worldwide-admin on May 23, 2024 with 0 Comment

It gets very foggy in the hills of Madeira, as shown in this photo of the veranda of our holiday home in Campanario.

It was easy to pack for today’s move since we’re only moving to another nearby hotel with a kitchen. This hotel, Hyatt Place, only has a small refrigerator but not a microwave. If we want to heat something, we must take it down to the main floor and use the microwave in the breakfast kitchen.

Lately, we haven’t been eating the included breakfast when the food is unhealthy, with premade processed eggs and greasy sausages appealing to neither of us. I have kept some protein bars, yogurt, and cottage cheese in the refrigerator in our room, which serve as meals when I am in a pinch.

Tom eats the donut holes he gets in the morning when he goes downstairs to get coffee before 9:00 am when the included breakfast ends. Lately, we’ve been going out to dinner most evenings. We’ll see if having a kitchen will inspire me to cook some meals. But I don’t feel like cooking right now.

Many people in our situation would eat some frozen items from the supermarket, but none of them are suitable for my way of eating, and Tom’s not a fan of frozen dinners. When we considered ordering “unwich” sandwiches from Jimmy John’s, we found the total cost for one breadless sandwich for each of us was over $40. When Tom had Wendy’s last week, he spent $20, as mentioned in a prior post.

A few nights ago, I took Maisie to dinner at Maynard’s and accidentally left a credit card behind. Yesterday, when I realized I didn’t have that card, I called to find out they had it. Tom and I decided to go there to get it and stay for dinner. I picked up my card, and he and I had a great dinner for $50.75, including tax and tip. With this, it doesn’t pay to get carry-out food, which isn’t as healthy and costs over $40.

Tom had grilled walleye and soup, and I had a fantastic seafood salad. It was well worth it. We’ll certainly return there once again. On Sunday night, my grandson Miles, 16, and I are going out to dinner. I offered that we could go to a movie, but he was content to dine with his grandma. I enjoy individual time with my grandchildren and spending quality time together.

On another note, we’re checking out of this hotel at 2:00 pm, with a late check-out provided by the general manager, Wade. Then, we’ll head over to the other nearby hotel. I’m sure, within a day, we’ll decide if we want to move back here when we finish booking at Residence Inn by Marriott. We managed to get an excellent price at $84 a night. Our booking there ends on June 13.

I have a sneaking suspicion we’ll return here to the Hyatt at that point. Here, we have a king-sized bed, and there, only a queen. However, I will ask for an upgrade to a king bed when we check in later today. We shall see how it goes.

Last night, when we returned to the hotel, we watched the basketball game when the Minnesota Timberwolves were playing the Dallas Mavericks, the first of a new series in the playoffs. Sadly, Minnesota lost, but it was an exciting game, nonetheless. The next game is tomorrow night, Friday, at 7:30. We should be returning from Billy’s by the time the game starts.

The family had planned to play dice at Patty’s house after the dinner at Billy’s, but she’s been sick with the flu, and we won’t go if she still has symptoms. There’s no way we can risk getting sick at this point.

Tonight, at 6:00, we’re meeting Greg and the kids for dinner at Rey Azteca in Chanhassen, and at 8:00, we’re all heading to Chanhassen High School, where Madighan will be performing in a choir event. It will be another enjoyable evening for all of us.

That’s it for today, folks. Next time we post, it will be from our new location with comments about how we feel about the new hotel.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, May 23, 2014:

The old stone tunnel in Madeira was used until the newer, longer tunnel was built in recent years. For more photos, please click here.

New phones and plans….

Posted by worldwide-admin on May 22, 2024 with 0 Comment

Beautiful flowers with a busy bee in Madeira, Portugal.

The next few days will be hectic. At 11:00 am today, we’re returning to the T. Mobile store to set up the two new Google Pixel 8 Pro phones, both of which are included with our new 55+ plan with unlimited talk, text, and data in the US for $110 a month (24-month commitment) and special pricing on international service for the future.

We’d considered replacing the phones, both of which are now having problems after three years, but without a plan, those phones cost over $1000 each. We’re getting the two Google Pixel 8 Pro phones for free, which are included in the two-year contract for both of us. The two-year contract with the phones and unlimited data, text, and calling, while in the US, will cost a total of $2640 over the two years.

It’s a no-brainer for us, especially since we’ll be in the US for about 12 months. Why do we speculate we’ll be here so long? I won’t have the medical tests at the Cleveland Clinic until the end of August. At the latest, there may be a two-month lag from the test results until the surgery and a many months-long recovery period.

Plus, we don’t want to arrive in Marloth Park, South Africa, during the heat of the summer months. In June, winter begins, and it cools down considerably. That would be a perfect time for us to arrive. Of course, all of this depends on how well I’m recovering. If I recover much sooner, we may go to another country(s) while we wait for June. It’s all up in the air and will be so for quite some time.

No, getting phone plans doesn’t mean we’ll quit our world travel journey. We still have the Samsung phone, which we can use with online Global SIM cards wherever we may be at any given time. The T-Mobile plan won’t limit us in any manner. There’s no way a phone plan will restrict our future travels.

Yesterday, we visited Verizon and a T-Mobile store to see their plans. The T-Mobile plan was, without a doubt, the better option for both of us. When they didn’t have the two Google phones in stock, we made an appointment to return this morning at 11:00 am to start the plan.

To transfer our phone numbers from Google Fi, our current carrier, to T-Mobile, I had to acquire an account number and unique pin that we’ll give to T-Mobile this morning so they can make the transfer. It may take a few hours to complete the process. But, hopefully, by early afternoon, we’ll walk out the door with our two new phones and plan.

We are moving to another nearby hotel tomorrow to see which we’d prefer for the next three months. As mentioned, we tried to find a vacation/holiday home for rent in a good neighborhood, but nothing was even slightly affordable for such an extended period.

We’ll ask for a late checkout here and hopefully get situated in the new hotel by 2:00 pm. Since we’re staying three weeks, most likely, they’ll allow a one-hour early check-in.

Last night, we went to dinner with Tammy, Tracy, and Vincent and had a good time. It’s always enjoyable to hang out with our family members, and we hope to see them all as often as possible during the next three months. This is the longest period we’ll be in the US since we began traveling almost 12 years ago.

Without a doubt, we’re enjoying our time here, catching up with family and friends. The upcoming week is Memorial Day (next Monday), which is a long weekend. We don’t have any plans now, but we’ll see what comes up with our kids and grandkids.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, May 22, 2014:

Month: May 2024

Decoration Day