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

Talked to my mom today- she lives alone and she really does need to self isolate and is already struggling. I came up with the idea that she should create a daily activity calendar and nightly movie schedule and put one sort of fun thing for each day (although fun for her might be organizing the Halloween decorations or sorting through last Aug vacation photos). Sort of like the summer activity sheets schools hand out. Plus she had hundreds of movies that she keeps meaning to watch so now it’s like a little schedule. When I heard schools are out the rest of the year here I decided to do the same and try to make a little lemonade out of a bad situation (and really think I’ll need the perspective come May).

So for today’s “Quarantine Gratitude Activity“ my son and I had a cookie bake off...and I lost. However we now have 2 dozen fresh cookies so everyone’s a winner.
 
I had to bail on my previous book, The Starless Sea, I just need something more engaging right now.

So I started on Ask Again, Yes by Mary Beth Keane. So far so good.
 
Love this thread! We live in the Midwest. Just the two of us now, kids grown. My dh has serious neurologic issues so making sure those are reasonably well covered during this time has been job 1. I think we are set.
I'm going to pick up my knitting again. It relaxes me.
Texas Roadhouse is doing curbside takeout, so we picked that up tonight. We opened one box and it was full to the top of their yummy rolls. We enjoyed a couple and froze the rest. It was a sweet thing for them to do.
My comfort food? Snickerdoodle cookies. 😊
 
Comfort food? This is weird but my go to comfort food is tuna noodle casserole! Whenever I am sick I have to make it. DH doesn't like it so I can't just have it for dinner. hahaha

I LOVE tuna noodle casserole!!

I am Lee and have been on the DIS since... 1999? I am 63+ and live with my husband and our 19 year old kitty, Weasley (we lost his brother, Potter, 2 years ago). I manage the organic chem labs at UMaine in Orono, where we live (just outside of Bangor), so about a 4 hour drive north of Boston. UMaine is 'officially' on spring break this week, but when the kids left on Friday they took everything with them, as it'd been announced that we were going to an online format until the end of the semester. My husband is a chem professor at another local university (also online only for the rest of the semester) but also does independent consulting. We are both doing our lectures from home now, but also have to access our labs- he for research and me for data to send the students. We are very fortunate to have jobs that allow us to work remotely, mostly, so income won't be an issue. Our DD is a paraprofessional at a school in CT that is closed until at least 4/1, so she is not currently being paid. Her husband has been ill so is on 40% short term disability, so we are cutting corners and anticipating having to help out financially. The "up" side to this is that with her work shut down, she is visiting friends in the area, so we are seeing quite a bit of her at an unexpected time!

I am not sure how I'll fill my days; once my labs are finished for the rest of the semester ( I have to do demo experiments, put together a lab lecture and data packet for each of 4 labs, to send to the students), I will be at loose ends as the University has just gone on to an "emergency/essential personnel only" policy. I have a long list of things I'd like to accomplish around the house, so that'll probably happen. Basement needs to be sorted and cleaned, drawers and closets sorted through, maybe paint the kitchen. I am also at loose ends in my reading. I have always been a HUGE psycho-killer mystery fan; think John Sanford, Jonathan Kellerman, etc. Well... the last time I tried to start a new book, I was distinctly uncomfortable. This was maybe a month ago. I just didn't like the tension that was present in the story, so I put it down. I am going to look for a new genre of book, I think. I like the Stephanie Plum series, and Evanovich's books in general, but am not a "fluff" fan so it might be tough. I am actually considering re-reading the Plum series, or maybe Harry Potter, until I find a new reading direction. I also intend to read Little Women. Haven't read it since the late 60s and think it should be an interesting re-read, from this end of life.

Favorite comfort food? Macaroni and cheese, hands down. I will eat almost any Mac&cheese- frozen, boxed, canned, stove-top or baked- but my very very favorite is my own homemade baked macaroni and cheese. I learned to make it from my mom; it was her go-to dinner when aunts, uncles, and cousins came to dinner when we were kids. I love it, and my "adult" cousins (OK, cousins older than I) say "This is just like Aunt Betty's!" I had bariatric surgery 3 years ago (down 110lbs and holding, wahoo!) so I can only eat a limited amount of it, but that's OK- it means a pan just lasts longer!!

I am visiting at my sister's right now, so supper tonight was one-pot-spaghetti, a favorite of her younger daughter (who is home for the semester from Suffolk and NOT happy). It was pretty good, but as pasta and I really aren't friends anymore, I am full but not feeling satisfied. Oh well.. there's bourbon. My sister is out on a date (don't ask... restaurants are closed, bars are closed, etc) but when she gets home I'm gonna get her to make me an Old Fashioned. She makes a killer mixed drink! I am going home tomorrow, so DH and I will have our corned beef dinner then, IF I can find cabbage, potatoes, and turnip- well, rutabaga, but being from New England we've always called them turnips. I am looking forward to having time to actually cook real dinners, instead of heating up leftovers when we get home after work each night. I am also looking forward to our credit card bill. With THREE microbreweries in town and a variety of restaurants, we spend far too much money on beer and pizza! Covid-19 has put the brakes on the pubs, and there's no sense in getting take-out supper if I can't take it over to the taproom to eat with a beer... or three, right?? :drinking1
 
I'm enjoying this thread. Was planning on just reading and not posting until I found a few fellow tuna casserole lovers!!! My ultimate comfort food gets a bad rap sometimes. (though admittedly I've had some bad tuna noodle casseroles in my day, I LOVE the kind I always make - called tuna stroganoff.)
 
My husband and I have been getting Hello Fresh three nights a week. My kids have the dullest appetites and we had grown so tired of eating uninteresting, basic foods.

So now DH and I get fun meals at Hello Fresh and we feed the kids sandwiches, fruit, raw veggies, and pasta (though we do let them sample ours). Tonight we had an Asian pork with a delectable apricot balsamic butter sauce with sesame green beans and ginger rice. Last night it was sausage and tomato risotto with lemon-marinated zucchini ribbons. Tomorrow it’s Thai basil beef bowls.

Variety is the spice of life.
 
Hey Tina! :wave2: My comfort food would def be a Payday candy bar! We had soft tacos for dinner tonight and we will again tomorrow night because we had enough leftovers. WE are on day 2 of staying in. I’ve heard many people say the evenings will be the hardest because it gets dark. I’m not sure what will be hardest for me. DH is working full-time from home and I am working part-time from home. We’re planning to go for a walk tomorrow. I’m looking forward to that. I am a super “ planning” person and there’s so many unknowns right now that makes me a bit anxious. I have planning lists for everything but right now, that’s not helping much. I go back and forth from having CNN on and wanting to know everything to turning it off because I don’t want to know any more! I think planning my flower garden is on my short list of things to do soon. I can’t plant yet but it will be something happy to focus on.:flower3:
 
I have a dirty secret to get off my chest...

I’ve been binging Love is Blind. :sad2:

Send help. I’m hooked.


Honestly, this is my biggest fear!
Caught the dogs watching Live PD the other day and quickly turned that off! Musta come on after the Star Trek NG I left on for them earlier in the day!!:jester:
I hope help finds you soon!
 
Coming up today in the fascinating life of Searc ~ vacuuming!! DH will be home starting tomorrow for the foreseeable future and I don't want to be buzzing around the house while he's on a call. Our house is only 1300 square feet so it isn't like he has anywhere else to go. :rotfl:

*Note to self ~ when you are purchasing Italian sausage for the recipe posted above, don't just look at the price otherwise you'll end up with HOT Italian sausage. :magnify::scared:
 
Coming up today in the fascinating life of Searc ~ vacuuming!! DH will be home starting tomorrow for the foreseeable future and I don't want to be buzzing around the house while he's on a call. Our house is only 1300 square feet so it isn't like he has anywhere else to go. :rotfl:

*Note to self ~ when you are purchasing Italian sausage for the recipe posted above, don't just look at the price otherwise you'll end up with HOT Italian sausage. :magnify::scared:


Apparently you and I have the same fascinating life. Hubby is working from home starting today. :scared:He may try a day here, a day at the office, a day home, and see how it goes. They don't have a lot of people working there, so it's not like he will be in crowds at all. Smallish house like yours, and not really looking forward to 24/7 just yet! :rolleyes:
I finished vacuuming before he started making and getting phone calls, so all my cleaning is done. He can sit there and work, and I will DIS, play a computer game, or watch something on tv.
Going with sister in law in a bit to an off price store, to get some sausage,,will make sure to check the price and NOT get hot sausage, which we can't stand!
 

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