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

[frog3101]

Hello and welcome to Friday...yay! Our weekend will be pretty full. At least the kids won't have to get herded out the door for school for the next 3 mornings as we have Monday off for a Professional Development day for teachers.

Speaking of school, do any of the schools around any of you do a year round calendar or a 4 day a week calendar? Just curious as I see these options being used more and more and more schools considering using one or the other for their school year calendar. I can see advantages and disadvantages to both models. I'm sure, like most things, the initial push back to change would be strong, but if the switch was made to either, over time people and kids would adjust. My sister teaches at a 4 day a week school and she doesn't love all aspect of it (she teaches younger kids and says it's sometimes hard to fit it all in even with the extended day) but can see a big advantage for older kids who have jobs or want to take college classes in person or get an internship or job shadow on the extra day off.I also don't think she minds having most of her Fridays off...they do go in for Professional Development I think 1 or 2 Fridays a month. I think year round in my area would get a huge push back. Too many kids that are in 4-H and FFA and it would interfere with fairs and also places who rely on kids for summer help (pools, golf clubs, etc.) But, I have always been in favor of more breaks throughout the year and less of a "summer slide" in the learning. It would take some work and compromise but I think either model could be done.

It is sunny and windy here today. We got about an inch of snow and some icy stuff yesterday. Not enough to really cause any major issues but enough to be a bit of pain. I think next week we are supposed to hit high 50s and lower 60s.

Sorry if this is a repeat, but I tried fries again in my air fryer and, I wasn't any more impressed with them then I was the first try. I reread the directions and used the actual pan meant for air frying (missed that the last time) and they still turned out pretty much the same as if I had cooked them in the regular oven. Oh well, like I have said before, they are fine, just not as crispy as I had hoped. Going to make chicken strips for supper and try baking them. I usually fry them but, in an attempt to be a bit more healthy I'm going to go the baking route. We shall see what happens.

Mona -glad to hear your dad is feeling better and able to be out and about a bit today.

Pea- those pictures crack me up. You should enter him in a photo contest for dogs if you ever see one in your area. Thanks Auntieme3 for sharing the dog wig photo also, so funny.

footballmouse- hope your weekend at work isn't too crazy and you can find a little time for yourself.

snowysmom - looking forward to hearing how things go now that your house is on the market. I'm sure it's bittersweet for you. I know you are ready to have a place to call your own.

carol and easyas123 - I have a small Aldi close to me that I like but, there is a much bigger one about 40 minutes from me and sadly, I "dream" of the day I get there and see how much more they may have to offer. It really is the little things.

Hope everyone has a good weekend. Stay safe all.

 

[flyingdumbo127]

Good afternoon

Thanks, dear Frog. Please thank your sister from me for being a teacher I do have one friend who lives in NC who is a substitute teacher in elementary school. Until I met her, I never heard of year-round school. The schools operate on different tracks.

My own memory was pretty much 8:30 or 9 to 2:30 or 3. I often feel the school day as is, is way too long for younger kids especially.

The school year began the Tuesday after Labor Day and ended sometime during the third week of June. Pre pandemic, anyway, (I don't know whether this has changed), depending on where you live out here, can determine your school district's schedule. I believe LAUSD is pretty much August sometime to mid-third week of June. Burbank district makes much more sense (to me) and starts the Tuesday after Labor Day and ends right before Memorial Day. I agree that June-August can be a lot of time! Especially for working parents and also sometimes makes coming back to school much harder for all in September.

As for breaks, I just always had as a kid a 4-day weekend for Thanksgiving followed by a couple weeks of Christmas vacation. Then there were no breaks until March or April when we had usually had a week, though sometimes that would only be a 4-day weekend for Spring Vacation.

My university days, CSU school, were from maybe the third week or so of August until just before my birthday in Mid-May. We did have a Thanksgiving Break (could be close to a week depending on your schedule) and Spring Break week. We also had almost a month off between mid-December and mid-January.

These days and even when rereading some of the old Baby-sitters Club books from the 80's and 90's (that took place in CT), it definitely seems there are more breaks depending again on school district and state. I think some kids get a Fall break, Thanksgiving break, Christmas vacation is shorter. Then in February a Winter Break (which seems to be over Presidents Day) followed by Spring Break.

I do like the idea of more breaks added into the schedule. I don't think longer school days are a positive for anyone. Teachers sure go above and beyond as it is! Maybe I'm truly old and old fashioned but I think kids, these days especially with so much tech stuff out there and often being overscheduled, need more downtime and plain kid-time!

Good and interesting QOTD, Frog

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Speaking of school, do any of the schools around any of you do a year round calendar or a 4 day a week calendar? Just curious as I see these options being used more and more and more schools considering using one or the other for their school year calendar. I can see advantages and disadvantages to both models. I'm sure, like most things, the initial push back to change would be strong, but if the switch was made to either, over time people and kids would adjust. My sister teaches at a 4 day a week school and she doesn't love all aspect of it (she teaches younger kids and says it's sometimes hard to fit it all in even with the extended day) but can see a big advantage for older kids who have jobs or want to take college classes in person or get an internship or job shadow on the extra day off.I also don't think she minds having most of her Fridays off...they do go in for Professional Development I think 1 or 2 Fridays a month. I think year round in my area would get a huge push back. Too many kids that are in 4-H and FFA and it would interfere with fairs and also places who rely on kids for summer help (pools, golf clubs, etc.) But, I have always been in favor of more breaks throughout the year and less of a "summer slide" in the learning. It would take some work and compromise but I think either model could be done.

My kids are post-college, but over the years I had heard musings about it. The problem we have here (MA) is that traditionally schools were let out for the summer months in large part because the buildings were so hot in July and August. (Our kids here usually go early September, or of more late, late August, to late mid to late June, more if making up lots of snow days - I remember one particular stormy year my kids got out on June 28!) A lot of our schools have been rebuilt but I don’t think most had cooling systems put in; just heat. I think it’s pretty ingrained in people, too, to look forward to ‘summer vacation’, where people can go off to their summer places or cool off at the beach, etc., and do other things like work to earn some money or that sort of thing.

It’s funny because DD and I were just talking about this the other day. She is in a graduate program that has (for lack of a better term) ‘rolling classes’. She takes one at a time, but they are very intense, and literally right after one finishes, she starts the next one. It works out with working full time, and it is online (thankfully), but she’s been at it since August (so 8 months now) with no break at all, and is starting to feel pretty fatigued from it. She was debating on taking a small break (like a couple of weeks), but if she does that, it will mean she will still be in classes during her upcoming WDW trip, and the last thing she wants to do on vacation is school work! So I think she’s going to keep going after her current class ends, and take a break after the upcoming one, which will end just before her trip. Point being that I think everyone needs a break from schoolwork, so I’m not sure I’d favor a year round schedule for that reason, despite smaller vacations being built in to grade schools and even colleges.

Pea- those pictures crack me up. You should enter him in a photo contest for dogs if you ever see one in your area. Thanks Auntieme3 for sharing the dog wig photo also, so funny.

Thanks! Glad people enjoyed them! He is a really funny little dog and keeps us laughing here a lot. (Cairns are naturally happy and funny!) My DD and I both enjoy photography as a hobby and she has won quite a few ribbons, beginning when she was young. Her last win was of Toto - it was a great capture of him playing in the snow and his eyes were kind of wide and crazy. I knew she was going to place for that one, and she did! Her next entry is ready - it’s adorable, taken of wildlife at FW. I’ll post it if she wins! I can’t really post videos here but she has some funny ones too. One she took the other day of Toto was a riot, she’d bought one of those wind things like you see outside at a car wash only a smaller version. He was laying next to it on the bed and it was smacking him in the face (didn’t hurt) and it didn’t even phase him! There is another one of him in the pool in slow motion he is biting at the water so you can see his teeth and hear his barks which sounded alien, and eventually he is so into it he falls off his float and into the water! I’d thought about doing an Instagram for him but with the stress I had at home and at work I didn’t want to add to it. But I enjoy looking at other peoples’ animal accounts.

 

[lynxstch]

It was a good day. Weather was nice, shopping trip to get corned beef went well, I now have 2 flat cuts and 2 point cuts in the deep freezer downstairs, as well as 1 flat to cook for St Patricks Day. We got our taxes done and they have been accepted. I am so glad that MD doesn't tax SS payments, we don't owe anything , and we get a small refund from Mr L's annuity , since they take taxes out of it.
Then finally, I just called and they have approved my acceptance for the Eliquis assistance. They are working on sending out the meds now. That will save us $800 every 90 days.. They had stuff so screwed up it wasn't funny. They had our income for twice the amount that we sent our SS proof of income, and the proof from the annuity. So of course they said we were 'over their income limit'. Even though I also sent them the out of pocket expenses, which they asked for which amounted to more than the 3% of adjusted gross income. We finally got it straightened out after the girl at the hospital called them 4 times, faxed them the same things 4 times, and I called and spent 45 min on the phone earlier today and finally got them to realize that they had made several mistakes.
So our Friday went well..now to see if we only get the 2" of snow they say we will get in the next 48 hours. Off to watch some tv and relax.
Have a nice nite all..

 

[easyas123]

Speaking of school, do any of the schools around any of you do a year round calendar or a 4 day a week calendar?

That I know of, no. Admittedly I am several years removed from my youngest graduating high school - 2015 I think? I went to a high school that sometimes had Saturday School!

Pea- those pictures crack me up. You should enter him in a photo contest for dogs if you ever see one in your area.

Me, too! He's a handsome dude Pea! And photogenic!

now to see if we only get the 2" of snow they say we will get in the next 48 hours.

All I knew was rain and wind, pretty much all day. Then I turned on the 5 o'clock news and caught the weather and now they are saying 2" way down here by us as well now! I actually said "2 inches?!?!?" aloud and my husband popped out to the other room and said "what??????" We didn't think or realize we were actually going to get any - and I see D.C. is getting 3", or so they have forecasted. Odd for them to get more than us with each of us on opposite ends of the state. Oh well - we had already decided it was going to be a Do Nothing Day which we don't get to often, especially now thru November, so we'll take it when we can get it I guess. Of course, neither of us is much good at doing nothing so I'm sure we will find some household chore to tackle.

Youngest is coming over from the western shore tomorrow morning (I already pre-yelled at him to be careful driving haha) to spend the day working on the boat his brother & he have. I had a CT scan today, the contrast I had to drink was gross as all get out, and then I passed out on the nurse who gave me my IV - it was okay though, she was plenty forewarned that that is my M.O., then I just felt like hell warmed over on toast all afternoon & evening from the contrast I drank. Scan came back crystal clear, so all good there. I had just enough inclination to grab some groceries and then went home. So no putz around Target or Home Goods, which my wallet thanks me for.

Dinner tonight ended up being sushi, I just had 2 pieces, and some crackers. Not sure what tomorrow will be, I've picked up makings for burgers w/ Nathan's fries- make your own pizza, and tacos or enchiladas.

 

[flyingdumbo127]

Keep the adorable Toto pictures coming, please, Pea Tell your daughter, her picture is wonderful! ITA with you on everyone needing a break from schoolwork. I sure was thrilled to be done with college!

Hug, Lynn, and thanks for sharing such a good update with us, my friend. Prayers always to you and Mr. L as well.

Easyas. I am truly so glad your scan is over and that the results were positive. Praise God. Hooray for your do nothing dayYou absolutely needed that, my friend!

Friday extra gratitude includes: texts from my cousin Steve and a friend along with other e-type messages, kindness of both Christian Book and Old Navy customer service, and that at the moment it's cozy in here thanks to dinner cooking.

Wishing all of you a cozy good evening.

 

[Breezy_Carol]

After reading everyone’s weather predictions I had to look for ours. Either 1-3 or 2-4 inches of snow. DC has 2-4, but Dunkirk, which is much closer to the bay and where DS lives, only has gale force winds. We have duties at church tomorrow. I hope we can get there.

I had a CT scan today,

Glad you survived with good results.

I already pre-yelled at him to be careful driving

lol, we always tell the kids to “watch out for deer.” Now when we leave ds’s house he says “ watch out for deer.”

 

[PollyannaMom]

Gratitude today:
DS is home for break!! (He just got in about an hour ago. He's tired, but I'm glad he didn't wait until tomorrow with the bad weather.)

 

[AuntieMe3]

Speaking of school, do any of the schools around any of you do a year round calendar or a 4 day a week calendar?

They don't have it anymore but when I was in HS(11th and 12th grade only) we went year round and I LOVED IT. I always wished they had kept it going by the time DD went to school. We had moved between my 10th and 11th grade year(truly awful experience for me...lol) There was only one HS in our town and one JR high and a handful of elementary schools so they were way over crowded for the fast growing community. We had three tracks, Jr High and HS were the same but elementary was different. We got lucky with A track, which resembled a regular school calendar but not exactly. We would start the school year in early Aug, go until Dec right before Christmas and then be off for all of Jan and Feb. Go March-May and then off again for summer June and July. The different tracks alternated but there was always 2 tracks going at the same time. So I guess it was 3 months on, 2 months off, 3 months, 2 month off...etc. Everyone was off for 2 weeks at Christmas and one week for Spring Break.

Now elementary was different, same 3 tracks but they only had 3 weeks off inbetween sessions so they weren't out for so long at one time. Not sure the timing of that, I can't really remember. I can imagine it was hard for parents who had younger grade and older grade kids trying to coordinate schedules but we liked it.

Once they started building more schools, they got rid of the year round and tracks. They did keep the sort of A track schedule though, they start the new school in early Aug and are out of school the week before Memorial Day. 2 weeks off at Christmas and 1 week spring break.

We really liked the year round schedule, I enjoyed the long breaks, and my parents enjoyed being able to schedule trips during other people's regular school time. Which was one of the reasons why I wanted it when DD went to school.

 

[lynxstch]

Good snowy Saturday morning all. First a reminder to those of you who do Daylight Savings Time. Tonite is the night to set your clocks ahead. We lose an hours sleep, but gain an extra hour of daylight!

We have about 1/2" of snow on the ground and it's still snowing, but I don't think it's going to amount to the 2-6" they keep saying it will. Supposed to get high winds this afternoon, temps down to 12 overnite. This coming week is going to be in the 60's and 70's--Mother Nature is crazy, lol!

Already stripped and remade the bed, sheets are in washer. Did dishes, gave both bathrooms a quick wipe down and fed the cats. One of the outside ones has disappeared. An all gray one I just called gray. He was always the first one here in the morning..sitting on the step outside the back door staring at the door handle. Haven't seen him since Thursday. He wasn't the friendly one, so I doubt anyone took him in all of a sudden. I just hope if he is gone permanently, that he didn't just suffer and die somewhere

Off to find something else to get into..I feel like cleaning today, but the weather is saying no you don't, lol!

Have a great morning everyone!

 

[flyingdumbo127]

Good morning, friends,

Saturday to each of you!

I am thinking of getting my cousin Ruth as a surprise birthday gift one of the Touched by an Angel seasons on DVD. I have seasons 1-7 myself on DVD. I was not a fan at all of the final 2 seasons 8 and 9 because I felt the storylines were both over the top, violent, and not as genuine a testimony to God, as the first 7 seasons. Plus, I admit, I did not like the character of Gloria at all. Some of my very favorite TBAA episodes are from season 7: A Bringer of Light and The Sign of the Dove. I'm having trouble deciding which season to get my cousin! What do each of you think? Touched by an Angel Episode Guide

John Dye (He starts in Season 3) was my very favorite character as I've shared on here before. His quiet kindness reminded me of my grandpa. I truly know the two of them are friends in Heaven. Maybe every now and then, God asks them both to serve as earthly angels together. I wish there was a combo somehow of season 1 and at least one John Dye episode!

Prayers, Carol, for a safe drive to church tomorrow! Lol on the deer story. Dad and I got to see two deer close up once in Yosemite. They were so beautiful.

PollyannaMom, enjoy every moment with your DS! I'm so glad he's home, my friend.

AuntieMe3, that is a wonderful point I had not really thought about. Year-round school would better allow families to travel during non-peak times and also during different parts of the year which would be fun. Glad you have some positive school day memories. I am sorry about the bad ones, of course, too.

Big Lynn. Prayers, my friend, too.

Have a good day everyone. I'll check back in later.

 

[Breezy_Carol]

Good afternoon.

We had a wintery mix of precipitation this morning. Maybe an inch of slush on the grass but roads clear. We went to church and got our jobs done in record time. Made two stops o the way home and have been working in the basement sorting through boxes of old stuff and disposing as appropriate. Amazing how old some things of may parents we found are. Each time I finish a box I figure one less for the kids to have to do.

DD invited us down for pizza and wings. I also requested salad. I think she wants us to help entertain the kids.

Dad and I got to see two deer close up once in Yosemite.

We see deer a lot here. Recently there have been a couple in the neighborhood. Once or twice they've come through our yard. There are beautiful but can be a nuisance, eating gardens and such. I hit/grazed one less than a 1/2 mile from home once. He/she ran off and I only had a broken headlight. It was scary though. It can be a lot worse.

 

[Snowysmom]

It is snowing lightly here after raining this morning. My house is officially on the market. Older DS and I went to the house today to do a last minute walk through. He found a few things to do so I feel better now. A house came onto the market in my town in which that real estate agent put in a lower price that it is worth probably hoping to get a bidding war on it. My agent was surprised at the price as he said it should have been right around the price for my house. He is not sure how it will affect the showing of my house. I am concerned that the house won't sell so now I will worry about that. I will say my house is in a quieter and better laid out neighborhood and not hilly like this one is. I do have a contingency that I have to find a place to live before the sale goes through so I don't know how that will affect the sale too. Too much to worry about.

I went to see a condo today. Older DS and one of my really good friends came with me. I liked that it was an end unit and the area seemed nice and quiet. The kitchen and eating area were nice. Living room was a nice size. There is a garage and a deck. The bedrooms are large. However, there is a loft area in the primary bedroom which I do not like at all. I could see one of the grandkids climbing up on the rail and throwing themselves off to try to land on the bed. Plus I don't like the stairs up to the loft. It is better than the condo I saw last weekend but it is not the one. Plus the closet space is a bit strange. Older DS and my friend both agree with me.

Have a nice evening.

 

[flyingdumbo127]

Good afternoon,

Carol, I'm glad you're safely back home! Never easy to go through stuff. I hope doing so brought you some good memories. that sounds very scary indeed! Yikes.

Snowysmom and a reminder, one step at a time, my friend. Know God is guiding and with you always!

Still would appreciate TBAA DVD choice suggestions

 

[PollyannaMom]

Still would appreciate TBAA DVD choice suggestions

I've seen some of those, but not in a really long time. I'd go with your own favorite season, then if she wants to talk about them after she watches them, you're ready.

 

[flyingdumbo127]

Thanks, PollyannaMom! Let me know if you (and this goes for all of you as well) watch any TBAA. It would be fun to talk about some of the episode with you. In fact, for those of you who have watched TBAA, what are some of your favorites?

Extra gratitude this day: happy snail mail, tasty cookies, and that dad, indeed, did stay home.

Wishing all of you a sweet good night.

 

[PollyannaMom]

Gratitude for today: family breakfast out. The place we went makes several different variations on eggs benedict. I got the one with crab cakes, DS got the one with linguica, and we traded halves. I thought both were delicious!

 

[flyingdumbo127]

Waving a very late night hi! I talked with Ruth's husband, Steve, who like some of dear you, are very techy. I'm going to get Ruth season 1 on DVD. I mentioned wanting to give Ruth some John Dye episodes for her birthday. I'm going to send Steve a couple episodes from seasons 2-7 that I especially like, and he will compile them for Ruth onto a birthday flash drive--perfect solution. I'll include in her birthday card, why I chose each of those extra episodes. This way it's a gift of love from me and Steve, too. With that, sweet dreams to each of you with love.

 

[Snowysmom]

@flydumbo127 It sounds like you came up with a great solution for Ruth's gift.

@PollyannaMom Your breakfast sounds really good. Plus the family time is nice. I love going out for breakfast. Chris and I would do that every day we took off from work. Yesterday older DS and I went to breakfast at the place Chris and I loved. It was nice to have some time to talk with DS. Enjoy the time with your DS.

There are deer at my house occasionally. They like to eat the grass and the bushes. I would see them around 2 or 3 in the morning when I looked out the window.

I am off to the house this morning to get it ready for the open house. I am going to open the shades and curtains and set the clocks ahead. Then I will be back here and maybe finish my taxes and do some work and take a couple of walks. Younger DS said the listing for our house has almost 500 hits and about 25 saves on one site and a similar amount on another site. I hope that correlates into offers. This is so hard for me but I want it to be behind me so I can maybe emotionally move on a bit from where I am now. I have decided to look at one floor condos again along with the town houses. Some have come onto the market that were bigger than ones I have looked at so maybe those are more like a home than a hotel or apartment. I may as well just look and keep my options open. I suspect I will end up with a townhouse but no harm in looking at other options.

The woman who is making the quilt from Chris' shirts texted me that she is almost done. She asked if I wanted a square sewn onto the back with writings or a dedication to Chris. I wrote up what I wanted and sent it back to her. I have Friday off this coming week so I hope I cam pick it up along with the pillows.

Have a nice Sunday everyone.

 

[lynxstch]

Good morning all, frosty outside at 18 degrees, but will warm up to 50. 60's and 70's this week, I can't wait. I will really feel like doing the rest of the Spring cleaning when I can open the windows and hear the birds singing.
We get deer in our yard too, they come down from the woods up behind us. They leave me lovely little piles of deer jellybeans though, lol!
Still no sign of the missing gray cat, guess he's gone. The others are all still here, they just sleep in till it warms up a little
All clocks are changed, bed made, dishes done, cats fed..Mr L still asleep, but then again yesterday it would only have been 7 am so this isn't late for him
@Snowysmom, I am glad you are taking your time looking for the 'right new home'. That's a lot of hits on those sites for your house, I hope that you get some actual interest. Please take a picture of that quilt when you get it, I would love to see it. If you don't want to post it on this thread, send it through pm!

Have a great Sunday everyone!