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

[chickapin parterre]

My hobby is gathering r information about the desert I spend hours walking

* photos of wildflowers, there are more species of wildflowers in my backyard desert then in Oregon
* rocks selected to my bag and then cast artistically in my yard, due to major uplifting, the mountains were torn apart and scattered a variety of rocks formed at different temps and mineral content.
*lizard habitat building in our yard, piles of rocks and bricks, with rotten veggies that drawn flies and crickets and then every hour walk around and do a count
*snake tracks, photos of the different movements across the soft sand of the dry bed flood wash

 

[Meriweather]

Glad you are safe, Tina. Scary....no experience with that here, but would definitely not like it at this time. I am having enough trouble sleeping these days

 

[monkeydawn]

I used to be into couponing and playing the Drug Store rewards games. When we lost our last Rite Aid last year I mostly fell out of it, CVS and Walgreens just werent putting up exciting enough sales for me. I'd still participate in Super Doubles at the grocery store this last year. Maybe after this has mostly passed the manufacturers will be trying to lure me in with deals!

In the spring I garden a lot. The past couple of weeks Ive been working on a new bed out front. Ive got everything dug out now. Ive planted what I could get at Costco or what I was just relocating from other areas in my yard. Now its just a waiting game for when I feel safe enough to get to greenhouses (or if Costco gets in the things I am looking for to fill in the last spots).

 

[Bianca and Bernard]

Question of the day 4/9: What's a favorite hobby or activity for relaxing?

What do you do to relax? Do you have a hobby? I'm not particularly artistic as in I don't think I have any real talents. I tend to bake, cook, clean or check on others when I'm stressed or trying to think and worth through something going on in my brain.

Over the years, I've had a lot of hobbies. Needlepoint, plastic canvas work, piano playing and scrapbooking among them. For now, I read; do jigsaw puzzles (Ravensberger and Thomas Kinkade Disney); coloring adult coloring books; and play video games (WoW, Diablo 1-3, etc).

I don't count cooking or baking, because that's just something that has to be done, and it's my work. I still like doing it, though.

I had to to go to the post office, and the store, so I picked up Panda Express (Family meals are $20 online/app). Got 2 family meals for $50 (got the expensive shrimp and beef dishes); we had it for lunch, and having the leftovers for dinner (and I'm sure I'll have lunch tomorrow too, haha).

 

[Praying Colonel]

I like doing genealogy research. The process of discovering new information about my ancestors and organizing it de-stresses me.

 

[lynxstch]

Question of the day 4/9: What's a favorite hobby or activity for relaxing?

What do you do to relax? Do you have a hobby? I'm not particularly artistic as in I don't think I have any real talents. I tend to bake, cook, clean or check on others when I'm stressed or trying to think and worth through something going on in my brain.

Wow to your weather last nite. Glad that you and Matt are safe. Sorry about the neighbors house being hit by lightening. That must have been a very scary thing to happen, especially in the middle of a pandemic. We have had very very strong winds today, with some rain, but the worst seems to be over for now. Temps down to the mid 40's tomorrow, and 34 tomorrow nite, after having 74 degrees yesterday!
As you could probably tell by my username..I love to cross stitch, or at least I used to. My old eyes can't tolerate too much of it at one time anymore. I also love to crochet, have made many baby blankets over the last year, and even sold a few. I can also knit, do hairpin lace, and at one time I could tat, but have long since forgotten how to do that. I love to bake and try new recipes, but since it's now just hubby and I , I tend not to bake too much. The pounds just seem to pile on when I do, lol! I also clean when I am stressed, probably why the house is cleaner now than it usually is, lol!

 

[flyingdumbo127]

Wow, I thank God you and Matt are okay! How scary! Many prayers today is calmer all-around!

Three Thursday gratitudes are:

Talking and Texting with a couple friends who I have not seen or talked to for a long time (no church right now )
An unexpected gift of postage stamps in the mail yesterday that will allow me to send more prayers via snail mail
Warmer socks while I wait for new slippers to come in the mail next week

I love using stickers to personalize cards and notes to send friends by snail mail. I am not much into scrapbooking anymore but do need to re make some albums that include saved photos and cards. I have realized over the years that it is quite okay to no longer hold onto either a card or photo that does not evoke a happy memory. I enjoy reading and now that we are home more board games. Of course, checking this thread daily

 

[bobbiwoz]

I like to do jigsaw puzzles, read and garden.

 

[lynxstch]

Just in case anyone needs a little smile today, this one made me laugh out loud!

 

[queenofthehive]

Hobbies - love to sew (garment and home decor), creating paper art, reading, and vacation planning.

 

[Breezy_Carol]

Tina, glad you are safe. Where is your home?

Question of the day 4/9: What's a favorite hobby or activity for relaxing?

I like to knit, read, do jigsaw puzzles.

I read; do jigsaw puzzles (Ravensberger and Thomas Kinkade Disney);

I like Ravensburger but I borrowed one of DD's Kinkade Disney ones and am stuck. This after I did a 1000 Hallmark puzzle I got for Christmas.

Dinner tonight was spaghetti and salad.

Gratitudes:
WW online today
Mail from DD with a picture colored by DGD
Financial stability (Not looking at IRA account)

 

[Bianca and Bernard]

Tina, glad you are safe. Where is your home?

I like to knit, read, do jigsaw puzzles.
I like Ravensburger but I borrowed one of DD's Kinkade Disney ones and am stuck. This after I did a 1000 Hallmark puzzle I got for Christmas.

Dinner tonight was spaghetti and salad.

Gratitudes:
WW online today
Mail from DD with a picture colored by DGD
Financial stability (Not looking at IRA account)

With the Kinkade ones, I've found it more helpful to sort by piece shape than by color.

 

[flyingdumbo127]

I also enjoy doing jigsaw puzzles however admit to not having the puzzle patience for larger ones. The Dollar Tree is a great place to get puzzles of various sizes.

 

[NYCgrrl]

Just found this and thought it might be of use to someone:

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/06/...tion=click&module=RelatedLinks&pgtype=Article

 

[hereyago]

Well, I like to play video games Super Mario etc. I like to clean I find it relaxing especially if I'm stressed.

I took a sewing class years ago and did it for awhile then stopped.
Well I have started up again with the help of YouTube since trying to make a mask.

 

[PollyannaMom]

I've recently discovered that I really like to do chalk drawings on the driveway, but that's hard on my middle-aged knees! I can only do so much and then I have to leave the little one to fill in

I really enjoyed doing that the other day as well. I just did a small one by the mailbox for the folks out on walks, but I liked how it came out.

Sorry about your 4th of July.

 

[NYCgrrl]

Normally, I do needlecrafts to relax, be creative. Unfortunately, I was in the middle of a flamestitch project and ran out of wool although I did have the good sense to have the producer keep some on hold for me in the proper colors and batches. When this is all over I'll start again.

Interim, DGD and I have been decoupaging: she with printed paper napkins and me with whatever strikes my fancy.

Tonight's meal was salmon and asparagus wrapped in crepes with a tarragon based white sauce. The basis was this recipe although I used what was on hand:

https://www.foodrepublic.com/recipes/salmon-and-spinach-filled-crepes/
Been feeling a bit stir crazy on this end and not wanting to lose the...routine DGD brings into our life (she's "visiting" her mother) I spent more time figuring out what I would cook than actually making it, LOL. Saved the man from that can of Dinty Moore's beef stew he thinks I don't know is in the cupboard

 

[VandVsmama]

Hobbies: Gardening. And planning our next Disney trip, but it's mostly gardening.

We live in Arizona. Gardening here is challenging. Achievable, but it's totally different than in most other parts of the US. Front yard is desert-friendly plants & trees.

Husband wanted backyard to be full of as many "things we can eat" as possible. When we moved into our current home a year and a half ago, the back yard had nothing in it. The native soil here has zero organic matter in it. When it rained, all of the water basically would run off.

My favorite gardening tools are a pick ax and a jack hammer. LOL.

Thanks to several loads from Chip Drop and some worm castings, though, now our back yard has worms all over the place. I've even now got some clumping bamboo growing. And Barbados cherry trees, fig trees, a Tamarind tree, Moringa trees, a loquat tree, a couple of grape vines, some passion fruit vines that are just now getting started, a Mexican Elderberry tree/bush, a peach tree, Ponderosa lemon, 3 different kinds of pomegranate, a star fruit tree, sugar cane, and an Australian finger lime tree.

The Australian finger lime is, by far, my favorite at the moment. There are about 2 dozen teeny tiny fruits on it! It's an amazing little tree.

Future plans call for a couple of native shade trees for the back yard (more jack hammering), and down the road when those shade trees grow up, plant a mango tree under one of them (mango needs a mother tree for the 1st two summers around here).

"Needs afternoon shade" around here means it needs shade by 11:00 am. "Tolerates full sun" around here means "it can handle full sun from 5:30 am - 9:00 pm all summer long with highs regularly above 105 F and oven-like hot wind." HAHAHA! It's an adventure.

 

[lovemygoofy]

Hi All and Blessed Good Friday,

I'm sorry for the late check in. It's been hectic day here. My husband's grandma is not doing well and my mom's anxiety disorder is in overdrive and we have spent good portion of our day on the phones trying to figure out what we are doing. I ended up on Facebook Messenger doing breathing exercises with my mom and he ended up ordering gluten free goodies to be sent to his grandma with some spring flowers. (he has been married long time and knows what makes me better lol) Needless to say just long day in our house.

It's beautiful but cold day here and we did get a good, long walk in to talk everything out about how to move forward. It's hard when you just want to run over and hug that person all better and can't be done right now. Matt told me this morning he wants me to take the shears and trim up his hair. He and I might need a hug after that event. I should live stream it LOL

Dinner tonight is ode to my grandparents: crock pot pinto beans, fried potatoes with onions and peppers and homemade creamed spinach with cornbread.

I hope everything is going well for you all. We are still making it and though it is hard we are all strong. Every day is one day closer to being done and frankly the more we stay at home the more we will be able to celebrate and hug our loves ones when it is time to do safely. We can get through this.

Peace and good health to all.

 

[lovemygoofy]

Question of the day: 4/10: Share a good memory.

I know I have done this one recently but I think pulling up those good stories and memories and regaining those feelings are important.

I was remembering with Matt the Easter we spent in Tucson, AZ when we stationed in El Paso, TX. It was beautiful and 70 degrees. We had Mass in this really old Hispanic church with no a/c and the hardest most original benches I've ever sat on. We stayed in super fancy resort (I do like a fancy hotel) that had a lazy river and a family pool and an adult only pool with swim up bar. We sat out on the balcony having sunrise coffee and sunset drinks. It was a really nice weekend. Tucson is just beautiful town.