By Jane Dirks on Thursday, December 6, 2001 - 11:33 am: |
We arrived from 2 destinations (Pittsburgh, PA and Denver), converged in Montego Bay, and spent 8 incredible days at Happy Holiday Homes in Belnem. We arranged all travel/lodging /car rental with Andy at Great Southern Island Adventures (on the web), and we can only recommend both HHH and GSIA with the HIGHEST marks! If you want a cozy, quiet, local feel to your accomodations, complete with kitchen and patio (and visiting donkeys...sorry Louise, but I couldn't resist a nightly apple!), HHH is wonderful. Not on the beach, but just across the street. Especially for us, who wanted to spend mornings sipping coffee in the sunshine with the birds, it was heaven.
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By DARLENE ELLIS on Thursday, December 6, 2001 - 3:24 pm: |
Thanks for the awesome report. I love when I drift back to Bonaire!
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By Hazel Scharosch on Thursday, December 6, 2001 - 3:36 pm: |
Loved it! Do you all plan to have a return engagement? I can picture 4 elegant elderly ladies, wearing sarongs, bikini tops, and purple hats, in front of the street cam in twenty or thirty years! Heck, we could even increase the number to AT LEAST 8 ladies...Whatdoyasay, Cynde, Carole, and Meryl?? I already have the , LOL!
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By Hazel Scharosch on Thursday, December 6, 2001 - 3:43 pm: |
Hmmmm....I can see how this could quickly get out of hand...what about Kerri, Ellen M., Rusty, Sarah, Sue, Ellen, "the other" Cindy, Darlene, Faith, Dawn (haven't heard from you in awhile,) the 2 Nancys, Beth, of course, Bubbles Baker, Kelly's Linda, "Cookie Breath, etc. This list could go on forever!!
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By Kelly Lott on Thursday, December 6, 2001 - 4:39 pm: |
Hazel ~ thanks for including the Kellys! Can't forget the Kellys!!!!
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By 2Nancys on Thursday, December 6, 2001 - 5:16 pm: |
Wow, Wonderful report. I have been very busy lately and haven't had much time to visit the site, but when I do... such rewards... like this wonderful report. Thanks. You mentioned a lot of goodies to do that we didn't have time to do on our trip. Can't wait to go back and check them out! I remember the place with the dolls out front. Didn't realize what it was. So happy you had a great time.
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By Denise L. Kacavas on Thursday, December 6, 2001 - 5:27 pm: |
me too me too me too :-)
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By sherry baker on Thursday, December 6, 2001 - 5:55 pm: |
hazel, i could buy a purple hat.
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By Josie on Thursday, December 6, 2001 - 5:56 pm: |
Don't forget me. purple is my favorite color!
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By Carole Baker on Thursday, December 6, 2001 - 6:21 pm: |
Outrageous report, Jane...sounds like you all had a ball and fell in love with Bonaire. Thanks for the details, just loved it.
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By Hazel Scharosch on Thursday, December 6, 2001 - 10:43 pm: |
I DID forget quite a few ladies, including Lea and Lorraine, Susan the tatooed (sp?) lady, the other Susan, Josie our diving inspiration, Gail Currie and the gang, jan, Emma, Sarah, and CiJai. No offense, Carole, but if we invited Joan Zale, we might be able to get Emeril to be the resident chef :-) Joe DOES like older womwn, however...hmmmm....this is getting complicated! For sure we would have to invite that Navy guy Cecil, but he'd still have to wear the purple hat and bikini ;-)
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By Meryl Virga on Thursday, December 6, 2001 - 10:50 pm: |
Won't take me long to buy a purple hat...or can I use feathers? They may not be purple but they would look quite stylish..and would do quite well in the water and on land.....please count me in!
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By Kay Powers on Friday, December 7, 2001 - 12:24 am: |
Whatever we need in purple...I'm game too!! Hat, shoes, whatever!! Have luggage will travel!
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By Cecil Berry on Friday, December 7, 2001 - 10:07 am: |
Hazel, I don't know about the bikini, I think that falls under the "don't ask, don't tell" policy.
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By Cindy Reed on Friday, December 7, 2001 - 10:44 am: |
Hi Hazel - think I'll use "the other" as my name from now on. LOL I like that. I've been wearing purple for ages and the only way I'll get to Bonaire is a hen trip. Just can't tear Jim away from the mountains. Count me in.
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By Susan Feldman on Friday, December 7, 2001 - 10:48 am: |
This is cracking me up! My mother used to have a purple outfit and every time she'd put it on, she'd say "I'm a symphony in purple!"
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By sherry baker on Friday, December 7, 2001 - 11:01 am: |
i think the whole idea sounds totally fun. count me in!! - if the guys want to join us, i dont care so long as they also wear the purple hats etc.!!
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By Faith M. Senie on Friday, December 7, 2001 - 12:33 pm: |
My mother's favorite poem began "When I am an old woman, I shall wear purple"... It's a great poem called Warning, by Jenny Joseph. I used to loathe purple -- my worst enemy in high school wore it all the time. But she and I made our peace at our 10 year reunion, and now I rather like purple...
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By Jan Klos on Friday, December 7, 2001 - 12:49 pm: |
Ok I'm game-- Anyone available 2/3-2/15/02--Why not go all out-- just bring a thong
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By Kelly Lott on Friday, December 7, 2001 - 1:23 pm: |
We didn't forget Kerri Mango did we??? Have purple thong, will travel.
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By Hazel Scharosch on Friday, December 7, 2001 - 1:42 pm: |
Faith, that's the EXACT poem I was thinking of when I suggested purple hats!!! Jan and Kelly, I'm not sure about the thong thing - in twenty or thirty years when we do this hen party thing, I may not care. At this point in my life, I don't even know how to put one on, LOL!
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By Hazel Scharosch on Friday, December 7, 2001 - 1:51 pm: |
Okay, I've "rethunk" the thong thing, and to quote the immortal words of Kerri Mange, "I used to be that kind of girl, and you know what? I STILL AM!" So we'll see.
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By Hazel Scharosch on Friday, December 7, 2001 - 1:53 pm: |
Oops...that should read, Kerri Mango. Typos R Us!
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By Faith M. Senie on Friday, December 7, 2001 - 1:54 pm: |
My mother LOVED that poem! It was so funny, because it described my grandmother so well, but it was so UNlike my mother -- Mom definitely wasn't the type to learn to spit...
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By Kay Powers on Saturday, December 8, 2001 - 12:17 am: |
So when is this purple hat and thong trip?
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By Jane Dirks on Saturday, December 8, 2001 - 3:59 pm: |
I can't tell you how delighted I am that our trip report generated such great purple hat-and-thong energy!! We are definitely the purple hat types..(especially if they're purple FISH hats!)...as you all seem to be also! So lets go! We were actually, and only half kiddingly, looking into resort properties while we were there...there was an awfully cute one at the end of the street HHH is on...run down a bit but mucho potential...of course none of us has any $$$ but we can always dream...we already came up with a name, "The Happy Donkey"...have any of you ever dreamed about that?? We had such fun concocting our specialty drinks: gin, lime, and aloe juice with its secret healing properties, etc etc. ...
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By Carole Baker on Saturday, December 8, 2001 - 4:26 pm: |
Jane, Joe and I dream of buying a home on Bonaire every waking hour! You have to have a dream...keeps us going. We check out the real estate listings and drive thru all of the neighborhoods checking out a lot of the homes. Someday.....Carole
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By Cynde Lee on Saturday, December 8, 2001 - 4:48 pm: |
I have no idea how I missed this thread! I have been so busy at work (I hate it when my work gets in my way)...purple has always been my favorite color (my hubbies too)...our bedroom is purple! so...Jane you probably saw a snook. they are quite large and thick and hang on the bottom and will follow you around without getting too close. we had one follow us at bari in the shallows one day, we were watching him and laughing, trying to get him to get a little closer...Haz...sounds good to me, although i think i will leave my fanny flosser at home... I agree with faith not very comfortable (at least not since my bottom has gotten a little wider!)...Cecil you can forgo the bikini, but you must wear a hat...shutterbug Michael is quite a bit younger than me and loves to cook too...so, we have 2 chefs so far to wait on us! lol!...Meryl and shutterbug i am still workin on the late may trip, so we could make an appearance (the boys will have to wear chef hats and thongs!)...
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By Carole Baker on Saturday, December 8, 2001 - 4:52 pm: |
Cynde Lee, sounds like we have a great plan in the making! My "thong" days were over about twenty years and many, many pounds ago...BUT, I do wear the color purple very well! Aren't we the lucky ladies with the "younger" men! Who love to cook, to boot...life is good. Carole (Shutterbug)
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By Carole Baker on Saturday, December 8, 2001 - 5:00 pm: |
Oh...I used to have a purple bedroom, too, Cynde...see, there is a very common link on this board! Hmmm, Joe and I saw a very, very large fish hovering near a boulder on the bottom (hard to float those boulders, ya know) of the water in front of the Divi one afternoon..down about 15-20 feeet or so...it was light in color, about 6 or more feet long, maybe 1.5 feet wide with a lower jaw jutting out with large teeth and mouth agape....snook? Don't know...no one in the water that day could tell us what it was, but we gave it plenty of room to do whatever it wanted to do! It was HUGE! No film left in the camera at that moment, either, of course! Carole
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By Josie on Saturday, December 8, 2001 - 5:18 pm: |
Jan, I'll be there 2/5 -- 3/6. The hat's on, but I WILL NOT wear a thong. I'm too "mature" for uncomfortable. I'm also trying to plan a "east shore clean-up". Interested?
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By Jan Klos on Saturday, December 8, 2001 - 5:44 pm: |
Josie,
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By Cynde Lee on Saturday, December 8, 2001 - 5:54 pm: |
Jan, just looked at your bio...what is "setvice" industry?? ;-)
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By Jan Klos on Saturday, December 8, 2001 - 6:16 pm: |
Ok--- Cynde--OOOOPPPPSSSS so there was a typo-- should have said Food Service Industry------and even that has changed---company closed nationaly and laid off 5,700 back in June-- so I am still unemployed-- might even think about being semi-retired--but just maybe that Food manufacturer that I am waiting to hear from will call soon-- if not then with those reallt resonable airfares-- Bonaire here I go-------
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By Cynde Lee on Sunday, December 9, 2001 - 4:24 pm: |
Jan, that is too bad about the lay offs...seems so many companies have been following suit...i just figured maybe you were part of the "vice" squad or something
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By Carole Baker on Sunday, December 9, 2001 - 6:25 pm: |
That is one of the main reasons I was seeking out a Government job for the past three or four years...I had been downsized twice in the private sector and am not getting any younger. My quest was fulfilled in August 2000. The pay is just about half of the private sector for my field, but I don't mind. The benefits of security (civil service position) and paid holidays and sick time (I needed that this past March with the Gallbladder mess) and being 1.5 miles from home is a HUGE bonus for me, too! I am also very fortunate in that I work for the most wonderful boss in the world, too. My search was 24/7 with tenacity and relentlessness, but it paid off, for sure. I wish everyone luck out there that is looking for exmployment at this time. Things will be looking up in 2002...you can bank on that. Carole (a/k/a "Relentless")
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By Carole Baker on Sunday, December 9, 2001 - 6:28 pm: |
Jan, good luck on the position you are seeking...just keep after them, hound them and be relentless...it really does pay off, believe me! Good luck and keep us posted. Carole (Relentless)
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By Josie on Sunday, December 9, 2001 - 7:04 pm: |
Jan, We'll be at our all-time fave place: Bonaire Townhomes, which is pretty much off thebeaten track: 1 Kaya Hermes, which is off the street with Samara carrental on the corner, off Nikiboko Sud. I'll be sending a message to all the Feb/March BT group when I have more details on the shore clean-up.
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By Jane Dirks on Monday, December 10, 2001 - 12:53 am: |
Carole and Cynde, thanks for the fish speculations. What we saw sounds like yours, Carole, BIG TEETH and mouth open. Not friendly-looking, but then I don't really know my fish that well. Could it have possibly been a Jewfish, I heard they can be in the Caribbean?
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By Meryl Virga on Monday, December 10, 2001 - 11:51 pm: |
Cynde, depending on the amount of Tequilla's Steve will be more apt to put on the thong before the chef's hat....He has "dabbled" in cooking (his mom's...or mum...depending on where your from!) is a wonderful cook...he's learning and enjoys his creations...he just has a hard time in cutting down the pots/dishes/utensil use...one meal sometimes takes most of the cabinet contents to produce....but I guess I shouldn't complain!
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