Weekly Chat Thread Oct. 10th - 16th

[staytuned]

Good morning everyone!  Reminder there is no mail today.  Hoodie/fleece/light jacket weather is here, which I'm not complaining as I like to wear them so I don't need a purse.  Hope everyone has memorable day in a good way!

[labbypaws]

Beautiful day today. Leaves are changing colors.

Topped off my tires Saturday night. Went to my car yesterday to go to work and the tire was flat. Luckily hubby has an air compressor and he filled it up. I think the valve stuck after I filled it. I checked it several times before I left work and it was fine.

We are on Fall break at work so we walk from 5-7:30 or so to lock/check buildings. Surely don’t mind doing it on days like this.

No word from the school district.

Been watching for an older pup. The one breeder has one but would not wait until November 11. This is what they call a breeder reject. One they breed for shows but doesn’t fill out the way they want. Hubby’s bonus comes November 11 that is why I was hoping they would wait. My breeder would have waited. Oh well. The one that has the girl right now has them available quite often. It’s just they are south of Denise and winter is coming. We are on the list for a puppy in the spring if our breeder has a litter or two. He is retiring soon though.

[val2525]

Talk about using land wisely - there's a winter downhill and cross country skiing area in Japan that turns into a HUGE floral attraction in the summer. Those stripes are lavender. I didn't realize it came in other colors.

www.farm-tomita.co.jp/en/

[val2525]

Review for UNSALTED beef broth:

"Tasteless, needs more salt"

Seriously? *SMH*

My pot roast came out OK but nothing to write home about. It was my fault though. I didn't have beef broth on hand so I used chicken broth. Won't do that again The radishes were OK, you really couldn't tell they weren't potatoes and had the same color/texture as yellow yukon potatoes. Next time I make it I'm just adding fresh green beans, mushrooms and onions. I added those this time and they came out really good. Radishes or potatoes aren't really needed IMO. This week I'm trying chicken paprika in the slow cooker.

I was looking at FAQs for fresh turkeys and the question was, "When should you take a fresh turkey home?"

My first thought was "when it's had too much to drink".

I need a life.

[Emerald_Door]

This page shows a map of the Tomita gardens and you can click to see pictures and more details about the flowers. www.farm-tomita.co.jp/en/farm/

[chapeaunoir]

BEAUTIFUL! The Japanese are absolute master gardeners.

Everyone I know who goes up to the mountains in the winter (which is just about everyone I know), hates those snowmobiles with the passion of a thousand suns. Hopefully they just stay on their path as they are (well, it's Japan, so yes they will, and it will be a very nice path).

[denise15601]

Beautiful flowers. As I have been sadly ripping up my dead ones.

It is beautiful today-sunny and 70 degrees, so just right for mowing.

[val2525]

We have a warming trend with the temp tomorrow forecast to be 91 Bleah. It looks like we'll finally get into the 70s next week though. Yay!

If you haven't yet, click on todays Google Doodle. It's awesome.

[labbypaws]

I did not get the school job but it is no biggee. I really didn’t want to work 8a-4p and did not want to work in my old patrol territory.

[val2525]

Did the guy you figured would get the job, get the job?

[frakinfashion]

Something better will come along, labby. Fingers crossed for you.

[denise15601]

Good luck Labby!

[labbypaws]

I don’t know Val. Will have to see the board meeting notes next time around. A few people I know were complaining about the director too. That made me a bit nervous.

[Shirley U Geste]

I need to stock up on full sized Snickers!  

  

   

[chapeaunoir]

We came back over the mountains - air quality was hazardous over there, but we avoided it - the DH by riding up above 4000 feet and me by staying by the river. 









Outside of that we had a great time.  Did some thrifting, though I find little these days - still, it was enough to add to the old stuff to hopefully spur the old stuff to sell as well as the new stuff (I actually finally sold something I'd been trying to get rid of since about 2019 - I'd forgot I even had it!). 

[jesmelric]

Hello, hope everyone is doing well. Wow I LOVE the flowers in Japan! So gorgeous! My yard is looking pretty bad due to the drought We are expecting some rain (hopefully!) Sunday and Monday and then cooler temperatures.

We had a nice visit with Mom Monday and (knock on wood) she has been feeling well. Things with the boyfriend seem to be going well. Before she used to take her meals in her room but with him she goes to the lunch room and eats with others so that's a really good thing.

I can't believe we are almost 1/2 way through October!! I am stocking up on candy for the trick or treaters I thought I'd share some pics of my cozy Halloween house (DH is fixing the outdoor skeleton on the right this weekend lol)

[denise15601]

Nice decorations, Jes!

I do nothing for Halloween. I have a cardboard witch for my front door..if I can find it. I no longer get Halloweeners since my road is so bad. When my kids were young, there were more kids around here and we did get maybe 20 or so.

My grandson will come, but that's it.

[RetroMonde]

That's great Jes! I LOVE seeing Halloween decorations inside & out but I'm a sucker for holiday decor all year long :-) I'll crawl (ouch!) into our attic to get my Halloween stuff out this weekend. We don't get trick or treaters either Denise- we're on a dark road with few sidewalks and traditionally it's always rained on the 31st tho lately it's been dry.

[labbypaws]

We do nothing for Halloween. Very rare to have kids out in our development. No streetlights. We live at the bottom of a hill.  I am usually working and hubby manages the dogs.

[denise15601]

A family that I know makes huge displays with the enormous skeletons to raise money for St. Judes. They are already over $2,500 and their goal is $5,000.
Last year they made $7,000.

[chapeaunoir]

Great decor! We have neighbours who go all out and it's fun!  It's dark where I live and there are no sidewalks, so we don't get too many trick or treaters, though the DH loves handing out candy.  They come up to the door knock, yell TRICK OR TREAT!  We see their parents standing far back in the road grinning (so the kids can come up all by themselves).  One year a bunch of big boys came trick or treating - like 16. They were wearing costumes and I was handing out candy.  I said something like "You're some pretty big dudes - maybe I should give you double candy." They laughed and were all "Yes! Please!" After I gave them candy they thanked me very courteously and went off.  Good grief lol. 

The air quality here is rated hazardous right now due to wildfire smoke - mostly the Bolt Creek fire.  You can see it drifting along the roads.  I still have this stupid Covid cough and I cannot stop coughing due to it. It usually takes a lot more than smoke to get me going, but I'm sensitive to everything.  I've been staying inside, save once to go to the post office and to the gym, then once to run to the store. No walking or running or biking outside, nothing. Bleh. 

[Dawn R]

I don't decorate for Halloween, but I do a general fall decorations. Mostly mums, pumpkins, gourds, little scarcrows(change to pilgrims in November) etc. I do have some wood picks that turn your pumpkin into a turkey for Thanksgiving.

[sunsetpainter]

No trick-or-treaters here. We're too rural. DH gets corn stalk s and pumpkins from our neighbor. We give the pumpkins back after thanksgiving for his chickens to eat. That's about the extent of my fall decorations.

[kritter]

Not that many kids in my neighborhood but we are swarmed with kids that are driven in from other areas. They park on both sides of the streets so there is only one lane of clogged traffic which turns the surrounding streets into parking lots. If emergency vehicles had to get through to a resident on the streets or any resident wanted to leave or come home, they would have to get there using the alleys.

[Dawn R]

We get no kids. Our houses are too far apart.

I made a salted caramel apple streudel and am a bit disappointed in it. I think the recipe called for way too much spices. I may have to serve it with ice cream.

[labbypaws]

Finally ordered the vertical blind. Went with blinds dot com. Found my old paperwork in the attic.

[val2525]

Sunny and 88 today. Ugh. Cold front comes in Monday though and we get down to more fall-like temps (70's). Yay! I mailed in my voter registration and checked the state website to verify they received it. I have an appointment on 11/4 to get a TX drivers license and there is an early voting site right down the street from the DL license. If I'm lucky the line to vote won't be too long and I can get that done as well. Otherwise I have to vote with the masses on Election Day (Tuesday 11/8) I have low carb chili in the slow cooker (no beans). First time I've made it so I'm curious to see how it comes out. I need to go run some errands while it's cooking. The apartment should smell pretty good when I get back.

[chapeaunoir]

Air is back to being unhealthy to hazardous here - up where I am it's in the hazardous range. The roads are very quiet - usually there are lots of people out walking, running and cycling, but save for some dog walkers and a few people carrying grocery bags from the market, I saw almost no one on my way to the gym and back. You can see the smoke moving along the roads and in the trees. More people who are out and about are wearing masks. So I'm stuck inside again - grateful for the gym. The DH was pulling some ivy out back and is sneezing - I can't help because the smoke really aggravates this stupid Covid cough.

Fortunately, I have plenty to keep me occupied inside - I'm doing spring/summer inventory and clear-out.

[denise15601]

Chap-that must be so terrible. My neighbor burns wood for heat and it chokes me all winter. The stench comes in through my windows somehow...even with my heavy thermal drapes closed. His ex-wife told me how dirty the chimney is and he won't get it cleaned. So it isn't a clean-burned wood smell.

It was sunny and in the 60's today, but windy. Monday night we might have a frost and SNOW on Tuesday! UGH. I have a ton of daylilies and irises to cut back after we get a frost and the leaves die off. So I hope that it will get nice again after a hard freeze.

I sent in my ballot today! My state is in trouble.

[chapeaunoir]

It's the top of the 18th inning for the Mariners versus the Astros! They held a scoreless game for 17 innings and then the Astros scored, Mariner's up next. This game has made history as the longest post-season game ever. They've been playing since 1:00 pm - it is now after 7:00 pm. I doubt anyone is leaving.