Now I really did it :((

[Calliecake]

Missy, Thank you for the picture of sweet Tommy. I think he needs me to scratch behind those ears! I am still jealous I am not in NY with you and Jimmianne. Yesterday sounded like a near perfect day. Good friends and diamonds are always a winning combination, don't you think? Have a great day shopping today. Please let me know if you find any great clothes. It is much nicer here today although it was pretty much back to normal by yesterday afternoon. The ice melted fairly quickly.

Scandi, your trip to Hawaii sounds wonderful. My husband wants to go there so I know eventually we will get there. We would have made this trip years ago if it weren't for me finding excuses. Kauai is where I think we would be happiest visiting. My MIL offered to take the whole family on a trip there years ago. My husband didn't particularly like the idea of traveling with the whole family. He felt I would be me watching everyone else's children the whole time. When my inlaws were discussing the trip I had to admit I also thought that was how it would be. We decided a trip to Hawaii would be more enjoyable just the two of us. A couple of my SIL's children were young and not very well behaved at the time. My bag arrived late yesterday. I know this sounds crazy but I have not even opened the box yet. I'm kind of hoping I don't fall in love with it. My husband looked at me like I had three heads when I came home last night and told him I would open it today. I believe his comment was "Who are you and what have you done with my wife?"

Rainwood, I'm so happy you are back here. I also was hoping you had sone words of wisdom for Violet. I think it's pretty obvious we all value your insight here. You help us all more than you know. I love hearing your opinions.

Marcy, I can't wait to see pictures of your new earrings. How long do you think it will take your jeweler to set the earrings?

Jimmianne, I hope you are having the best time in NY with Missy. Yesterday sounded like a perfect day. Do you think you will be returning the diamond you came to NY with? I'm sorry I didn't have much input yesterday. I was out running errands yesterday. You know me, the bigger the diamond the better! I really need yo try to get over that as it's a very expensive way of thinking, or at least my husband tells me it is. It also gets depressing when everything you really want costs more than $40,000. Designer bags and clothes are much more cost friendly.

LlJsmom, How are you? I miss you. How I wish we were in NY right now!

Hi Kristie, Junie and Violet!!

 

[Scandinavian]

Missy, I forgot to tell you! DH was estimating the "necessary budget" for Hawaii, and it was - big. I protested, said we could get away with half. Then DH said that meeting you would probably be very expensive..

Callie, I have the same syndrome that you do... Bigger *is* better... I kind of get the not opening the bag thing though. I sometimes do the same with dresses I have bought if they are *too* expensive and I kind of love them but hope I don’t so that I can return them My DH hates this, because I always go “do you think I should return this??” and he knows I don’t really want to

June, please don't admire me, lol. I know some of the people who "run the show" for the mentor program, so I kind of had to But I hope it will be fun! These kids are just starting their career, having worked a year or two, and the program is supposed to help with career planning and progress. We shall see! I'm very competitive, so my mentee had better rate me as the best mentor ever

EDIT: June! I'm so glad your DH is/was OK and only the car got hurt!!

 

[Calliecake]

Junie, I missed your post. I'm sorry. Thank goodness everything turned out well with your husband's accident and only the car was injured. Cars can easily be replaced. So glad to hear you are heading to the beach. What a fun break. i think I need to go someplace warm for a mood adjustment. I've been kind of down this week and need to snap out of it. I realized yesterday that it was a year ago that everything was turned upside down when my brother became so ill. I am so grateful that everything turned out so well. As long as those we love are healthy everything else isn't that big of a problem.

Scandi, Thank you for posting that you understand. I was feeling like a spoiled brat this morning as I was typing the post. My husband asked me last night if I had made the bag purchase based on boredom. Truth be told I probably did and I think that is why I am hoping I don't love it. I already have a couple bags I haven't even used yet and here I am purchasing another one. I really dislike this time of the year. It's so gray and cold and I know it will be months before I can work in my rose gardens. I make more bored purchases in January and February then any other time of the year. And I'm with Jude when I say thank you for being a mentor. I wish my husband was one. He is smart p, kind and fun like you and I feel could help kids as they navigate the early 20 years. I know he helps my nephew often. Missy's husband would also be a wonderful mentor, as would Missy. I would have loved for Missy to meet my niece when she was younger. Greg and my husband are really a lot alike. Trust you will love Missy and Greg when you get to meet them in person. I can honestly say Missy is even nicer in person, as hard as that is to believe.

 

[azstonie]

Hi Everybody, shout out to Jaron and Violet !

Glad to read your post, Rainwood, Hawaii is on my Short List

I'm slogging along here, trying like heck to break my sugar addiction. I went "off the wagon" in December and it is so darned hard to turn that around. I avoid being in the aisle of all the Valentine chocolate and candies now, my resistance is LOW.

Maggie and Finn send everyone love and furry hugs!

 

[marcy]

Hi NIRDIs!

Rainwood, I found the information about Hawaii interesting. It sounds like such a beautiful place to visit.

Scandi, glad to hear you stayed home in that cruddy weather. I am with you on any deviation in a routine and you are bound to forget things. Have a fabulous time at your dad’s cabin. The Harry Potter books were wonderful. On our Pebble Beach trip we got to our rental car and Marty’s golf clubs wouldn’t fit in our car. There was this big Mercedes SUV setting over all by itself saying “rent me, rent me”. The lady kept saying your clubs will fit in this. Marty kept negotiating on the drive and we finally settled on something like $120 a day. Once we get in the SUV that’s when I said “we didn’t come here to save money.” Most of the snow has melted but more is coming on Sunday. I don’t intentionally cross country ski. I love your book warning; don’t bother me until I’m done with this book.

Missy, it sounds like you had the perfect day yesterday. Gorgeous diamonds and cute kitty.

June, I am so sorry to hear about the car accident. I am glad no one was hurt. I won’t tell Marty your DH might get in some golf this weekend. Have a nice time in SC. I do try to be fair with my employees but I am sure a few of them think I am boss-zilla.

Callie, I saw on the news you were getting ice there. Glad it melted quickly. I like your DH’s comment when he found out you hadn’t opened your package yet. I hope I can get my earrings back in a couple of weeks. I plan on dropping them off tomorrow morning. I hope I don’t catch the DSS syndrome; but I know those big diamonds are gorgeous. I am definitely a boredom shopper. When Marty was traveling a lot I was really a shopaholic.

Kristie, good luck avoiding the sugar. Give Finn and Maggie hugs for me.

I am so glad it’s the weekend. I am not thinking about work (unless I get called of course) until Monday.

Marty is making us a beef parmesan dinner tonight. It smells GREAT!!!

Have a fabulous weekend.
Marcy

 

[rainwood]

Missy, hope you will have recovered from your diamond jaunts and gotten a good night's sleep. You deserve a good rest and you know why!! Thank you! And kitty fur in the sun! Adorable.

Jimmianne, thanks for being a hand model and I hope your "asscher sightings" helped you make up your mind. I enjoyed looking at the photos of the three Missy posted. I don't know much about asschers other than to look for windmills in the corners and you want the faceting to draw your eye in. I, of course, was drawn to the biggest one, maybe because of the faceting but maybe because it was the largest. I don't love that antique 5 ct. Cartier asscher ring for nothing!

Kristie, you can come sit by me at the sugar detox facility! Like you, I did really well before the holidays, lost the cravings, and found many things too sweet. I could even have the occasional dessert (or bite thereof) and be fine. But the constant barrage of Christmas goodies while in Canada put me right back into the cravings. I'm into the second week of detox so it's better, but seems harder this time. The one thing I know is that it's easier to say no to sweet stuff at the grocery store once than to buy it and have to tell myself no 150 times.

Junie, sorry to hear about the accident, but glad no one was hurt and that the car is fixed and waiting for you. Plus a weekend at the beach. And I'm so glad you bought that cluster ring because sometimes a piece is just waiting for the right person to own it. You are that person for that ring.

Scandi, no question that Hawaii is expensive. Everything has to be brought in from the mainland, and I'm sure the rates at a nice resort hotel are sky high. I hope you figure it out. And hope you're feeling okay. Both the flu and colds are everywhere here and I'm trying to be careful about going out in public only when necessary and to use hand sanitizer constantly. I'm one of those people who just can't keep her hands off her face so I need to be extra careful.

Callie, here are a few of my many thoughts on Trump.

There are 3 things about him that should have everyone worried regardless of their political views. First, he's chosen to fly by the seat of his pants, resisting briefings and probably the daily notebook of information the President (and presumably the President-elect) gets every day. He prefers to govern by tweet. Being the leader of the free world is a really difficult job and getting harder all the time. I wouldn't want anyone, Republican, Democrat or whatever DJT is, winging it. I suspect the people around him will be spending a lot of time doing mop-up and damage control because he'll make a lot of missteps solely out of ignorance. I think this will be especially true internationally where his administrative staff and cabinet seem to be very short on true international diplomatic experience.

Second, the person running our nation needs to be smart regardless of his political affiliation and I don't think DJT is. I base that on some of the decisions he's announced since being elected that just don't make sense. One example is his declaration that every U.S. ambassador in every country in the world must vacate their jobs on inauguration day. There's what - something like 200+ countries so probably 200 ambassadorial jobs to fill and he's going to leave those embassies as rudderless ships for however long it takes to get ambassadorial appointments made. What would we think of a new CEO of a company with 200 stores around the country who comes in and fires every single store manager in the chain without having anyone to replace them? That's just stupid. If I were ISIS, I'd plan strikes in about 6 or 7 key countries shortly after the inauguration while all those ships are without a captain. It will increase the chaos and destabilize which is the real goal of terrorist groups and will greatly hamper our efforts to offer help. Another example is saying that his administration or Congress could come up with a replacement health care plan in a few weeks. Regardless of what people think of Obamacare (which actually originated as a REPUBLICAN plan back in the 90's so the GOP is attacking and trying to dismantle what originally was its own plan), crafting it and implementing it took years. A replacement can't be put together and implemented in weeks. I'm sure they're going to have to walk that back too unless they really intend to leave people (and their insurers and hospitals and states and medical providers) with a big mess of nothing. The one that is equally ridiculous is he thinks he can go toe to toe with Putin and come out on top. Putin is a lot of terrible things, but he's really smart and he's strategic and he doesn't have to deal with the messiness of democracy to get what he wants. Putting DJT up against Putin is like a putting a goldfish up against a shark. It reminds me of that saying "If you go into a poker game and you don't know who the sucker is, you're the sucker." Trump doesn't realize he's the sucker at that poker table and he's going to lose big, just like those hotel/casinos of his that went bankrupt.

Third, and what may be most important, is the person DJT is. I NEVER put psychological labels on people because I'm not qualified to do so and I think it happens too often and incorrectly. But I've read enough from people who do know what they're talking about that DJT exhibits classic narcissistic personality disorder and having now read what that looks like and how people who have it act, I'm convinced. It's the only thing that makes sense and explains what would otherwise be puzzling behavior. I wouldn't want a narcissist to be president if he was a Democrat either. They, by definition, can't be good leaders.

One of the things experts seem to agree on is that there is no effective treatment for narcissism. A narcissist can't change the way they are so people who are hoping DJT will rise to the job don't understand he CAN'T be different than he is now. The people who will be dealing with him - regardless of their political views - are going to have to learn the hard way how to govern this country with a narcissist in the Oval Office. I don't envy them. I could write more, but those are the things I think everyone needs to be concerned about.

Marcy, Hawaii is a nice place. For sheer beauty of blue water and white sand beaches, it doesn't come close to the Caribbean, but it's got a lovely charm of its own.

I've blathered on enough so will sign off. Have a nice weekend.

Oh and welcome jaaron - I love London! - and violet. Dealing with sequential losses is really hard, I know that from experience but handling those losses is such a personal and individual thing. What makes sense for one person doesn't necessarily work for another. And it's an ongoing process - different for each person - because the loss never goes away, but our reaction to it evolves. And I think generally speaking, the loss is harder to deal with the closer that person was in your life, especially your daily life. That's also why losing a pet can be so difficult. It changes our daily life so much.

 

[missy]

Good morning girls!

Junie, have a safe flight and productive trip and the only thing that matters is that nobody got hurt in the car accident. See how good I am at keeping quiet though. I didn't share it with anybody. I am a vault. And hoping you both manage to have a good trip in between the necessary errands this weekend and it sounds like your weather might cooperate. Thinking of you!

Rainwood, it was my pleasure and you are so very welcome. You know any time I am at your service however I can be. It was fun! Fingers crossed.

I wash my hands constantly and using hand sanitizer. It is a must to remaining illness free especially in the winter. Those darn viruses love the dry hot air inside germy places that is for sure and winter time is chock full. Here's to everyone remaining healthy!

Thank you for the synopsis re why we should be (and are) terrified of President Trump. Not cheery reading but necessary to be aware.

Scandi, did I already meet your dh? . OK ok you have already given him a bad impression of us silly girl. How are we going to squeeze in diamond shopping during your family visit here if he is already on guard. Ahh the naivety and sweetness of youth. No worries, I will do damage control and we will manage getting you something pretty and expensive for your NYC souvenir. I have my ways.

Marcy, I hope you and Marty enjoyed your dinner last night and I hope work does not call upon you this weekend. Looking forward to seeing your beautiful sapphire earrings on your ears. A blingy beautiful way to bring in the New year right.

Callie, aww honey your post brought tears to my eyes and you know I feel the same way about you. I cannot believe how incredibly lucky I am to have met you and the other girls. You are one of a kind and I wish you lived closer but am glad you are just a short plane ride away and that you are so willing to visit me. (((Hugs))).

And yes I think Jeff and Greg have much in common and they also have terrific wives.

Jimmianne, It was so wonderful meeting you honey and what a fun visit! And OMG you even got to experience a subway adventure LOL. Though I could have done without that little detour during rush hour (and OMG Kristie I know you would have hated the subway adventure and honestly if Jimmianne and Greg were not with me I would have been less amused by it) you made it fun! Today will be a fun adventure for you and I know you will enjoy it! Big (((HUGS))).

Jimmianne, could you share that amazing photo here. It is so beautiful and incredible. The colors so vibrant and sharp and it catches the edginess of NYC. I would love it if you shared it here. I want to blow it up and frame it. Greg also said how incredible it is.


I want to say that I think all the NIRDIs are amazing and the ones I have met in person are incredible women. I cannot believe how lucky I am to have met such terrific people and all because of a diamond forum on the internet. Truly more valuable than any bling and I say that from my heart.


I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend.

 

[missy]

OK I am back after much needed coffee third cup strong and black and hot.

I have some good photos from our visit but will only share if Jimmianne says it is A-OK. I have a few delicious photos of Bea and Joy but will share when/if I have permission.

But I can share photos of just Greg and Bea right? So here are some quick pics of the visit with Jimmianne minus Jimmianne (for now) LOL.

Sometimes I think I am in love with shopping just because of the lighting.

 

[missy]

Jimmianne has happily given permission for me to share photos. I'm on the go right now but want to share how talented she is and her simply fantastic photos. Will share Jimmianne's Joy and asscher and other photos later.

 

[missy]

I'm back as promised. It's cold and dreary here at the beach but so peaceful too. Winter does have its own appeal though I look forward to the sunny and warm promise of Spring and Summer. Not too far away and I am definitely appreciating the longer days! It was still light at 5PM yesterday and that is a welcome sight!


OK a few photos of Jimmianne's Joy hanging out with Bea and then her sweet asscher (yet to be named) hanging out too.
Man, I need a hand transplant or something. I have monster hands next to the delicate elegant hands of Jimmianne. See? That is why I need big bling.


OK we are off again. Hope everyone is enjoying a good Saturday!

 

[MarionC]

Hi all dear nirdis
I hope I can post from my phone.
Short version: Missy and Greg were wonderful
Of course you already know that.

I think ine would have to stay in NY for a month to even begin to see enough.
The city is so beautiful and interesting.

Adam showed some tempting stones
IDJ showed some tempting stones
I was tempted by a pair of amazing sw boots.
I think the operative word here is "tempting! Lol
Because although I did not make any impulse purchases I am considering ...

So Missy you are at the beach
Is it snowing there?
It is in Brooklyn and very pretty.
It's really coming down but supposed to be 40 degrees tomorrow.
Darn that asscher looks (pretty but) small haha, but Joy looks good. Whew! One less temptation.

When I get home I'll write more about the NYC adventure and post photos.
Happy Saturday!

 

[Calliecake]

HI Jimmianne, I knew you would have a wonderful time with a Missy. The pictures you took are gorgeous. I'm glad you are enjoying your time in NY. Your subway experience was very different from mine. I was amazed at how easy and efficient the subway system actually was. There were no delays at all during my visit.

 

[marcy]

Hi NIRDIs!

Rainwood, I hear the water in the Caribbean is absolutely beautiful. I think if we ever do an overseas trip it will be Italy. That is definitely on Marty’s bucket list.

Missy, I am so glad you had fun with Jimmianne. Those pictures are fabulous! Bea and Joy certainly look gorgeous in any photo. Glad it is quiet at the beach. It’s 5:26 right now and I can still see a little light in the sky. The days are getting longer. Soon I’ll be coming home in daylight.

Jimmianne, I am glad you had a marvelous time on your trip to NYC. What happened on the subway? I missed that story. It sounds like you were just tempted when you went shopping; are you getting weak on something? What was your favorite diamond? Your pictures look fabulous too.

Callie, sounds like you were lucky traveling on the subway. That would be a first for me; I finally rode in a taxi and used a public bus within the last 5 years. Such excitement for a small-town girl. Is your ice gone?

It was errand day for me. I dropped off my sapphires along with picture of the lever backs and instructions. They’ll call me with an estimate. While I was there I wanted to look at rose gold settings but they didn’t have much. This mom and pop store has a massive sale on Superbowl Sunday and he offered to give me those prices today. I didn’t see anything I couldn’t live without.

Stopped by where I get my hair cut to see if my stylist could work me in. She said come back at noon. I did a few more errands and came back. I haven’t had my hair cut since mid-August – and it sure needed cut. We went out to lunch, stopped at the mall then took down the Christmas decorations outside. I got nervous watching Marty on the roof but he only had to get up there 3 times. I thought about doing laundry but that can wait until tomorrow.

We are going to a local brewery tonight for a birthday party. I guess I am the DD. I’ll have some sliders and dream of jewelry.

Take care.
Marcy

 

[rainwood]

Missy, love all those photos of Bea and Joy and Greg and NYC. And your hands look like a ballerina's compared to mine. So I'm not listening to your complaints! All you ladies have such lovely hands and fingers. I have that terrible combination of small hands, and short but fat fingers. I swear I have someone else's hands and I'd like to give them back (although that actually sounds kind of grotesque now that I think about it). And you should be grateful to have Greg as your husband for many reasons, but one is that he likes to shop. My DH put shopping just ahead of having a root canal unless the shopping was in a hardware store!

One of our favorite NYC adventures was when we were there during an unseasonably warm December and we walked across the Brooklyn Bridge. Because we were rebels though, we walked from NYC to Brooklyn instead of the other way, and had a lovely holiday lunch at the River Cafe (pre-Sandy) then walked along the promenade for a bit and into Brooklyn Heights/Carroll Gardens. Strolling across the bridge walk seems like such a peaceful experience when you see it in photos, but that traffic is loud! Still glad we did it though. It seemed like quintessential New York.

Jimmianne, glad you had a great time with Missy & Greg. And love your photos. They look like they've been edited a little to resemble line drawings. Whatever, they are gorgeous! And I'll be interested to see if any of your NYC temptations find their way back to your house.

Marcy, I love Italy, but you have to enjoy a sort of charming chaos especially the further south you go. If it's your first visit to Europe, starting with Italy is like learning to swim by jumping into the deep end of the pool.

As for me, I'm on the island for a quick trip. It's been months so I needed to see what's going on. Not too much wrong, but the heat was at 66 degrees and we've had really cold weather. That would explain why December's electric bill was so high! And I'll leave you with two things that showed up on my FB feed. The first ties into my Trump post, but edited for language:

Did you know that Narcissist spelled backwards
is a**hole?
Hey, if they can make s#$t up, so can we.​

The second is one I'd have sent my DH:

Men: always remember it is cheaper
to let your wife overspend at Target
than to get a divorce and a second wife
who will also overspend at Target.​

Four of his least favorite words in the English language were when I said, "I'm going to Target." Looks like we weren't the only couple with that kind of dynamic.

Hope everyone is having a nice weekend.

 

[missy]

Good morning girls!

Jimmianne, sending you bucket loads of safe travel dust back home today and NYC (and I) will miss you! As you know we went just to feed the feral kitties yesterday as they were running out of food so we made the round trip and came back home last night. I took some photos for you coming home and I was relieved to see we didn't get much snow so it won't interfere with your travel this morning fingers crossed!

I'm so glad you enjoyed the Brooklyn Museum and yes I love the "Dinner Party" by Judy Chicago also! It is gorgeous and complex and fun all at the same time, isn't it? And woohoo YAY for 75% off jewelry sale at the museum gift shop. You are right in that never happens. Did you get a Brooklyn souvenir?

Rainwood, Walking the Brooklyn Bridge and also walking the Brooklyn promenade and going to the River Cafe is an iconic NYC experience and I told Jimmianne exactly that during her visit. Jimmianne and I discussed that when the weather gets nicer we have to do that walk. So funny that you mentioned it too. And I enjoy walking both ways. Greg took me to the River Cafe our second Valentine's day together and it was romantic though I almost passed out because he started talking about our future together and I had to excuse myself to go to the ladies room and when I returned we changed the conversation to something more neutral or at least more short term.

I forgot to say the asscher you preferred was my favorite asscher too. Well the favorite I posted because my favorite asscher is the antique asscher Adam showed us. I just have a thing for antique diamonds. Something about them is special (to me). I hope you fall in love with an antique diamond very soon...

Haha love the jokes you shared. I never even went to Target till I was in my 30s but I do enjoy it now. Not as much as Costco though. Oh that store is a dream to me and Greg's brother has a joke about Costco. He likes to say I'm going broke saving money at Costco.



Marcy, How exciting about your new earring project. Hope the estimate is reasonable. I love simple earring drops. So elegant. I hope you like your new haircut and style. I also haven't had my hair cut or styled for a very loooong time. I am too lazy but really need help with my hair! It is awful and needs split ends cut and some style to it. Thanks for the reminder. Hope you had fun last night and how accommodating of you to be the DD. At least you will wake up this morning feeling good as opposed to those who might have overdone it last night.

Subway adventure story: I'm not Jimmianne but here's what happened. We had a long walk underground (about half a mile) to get to the train we needed during rush hour and it was crowded. Greg, Jimmianne and I were navigating the crowds staying together and we finally got to our train and it was not moving due to an incident and police investigation (I think someone had fallen on the tracks at another station). So we had to make our way back to the original location (half a mile away underground again) with all the crowds and it was even more crowded now as it was later sticking together which is no small feat during rush hour. And we took a different train line (and the announcements as always were quite muffled so we just weren't sure what was and what wasn't running) and luckily we got that train and then because it wasn't the right train we had to get off at the most crowded subway station in all of NYC to make a transfer during rush hour and LOL it was so crowded. And I was holding onto (pushing/pulling during part of the trip sorry Jimmianne!) Jimmianne making sure we didn't get separated with Greg leading the way. Our fearless leader LOL. So then we made our connection and had just a bit further to walk as we had to get off at not our closest stop as that train still wasn't running. It was fun though in hindsight and we made some friends on the train too. As I often do when stuck since somehow I always seem to get involved in conversations during times like these. But it is always more amusing in hindsight as we (I was at least lol) were tired and ready to get back. All's well that ends well and all a part of NYC life. Because I would rather be stuck on the train than stuck in a cab during rush hour. Generally.

And on the plus side we really walked a lot of miles that day. I think my iPhone registered about 5.9 miles. Not bad because we weren't even trying.

Hope that answers your question and I think Jimmianne enjoyed the "adventure". At least I hope she did!

Callie, yes we had smooth running trains during your visit. But since 2017 started the trains have been a mess and every single week (if not every single day) there is some sort of incident. Frustrating when you are trying to get somewhere i.e. appointment for doctor's office, work etc. But for leisure time not so terrible. But I wish they would get back to working more smoothly pretty please!


We watched a horror movie on Netflix last night called "It Follows". I liked it but the ending was ambiguous and I would have preferred a more definitive ending. When the ending is so pen to interpretation I feel the writer/director was lazy and didn't finish the movie.


Scandi, I hope my little joke yesterday didn't annoy you. Where are you? Of course if you want to make an appointment for diamond shopping for an hour or 2 I bet Greg and your dh and the kids could amuse themselves for that short time without us...

Junie, I hope your SC weekend is going well and that your car is as good as new and that you and your dh are enjoying yourselves at your beach house.

Here is another photo from Jimmianne's visit. Not necessarily the most flattering photo but the only one we took and just as a memento of our visit. Though an even better memento would be coming home with a diamond... Jury is still out on that one isn't that right Jimmianne?







Next sweet couple of photos of Bobby and Tommy napping this morning in bed as we enjoy our coffee. So sweet.





LOL Tommy looks like he already had a difficult morning. Ahh the life of a well loved kitty.




Lastly, just a couple of pics of the little sprinkling of snow we got yesterday. I can handle this kind of snow.

Have a good Sunday girls! And thinking of you Jimmianne and hope you have an easy trip home!

 

[missy]

Security camera pic from just now..got a dusting of snow there. Perfect.

 

[MarionC]

Great photo, Missy I like the curving lines and the light.

I just got home. Left the Airbnb for the airport at 9am and home at 3:30pm. So about 6 hours door to door. Not bad!
It's going to take a while to process everything!

 

[Scandinavian]

Sick. Had to stay home this weekend. Just a cold or something but it knocked me out cold... LOL. Not really.

Just stopping by to say - Missy, you could never do that if you tried! You really are one of the sweetest persons I know !!!

And yes to everything! Actually, hold on to the table/chair/Greg here..., I have never seen a OEC diamond before, we don't really have them here! So that might give you some ideas

Hugs!

 

[MarionC]

OMG Scandi
first of all take care and feel better soon.
second, be careful. you may go down the OEC rabbit hole if you see one! lol

ps. my dogs just got sandwiches from NYC! "dog sandwiches" are crusts of bread with scraps of cheese & tomatoes. They think I only went there to find them the best treats. well of course, I did

here is a thought provoking image
well maybe not.

<3

 

[junebug17]

Hi girls!

Missy, yes, your ability not to crack is impressive! Love the bling pics, thank you to you and Jimmianne for sharing them, you ladies have gorgeous diamonds and beautiful hands and it is so fun to see pics of them. I just love looking at bling lol Love how cozy your sleeping kitties look, so cute. Love the group pic of you, Jimmianne, and Greg, you all look fantastic and I truly mean it. Wow, you guys really did have quite the subway adventure! I love your pic of the light snowfall, it's really pretty.

Calliecake, thank you for the good thoughts and yes, I so agree with you, the only thing that really matters is that our loved ones are healthy. Anything else can be easily handled. I am so happy that your brother is doing well and that those terrible days are behind you and your family. I know what you mean about feeling bored and a little down during these winter months, I feel the same way. But please don't be hard on yourself and I hope you keep the purse if you truly love it! Life is short and it's OK to treat yourself to something you love, and as you said, purses are less expensive than diamonds lol! But I do get what you're saying so you have to do what you're comfortable with. I'll bet that bag is beautiful though!

Kristie, I hear ya on breaking the sugar habit - I had a grand old time with the sweets during the holidays and now I'm trying to get back on track, doing a little better but I'm still battling those cravings. Hang in there, we can do this!

Rainwood, thanks, it was nice getting away for a few days, I hope you had a good weekend on the island. Your jokes made me laugh, so funny! I am downright dangerous in Target, I can always find something to buy there ha.

Jimmianne, I'm glad you had a great visit and made it home safe and sound! I love the pictures you took of NYC, they're beautiful. Love the pics of your asscher and Joy, they are both such gorgeous diamonds. I am really disappointed I didn't get to meet you this time around but since we're on the same coast I'm hoping that we can eventually meet up one day. How fun that you had a chance to go to IDJ and OWD. Sounds like you saw something that peaked your interest! And what an introduction to the NYC subway system you had!
And of course the doggies thought you went to NY just for them ha!

Marcy, I'm glad you got the ball rolling on the earrings and I hope the estimate is reasonable. It's nice the stylist was able to fit you in, I always put off getting my hair cut too but I feel freshened up when I do have it done and then I wonder why I waited so long lol. Hope you had fun at the birthday party, and I agree with Missy, by being the DD at least you'll feel better than everyone else the next morning!

Oh no to having a cold Scandi, so sorry and I hope you're feeling better soon. Pamper yourself and get lots of rest. And you aren't going to talk me out of thinking you're a great person for being a mentor lol! I think it's wonderful of you, and the person who has you as their mentor is very lucky!

We're having a nice time here, we got here early enough on Saturday so we were able to pick up the car And get that out of the way. It looks good, the place did a great job. The weather is pleasant, although feels just a bit chilly even though it was in the 60's today. Tomorrow is supposed to be a little warmer. It's nice to just have to wear a light jacket so I'm not complaining. Not really doing anything special - went for a bike ride on the beach and went out to dinner. Work has been crazy for dh lately so I'm glad he's had a chance to relax for a few days.

Thinking of all my nirdis and hope you all have a good start to the week!

 

[marcy]

Hi NIRDIs!

Rainwood, I hope you enjoyed you trip to the island. Rats that your electric bill was high. Our December electric bill was higher than normal too. I will keep in mind what you said about visiting Italy. Marty has been to quite a few places in Europe. His favorite place by far is Hong Kong. Funny joke about Target. I spend more at Sams Club than Target but either one will put a dent in the checkbook.

Missy, I guarantee I felt better this morning than anyone else who went out with us last night. Water doesn’t give you a hangover. Are you thinking about getting a new hair style? The beauty of cutting your hair is that it always grows out again. That does sound like quite an adventure in the subway. Funny you mentioned making friends on the subway. Marty is always astonished I’ll strike up a conversation with when I don’t know them. He’ll play 18 rounds of golf with people he doesn’t know and they never talk about anything other than the game they are playing. I told him if I was out there with other ladies we’d all know each other’s life stories by the 10th hole. I hate ambiguous endings in movies or books. Great photos today but my favorite is the one of you, Greg and Jimmianne. Tommy is living a tough life.

Jimmianne, 6 hours from door to door is not bad at all. It looks like you had a fabulous time in NYC. Nice! Nice you took home some doggies treats.

Scandi, rest up and feel better soon.

June, that’s nice the body shop did a good job on your car. You and your HD deserve a nice, relaxing weekend on the beach. 60 degrees sounds pretty warm for this time of year. Enjoy!

Speaking of sugar cravings, we finished our last 2 candy cane cookies today. I froze 4 of them on the 26th and told Marty this morning we are eating them today before they get old. He said he wasn’t going to eat his but he ate one of them before supper and didn’t turn down his second one later. They are a butter cookie so not as sweet as some cookies.

We had a nice time at the party last night. About 10 of us showed up. They played a drinking game so most of them were smashed in no time. I know Marty didn’t feel too perky or ambitious today. The brewery was kind of a dump and it’s self-serve; it was more like fast food appetizer restaurant with a bar. I don’t think I’d go out of my way to go there for supper but for a birthday party it was fine.

We didn’t do much today. Marty set up our new 4K satellite receivers today. Now we’ll have to wait for 4K content to be available from our satellite provider. I guess BBCA is going to air some Planet Earth II shows in 4K. Those should be amazing.

I was a good sister and called my chatty sister tonight. One hour and 11 minutes later I got off the phone.

Take care.
Marcy

 

[Scandinavian]

Good morning girls

Still sick, but being a good girl and have already arrived at the office. Conference call in a little while, just need to finish + send out the presentation we are discussing first..

SO 3 - 2 - 1 GOOOOOOOO

Talk to you later today!

 

[rainwood]

Missy, love the snow photos, the three of you (so photogenic!), and the kitties coming in for a little snuggle with mom and dad in the morning. I didn't shop at Target much either until they built a store in the city a bout 10 years ago. The island house has lots and lots of Target stuff. You have to be selective, but they do have some really nice things. And Costco is well-represented at both houses.

OWD should name you a store ambassador or something. Soon, we'll all be OWD'd and OEC'd!! I still want to go there and drool. Maybe that fall Europe trip will have to wait until next year . . . .

Jimmianne, glad you got home safely and quickly. And If I wasn't already on a sugar detox, those Trump bars would have put me off sweets for sure!!

Junie, glad you and your DH are having a relaxing time at the beach. The weather sounds wonderful.

Scandi, sorry you're still sick. Take care of yourself.

Marcy, if Marty likes Hong Kong, he'll be in fine in Italy.

Well, I jinxed it by saying that much wasn't wrong at the island. I was getting ready to leave to catch the 3:30 ferry, went over to turn down the thermostat and it was blank, dead, not working. It's supposed to be below freezing tonight so two small Dyson heaters wasn't going to cut it. I was able to get hold of the HVAC guy who was able to come over at 8:00. Some wires came loose, was fixed in 5 minutes so took the 9:55 and got home a little before 11. I'm glad it happened while I was there, but I am SO tired of HVAC problems. It is always something. Oh well. It's fixed and the wait allowed me to make a sizeable dent in my unread magazine stack. And I was the second to the last car on the boat on the way over and the last car on the way back. Lucky that it worked out especially since it was so cold and I was hoping not to wait in line very long.

Have a good Monday.

 

[rainwood]

Missy, love the snow photos, the three of you (so photogenic!), and the kitties coming in for a little snuggle with mom and dad in the morning. I didn't shop at Target much either until they built a store in the city a bout 10 years ago. The island house has lots and lots of Target stuff. You have to be selective, but they do have some really nice things. And Costco is well-represented at both houses.

OWD should name you a store ambassador or something. Soon, we'll all be OWD'd and OEC'd!! I still want to go there and drool. Maybe that fall Europe trip will have to wait until next year . . . .

Jimmianne, glad you got home safely and quickly. And If I wasn't already on a sugar detox, those Trump bars would have put me off sweets for sure!!

Junie, glad you and your DH are having a relaxing time at the beach. The weather sounds wonderful.

Scandi, sorry you're still sick. Take care of yourself.

Marcy, if Marty likes Hong Kong, he'll be in fine in Italy.

Well, I jinxed it by saying that much wasn't wrong at the island. I was getting ready to leave to catch the 3:30 ferry, went over to turn down the thermostat and it was blank, dead, not working. It's supposed to be below freezing tonight so two small Dyson heaters wasn't going to cut it. I was able to get hold of the HVAC guy who was able to come over at 8:00. Some wires came loose, was fixed in 5 minutes so took the 9:55 and got home a little before 11. I'm glad it happened while I was there, but I am SO tired of HVAC problems. It is always something. Oh well. It's fixed and the wait allowed me to make a sizeable dent in my unread magazine stack. And I was the second to the last car on the boat on the way over and the last car on the way back. Lucky that it worked out especially since it was so cold and I was hoping not to wait in line very long.

Have a good Monday.

 

[rainwood]

Missy, love the snow photos, the three of you (so photogenic!), and the kitties coming in for a little snuggle with mom and dad in the morning. I didn't shop at Target much either until they built a store in the city a bout 10 years ago. The island house has lots and lots of Target stuff. You have to be selective, but they do have some really nice things. And Costco is well-represented at both houses.

OWD should name you a store ambassador or something. Soon, we'll all be OWD'd and OEC'd!! I still want to go there and drool. Maybe that fall Europe trip will have to wait until next year . . . .

Jimmianne, glad you got home safely and quickly. And If I wasn't already on a sugar detox, those Trump bars would have put me off sweets for sure!!

Junie, glad you and your DH are having a relaxing time at the beach. The weather sounds wonderful.

Scandi, sorry you're still sick. Take care of yourself.

Marcy, if Marty likes Hong Kong, he'll be in fine in Italy.

Well, I jinxed it by saying that much wasn't wrong at the island. I was getting ready to leave to catch the 3:30 ferry, went over to turn down the thermostat and it was blank, dead, not working. It's supposed to be below freezing tonight so two small Dyson heaters wasn't going to cut it. I was able to get hold of the HVAC guy who was able to come over at 8:00. Some wires came loose, was fixed in 5 minutes so took the 9:55 and got home a little before 11. I'm glad it happened while I was there, but I am SO tired of HVAC problems. It is always something. Oh well. It's fixed and the wait allowed me to make a sizeable dent in my unread magazine stack. And I was the second to the last car on the boat on the way over and the last car on the way back. Lucky that it worked out especially since it was so cold and I was hoping not to wait in line very long.

Have a good Monday.

 

[rainwood]

Missy, love the snow photos, the three of you (so photogenic!), and the kitties coming in for a little snuggle with mom and dad in the morning. I didn't shop at Target much either until they built a store in the city a bout 10 years ago. The island house has lots and lots of Target stuff. You have to be selective, but they do have some really nice things. And Costco is well-represented at both houses.

OWD should name you a store ambassador or something. Soon, we'll all be OWD'd and OEC'd!! I still want to go there and drool. Maybe that fall Europe trip will have to wait until next year . . . .

Jimmianne, glad you got home safely and quickly. And If I wasn't already on a sugar detox, those Trump bars would have put me off sweets for sure!!

Junie, glad you and your DH are having a relaxing time at the beach. The weather sounds wonderful.

Scandi, sorry you're still sick. Take care of yourself.

Marcy, if Marty likes Hong Kong, he'll be in fine in Italy.

Well, I jinxed it by saying that much wasn't wrong at the island. I was getting ready to leave to catch the 3:30 ferry, went over to turn down the thermostat and it was blank, dead, not working. It's supposed to be below freezing tonight so two small Dyson heaters wasn't going to cut it. I was able to get hold of the HVAC guy who was able to come over at 8:00. Some wires came loose, was fixed in 5 minutes so took the 9:55 and got home a little before 11. I'm glad it happened while I was there, but I am SO tired of HVAC problems. It is always something. Oh well. It's fixed and the wait allowed me to make a sizeable dent in my unread magazine stack. And I was the second to the last car on the boat on the way over and the last car on the way back. Lucky that it worked out especially since it was so cold and I was hoping not to wait in line very long.

Have a good Monday.

 

[rainwood]

Missy, love the snow photos, the three of you (so photogenic!), and the kitties coming in for a little snuggle with mom and dad in the morning. I didn't shop at Target much either until they built a store in the city a bout 10 years ago. The island house has lots and lots of Target stuff. You have to be selective, but they do have some really nice things. And Costco is well-represented at both houses.

OWD should name you a store ambassador or something. Soon, we'll all be OWD'd and OEC'd!! I still want to go there and drool. Maybe that fall Europe trip will have to wait until next year . . . .

Jimmianne, glad you got home safely and quickly. And If I wasn't already on a sugar detox, those Trump bars would have put me off sweets for sure!!

Junie, glad you and your DH are having a relaxing time at the beach. The weather sounds wonderful.

Scandi, sorry you're still sick. Take care of yourself.

Marcy, if Marty likes Hong Kong, he'll be in fine in Italy.

Well, I jinxed it by saying that much wasn't wrong at the island. I was getting ready to leave to catch the 3:30 ferry, went over to turn down the thermostat and it was blank, dead, not working. It's supposed to be below freezing tonight so two small Dyson heaters wasn't going to cut it. I was able to get hold of the HVAC guy who was able to come over at 8:00. Some wires came loose, was fixed in 5 minutes so took the 9:55 and got home a little before 11. I'm glad it happened while I was there, but I am SO tired of HVAC problems. It is always something. Oh well. It's fixed and the wait allowed me to make a sizeable dent in my unread magazine stack. And I was the second to the last car on the boat on the way over and the last car on the way back. Lucky that it worked out especially since it was so cold and I was hoping not to wait in line very long.

Have a good Monday.

 

[rainwood]

Missy, love the snow photos, the three of you (so photogenic!), and the kitties coming in for a little snuggle with mom and dad in the morning. I didn't shop at Target much either until they built a store in the city a bout 10 years ago. The island house has lots and lots of Target stuff. You have to be selective, but they do have some really nice things. And Costco is well-represented at both houses.

OWD should name you a store ambassador or something. Soon, we'll all be OWD'd and OEC'd!! I still want to go there and drool. Maybe that fall Europe trip will have to wait until next year . . . .

Jimmianne, glad you got home safely and quickly. And If I wasn't already on a sugar detox, those Trump bars would have put me off sweets for sure!!

Junie, glad you and your DH are having a relaxing time at the beach. The weather sounds wonderful.

Scandi, sorry you're still sick. Take care of yourself.

Marcy, if Marty likes Hong Kong, he'll be in fine in Italy.

Well, I jinxed it by saying that much wasn't wrong at the island. I was getting ready to leave to catch the 3:30 ferry, went over to turn down the thermostat and it was blank, dead, not working. It's supposed to be below freezing tonight so two small Dyson heaters wasn't going to cut it. I was able to get hold of the HVAC guy who was able to come over at 8:00. Some wires came loose, was fixed in 5 minutes so took the 9:55 and got home a little before 11. I'm glad it happened while I was there, but I am SO tired of HVAC problems. It is always something. Oh well. It's fixed and the wait allowed me to make a sizeable dent in my unread magazine stack. And I was the second to the last car on the boat on the way over and the last car on the way back. Lucky that it worked out especially since it was so cold and I was hoping not to wait in line very long.

Have a good Monday.

 

[MarionC]

Hi Rainwood
Rats to your heat going out. What a pain. I'm glad you were able to resolve the situation.
Yes, it is always something! I have a friend who would count all the days the heater worked, look at the comparative percentage and say things are mostly good. I don't know if that helps, it's never helped me too much haha but it's worth a try LOL

Scandi, please lay low and take care of yourself today!

My trip was amazing. I had pre-trip jitters about going to the city but everything went smoothly. In fact it might be very possible that Missy and Greg planned the subway train failure so I could be treated to a NY adventure! : ) Seriously though, for them I'm sure it was a pain - but for me it was an adventure.
And when I was navigating alone I was impressed with how nice everyone was [taxi drivers, shop keepers] and how easy it was to get door-to-door car service.

The diamond district was beyond description, beyond comprehension. As a PSer I knew that what I wanted was probably not in the endless store front windows, so I did not look closely, just enjoyed walking by a river of bling that went on & on. I knew from youtube that deals are even made on the street [yes, Missy?...but not for us lol] and so for me the atmosphere was exotic. It was a new and foreign country and I loved it.
Adam was the nicest man. From now on I will want to buy from him before anyone else. He really liked Joy and that meant a lot to me, given his knowledge and how many OECs he sees, but that isn't why I liked him. He is a good man and a kind person on top of having the most beautiful collection of OECs.

 

[missy]

Good morning girls and Happy Martin Luther King Jr Day! He was a great man and I thought it would be a nice way to start the day commemorating him and just sharing a few of my favorite quotes by him.

“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”

“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.”

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.

"The time is always right to do what is right."

And finally what he wrote from the Birmingham jail in April 1963. Haunting. And so sadly true.

http://www.hartford-hwp.com/archives/45a/060.html

First, I must confess that over the last few years I have been gravely disappointed with the white moderate. I have almost reached the regrettable conclusion that the Negro's great stumbling block in the stride toward freedom is not the White Citizen's Council-er or the Ku Klux Klanner, but the white moderate who is more devoted to "order" than to justice; who prefers a negative peace which is the absence of tension to a positive peace which is the presence of justice; who constantly says "I agree with you in the goal you seek, but I can't agree with your methods of direct action;" who paternalistically feels he can set the timetable for another man's freedom; who lives by the myth of time and who constantly advises the Negro to wait until a "more convenient season."

Thank you for allowing me to share some of his quotes here. He was a great man who made a difference and he was taken away too from all of us too soon.


Rainwood, it's not a title I want LOL. I just want to help my friends if I can since I am in the perfect location for scouting out beautiful old cuts and am lucky to be near the person/business who offers the greatest number (and quality) of old cut diamonds in the world. I am here for my friends to help any way I can for them to find the old cuts of their dreams. But LOL I like that. Soon we will be all OWD'd and OEC'd. There are worse ways to go.

Oh no and yes I believe in the power of the jinx though Greg gets frustrated with me when I say you just jinxed us LOL. So yes be careful as words are powerful and thank goodness it was an easy fix and the HVAC guy came so fast on a weekend too! Relieved for you!

Excited for you today.

Jimmianne, welcome home and I know everyone (fur babies especially) was so happy to see you and yay for the treats being a success. Of course you went to NYC just for them.

OEC rabbit hole LOL. Love that. Yes, Adam is the nicest and sweetest man and he also has the biggest best OEC collection of anyone. That doesn't mean an amazing old cut doesn't pop up elsewhere (hello Grace lol) but Adam does have the biggest selection.

And I am glad you saw firsthand how nice NYers are. We get a bad rep/rap elsewhere but we have some of the nicest warmest people and we are not a cold hard city as some might think. Well, as long as you don't catch us in the middle of a bad day but LOL that's anywhere right?

Hope your day back went well and that things are back to running smoothly. Thinking of you and your DD and sending more hugs your way.


Junie, so happy the trip is a success and the car as good as new. And that your weather is cooperating. Sounds like heaven temps in the 60s and plus. Though Jimmianne and I did luck out with the weather I have to say. No complaints here and she got to experience lots of different temps/conditons during the short time she visited. Mild temps in 60s and freezing temps too. Snow and sun and in between. So yes it was a changing weather landscape during her visit.

I hope you are staying for a bit longer at least and hope you continue having a restful and lovely vacation at the beach house!
And yes I can be a vault when needed and I am a loyal and true friend but being a Leo that shouldn't surprise anyone.
Hugs and enjoy!


Scandi, we're on! OMG I just hope Adam is not on vacation that time of summer. That would be the only roadblock. But no matter what we will find bling to enjoy I promise. Oh and we should line up some sights for the children. Though perhaps they would enjoy seeing bling too? JK.

How are you feeling this morning? I hope you feel much better even though you are still sick and sending you healing hugs! And I hope work goes smoothly so that is one less stressor today when you are not completely well.

Marcy, yes men are so funny that way. Greg will spend time with his pals and when he gets back and I ask what about so and so's wife or job etc he gets this blank look and says the subject never came up. LOL. Men.


I'm glad you enjoyed the party last night despite the food not being excellent and you being the DD. But yes now you feel great and the others perhaps not so much.
Hope you enjoy the Planet Earth shows in 4K. Good going Mr Marty.
Glad you enjoyed a "short" phone convo with your sister. I don't think an hour and 11 minutes is that long. I won't tell you how long I can sometimes be on the phone with some of the NIRDIs. Let's just say it is good I work part time.

(I will just add that the very first time I spoke with one of the NIRDIs via telephone we were literally on the phone for over 5 hours. Not kidding. True story).


Callie sweetheart, I am thinking of you and thinking good thoughts for your family. (((HUGS))).



Today Greg and I are visiting a friend of mine (now ours) and getting an eye exam long overdue. My last real eye exam was over 25 years ago LOL but not counting my visits to the retinal specialist and I am taking care of Greg as you know. But I cannot examine myself right? So today is the day.

And we are still waiting for Greg's biopsy results and I am on edge as Greg called Thursday last week and the doctor never called back and by the time I remembered Friday the office was already closed. Honestly that office is so hectic I can see the doctor not getting to read the biopsy results yet vs him not calling means the results are benign. Because either way they call. So with today being a holiday I don't think the office is open and we have to wait another day at least. I just hate it when the doctor doesn't call in a timely fashion when there are serious results we are waiting for yanno?


Have a good MLK Jr. day girls and sending hugs to all of you.

Adding a photo Jimmianne just sent me. I think you are a great photographer and artist Jimmianne! And Rainwood this is my best kind of photo. When it doesn't include my face!