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

[Judique]

Good morning, all

We got a bit of snow last night. - Nothing like New England for changing weather! It's pretty and reminds me that it's still actually February.

And the cat food I ordered finally came!

Good Morning all! Snow. I'm just grateful that all the rain we got in the last couple of days wasn't snow.

I've made a decision to sell my van in preparation for buying something new, sometime in the next year. No rush at all. Took it to Carmax yesterday.

Now that grands are in school, Grandma trips alone are much less likely plus I want a newer vehicle, which should come in a year or so. I'm in no hurry.

Tired of the cat food saga. Annoyed at Costco's choices as the cats don't love them. For a while they had no canned choices. Have t go to Sam's for the Fancy Feast.

Sometimes I think companies have just found an excuse to gouge the consumer.

 

[lynxstch]

Good morning. Cold outside 21, but going near 50. Nothing but sun, so I'll take it. I called Dave yesterday morning to see if he was home from FL yet. He said I must be part bloodhound, he had gotten home later Thursday night. He's hoping that he doesn't get called to do anything major this weekend, so we can go to Lowes and get all the rest of the stuff. I hope he's planning on storing the plywood and drywall in his garage with my commode and vanity, until he's ready to start work. Unless I take a bed apart and stand it in the spare bedroom, or take apart the dining room table and stand it up in there, I have no other place to put it. We aren't going to be carrying it all down into the basement and then back up again, that's for sure.

@PollyannaMom --how nice of your son and buddy to make dinner. That's something they need to learn for their future anyhow, good to start now!

@Snowysmom --Good luck at the condo viewing. Go in with no expectations, and maybe you will be pleasantly surprised.

Off to strip and remake the bed and clean the bathrooms, the only things I can do while he's sound asleep and not make noise.

Have a nice Saturday.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Good morning! I like Minnie today, Lynn!

It snowed for us here, too, just a dusting. Now I can see the coyote footprints from the one that’s been hanging around in our front yard overnight. We have a nature reserve near us and we can often hear them howling in the distance, but lately it’s been up close and personal. We have to be careful when we let the dogs out (especially Toto) even though our back yard is fenced, as they can jump even a five foot fence.

There is also a dog barking in the neighborhood now for hours at a time. I just noticed it for the first time last week, but it woke me up at 5am the other morning. I thought maybe DH forgot to let ours in after their morning squirt, but it was a different bark and ours were curled up sleeping. I‘m not exactly sure where it’s coming from and we all disagree about it - DH thinks it’s out back; DD thinks it’s out front across the street; and to me it seems to be next door. So we’re going to need to explore next time we hear it. DS went out looking one day but couldn’t find the source. Not trying to be a Karen or anything, but it’s a really quiet neighborhood and that’s going to upset people. For the dog’s sake, I’d like to figure it out. It’s freezing right now, too, and barking for three hours between 5 and 8am in the cold is unusual here. I asked DD could it be a coyote pup and she didn’t think so because she heard the coyote howling right outside her window.

Coyotes make me nervous because I have had friends here lose their pets to them. I have seen footage of a coyote attacking a Cairn and it was horrifying. Thankfully the Cairn got away! (Toto has put on a little weight since Grady came, he steals his treats so one might have some difficulty lifting him up, as I do now, too, lol.)

Well DD has a strep throat. I knew it when I saw it, but all tests came back negative (she had the gamut - Covid, Flu, strep, etc.). Well sure enough they called to say the send out strep came back positive, so she’s on antibiotics. As I said last week, her being run down from work and school has taken its toll and I’ll be glad when she’s done and can have a bit of a life back. She was invited to go skiing up in NH Monday which would’ve been fun, but she‘s not going to chance it because she feels like she has bronchitis from the strep and can’t miss a lot of work. My throat is fine now, btw. Thanks for the good thoughts.

Tonight I am making Chicken Marsala. I’m cheating a little because I got the Marsala sauce at Aldis. Everything I’ve bought there has been good, so I’m hoping this is, too. I also bought some frozen eggplant cutlets and will make an eggplant parm with manicotti tomorrow or Monday; probably Monday as I have to get my haircut tomorrow and we usually get lunch nearby and wind up full for the rest of the day.

Quiet day today, I did all my shopping yesterday after two Zoom meetings in the morning. (Hopefully they pay me right for them this week, last time it was a battle.) I might have to groom Toto myself this weekend. I put off his grooming when he had his skin infection and I can’t get another appt till March. It’s stressful but I do have the grooming table and tools, though DH has to help hold him still for me, he is a wiggler. DS and DH have the dogs out for their weekend ride as we speak, then will take then somewhere nice to walk. Grady needs that exercise and mind stimulation.

I hope everyone has a nice Saturday. I saw this yesterday and thought of all of you!
That reminds me, time to put out the little ducky I bought last year!

 

[PollyannaMom]

Good morning! I like Minnie today, Lynn!

It snowed for us here, too, just a dusting. Now I can see the coyote footprints from the one that’s been hanging around in our front yard overnight. We have a nature reserve near us and we can often hear them howling in the distance, but lately it’s been up close and personal. We have to be careful when we let the dogs out (especially Toto) even though our back yard is fenced, as they can jump even a five foot fence.

There is also a dog barking in the neighborhood now for hours at a time. I just noticed it for the first time last week, but it woke me up at 5am the other morning. I thought maybe DH forgot to let ours in after their morning squirt, but it was a different bark and ours were curled up sleeping. I‘m not exactly sure where it’s coming from and we all disagree about it - DH thinks it’s out back; DD thinks it’s out front across the street; and to me it seems to be next door. So we’re going to need to explore next time we hear it. DS went out looking one day but couldn’t find the source. Not trying to be a Karen or anything, but it’s a really quiet neighborhood and that’s going to upset people. For the dog’s sake, I’d like to figure it out. It’s freezing right now, too, and barking for three hours between 5 and 8am in the cold is unusual here. I asked DD could it be a coyote pup and she didn’t think so because she heard the coyote howling right outside her window.

Coyotes make me nervous because I have had friends here lose their pets to them. I have seen footage of a coyote attacking a Cairn and it was horrifying. Thankfully the Cairn got away! (Toto has put on a little weight since Grady came, he steals his treats so one might have some difficulty lifting him up, as I do now, too, lol.)

Well DD has a strep throat. I knew it when I saw it, but all tests came back negative (she had the gamut - Covid, Flu, strep, etc.). Well sure enough they called to say the send out strep came back positive, so she’s on antibiotics. As I said last week, her being run down from work and school has taken its toll and I’ll be glad when she’s done and can have a bit of a life back. She was invited to go skiing up in NH Monday which would’ve been fun, but she‘s not going to chance it because she feels like she has bronchitis from the strep and can’t miss a lot of work. My throat is fine now, btw. Thanks for the good thoughts.

Tonight I am making Chicken Marsala. I’m cheating a little because I got the Marsala sauce at Aldis. Everything I’ve bought there has been good, so I’m hoping this is, too. I also bought some frozen eggplant cutlets and will make an eggplant parm with manicotti tomorrow or Monday; probably Monday as I have to get my haircut tomorrow and we usually get lunch nearby and wind up full for the rest of the day.

Quiet day today, I did all my shopping yesterday after two Zoom meetings in the morning. (Hopefully they pay me right for them this week, last time it was a battle.) I might have to groom Toto myself this weekend. I put off his grooming when he had his skin infection and I can’t get another appt till March. It’s stressful but I do have the grooming table and tools, though DH has to help hold him still for me, he is a wiggler. DS and DH have the dogs out for their weekend ride as we speak, then will take then somewhere nice to walk. Grady needs that exercise and mind stimulation.

I hope everyone has a nice Saturday. I saw this yesterday and thought of all of you!
That reminds me, time to put out the little ducky I bought last year!

View attachment 740641

Sorry about your DD - moms always know!

The ducky pic is cute.

 

[flyingdumbo127]

Good Morning from chilly once again or still LA,

Leisurely Saturday which is lovely. Dad and I were both so blessed to have gotten extra last night. I'm finishing up Shirley's tribute this morning. We will enjoy watching some together. A Target FYI is this weekend they are offering some extra deals. Good time to check out Target.com plus there is a Target Circle offer for $10 off $60. For us that is a huge amount of money. However, since we have a "free" (credit card reward in cash back) $25 Target gift card, $35 off $60 ($10 off Target Circle+ Gift Card) is a great deal and one we may just use Thankful for another day period and a quieter one as well.

I absolutely love how you put that and totally agree with you, PollyannaMom! During this pandemic, especially at the onset, I felt extra for kids. I can’t even imagine being a young child especially and suddenly having my entire world limited to just my home. Today, thank God, things are moving forward, and I absolutely believe in His time this, too, shall finally pass and we will maybe not be 100% rid of this awful virus but it won’t be as big a concern as I feel it can still be now. For young people just starting out on their own or finding their footing in college, Covid is an additional challenge. One thing is for sure and that is how blessed your son and all his friends are to have you in their lives!
Thank you for serving God in such an important and special way by touching so many lives young and old.

Big Snowysmom and all will (already is well) God is forever with you and so are we! I am truly so very proud of you, your courage, and wisdom as well. Your heart will, I promise, dear friend, know you are in the right place for you when you get there. I am absolutely keeping in payer that it just might be this condo today. I am very grateful that you’ll be seeing Kenny and grandkids today, too.

Easyas, I’m with you on keeping warm! I’m glad to hear you have two FL trips planned. Will you be able to visit at all? Dad still needs new sneakers. I hope you find some comfortable new tomorrow among other things.

Judique, dad and I went to Carmax a couple of times. They are a handy option to have New to come prayers for you! Hugs, ITA that sadly so many companies and sites seem to be price gouging still these days. So wrong all-around! Prayers your cats and PollyannaMom’s too enjoy their food anyway.

Lynn, I so both you and Don are having a good and healthier Saturday. Glad to hear he got some extra rest (sure hope you did likewise) and that Dave is home, too. Here’s too your bathroom remodel going smoothly!

Pea, dad and I have been in the position of trying to figure out where excessive barking is coming from. I did call animal control once when I was concerned about a dog living in this very building. I remember how kind the person I spoke with was. I pray daily that God use me in a however a tiny way to help advance His will come true for all of God’s life both human and animal alike come to live in safe, loving, warm shelter with needed support and all-around care. Thank you for caring! An elderly friend of mine lost her own elderly dog to a coyote attack. Please be wary of them and absolutely keep an eye on your ! Duck is cute and brings me an extra smile because March is the month of Spring!

Have a warm and wonderful day everyone. I'll check back in later on.

 

[Snowysmom]

@Pea-n-Me So sorry your DD does not feel well. I hope she gets better soon. Coyotes are so disturbing. We had coyotes in our neighborhood and always had to be careful with our dogs. One of my friends had a friend whose dog (a very overweight terrier) was taken by a coyote. The coyote dropped him just down the road as he could not carry the dog anymore due to his weight. Lucky dog!

Just back from looking at the condo. I am making a pit stop at my condo before Jeff's house. The condo itself was lovely. Well laid out, large back deck, nice clean dry basement for storage and updated heating system. It was well maintained and very clean. There were 5 or 6 skylights including one in the master bedroom. The bedrooms were not big but would be fine for me. There was a nice kitchen nook area for a table. The carpet looked new and was very plush. I asked a ton of questions since I was by myself and did not want to miss anything. I stayed for a while. The bad news is from the deck I can see the roof tops of the plaza just over the fence and hear traffic from the nearby highway. Since I want to spend alot of time outside that will not work for me. One other person asked the agent about it and said the owner did not complain of noise. I saw him outside listening too. I also want to see birds and squirrels etc and I doubt they will be in this area near shopping plazas and a busy road. If the condo were in one of the back areas of the complex I may have put an offer on it. I do like the complex so if anything else came up for sale I would look at it. It seems like I am finding complexes I like but just not the right condo. I talked with a woman who rents a condo nearby in the complex and she really likes living there. In fact she would like to buy at some point. I am being very fussy this time. I do not want to make another mistake. This one did not speak to my heart and soul. I will drive my agent crazy!

Have a good rest of the day.

 

[lynxstch]

Remind me never to go into Lowe's on a Saturday again. Store was packed, and there was 1 employee in every dept. The paint guy had 10 people waiting in line, he must be used to it, he was like an octopus. Start one persons paint, ask another what they needed, put paint in to mix, he got through all of us in about 20 minutes. We got pretty much everything we needed except for the plumbing stuff. He may be able to get to it this week,,hopefully! We had to stand the plywood and dry wall in the dining room behind the table, but now I have to get the carpet cleaner out and clean the mud prints we both brought in. Then I have to wash the kitchen floor. And then I quit. It took us almost 3 hours in Lowes, and another hour bringing everything in the house.

Have a nice rest of the afternoon

 

[PollyannaMom]

@Pea-n-Me So sorry your DD does not feel well. I hope she gets better soon. Coyotes are so disturbing. We had coyotes in our neighborhood and always had to be careful with our dogs. One of my friends had a friend whose dog (a very overweight terrier) was taken by a coyote. The coyote dropped him just down the road as he could not carry the dog anymore due to his weight. Lucky dog!

Just back from looking at the condo. I am making a pit stop at my condo before Jeff's house. The condo itself was lovely. Well laid out, large back deck, nice clean dry basement for storage and updated heating system. It was well maintained and very clean. There were 5 or 6 skylights including one in the master bedroom. The bedrooms were not big but would be fine for me. There was a nice kitchen nook area for a table. The carpet looked new and was very plush. I asked a ton of questions since I was by myself and did not want to miss anything. I stayed for a while. The bad news is from the deck I can see the roof tops of the plaza just over the fence and hear traffic from the nearby highway. Since I want to spend alot of time outside that will not work for me. One other person asked the agent about it and said the owner did not complain of noise. I saw him outside listening too. I also want to see birds and squirrels etc and I doubt they will be in this area near shopping plazas and a busy road. If the condo were in one of the back areas of the complex I may have put an offer on it. I do like the complex so if anything else came up for sale I would look at it. It seems like I am finding complexes I like but just not the right condo. I talked with a woman who rents a condo nearby in the complex and she really likes living there. In fact she would like to buy at some point. I am being very fussy this time. I do not want to make another mistake. This one did not speak to my heart and soul. I will drive my agent crazy!

Have a good rest of the day.

Sorry it wasn't the right one. Hope another turns up soon!

 

[flyingdumbo127]

Snowysmom, you are following God's call to your heart by listening to His voice and taking care of yourself! I am also sorry this wasn't a winner. The right place will come, my friend, it really will.

I just finished my tribute to Shirley. Thank you to Snowysmom in fact for offering to read it over. I pray it turned out as my heart intended it to. Dad and I are enjoying a quiet Saturday. I am so thankful to God, dad, is at last staying home today, hooray!

Enjoy the rest of the day everyone!

 

[AuntieMe3]

Happy Saturday all...its been awhile, just haven't felt like being online much and still having problems posting from my phone.

We're all good here. Dolly has been amazing and is no longer interested in jumping the fence.

 

[frog3101]

Hello fellow Quackers and welcome to Saturday night. I hope everyone has been enjoying the weekend. We had sun here today and things are thawing out a bit. I have said it before, and I will say it again, I really loathe the spring thaw. I'm sure we will have more freeze and more thaw before spring actually sticks around.

I am not even going to try and catch up this time. I have been skimming and trying to keep up a bit.

Kids are with FH this weekend until Monday after noon as they don't have school Monday. He continues to stress me out and I am getting more anxious by the day about court.

I did meet a friend today for lunch who I had not seen in almost 3 years. Well, that isn't all true, I ran into her at the grocery store last week and that's when we decided to meet for lunch. We have kept in touch via tex and phone though all this time, but it's alway nice, to me anyway, to actually spend time with a person and really really catch up.

No big plans for tonight or tomorrow. I need to mop the bathrooms and do some other cleaning. We shall see how motivated I get.

That's all I've got for now.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Nice to see you Auntie, and frog. Glad Dolly is doing well and that you got to see a friend, frog.
Sorry the condo wasn’t right, Snowysmom, but it’s still early in the process, right?
Glad you and Dad had a quiet day, Mona.
And happy you‘re getting all your materials, Lynn, even though it was crazy at Lowe’s!
DD and I have been looking at some renovation materials, too, for my mother’s apt, soon to be DD’s.
We’re in no rush, though. She found a backsplash she likes, and I have the feeling that will drive some of the colors and such.

Anyway, I wanted to say that our Chicken Marsala turned out really delicious! For the first time in a long time we all really loved something. (Usually one person is “meh” with whatever it is we make.) We didn’t do full cutlet on the chicken (with egg and flour) we just used flour, salt and pepper and then sautéed in olive oil and a little butter. When done, we removed the chicken (tender cut) and sautéed a thinly sliced onion (would’ve bought shallots instead if I had my thinking cap on yesterday), a little garlic and a container of small portabello mushrooms sliced. When done, we poured in the Marsala sauce (2 jars) and added the chicken back in, then simmered for about 15 mins, and it was done. Served over pasta. Yum, it was so good! If you like chicken Marsala and have an Aldi’s near you, I’d suggest picking some up to try. (Unfortunately I can’t find it online. Stonewall kitchen and another company make one but it’s about $20 per jar compared to probably $4 or 5 at Aldi’s. Campbell’s makes one but idk how good it is. It’s not too hard to make Marsala sauce yourself but it’s just nice to have something simple and good on hand sometimes, you know? It also wasn’t super salty at all.)

 

[flyingdumbo127]

and cheers for Dolly, AuntieMe3! Always, of course, cheers with love to you! I have noticed spacing is off at times in my own posts. I'm sorry you are still having posting problems. Just so grateful to God you are doing well. Always a blessing to see a post from you.

Frog. Just a whole lot of extra love as well. Praise God extra for your friend and being able to catch up in person. Truly friends are such a blessing even more now during the ongoing pandemic. I know you make such a kind difference right back to her as you do to each of us right here. continuing for you and your kids.

Pea that your DD is feeling better and that you are healing better, too! So glad you enjoyed your dinner!

Have a great night everyone with sweet dreams.

 

[Snowysmom]

@FROG I hope you can have some peace and calm this weekend. How nice that you could have lunch with an old friend. I find that can soothe things a bit, to have a nice lunch and catch up with a friend. I suspect that everyone can see through your FH and know he is not thinking of the kids and their best interest. That will be true when you go to court too. Trust in your attorney and your heart for what is right.

@AuntieMe3 Glad Dolly is behaving better and not jumping the fence. She sounds like she is becoming such a good girl.

@Pea-n-Me The chicken looks delicious.

It is a chilly morning, around 32 degrees. My walk was nice if not a bit cold. It makes me move faster. I am disappointed the condo itself was not in a different part of the complex as it could have been a contender but I realize that it was not right for me with the noise issue. My agent tells me my new home is just around the corner. I hope she is right. Each place I look at is a learning experience. I am finding that I was right in that I need the outdoor space of a deck or patio and some green space. Selling this condo was the right thing to do and moving onto a place with some outdoor space is right for me. That makes me feel better about the decisions I made and will make. It is early in the season for alot of real estate to be on the market. The next few weeks should bring more possibilities.

The grandkids were fun yesterday. Ellie was a bit under the weather so we played quietly. Although was did have a good game of hide and seek. Charlotte is always telling me we need to play hide and seek. Except, I have no where to hide since I can't climb behind the couch or under the table. I always bring them a little treat of Annie's gummies. They love that.

I am off to Trader's Joe's. I just need to stay away from the treats. I am finding lately that I am so stressed and anxious that I want sweets and treats. I need to just say no and walk away. Maybe I can get some popcorn. I dolove their southwest salad.

Have a good Sunday.

 

[PollyannaMom]

Good morning

Spending too much time scrolling through Instagram and the DIS, and really need to get myself in gear...but hey, it's Sunday, so I won't be too hard in myself!

 

[lynxstch]

Good morning. 32 now, going to 60, so can't complain (too much).

I was so tired last night that I couldn't fall asleep, no matter what I tried. It was 4 am before I finally slept. Then of course the furbabies woke me at 7, wanting their breakfast. After we got home with everything I had to clean the carpet where we got muddy footprints on it, (there was no way to avoid it since we couldn't keep stopping to take our shoes off 20 times to bring everything from Lowes into the house. ) and then rewash the kitchen floor I had just done on Friday. I don't plan on doing much today.

Have a nice Sunday

 

[PollyannaMom]

That's one of my favorite Walt pics, @lynxstch!

 

[lynxstch]

I forgot to add 2 pictures. Our youngest granddaughter went to her first 'formal' dance last night (she's 15). They had a "Snowball Dance" at the school. She has turned into such a beautiful girl. (proud Grandma brag!). She's been bullied in school a lot for her size, it was nice to see her smiling and happy last night when they stopped on their way to the dance. Her date is a very polite, young man, and it was his first date too, lol.

 

[flyingdumbo127]

Happy Sunday and Good Morning friends,

Snowysmom, your grandkids are just precious, and I pray provide you with such comfort and cheer. I know you are such a blessing to them, too! I really like your agent. She sounds like a compassionate and knowledgeable lady trying to encourage and help you through the house hunting process as well she should be. ITA with her that the right new for you is most likely closer than you think. I hope Trader Joes's has some bargains on needed items for you. Dad goes there once every other week for a few regular items. and please do stay warm!

Enjoy a quieter day, PollyannaMom

Lynn, please get more I also like the Walt picture, thank you, my friend

Cool morning here. Dad will soon be off to pick up a few pictures at CVS followed by Pavilions. On his way home he will stop into Sprouts briefly. I will carefully look at Target online to see whether we do want to use our $25 gift card+ the $10 off $60 (today is the last day for that Target Circle offer) As always, I look forward to online worship. Have a cozy Sunday everyone and do something fun for yourself! I will check back in later.

 

[flyingdumbo127]

Page 2 and Good Evening Thread Save!

Carol and everyone else I really enjoyed today's online worship sermon. It brought to mind this anthem that I once sung while in choir at church Beautiful Things For each of dear you the reminder that in Christ we are all made new, there is always hope by the Love of God! He loves and is with each of you always and through His making us a family, so am I. Love to all and sweet dreams.