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

[flyingdumbo127]

Hug and Good Morning Lynxstch and to all! Remember, for me it is just a quarter to 8am right now here in CA. You are spot on! I agree. Things do seem both quicker and stagnant at the same time! Sometimes much more pronounced either way which can be good along with very sad. I am also more thankful than ever for you and everyone else in this thread. Thank you, all of you, for being a positive and kind light! This too shall pass one day and by the Grace of God, when it does it will also be in part because of the kindness and love, service of each of you!

 

[Meriweather]

Good morning.
7:50 here too.
Sun is shining.....of course and is supposed to be 100 today.
Costco day.

My grand kids are being home schooled and I am so glad. If they went in person, we would not be able to see them.
Ours colleges are starting back up and that is going to mean a spike in cases. One already had 500 positives in the first week.

 

[easyas123]

Things are a little more 'normal' in some ways, and in others it's more abnormal than it was

Boy, isn't that the truth!
I found out this AM that I'm going to doing some travel for work next March, one trip to Vegas (yawn, nightlife is lost on me and I'm glad that is only a 3 night trip because I was just in Vegas in March and I'm over Vegas) and one out of the Country (yay-not super exciting , but a new place to cross off the list- husband will go on that one!), so having some future travel on the books has me jazzed, even if its work-related. Put me on a plane anywhere is my current frame of mind!
We are both getting over head colds and taking it easy this week. No big plans for the Labor Day wknd., although my husband does have to go up to Western MD twice over the next two weeks...it's about a 3 1/2 or 4 hour drive each way, and some times he goes up and back home all in one day which is exhausting, other times he spends the evening at his Aunt & Uncles. Not sure when he's going to be making those trips, but I don't think I'll be going along. Our weather looks wonderful over the weekend though - cooler & dry. We may finally get around to burning a big burn pile we've accumulated all spring & summer.
Raining here, or rather drizzling. I hope it clears out in time for me to sit outside at lunch, I've got a zoom meeting at one, so might not be able to fit it in today anyway. I feel like we've been living on the mowers for the last few weeks, it's been a wetter August for us than usual, which is good in that my yard isn't brown and half dead- but everytime we mow it's a clumpy mess as we have to mow when it's still wet to beat the next round of rain! I recall something I heard that said the wetter the late summer, the more vibrant the fall colors will be- I wonder if that is true?
Dinner this evening will be venison stew and perhaps a side salad.

 

[Meriweather]

^^^

I'm ready to travel too. I have missed it. 4 cancelled vacations. We haven't been home this long in years!!
Get excited to plan

 

[Bianca and Bernard]

Was up at 3:30 am; just couldn't sleep with both ears draining. Paid bills, ordered the cat stuff from Chewy ($80ish for cat litter, dry and wet cat food). I haven't been ordering from them the last 6 months because it was just too long of a wait (I would get the stuff from Target or BJs), but I went ahead back since it was almost the same price as at Target (and although slightly cheaper at BJs, I'd have to haul it all up the stairs, so.......) Then DS and I went to Home Depot to see if they had the cabling system he wants for his Rift S; no go, so have to order on Amazon. A quick shopping trip to Fresh Market yielded 6 meals of chicken breast (skinned/boned), 5 meals hamburgers, 2 meals taco or meatloaf, 2 meals crab cakes, 1 meal flank steak and 2-3 meals chuck roast, hamburger buns and some tea cakes (lemon and strawberry ones) for $159.84. That's 1/3 of my shopping budget but 19 meals of meat, and all high quality. The flank steak and roast were just there calling my name...

And in the interest of fall:
Fresh Market had so many different pumpkin things, lol. Coffee and popcorn, cookies and candy...




The tea cakes I bought are just like these, but different flavors.

 

[lynxstch]

Boy, isn't that the truth!
I found out this AM that I'm going to doing some travel for work next March, one trip to Vegas (yawn, nightlife is lost on me and I'm glad that is only a 3 night trip because I was just in Vegas in March and I'm over Vegas) and one out of the Country (yay-not super exciting , but a new place to cross off the list- husband will go on that one!), so having some future travel on the books has me jazzed, even if its work-related. Put me on a plane anywhere is my current frame of mind!
We are both getting over head colds and taking it easy this week. No big plans for the Labor Day wknd., although my husband does have to go up to Western MD twice over the next two weeks...it's about a 3 1/2 or 4 hour drive each way, and some times he goes up and back home all in one day which is exhausting, other times he spends the evening at his Aunt & Uncles. Not sure when he's going to be making those trips, but I don't think I'll be going along. Our weather looks wonderful over the weekend though - cooler & dry. We may finally get around to burning a big burn pile we've accumulated all spring & summer.
Raining here, or rather drizzling. I hope it clears out in time for me to sit outside at lunch, I've got a zoom meeting at one, so might not be able to fit it in today anyway. I feel like we've been living on the mowers for the last few weeks, it's been a wetter August for us than usual, which is good in that my yard isn't brown and half dead- but everytime we mow it's a clumpy mess as we have to mow when it's still wet to beat the next round of rain! I recall something I heard that said the wetter the late summer, the more vibrant the fall colors will be- I wonder if that is true?
Dinner this evening will be venison stew and perhaps a side salad.

He will be in my neck of the woods...where is he headed to, if you don't mind my asking??

 

[lynxstch]

Was up at 3:30 am; just couldn't sleep with both ears draining. Paid bills, ordered the cat stuff from Chewy ($80ish for cat litter, dry and wet cat food). I haven't been ordering from them the last 6 months because it was just too long of a wait (I would get the stuff from Target or BJs), but I went ahead back since it was almost the same price as at Target (and although slightly cheaper at BJs, I'd have to haul it all up the stairs, so.......) Then DS and I went to Home Depot to see if they had the cabling system he wants for his Rift S; no go, so have to order on Amazon. A quick shopping trip to Fresh Market yielded 6 meals of chicken breast (skinned/boned), 5 meals hamburgers, 2 meals taco or meatloaf, 2 meals crab cakes, 1 meal flank steak and 2-3 meals chuck roast, hamburger buns and some tea cakes (lemon and strawberry ones) for $159.84. That's 1/3 of my shopping budget but 19 meals of meat, and all high quality. The flank steak and roast were just there calling my name...

And in the interest of fall:
Fresh Market had so many different pumpkin things, lol. Coffee and popcorn, cookies and candy...


View attachment 523108

View attachment 523109 The tea cakes I bought are just like these, but different flavors.

Same here regarding Chewy. Have been moving my autoship dates up by a month at a time, am now up to October, lol. Things were either out of stock or taking too long. Like you , I don't want to be lugging 30 lb bags of dry cat food, or 40 lb boxes of litter home from Walmart and dragging them in the house. Chewy is back to their normal shipping for the most part. I placed $60 order for canned cat food and snacks at 5:30 Monday morning. Got an email at 9:30 that they had shipped, and I had the box before noon on Tuesday, how on earth can they be that fast?? I can't even get a first class letter from my house to across the street in less than 3 days anymore, lol!
Sounds like you had a very successful shopping trip!
Hope you feel better soon!

 

[easyas123]

He will be in my neck of the woods...where is he headed to, if you don't mind my asking??

The Swanton/Granstville area -

 

[PollyannaMom]

Another happy Chewy fan, here! I have the big buckets of cat litter on auto ship, and I've been ordering canned food from them lately as well.

 

[flyingdumbo127]

Feel better, Bianca and Bernard!

 

[lynxstch]

The Swanton/Granstville area -

about 20-25 minutes from me~!

 

[Kirby]

@lynxstch , send some of that rain down here! The wind is blowing hard from the south and rain is trying to get here but not much luck. It's all north of us right now.

The book club I'm in had it's Zoom meeting last night. We were discussing whether or not to meet in person at the end of this month for our next meeting. The consensus was to wait and see. One member asked if we thought we would get back to normal and another answered it will probably be like 9-11. We finally got back to a normal but it wasn't the normal that we were used to.

 

[Snowysmom]

Happy Tuesday. We have been having a nice cooler spell of weather. Today it is around 75 and breezy. Great walking weather. Early this morning it was 55 and DH needed a light jacket to go grocery shopping. It feels like Fall is on the way.

National Parks visited:

Acadia
Grand Canyon
Yellowstone
Grand Teton

Canada:
Jasper National Park

I am looking at a tour for Fall 2021 to go to Zion, Arches, and Grand Canyon is part of the tour too. I love it there so will enjoy seeing it again. I won't book it until closer to the time but it is something to look forward to.

It is nice to see all the Fall pictures. This year I am looking forward to Thanksgiving as we will have just returned from a trip to WDW (fingers crossed). I should feel rested and chilled out after being at my happy place. The kids have the holiday with their in laws this year so we will have a quiet day at home. I think New Year's is also a good holiday to look forward to so we can get 2020 in the rear view mirror and move on to hopefully better times for all.

 

[lynxstch]

@lynxstch , send some of that rain down here! The wind is blowing hard from the south and rain is trying to get here but not much luck. It's all north of us right now.

The book club I'm in had it's Zoom meeting last night. We were discussing whether or not to meet in person at the end of this month for our next meeting. The consensus was to wait and see. One member asked if we thought we would get back to normal and another answered it will probably be like 9-11. We finally got back to a normal but it wasn't the normal that we were used to.

I'll try. We went from zero percent chance until next week, to rain on and off all day, and 80% chance tomorrow and Thursday, I'll try and blow some of it that way for you!

 

[flyingdumbo127]

It's supposed to be 102 here this weekend! I am enjoying the cooler weather while I can.

I agree, Kirby that the new normal word post plague will be different than what we were used to. I absolutely pray a lot of the difference will be positive! Slower and kinder times. As to when this might happen? I sure pray every day the plague would somehow magically go away. I don't think it will I would certainly hope by sometime next year the virus has lessoned hugely in severity and that there is a reliable treatment! I don't see myself going back to church for example until next Summer at the earliest and that would be only if all had been completely (or close to) normal for most of 2021! I plan to be very cautious and wait a few months after the plague has ended!

I have said this before and will probably many times again, I pray all of us stick together way after the plague ends. Hugs to all of you and God Bless you all too!

I thought of a related to the last QOTD, QOTD for today! QOTD for Tuesday, September 1st: What was a fun smaller (so not WDW or DL) touristy place you have visited? It was so funny to learn from a good friend a month ago that as a kid, she and her family visited the Trees of Mystery! I went there (now years ago but MANY years after she did), too. When I was young we had Marine Land (I am not sure that was its name but something like that) not too far which I enjoyed going to along with Ports of Call which at that time was much more fun and kid-friendly than it is now. I remember they had a Carnation ice cream store--so yummy. What about all of you? I hope this brings back happy memories!

 

[apirateslifeforme]

I forgot to answer the question regarding which holiday I'm most looking forward to. Unfortunately I'm not sure. I usually would answer Halloween, but I'm not feeling it right now. Not sure that it's going to happen this year. My SIL typically hosts Thanksgiving, as they raise their own turkeys on their farm (along with the veggies and her pumpkin pies that she makes from her real home-grown pumpkins), but she doesn't want 25 people elbow-to-elbow in the house this year. Not just that there are that many people, but a good portion are senior citizens and/or have a serious pre-existing condition. Christmas at least is far enough out, and we have a few less people, but still...should we really have that many people cooped up in our house? It gets so crowded in our living room that Josh and I usually end up sitting in the doorway!

I do look forward to at least decorating for all holidays. And buying Christmas gifts. I just got a Legoland Florida "fireman bundle" for Josh - it's a building set of the Fire Rescue ride from the park, along with a nice foam firefighter's hat and axe.

I also forgot to post that my best friend from 5th grade posted on FB that she's going to be a grandma! Wow...I've got a 5-year-old, yet so many of my friends are grandparents already. I don't plan on seeing a grandchild until I'm around 70 - I hope (for Josh's sake)!

I got these for Josh today at Target...my little goofball:

 

[flyingdumbo127]

Josh is such a handsome young man, apirateslifeforme!

 

[sparkle78]

Ahh, but you have more time to enjoy Josh , even if he does exhaust you. I had my kids in my late 20s, my sister in her early 40s ( although she is only 2 years younger than me). Sure is different. But we both have enjoyed the different stages.

QOTD: small trips , need to look up if it’s still their but Idlewilde Park in Pennsylvania, an hour or two east of Pittsburgh. It was a small amusement park, but next to it was Storybook Forest. They had statues and little buildings of all the famous nursery rhymes. Little Miss Muffet. Jack and Jill

 

[PollyannaMom]

QOTD for Tuesday, September 1st: What was a fun smaller (so not WDW or DL) touristy place you have visited?

This is the first one that came to mind:
http://uticazoo.org/

Most summers, we drive from southeastern MA to the Finger Lakes region of NY to visit family. We often pick smaller touristy things to break up the trip, and one year we did the Utica Zoo. It's not huge or "Disneyesque", but we had a great time!

 

[easyas123]

I think New Year's is also a good holiday to look forward to so we can get 2020 in the rear view mirror and move on to hopefully better times for all.

Exactly!

QOTD for today! QOTD for Tuesday, September 1st: What was a fun smaller (so not WDW or DL) touristy place you have visited?

hmmm? Good one! Well, lets see...Williamsburg, VA & Gettysburg, PA come to mind first. Been to both several times - we enjoy the history of the areas & poking around antique shops once in a great while. Fortunate that we live not far from either place - can do Gettysburg/Lancaster area if we wanted to in one day.

I was in Ocean City, MD yesterday afternoon - Baltimore Ave & 3rd Street for a meeting at Town Hall - does that count as a fun smaller place? haha - I was in & outta there in no time though, OC isn't my thing, although between you & me I could see the folks walking on boardwalk/beach area and I almost walked up the block to check it out I might drag Mr. Miserable down there for a little putt putt golf in the next few months -

about 20-25 minutes from me~!

Well he just informed me he is going up Thursday, and coming back on Friday. I'm not so sure how much of a good idea coming back down and needing to take the Bay Bridge home on the Friday of Labor Day weekend is...but I'll just say I'm glad I won't have to sit in traffic and listen to him yell at "these chicken neckers" blocking his way home
We've got family in Keyser & Greenspring, WV as well. Husband grew up outside of Cumberland - Cresaptown? I think the area was called.