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

[lovemygoofy]

Hi All,

I really need that hug emoji!! I wanted to use it several times through catch up. @Caseheidi I will be keeping you in my prayers for good thoughts and best outcomes possible. I understand the anxiety and hanging tough and then *bam* right in the face it shows up and feels it can take you over.

Someone asked what "old people chili dogs" are. It's just our joke about using good turkey (sometimes all beef) hot dogs, with veggie can chili, all the toppings on wheat buns. Back in the day it was whatever for chili dogs and my husband could put away lots and now we are in portion control and better for you (as chili dogs can be) ingredients.

I'm struggling right now. I'm struggling with a flare up that made good portion of Sunday into Monday unhappy to move or eat. It's hurting my feelings and causing emotions to come back I don't want. It's difficult to be dealing with all these cycle things without physical cycle when shouldn't be. @Pea-n-Me your story about the kindness of the tech had me in tears, which isn't that hard to do right now. But still I have encountered so many good people in the hospital whether while sitting with my dying FIL or my mom or myself. My last surgery in Jan, I rolled into surgery just laying there with tears pouring out my eyes and this sweet surgery nurse wiping my face and I kept apologizing saying I'm okay just heartbroken to be doing this again. She was still wiping my face when waking up from my surgery. She said she'd never seen someone cry for two plus hours like I did in surgery and still in recovery. I was hot mess and she was so kind trying to hold my hand and wanting to relieve some of my emotions. I tear up now thinking about it.

Enough of that. Let me tell ya'll some good news. My mama's nursing home is officially COVID-19 free right now at least! They didn't lose a patient. What a blessing!! They are going to stay locked down for the next 30 days and going to try to schedule select number of in person resident visits if all things stay well after 30 days. Let's keep our fingers crossed!

Dinner tonight is breakfast scramble and fruit. The other night I made a hit apparently with Jamaican jerk chicken shredded on coconut rice and garlic green beans. I heard great reviews and it was easy. Score for the home team!

QOTD: If the world were to return to normal tomorrow, where would you want to travel to for vacation?
The short answer is every where! I love to see and do and meet people and eat! Longer answer is I never really have a vacation planned.
In our time in the Army it was impossible to plan more than 60 or 90 days out because things kept changing. We hadn't even really started to plan anything for 2020 so nothing to cancel. Last year I had high hopes of doing Yellow Stone and Tetons but my work schedule got in the way so we settled on Smoky Mountains hiking and Dolly Parton resort living. It was beautiful and I'm thankful for that time.

I guess going forward I'd like to try for YS next year and hoping for Hawaii in 2022 for our 20th anniversary. But I'll just go where we can and enjoy no matter what it is especially including good food

Gratitudes:
Safe living in my mom's nursing home
The older one hour shows now on Netflix aren't one hour makes much more enjoyable (in and out West wing in less than 40 mins)
Matt settling into his new job and liking it even if it's challenging.

 

[easyas123]

Let me tell ya'll some good news. My mama's nursing home is officially COVID-19 free right now at least! They didn't lose a patient. What a blessing!! They are going to stay locked down for the next 30 days and going to try to schedule select number of in person resident visits if all things stay well after 30 days. Let's keep our fingers crossed!

Awesome! That's great news, they must have been on top of things from the get go, good for them. My fingers are crossed it does stay that way and you get your visit in, one way or another!

 

[lynxstch]

Here you go Tina (@lovemygoofy ) --I think a lot of us need those these days. Sorry to hear you are having another flare up. You are right, after all you went thru, to still be having flare ups when you had those surgeries to take care of things.Hang in there, hopefully tomorrow will be better. Glad to hear about your Moms nursing home, that's great that they had no fatalities, they can't say that about any of the nursing homes around here. You made me laugh with your description of old people hot dogs. I myself don't like turkey hotdogs or veggie can chili, so I won't be trying that anytime soon, lol! Your breakfast scramble for tonite sounds good. It's 3 pm and hubby still didn't pick what he wants for dinner (we take turns every other nite), so it just might be breakfast for dinner here also!

 

[Bianca and Bernard]

For those of us who like cookies and our breakfasts....

https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/18/us/french-toast-girl-scouts-cookie-trnd/index.html

 

[flyingdumbo127]

It is good to read some positive plan posts!

Tina, keeping you in extra prayer. feel free to PM me if you'd like a listening ear. I'm happy to offer an extra virtual hug that way. This goes for you, too, Heidi and everyone else. Here for you all

Extra Gratitude so far this Tuesday:

Clean laundry
Texts from two friends
All of you!

 

[PollyannaMom]

Gratitude:

DS’s car defroster is fixed before he goes up to school.

The new mask holders I made work great.

My cats - one of whom is currently waiting very patiently for a chipmunk who is far too smart to come out of the drainpipe:

 

[easyas123]

For those of us who like cookies and our breakfasts....

https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/18/us/french-toast-girl-scouts-cookie-trnd/index.html

I saw this earlier today. I'm not sure how I feel about that flavor! But I'm not terribly into maple flavors. Well - obviously the only way for me to find out is to get a box next year and subject them to a rigorous taste test!

speaking of flavors - am I the only around these parts that can't stand pumpkin spice anything? It's coming, I can smell it on the wind-it's headed our way!

 

[lynxstch]

I saw this earlier today. I'm not sure how I feel about that flavor! But I'm not terribly into maple flavors. Well - obviously the only way for me to find out is to get a box next year and subject them to a rigorous taste test!

speaking of flavors - am I the only around these parts that can't stand pumpkin spice anything? It's coming, I can smell it on the wind-it's headed our way!

Same for me on both counts. Not a big fan of maple flavor, the only kind of Girl Scout cookies I like are thin mints..and I don't like pumpkin anything!

 

[Kirby]

The pasta salad sounds good, will you share the recipe?

Stress can be a factor with adrenaline keeping us in a perpetual state of fight or flight. In that case relaxation exercises can be helpful. There could be other reasons, too. But the really important part is just getting it down, because high pressures to overcome cause our heart to work extra hard when it shouldn’t have to, and over time that can cause negative changes to the heart that can’t be reversed. So if it requires medication, so be it; don’t be upset. Important to have normal readings. Hope you don’t mind me chiming in but it’s what I do.

I don't mind sharing at all!

Ranch Style Chicken Pasta Salad
2 cups penne pasta
1 to 2 pkgs of Louis Rich Carving Board Italian Chicken Strips, chopped
1 small to medium zucchini, thinly sliced
2 small yellow squash, thinly sliced
1 small green bell pepper, chopped
1 small red bell pepper, chopped
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3/4 cup to 1 small bottle of Ranch Style dressing

Cook pasta according to package. Rinse with cold water; drain. Combine pasta and remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Cover and chill at least 2 hours. 6 to 8 servings.

Note: I can't find the Louis Rich Chicken so I just use whatever the grocery store has. I don't chop the chicken real small, just enough to easily spread it around in the salad. I also used 1 cup of Ranch dressing last night. It was plenty for us.

I don't mind anyone chiming in. You never know what will help someone.

How about a new QOTD: If the world were to return to normal tomorrow , where would you want to travel to for vacation?

Even if it were to return to normal tomorrow I think that at this point I'm good with just taking a trip not far from home. Joe and I are planning on renting a house on a lake in East Texas in October. We do want to have a weekend family trip in January up in Broken Bow, Oklahoma. And a WDW trip in two/three years.

I saw this earlier today. I'm not sure how I feel about that flavor! But I'm not terribly into maple flavors. Well - obviously the only way for me to find out is to get a box next year and subject them to a rigorous taste test!

speaking of flavors - am I the only around these parts that can't stand pumpkin spice anything? It's coming, I can smell it on the wind-it's headed our way!

I'm not fond of maple either nor pumpkin flavored things. I might have to try a box though if they offer them here. If I don't like them the grandkids probably will.

Dinner tonight is hamburgers and chili dogs. I like my dogs grilled but it seems like such a waste of charcoal just for them so we always do both. That way there are left overs for lunch.

 

[flyingdumbo127]

I also do not like pumpkin, Lynxstch. I do like maple syrup on pancakes

 

[Bianca and Bernard]

I saw this earlier today. I'm not sure how I feel about that flavor! But I'm not terribly into maple flavors. Well - obviously the only way for me to find out is to get a box next year and subject them to a rigorous taste test!

speaking of flavors - am I the only around these parts that can't stand pumpkin spice anything? It's coming, I can smell it on the wind-it's headed our way!

I like pumpkin cookies and pumpkin pie, and I do like the scent of pumpkin spice. But pumpkin coffee and Oreos and creamer and....no thanks.

 

[lynxstch]

I also do not like pumpkin, Lynxstch. I do like maple syrup on pancakes

Nope, not even on pancakes/waffles/french toast..has to be blueberry syrup for me (preferabley home made!)

 

[theluckyrabbit]

Does anyone remember the Pumpkin Spice watch lists that mod Sherry used to post in the Halloween Time Superthreads on the DLR board? People would post photos of all the different kinds of Pumpkin Spice products that appeared in restaurants and on store shelves -- and the watch list got started earlier and earlier every year. I think my favorite item was the Autumn Frolic kitty litter! Because, you know, Pumpkin Spice poops... lol!

 

[flyingdumbo127]

I don't remember that, but I do remember Sherry from the Christmas thread each year! Keeping her in prayer and hope she is well. Always keeping you in prayer, too, Luckyrabbit. Good to "see" you

 

[theluckyrabbit]

I don't remember that, but I do remember Sherry from the Christmas thread each year! Keeping her in prayer and hope she is well. Always keeping you in prayer, too, Luckyrabbit. Good to "see" you

Hugs to you! Sometimes Sherry posts a comment on the Disney Parks Blog (usually when the post is about Halloween or Christmas at DL). She doesn't seem to post here any more, so those comments are a nice reminder of how much she's missed around here.

 

[PollyannaMom]

I must admit I’m a big fan of “pumpkin spice everything” time here in New England.

I don’t necessarily like every single item (in fact, I actually don’t like pumpkin pie) - but I love that it signals autumn is coming. It’s such a beautiful time here!

Plus, I do like many of the offerings, especially pumpkin spice coffee, and I enjoy finding the craziest items each year.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I also like some of the pumpkin offerings - I love pumpkin bread and I even buy the Pumpkin Cheerios! I like maple, too, but some of the things are way too sugary for me. If that's the case, I don't enjoy them. But I do like the basic flavors. I will make a note to try the French Toast Girl Scout cookies next time one of the nurses is selling them for their kids, lol. Here in New England, fall is one of my favorite seasons!

@lovemygoofy big So glad your mother is well and here home is Covid free. They must really care there! You picked a good one! I hope you feel better, it stinks having those types of issues hanging over your head all the time. You and Matt sound so cute! How is he liking his new job?

I really should take notes as I'm reading, I forget when I'm writing sometimes what I want to say. Things are quiet here. Everyone's working. Still trying to figure out how to adopt the dog I want without much luck. It's international so there are a lot of barriers. I wish I could go get her, but I can't. Thank goodness I have my little guy, who is a sweetheart. Trying to make a little headway each day in the things I have to do around the house, but finding myself pretty exhausted many days when I am off. So I do what I can do and try to take care of myself as much as I can, including relaxation. Things continue to be quite stressful at work.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Does anyone remember the Pumpkin Spice watch lists that mod Sherry used to post in the Halloween Time Superthreads on the DLR board? People would post photos of all the different kinds of Pumpkin Spice products that appeared in restaurants and on store shelves -- and the watch list got started earlier and earlier every year. I think my favorite item was the Autumn Frolic kitty litter! Because, you know, Pumpkin Spice poops... lol!

Wouldn't it be fun to do something like that right here on this thread? I used to run the Scavenger Hunts on the Photography Board and we had a blast! We could add in some other fall items, too. And just post as we find them.

QOTD Wednesday, August 19th: Are you interested in participating in a fun Fall Scavenger Hunt with photos posted right here on this thread? Yes or No. If we get enough yeses, we could start immediately since fall items are currently out already. As part of your answer you could submit ideas for items to look for. I can start to work on a list, as well. If you're not out and about you could still find items in magazines or online, etc.

 

[lynxstch]

I must admit I’m a big fan of “pumpkin spice everything” time here in New England.

I don’t necessarily like every single item (in fact, I actually don’t like pumpkin pie) - but I love that it signals autumn is coming. It’s such a beautiful time here!

Plus, I do like many of the offerings, especially pumpkin spice coffee, and I enjoy finding the craziest items each year.

That is the one time of year I miss most about living in NE (Massachusetts)..such beautiful fall foliage

 

[apirateslifeforme]

@lovemygoofy - SO HAPPY to hear that your mom's home is covid-free! I think it's awful what happened to nursing homes, so it's a relief to hear that yours didn't lose anyone. And to you and everyone. I think we probably all could use it.

So I officially have a 5-year-old now. We had a good day...long day...We somehow got to the museums right on time (as they have pre-purchased timed entry tickets now). Josh was happy to wear his Birthday Boy badge and MANY people wished him a Happy Birthday. Our first stop was in the Dr. Seuss Museum, which hasn't changed since last year. I got a photo of him with the Grinch to use on our Christmas cards. Then we made our way through the Science Museum to the special Lion Guard exhibit, which wasn't that exciting (IMO), but kids loved it. It was full of kids running amok while their exhausted parents sat on the floor up against the wall, playing with their phones. Josh got barreled over a few times in there but he still had fun. Before we left, we visited the gift shop and bought a "rock and crystal dig kit" and a couple of break-your-own geodes for him, and I found a children's book about David Bowie from a series called "Little People, Big Dreams." Had to have that one! Took a short break in the car after that, having snacks, then we headed across the street to the Springfield History Museum for the "Hall of Heroes" exhibit. As we entered, I very clearly heard a familiar "wheezing" sound (as it's been described)...if you're a fan of Doctor Who, you will know exactly what sound I mean. The sound that River Song explained is because the Doctor "leaves the brakes on." I immediately said to DH, "I hear a TARDIS..." As we entered the Hall...there it was!



(You will not get to see many photos of my fat self, but...I'M IN THE TARDIS!!!! )

And Josh got to see (statues of) Wonder Woman, the Hulk, Black Panther, and Iron Man. Also got to see a real Batmobile!

After we left, we stopped at the library to drop off some DVDs and get some more for the next week. Then we went for ice cream. They had a few new flavors - Josh got M&M and I had the lemon meringue pie (which was so good, I was very tempted to go back to the window and get a pint to take home. But I resisted).



The sky was beautiful over the creamery as well...



It only takes us 2 minutes to get home from there, as it's right up the road. As we walked in the door, my mother wanted to do a video call but Josh had a meltdown because he wanted his presents right away. Like we didn't do enough for him all day long already. We talked to my mom and afterward he did open his gifts. We didn't have much for him, but between all his family members, he did well this year. Now I have some cleaning up to do today!

speaking of flavors - am I the only around these parts that can't stand pumpkin spice anything? It's coming, I can smell it on the wind-it's headed our way!

I do like *some* pumpkin, but I think it's overdone. I can take or leave pumpkin spice coffee...I prefer when Dunkin' has their brown sugar cinnamon flavor. My mom makes some wonderful pumpkin apple and pumpkin chocolate chip breads. My farmer SIL grows pumpkins and makes her own pumpkin pies completely from scratch...way better than what you'll find in stores!

I can't find my photo anymore, but last year I had posted a meme about Samhain...how to pronounce it in different countries...and at the end it said, "Pumpkin Spice in America." I'm sorry I can't find the actual meme...it's funnier than just explaining it in writing.

Wouldn't it be fun to do something like that right here on this thread? I used to run the Scavenger Hunts on the Photography Board and we had a blast! We could add in some other fall items, too. And just post as we find them.

QOTD Wednesday, August 19th: Are you interested in participating in a fun Fall Scavenger Hunt with photos posted right here on this thread? Yes or No. If we get enough yeses, we could start immediately since fall items are currently out already. As part of your answer you could submit ideas for items to look for. I can start to work on a list, as well. If you're not out and about you could still find items in magazines or online, etc.

I would totally do this! I love scavenger hunts! I can tell you that not only does one of our Dunkins (out of the 4 in this town...or maybe it's 5) already has pumpkin spice coffee, but we have a plant nursery called the Growth Company that has all of their mums out! We drove by a few days ago and wow...they have lots!