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

[flyingdumbo127]

Truly glad to hear you have a trip coming up this weekend, dear Judique. I hope you did enjoy your candy

Snowysmom! How grateful to God extra I continue to be for all the kind friends you have. As always, I truly admire your courage and am proud of you as well! One step at a time. God is beside you always!

Dad and I sure had quite a morning! We are so humbly thankful to God! Blessing all-around and most of all one He allowed us to serve in a tiny way through it. What happened? One of our two local supermarkets that dad goes to each Wednesday morning sends that week's ad along with loyalty program special offers and coupons. Sometimes what one person gets is not the same as what another person receives. I don't want to name the store but PM me if you'd like more specifics. I will just say dad received an offer yesterday at was unlike one we had ever gotten before. It enabled us to save a lot of shopping money and purchase a few boxes of cereal that will go to the Food Pantry at church, too. I wish I had been able to accompany him to the store in person. I did so via hisand our home

for all and good rest of the afternoon, too with love.

 

[Snowysmom]

@flyingdumbo127 What a lovely surprise you and your Dad got. And you are able to help others too. Definitely a sign from above!

 

[easyas123]

Disboards has now been allowing me on, but they sort of broke my habit and I'm doing other things with my time, such as trying to clean my house and unload my treasures (debatable!). I texted my son a pic of a Waterford Crystal carafe that I have no use for.

Ok - so I'm finding the same thing about the Disboards. I no longer get notifications so it requires me to go on the website, onto the forums and so forth & so on.
I feel your Waterford pain - I have two containers of the stuff in storage, plus a huge amount of the Santa Clauses & trees, and Christmas ornaments...my Mother collected for years. I should dig all that stuff out...


Hot as hades out there, and humid! Came thru a t-storm on my way home from DE and the temp dropped to 73. I thought "great!" as it would be a great evening to sit out on the porch...alas the rain stopped and the sun came out long before I got home. And the temp & humidity went right up! Oh well, I'm still headed to the porch eventually.

BLT's w/ garden tomato and fresh bread for supper tonight.

 

[Breezy_Carol]

Good hot afternoon.

DH and I got up this morning and drove down to DD's house after breakfast. Tessa had cheer camp and DH was going to help DSIL paint while I entertained Carter. Amish Market was open and DH wanted a Boston Cream donut so we were going to stop. I texted and asked DSIL what kind of donuts he and Carter wanted. Got to their house and DD was there. No one mentioned she was teleworking so I didn't have a donut for her. I felt bad. Anyway, they got the dining room and hall painted by lunchtime.

Came home and I baked pumpkin chocolate chip muffins for Saturday and cut up the second half of the watermelon. Spaghetti and salad for dinner. Then watching the Hearings.

I feel your Waterford pain

We have some crystal from both sets of grandparents that we never use. DH asked at a local consignment antique store about selling them there. The man said no one wants them and they won't sell.

That's about it for me.

 

[flyingdumbo127]

Waving later afternoon/evening to most of you. I'm so sorry it is so hot for a lot of you dear friends. Please remember to stay hydrated and take extra care! I no longer get notifications either.

Mail came early today about 20 minutes ago. Last night it came after 7. We're, of course, grateful that it comes period. I do feel badly always when a carrier delivers so late.

Enjoy some type of cool treat this evening

 

[PollyannaMom]

Enjoy some type of cool treat this evening

DS brought me a Slush Puppie a little while ago - anyone remember those?

I walked a little extra on the treadmill to make up for it, but I thoroughly enjoyed it!

 

[Judique]

Good hot afternoon.

DH and I got up this morning and drove down to DD's house after breakfast. Tessa had cheer camp and DH was going to help DSIL paint while I entertained Carter. Amish Market was open and DH wanted a Boston Cream donut so we were going to stop. I texted and asked DSIL what kind of donuts he and Carter wanted. Got to their house and DD was there. No one mentioned she was teleworking so I didn't have a donut for her. I felt bad. Anyway, they got the dining room and hall painted by lunchtime.

Came home and I baked pumpkin chocolate chip muffins for Saturday and cut up the second half of the watermelon. Spaghetti and salad for dinner. Then watching the Hearings.


We have some crystal from both sets of grandparents that we never use. DH asked at a local consignment antique store about selling them there. The man said no one wants them and they won't sell.

That's about it for me.

My son and wife didn't want it either. I've only unboxed it to see what it was. Back in the box it went.

 

[footballmouse]

Happy Friday!

Working a 1/2 day today so I'll be heading outside to my pool later today. Yesterday I was home by 3:00 so I put my bathing suit on and sat outside and in the pool for a couple of hours . Then I cut and trimmed the grass, pulled weeds, put the garbage cans to the curb, and cleaned the litter boxes. When I went to bed I was sore! Couldn't fall asleep until 1:30 am, thankfully I'm working from home today.

Ds3 finally got his front teeth fixed yesterday. It looks so much better, I was so used to seeing the chip in his front tooth I never thought anything about it. It obviously bothered him so he had it fixed.

I have the sprinkler going in the front yard this morning. The back yard got watered last night.

My sister got back from her Alaskan cruise yesterday . She's been sending pictures, looks like they had a great time. My BIL's brother went with the group. He lost his wife last fall and has been depressed. He had a great time on the cruise, my sister said that he got some life back in him and really enjoyed the cruise and being around people again. His wife had ALS and he took care of her for 2 years.

Not much else to report so I'll stop here and wish everyone a good day.

 

[bobbiwoz]

@Judique , I admire your regifting and letting go!


Tom and I are feeling a bit better today and have decided to not take the antiviral.

I am rereading a book from The Mitford Series by Jan Karon. It’s one of my favorite book series, maybe THE favorite.

I wish you all a good day!

Bobbi

 

[Judique]

@Judique , I admire your regifting and letting go!


Tom and I are feeling a bit better today and have decided to not take the antiviral.

I am rereading a book from The Mitford Series by Jan Karon. It’s one of my favorite book series, maybe THE favorite.

I wish you all a good day!

Bobbi

It's not easy to let go.

First step, to my basement. Reside there for years until the basement is crammed full of stuff.

Then clean up an area and return some items to use. Release other items to Goodwill.

I've found that it's best to put the items out in the van or car until I can do a drop off. I've tried sitting them by the door or putting them 'aside' and they wiggle their way back into my clutter. Too much stuff!

 

[lynxstch]

Good morning all. Another hot one today, very warm outside already. They say this weekend will be the hottest we've had yet this week, temps near 100 and the heat index over 105. Yep, Summer has really arrived. I can't keep up with the water the garden needs, no rain in sight. Typical July weather
@footballmouse Glad you cooled off in the pool, but after you mowed the lawn, weeded, dragged the trash cans to the curb, and cleaned the litter boxes (now you sound like me, lol)..you should have jumped back in the pool. My favorite part of a pool, when we used to have one, was waiting till the sun went down, and then skinny dipping before bed. It used to cool me down and relax me enough to fall asleep almost right away.
I decided last night that I have had it with my longish hair once again. Tired of tying it back during the day and up at night. I called my hairdresser and made an appt for 11 this morning. I haven't gotten it cut since last Oct before my 'heart scare', and it needs it! Walmart it at the end of that same mall, I need to run in and get some hair color (I refuse to pay the prices they want to have it done at the salon), and a couple of other things that Mr L 'forgot' to tell me he needed Wed. Then it's home to stay in the ac for most of the rest of the weekend. Grass is starting to need mowing, but not even going to think about it till Monday or Tuesday when it's finally going to cool down

Have a nice morning everyone..stay cool!

 

[easyas123]

They say this weekend will be the hottest we've had yet this week, temps near 100 and the heat index over 105. Yep, Summer has really arrived. I can't keep up with the water the garden needs, no rain in sight. Typical July weather

Last night my husband told me it was 75 in Oakland, and I said I thought that sounded wonderful, then he told me it was 91 in Cumberland. We are looking at 99 on Sunday, I guess we will hibernate mid-day. Our spag squash plant has already started dying off, and the patty pan squash is starting to look a bit poorly as well.

Mid-day trip up to the vet w/ foster dog for blood work and I think tomorrow morning I'll finally get around to taking the car thru the emissions test center while the boys are crabbing. I have a $15 gift card to yankee candle, so maybe I'll stop at the outlets on my way home to pick up some tarts or a candle or two. Like I need another candle

 

[lynxstch]

@easyas123 I miss Yankee Candle. Used to live close enough to the Flagship store that I could go often. I still have a big box full of them, and they still smell just as good as they used to. And that 91 in Cumberland last nite, was at close to 9 pm. It only went down to 74 all night. I would have loved to feel 75 like Oakland was!

 

[tazdev3225]

Good morning everyone. Hot here and I am busy baking. My granddaughter's graduation party iis tomorrow and my daughter's oven broke. I got 3 batches of Brownies done. One will be plain; one has mini chocolate chips and the third will be frosted with Coconut Pecan Icing. Took a break and next I need to make my carrot cake but as cupcakes. It is such an easy recipe because it uses baby food carrots. It is a family favorite and my daughter's birthday cake every year. Tonight I'll put the meatballs and sausage in the crockpots to cook over night. Tomorrow I need to make a fruit salad. I use a combination of fresh and canned fruits, so it is something nice and refreshing in the heat. Thankfully the party is at our church hall and it has AC.

@bobbiwoz - My mom LOVES the Mitford series with Father Tim. She actually lends them out to people as she has all the books. I enjoy them myself. Hallmark made a TV movie about one of the books and the characters were so unbelievable to me after reading the books. The lead for Father Tim was too young,

@Pea-n-Me - Footprints in the Sand is one of my favorites. Every now and then I need to read it in difficult times for the strength it gives me.

Hugs to all who need them.

Now that my pics are organized, I can move on to a mini trip report.

Day 1 was a very EARLY start as my mom was picking us up at 3:30 AM! Good thing is that there was no traffic and we breezed through TSA. I booked 1st class for the trip and my husband was surprised by the amenities. We had a layover in Chicago, and it was great flying over the city. Lake Michigan is HUGE!


We arrived a little early and had to go to the opposite side of the terminal but there was a golf cart waiting for us. We boarded on time and were soon in the air. We had a meal on the flight, a Vegie omelet. I was starving so if it tasted bad I couldn't say. It was food. The views as we flew to Seattle were breathtaking. This was really from the plane.


As we approached the Seattle Airport, we flew over Puget Sound. And what did I see? Our cruise ship docked. It's the one in the front


We landed and got our luggage. This was the hard part for me because I had to handle 3 suitcases, a carryon, and my backpack plus Jim's walker. I joke I am not his wife, I am his Pack Mule! We did have wheelchair assistance and were at the Shuttle area in no time. I was a little worried here because I had read that the waiting area was open and the walk from drop-off to the port was long. I shouldn't have been worried. We were in a covered area and the shuttle bus drops you right off at the ship. Once we handed over our luggage at the bus, we never saw it again until we were in our room. Check in was easy but I was a little put off by the fact that they never checked the confirmation we were Covid negative or vaccinated. It made me more determined that we wore masks in all public areas.

I am not much of a drinker, a 6 pack of Guinness lasts me more than a year, but I promised my daughter and a friend that I would have a sail away drink. My daughter insisted I get a Malibu Bay Breeze. It was really good and not too heavy with the alcohol.


This is probably one of my best selfies ever. We pulled out of port on time, and it was really windy and cold on deck. The temps were in the lower 60's. Seattle as we sailed away

's
It had been a long day. We went to dinner and I had the most refreshing soup - Pina Colada Soup. It was a cold soup and so light and refreshing. I wish I had asked for the recipe. After dinner we decided to go to bed. It was about 9 PM on the ship but 1 AM at home. One final picture before bed, and I was asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow. I didn't read more than 1 page of my book.


I will do more of the trip later today or over the weekend. I need to get some more baking done before the temps head into the 90's. I don't want all the heat in the bathroom while my grandson does some more work there. The bathroom was done while we were away but he needs to do lay the baseboards and molding. Plus we decided to paint the walls as they looked so dingy compared to the new fixtures. The biggest issue is they are a panel board so I scrubbed what I could yesterday but he needs to use a super bond primer to prep the walls and then wait 6 hours before 2 coats of paint go on. I did get new fixtures for the bathroom also. I can't wait to see the finished product. It already seems so much bigger that it did. I only have one small bathroom, so switching to a pedestal sink made a huge difference from the boxy vanity.

Hope everyone has a great day and stays cool.

 

[lynxstch]

@tazdev3225 --When you have a chance, could you give me the recipe for that carrot cake made with baby food carrots, please!

Great pics for the start of your mini trip report! Thanks for posting the selfie,,it's nice to be able to put a face with your name ,on this thread!

 

[bobbiwoz]

@tazdev3225 those pictures are wonderful!! Am looking forward to the rest of your report!

I may have watched some of that Hallmark movie, and didn’t enjoy it.

 

[Kirby]

QOTD: What are you reading lately?

I think that this may have been asked a while back but it showed up when I hit my quote button. I'm currently reading Skywalker - Close Encounters on the Appalachian Trail. I'm about halfway through it and am enjoying it. Very easy to read. I have a niece that graduated high school that wants to walk it one day. I might buy a copy and send it to her. My sister's son walked it about 12 years ago from top to bottom. He wore a kilt, I'll have to ask him what his trail name was. He met a lot of nice people, got lost a couple of times and got a foot fungus that side lined him for a week. A very nice couple took him into their home and let him stay until he was well.

@Kirby I hope your daughter's meeting with her new attorney goes well and they get a good "game plan" made and can move forward quickly...or as quickly as the legal system allows. I have learned for sure that everything moves at a snails pace during the process.

The judicial system definitely works slow for sure. DD had a good meeting with her new attorney yesterday. There is so many things that should have been done and filed by her crappy attorney over the last year that she is basically having to start over. Her ex, his attorney or both also was supposed to have filed paperwork so don't know what is going to happen there. I know what you mean by the affidavits. The ones that her ex and his wife filed against DD and DH was a low blow June last year. But we got through it. You might consider seeing if your friends, family, co-workers might write Character letters for you. Letters that vouch for you, refute what he is saying about you. DD and DH have done that. DD's new attorney is going to begin with a request for a mediation and try to get some things worked out but is expecting to have to have a court hearing before everything is said and done. and prayers!

I am rereading a book from The Mitford Series by Jan Karon. It’s one of my favorite book series, maybe THE favorite.

I love The Mitford Series but have only read a couple. One day I hope to read them all in order.

@taxdev, Enjoyed your pictures. One day I hope to be able to go on an Alaskan cruise. I've never been on a cruise ship. I get motion sick pretty easily and have been afraid to get on a ship. I can ride on a boat/ferry but have to stay out on deck. Well, I have ridden the Seattle ferry inside but had to sit by a window and look out.

We're forecast a little cooler weather over the next week. Highs to stay upper 90's to 100. We got a breather yesterday with some cloud cover. It was nice after 109 for three days in a row. Some areas got a little bit of rain, when I went out on my walk yesterday morning you could tell it had rained a little overnight.

 

[frog3101]

Good morning Quackers. Like most of you, we are going to have a scorcher here today. I am tired of getting sweaty from just walking outside and getting the mail.

@tazdev3225 great pictures from the trip. Looking forward to seeing more.
@Snowysmom It sounds like going into the office 2 days a week will be a great fit for you. Being around people and having a change of scenery will hopefully help lift your spirits.
@flyingdumbo127 what a nice surprise for you and your dad.
@footballmouse Enjoy your afternoon in the pool.

The waiting game has once again started. My rebuttal will be filed today, as will his if he has one and then the judge will read over everything on Monday. My attorney thinks there will be a ruling by Wednesday or Thursday of next week. My stomach is in knots. I could hardly get through his affidavit as it made me so upset. He lied in some of it (and I have proof) and it just plain sucks to have the person who you thought you were going to spend your life with basically slay you. I hated doing mine for the same reasons. He is being a total jerk and is a cheater, but I still had a hard time listing all his "faults". His support affidavits were not super strong I didn't think, so I'm hoping that works in my favor. The whole system and how this stuff is handled is ridiculous. No matter what the outcome is of this temp ruling, I know we still have a long way to go. If the custody doesn't come back in my favor I will start preparing to head to trial, and I'm guessing the same for him, unless we can come to some sort of agreement based on the other rulings as far as child and spousal support. We have not even touched on assets. In his affidavit it did come across that he thought the kids were property to be divided "fairly", so I hope a judge can see that also. ugh, all this stress and worry comes down to one person and their interpretation of 50 pages of paper. I also just get a bit stressed because I've seen mothers who really don't deserve to have their children (real neglect, abuse, etc.) get their kids handed to them with full custody over and over and here I am having to fight like the devil to have mine. Sorry, just venting. It also sucks because it really isn't that I think should never see them. He just is a great weekend dad, and he should stay a weekend dad. He isn't going to be the one to raise them once the real stuff starts (homework, sickness, dr. appointments, etc.) that will be his mom and the girlfriend. Have I mentioned she has a child of her own who she pretty much neglects? Ok, I need to stop.

I hope everyone else is staying cool and things are going ok. I know lots of people in our little group are still fighting big battles. Thinking of all of you.

 

[Bianca and Bernard]

Morning all!

DD#2 test + yesterday. She thinks it came from one of two tours she had on Friday/Saturday, as the coworker that did the tour with her on Saturday also tested +. The tour on Friday was a family group; tipped her $500 for 8 hours; Saturday was the Qatar royal family, group of 10, and tipped them a combined $100 for 10 hours. The coworker had Shakira on Thursday and Friday for 2 days, 6 hours each day, and was tipped a grand total of $60. So, she has cancelled her concert plans for tonight, and her trip to Chicago next week, plus she looses all her hours/tours for yesterday/today/Sunday/Monday. she has lost her sense of taste/smell; has a sore throat, achy, but no fever.


I got the backyard mowed and weedwacked this morning. I was drenched by the time I was done, it is just so hot out! Luckily it's not as humid out as it usually is. Fish patties (ya know, the frozen kind), french fries and roasted broccoli for dinner. Two pans, mini oven, easy to cook...bam. DH and I might go up to 'town center' on Saturday or Sunday; there are a couple of shops over there I'd like to stop by (but sadly, not a Penzeys, as it closed down during the pandemic) and there is a Yard Milkshake bar too, and DH has been wanting to try a giant milkshake for awhile now. It's an hour drive, but if we go to the Farmers Market first, that might be worth it. LOL

Gotta go eat lunch...I'm starving after mowing, lol. Have a good day yall.

 

[lynxstch]

We are home..its 93 out. That is supposed to be the high, but since it's only 1, I am guessing it's going to up a couple of more degrees

Got my hair cut..had to keep reminding her how I like it cut (even with a laminated pic of the style), as she kept forgetting. She had to shorten it 2x, had to layer it 3x, and then point cut the edges like I like it. Feels so much lighter now..it's just a little past my chin. Wow, I go to Holiday Hair. The last time I went there (before I got sick), it was $16. This time it was $27 plus tip. I was one of only 3 customers in the store, with about 8 stylists working. Maybe the prices are keeping people away. This is a small town, and you can't charge exhorbitant prices or you lose customers

Stopped at Walmart, got fresh sub rolls to make subs for dinner. Got his shampoo, my hair color, and spotted a nice light quilt for the bedroom. I have a pretty flowered bedspread on it now,,but I fold it up at night and take it off the bed, and it keeps getting wrinkled.

Off to have a fruit bowl with cottage cheese for lunch and catch up on Big Brother from this week

Have a nice afternoon all