Quarantine and chill and kindness chatty clubhouse: Jump in and join the conversation! All is welcome!

[lovemygoofy]

Happy Wednesday Ya'll!
We get through all this one minute, one hour, one day at a time. We can and will get through all going on. I think most people don't know how strong they are until they are through it and says "wow, look at what I did." Myself included. We are going along here and I will never be so thankful for a big house with multiple living quarters as I am now Tonight I am making green chile enchiladas with rice and beans and margaritas! I don't know if Costco has it right now or even if it is nation wide by the Hatch New Mexico Green chiles in a big jar are really good and last a while.

I'm so thankful for the facility my mom lives in. She is younger but has leukemia among other issues. They are doing so great and taking care of her in AR and I am in Indiana. The staff is calling or emailing with updates for those that can't really speak with their family members. I talk with her multiple times a day and face time every afternoon with her. The facility is setting up face time with families who can as the facility has several Ipads and tablets and sharing among to help soothe fears.

Now to go get caught back up and ask a question for the day and issue a challenge...

 

[disneydreamer781]

I'm already going out of mind! I'm not going to make it! DH is now working from home now since he works at Biogen, yes, that Biogen, so I have to tiptoe around the apartment. I live in an apartment building and most people have been here 24/7. I have work to do but there are so many distractions. I don't know how DH is bearing up but I know he's struggling. This morning I got up and while making coffee I started crying. Yeah, I don't think I'm going to make it.

 

[lovemygoofy]

Question and challenge for 3/18:

What are you thankful for today?

Challenge: Text, facebook messenger, call, email or however you communicate with two people today that you may not normally speak with regularly. We are all in this and need to reach out and bring everyone up out of the water to air together. We can do this.

 

[Searc]

Apparently you and I have the same fascinating life. Hubby is working from home starting today. He may try a day here, a day at the office, a day home, and see how it goes. They don't have a lot of people working there, so it's not like he will be in crowds at all. Smallish house like yours, and not really looking forward to 24/7 just yet!
I finished vacuuming before he started making and getting phone calls, so all my cleaning is done. He can sit there and work, and I will DIS, play a computer game, or watch something on tv.
Going with sister in law in a bit to an off price store, to get some sausage,,will make sure to check the price and NOT get hot sausage, which we can't stand!

The longest we've been together 24/7 is 10 days for vacation and we did fine with that. Fourteen+ days of 24/7 may be pushing it... He is my favorite person in the world and we love spending time together, but even we have our limits. LOL

 

[Searc]

I'm already going out of mind! I'm not going to make it! DH is now working from home now since he works at Biogen, yes, that Biogen, so I have to tiptoe around the apartment. I live in an apartment building and most people have been here 24/7. I have work to do but there are so many distractions. I don't know how DH is bearing up but I know he's struggling. This morning I got up and while making coffee I started crying. Yeah, I don't think I'm going to make it.

I'm so sorry. I know it's confining and unnerving, and the uncertainty is making a lot of us anxious.

 

[Searc]

Question and challenge for 3/18:

What are you thankful for today?

Challenge: Text, facebook messenger, call, email or however you communicate with two people today that you may not normally speak with regularly. We are all in this and need to reach out and bring everyone up out of the water to air together. We can do this.

I am thankful for my husband for helping to keep my anxiety to a manageable level, at least while he's home. And my kitty.

I am also thankful for my sisters.

 

[lovemygoofy]

I'm already going out of mind! I'm not going to make it! DH is now working from home now since he works at Biogen, yes, that Biogen, so I have to tiptoe around the apartment. I live in an apartment building and most people have been here 24/7. I have work to do but there are so many distractions. I don't know how DH is bearing up but I know he's struggling. This morning I got up and while making coffee I started crying. Yeah, I don't think I'm going to make it.

You can do this. This is all so new and scary and overwhelming but you can do this. We have to start just doing it. You can. First thing is start a routine. First thing, open the curtains and blinds and let the daylight in. Don't hide from the world. It's still turning and people living. Let the outside in.
Next, set 3 goals for your day even if that includes a shower and change of clothes. Do small things like organize a junk drawer or take inventory of how many shoes you really have. Do 3 things that will show you have accomplished something.
Reach out to someone. So many are feeling like you are as well. Don't hide away. We are in this together.

 

[SaintsManiac]

Thankful for our amazing teachers who are making distance learning easier than I anticipated.

 

[lynxstch]

Question and challenge for 3/18:

What are you thankful for today?

Challenge: Text, facebook messenger, call, email or however you communicate with two people today that you may not normally speak with regularly. We are all in this and need to reach out and bring everyone up out of the water to air together. We can do this.

I am thankful that I have my health, and that my husband's isn't worse than it is. I am thankful to have a roof over our heads, food on the table. That I have my furbabies to keep me company when hubby isn't here.

Todays challenge. I have already messaged one of my stepsons, who we only rarely get to see, and only talk to once in awhile. Since all of this has started, he's really trying to make an effort to stay in touch, along with 2 of his 3 daughters. And I just finished emailing an old friend who I haven't had contact with in years. Just to say hi.

Thank you Tina, for keeping this going. You (and all of the DIS'ers who are in on the thread) are providing moments of sanity and comfort in an otherwise uncertain world for a lot of the DIS family!

 

[Minnie1222]

I'm thankful that we still have running water and electricity. I find peace in decluttering, cleaning, and organizing. And with the mess my children are currently producing, I will be in peaceful mode for a long time.

 

[lovemygoofy]

Talked to my mom today- she lives alone and she really does need to self isolate and is already struggling. I came up with the idea that she should create a daily activity calendar and nightly movie schedule and put one sort of fun thing for each day (although fun for her might be organizing the Halloween decorations or sorting through last Aug vacation photos). Sort of like the summer activity sheets schools hand out. Plus she had hundreds of movies that she keeps meaning to watch so now it’s like a little schedule. When I heard schools are out the rest of the year here I decided to do the same and try to make a little lemonade out of a bad situation (and really think I’ll need the perspective come May).

So for today’s “Quarantine Gratitude Activity“ my son and I had a cookie bake off...and I lost. However we now have 2 dozen fresh cookies so everyone’s a winner.

Does your mom have ability to face time or facebook messenger or skype or some version? Can you do a group call with her with other friends or families? Maybe you all watch the same movie and do group text during it or send her a book and you and others and do group book club? What about old fashion letters and homemade cards? Mailing cookies to grandma? I send my mom lot of college style care packages for her and her roommate who live in a facility.

 

[lovemygoofy]

I have a dirty secret to get off my chest...

I’ve been binging Love is Blind.

Send help. I’m hooked.

I'm going to start this today! I know I'll get my husband sucked in too hehehehe

Have you seen the Circle that was on in January? It's really interesting as someone who is older, 41, and still not down with all things social media but to watch the people's interactions was really neat. We watched the whole season quickly and I don't really binge watch much. I don't have attention span for it.

 

[lovemygoofy]

The longest we've been together 24/7 is 10 days for vacation and we did fine with that. Fourteen+ days of 24/7 may be pushing it... He is my favorite person in the world and we love spending time together, but even we have our limits. LOL

I adore my husband and he is the best person I know but we spent a lot of years apart married. It may be why we were still married. He retired from active duty almost 3 years ago and I took a job traveling constantly. Now we sit and look at each other...when he was retiring we realized that the most time we every spent together in a year was about 8 months. Good thing I still like his face because I'll be seeing it a lot.

 

[Swimnoid]

Finally ventured out to the store today. Neither the Aldi or the Foodlion had any beef. So there goes the Beef barley soup I was going to make. Other than that they were both pretty well stocked or what one was out of the other had. Tonight is going to be grilled chicken tenderloins and french fries.

What I'm thankful for...I should be categorized as high risk through all this but luckily I have been working on my health and am doing pretty well right now. I'm scheduled to retire in 65 days and am toying with using all my vacation and go early.

I'm going to touch base with my cousin and sister in law today.

Now I have a list of tasks to do today to keep me busy but I'll probably procrastinate and not do much of it!

 

[leebee]

I am trying to be upbeat but it's been a hard morning. I am visiting my sister/nieces. She is a single mom, been through a bad divorce, and runs her own small shop in a tourist town. She had JUST paid for stock for the summer when this all started. Of course she has no business at all, and almost no money in the bank as she ordered/paid for her stock. She's not sure where she's going to get the rent for their apartment, much less for the shop, and of course this isn't the best time to look for a job. We spent the morning making the rounds of the local grocery chains, gas stations, and liquor stores (all of which we figure will stay open) where she applied for jobs. She is 60... who hires 60-year-olds?- and has always been in business for herself. She is terrified, sad, depressed... and we can't help financially, as we have our own concerns (and honestly only about 3 months' mortgage in our savings account). She's off to work, to open a shop that will be empty all day, and I am headed home to deal with my life. This is going to be bad, I am afraid.

On the bright side... just went shopping at the "new" store in town, Aldi. I go to Aldi when I am in CT visiting DD, so it was nice to be able to pick up some of our favorite things locally (well, closer than CT, hahaha). Better news is, they are hiring so my sister put in an application! It's a sunny day here in Maine, about 50 degrees, great driving weather, and we are going walking in City Forest when I get home in a few hours- me, DH, and DD, who is here visiting as her school is shut down. Dinner tonight is chicken, and tomorrow I'll make corned beef and cabbage. I LOVE boiled dinner, but DH is only a once-a-year fan.. so this is IT!!

 

[gillep]

I am thankful for so many things but mostly that my family so far is healthy.

I already contacted my SIL who I have been horrible about keeping in contact with since Christmas. I also contacted one of the girls in my book club, she was interested in the book that I put down so I told her to let me know if she reads it and what her thoughts are.

 

[cabanafrau]

I'm thankful to merely be inconvenienced and a bit stir crazy at this point while so many others are dealing with harsher realities. I'm holding out hope that the economy will rebound differently than expected simply because this is such a widespread leveling of the playing field in a way not really seen before.

Ironically texts, emails and phone calls have meant I've been communicating regularly with several people I normally hear from infrequently.

 

[MamaLema]

I am thankful that I found a bag of dried lentils today after 5 days of looking

 

[Bianca and Bernard]

I am thankful that my immediate family is all healthy.

DH is super cranky, working from home. He's a bit stir-crazy, I think.
I am craving donuts. I am about this far -> from driving to Dunkin and getting a couple dozen. I do have to go by CVS to get DH's diabetes prescriptions and I have a Kohls order in that I should go pick up...and I think driving out of my way 20 minutes to get Dunkin is a distinct possibility...

 

[apirateslifeforme]

Question and challenge for 3/18:

What are you thankful for today?

Challenge: Text, facebook messenger, call, email or however you communicate with two people today that you may not normally speak with regularly. We are all in this and need to reach out and bring everyone up out of the water to air together. We can do this.

Right now especially, I'm thankful for YOU, Tina, for making a place for anxious people like me to come talk about something else and get our minds off what's going on in this world. Seriously. I'm not sucking up to you, I am truly very grateful for this

I'm also thankful to all those who have shared ideas and programs to keep us and/or our kids occupied at this time. My son's preschool did close and this, his first entire day home, has already been challenging. He has not been receptive to many of the ideas, unfortunately, but there are so many out there that we will keep plugging away.

I wish I could tell the preschool's director that I am thankful for her. I was told yesterday that she got a lot of emails from parents, telling her that she was selfish and irresponsible, etc. for keeping the facility open. She is a lovely lady and doesn't deserve that, and I'm sure she was just trying to do what she felt was safe and appropriate.

I'm thankful that I and my family have our health, overall. I do have a history of upper respiratory infections - I seem get one every other month or so, in the cold weather - but I'm otherwise very healthy. I'm thankful that we have a safe, clean roof over our heads and food in our refrigerator, even enough to share with my elderly in-laws. I'm thankful that my husband is still able to work - for a small credit union, not a lot of people working in the office, and they've closed the teller lobby to customers - so we hopefully will be the rare ones who won't have to worry about a paycheck.

Praying that this thing goes away sooner rather than later...