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

[easyas123]

snow, yes snow in mid April.

Yeah, they uttered that during our AM weather forecast as well, although I don't think we will see any in our area...but it will be chilly. All part of spring I suppose, last evening we were on the porch sitting sans jackets from 6 - 8 PM! I'm ready for the mild and warm weather for sure. I won't be shocked if I come home to see a fire burning in the fireplace, with my husband blaming it on the dogs

I've got some odds & ends, paperwork and the like to take care of at work today, and I'm thinking of replacing the meat slicer we have so I may start poking around and seeing what I can find. Last I heard youngest is coming home for the weekend, so I'm going to get in touch with him and see if there is anything special he wants for dinner - although between you & me I'm guessing he won't be home for dinner, he'll be out fishing with his brother!

Welp...we did it. I booked a trip for Dec., 22 -Christmas markets cruise - wanted to go this December but the powers that be couldn't say for sure that things would be up and going then and I didn't want to take the chance of having to reschedule, so as much as it pains me to plan over a year and a half in advance (we are very much spontaneous folks) I'm glad to have it on the books! We are trying to just shelve it away in our brains and not dwell on it until a year or more from now.

Our trees still have not shipped, and I'm trying to be patient. I'd very much like to have them and get them in the ground so we can move on with other plans we have in the area the trees are going. Hurry up & wait is our theme this spring I think.

French rack of lamb with squash for dinner this evening, which sounds fancier than it is! Might even toss in some roasted potatoes.

And for the record, I'm still thinking I need that Coldstone cake! Might even use Mothers Day as an excuse to pick one up!

 

[Breezy_Carol]

Good morning.

Yesterday we ended up on another hike in Fair Hill. Had to take advantage of the gorgeous day. And ate dinner on the porch. Then took DH's car to the dealer for a recall.

Today was supposed to rain all day. If it doesn't, and the forecast has changed to 20%, we will have to water the new seed.

We have a caution about freezing weather overnight too. And our lilac bush is getting blooms also.

We saw our first hummingbird at the feeder this morning. And we put out our new bluebird box Monday and some bird was checking it out already. Our yard is turning into a bird sanctuary.

@easyas123, do tell more about the cruise. And I hear you about planning far ahead. We don't do that either. I think it has to do with self employed. But anyway, October 2019 we booked a cruise for February 2021. Farthest out we ever booked and you see how that turned out. I hope you have better luck. I'm not positive we'll be on the rebooked cruise in March 2022.

 

[easyas123]

We saw our first hummingbird at the feeder this morning

Oh boy! I'm going to get my feeders up this weekend then!

@easyas123, do tell more about the cruise. And I hear you about planning far ahead. We don't do that either. I think it has to do with self employed. But anyway, October 2019 we booked a cruise for February 2021. Farthest out we ever booked and you see how that turned out. I hope you have better luck. I'm not positive we'll be on the rebooked cruise in March 2022.

Welp, we went with one of the Danube holiday cruises, and we are going on Viking again. I really, really wanted one that ended in Nuremburg but now they are Budapest -Regensburg but Nuremburg was a add-on so we added the two day extension. There were other similar cruises with the other cruise lines, but I decided to stick with them since we were familiar with - and quite happy with them during our first trip. I'm very much looking forward to being in Vienna. I'm not 100% sure we will end up doing the extension but there were only 10 spots left so I added it to our booking and will make the final decision on if we actually do it at a later point in time. We choose a mid-December timeframe and will be getting home a few days prior to the actual Christmas holiday. We would have been fine going over the actual holiday, but didn't want to face traveling home on the 24th or 25th. Well - I didn't care, but my husband said he "either wants to be home or away, but not stuck in some airport mid-way"! 2 longer trips w/ them have been on our very short list- Russia &/or Egypt BUT we decided to put those off for a few years in lieu of some other travel but I'm hoping we can get to do one of those in the next 5 years or so. Plus, they aren't cheap.... A gal can dream, right!?!?! The funny thing is we aren't cruise ship types, or thought we weren't. We've never set foot on a ocean cruise liner, and I can't imagine ever doing so but never say never. We favor a more independent manner of travel, but found the river cruise a great way to see a lot of the places we wanted to go to. My folks are doing a South America ocean cruise with them this December-January for their 50th anniversary, they'll be gone something like almost 3 weeks, so it's a long cruise. It will be the first time they ever set food on a ocean cruise, but they've done 2 river cruises.

 

[PollyannaMom]

Thanks for the reminder on the hummingbirds! It will likely be another week or two before we have any here, but I should wash the feeder and get it ready.

We have had lots of other feathered friends around, though - blue jays, cardinals, and a few other small ones. I have two of those wire basket feeders that I fill year-round, and there are a lot of trees at the back of the yard where various birds like to perch and sing. Some years we even have a nest where we can kind of watch it.

DH’s parents did a river cruise a couple of years ago, and they loved it! I think it would be fun someday, but there are other trips on the list first.

I leave for my second vaccine in a couple of hours!

 

[easyas123]

I leave for my second vaccine in a couple of hours!

Good luck!

 

[flyingdumbo127]

Good Morning,

Yikes, stay warm and safe to all of you still dealing with snow ❄

Prayers that planned cruises do get to set sail smoothly and safely 🛳

Hug, PollyannaMom and prayers your second dose goes well!

We just got early morning Sparkletts delivery which is always welcome. The only expected mail is a solicitation, not so welcome.

Have a good Wednesday, friends.

 

[chickapin parterre]

humming birds are protecting terriotry all over the desert wash this morning....my walk every 21 days before chemicals tomorrow...anyhow...massive desert wash trees are blooming yellow and next month it will looked better than any rose parade float...the last hurrah for every flying creature to nourish...by june 1st not a natural bloom in the barrness of 120 degrees.

we have birds all year round and hope by june 1st our couple will be done nesting...we have no one to fill our feeders and our yard has little to offer in terms of nectar.

 

[lynxstch]

Home from shopping and errands..Walmart and Aldi's were almost empty,,very odd. Walked right up to empty cashier registers in both stores. In and out in record time. It's cold out..only 42 and the wind is blowing

@easyas123..set an extra plate for me for your dinner tonite, please and thank you. It sounds delicious..and my hubby doesn't like lamb, so he can stay home, lol!

 

[easyas123]

@easyas123..set an extra plate for me for your dinner tonite, please and thank you. It sounds delicious..and my hubby doesn't like lamb, so he can stay home, lol!

Hey - two meals sometimes happen in our home! If bear or turtle is on the menu for him, it is NOT on the menu for me! Lamb chops are easy, you should make yourself some! Still, I'll keep a plate warm for you

Speaking of dinner - does anyone else have this problem? We have gotten into the bad habit of sitting in our chairs and eating in front of the TV instead of at the table. Yeah it's easy and convenient, but I'm starting to feel lazy, like maybe we should make a effort. Set two place settings, turn away from the TV, share a meal over the table. We used to make a effort - TV always turned off during dinner- I think this evening I will start to try to make that effort again, at least during the weeknights.

 

[sweetpeama]

Ok internet was weird once I posted it obviously showed up but than nothing else when I tried to go to a new page on anything. Started closing all the tabs and found out I could not even access my history to clear temp files and cache. Which I did yesterday so shouldn't have been too much as it was only about 28 hours prior and some of that time was spent sleeping. 13 year old was also not able to get the internet to work through the blue ray player-which is how she is currently watching youtube as we took her ipad away. More on that in a moment. 16 year old reset the router and we still were getting nothing on my laptop even though it said it was connected. Had to disconnect and then reconnect the setting for the internet. Normally it should connect automatically but it didn't.

Ok onto the ipad being taken away from 13 year old. She was supposed to help clean up a mess she made in the front room and was refusing to do so and having a mean older sister she lost her ipad. 16 year old took both ipad's hostage. We took the one that is an air first generation in to a repair place that is a lot cheaper than going to an authorized apple dealer but than it is well past the apple care date. So much past that I can not get an otterbox case for it. Plan was to take the mini generation 5 in for replacing a cracked screen as well (still usable) but we learned that the place we used would not be able to offer any guarantee on the work or the parts due to the frame being bent and at 129 dollars it is not worth it. Especially where it is old enough we are going to be facing not being able to get updates on programs and system updates soon. Found out that 13 year old had managed to break the screen part out of the otter box case on that one. So until we have the case for that one she is not getting it back unless she is superivised with it. So she can have it for things like ordering a meal at a resturant. We should have a screen protector that will owk with the current case we have for it by tomorrow or Thursday though we will allow her to have it for a bit tomorrow night to take a picture of a fire or something burnt. I am thinking of just having her take a picture of some candles set ouside on a small table on our deck provided the wind cooperates with me. That is the theme for this week's 4-H photography project contest. Also ordered a case for 16 year old's ipad which has had a wrong case for it but at least it was in something. That one could wait but since we need to have the ipad for 13 year old to use to do her demonstration for County level on Saturday decided to pay for the overnight to 2 day shipping.
Now to find a used otterbox or other really good protective case-as in will protect even if dropped on the ground for an ipad air first generation that someone has and is willing to work out a sales price with me. Best Buy, Amazon, Walmart, ect and even the otter box site itself have nothing even searching all the stores but otter box for protective cases for ipad air first generation.
if we can not find anything that will become DH's ipad and will be kept hidden in a drawer when he is not using it as while it was supposed to be mine somehow my items end up turning into kids items and without a case for it the risk of damage is too high.
Plan is to look at getting at least one more updated ipad probally sticking with the mini as we can at least have 1080p for the camera and the regular has only 720p and either of the pro lines are out of my price range. I can get a mini for a little over 400 dollars including getting a case for it and the cheapest pro line ones start at over 1200 dollars.
Want to wait until we get the taurus back from having the transmission repaired. DH and my dad are taking it down tomorrow. The place might not get to it until the 4th but if it is down there and they get a spare bay they can pull it in earlier where if we schedule it for a time we are looking that far out. One of the disadvantages to going with the only place in town that does their own rebuilds and is not only lower priced but has a much better milage and year guarantee. Try like 600 dollars cheaper and an extra year or an extra 12K on the milage for the guarantee. Since we have at least one vehicle that I can drive and DH has his car to drive when I need a vehicle and he leaves me the truck we will save the money and wait a little bit longer.
Realized this morning that I forgot to hit post last night on this-oops.

 

[PollyannaMom]

Speaking of dinner - does anyone else have this problem? We have gotten into the bad habit of sitting in our chairs and eating in front of the TV instead of at the table.

Yep, but we’ve embraced it as still being “together time” - as long we’re both/all watching the same show and actually talking about it.

 

[lynxstch]

Hey - two meals sometimes happen in our home! If bear or turtle is on the menu for him, it is NOT on the menu for me! Lamb chops are easy, you should make yourself some! Still, I'll keep a plate warm for you

Speaking of dinner - does anyone else have this problem? We have gotten into the bad habit of sitting in our chairs and eating in front of the TV instead of at the table. Yeah it's easy and convenient, but I'm starting to feel lazy, like maybe we should make a effort. Set two place settings, turn away from the TV, share a meal over the table. We used to make a effort - TV always turned off during dinner- I think this evening I will start to try to make that effort again, at least during the weeknights.

Yes, Same problem here. We eat in front of the tv in the living room too. We still talk while we eat..so it's okay by me.

 

[flyingdumbo127]

Dad and I are complete opposites in terms of food preferences. What we do is share time together at lunch both enjoying our Campbell's broth. Then he will often have a second appetizer while I have my main lunch. When I'm done, he'll eat his main lunch. Dinner, similar idea. What matters is the extra time together to talk and for me an extra time of communion.

 

[easyas123]

Well...I guess I meant it as more of a effort to make a effort? We talk, we talk A LOT! We have coffee together every morning, often have lunch together - we work together! and more days than not sit outside on the porch in the evening. No, it's not about talking, spending time or communicating, I guess it's more about being lazy about making an effort with dinner. Kinda like the dinner version of just wearing sweatpants all the time, in other words I'm thinking I've stopped making a effort to make a nice meal, and sit down and enjoy it vs. tossing something on a plate and just eating in front of the TV.

 

[sparkle78]

My Hubbie is working from home, and I work part time. Now with the crazy 2020/2021 we’ve been eating breakfast, lunch 4 days a week, and dinner together Every day !! There isn’t anything else to talk about by dinner, so yes 2 days a week we have started watching a family show together. It’s bad. But, trust me we talk all the time and in the car on the way to the kid’s practices. So give yourself a break

 

[AuntieMe3]

My lilacs... this is the back of the bush and it looks soo pretty.


This is the front and not as full but still pretty.


Smells incredible. It's cold and super crazy windy again today or else I would be out there cutting some for inside the house.

 

[flyingdumbo127]

How beautiful, AuntieMe3!

ITA we all sometimes simply need down time to watch fun TV

 

[lynxstch]

@AuntieMe3--beautiful lilac bush! Wish our 3 would get full like that. I picked a vase full this afternoon,before we get freezing temps tonite and tomorrow nite and they all get ruined. I can smell them throughout the house!
Did a whole lot of nothing this afternoon,,and it's just what I needed. I made lunch, we watched a few shows, we both took naps. I just finished dishes after a dinner of angus steak burgers and potato salad (still wish I had easy's lamb, lol), and we are going to settle in for some more tv. Tivo is almost 40% full and we've never had that many shows on it. Of course I have almost 2 full seasons of Hawaii 5-0 on it too,,so that's taking up a lot of room
Have a nice nite, and stay warm!

 

[easyas123]

Tivo is almost 40% full and we've never had that many shows on it.

Of all the ridiculous things...this bugs me the most! I feel like I have to erase stuff I haven't watched or have a stern talk to myself "you THOUGHT you were going to watch that 3 months ago, but you still haven't....that kind of thing! ha ha! We are at 70% space used and it's really bugging me. I've got to get in there and purge some of those stuff that seemed like a good idea at the time to record, but I never got around to watching. My problem is I'll see one episode of one show I want to watch, and next thing I know the system has recorded 28 of them!

Dang, the wind is really blowing out there. Last bit of the weather coming thru I suppose.

 

[lynxstch]

Of all the ridiculous things...this bugs me the most! I feel like I have to erase stuff I haven't watched or have a stern talk to myself "you THOUGHT you were going to watch that 3 months ago, but you still haven't....that kind of thing! ha ha! We are at 70% space used and it's really bugging me. I've got to get in there and purge some of those stuff that seemed like a good idea at the time to record, but I never got around to watching. My problem is I'll see one episode of one show I want to watch, and next thing I know the system has recorded 28 of them!

Dang, the wind is really blowing out there. Last bit of the weather coming thru I suppose.

I went through it this morning and deleted a bunch of unwatched Hallmark movies. Just too many other shows to keep up with. Did yoiu by some chance set those 28 shows to record as a season pass? I tried that..once..and it ended up recording every episode of that show, no matter what channel it was on, including reruns. I had to go in and delete like 50 of the same show. So now I just set my shows every week, and don't bother with Season Pass, lol! We have made it through the Good Doctor, NCIS, The Resident, and FBI so far. Trouble is,,there are just too many shows on tonite, so what we finished up, will just be replaced by morning, lol
Winds really blowing here too..temp is down to 73. Stay warm!