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

[Breezy_Carol]

One bump up before bed.

Good night.

 

[AuntieMe3]

Day 3 of our quarantine and we already feel like we're going stir crazy.... Even though we just stay home anyway, knowing we can't go anywhere is a bummer. We're waiting until Thursday to test, which is 5 days after exposure. My boss called me today to let me know some of the kids have colds so if I do feel like I'm coming down with something it could just be a cold and not COVID. She knows me well....lol

I did start to clean my room today, going through clothes and getting rid of whatever I don't wear anymore. Hubby keeps saying he's going to clean out the garage but he's keeps getting work calls and of course, the couch calls to him to take a nap.

 

[PollyannaMom]

I am going to ignore the emails but keep an eye out!

Good call! I was going to say I don't think they are real!

I'd recommend having a backup list of contacts both for email and phone.

Excellent advice! (Saved me once or twice over the years!)

 

[sparkle78]

That and a few cell phone numbers. Years ago, my phone died, didn’t have a car charger and realized I didn’t know anyone’s phone number by heart anymore. After that I wrote a few numbers on an index card and keep it in the car.

An idea for those of you who work in an office , during normal times. Make an emergency contact number for your coworkers. I work in a small group , but several members are 65+, i now have a list in my desk of their kids numbers in case they would pass out, fall,etc at work.

 

[theluckyrabbit]

That and a few cell phone numbers. Years ago, my phone died, didn’t have a car charger and realized I didn’t know anyone’s phone number by heart anymore. After that I wrote a few numbers on an index card and keep it in the car.

An idea for those of you who work in an office , during normal times. Make an emergency contact number for your coworkers. I work in a small group , but several members are 65+, i now have a list in my desk of their kids numbers in case they would pass out, fall,etc at work.

Good idea! And maybe keep one emergency contact phone number for yourself in your wallet or purse in a place that can be found, e.g. with your license? We had a friend pass out at DL and no one could unlock her phone to call her son! (This was before you could use a fingerprint -- and even now, not everyone has a newer phone.) Someone volunteered to follow the ambulance to the ER and to stay as long as necessary, but our friend's son never did find out what had happened until the next day when his mom was able to call him herself. Fortunately, she hadn't suffered anything seriously wrong, but I hate to think what could have happened if it had been really bad and her son hadn't been reachable.

 

[Bianca and Bernard]

That and a few cell phone numbers. Years ago, my phone died, didn’t have a car charger and realized I didn’t know anyone’s phone number by heart anymore. After that I wrote a few numbers on an index card and keep it in the car.

An idea for those of you who work in an office , during normal times. Make an emergency contact number for your coworkers. I work in a small group , but several members are 65+, i now have a list in my desk of their kids numbers in case they would pass out, fall,etc at work.

Oh, and following on that...make sure to have something on your kids car seat, if you pass out in the car, or get into an accident, and responders can't figure out who you or your kids are, or who to call in case of emergency.....

I've seen a couple different ways to do this, from printing a note and putting it on the side that faces the door (it's not seen unless you open the door) to things from companies that attach to the carseat or seatbelt. Also, if your child has a disability, you can get things that would notify the responders so they can approach differently.

Just a few I've seen:
https://www.amazon.com/Kid-Tag-Seat-Emerg-Tags/dp/B00BU5VVV6https://www.amazon.com/Emergency-Safety-Attachment-Tag-Quantity/dp/B07YRYHXKKhttps://www.amazon.com/Special-Needs-Medical-Alert-Seatbelt/dp/B01MZHGR8N

 

[Bianca and Bernard]

Morning all. It's coffee time. This morning, it's a combination of fresh ground French Press Pot made: Death Wish coffee (is ok, but dang, does it kick the caffeine level sky high) and Eight o'Clock (best cheap coffee I've found, except for the stuff at BJs), and some vanilla creamer. We have to mix because the DW is so strong and way too much caffeine if it's used by itself, lol.

The windows and doors are open this week (finally!!!!)...it's 55 out with a high of 62 (so Echo says). Making tbone steaks, roasted potatoes/sweet potatoes/carrots/brussel sprouts for lunch. Might get the energy to make a cake later. House is clean (well, needs a vacuum and no one sees the 2 loads of laundry in the basket but me, so........).

I'm trying to focus on positive things, after the last year being so negative.
But...
Did anyone see the new Minnie monthly collection, for Jungle Cruise? I don't like the stripes/cheetah print together....and no backside of water??? I don't think it's cute at all. I haven't gotten any of them (and I have tried for the mug every time, dang it).

 

[dazedx3]

Good Morning,
I have not posted here since August, but I have read everyday. Such a wonderful, positive thread...I feel like you all are friends. I haven't
posted because quite honestly, I haven't had much positive to report.

My DH was diagnosed with stage 3 bladder cancer in August, and it has been devastating. He is going through Chemo and will have his bladder removed very soon. Of course this has been made more complicated because of Covid. Then a few weeks ago I tore my Meniscus almost completely. It was so painful, and I felt terrible that DH had to do so much for me. I'm supposed to be the one caring for him.

And to add to all that, DH sister died at the beginning of the Virus. My niece has been undergoing cancer treatment...... I am one of the primary caretakers for my older sister, who has been in the hospital 3x in the last year, and is failing quickly. .She lives with 2 adult disabled children, so that presents another complication.

Sorry to lay that all out there.... I'm really struggling to find much holiday joy this year, and Christmas is my thing.

 

[lynxstch]

Good Morning,
I have not posted here since August, but I have read everyday. Such a wonderful, positive thread...I feel like you all are friends. I haven't
posted because quite honestly, I haven't had much positive to report.

My DH was diagnosed with stage 3 bladder cancer in August, and it has been devastating. He is going through Chemo and will have his bladder removed very soon. Of course this has been made more complicated because of Covid. Then a few weeks ago I tore my Meniscus almost completely. It was so painful, and I felt terrible that DH had to do so much for me. I'm supposed to be the one caring for him.

And to add to all that, DH sister died at the beginning of the Virus. My niece has been undergoing cancer treatment...... I am one of the primary caretakers for my older sister, who has been in the hospital 3x in the last year, and is failing quickly. .She lives with 2 adult disabled children, so that presents another complication.

Sorry to lay that all out there.... I'm really struggling to find much holiday joy this year, and Christmas is my thing.

Nice to see you back @dazedx3 , but so sorry to hear about all your sad/bad news. But this is the place to lay it out, among DIS friends, so don't apologize. This thread is for us to say what we are experiencing, good or bad. I am so sorry to hear about your husband's cancer. And your meniscus. I hope his surgery goes well, and that they can control the cancer for him Also sorry to hear about your sister in law's passing, you really have had an awful time of it.
I think a lot of us are having a hard time finding holiday joy this year, but we are all going to struggle through it the best we can . Please feel free to post here anytime you want, about anything you want, and if you want, you can always send me a pm.
Hoping that things turn around for you and your family (and for all of us who are trying to get thru the pandemic the best we can)
's to you and yours-
Lynn

 

[lynxstch]

Good morning DIS family..it was a frosty 34 degrees this morning,,currently the sun is out, but we are only going to 42. So cheers to those of you who are warm enough to open your windows today! lol! Trying to help hubby get his new laptop set up the way he wants, but he's having an issue getting Outlook added to it. He doesn't like gmail , even though he has an account, and I don't know why he just doesn't use our ISP's email. We have Office 365 on the desktop, but we don't know if he can add it to his laptop or if it's just for one device. If anyone knows, please let me know.
Have a great day everyone!

 

[Shellsbutt]

Good Morning,
I have not posted here since August, but I have read everyday. Such a wonderful, positive thread...I feel like you all are friends. I haven't
posted because quite honestly, I haven't had much positive to report.

My DH was diagnosed with stage 3 bladder cancer in August, and it has been devastating. He is going through Chemo and will have his bladder removed very soon. Of course this has been made more complicated because of Covid. Then a few weeks ago I tore my Meniscus almost completely. It was so painful, and I felt terrible that DH had to do so much for me. I'm supposed to be the one caring for him.

And to add to all that, DH sister died at the beginning of the Virus. My niece has been undergoing cancer treatment...... I am one of the primary caretakers for my older sister, who has been in the hospital 3x in the last year, and is failing quickly. .She lives with 2 adult disabled children, so that presents another complication.

Sorry to lay that all out there.... I'm really struggling to find much holiday joy this year, and Christmas is my thing.

I'm so sorry to hear about your DH. Many to you and your family as you go through this difficult time. I am with you on struggling during this holiday season as well. I have decided that I will not decorate this year-no lights, tree, etc. The thought of it actually depresses me and maybe I need a break this year. Who knows, maybe I'll change my mind when December rolls around. I will still listen to Christmas music as that is my absolute favorite, I have thousands of songs on my phone, lol. We all just need to do what's best for us to cope and get through this.

 

[easyas123]

positive thread...I feel like you all are friends. I haven't
posted because quite honestly, I haven't had much positive to report.

It sounds like you've had a rough couple of months, and I'm sorry things have been so difficult for you & your family. Please think of this thread as a place to dump it out and get some support, along with a bit of levity along the way.

I hope your dogs do have a warm fire going when you come home

They did! And good news, Mr. Miserable's toenail is feeling better, and there doesn't appear to be any inflammation.

Do any of you have a Yahoo email account?

Sorry, only have gmail account - but I was part of a yahoo group for the dog rescue we work with and yahoo groups was shutting down I think.

Day 3 of our quarantine and we already feel like we're going stir crazy....

When all this started in March My husband & I had a conversation about where in the house either of us would sequester ourselves should one of us need to quarantine, although we both work together so chances are if one of us was exposed, so would the other. I'm starting to give that some thought again, if one of us gets it - but not the other - I think we will quarantine that person in the master bedroom which has a bathroom & TV and access out to the porch for fresh air if wanted/needed. I already put a small stockpile of wipes, cleaning products and TP in there 'just in case'. Food can be delivered by that door as well. Recently heard a bit about not allowing the family dog(s) around a quarantined person as the virus can stay on the dogs hair long enough to transfer to one of the non-quarantined people. I have NO IDEA if that is true or not though. Something to keep in mind I guess as I think about the protocol we'd need to go thru if need be.

Just thinking about it makes me feel stir crazy! I hope it goes quickly for you.

Chilly Chilly Chilly here today. I think our highs are in the mid 40's? Anywho, headed up to Northern DE for a Dr. appt. mid day, and a pit stop at Costco for some booze and maybe a ham & some more coffee. And cookies for the youngest...and anything else I don't really need. Then stop at Marshalls for some new dog beds - if anyone has a Marshalls near them they have GREAT prices on pet supplies, especially if you go thru them like we do!

Dinner tonight is spaghetti. I put some Italian sausage links in the the crock pot w/ some pasta sauce this AM, so it'll come together pretty quick which will be good as I don't think I'll be home until about 5:30ish, and husband & youngest are probably hunting.

 

[Shellsbutt]

Good morning- we had a very wet and gloomy day/night in CA yesterday. It is drizzling at the moment and supposed to continue throughout the day. Oh well, can't be sunny all the time. I got the results from Xena's biopsy yesterday, the vet said that it was indeed cancer. I took the phone out to the other room so my husband could listen in and hear what the vet had to say. Basically, a lobe-ectomy? would be very expensive(7000+) and cats on average only live approx 23 months even with the surgery. She also said chemo would not be effective with this type of cancer. So we make her comfortable and watch for signs of lethargy, loss of appetite and weight loss(which she already has, just hard to tell under all that fur.) I've never had a cat with cancer before and I've had many cats over the years. I hope I can make her last days pain free and comfortable, however long that may be.

I wish I could report some happy news, really trying to think. My husband has had a few bites as far as jobs go- he had a phone interview with a job recruiter in MN who called at 6:30am our time. Unfortunately the job pays ten dollars less an hour than he was making previously. Keeping our fingers crossed that he finds something soon. Hope everyone has a great day, stay warm out there

 

[gwynne]

@flyingdumbo127 We have a couple of yahoo email accounts. I checked both carefully last night, no messages from Yahoo. The boxes continue to work fine, no problems.

 

[flyingdumbo127]

Good Morning Dis Family,

It's chillier here so far, too!

DazedX3 and many prayers for you and your family. Post when you feel comfortable and know we all care and are here.

Yahoo email was normal this morning. Thank you everyone for your feedback!

Shelley, it's nice to have another CA friend in our thread Paws and prayers for Xena. Hug for you.

Such smart safety advice all-around in terms of making sure you do have a more "old fashioned" yet also "tried and true" (pen and paper or another back up source) of important contact information. My Grandma years ago also suggested keeping a current list of all cards including gift cards in my purse or wallet. Post plague, I'll have to do that. Good idea to always know what you are bringing out with you. Thanks everyone for sharing. Good to see you, this morning, Luckyrabbit.

 

[easyas123]

I've never had a cat with cancer before and I've had many cats over the years. I hope I can make her last days pain free and comfortable, however long that may be.

I haven't either, but I have had two dogs w/ cancer. I'll share in case it helps-
We had a boxer, he was only about 2 years old and was the first dog we had since the boys were born. Boy did we love the dog...his name was Fred. He was a goofy bugger....so in he went for his yearly shots and the vet noticed something on his jaw, a bit of a bump that we hadn't noticed. So they Xrayed it and it turns out he had a fairly advanced case of bone cancer. Bone cancer common in boxers, usually shows up in legs. Nothing could be done for him in terms of surgery or medications. Now the vet made clear that ANY hard knock to his jaw could cause the entire jaw to shatter. We lived on a farm, two rough & tumble young boys, Fred had free range to wander the farm, ride in the back of trucks, chase after the kids in the woods - you know, dog stuff. He wasn't feeling off (although who knows if he was in pain, didn't seem that way) and none of his organs were shutting down yet, but the vet said it would happen sooner, rather than later. Knowing he could accidently shatter his jaw at any time from the most benign action we decided to make the hard decision (did get a second opinion) immediately rather than wait. That was almost 20 years ago, still hard to type out.
The second pup with cancer we had was more recent, just 2 years ago actually. She was our first foster dog, a english bull dog named Roxy who had been abandoned along with her owners small children - can you imagine? She was old, estimated about 14 or so. So we go about taking her to the vet and getting her checked out. Long story short, thoracic tumor that was untreatable. It would start to affect her breathing and cause her to go downhill fast. She was with us for 3 months, really enjoying the high life - it was a gift to be able to treat her to a warm and loving family home - we noticed she was starting to have trouble, and one night it became obvious she was going downhill and fast, so we called the vet & took her in, and it was her time to go.

My husband has had a few bites as far as jobs go

Awesome, hopefully he will get even more offers and opportunities soon!

 

[Shellsbutt]

I haven't either, but I have had two dogs w/ cancer. I'll share in case it helps-
We had a boxer, he was only about 2 years old and was the first dog we had since the boys were born. Boy did we love the dog...his name was Fred. He was a goofy bugger....so in he went for his yearly shots and the vet noticed something on his jaw, a bit of a bump that we hadn't noticed. So they Xrayed it and it turns out he had a fairly advanced case of bone cancer. Bone cancer common in boxers, usually shows up in legs. Nothing could be done for him in terms of surgery or medications. Now the vet made clear that ANY hard knock to his jaw could cause the entire jaw to shatter. We lived on a farm, two rough & tumble young boys, Fred had free range to wander the farm, ride in the back of trucks, chase after the kids in the woods - you know, dog stuff. He wasn't feeling off (although who knows if he was in pain, didn't seem that way) and none of his organs were shutting down yet, but the vet said it would happen sooner, rather than later. Knowing he could accidently shatter his jaw at any time from the most benign action we decided to make the hard decision (did get a second opinion) immediately rather than wait. That was almost 20 years ago, still hard to type out.
The second pup with cancer we had was more recent, just 2 years ago actually. She was our first foster dog, a english bull dog named Roxy who had been abandoned along with her owners small children - can you imagine? She was old, estimated about 14 or so. So we go about taking her to the vet and getting her checked out. Long story short, thoracic tumor that was untreatable. It would start to affect her breathing and cause her to go downhill fast. She was with us for 3 months, really enjoying the high life - it was a gift to be able to treat her to a warm and loving family home - we noticed she was starting to have trouble, and one night it became obvious she was going downhill and fast, so we called the vet & took her in, and it was her time to go.



Awesome, hopefully he will get even more offers and opportunities soon!

Thank you for sharing your experiences with me, I appreciate it. I have had to put down three cats over the years, never gets easier. We will definitely play it by ear based on her behavior from here on out. Sorry that I haven't figured out how to reply to specific paragraphs yet, I'm a slow learner. I know Lynn upthread has given me some instruction but I haven't taken the time to try and figure it out yet, I will get there eventually.

 

[flyingdumbo127]

Shelley, after all this time, I still tend reply to multiple people individually! Sometimes I will open a Word document so I can make a list of everyone who posted above of me and/or copy paste their posts in one place where I can reply underneath. I know that is the hard way but it works!

Hugs to all who have had to make the heartbreaking choice to put a pet down.

I watched the rest of Christmas in Angel Falls a little while ago. I loved it! It had some Touched by an Angel parts (I wish those were clearer than they were but the idea was there). It tugged extra on me because I so feel my own church needs to get back its own spirit for Christmas and always. I feel called by God to perhaps one day post plague be part of that. This is one movie, I wish had continued a little longer!

 

[Snowysmom]

@dazedx3 So sorry about your DH, SIL, and niece. Sending prayers and thoughts your way. What is really nice about this community is all the support and caring.

@Shellsbutt Sorry about Xena. I had a dog with bone cancer in her spine. We made her comfortable, loved her, and knew when it was time to let her go. I hope your DH gets some more interviews.


It is difficult this year to get into the holiday spirit. I can understand how everyone feels. Maybe as we get to Thanksgiving and then in to December we will want to celebrate the small things. In another thread they asked when you were putting up your Christmas tree. I said Dec 2021. I almost mean that but DH wants a real tree this year. Maybe by December we will be able to get a bit of the spirit.

It is 32 here today and windy. It was so cold taking Jasper for his walk. He sees the vet today for his follow up.

Today was Trader Joe's day. We got our usual salads, Joe's Os, dog treats, yogurt, less guilt guacamole, and a couple of treats for vacation. DH had to put air in the tires of the 2 older vehicles. Breakfast was leftover sweet potato pancakes, while lunch was a salad. We are going out to dinner tonight as part of our staycation. We will go to an old standby that follows the rules very well. DH has not started the clean up for my bike yet. I am getting a bit antsy. He promised me he would move and throw out all the stuff he has hoarded over time. We are doing more shopping tomorrow and Friday but I am leaving the afternoons for clean up time. To be honest, I am not a big fan of staycations. I feel like I am doing as much housework, shopping, and dog care as when I work. I like vacations where I can get away from it all and relax. Maybe next year.

 

[PollyannaMom]

Sorry that I haven't figured out how to reply to specific paragraphs yet, I'm a slow learner. I know Lynn upthread has given me some instruction but I haven't taken the time to try and figure it out yet, I will get there eventually.

Shelley, after all this time, I still tend reply to multiple people individually!

I’m so sorry about the kitty news, and wish I could say something that would make it easier. But I can help with the quoting question, so here is what I did to reply to these two posts, step by step -

Highlight the part you want to quote, and click +Quote:


Now do the same for the subsequent post(s):


Then go to the regular reply box at the bottom of the page, and click Insert Quotes:


A box will pop up, listing all the quotes you have added, and you click Quote Messages:




After that, they will appear in the reply box and you can type anywhere as you normally would:



Be careful when typing between quotes that you set your cursor after the close bracket ] of the first one and before the open bracket [ of the second.