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

[Bianca and Bernard]

Morning all. Lazy day yesterday; I chunked some chicken breasts, coated them in Zataran's chicken fry and tossed them in the oven to cook. Started wanting turkey about 2pm, lol. Guess I'll get one next week when I shop (well, a turkey breast, anyways, from the Honeybaked Ham store; or maybe a Cajun one from Popeyes, lol...I'd rather do that than make it myself. So lazy).

 

[flyingdumbo127]

Thank you Gwynne so much for the bootie sock recommendation. We have laminate flooring, too! I will check Mopas out though had more of an actual bootie slipper in mind. I do love the fuzzy socks that most stores sell at Christmas but because I have bigger feet, the socks after laundering are often way too small. I have never seen extended size of fleecy socks which is too bad because they sure are cute!

B&B, I don't enjoy cooking either! What I do "cook" is very simple and basic. I hope you enjoy a tasty treat next week.

 

[AuntieMe3]

Good morning all....happy to read Thanksgiving seemed to go well for you all. We had a great dinner...it was the three of us, my parents and my grandma. We were going to do dinner seperate just splitting the food(my dad did the turkey, I did everything else) but we were 12 days past our exposure plus our negative test and no symptoms so my parents and grandma decided to just come join us. They got here about 4:30, we ate(too much...lol)about 5-5:30 and they were home by 7:30...lol It was a nice evening. My grandma told me in the 60something years since she married and has been doing Thanksgiving on her own, this was the first year she didn't have to lift a finger and she LOVED it.

I was sooo thankful for our new dishwasher this Thanksgiving. LoL Our first major holiday with it. Its been years since we've had one and always took me so long to get all the dishes washed, so I loved that I only needed to fill/run it twice and no more dirty dishes.

Today is definitely going to be a lazy day. Hubby asked first thing this morning if I was going to make breakfast.... I was like NO....I just spent two days in the kitchen, I'm not cooking anything today. So he made a leftover turkey sandwich for himself, I ate some dip and ritz crackers, DD is still sleeping but she loves Thanksgiving food so she'll be in leftover heaven all weekend.

I've been plagued with a cough and sore throat, just enough to be annoying, for about six days now I'm hoping due to seasonal allergies. My Covid test on Monday was negative but I began running a low grade fever this afternoon.

Kirby, I hope you feel better soon. Are you going to get tested again?

Is anyone rushing to the stores today for any big sales?

Congratulations to your niece on her wedding. I'm sure it was beautiful. As for going out shopping....no way Jose. I never shopped Black Friday before Covid and wouldn't even think about doing it this year. The only place we ever went in the past was Costco usually for dog food and we would get a the free cookbooks they do every year but again, I wouldn't even think about going today the way its been lately. We now get our dog food at a small family owned local pet supply business so we might go later today or wait until tomorrow....like I said I want to be lazy today.

I really need to make a list of what I want to buy so if I do come across an online deal, I can snatch it up. Maybe I'll do that today while I'm sitting on the couch under my blanket.

 

[flyingdumbo127]

So glad to hear you and your DH tested negative, AuntieMe3, praise God! Also happy you had a nice Thanksgiving The only Black Friday shopping I can remember ever doing was once at Old Navy to get a couple Christmas gifts (the place was packed but I got what I needed). Last year and the year before, Kohl's always sent a free $10 coupon that could be used up until 1pm on Friday so we often did that. Oh and Target would have 10% off Target store gift cards until a certain time. Otherwise, I am not a Black Friday shopper! That does make a QOTD though!

QOTD for Friday, 10/2: in non plague years, do you shop on Black Friday? Is there anything special you are hoping to get this year?

 

[dazedx3]

QOTD-- I went Black Friday shopping for years. My sisters and later daughters always made a day of it, so much fun!! The last few years we were not as enthused, the sales seem to always be the same things year after year now. But I will admit, I miss those days.

DD and her boyfriend just brought us a Christmas tree and put it in the stand, they are so good to us.

 

[lynxstch]

QOTD for Friday, 10/2: in non plague years, do you shop on Black Friday? Is there anything special you are hoping to get this year?

I haven't shopped Black Friday in years. I did the shopping I needed to do online when Walmart had their special 'pre black Friday' sales. I am not hoping or expecting to get anything this year. We got the new HVAC system instead of doing big gifts. We will do our stockings and that's pretty much it. I used to work retail as a front end supervisor, and I hated working on Black Friday. Too many crowds and noone in a good mood, I do not miss that at all!
Sister in law just told me they did curbside pickup at Tractor Supply and stopped at Aldi's for a few groceries (store was almost empty of customers). They said Walmart (across street from Aldi, anchor store of the mall) had a packed parking lot, but that the mall parking lots were pretty empty. Since Bon Ton left, JCPenney is gone, Sears is gone, Hallmark is gone, 2 of the jewelry stores are gone,,the mall has gone downhill. It was sold at auction a few weeks ago, but they haven't said who bought it, so we don't know if we will still even have a mall.
I got into cleaning mode this morning, and took down the blinds in the dining room, living room and our room. Washed them, washed the windows, took the curtains down and replaced them with my burgundy 'Christmas' ones. That's usually the project I hate doing most, so it's done. I have cards ready to be signed, all addresses on a list in the box, and stamps ready to put on. Dinner is going to be leftover thanksgiving dinner again..fine by me.. I love turkey, and hubby doesn't, so we usually only have it once or twice a year. (I am looking at Walmart tomorrow to see if they have marked them down so I can store one in the deep freeze, lol
Off to find a Hallmark Christmas movie to watch, while hubby takes a nap

 

[Snowysmom]

QOTD for Friday, 10/2: in non plague years, do you shop on Black Friday? Is there anything special you are hoping to get this year?
I have only gone shopping on a couple of Black Fridays when older DS wanted something specific at the Verizon Store (we were there are 6 am) and Home Depot (we were there around 5:30 am). Other than that I just do online shopping on Black Friday. I really don't have any special items to buy. There really isn't anything I want to ask for.

@AuntieMe3 I had to laugh when you said your hubby was always talking and wants you to go places with him or be with him. My DH is the same way. He could talk to a tree! I am a true introvert and need my alone time. I used to take off one day every few months just for me but since we now both work from home mostly, it is not doable. I got some tips on how to get my alone time. I drive myself into work the one day a week I go in. He used to drive me in and then go onto his work. I also tell him I am going to the store for a while and will be back. He used to say he could go and stay in the car but I told him I wanted to go myself. I think he finally understands I need quiet time and alone time.

It is nice to read that everyone had a nice Thanksgiving. We did Zoom with the kids and grandkids in the morning and had dinner around 2. Jasper made sure to stay right under the turkey as DH was carving it. Of course Jasper got a few pieces. I made oooey gooey toffee cake for dessert. That is so yummy and rich. I watched a Hallmark movie of which I forget the name. I did watch The Angel Tree last week and liked that one. I started to watch Calling Mrs. Miracle but couldn't finish. I read the book so I do want to see the movie. Doris Roberts seemed well cast as Mrs. Miracle.

Have a restful day after Thanksgiving.

 

[PollyannaMom]

Not really a Black Friday shopper. Sometimes I'll check for the on-line deals.

One year (quite a time back) we did go to Game Stop on Black Friday (a stand-alone one, not in a mall!) - The three of us chipped in and bought each other something electronic that year, and that was the day of the sale.

But I've always avoided the general frenzy at bigger places.

 

[AuntieMe3]

I had to laugh when you said your hubby was always talking and wants you to go places with him or be with him. My DH is the same way. He could talk to a tree! I am a true introvert and need my alone time.

That's exactly my husband and myself. I cracked up last year when he said he didn't want to go to holiday party with friends of mine he didn't know because he said he just isn't that social.

 

[flyingdumbo127]

Waving hi this afternoon to all of you Lol that some of your husbands are similar in being so very outgoing. I'm so glad to read Jasper was a happy doggie yesterday, Snowysmom! Take care everyone!

 

[apirateslifeforme]

@Kirby, I hope you feel better very soon!

@lynxstch, congratulations to your niece! I love beach weddings!

I hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving! My mom made a turkey breast, a pan of Bell's stuffing, and a corn casserole (from David Venable on QVC). We packed up about half of it, along with some butternut squash, cranberry sauce, and a loaf of pumpkin bread, and took it up to my in-laws. We stood outside, they stayed inside, and we talked to them for maybe 20 minutes. Josh gave them the handprint turkey that he'd made. After a while we could tell that they were getting tired, so we left at that point. Had our dinner back at home (well, the 3 adults ate...Josh ate some cranberry sauce, then whined about how he didn't like anything else), then managed to get Josh to complete some of his school assignments from the previous day. Then he started whining about wanting dessert...well, if you'd eaten some dinner, kiddo, you wouldn't be "starving" We did eventually give in and we all had a piece of our pumpkin "lush" - one of those layered desserts with oatmeal cookie crust, the cream cheese layer, pumpkin pudding layer, and whipped cream on top. Then we also let Josh stay up 2 hours past his bedtime to watch National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation.

This morning we started putting away Thanksgiving/fall and getting some Christmas items out. Moved some large furniture around so we have space for the tree. A young man in our town had posted on FB that he was going to drive around town collecting pumpkins to donate to a farm, and if anyone had one they wanted to get rid of he'd take it. We took him up on that offer; we had 2 of them and it's better than just throwing them away! So I happened to notice around noon, a car with a pumpkin-filled trailer pulled up outside and he took them. That made me happy that he was doing that.

I saw a code on FB as well for "20 free cards" on Shutterfly, but of course there was a catch. I've spent the entire week working on photo Christmas cards and both my mom and DH liked them. So when I saw the code, I made them help me make our list so I could order them. Okay, so the small print, of course, was that you either got 10 free cards, or 20 free cards if you ordered more than 100. I was ordering a quantity of 20, but even with the 10 free cards, it still came to almost $30, so that wasn't happening. Then I remembered that I had a coupon for 10 free cards, so I tried using that. Which then didn't work because in the miniscule print, one of the exclusions was "foil-stamped cards," which ours were. Okay, forget it, let's wait and see if they come out with another code later. But it kept bugging me that the estimated delivery date, if ordered today, was December 10th, which only gives us 2 weeks to get the cards back out to our recipients. So I went back on and chose another card - basically the same one, but with white wood instead of brown and no foil. I thought I would just get the 10 free cards, but then I tested it with an order of 20 and it used both codes for 10 free cards, so I got all 20 for free. Well, I paid for shipping and tax, so I got 20 cards for $8.50, I guess And they should be delivered by December 7th, so that gives us a few extra days to get them mailed. Now I just need the code for my free ornament that I've gotten every year since Josh was born...

ETA the QOTD! I forgot!
I have never ever once been Black Friday shopping. No way am I getting up in the middle of the night and fighting crowds for anything. My SIL loves it, but she doesn't go to stores like Walmart and Best Buy for any large items - she likes to go to the mall near her and go to stores like Kohls. DH went with her one year, before we met, and got a nice leather jacket for himself. Within the year, one of the cats got into the closet and climbed the jacket, putting some holes in one side of it, so he never wore it again. But of course he still has it... I will say that 3 years ago, on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, I got the laptop that I'm using right now on a Black Friday deal. It was a great price and you'd think it was a good computer, but 9 months later the hard drive failed, and then I've also had it repaired 2 more times (the jack for the power adapter keeps breaking inside, which results in needing the entire palm rest replaced at about $150 each time. Never buying a Dell again).

 

[Snowysmom]

@AuntieMe3 My DH says he doesn't like to go to parties be cause he is an introvert. In actuality he can talk with anyone for a long time. LOL! At the one work Christmas party we went to he talked with my boss all night.

 

[easyas123]

David Venable on QVC)

shhhhhhh that Wednesday night program is my guilty pleasure! !!! Although in my defense I don’t buy anything

A young man in our town had posted on FB that he was going to drive around town collecting pumpkins to donate to a farm, and if anyone had one they wanted to get rid of he'd take it.

we toss ours in the woods and find “surprise” random gourds and pumpkins the next year sometimes....it’s fun to stumble upon them! Sometimes the kids use them as target practice and we find them growing along the shooting lanes the next fall, too.

QOTD-black Friday shopping-
I’ve gone a few times, but it’s not a regular thing for me. I enjoy doing my Christmas decorating inside the house (except tree)that day. I am venturing out tomorrow for a few needed items, I’ll hit target and ??? Who knows. Hopefully I’m home by noonish or so!

broke down the turkey and make soup today, it’s cooling now. That’s dinner tomorrow. Today was everyone fend for themselves leftovers. Sunday will be ham & potato pancakes. Then rest of ham w/ bone in freezer for future bean soup.

hope everyone had a nice holiday- we did, although it was quiet. We were sitting outside in porch talking about how it was a rather subdued thanksgiving- but there will be other, much or rambunctious and loud thanksgivings and so that’s fine. Didn’t help that we had the windows open then had to put AC on cause of the humidity. Didn’t seem right!

 

[easyas123]

anchor store of the mall

I remember that mall (LaVale?) in early 90’s and it seemed to be dying then- of course I was comparing it to big malls in NJ & King of Prussia that were more familiar to me so my recollection could be a bit skewed-
I can’t recall last time I was in there.

 

[AuntieMe3]

young man in our town had posted on FB that he was going to drive around town collecting pumpkins to donate to a farm, and if anyone had one they wanted to get rid of he'd take it.

What a great idea. We used to have a potbelly pig at work, so I would always take my pumpkins to him after Halloweenand Thanksgiving...if they were still alive by then. LOL I'm going to see if a local farm I follow on FB or even the small zoo here in town would want my pumpkins. They never got carved(surprise, surprise...NOT. ) so they've just been on my fireplace for decor. LOL

we toss ours in the woods and find “surprise” random gourds and pumpkins the next year sometimes....it’s fun to stumble upon them! Sometimes the kids use them as target practice and we find them growing along the shooting lanes the next fall, too.

We have almost 2 acres thats separated into three sections, the front section has the house and our backyard grass area, second section used to have fruit trees, a big shed my grandpa built and our well and then the back section is just basically an empty field. We tried to chuck our pumpkins out there one year to see if they would grow more pumpkins next year but one of the dogs kept dragging them back to the front yard. Hubby said the dog probably thought they were basketballs, which he used to have a deflated one he drug around forever. We did have some random pumpkin plants popping up the next year but they never got past the flowering point. LOL

 

[flyingdumbo127]

Good for you for sticking with getting a deal, Apirateslifeforme! How frustrating though. I'm sure your cards will be enjoyed So glad you got to safely chat with your in laws. I also love the pumpkin collector story, great idea/service indeed!

Thank you for the laughs Snowysmom and AuntieMe3, I enjoyed both of your shares chatty husbands, pumpkin basketballs, and all

Easyas123, I'm glad you and your DH enjoyed a quiet Thanksgiving. That is exactly the positive spirit that prayerfully next year and to come, gatherings can be larger. Enjoy smaller, safer ones now

 

[lynxstch]

I remember that mall (LaVale?) in early 90’s and it seemed to be dying then- of course I was comparing it to big malls in NJ & King of Prussia that were more familiar to me so my recollection could be a bit skewed-
I can’t recall last time I was in there.

Yes, you are right. Lavale, Country Club Mall. Its never been a huge place, but it used to have a lot of good stores. One by one, they died out. I think the newest store in there is Ulta, and I have never even set foot in that store. And of course with covid, it put a lot of them out of business too

 

[Breezy_Carol]

Hello everyone.

We had more fun today than yesterday. Started out with another walk in Fair Hill. They had a Turkey Trot, or for those of us who only wanted to walk, a Turkey Wobble Scavenger hunt. The trail markers are up from yesterday to Sunday and I wanted to be sure we walked it so we did today. It was nice, but longer than advertised - 3.7 miles. Saw some trails we hadn't before.


Came home for turkey sandwiches then started a fire in the fire pit. DD and family came over for an outdoor visit. It was really quite pleasant by the fire. Their dog loves to come here because we have a big yard for her to run.


Local pizza place had a 50% off deal so that was dinner.

QOTD - I don't like shopping so never go out on Black Friday. Occasionally a Black Friday deal will come up that I use, like the pizza tonight. Last year we book an OBX house for a % off. DD was a seasonal worker at Yankee Candle during college and after. Required to work Black Friday. She had a noon shift at the mall one year and we drove her up because she knew she would have trouble finding parking.

We need to go to Home Depot for a few things to hang holiday lights. Didn't want to go today so will try to go early tomorrow.

 

[NYCgrrl]

Thanksgiving is pretty much behind us and it was nice to be so busy doing something useful and getting to know neighbors in a socially distancing manner. A bit of schedule change so the turkey carcass soup is being given out tomorrow; I think a lot of the volunteers were exhausted and needed a rest.
DGD is visiting her mom for the week so I’ll take out the holiday decor interim and plan a few holiday meals.

 

[Kirby]

@AuntieMe3, I'm scheduled to test on Sunday. I haven't had any fever today but my coughing has ramped up some but the drainage is less.

@easyas123, your comment about random gourds reminded me of the time my husband threw our old jack o lanterns in the vegetable garden after Halloween. The next year we had a monstrous pumpkin patch, looked like something out of a sci fi movie but no pumpkins grew.

I took it easy today, mostly sat around and watched tv. I've been watching The West Wing. Just started the second season, Did you know that there are 22 - 23 episodes per season and there are seven seasons? And I just found out today that Netflix is discontinuing the show on Dec 24. Argh! There is no way I can see it all. I guess I'll watch what I can.

I don't usually shop Black Friday. I went to Target one year really early in the morning and picked up a couple of things to purchase. Then I realized that the check out lines wrapped around the inside of the store so I put the items back and left. They were that good of a deal. If I do go out I go in the afternoon. Today I ordered a gift from Home Depot online and DH went with me to pick it up this evening.

Dinner today was fried catfish from Soulman's BBQ with fried okra and mac & cheese. It was good but I'm feeling the effects from too much fried food. We don't eat a lot of it. We decided that next time we would share a meal. We've been trying to do that when we go out to eat on occasion.