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

[Meriweather]

Yep....supposed to be at Disney World now too......and meet Bobbi and her DH for lunch one day

 

[Breezy_Carol]

Spent a large portion of my day on the computer trying to order produce.
The rest of my day was spent finding the right dishes to make for the freezer.
The home is a bit lonely without DGD .

@NYCgrrl I quoted these to remember my comments. LOL
I just tried a new to me produce stand a mile from home. It worked out very well for me. I will be back.
I also bought 20 pounds of frozen boneless, skinless, chicken breasts. DD and I split a 40 pound box. So now I have 2 10 pounds bags that I think I will have to defrost all at once then prep 10 pounds of chicken. Still working on a plan.
How old is DGD?

We were supposed to be in WDW yesterday, today and through the week!
My Sister called me from Toms River NJ, to say she saw her first hummingbird of the year at her feeder. I look at my feeder now with renewed hope. None yet, here in Cape May!

Too bad about WDW. I haven't seen a hummingbird at my feeder in north eastern MD yet. My friend in Baltimore has had them.

And too bad for you too @Merriweather.

 

[lynxstch]

My neighbors have a huge lilac bush on the side by our house. It smells AMAZING. If you’re out in our yard, the breeze brings the fragrance over. A super simple thing, that I have no control over, but it’s awesome.

I love the scent of lilacs, they are my favorite flower. We have 3 bushes of them, and have been picking vases full of them for the last 3 weeks. They are dying down now, and it's making me sad, but at least we had the scent going thru the house longer than usual

 

[lynxstch]

Mmm, I love lilacs! This spring season has been so strange. Our forsythia is only in full bloom right now, normally we see that anywhere from St. Patrick's Day to early April. Lilacs are only starting to show the signs of leafs and buds. I just hope we don't jump hard into summer without giving the luscious lilacs the chance to bloom and linger properly. We have two close enough to the house that sometimes when the wind shifts when they're in bloom the smell comes into our bedroom.

We had such a late frost, that I was afraid we would get no blooms at all (Western MD), but ours bloomed earlier than usual. Our forsythia are in full bloom, the bridal wreath is starting to flower. My rhubarb is huge, but the poppies that usually bloom long before now, are just starting to pop up. The bushes/plants/flowers are all confused by the crazy weather we have had. It was almost 70 yesterday, today might hit 50. Calling for almost freezing temps Thurs and Fri nite

 

[PollyannaMom]

We had such a late frost, that I was afraid we would get no blooms at all (Western MD), but ours bloomed earlier than usual. Our forsythia are in full bloom, the bridal wreath is starting to flower. My rhubarb is huge, but the poppies that usually bloom long before now, are just starting to pop up. The bushes/plants/flowers are all confused by the crazy weather we have had. It was almost 70 yesterday, today might hit 50. Calling for almost freezing temps Thurs and Fri nite

what a crazy year it’s been!

 

[NYCgrrl]

@NYCgrrl I have to say I am intrigued with your cooking style, you sound like a really amazing chef! I had to look something up that you mentioned the other day, I had never heard of it. (Four letter word for type of greens, can't remember the word yet, still working on first cup of coffee!) Have you had any formal training or classes? Or did you just learn from your family or on your own? Please share with us your cooking background!

Ramps? Think rampions and Rapunzel. Not the same but close enough.

The ex and I planned to open a B+B with a public restaurant for dinner only. He was a sommelier and knowledgeable about various aspects of front of the house operations. I had an interest in cooking and decided to expand on it.

Attended NYCTC, Cornell U, and finally, CIA in this country. Overseas, spent a lot of time learning from the ex's great aunt about her region of France's home cooking. Most any place I visit I try to learn something about the cooking there and sometimes take local classes. The ex and I ended our marriage before opening our place but I still retained a love and interest in food.
Always paid attention when my grandmothers' were cooking although neither was interested in anyone being in their kitchens; seems I've inherited that trait although I'm trying to teach DGD.
My Nana was a whiz at cooking Northern Virginian cuisine(where she hailed from) and worked in the kitchens of the Waldorf~Astoria for many years. She was also adept at Bajan cuisine which she learned to please Papa since Barbados is where he came from.
Grandmother, made her living as a cook in private homes, treated her employers like wayward children, and set the rules of what was to be eaten. Guess they enjoyed the treatment since several of their children, grandchildren, and great grands attended her funeral. She cooked American style for them but "burned pots" Jamaican style at home where she hailed from. Oh and years later I lived in a building she had worked at but didn't know until she came to visit me. When she decided to be admitted to a nursing home (to spite one of my aunts ) I asked her to come stay with me and promised we could throw water balloons out the window she just laughed and said that at least one of her family members was like her...oops.
She taught my mother how to make glorious coconut bread but that's about all Mom retained, LOL. I think my mother was stuck between two excellent cooks and gave up the battle to concentrate on needlework. The highest praise her rotten children gave her cooking was it was almost as good as one of our grandmothers .
I think cooking is an important aspect of living and way of passing the love on to those you care for. Satisfies my curiosity and amazes me how one group of people can take something as mundane as a potato and make it totally different from their neighbors, near and far.

@Breezy_Carol I wish there was a produce stand nearby. It would make my life much simpler. When I vac throughout the NE, one of my favorite places to explore: farmers' markets and produce stands!

Oh boy, 20 lbs of frozen boneless, skinless, chicken breasts. I'd be so happy to make such a score!
I'd poach some for chicken salads, julienne others for stir fry, freeze in brine or marinade others, and butterfly some for piccata/schnitzel cutlets, and the like, without fully defrosting most of the meat so I can safely freeze again while retaining the full flavor of the meat.
DGD is 14.5 y/o going on 40 when the mood hits her. Shows signs of going full fledged teenager and and I hope she places the full brunt of it on her mother since I've already got the t shirt, LOL.

 

[bobbiwoz]

Yep....supposed to be at Disney World now too......and meet Bobbi and her DH for lunch one day

Yes, at the Brown Derby! I just deleted that reference from my calendar.

 

[AuntieMe3]

Question of the day: 5/4: May the 4th be with you...are you a star wars fan? Have a favorite movie?

I've seen all the originals. I like the one with the Ewoks...thats my Star Wars knowledge...

My neighbors have a huge lilac bush on the side by our house. It smells AMAZING. If you’re out in our yard, the breeze brings the fragrance over. A super simple thing, that I have no control over, but it’s awesome.

I have a lilac bush and its my favorite. It was kind of dud this year. I was able to pick one bouquet for my mom and was waiting for more to bloom and before I knew it the blossoms were dying already. So sad. I think the weather has been too extreme for this early in the year. One week its on the 50-60's then next we've had 80-90's.

 

[PollyannaMom]

I've seen all the originals. I like the one with the Ewoks...thats my Star Wars knowledge...

Then your “learn something new every day” is that you like Return of the Jedi - which was the 3rd movie to come out (last of the original trilogy) and is labeled episode 6.

It's one of my favorites as well!

 

[monkeydawn]

Lilacs...so beautiful, so misery inducing for me. I am very allergic to Lilac bushes. How I found out was by planting a big one from my great grandfathers property after he passed. They lived half the country away and we only visited in the summer growing up. It did so stunningly beautifully that I couldnt bear to just kill it. When it was in bloom I couldnt go out that exit of the house or have the windows open, my eyes would basically swell shut and breathing even became dicey at times. A friend finally took it off my hands after a few springs of misery. It is still doing well and I dont visit in the spring.

So much is blooming here but Id say the most fragrant are the gardenias. The jasmine looks like its going to be soon, I hope they are blooming at the same time, that will smell great.

 

[apirateslifeforme]

For my fellow Trekkies out there...I'm going into the far reaches of my mind to find new ideas for driveway chalk drawings. I did this one today (before I read this thread ):

 

[lovemygoofy]

Happy Taco Tuesday and/or Tequila Tuesday! I may celebrate with one or the other or both or just tequila and ice cream. Who knows!
As I type there is a/c man crawling around in my attic. I'm sure it's going to cost me a ton by the time he is done. We have been having issues with the a/c since we moved in 3 years ago and still not repaired. It was warm over the weekend and tried to turn the a/c on upstairs and of course it does its thing before it even really gets hot. Blah! So we are trying to get ahead of the summer business and see if they can get to the real problem (likely need a damper fixed) before the hot season is here. Today it's 47 outside and I'm about to freeze!

Dinner today is takeout from a local Mexican restaurant that is very supportive of our Parish. At this point just give me some tres leche or some flan and I'm good.

Tomorrow my mom is going for her treatment for leukemia. I'm pretty nervous for her but I know she needs it to keep her immune system as healthy as possible. They will keep her safe as possible and wouldn't risk it if they didn't think could keep her safe and the nursing home has plan for "decontamination" afterwards. Frankly, I hope it gets the cabin fever out and she can settle back down for the rest of the month. I'm really hoping to get down at the end of the month start of next month for a visit if things are looking stable or even good here in Indiana and there in Arkansas.

Gratitude today:
1. People that are mechanically inclined. Bless my husband, he is pretty, but not always the most handy. He does have my internet, tv and surround sound and whatever else wired so well I feel like the Lord and Martians can hear me when I'm praying out loud.
2. A day closer to whatever the new normal is. I read some of these conversations on the DIS now and I just get aggressive! I need to stay off of them and just now every day is day closer to something positive.
3. My neighborhood. I live in a kind in a nice area with a lot of nice people and they strive to share kindness.

 

[lovemygoofy]

Question of the day: 5/5: How long have you lived in your current house?

We bought our house (the first one! could be the last if I keep having to pay for things) 3 years ago. I wanted "normal" size house but we got a great deal on this house and in very nice area and just has gone up in value which is good for us to sell. Truth be told I'm getting itchy feet to move because that's all we've done for the last 20 years or so. I'm ready to take on a new adventure!

 

[PollyannaMom]

Question of the day: 5/5: How long have you lived in your current house?

18 years this fall.

 

[monkeydawn]

Question of the day: 5/5: How long have you lived in your current house?

4 years, 9.5 months. Husband was two weeks ahead of me, job needed him but no movers available. I've bought both of my homes sight unseen. Husband did the house hunting both times. The second time was much easier because of the internet. The internet existed the first time but wasnt really used for such things. The kerfluffle my husband caused at the real estate agents office because he was buying a house without his wife there! I'm sure they all thought it would end badly. LOL Fortunately we have very similar tastes in homes and its worked beautifully both times.

 

[lynxstch]

Question of the day: 5/5: How long have you lived in your current house?

We bought our house (the first one! could be the last if I keep having to pay for things) 3 years ago. I wanted "normal" size house but we got a great deal on this house and in very nice area and just has gone up in value which is good for us to sell. Truth be told I'm getting itchy feet to move because that's all we've done for the last 20 years or so. I'm ready to take on a new adventure!

I can't believe you still have the wandering bug Tina. I thought you wanted to stay settled down for awhile? I had to lol at your other post, Matt is pretty, but not always handy. Sometimes pretty is good. If men don't know what they are doing when trying to fix things (like electricity or air conditioning), they should stay hands off! LOL!
We bought our house in 2002, and I don't plan on moving again. As we get older, I'm glad we bought a 'smallish' house. It's just the right size for the 2 of us. It's on one floor (except for the basement, which hubby no longer goes down to. Laundry is down there, and my 'bomb shelter/covid virus supply room', and I stack the firewood down there for the winter (wood stove is down there). We have 3 bedrooms (1 of which we use for a computer room), 2 baths, a kitchen, dining room and living room, and that's plenty for us. We have a good size yard, and live in a fairly quiet neighborhood, just outside of the city limits, so less property tax! As for having to pay for things, that's just the nature of owning a house. Something always seems to need fixing or replacing.
I wish your Mom good luck tomorrow on her treatment. I also hope the ac man fixes your ac without costing you an arm and leg. Like you it's cool here today..it was 70 yesterday, 53 today. Calling for almost 32 overnite tomorrow and a high of 46 during the day. I want to plant my garden, but it's just too cold for Spring weather!
Gratitudes-
I got my flowers planted in their pots and in my wheel barrel planter, but they are safe in the shed till it's warm enough to put them out
Like you said--each day is one day closer to getting back to somewhat normal, if there will ever be a real normal again
I made ground lamb burgers for dinner tonite, and hubby actually liked it (he says he's never had lamb, but I don't believe it, how can he be 66 and never have had it? LOL!

 

[monkeydawn]

I had to lol at your other post, Matt is pretty, but not always handy. Sometimes pretty is good. If men don't know what they are doing when trying to fix things (like electricity or air conditioning), they should stay hands off! LOL!

This is so true. Between my husband, google and me we know enough to be dangerous. And sometimes it results in him crashing through the ceiling. Or drilling into my leg. So maybe just pat Matt on his pretty little head and give him a kiss.

 

[bobbiwoz]

We have lived in our current home for three years in April! We bought the house as a vacation home with my sister in 1998. We lived in Ohio, Nancy lived in New Jersey, and this was the perfect vacation home for all of us. Three bedrooms, a loft, two full baths.

Our Mom passed, we retired, Nancy has Mom’s house, it’s her vacation home. We love it when she visits. We’ve made this house ours. It’s a great area, and because we’ve had the connection to the house/area, it was retiring to a place that already felt like home!

 

[easyas123]

Been at our current place for almost 6 years....we are closing in on it being the house we've stayed in the longest! But this one is different, it's a farm in progress vs. 'just a house', so we plan on staying here for a while. It's the third house we've built, and the fourth house we've bought during our married life. 26, going on 27 years later this year. We won't be here forever, but I'd be willing to bet we could be here for a while. And - almost every home I've ever lived in has been built by my father - and this one was built by my father and our sons, so it's a bit more special.
It's not one of our family homes without beer cans in the foundation

Dinner tonight is grilled chicken and stuffing and a vegetable.

 

[fla4fun]

28 years . . .used to be able to see WDW from the house until the trees grew too tall.