General topics.

If I had such a friend Send....

My dH often needs something to do (healthy like going outside after sitting at the computer all day).
In our area, there were no lights in the sky expected, but I sent him out with his cell phone. Reports were that what could not be seen with the naked eye, could be seen with a cell phone camera. I looked up how to get the best photo of the lights. He took just one amazing photo! Nothing showing of the lights.

I sent him out again to get a photo of our home because it was so bright outside, or was it the long exposure he used? Very cool, as one of his interests is photography. I enjoyed seeing the photo!

So, we've been very busy here last night, sharing the rare occurrence.

Ya know, Cwilllie, you can go out with a friend to watch the night sky tonight.

I should go outside too. Maybe I will.

People from near me are posting amazing pics of the northern lights last night, lots of pinks and purples!!.... I'm sad I live in town and wasn't able to see anything. I was just too tired to go driving to sit on the side of the road on the off chance there'd be something worthwhile to see (sigh).

Things have certainly changed and will most likely continue to change. Trends seem to be cyclical.

Beatty, your post made me feel a bit guilty. But the whole thing was not 'done' when I was growing up or when my daughters were babies. The general rule was no parties until the babe was three, and then the same number of 'guests' as the age of the 'host' baby. Things change!

We have done Disney, not Kennedy Space Center or Universal.

My youngest daughter has done Universal with a friend and loved it!

I would love doing Kennedy Space Center and Universal.

Our oldest daughter visited the space center in Houston on a special school trip for honor students. She came home devastated.

Space travel is an exciting adventure when all goes well. When an explosion occurs and death occurs it is truly tragic.

It will be fun for you to go back to Disney and see the other attractions in that area of Florida.

The rides are fun in Disney!

Need, we hope to return to return to Disney, Universal and the Kennedy Space Center for our 25th anniversary this year. We visited Disney with the kids for my 50th. We got stuck in my favourite ride - The Haunted Mansion. I was over the moon.

Ana,

Scavenger hunts are fun! I feel the same. I loved playing outside as a kid and our kids loved being outside as well.

Like you, I think a lot of couples choose DisneyWorld for their honeymoon destination.

I bet DisneyWorld prices are sky high these days. Everything has gone up in price so much.

I second the support of grandparents, Beatty. My parents were terrific grandparents.

Need, my kids went to prom in our minivan except our youngest who, last year, went in her date’s best friend’s car. I remember kids renting limos to prom when I was in high school (1980ish) except I went in my date’s project car.

No senior trips for me or them. I went to Disney World on my honeymoon!

The crazy big parties that made me cringe were kids’ birthday parties around the late 1990s. Indoor playground rentals with characters, caterers, animals, loot bags... $$$$

Ours kids had scavenger hunts in the woods and crafts.

Margaret, I guess the Grandparents at my bub's 1st birthday party may have felt similar!

But we also did the 1st birthday as a 'just survived the 12 months of parenthood' event. We catered to many babies & had appropriate toys but it was really for the adults.

It was a milestone I cherish. The no sleep night before is visable on my DH & my faces in the photos: grey & worn while the baby beemed. The parents from the Mother's group (this mixed group of strangers just 12 months before) were there. Those women that kept me off the ledge.. the close relatives that had supported us were there. At one stage I had planned out leaving the baby at a hospital & fleeing.. those people at that party still have no idea how much their support meant.

I send a thankyou to supportive grandparents everywhere. ❤️

I remember being asked to my first grandchild’s first birthday party. I declined saying I thought a year old really didn’t need a party, a complete waste of time. Daughter explained that it was really for the adults, for surviving the first year. It wouldn't look good if I didn't show up. So I went, and it was just a lot of her friends standing around with drinks, ignoring the baby. I was right – a complete waste of time!

Pam and Nacy.

Remember senior proms In high school? We drove there in cars. Now kids take limousines to arrive!

Senior trips too. We went to our state capitol for senior our senior trip. My daughter’s senior trip was to Disney World!

Things are very different these days!

Need and Nacy! I know, its crazy! I am 65, going to 66 in July, and DD is our only one, and this will be our only grand. Luckily no reveal party, we have ALL known since the sonograms! and I only paid for the main food ( except meatballs a friend is bringing and the favor cookies her daughter made, they are adorable) They paid for all the decor and drink stuff. we have been to several destination weddings, most recently bonus DDs in Jamaica.. I sort of enjoy them and look at them like the vacation I would otherwise not have taken,, LOL. Plus they get good discounts when they book a wedding and a block of rooms. But I am excited about this, and thank you!

Don't forget the bachelorette, destination,3 day party. I couldn't believe it when I heard about that. Anyone that agrees to be in the wedding needs to go broke too.

Pam,

Have a wonderful time at the shower!

Yes, it’s a different world today.

So many things have changed since we were young. I am 68. I don’t remember how old you are.

I remember backyard birthday parties when we were kids. Not anymore! Birthday bashes are a big thing now where tons of money is spent.

Yes, wedding and baby showers were more intimate events held in our homes. The last several showers that I I have gone to have been held at fancy venues with loads of food, drinks and decorations!

Weddings have changed drastically too. I had one wedding dress. Now they have one for the ceremony and one for the reception. Destination weddings weren’t a thing. Two of my nephews got married in Hawaii!

I had one wedding cake at our reception. A ‘grooms cake’ wasn’t popular then.

Don’t even get me started on how much couples spend on engagement rings and honeymoons!

Everything is over the top now. Huge engagement parties. Baby reveal celebrations, etc.

Gone are the simple days and having a modest budget. People go into debt entertaining others.

Nothing is cheap anymore. Going to a movie theater was cheap when I was a kid. Not anymore. Same thing with concerts. When I was young I paid between $5 and $10 dollars for tickets. Look what they cost now!

If I start to ponder things like solar storms I feel kind of comforted in a strange way. Realizing that I'm really not in control takes the onus off of me to be perfect.
Not that I ever thought I was in control but..................you know.

My DD;s baby shower is tomorrow, here, and boy have things changed!! Which I was aware of because my bonus DD had hers 4 weeks ago! Same group of lifelong friends, and they are doing all the work. I really only had to get the house cleaned and some furniture rearraigned and tables set up. Oh yes, and pass out money for the "catered food and desserts". But I will admit it is way easier to do it this way for 35 people! These gals are all mid/late 30s with great jobs, but I remember when you just had it at a friends/families house with home made food! They are crazy close, and it should be alot of fun, they were in and out today dropping stuff off and will be here early to set up. So far I have seen bags of balloons, a case of champagne!, boxes of sweets from a local bakery. They are making virgin drinks for the preggo gal and the non drinkers, I am thanking God that if she gets married she wants a destination wedding and we are off the hook for that planning!! wish me luck!!

To many people up here a solar storm isn't worrisome, it means an aurora alert even down to southern Ontario (very, very rare)

Solar storms can be dangerous to our technologies
When a coronal mass ejection, or CME, strikes Earth’s atmosphere, it causes a temporary disturbance of the Earth’s magnetic field. The storm on the sun causes a type of storm on the Earth, known as a geomagnetic storm.
The most powerful solar storms send coronal mass ejections (CMEs), containing charged particles, into space. If Earth happens to be in the path of a CME, the charged particles can slam into our atmosphere, disrupt satellites in orbit and even cause them to fail, and bathe high-flying airplanes with radiation. They can disrupt telecommunications and navigation systems. They have the potential to affect power grids and have been known to black out entire cities, even entire regions.

But we are okay.

The man who runs the spaceweathernews website is heading to the store for supplies, after reporting 4 CME's on the sun this morning. This does not mean it is the end of earth. Data source is NASA.

The CME's/Solar Storms are headed towards earth.

Notice-he is going to the store, so expects to get through this solar event alive, no worries, Lol.

My husband tells me these things when I am not feeling well, and already having an unexplained episode of something. He does this not to scare me, because it reassures me somewhat knowing there could be a scientific cause for my feeling really bad and cannot sleep or think straight.
Thus, no meds needed, just resting, using the T.V. for distraction, rest, food.

I had a small bit of tomato soup, plopped a slice of Deluxe American Cheese slice into the hot soup, ate a roll with it. Same tastes as a grilled cheese and tomato soup - comfort food!

I just shared this in case you all are feeling a bit strange or shaky.
Are you okay?

Yes, you are.

CME = Coronal Mass Ejection

for those going through a very hard time:

take this good luck with you!
🍀🍀🍀🍀🌸🌸🌸🌸
just keep going! you’ll get there. one step after another.

I am considering doing martial arts once I move. This is an idea I have batted around for years. I know most who take martial arts are younger, but I like the idea a lot and was once told I had good upper body strength.

Fantasy, boj, fantasy!

venting - good one!

I like this advice:

Can’t let my enemies do better than me.

🌸🌸🍀🍀🌸🌸🍀🍀
don’t take this seriously. it’s meant as a joke. it made me laugh when i read it.

someone asked, what to do when everything in life’s just going wrong. someone answered:

are you open to delusion? reality can be so pessimistic.

today's positive message:
🌼🌼🍀🍀🌼🌼🍀🍀

be proud of what you have done. then go and do better.

I began training my dogs to be comfortable with the crate for flying two days ago. It is going alright. I am using treats and praise and increasing time they are inside the crate. They are zipped up next to my recliner while I watch TV for about five minutes. I then praise and treat. If they sniff or go into any part of the crate on their own, I praise and give them a little treat. We are also practicing carrying them short distances. It has been going alright. I get a little whining here and there but not howling. I still have three weeks, so little by little we will work on it.

today's positive message:
🌼🌼🍀🍀🌼🌼🍀🍀

to cheer yourself up, picture a T-rex trying to make a bed.

today's positive message:
🌸🌸🍀🍀🌸🌸🍀🍀

love yourself very much.
and accept the love of others.