Kathy from Valrico, Florida, USA

Hi Kathy! Great video!
I'm glad you enjoyed my photos of Panama. It was the "pre-trip". I love traveling with OAT. There were only 3 of us on the Panama leg. VERY one on one. Our local guide was terrific.
To answer your questions...The Embera dad was just leaning against the tree watching us arrive. I turned and snapped the pic halfway up the hill to the village. The bowls were woven. They do very intricate designs. I wish I could have found room to bring back more. The waterfall was off the Alajuela River. We had to walk across rocks and boulders and through ankle (and sometimes knee) deep water to get to it. The Indians consider it a sacred place and still use it for ceremonies. We went to Machu Picchu with OAT last August, and we were in Gettysburg over Thanksgiving.
I've never seen the "Whew, I'm a bit busy..." message before. Odd. I have no idea why it showed up. I'm working on more of the trip photos and will post more eventually. There are so many! We both have cameras and (unfortunately) are not afraid to use them! BTW, loved the "Cougar Barbie" video!

Hey! Look at that! I flew you over to a new page!

Ahh, Rob knows I'm kidding! Do have a great time and do take care of yourselves!

Kathy, I've been remiss and haven't even downloaded the Canada pictures to my computer, let alone decide which to post on site. Thank you for reminding me I have to get on that. I've been busy ... we have our own remodel going on. We're getting rid of our bath tub and putting in a shower insert in it's place. Of course, they found a lot of rotten wood and are having to replace the entire bathroom floor as well. We sort of expected that, but didn't know it would be quite that bad. We've also been spending a lot of time emailing back and forth with the folks down under trying to plan out who we'll see when. The trip was good, but we saw very little in the way of Northern Lights, only a white band of light just above the horizon, and that only one night. My highlight was snowmobiling and ice fishing. It was the first time I've been in "real" cold. I didn't like it. We do hope to get to William Rickets ... looked at the website, and want to see it.

Hi Kathy yes I got that thanks will respond soon. Thanks. Don't know who the other one is from as my scanner deletes it automatically. Very strange for here. Take care x

Kathy, sorry to hear about your ouchy. Hope it's better soon.

Kathy, The Crow's Nest Restaurant and Marina.
1968 Tarpon Center Drive, Venice, Florida 34285
941-484-7661. They have a nice website too. I just posted our Rendez-vous on the new Snippit site. Can't wait to see you!

Kathy thank you! you are very sweet. It will get better. and there have been probably more downs, than ups for me in certain area's. Also in how I look at it I suppose :)

I'm still alive though, and there's been times when that speaks volumes. So I always remember that.

Thanks again for your kindness

Hi Kathy! Just got back from the hospital with dad. He's fine, walking around, just has to remember to get up on his side. I have schedule myself and my brothers to be around for him at least three times a day until he's back to his old self. On daily basis either I or the caregiver will be there. I just am resigned to the fact that this is something I have to do mainly out of love.

Thanks Kathy! I'll post some pictures if I can figure out how to do it. We will be staying in SE England (Folkestone for a week and a half and then bact to the US on the QM2. I like your tiger picture.

Hi Kathy! Thanks for your comments on my Tikal, etc photos. San Antonio, Antigua and Santa Maria de Jesus are all in Guatemala. Loved Antigua!
We were on the OAT "Route of the Maya" tour. We really enjoyed it. It helped that we had a very nice group of people on the tour. As you probably know, sometimes that doesn't happen. We also had excellent local guides and out tour director, Giovani, was phenomenal . We spent pretty much a full day at Tikal. I would have preferred more time there. I am not a bird watcher, but the birders on the tour seemed very pleased with the sightings. We did see monkeys, but they were far up in the trees and didn't seem very impressed with the tourists. The trails (and steps) through the jungle were very slippery because of the rain, so I spent most of my time looking down while walking from one site to the other. Very treacherous footing! Believe it or not, I still have photos of Belize and our boat trip to Lamani left to size and post. We took so many and it's really hard to decide on which ones to post. Every time we come back from a trip I say "Next time not so many!" Never happens. lol

Hi Kathy, thank you for your birthday message, I had a wonderful couple of days -don't you love extended birthdays!

Hi Kathy - thanks for your note. We're so glad that most of the hard work is done. Just uploaded another pic of the fire (frightening stuff). Glad you have been sending your best wishes down to us!

Just hopping by to wish you a very Happy Easter and a season full of joy!

Hi Kathy!

Dear Kathy.
Wishing you and your family a very,

" HAPPY EASTER " .

Wow, if that were in LA, you might have caught me cavorting with the others!!!

KATHY!! :) This pic is FAB!! :) hOW COOL!! You are so over-the-top remembering us---yes-we have been settled since September! ;) LOL!! :) but it is good--and expecting a little girl to go along with our 8-yr.old boy (what a spread--I know!) :) next week! :) I'll be sure to inform you when Emily Victoria arrives!! I cracked up over the commissary bag slogan--that's great! :) They should go back to that!! :) XOXOXO!!

brilliant youtube Kathy!

Kathy, so much for your kind wishes and sweet words on the occasion of my birthday. Please accept my apologies on the lateness of this reply, madhouse, thy name is Gail!

I hope you and Rob are having a wonderful time with Jane and Jaime. One day I hope it can be me!!!

Hi, Kathy! Glad to see you're safely home! Hope the traffic wasn't too bad. Talk to you tomorrow. Nighty-night! ♥

Kathy, it's so nice to have great weather on a vacation! It's so funny that you have the Sound of Music youtube. I was at my niece's baby's baptism over the weekend(south Jersey, hottest weather since last summer and beautiful) and was telling her about it. I just emailed the link to her this morning! Small world!

Kathy, When I put up the Sound of Music Flash Mob YouTube, I didn't realize you had posted it also. You are probably the one who sent that to me in an email. I have enjoyed it over and over. Makes me feel great each time I view it. Glad you enjoyed your vacation at the beach house.

Hi Kathy, and always great to have you drop in for a visit. Yes, we're France and Belgium bound, leaving May 21st. We're very much ready for this holiday, after a hectic and not-so-nice year and a half! You're renovating your kitchen? I'm already doing a dance that the kitchen gods smile down on you and make the project go smoothly and swiftly! We're really loving our kitchen (except that stained floor)--we never did pay the rest of the money to the contractor, electrician, designer and cabinet installer because of the damage. We wrote pointed, blunt letters to each and haven't heard from them since. Believe it or not, we've been redoing our downstairs hallway--(what's wrong with us anyway?)--and it's gone well. Wallpaper stripped away easily, then we painted, had a new set of windows installed at the top of the stairs, stained it and we're having an area rug and runner put in next Friday. What a difference! But we're pooped. Enough "house" for awhile--on to French wine!! Keep me posted on your project. (I've got pictures of our darned kitchen but can't seem to get them resized properly to put on my page--why is everything so complicated?) Have a great day!

I just discovered that you weren't on my friend's list!!!! I thought you were.

Hi Kathy. The quote is by Freya Stark, she was quite a famous British/French travel writer and explored countries little travelled by women in her day. I think I found it on the quotelucy website, I'm not sure now.

Good days are to be gathered like grapes, to be trodden and bottled into wine and kept for age to sip at ease beside the fire. If the traveler has vintaged well, he need trouble to wander no longer; the ruby moments glow in his glass at will.

Did you get my email a while ago? I'm sure I tested the address you sent but didn't hear from you. Your kitchen sounds as though it is going to be wonderful. I've just had a few additions for mine. I hope it goes well and I'm sure you will love it if you are like me. I spend most of my time in there when friends are around for dinner. Take care xx

I've just checked my email and no I didn't send you an email. Gosh I am going mad!! What did you think of Vietnam when you visited? It is a place I would love to visit some day x

Hey Kathy I wonder if that could happen at the Los Angeles Union Station? I'd join the dance!
Anyways thank you dear, dear friend! My special day began quite ordinary but my students made a card and signed it for me. My fellow colleagues got a card and wrote wonderful notes to me. My partner teacher got the necklace I had ordered from a mother who makes costume jewelry and a pair of earrings and surprised me with them! Wow what a day! Oh yes I didn't have to cook either. Hubby and I ate out!

Tom says, "Have a good day"!

Hi Kathy... It's still not 100% that I'll be able to come. I haven't been able to check my husband's schedule yet. But I'll do my best. I'm dying to meet this bunch. I REALLY want to come. I've even purchased a tiara and boa for the event! If I do make it, I'll drive down on the 23rd, arriving in the area around early afternoon. It's only a 12 hour drive for me. We can work out details in a few days, once Idiot Husband gets back from his trip.

Kathy.... It is now definite. I laid a guilt trip on my husband, and he agreed to take care of the animals for several days while I visit with my friends. I will see you on July 23rd!!!

I was seriously considering Lynne and I flying out there to join you all in welcoming Fiona, but it wasn't meant to be. We have a beach house rented in Oregon from July 23-27 for our annual family get together. I'll be there in spirit.

Kathy, lovely to see you. You have been in my thoughts lately re Fiona's trip. Do you know that silly me thought she was coming in July of NEXT year and I was thinking of saving up my pennies and hopping on a flight to be there! DOH! There just aren't that many pennies in the jar yet.
BTW About the number of posts, you have probably come to realise by now that I am such a busy body who talks a lot and I pop up in a lot of pages!

Which brings me to your questions about Ruby. It is all on open forum already so I have no qualms answering. As you say, she was one of we gasbags over in SA, but like the rest of us, she started out on easy, but didn't post often.
Ruby had been ill with bronchitis last December, this we knew, and she was giving us an update on her condition almost every day, brief and to the point, as was her way.
After not hearing from her for a couple of days, we grew concerned, but of course, we had no other way of contacting her, and we asked Gath for details even though we knew full well he wasn't able to give them to us.
Sadly one day I received a pm from someone who knew her and joined just to let us know that she had passed away. Ruby was an alias, and via Google, this person, friendly, was able to 'locate' us, and also how we were able to verify the details.
Ruby passed away on Saturday December 13th, 2008.
I also got a message from another new member who is Ruby's niece, Jazzy, who joined so she could find out about these weird cyber people who sent flowers to her Aunt's funeral!

And that is what this place does for us. It has created firm friendships all over the world. A cyber 'family' who rejoice with each other in the good times and are full of compassion when we are in pain.

I wish all the Floridian attendees the very best of happiness, I so wish I could be there, please pass on my love and regards to all.
But never fear (or do!), you and I shall meet one day, it is written in the sudoku grid!

My all-time favorite rock was from Hartland Quay in Devon. It has a wonderful parallel double circles of white about an inch apart! It has been polished smooth so the white rings stand out a bit! Hartland Quay was one of those serendipitous places that you'd never go to except by chance (recommended by our B & B host) and it has become one of my magical places on earth. I painted a two watercolors of the place; one up close and one far away!

Thanks for the welcome, Kathy! And yahoo for your kitchen project! Sounds like things are moving along well. I'm sure you'll be glad when it's all over and you can uncork a bottle of something wonderful to celebrate. We find we're much more creative with our cooking now that the cookbooks are visible and within easy reach. So nice to sit at the island and take our time with our meal instead of plunking in front of the television, which is what we used to do. Shameful, now that I look back. For all the trials and tribulations, we love our kitchen, and now our hallway looks pretty good, too (and that was relatively painless!) Good luck with the remainder of your project!

Hello, Kathy. Thank you for spending the time to send me the birthday message. And your YouTube is wonderful! I have spent a lovely day in the garden in the sunshine. I don't live in a city or even a town, but in a little village in the Ardèche, about 60 Km SE of Lyon called Sécheras. You can find it on Google World. Few people here speak English, so my French has had to improve vastly in the last 7.5 years! I do not post here on Sudoku that often, as I am too busy in the garden, but hope to catch up with you again before too long.

Kathy, do you have any photos of your shells? I noticed your comment in today's 'Easy' and was just wondering. I have a few photos in my gallery of just some of my shells.

Thanks for your comments Kathy. I suppose when it's all boiled down I don't deserve the compliments - the beauty of the shells was created by Someone else, all I did was photograph them.
I had a cabinet built for my shell collection, but we down-sized a few years ago and now it is in storage - together with lots of boxes, some furniture and miscellaneous junk that I haven't the heart to throw away. So I understand your problem.

Hi Kathy - glad you liked the pic. It took a lot of tlc, but is getting even more now with its new owner. Still in fantastic condition, and I loved the sound of the V8.....quite distinctive.

Kathy - have just uploaded a recent pic of the Stang in wedding regalia - she's still looking great!