Pokey Peas Challenge for April 2020

DD rolled out of bed at 11:15, DS (19) at 11:30, and DS (20) at noon (it's his "weekend", he works hard, full time).

But, DD is currently hitting the weight bench in the backyard. She has online school work, and 5 days a week she has 3 hours of living room dance class via zoom. My poor hardwood + tap shoes And she will be starting to work at the local big grocery store, overnight shift (11-7), packing online orders! Um, wow, is that a LOT different than pre-covid life for her!

I got a layout finished last night!
layout baby shower by kirstendrew, on Flickr

Happy Easter! It's been a very laid back weekend here. An attempt at sugar cookies with bub. I used a recipe that I had used in the past when my kids were small. I stopped using it for some reason. And yesterday I was reminded why I stopped using it. The dough doesn't always turn out right after it's been refrigerated. We fought hard for 6 cookies before it went in the trash.

Picked up pizza for dinner - the first take out I've had since mid-March. Water painting, and movies. Nice and chill. Today has been more of the same. No dinner being cooked here, just left over pizza lol. I've done a bit of scrapping finally. I miss it and I'm ready to get back to it. I can't believe how out of sorts I feel, even though very little changed of my day to day.

I hope everyone is having a wonder Easter Sunday! The egg coloring contest sounds like so much fun! We may need to steal that idea for next year with cousins!

I am so sorry to hear you are feeling punky.  Please keep in touch so we know you're  OK

Hang in there nylene! Thanks for checking in. Hoping the new antibiotics are helping. And glad that you can be treated at home and that you have Emily to take part in your care. Hugs to you and your family.

Oh nylene! I'm glad you have Emily there to help. I hope the IV helps. Sending prayers and so many good thoughts!

Has anyone heard from kellyr21 lately? I hope everything is ok with her. I totally get why you wanted people checking in LisaDV - scary times we have right now!

I hope everyone is safe and well!

joyfulnana, I see you changed your avatar, I'll miss your beautiful face, but I understand changing it up.

I hope kellyr21 is just holed up with her honey hanging out and all is well.

Last I heard we were April 30th, however, I expect that will be extended.

My sister has 1 dd and 3 grands staying with her but the other grand is local and she’s missing him terribly.

Good Friday morning!

LisaDV , I am amazed at how you can do all that work in the home you are living in. Each one of those tasks fills me with anxiety just to think about it. I would not want to be trying to accomplish it. Glad that you dh & ds are doing some of the work, too. Snow and rain expected for today again here. Temps hovering around freezing. We have had melting all night the last couple of nights, and the snow is definitely starting to shrink. The creeks are starting to run. Unfortunately, the culvert in our drive is still frozen full of ice, so the water is rising on one side and starting to wash OVER the trail. Over the week, Dsil helped dh to chop through some ice and make room for a submersible pump so they could pump the water across the driveway to where it wants to go without taking the road with it.

The 20 year old and gf left on Wednesday. They really seemed to enjoy hanging out here, playing cards, doing jigsaw puzzles, entertaining the 7 year old. The 7 year old and his dad and aunt plan to leave after lunch today. The whole family may be back next Wednesday or Thursday for a few days (dd included this time), but we have a few days to decompress now. I had dgs for most of the day yesterday on my own while his dad was away at work, Grampa was working with his nephew and the cows, and Auntie was working remotely from her room upstairs, and I was exhausted by end of day. Still wound up, so I took an Atavan. Slept like a rock and feel great this morning.

After the crew leaves, my only task is to make a little room on my scrap counter and find the class kit that arrived at my doorstip earlier in the week. This evening, justjac and I are enrolled in an on-line class with our LSS. Need to create a couple of bd cards for family this weekend, and I really want to play with some of the sketches and challenges. Have an idea for my April calendar page, but will need to print the photos here which is not my usual MO.

msliz are there any chats planned for this weekend?  I need to download Zoom for the LSS class, so I will now be inept in both Hangouts and Zoom.  Also have House Party on my ipad to chat with dgk's but we have never done a group chat there.

Thanks for tagging everyone. Waving to them, too...

Please recover soon, nylene ....

Ya GOT me!  .  It's funny what they DO remember.  Felt really good to hear my oldest dgs telling the little guy stories about stuff HE used to do with me.  Some of them were things I had planned for those kids when they were younger, but some were just random memories that I hadn't thought about for years.  Dgs20 insisted throughout the HE was my NUMBER ONE GRANDCHILD (technically correct) and was therefore "Gramma's favourite".

Oh nylene, I came over to stalk this thread because it’s been so long since I saw you around and I was worried - so sorry to hear you’ve been having such a rough time of things I hope you’re feeling a bit better now. Glad you are safe at home (I hope that’s still the case). Rest up and take care <3

LisaDV, oh yes, no change to my work schedule! I'm glad I have a normal routine and people to interact with, but - the hospital is very strange and different.


LENGTHY REPLY FEEL FREE TO SKIP OVER NOW!!!

And often I feel grumpy that I'm working 120% and at risk of exposure, while my friends and family get to "work from home" at 50% work but full pay. Most of our friends are those lucky white-collar workers (government, bank, computer) who can make this work. For example my BIL gets to play video games all day with my DH but still collect his pay for 1-2 hours of computer work.

It's hard to describe what I do. And it's frustrating when my Mom keeps saying "why are you still working? Why are you essential". GRRRRRRRR!
People arrive with a specific illness (say, "confusion and weakness from a severe bladder infection", or the current "covid penumonia") but have layers of other issues - dementia, old stroke, arthritic hips, dependent on a walker, hoarder at home and family not coping, homeless and burned down their tent, alcoholic, 500 lbs... Oh yes, it gets unbelievable.

As a physio in acute care, some examples of what I do:

1. Keep people moving when they are sick. Being immobile can kill you. And lengthens an illness. Bedrest = nasty business. I am half-carrying people sometimes. Even sitting up can be hard. And managing all the IVs, tubes, oxygen, drains etc... We even put people in chairs while they are on ventilators.
2. Help people get strong enough to leave the hospital after being sick
3. Help people recover from a stroke, head injury, MS flare etc. etc.
4. Helping people learn to move around after a broken bone (hip, leg, pelvis) or two. People often break multiple bones in bad falls or accidents. I've had many "customers" with 2 broken legs, 2 broken arms, and a broken neck or pelvis... Even breaking an arm is crippling for someone who depends on a walker to walk normally.
5. Breathing exercises or chest physio with people with respiratory issues (COPD, pneumonia, post-surgery).

I've never scrapped anything about my job. I'm not sure what pictures I'd use. But obviously (based on my lengthy response to Lisa's simple "are you still working?") it's something I should put in there as a catharsis for me!!!

Happy Saturday all! My family and dh are ok. Just took a break from my social media for a while. All the news and crisis info was overwhelming. But we are hanging in just like all of you. Boy, have I missed you ladies!!!! Dh is working with three days from home. So grateful for that. I am just doing lots self care and praying for us all.

Ok now some fun news: I have been working on a new blog called Inspired Me 411. It is a arts and crafts resource directory of info I have used over the years. I thought this would be a good time to share it with everyone. Click Here I have had fun working on it over the last month and hope it helps others. I will still be blogging on my original blog, Inspired Me. Now I have two blogs to play with! LOL! So stop by and share it with family and friends if you like.

Also, I have been doing some art, and still crocheting that hat I started months ago. I had to start all over with the hat. I realized after I was done that it was the wrong dimensions. I was so bummed out but decided to start over. So now I think I am almost done. I will share it when I finish.

Glad to see you all taking care of yourselves and your families. I gotta go back and catch up with you. I see nylene was sick. I hope you are taking it easy and feeling better. Hugs to you!

kitbop, Are you a physical therapist? or a nurse in Physical Therapy? I had thought you were a nurse. Regardless, all of the medical staff is essential right now down to the cleaning crew. But if I were your mom I'd be questioning why you are essential too, not because I don't know, but because I wouldn't want you there and being exposed. I cannot imagine the level of anxiety that must run through all of the medical facilities on a daily basis. It can't be good for anyone's mental health. I hope that when you are off work you can find a way to detox and unwind. Sending you big hugs.

You would have been the person that was getting my MIL up and going after her back surgery! I don't envy you that job. You should do a page about what you do!

I know I'm so lucky that DH gets to work from home. But his work from home is WFH! He has a conference call every day at 8am. Some days start at 7:00 am. A few days a week he's lucky to get a sandwich for lunch between calls and work duties. Depending upon the day he could be finished at 5 or 5:30. Which is nice since there is no commute time. Although the last few weeks, he's also had a call later in the evening at least once a week. With operations all over the world, sometimes early morning or late night calls are necessary to accommodate different time zones. Again I feel very lucky that he's safe at home, but he still is working a lot. Those companies that are paying people to WFH but the people aren't working, well, eventually money runs out and those people might get laid off.

Are you rested up now, grammadee? I know you were going to do some scrap work, but after a visit like that I think I would just veg out for at least a day. Good thing DSIL was there to help out with the ice/water flow issue. DGS20 isn't wrong he is your number one! DH is the oldest and tells his parents the same thing. I wonder if it's an oldest thing or an oldest boy thing?

gramma, I'm so glad you took yesterday off! You've been working so much. Although your down time still seems really busy with the sewing. I'm sure your DGD will love the card kits you made for her. I think just the situation in general makes us want our loved ones where we can see them and know they are safe. I'm sorry you're missing yours right now.

justjac, the Canadian schools aren't doing remote learning then?

msliz, will you be hosting a hangout next weekend too? I might be able to join next weekend.

Woo Hoo to your mojo is coming back, joyfulnana.

kellyr21, I’m so glad you are okay. Thanks for checking in. I will hopefully check out the new blog as soon as possible.

I had a pharmacy pick up and just driving of DH’s truck to do first off this morning. He had not driven it since March 12th, so it was necessary. I was a little sadden to see his gas tank was full when I drove past the gas station advertising gas for $1.49!!!

In the living room, DH took all the ceiling things (fixtures, speaker covers, smoke detectors, etc) down today. I realized that I will be doing the bulk of the taping off the beams and the painting. He wants to help, he does, but it turned nice….and the outdoors calls to him. Also, without the chiropractor visits his pinched nerve, that was feeling much better has started acting up again, which meant lots of breaks for him today. I’ll just keep plugging away at it. Taping the beams and working above my head for a shortie like me is more difficult work, plus I’m a bit afraid of ladders when they aren’t right next to the wall. But I’ll muscle through and get it done. Hopefully, I can have the ceiling finished by next weekend. Then DH will help with the clean-up of the room.

nylene, hope the IV is working and you’re healing.

Another thing I have been doing is cooking and cooking! I can't remember when I have cooked this much. I made a crockpot beef dish today. I am still new to crockpot cooking so it feels like an adventure. I posted the recipe on the New Recipe Challenge thread in our NSBR section.

linda - Hang in there!

LisaDV - I know what you mean about husband's WFH schedule. I am just grateful he is working and able to slow down some from his regular schedule. And yes, he has those calls and webinars. So we are working around each other.

msliz - Thanks! I still can't believe I made all that art & stuff! Yes, Julie is one my favorites. I learned art journaling from her and that lead me to try painting.

Waving hey to you all and have a good evening!