Have a fabulous trip, CAPH! You certainly deserve it after what your family has been thru lately.

Bon voyage to worktowander and suzietrue!

Rave: Fabulous dream trip come true for my mom in Rome last week. It was very special for my sister and I to take her to the city she's so long dreamed to see, and for the three of us to spend time together. Standing just a few feet from the Pope was certainly a trip topper for Mom, too. :)

Rant: I miss my hubby who had to leave for Houston before I returned from Rome.

Rant/Rave: DH spending quality time with both his and my family during his trip and getting to see his daughter for the week, as well. I just wish that I were able to be with all of them, too.

Rant: Leaving for NYC on business Sunday and it's cold there. Brrrrr.

Rant: My DH returns home mere hours after I leave so I will still not be able to see him for another week. :(

Rave: When we are both finally home together from our March travels he will be off the whole weekend and we will have plenty of time to catch up! Among other things. ;)

Rave: The wonderful people on this board who gave me so much great info in planning the long dreamed for trip to Rome.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone! :)

Rave: Caph and family's trip to Ireland.

Rave: Ditto LoveItaly. It's such a blessing that there is so much good news this week for Fodorites.

Major Rave: The sun is shining in my life again. Good things are happening. The hard decision was the right one to make - and made room for new good things to enter. God is good.

Minor Rent: Bad news at work but this time I'm not going to fret. Just let things unfold and trust what is supposed to happen will happen.

Happy Spring to Fodorites!!! I am sooooo glad it is here!

Statia, welcome back! I'm so glad your trip with your mother and sister was everything you hoped for! :)

Heck, one more RAVE: There was a swarm of red robins in my yard this week having a feast!!! My daffodils are peeking through the ground!! Yippie, Spring is here!! :D

Rant: I had Duke in the office pool. I bragged about it. I rubbed noses in it. I got a bit cocky about it. I teased my co-workers who had less desirable teams. You get the picture.

Today will not be a pleasant day at the office.

Rant: The Buffalo Sabres are on a losing streak. Ahhhhhhh! We're supposed to win the Stanley Cup. We deserve it after Dallas cheated us out of it a few years ago.

Rave: I see signs of spring everywhere. Yeah!

Rant: I have to go to a wedding shower Sunday afternoon. Why can't people have these darned things on Friday nights? Grrr.

Rave: I finally have a vacation planned, so life is good.

Have a great weekend everyone! BG

Tiny Rant: During my pedicure yesterday (my form of therapy)a very LOUD woman took phone calls and screamed and hollered about the new massage chairs squeezing her head and butt. A bit tough to relax during something I look forward to with great anticipation.

Rave: I love my mani/pedi shop. They use HOT lotion and even HOTTER towels and massage my arms and legs so that my newly painted nails are just a bonus.

Rant: I went to my daughter's middle school "March Madness" basketball tournament (featuring Fodorites very own Eeva!). It was great to watch the kids who were playing and having fun. But my rant is about the 12-14 year old girls with so much eye makeup on they look like herion addicts. Don't their parents see what they look like? And the low cut shirts and bellies hanging out. I'm definately sticking to my rules about no makeup until high school and then only sparingly. When the time comes, I'll spend the money to have a makeup professional teach her to do it right.

Rave: Renovation plans are moving along. We've committed to stay in town - a very scary committment due to so many uncertainties with the above mentioned school. But its our home for better or worse and we are sticking with it.

Rave: All these great travel plans for Fodorites! Have a great time - especially Caph52!

Rant- Bennie witnessed me "playing" basketball last night!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I saw your daughter there and crossed my fingers that maybe you had dropped her off and did not have to witness me embarrassing myself!

Rave- My team won the whole thing including beating the teacher across the hall who played college and then semi-pro ball. The kids were great and it was such a fun night. I love those types of events when I get to hang out with the kids and be a total goof.

And yes Bennie I agree about the make-up and clothes issue. I have been fairly successful winning that battle with my daughter but not without a great deal of "discussion."

Rave- The number of typical "run of the mill rants" (as someone mentioned earlier).

LARGE RAVE: The views coming to work. We had an overnight late March snow that coated everything like icing and the BEAUTY!! I have to keep a digital camera in my car, so you could see what I do coming to work.

RAVE: There was one spot so breathtaking I just had to stop. 30-40 foot firs covered like flocking- over a reflecting liquid (NOT FROZEN)-1/2 mile wide pond- with downhill/uphill coated forest (oaks, maples etc.) on all sides - simply covered with pure white and sparkling . AND THERE WAS NOTHING ON THE ROADS. It melted there immediately.

Rave: My brother- VietNam, Iraq, 25 years as a Chicago cop and homicide Detective was minor training for what he is doing now at my parents. Thank God for Marine training. Jarhead saint- and without being a morose Mother Theresa either.

Rave:By stats my Mom was supposed to be gone by now and she still won't take pain pills or patch. She's eating good again too- I think she is far, far from average.

Rant: Election BS in Illinois. It took a couple of days but a 76 year stroke victim who can not reply has won, of course. Could you imagine if the other side did this kind of thing! All of you would know about it then.

Glad for all of you going on trips or just getting back, or starting a new life. I'm real tired and I am jealous.

There's actually much more bad news but I just can't go there. My friend is back in the hospital.

RAVE: Oldest son leaves for SF today and will have his entire family doing the Northern CA coast for the next 8 days. Be nice everybody out there- they are the tall, dark good looking ones with the 3 tall blonde children.

Rave: Laughing so hard, he's the one just like his mom (NOT IN LOOKS but in all else)- he just sent me his day by day detailed itinerary on an Excel spreadsheet.

Rant: The state of the world.
Rave: Being able to do a little something about it. I found this wonderful website:

www.thehungersite.com

You simply click on a button on the site, and the site's sponsors make donations to charitable organizations (based on how many "clicks" the site gets that day). It costs you NOTHING. Every time someone clicks, they donate to Mercy Corps and America's Second Harvest, hunger-relief organizations.

Also, the site links to these other related sites, which work the same way:

www.thebreastcancersite.com
www.thechildhealthsite.com
www.theliteracysite.com
www.therainforestsite.com
www.theanimalrescuesite.com

Let's all do a little something good today!

Sorry I have only 20' before running off to work, will have to read the posts later.

RAVE: spent 2 weeks in Israel!!!!

Rant: still fighting the jetlag and working on the report, about 1/2 done

Rant: 1/2 tooth broke off on the way home, spent 1/2 day in the dental chair yesterday, and the permanent crown is due in 2 weeks

But of course, I peeked a little at other's posts... just a little! Jorr, if "shut up" is too rude, here is another one for you: "turn your fountain off" a russian expression

Thank you for keeping this thread up!

One more thing:
seetheworld, "Boa viagem!"
Good luck with your Portuguese... I've been learning Portuguese, since my SO is from Brazil. It's a beautiful language. Can't wait to travel and try it out! I'm sure you'll enjoy yourself in Portugal this summer.

JJ5--I'm praying for you and your friend.

Wow, sounds like this week has been really good for most of you!

Rave--We leave tomorrow morning for Victoria for the week!

Rave--My knitting is going ok, lol! I have been working on it like a madwoman so I could finish it today and take it on the trip.

Caph--Have a fantastic trip!!!

Statia--So glad to hear about your trip. I am sure your mom will be telling everyone how sweet her daughters are:)

STW--Don't worry about butchering the language. We went there on a weeks notice, so I was lucky to learn just a few words. If I can get by, you can, lol! The hardest time was in a pharmacy trying to get creme for mosquito bites. We finally had to show the bites on DD's legs to the man. We brought home some creme that beats the heck out of anything purchased here.

Greetings all my FFR&R'ers ~

Bon voyage CAPH, SuzieTrue and next week to you WorktoWander, and then you GirlontheGo! Happy and safe journey.

Welcome Home Statia, darlin!

Jorr, I couldn't agree more about the "shut up" thing, I loathe the words, cringe when I hear them said, especially when I hear a parent speak them to a child. To me it is like a curse word.

Welcome to FFR&R, Petitepois!

Klr, where did you purchase the collar? Our Petco and Petsmarts here are EXCELLENT about returns if you are not completely satisfied. I am sorry, Soph ((&)) and I send our good wishes.

OWJ & LoveItaly >:D< ~ Just cause.

Welcome home, Faina! So many coming and going right now. Sorry about your tooth!

Carol, thanks for the links.

Rave ~ Hope.

Rant ~ Having to wait until Monday to find something out. Can't talk about it, but will you guys send hope my way?

Rave ~ Spring ((F)) ((F)) ((F))

Rave ~ Random acts of kindness!

Rave ~ The man/woman who invented photography. Can you think of how much our lives would miss it if it didn't exist! Nothing can bring back a memory of a picture.

Rave ~ Got all of our Italy pictures in an album. Yeah!

Rant ~ Gotta wait til Monday... uhhh, I already said that one, huh?

((L)) to all of you , Tiff

mms, you and I were posting at the same time, Happy journey to you as well!

Rave: March Madness!

Rant: Friend having surgery this a.m. for breast cancer; if you're inclined please join her prayer blanket at 10 a.m. California time. She has two kids 3 and 8. Thanks.

CAPH and Worktowander: Have a great trip!

LoveItaly: I thought I had the world's loudest refrigerator. I bet yours isn't a hideous shade of gold like mine. :)

Rave: We're making a tiny bit of headway with the potty training.

Rant: My crocuses were coming up and then were buried under 10 inches of snow earlier this week.

Rave: But 10 inches of snow means good skiing this weeekend.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

MMS: Congratulations on completing your scarf. Have a great trip!

<<:-)>> to you Tiff

kureiff--keep it up with the potty training! It's worth all the work!

sfamylou--I'll say a prayter at noon my time for your friend. I know how hard it is to sit and wait for results. May God be with all of you and especially to her and her kids.

Rave: Only raves from me today!

Rave: Bon voyage and smiles to CAPH and family for their trip to Ireland! The world works in wonderful ways sometimes...

Rave: DH and I had a fabulouse parent-teacher conference last night re: our DD. She aced her CSAP math test, which she thought she didn't do well on - and she's so proud of herself (as are we) for how well she's doing in school. The look on her face when we reviewed her report card was priceless.

Rave: I can feel spring in the air FINALLY even though there's still snow on the ground.

Rave: Razzledazzle's reminder of daylight savings time!! WOOHOO!

Rave: Overnight trip this weekend to the Hot Springs for a bachlorette party. Time for a little R & R before a big push at work!