I pay the rent/mortgage by.... thankfully, we are past that point! I've been able to stay home and not work since my first son was born. DH Joe is hoping to retire in a year or so but is in the insurance field. I love the smell of breakfast (cinnamon rolls, bacon, sausage, toast, coffee....mmmmm) cooking. I canÂt stand the taste of lamb. My favorite thing to cook is layer birthday cakes for my sons. Usually chocolate for #1, lemon or caramel for #2, lemon meringue pie (NOT cake) for #3 and red velvet for #4. My favorite thing to eat is .... Does anyone really have a favorite?? too many choices depends on the season and my frame of mind...... In my free time I like to ride my horse, garden, read, watch a movie, go out to eat. My favorite people to spend time with are several "old" friends and of course my own family. I would love to travel to Italy, Scotland and Africa. IÂd love for my next vehicle to be.... I got my dream fun car last year... a blue Mini Cooper Clubman. My favorite way to relax is playing board games or cards with family. If there were more hours in the day I would have my house and property spotless, repaired and weedfree. If I won the lotto, I would hire a housekeeper and help with the gardens, buy a second home with a barn and access to trails in a national forest, put my kids who want to go through graduate school, donate to my church's mission funds and travel like a madwoman! Other dreams, passions, rants, raves that are important to me. No time for rants... life's too short! Passions are my love for my four sons....I hope that one day I'll become a Grandma! If I had one dream or "genie wish", it would be to turn back the hands of time and spend 1 hour for each of my children to about the time when they were the age of 18 months. I'd like to spend an hour with each son.... rocking, smelling, stroking their curls, listening to their babble, holding hands and just fixing in my mind what they were like when they were young babes. Then I'd come back to the present time and give the 6'6" fellows a hug now..... sometimes it is so hard to connect the big men with the little fellows that they once were! Grace ***___________***___________***___________***____________***

So many great ideas here. I'm thinking money belt which is what Rick Steeves recommends in his books and we found invaluable for our trip. However, the last thing you need when traveling on a long trip with carry-on only is a lot of stuff. And, as I learned when packing for my Europe trip, a lot of it is very personal. And buying sizes or what looks good is very difficult. I know for a surprise you can't do a "gift registry" and I know money is very useful but people don't like to give money, but is there something to give that doesn't require packing? Does she need someone to check her house? Take care of a pet? Her mail? Pay her bills while she's gone? Water plants? Can you all chip in on a gift card that can be used internationally or something to offset the phone charges internationally? Or how about helping prep the house before her return...buy her milk and other basics to stock her fridge? Maybe have a casserole waiting that just needs reheating? Turn up the thermostat? A ride to and from the airport?

Hi Lori, most cruise ships have computer rooms with perhaps a dozen computers where they might schedule classes plus they will have another area that has maybe 5 or 6 computers if people wish to purchase internet minutes to check email. If you take a media stick, they will let you transfer your pics on their equipment usually free of charge. They do have cd's available for purchase & you can put your pics on those too but they charge something like $5 each. You could carry a few blank cd's & transfer your pics too. The passport pouch is a good idea but on the cruiseline we travelled with, they suggested we just carry photocopies of the identification pages on the passport when we went ashore in the various ports. The passports themselves and other important valuables were locked in the room safe. We had no problems. I think that you'll find that you would be required to remove your passport from the pouch yourself and hand it to the Customs/Immigration Agent by itself. When I was a newbie traveller, I purchased a pouch that goes around your waist inside your clothes. It held money, passport, traveller's cheques, etc. I used it the first year we went away & dropped it like a hot potato. Now I have the wallet that I use. It is easier for me but I usually travel alone (hubby stays home, I go with my sister). If you have kids that are going with you & you carry all their ID, you'll have to hunt around for a suitable method of carrying them. I'm sure you will enjoy Princess Cruise Line. My brother & his wife have 28 or 29 cruises under their belt with Princess so the perks are VERY good for them right now. My sister & I usually travel on Celebrity...not much for perks but we love the luxury. Have fun on your vacation!!

Yeah, Lindakathy's link sounds like it might be more realistic. But both say the Salvation Army's discount is "up to 50%." I'm there a lot, and never heard of anyone getting a senior discount. I'll bet when I ask, the employees will stare blankly at me. LOL I'll ask at Wendy's and Burger King, too. I'm not there often, but every little bit helps. I'll check out Big Lots, although I suspect it's not actually 30%. And of course I'll look for an excuse to stay at the Waldorf so I can get that $5,000 off the Presidential Suite. ;-) Thanks for bringing this to our attention!