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

[flyingdumbo127]

Hooray for yummy pizza and awaiting books, PollyannaMom

AuntieMe3, that is awesome you do a lot of baking from scratch! We definitely need to have our Dessert meet

 

[Breezy_Carol]

Trying to post a picture but it went sideways.

 

[sparkle78]

Thanks for photo Carol. Nice way to start my morning. Now I’m off to water flowers at an adopt a spot in my community’s parks, ballfields, and common areas. It’s about the only activity taking volunteers this summer.

QOTD: what groups do you like to volunteer for ? Thurs, August 13 th

Girls On The Run - a wonderful self esteem program with a littke walking, jogging, or running at the end of the lesson. Training to run a 5K at the end of the 10 weeks. For 3rd-5 th graders. They are always in need of coaches and community support.

My church, vacation bible school in the summer. I was the games coordinator for several summers

Moms group - letting new moms know where local parks, art classes etc.

Reading volunteer - to kindergarteners in our school district

 

[Meriweather]

QOTD: what groups do you like to volunteer for ? Thurs, August 13 th

the only group I volunteer for is my family.....and that keeps me plenty busy

 

[lynxstch]

QOTD: what groups do you like to volunteer for ? Thurs, August 13 th

the only group I volunteer for is my family.....and that keeps me plenty busy

Same here,,and that's more than enough for me!

 

[easyas123]

QOTD: what groups do you like to volunteer for ?

We help out with a dog rescue in the northeast/mid atlantic area, mostly helping with transports or fostering 1-3 times per year. We are in that sweet spot where our children are grown adults beginning their careers , but neither are married yet and there are no grandkids so we like to keep our obligations at a minimum so we can travel and do things spur of the moment/as the opportunity arises.
Plus when the kids were in school I volunteered a lot. Frankly it burnt me out, and I'm still "taking a break" 5 or 6 years after the youngest one graduated high school!

 

[PollyannaMom]

I’m not involved in anything right now, but over the years, I’ve been on the board of a food pantry, assisted with CCD, written the parents’ group newsletter for DS’s school, and even once helped build a Habitat for Humanity house.

 

[flyingdumbo127]

That is a beautiful photo, Carol. When I lived in a more rural area with smaller beaches, I felt such peace and truly so close to God walking or just being along the shore.

What a great QOTD, Sparkle! Thank you for the mix of volunteering you do!

Easyas123, always thank you for all you do for dogs!

Wow, that is so cool you once helped build a Habit for Humanity House, PollyannaMom!

Lol, sometimes families indeed keep you most on your toes!

Pre plague, I did most of my volunteering at church. In years past I have volunteered for the Cancer Society's thrift store and even a very small children's museum. Post plague, and possibly down the road, I would love to continue volunteering and ideally some paid as well work at church along with in some way with dogs I have read about a program where children can read to a dog at a shelter? That gives the dog and child bonding time and also the child a safe reading audience. Has anyone heard of this?

Keep cool everyone and Happy Thursday!

 

[apirateslifeforme]

I look at the Does the Dog Die website a lot. Not only for animals, but I can find out if something happens to a baby/child. Both of those set off my PTSD.

My BIL is 50 today. I can't believe it. It seems like just yesterday I was attending my ex's uncle's 50th birthday party. Now my own generation is hitting this milestone.

So nice to hear that the weather is going to cool down a bit for Sunday. We're having Josh's birthday celebration at my in-laws' house and it's only supposed to be 80 degrees, lower humidity. Which reminds me, I really need to get some gifts wrapped...

Taking it easy today. Josh pulled New Jersey for our state and he was so excited that he finally got to watch some Bon Jovi videos. I also made him watch some Bruce Springsteen and Frank Sinatra. Made my sausage base (Italian sausage, peppers, onions, and tomatoes) for baked ziti (or penne, I guess) and is it really bad that I could sit there and just eat that alone?

QOTD: what groups do you like to volunteer for ? Thurs, August 13 th

I'm bad, I haven't volunteered for years. I should, it's good for Josh to see. We have discussed it, though, and he has said that he'd like to do Habitat for Humanity when he's old enough "to use tools." There's a chapter in Springfield that does it (or there was when I worked for the window company and a group would go every once in a while to help out). I've also said that once Josh starts school, I'd like to volunteer as a room mother and field trip chaperone, but they're not doing any of that right now. Can't have any visitors in the schools until further notice.

 

[LoveSpringsteen]

QOTD: what groups do you like to volunteer for ? Thurs, August 13 th

Sadly, I'm not doing any volunteering at the moment. Previously, I volunteered through the Amvets Auxiliary for the annual Special Olympics bowling tournament. I also did a lot of fundraisers, community children's Christmas parties, scholarships, etc. for the Amvets. I also volunteered for fundraisers for our local Community Center and our children's school functions.

 

[flyingdumbo127]

I can't bear to read bad things happening to either a doggie (or other animal) or human child! I will keep that site in mind, apirateslifeforme. To anyone who enjoys Love Inspired romances, a warning about A Child On His Doorstep by Lee Tobin McClain. I have even emailed the author (she did kindly write me back) to express how only a few pages into the brand new (and for me expensive) book I stopped reading in utter dismay. A caregiver to a young child chose to act in an abusive manner to him despite knowing it was so wrong. Nope. I won't be buying anymore of her books. To her credit she did apologize for how I took it and also said it gave her pause for consideration so hopefully that won't happen again! I wish I had checked it out through a website first!

Hug, LoveSpringsteen, I don't think too many of us are able to do much volunteering at the moment! Thank you for all the good in so many ways you have done!

 

[Snowysmom]

QOTD: what groups do you like to volunteer for ? Thurs, August 13 th
I volunteered when the kids were growing up. I taught Sunday school and volunteered at the school library. Like Meriweather, now I also volunteer to take care of the grandkids if their parents have a date night or need to do some heavy cleaning in the house.

@easyas123 I love reading your stories of doggies finding their forever homes after you have helped them. You are literally a doggie lifesaver.

@flyingdumbo127 Glad everything worked out with the pajamas.

Gratitude:

One more work day and then vacation.
Temp will be going down slowly over the next few days. We are looking at 78-80 by the weekend.
I thought I would be depressed because we were supposed to be at Disney next week on a family trip. But, I am finding myself surprisingly calm and looking forward to chilling in NH with the family. I guess it is all perspective with the way 2020 has been.

 

[flyingdumbo127]

Thank you, Snowysmom ITA about Easyas123!

Gratitude:

Putting together an ice cream jigsaw puzzle this morning was fun. Plus my Dad and I will puzzle glue it together to turn into a big "birthday card" to a friend of ours who could use some extra cheer. I wish puzzles came in more standard picture frame sizes though!

PM's and emails from friends.

I got a new love inspired book through paperback swap. Hopefully this one will be better than the last!

 

[easyas123]

Ice maker in the fridge is NOT cooperating. Been fixed twice before, freezing up. Husband is on the case, dogs want to know why they aren't invited to hang out with Dad behind the fridge....thank goodness we have a counter top ice maker we've commandeered from the in-law suite next door!

Could always be worse, fridge is working fine!

 

[Kirby]

QOTD: what groups do you like to volunteer for ? Thurs, August 13 th
I used to volunteer in the scripture garden before the pandemic and volunteered a lot when my kids were in school but that was a few years back. My family keeps me pretty busy nowadays.

Carol has a late night tonight meeting her kindergarten students and parent (only one can come). They have to be spaced out. Dinner tonight was something that some of you girl/boy scouts might remember, Hobo Burgers or at least that's what my son's boy scout troop called them. Wrap a hamburger patty with a sliced potato, carrots and onions topped off with some mushroom soup in foil and bake. I steamed broccoli and cauliflower to go with it. Easy cleanup1

 

[dazedx3]

Most of my volunteering centered around our children. Theater, girl scouts, room mom, and years and years of hockey.

 

[bobbiwoz]

I volunteered for scouts for many years.
Now I prefer to help with food distribution.

 

[flyingdumbo127]

Thank you all for sharing ways and various places in which you have volunteered.

 

[Caseheidi]

QOTD - I have been doing lots of volunteering at DD school for the past 6 years (I can not believe my baby is now a 6th grader!) In fact, this year I am PTA President. Not sure what we will be able to do as all our funding will be cut as no fundraising is currently allowed, and our state has decided that school will be don at home for the first term at least, we will try to help as much as we are allowed, but I will miss doing the monthly bulletin boards that I have done the past few years. Other then that, I do some volunteer work for church and enjoy that. I often think that to do more, and find something DD can do with me.

speaking of DD, I am trying to come up with ideas to keep her busy and help her mental health during this quarantine.We currently do Mom Daughter lunch date/drive Monday’s, and Bike Ride Wednesday with Friends. I am thinking of adding a service/random acts of Kindness Friday’s. She is at that magic age of puberty where it is all focus on herself, and I would really like her to learn to do more for others, I am thinking of starting easy next week and bake/deliver cookies to some of the older people at church who could really use a Thinking of You moment.

We had a good day today. Took my Mom to an eye appointment, took DD for ice cream, and she and I took the dog for a walk. Dinner was a recipe for Peanut Butter Chicken that I got from Kristina Kusmic. If you don’t know her, I would recommend checking her out. She is also known as The Truth Bomb Mom- or use to be. She put out her first book this past year and I really enjoyed it. She is all about us Moms sticking together and supporting each other. Also about being nice to yourself. She shares her own experiences and struggles, which makes you feel like you can relate to her. Reading/watching her these past few months have really helped me a lot.

 

[flyingdumbo127]

Hug, Heidi, God Bless you and your daughter for being cookie Angels! I love that.

Good Morning and Happy Friday at all!