how about drinking?

Oh Chevy - I learned how to so wash as a child in a Maytag winger washer. Then swing the arm & in to the rinse tub. Then maybe into a bluing tub. Then lugging the heavy basket outside to hang. Or to the basement if it was bad weather. As for ironing... I was first trusted to start with handkerchiefs (of course you remember we all carried those) and then graduated to pillow cases & my Dad's boxer shorts. And sprinkling & rolling up the linen items!! There was no such thing as a steam iron, although one of my friend's mothers had a 'mangle' since of course sheets had to be ironed and she had 6 children.

Remember rolling our wet hair on orange juice cans to get curls? And sleeping on those horrible big brush curlers?

Thanks for sharing the memories of your brother. I loved the clips of his music.

Goldie - still holding you in my thoughts.

Good Morning, Loungettes!Happy Monday Monkey Day! Saturday's storm was entertaining to watch and listen too, lots of light fluffy snow, lots of wind, some white out conditions, lots of trees dancing. It would have been a lot more fun to watch with Sadie curled up on my feet keeping them warm. Got about 20 inches here, hard to tell for sure with all the drifting. Looks like more snow coming in for Friday. Looks like we're going to get winter all at once this year. Surprisingly, I didn't lose either internet or power this weekend. Mom got through the storm just fine, except for discovering that she can't shovel snow anymore. She says the shovel is too heavy to pick up by itself, it must be made of some heavier plastic than they used to be made from. I know she hasn't got the upper body strength she used to have, she struggles with taking baking pans out of the oven and carrying things of any weight at all, but she blames it on the things being made heavier than they used to. She totally ignores having had 3 shoulder surgeries, including one replacement and age having any effect at all.

Karen--seems staff for schools is hard to come by everywhere. Our new social worker starts this week or next, it sounds like an offer is out for the psychologist position. Here's praying these work out!

Chi/Jazzy--the financial apps are really amazing!

Karen--it's funny to hear about mask mandates expiring when more and more businesses and towns here in Maine are instituting them. I get nervous when I'm out and about and have seriously limited my time out again, too.

Goldie--Glad you have a working washer. The automatic water level thing could be helpful, but there should also be a manual override. Some things just clean better with more water to move around in. The storm was pretty wild, but no big problems.

Jazzy--I am more than ready for vacay at this point, especially when looking at the snowbanks on the side of the roads and my driveway. I should get Dad's old snowshoes out and see if I can still get around on them in my yard. It's been a long time since I've tried them out.

Minus--{{{hugs}}}

Chevy--I remember my grandmother using a wringer washer. I still have the stick she used to use to poke and move the clothes around in the big tub when she rinsed, it's still got the blue coloring from the bluing she would use on the whites to keep them bright. She didn't have a yard, so she had clotheslines strung up in her basement to hang them on until she got a dryer. I'm with you about not wanting to catch COVID at all. This omicron variant is supposed to be milder, but it's making some of our kids really sick for while, and some can't even handle a full day at school when they first come back, and need half days for a week or so. So far the vaccinated kiddoes aren't coming down with it, or at least aren't showing symptoms if they do catch it so we never know.

Minus--I remember ironing handkerchiefs and pillow cases. I remember the "flower," a metal sprinkler attached to a cork that fit into a bottle that could be filled with water to sprinkle on creased or hard to smooth clothes. The first time I ever say a mangle was when I started working as a chambermaid for a nearby motel, those things were scary!

Karen--soups and stews are great meals for this time of year! I love making them in the crockpot and smelling them as they cook all day.

Slow Cooker Spiced Rum Cocktail

Ingredients

• 4 cups apple cider
• 1 1/2 cups cranberry juice
• 2 cups Spiced Rum
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 18 oz. bag fresh cranberries
• 2 apples, sliced into thin rounds
• 3 star anise, plus more for garnish

Instructions

1. Add all ingredients to a slow cooker and turn on low for 3-4 hours.
2. Pour into mugs and garnish with fruits from the slow cooker.
3. Keep warm as needed in the slow cooker.

From <https://www.mantitlement.com/slow-cooker-spiced-rum-cocktail/>

How FUN reading what you gals wrote! Yes! I was still using a wringer washer in about 1961 when Janie was born... Had it hooked up in the kitchen by the sink somehow. And one time I plugged it in down on the floor, and it must have been wet, because that thing threw me across the kitchen into the wall! I was pretty DAZED... I mean even more than I am now.... Hah!

And falling over that heavy basket of clothes, when I was pregnant, carrying it outdoors to hang them... I remember asking the old Landlord "Why don't you just let those chicken eggs hatch? And then you will have more chickens!" But he mumbled, "Go ask Bea!".... His wife.... so she said "Because you have to have a rooster"... And brainless me said "But you already HAVE the eggs, just leave them long enough!

So THEN she explained you have to have a ROOSTER to fertilize the HEN while the damn eggs are in her! So that's how I learned that chickens do it too! I mean, how was I supposed to know? They didn't have roosters.

And YES! I used to take-in ironing, to make extra money... and do hair for my friends! I would set up the ironing board out on the back patio, take out the little portable tape player, crank it up and singing along with Bette Midler "Cry Cry Baby" ... ANYthing to make it fun, right?

I'm TRYing to learn how to adjust to things being different around here, with my dear Husband... But sometimes it's just frustrating and I think I should go outdoors and bang my head on the house, or something, just to calm down. I know I can't change some things, right? I have to learn to accept and adjust and ignore these new changes in our lives.

But I google all the time... And learn that Alzheimer's and Dementia are just hard on everybody. And I am not alone in this... Sometimes when I read the symptoms, I just cry.... because I live with this. So come hell or highwater, I am going to handle it.... I will not ever let him be alone, or have someone else take care of him... He is mine, and no matter what comes along, I can do this. I mean what ELSE can happen this year, right?

I thank God every day for what we have, and that we are not sick or broke, and have each other....

Chevy, so sorry for what you're going through with your DH.

Bob went back to work today. Meanwhile, I was feeling ever worse all week despite repeatedly rapid-testing negative every other day. Began feeling a scratchy throat with morning postnasal drip around Tuesday. Test: negative. Wed. & Thurs. began feeling "off," with that weird tired feeling in the throat like you're about to come down with a cold. Thurs. tested negative. Fri. morning woke up feeling fever-ish. Oral temp 98.9, ear temp 100.1. Tested again: negative again. But I was feeling quite suspicious, so decided Sat. morning I'd go to Immediate Care for a flu test. Sat. morning woke up feeling definitely "flu-y." Temp 100.4, so had to take Tylenol. Went to Immediate Care, got seen right away, All vitals good, even temp (98.9). Then came the dreaded "brain stab." 20 minutes later came the answer: Negative for flu....but PCR test was positive for COVID.

Guess I could dodge that bullet only so long. The NP told me I could count Thurs. as Day 1 for isolation purposes, but on the bright side Bob & I didn't need to isolate from each other. Later Sat. I picked up my Paxlovid from Glenbrook Hospital's pharmacy (I had to pull up, call them, and they actually dropped it through my open car window). Sat. night was my last Tylenol--no fever since then. So if I test negative tomorrow, that's Day 6 and I can end house arrest. Paxlovid seems to be working--almost no side effects except it gives me the munchies, my left thigh ache has returned, and my saliva tastes bitter (especially after eating something sweet). So now I know what Malørt or Jägermeister must taste like, so I needn't try it and report back on it as a DOTD.

Well, good thing, because I have to go back to Immediate Care in the morning. Early this evening, Happy was snuggling me in my recliner and suddenly got overstimulated and bit my face--third time in four years. Spent interminable time (and two phone calls) trying to reach the on-call doctor to find out whether to start taking amoxicillin, of which I have a large fresh supply (for upcoming dental appointments). But when she finally called back, she said to be seen tomorrow; and that amox. isn't strong enough--I'll need Augmentin. And by now, almost all the pharmacies were closed. Bob, fortunately, was home from work and on the treadmill, so he wrote me a prescription and filled it.

I need a drink, but not with Augmentin. Too close to bedtime--it'll give me heartburn.

Kim, we’ll be counting the days with you.

Chevy, hugs, vent all you want. My late mother had a neurological disease and it was beyond awful to watch her decline. She was bedridden at the end. We both suffered. Glad your daughter is near by to help.

60F yesterday, low 30s today and snow comes in this afternoon. Saying 3-6. Tomorrow 16 and low 4 below. Cold Thursday too. Hoping for a late start if not snow day tomorrow.

Mask mandate for Denver expires Friday but positivity rate is still just below 20%. Yes not 30%. But still way higher than 5%. Thankfully masks still at school. Businesses can decide if they require masks or vaccination. Legislation try to pass ant discrimination bill against those not vax Ed, saying people want to work but are being prevented if not vaxxed. Can I bang my head on the wall!

Stay warm and stay safe

Chi,

I hope you've mild symptoms from Covid and the Happy bite.

Teka, that is too funny!

Thanks for the laundry stories, ladies! I learned to iron handkerchiefs 1st too. I still hang my clothes out in the summer.

Kim, I learned many years ago to let the parents yell/vent or whatever and don’t even listen. Usually the ones who are the loudest would yell at whoever is closest at many times it was me. I can tell lots of stories. Now my feelings go get hurt if it is something I did.

Snow day today!❄️ The district called it by 7:30 last night as was one of the last to call. By my house there is about 12” but DIA is the official weather reporter and they barely got 3” so that is what is being recorded. It’s very light fluffy snow(not the snowball/snowman building snow) so not as hard to shovel. My driveway is long so it takes some time. I shoveled for about 30 minutes and DH about 20 and it’s not done. Will finish later. Once I clean off my car, that area will need to be shoveled. Here are some photos.

Hi friends- we have a bit of snow going on here in New Mexico too. It stopped for the moment but may get very heavily this afternoon. Well we hope so as we have been very dry this winter and desperately need some moisture. It's snowing more in the mountains.

Be safe in this storm, its like 500 miles long and stretches from the SW up through New England.

NM- have a great time on your get away!

We are supposed to get a foot or so Thursday into Friday. Big surprise the groung hog says 6 more weeks of winter. It always is. Those of you that need water....well I wish you snow.

Good Morning, Loungettes! Happy Thirsty Thursday! COVID Chaos reigns at my school. One pool came back positive, tested everyone in the pool, all negative. Another pool came back Indeterminate, so had to test everyone in that pool, all negative. So today is retest day. And it's going to be rainy all day, with temps dropping this evening and changing over to sleet, freezing rain, mixed precip, and then snow, with accumulation predictions ranging from 6 to 8 to more than 12 inches. I'm pretty sure tomorrow will be a remote day. Parents and staff are pretty worked up about being in Outbreak Status, and wanting to know what to do to get out of it. I keep wanting to tell some of them that they should have been masking appropriately last month, and not coming to school feeling sick after being exposed, and this probably wouldn't have happened, and it's too late now to fix it,keepingyour childhome out of fear is only going to prolong the Outbreak status because that is based on percentage of attendance, so you are part of the problem you are complaining about. But I'm saying all the right things, like no matter how careful you are the virus can sneak by the mitigation measures, and even thought it looks like being vaccinated isn't making a difference it really is keeping people out of the hospital and off ventilators,It bothers me that everyone is up in arms about the school being in outbreak status, but don't seem to care about hospitals being on the verge of having positive testing staff keep working. And, yes, I know that it's hard on parents who need to work and can ill afford to take time off from work to take care of their sick children, but needing to take care of sick children is not a new thing, there have been children out sick with flu, GI issues, colds, etc since schooling was invented. Can any parenthonestly expect that their child will never get sick and need to stay home from school? Or is that expecting too much of parents these days?I am really missing Silly Sadie cuddles this week.

Karen--I do keep reminding myself that parental rantings are not my problem, but theirs. I do notallow myself to say "I'm sorry this is sohard for you" and say "I regret that rules are difficult for you." or the like. 'Sorry' implies responsibility. 'Regret' acknowledges the situation and the feeling without accepting responsibility. But I still struggle with feeling responsible and not being able to fix the problem.Amazing pics!!

Jazzy--14 days to vacay!Time to start packing!

Chi--oh my, I hope the antibiotic effect eases up quickly! That's a lot of work your immune system is being put to!

KID--I had forgotten about groundhog day. It does seem to always be 6 more weeks of winter, doesn't it?

Jazzy--WOW!

Blackberry and vanilla vodka cocktail

Muddle and mix this fruity welcome drink in just 25 minutes.

Ingredients

• 215g (1 cup) caster sugar
• 225g (1 1/2 cups) frozen blackberries
• 1.25L (5 cups) berry-flavoured sparkling mineral water, chilled
• 375ml (1 1/2 cups) vanilla vodka, chilled
• 125ml (1/2 cup) fresh lime juice

From <https://www.google.com/search?q=cocktail+recipe&client=firefox-b-1-d&channel=tus5&sxsrf=APq-WBspyNMDITSOdo1eO4CeowYFUItMKA:1643887868055&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwit3LPDt-P1AhVbJUQIHUFuCnIQ_AUoAXoECAEQAw#imgrc=QqSpbNp_Jc0VeM>

Karen,

Good Morning, Loungettes!Happy TGIF day! A good foot of snow on the ground already, and still coming down heavy and steady. School was changed to remote yesterday afternoon before dismissal, so I was able to turn off the early alarm for this morning. Still going to be a working day for me, though, with meetings and reports to file to the CDC. Absenteeism has improved greatly with the first batch of positive testing students moving into days 6 to 10 of isolation coming back to school. Yesterday's rain didn't make things as slushy as I was expecting, the roads got cleared off really well before the rain started and that helped a lot. Just about everything is closed today, or at least opening later than usual. That should help with the traffic this morning. I know the road crews have been out all night and expect to be out all day today. Sometimes that is one tough job.

Karen--There are times when working from home is nice, isn't it?

Teka--YEAH!

Chi--Hooray for the HK getting dug out and the perfect chocolate egg cream!

Cream Egg Cocktail

1 1/2 oz Absolut Vanilla Vodka

1/2oz Licor 43 Original Liqueur

1/2oz Dutch Cacao white crème de cacao

1/2oz Warninks Advocaat liqueur

1/2ozcream or half-n-half

Shake with ice and strain into a chilled glass.

BTW, note that an "egg cream" has neither eggs nor cream. In the late 19th century it did; until an enterprising and economy-minded soda-fountain owner found that by reversing the flow of the soda-fountain soda-water "gun" the resulting high-velocity stream produced that white foam that made both cream and egg whites unnecessary (and made the drink not only more palatable but much cheaper).

Jazzy,

Lovely blooms! Year of the Tiger?