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

[flyingdumbo127]

I love Josh's shirt, Apirateslifeforme! It's nicer (but reminds me of) a similar shirt I got earlier this summer from Old Navy. I never have gotten to make a tie dye shirt but that sounds fun. I really from across the county think your town sounds great for kids and their families. Thank you for the added FYI

Easyas and AuntieMe3, as I've said once before and will forever, snakes need to stay nowhere near me! Yuck.

AuntieMe3, Happy upcoming Birthday to your daughter! I also enjoy Christmas/military movies. Hope you're having a good afternoon

It's still mid afternoon here and for AuntieMe3, so I shall wish the rest of a you a good early evening

 

[lynxstch]

I am finally home, groceries put away, furbabies fed, and I am ready to collapse. As usual, Sister in Law's 'quick' trip to Walmart took almost 1 1/2 hours..then she had to stop at Aldi's..and was going to stop at Martins until I told her I had to get home..told her to stop at the Martins near her house on the way home. I stocked up on stuff like paper towels, toilet paper, trash bags, dry cat food, etc.
It rained about 20 drops just as I walked out of the hospital doors, and maybe another 20 drops on the highway on our way to Walmart. We have a severe storm watch till 9 pm,,which means we won't get a drop of rain. So I will go out and water in just a few minutes

Hubby had a good day. The gauze on his leg is gone..no need to wrap it anymore. The infection is gone, and the skin is healing nicely..they just have a 4x4 bandaid on it now. They told me I was going to have to come in and train on how to wrap it in gauze..hubby told them..she packed my chest wound when they had to take out the pacemaker,,I think she can figure out how to wrap gauze around a leg. They all laughed. But now the gauze isn't necessary anymore.
He was already almost done with PT by the time I got there at 10. Monday they were down to 9 patients on the floor. Yesterday morning they were up to 12. This morning all 14 rooms were filled,, and there is a waiting list of 25 people! I am so glad they got hubby's meeting in Tuesday before that happened, or he probably would have been discharged Tomorrow PT is going to try having him climb a step or 2 in preparation for coming home (we only have the one step at the back door (front door has 6). The OT girl who has been working with him is on vacation starting tomorrow. She came in to say goodbye and goodluck, and hugged me and both of us started crying. She was there last time 5 years ago..and said she doesn't want to see him back as a patient again,,to visit, yet, but patient no. lol. Then Toni (the lady who worked her magic to get him in ), came in to say hi to me..and said "I really thought we were going to be fighting a losing battle with him, but he's really been working and I can see immense improvement in a week." I said all due to your magic, and I can never thank you enough. She said seeing what he's accomplishing is thanks enough. I picked up a few really nice Hallmark Thank You cards today to send to the nurses, cna's, OT people, PT people, and Toni. Will send them either a big box of chocolates or a cookie bouquet or something after he gets home.

I am looking forward to taking a cool shower,,having dinner (I am splurging tonite..Chef Boy R Dee mini ravioli), lol. Going to have a slice of buttered bread with it, and some magnum ice cream for a snack later while watching Big Brother

@Breezy_Carol--congratulations to your daughter..that is a huge accomplishment, and we are all proud of her!

@apirateslifefor me--I love Josh shirt,,came out so well.

@AuntieMe3--have a safe trip home

@PollyannaMom I have been praying for your son, and was also wondering how he's doing. Please update us when you have the time

@flyingdumbo127--glad the noise settled down Mona,,and glad your Dad went and got your car washed for you.

@Dead2009 welcome to our little group. And to our MD contingent..lol!

Have a nice evening all..and a nice rest of the afternoon to you Mona!

 

[flyingdumbo127]

What a wonderful update on your DH, Lynn! I'm sorry Walmart and other shopping took so long, yuck. Have a restful evening, my friend.

 

[snappy]

What a wonderful update on your DH, Lynn! I'm sorry Walmart and other shopping took so long, yuck. Have a restful evening, my friend.

Yea I have turned into a curbside only pickup at Walmart kind of girl. It just takes too much energy and time to go in. We do have a neighborhood Walmart, and I have gone inside there but not in a while. I go into shop at Sprouts and a regional grocery store that is pretty good, Rouse. And there is always Amazon. . .

 

[Kirby]

My ex sister in law in SC says they are supposed to hit 115 this weekend? Yikes!

DD flew to South Carolina today for her second visit with Lil Joe. I think that she has indoor stuff planned for this weekend. We are so looking forward to having Lil Joe back with us, 10 days and counting.

Lou Lou went grocery shopping with me today. She didn't run away from me like she used to. She stayed mostly by me but wants to buy whatever catches her eye. Our shopping trip lasted close to two hours. I must have wore her out because she fell asleep on the floor this afternoon.

Dinner tonight was taco salad with hamburger meat. We've been making a salad lately instead of eating it in taco form. I think that I like it better that way.

 

[frog3101]

Good evening. I don‘t have much to report. I am thankful to say, I think the heat is supposed to break overnight and tomorrow will be much more tolerable.
Thanks to all who have responded about my concerns over our new minister. I’m moving forward and going to give it awhile longer before I make any major decisions. I really don’t want to find a new church. I’ve gone to this one most of my life and I really don’t want to start over somewhere else. Especially when I know this person won’t be around forever, as we often get assigned new ones about every 3-5 years. We are just a small, very small congregation and I’m worried we may not survive if too many stop attending. (I have a few friends who are already considering not coming back for awhile)
Continued hugs to all who need them for whatever struggles you may be facing.

 

[Dead2009]

I'm glad I'm off this coming weekend because I'm doing nothing but playing video games and watching the Olympics.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

After working four really long shifts earlier this week, I’ve spent most of the past two days cleaning and organizing, but in a good way. Like the old days, I had the house to myself, put my music on [loudly], took my time, and just got into it little by little. I wiped down cabinets, floors, windows, doors, lightning and appliances, etc. Had a hard time getting up after kneeling or sitting on the floor here and there , but made it, almost like the old days, lol. Continued today, and did laundry, finalized the meal plan, and shopped. Finally sat down around 10pm tonight. Tomorrow we are hosting a family party for around 20. So far weather is looking fabulous (rain in the morning, but mid 70’s later in day). Hoping the four cans of Yard Guard work against the mosquitos, they have been really bad here. We used to buy these coils that worked great but the store we used to buy them at closed. We might still have some somewhere, will have to look in the morning. Anyway, it should be fun. Pool is open and we have some yard games. We’ll have a special visitor, too, a doggie member new to the family. It will be the first time for she and Toto to meet, they’ll probably both be crated much of the day so neither one runs out front with all the people coming and going, but they’ll have some fun and treats, too, for sure.

We are doing Italian - a big pot of homemade sauce and meatballs with sausages, manicotti (was planning on shells but all sold out at store), chicken parm that DS’s girlfriend made, salad, and French bread. For dessert DH is making a strawberry whipped cream cake and fresh cannolis with filling from scratch. Almost forgot, DD is doing a charcuterie tray, too. Can’t wait now! Will try to remember to take some pics. Saturday we have another outdoor family party to go to, but luckily we just have to show up, they won’t let us bring anything. So been busy, but it almost felt therapeutic somehow, and brought me back to the days before we even had kids here where I used to really enjoy cleaning and organizing. It kind of got away from me for a while there with the kids, working, taking care of my mother, etc., and we have so much more “stuff” than we used to back then, but I want to keep it going this fall so we can get the Chi back here the way it used to be, ie time to purge again.

Loved the shirts! DH has a lot of Disney shirts and enjoys wearing them at either WDW or on DCL. Loved the flower arrangements, Auntie. Josh is one handsome little dude, apirates! Hope PollyannMom’s son is doing ok, and Snowysmom, Mr L and tazdev. Congrats to your DD, Carol, that’s amazing! Flyingdumbo I hope the colors worked out for you. Snappy that must be fun to have a big fish tank! We had one years ago but we used to joke we couldn’t get it looking like anything other than Boston Harbor in the 70s (Love That Dirty Water!), and all our fish died. (Always felt bad about that. We did try!) Easyas, DS and his gf visited Annapolis last summer and raved about it, and in their pictures it looked so nice. Frog, it must be tough to get a new minister you’re not crazy about. I know Flyingdumbo has expressed some similar sentiments before. Kirby, Lil Joe and Lou Lou, such cute names. We’ll have some little ones here tomorrow, picked up some things for them to play with. One was a kitchen set in great shape on the side of the road. Saw it two days in a row and finally decided to pick it up. DD and I were cracking up arguing about who was going to go out and get it, lol. She did, and she practically tripped over herself getting it and herself in the car. Then we took off. All in a big U turn. It’s so funny how you have so many toys and things in the house when your kids are small, then eventually they all go away, then you have to start replenishing them again!

I couldn’t post but I shared a lot of your sentiments over the last few pages in the pets discussion. DH and I know how we are, and we are absolutely miserable without a dog in the house, so we always either have one in the wings when one is declining, or we go out right away and find another to love. Every time I think I can’t love another as much as the last, I’m always pleasantly surprised at how untrue that becomes. Our hearts have plenty of room to love each pet individually and on their own merits wholly and completely. Toto is my first small dog, and I wasn’t sure how that was going to be. But now of course I love him to pieces, and he’s like Velcro to me, except when others are home and take him outside to the pool or something. DS was home the other morning (an increasing rarity these days) and he took him out on one of his favorite walks, then they went into the pool together and had a blast. Boys. Toto loves the rough and tumble with him, but only with him. And if DS is upset, Toto gets really upset and whines and barks at him. Again, only does that to him. Part of what I enjoy about having a pet is watching how each relationship grows with that pet and how the love just blossoms over time. It is awfully sad when it comes to an end, but as the poem I like to quote says, it’s a reflection of your love together, and don’t hold that love in, give it to another so they can live on forever.

I mentioned I’d read some NDE stories of people who’d died and lived to tell about it and some who reconnected with their pets in heaven. The way it occurred was cool - in some cases it was the pet’s spirit who showed up to greet them! I’ve got six of my own up there, and numerous others I’ve been close to over the years, and I know it’s someday going to be a beautiful reunion. I had a very vivid “dream” (was it more?) one time of a person very close to me who is deceased. We shared a love of dogs. And in our “conversation” I asked if the dogs were there with him, and he said yes. That felt very real to me. I also do believe that we get the pets we were meant to have. It’s been frustrating to me trying to find the right one to adopt, but then I say to myself maybe the timing wasn’t right or the circumstances, idk. But I’m confident that if it’s meant to be, it will happen. Right now we’re pretty content with what we have. I needed a break from caregiving for a while (kids, elderly, handicapped dog(s) and elderly mom, not to mention very sick patients) and I’m not in a huge rush to take on more with the pandemic still on, etc. I do think that having a solid relationship with a good kennel or pet sitter helps with the traveling issue when older. Or having the dog travel with you if possible and it’s something you enjoy. If not, then revert to the kennel. I think that once the dog lives it a few times, they‘re not crazy about it, but they’re safe and well-cared for, and they learn you’ll eventually be coming back to get them.

 

[lynxstch]

Good morning all! As I predicted, no storms/rain materialized. It got dark and windy around 7 pm, and I thought maybe we were going to get lucky, but of course not one drop of rain fell. Supposed to be in the low 80's today and all weekend, so maybe it will feel a bit nicer out,,though right now it's 71 and feels sticky out there.

@Pea-n-Me I had to laugh at your statement about 'cleaning like in the old days', I know the exact way you meant. Empty house, loud music (usually Disney soundtracks or park music, then I get on a cleaning jag, and do everything like I used to do all the time. Then I am so tired and sore I can barely get up and move. I kind of need to do one of those and soon. Maybe after Mr L comes home on Tuesday and we get settled into a more normal routine I can get to it. It will be August by then..and almost time to start fall cleaning anyhow, lol! Have a great party today, food sounds delicious..especially your hubbys dessert~

Have a nice morning everyone!

 

[Breezy_Carol]

Good morning.

Just can't wake up and get motivated today.

DD and family went to DE State Fair yesterday. She sent some cute pictures of Tessa enjoying rides and Carter enjoying funnel cake. But I think my favorite was Tessa in the car on the way home. She was eating cole slaw from a carry out container, they had forgotten a fork so she was using her hand.

We’ll have some little ones here tomorrow, picked up some things for them to play with. One was a kitchen set in great shape on the side of the road.

DD did that too. Someone had put out a little outside playhouse and she dragged it home and bleached it and it is great fun outside.
For a cheap easy toy, depending on kids' ages, for Carter's birthday I took out the plastic baby pool I have and we dumped all the balls DD and I owned into it. The little ones loved it.

Part of what I enjoy about having a pet is watching how each relationship grows with that pet and how the love just blossoms over time.

I loved all of your sentiments about pets. So many good thoughts.

 

[sweetpeama]

Good morning. It is predicted to be a cool 95 degrees here with it being partly cloudy with areas of smoke and hazy throughout the next 48 hours at least. Our current air quality alert for which we are at a moderate meaning those who are sensitive should reduce or eliminate prolonged exercise or physical exertion outdoors is supposed to expire at 9 this morning. I am thinking it will be extended.
Waiting on a load of water to be delivered because once again we have ran out of water. 16 year old came up stairs and wanted some lemondaid so went to make a glass and no water. I gave her the thawed water from my gatoraid bottle that I had filled and frozen, which I had 13 year old bring me last night. I ended up filling the remainder up with some water from my water bottle so it would get cold, took some relieve and some ibprofin and ended up crashing around 10 pm not to wake up until around 5 this morning. Needless to say all my cold water was melted. I do have other ones in the freezer and of course once we get water will fill up all the empty ones and put them back in the freezer.
I took some time the other day to look up how much we could be looking at to replace our airconditioner which we plan to do before next summer. While looking this information up online I came across some troubleshooting tips for figuring out if it is a simple repair that we could do ourselves which I showed DH. He did not seem at all interested in getting any of it done. Yesterday while on facebook I came across an add for the artos coolers portable air conditioner/fans/humidifiers so I ordered 3 of them. With the 50% discount including getting the lifetime warantee I still paid under $200 for everything including the shipping so I am happy with that. Besides if he does check out some of the ideas I showed him and decides to try the various test and if one of them comes out that is the problem and thus he fixes it we can always put the portable ones up for use if we ever decide to go camping again provided we have an electrical hookup or if one room needs to be cooler than the rest of the house. Such as we are actually running the oven in the summer months. I have decleared a rule that as long as the air conditioning is not working properly-the unit is running but not cooling the house-the oven is not be turned on. You can use the burners on top to make food in a pot or pan, use the microwave, the electric grill, a crockpot/slow cooker but that oven stays off until cooler weather is here. This house is unformfortable enough even with fans blowing that I am not adding the heat from running the oven for any reason and then having to cool that down.

 

[flyingdumbo127]

Good Morning,

Still waking up here, early

I am so glad Lil Joe is coming home soon at last, Kirby and that his mom gets to see him this weekend, too.

Pea, what beautiful pet feelings indeed you shared, my friend. Thank you.

Keep cool, friends and enjoy this Friday! I'll post more later

 

[PollyannaMom]

Hi, everyone. DS is doing OK. Thanks again for all the prayers and support!

im not sure they really figured out what caused it all, and his PCP had to move his follow-up to next week, but he is eating again and going about life as normal, so mom can breathe again!

Other, happier stuff:
Got together with a friend to go to the zoo on Wednesday, and had a great time! (Meant to pop on and post pics, but this thread has gotten so busy lately that by the time I catch up reading, sometimes I don't have time to post! In fact, I have to get off now, but will try to later!)

 

[PollyannaMom]

OK, back with some pics:

red panda - one of my personal favs (and no, the DIS is not giving me trouble posting pics. he was really hanging upside down ) -

Lions -

A Sloth Bear -

 

[PollyannaMom]

There were also a bunch of Lego statues of different animals on display right now, which we found really amazing as well:




And here are a couple funny signs:

 

[tazdev3225]

Quick pop in to say Hi.

Lynxstch I wish the weather system missed us last night. Heavy rains and a tornado landed about 6 miles from my house. Thankfully my friend's partner decided he did NOT want her going out in the storms or we would have been in the path. It landed less than a mile from where we planned to meet. The weather has been crazy around here. Two weeks ago we had severe flooding minutes from my house close to my one daughters house and my other daughter had some minor flooding, I just suffered heavy rains.

The foot is doing better. The infection is clearing up nicely with the meds and the toe isn't hurting as much. Keeping it taped for another couple days. I am not thrilled wearing the flip flips. It's hard to drive in them. Having a late lunch/early dinner with my friend. Not sure what I will feed my husband as he had the leftovers last night and I'm not sure how hungry I will be. He may just get some canned spaghetti or a TV dinner.

Off to meet my friend. Have a great afternoon.

 

[Snowysmom]

@Pea-n-Me Thank you for the stories about pets in heaven and the dog's spirit meeting their people. I have been having a tough day today missing Jasper and that just made my day. I feel better knowing that Jasper and my other dogs will be there to greet me when it is my time. Plus your dream was great too. A friend told me that Jasper has wings now. I laughed thinking of him flying around and how much he would love that!

 

[flyingdumbo127]

Pollyanna, what wonderful pictures! LOL to the upside down panda, that is so cute Wow to the Lego animals! Those are great and makes me want to go back to Legoland. I wish there were a closer location than a couple hours from me. Post pandemic, I will be looking into a train to SD option to see if that would be a quicker way to get there. Hugs and continued prayers always, my friend, on your DS and of course, for you!

to you as well, Taz Dev, I am glad your foot is doing better. I'm not a flip flop fan, too flimsy and I tend to walk right out of them. I do have a pair just for going to check the mail that have the strap rather than annoying in between toe piece. Those are a little more sturdy than the regular kind. Have a wonderful lunch with your friend.

Snowysmom! Jasper is indeed now an angel dog of God so at times he just might be flying around. He and your other furry friends will absolutely be first in line to reunite with you.

 

[AuntieMe3]

Just need to vent...we got home around 2:30a this morning. DH drove first half and I took over the last half while he slept a little off and on....the dogs are super happy were home. Slept in a little but not as long as I had hoped so that might be why I'm annoyed....lol DH got a call from work while I was sleeping that his machine got damaged and will be down the whole weekend so he needs to head back up first thing tomorrow morning. I'm a little upset he has to leave way sooner than he was expecting. I know I shouldn't be annoyed since it's his job and he can't help it but I am, especially since I can't go with him this week. He trying to get everything he needs to do here at home today....buy me a new battery, buy and replace the water heater...ugh. Maybe I need to go meditate and then take a nap to change my attitude.

 

[lynxstch]

Love the animal pictures, and the lego animals..and I laughed out loud at the sign by the lions cage.
@PollyannaMom Yeah! Great to hear your son is doing so much better..the prayers worked!
@Snowysmom--I kind of picture Jasper up there with wings too..with all of my furbabies..they are all free of pain, and have lots of company to play with
@tazdev3225 so glad that you didn't go out with your friend last nite, and weren't in it's path. Good thinking her partner had!

Hubby had a hard day today, after a great start. He got himself out of bed with no assistance and up to the walker. He almost got himself up out of the wheelchair, but that arm is a hindrance. Then we got to PT and they attempted a step. I knew it was going to take him time to get his confidence up to do it. He tried the first time and just couldn't do it. Sat back down and then Kevin (PT person) started talking about maybe needing a medical transport to bring him home by ambulance. That didn't go over well with either of us. Hubby wanted to try the step again, and with effort made it up it and then down it. He kept apoligizing to me for not being able to do it confidently. Geez..it's the first time he tried a step, he could hardly move both legs or that arm a week ago, and now he's doing so well. Very little PT staff tomorrow, and none on Sunday, so that gives us Monday and Tuesday. I came home and stood where he would need to stand at the step, and I can reach the grab bar from there, so I know he can. I was afraid the handrail would be more of a hindrance, but it's off to the side enough that he might not even need to use that. When I left he said he feels like he's putting all the burden on me..that's what I am here for I keep telling him. He says "Monday I will be able to do that step and do it more than once"..I think he just needs his confidence back, Kevin keeps praising him telling him how far he's come in a week, and it's true! Hubby just thinks it should be happening faster.
I had a little run in with one of the nurses today. She came in to help him off the commode (which he did by himself this morning) and says I have to get more help. I said I am standing right here. She says you can't do it. I said excuse me..I did the caregiver support training and I have been helping him up and down all week in OT and PT. By that time Mike another nurse had come in, and told her the same thing. So she left in a huff..and the 2 of us did it without her..lol!

Stopped at Dollar General to get some thank you cards, but they were 'closed for maintenance'..geez..they were just closed for 2 weeks to remodel the whole store. So we stopped at Pharmacare so I could get stamps.and they were getting rid of all their pkg'd note cards..so I got 3 pkgs of Hallmark ones for 75% off..great deal!

Off to feed the cats and decide what I want for dinner tonite. Think tomorrow I am gonna defrost some baby back ribs (hubby doesn't like them), and make a small batch of potato salad, and have fresh corn and tomatoes with it for dinner..mouth watering as I think of it,,lol

86 out, nice breeze, but no rain in sight..wish some of the storms (not the tornado's!), had made it this way!