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Good Morning to the Front Porch and Welcome to March 2020 Goodbye February, 2020.
Hoping everyone has a great First Day OF MARCH 2020.
For all those "whack-a-doodles" out there....
"THIS" is a no no!
Oh, please pardon me. I just couldn't resist! lol
BTW, @Frozenoem, "whack-a-doodle" has become my new favorite word.
Good morning to everyone on the Front Porch on this last Monday in April, 2020.
We are expecting a high of 61* with rain over the next 3 days. We had our lawn service come yesterday to mow the lawn for the first time this year.
So far the big excitement ot the day is Mary cleaned the bathroom and I brought up a sixpack of TP from our secret horde in the basement. LOL
In these hard timew We All Need Friends!
Monday Morning Coffee©
Happy Monday people!
Today, I am moved by recent observations to talk about friendships.As we get older our friendship circle naturally diminishes. Life happens, sadly some friends gain their angels wings and leave us, others may drift away because they have other priorities.
We must never assign the responsibility for our happiness to our friends because believe it or not, true friends will hurt us but will be quick to make amends.
Our true friends will not be perfect; they will have serious flaws like we do, but true friendship accepts that the weaknesses are there, but chooses to love anyway…..The ride or die friends!
True friends will tell us the truth even if it hurts!….Don’t take offence.
Lastly true friendship comes with a price tag and is not cheap! May our love cover the cost…..Like love covered the cost of ours!
Send your friends a love note today!
By Yetty Iriah
Monday Morning Coffee©2019
Good morning to everyone at the Front Porch on this Friday in April 2020!
Today I think all of us should salute our military helping to fight an enemy that has invaded our homeland.
Coronavirus takes toll on US military as it tries to aid civilians
WASHINGTON (AP) — The coronavirus is taking a growing toll on the U.S. military, and commanders and senior officials are bracing for worse. From nuclear missile fields at home to war zones abroad, from flight lines to ships at sea, the Pentagon is striving to shield vital missions even as it faces urgent calls for help on the civilian front.
Training exercises big and small, including one of the largest in Europe since the end of the Cold War, have been curtailed. Army recruiting stations have closed. Troops around the globe are hunkering down to confront an enemy unlike anything the world's most lethal armed forces have encountered before.
“It's unprecedented in my lifetime,” Defense Secretary Mark Esper said, adding that he believes that “in a period of months” the worst will be over and the force will once again be “fully mission capable.”
Until then, the ramifications of COVID-19 for the military are likely to expand.
On behalf of the ARRP Front Porch members.
Thank You to all of those that are serving our nation and bringing us closer to the days of the New Normal!
Good afternoon to everyone on the Front Porch! It is 42* snd sunny here. How about some cookies and coffee this afternoon? I would like to talk about my favorite days of the year afternoon I bring out the cookies and coffee.
Wednesday April 22, 2020 is the 50th anniversary of Earth Day which was destined to be a worldwide celebration.
It still will be – just virtually.
Under social distancing restrictions in place around the world to fight the spread of coronavirus, the millions of people who were expected to fill parks, stadiums, universities and plazas around the world Wednesday to mark the annual day devoted to environmental protection will instead rally online.
"Amid the recent outbreak, we encourage people to rise up but to do so safely and responsibly – in many cases, that means using our voices to drive action online rather than in person,” Kathleen Rogers, president of Earth Day Network, said in a news release.
There are many ways people can participate: protesting virtually; creating a poster and sharing it on social media with hashtags like #EarthDayNetwork; attending a virtual presentation organized by students, universities and other leaders; watching a performance; playing trivia games; and more.
Meet Wisconsin favorite Son, Gaylord Nelson, founder of Earth Day
Senator Gaylord Nelson overlooking the St. Croix River between Minnesota and Wisconsin, a waterway he worked to protect as the first 'Wild and Scenic River' in the United States.
After his election in to the Senate in 1962, Nelson discovered that Washington had no environmental political agenda despite the many urgent national issues. Nelson immediately began the struggle to get the environment front and center in Washington politics by drawing on his experience as the "Conservation Governor" of Wisconsin. In 1969, his idea of a "national day for the environment" — the first Earth Day on April 22, 1970 — brought significant public pressure on Washington DC to create a national environmental agenda. Nelson's successful efforts marked the beginning of an era of bold federal legislation and the growth of the modern environmental movement.
Gaylord Nelson was a leading figure in the fight against environmental degradation and social injustice in the twentieth century.
Growing up steeped in Wisconsin’s progressive heritage and New Deal liberalism, Nelson began his political career as one confident in both the political power of ordinary citizens and the government’s ability to promote the public good. Though the 1950s brought prosperity to some Americans, Nelson's attention was with those in the city and the countryside who were disadvantaged. He never overlooked the social and ecological costs of technological innovation and industrial expansion.
As a senator, Nelson contributed to important liberal reforms but struggled for years to interest his colleagues in environmental protections. So he turned instead to the people, proposing April 22, 1970 as a day for Americans to speak out about the environmental crises they faced. Earth Day's massive public support forced politicians to see the severity of the problems and the extent of public concern. The first Earth Day galvanized Congress into creating some of the most important U.S. environmental legislation. Gaylord Nelson earned environmentalism a lasting place in national politics.
From the land, for the people
Born in the North Woods of Wisconsin in 1916, Nelson grew up admiring both the beauty of the Wisconsin land and the progressive politics of the state's famous Senator "Fighting Bob" La Follette. He earned his law degree at the University of Wisconsin and, after fighting in World War II, he returned to Madison where he helped revive the long-moribund Democratic Party.
As progressives fled a Republican Party under the sway of Joe McCarthy, Nelson and others invited them into a coalition that envisioned a liberal state government that used its regulatory power and tax revenue to address pressing social and economic problems.
The first "conservation governor"
Nelson's innovative vision resonated with Wisconsin residents. Through the 1950s, residents had grown increasingly concerned with their crowded and dilapidated state parks, the exploitation of public resources by private industry, and the pollution of the state's waterways. Nelson promised comprehensive reforms and was elected to two terms as governor. In office, he established unprecedented high levels of public funding for education, health care, unemployment, highways, and urban and rural development.
But it was Nelson's overhaul of the state's natural resource program that earned him a national reputation as the "conservation governor." He condensed a sprawling bureaucracy into a single Department of Resource Development, and established a Youth Conservation Corps to create green jobs for over 1,000 unemployed young people. Most striking, Nelson fought to earmark $50 million for the Outdoor Recreation Action Program (ORAP) to acquire land to be converted into public parks and wilderness areas. The extreme popularity of these conservation measures catapulted Nelson into the U.S. Senate in 1962
Good Easter Morning to everyone on the Front Porch on this 12th Day of April, 2020!
From Easter egg hunts for the kids and baskets overflowing with chocolates to a festive family meal and your finest attire for the Sunday service, spread the joy of this fun-filled holiday by sharing some inspirational or funny Easter quotes with your favorite some bunnies.
What are you waiting for? Hop to it!
This was the old normal for Easter! For now this is what many of us will remember. We need to celebrate Spring and the annual Rebirth that our garden flowers bring us for now!
1. “It is spring again. The Earth is like a child that knows poems by heart.” – Rainer Maria Rilke
2. “Do not abandon yourselves to despair. We are the Easter people and hallelujah is our song.” – Pope John Paul I
3. Easter is the only time when it’s perfectly safe to put all your eggs in one basket.”- Evan Esar
4. “Easter is very important to me. It’s a second chance.”- Reba McEntire
5. “Spring adds new life and new joy to all that is.”- Jessica Harrelson
6. “It’s when you crack open a chocolate Easter egg, that smiles emerge.” – Anthony T. Hicks
7. “April hath put a spirit of youth in everything.”- William Shakespeare
8. “That is one good thing about this world, there are always sure to be more springs.”- L.M Montgomery
9. “I must have flowers, always and always.”- Claude Monet
10. “The Easter egg symbolizes our ability to break out of the hardened, protective shell we’ve surrounded ourselves with.”- Siobhan Shaw
. “Easter is very important to me. It’s a second chance.”- Reba McEntire
5. “Spring adds new life and new joy to all that is.”- Jessica Harrelson
6. “It’s when you crack open a chocolate Easter egg, that smiles emerge.” – Anthony T. Hicks
7. “April hath put a spirit of youth in everything.”- William Shakespeare
8. “That is one good thing about this world, there are always sure to be more springs.”- L.M Montgomery
9. “I must have flowers, always and always.”- Claude Monet
10. “The Easter egg symbolizes our ability to break out of the hardened, protective shell we’ve surrounded ourselves with.”- Siobhan Shaw
11. “The Earth laughs in flowers.”- Ralph Waldo Emerson
12. . “The great gift of Easter is hope.”- Basil Hume
13. “Faith makes all things possible. Love makes all things easy.”- Dwight L. Moody
14. “A true friend is someone who thinks you’re a good egg, even if you’re cracked.” — Unknown
15. “Let your light shine before others.”- Matthew 5:16
16. “Where flowers bloom, so does hope.”- Lady Bird Johnson
17. “The flower that blooms in adversity is the most rare and beautiful of all.” – Mulan
18. “Spring makes everything young again.” – Unknown
19. “I am going to try and pay attention to the spring.I am going to look around at all the flowers, and look up at the hectic trees. I am going to close my eyes, and listen.” – Anne Lamott
20. “The beautiful spring came, and when nature resumes her loveliness, the human soul is apt to revive also.”- Harriet Ann Jacobs
21.“Bunnies are cuddly, the large and the small, but I like the chocolate ones best of all.”- Unknown
Good morning to everyone on the Front Porch on this Sunny Saturday morning in mld April 2020. We are looking at cooler temperatures Sunday with rain forecasted for this afternoon and a high temp over 60*. Then cold Monday with some snow. So much for Spring taking ahold here. We had a chat yesterday afternoon with our friends and trivia team on Zoom to keep up to date.
Mary and I continue to hibernate and watching volumes of TV ranging from reruns of Brewers Baseball games to Hallmark movies. I play even more with my tablet and going out for walks. More and more tulip plants are making their way out of the ground. Some of the neighbors get more sun than our yard does so they have had daffodils blooming in their yards. Our neighbor to the West has rhubarb coming up.
We aleo had some popcorn snow yesterday and I was able to check it out but it melted quickly when I tried to pick it up.
It is interesting to see the the variety of comments showing up about the virus showing up on the internet.
Please stay home as much as you can and be safe.
Morning to everyone on the Front Porch on this cloudy day with a chance of rain this afternoon and thunderstorms in tonight's outlook. Our weekend was uneventful other than a family chat on Google Hangouts. It works well once we get everyone online. There were just 5 of us out of the possible 8 that could join in as our youngest was a little under the weather with a touch of the flu. This was our 3rd such Sunday afternoon chat. All three of our girls are working from home. Two are teachers and the oldest one is a social worker with the county. Two of the 3 son-in-laws are working and are getting paid.
A couple of weeks ago I started a diary and have decided to share it here in with all of you this morning.
My Self-Isolation Quarantine Diary:Day 1 – I Can Do This!! Got enough food and wine to last a month!
Day 2 – Opening my 8th bottle of Wine. I fear wine supplies might not last
Day 3 – Strawberries: Some have 210 seeds, some have 235 seeds. Who Knew??
Day 4 – 8:00pm. Removed my Day Pajamas and put on my Night Pajamas.
Day 5 – Today, I tried to make Hand Sanitizer. It came out as Jello Shots!!
Day 6 – I get to take the Garbage out. I’m So excited, I can’t decide what to wear.
Day 7 – Laughing way too much at my own jokes!!
Day 8 – Went to a new restaurant called “The Kitchen”. You have to gather all the ingredients and make your own meal. I have No clue how this place is still in business.
Day 9 – I put liquor bottles in every room. Tonight, I’m getting all dressed up and going Bar hopping.
Day 10 – Struck up a conversation with a Spider today. Seems nice. He’s a Web Designer.
Day 11 – Isolation is hard. I swear my fridge just said, “What the hell do you want now?”
Day 12 – I realized why dogs get so excited about something moving outside, going for walks or car rides. I think I just barked at a squirrel.
Day 13 – If you keep a glass of wine in each hand, you can’t accidently touch your face.
Day 14 – Watched the birds fight over a worm. The Cardinals led the Blue Jays 3–1.
Day 15 – Anybody else feel like they’ve cooked dinner about 395 times this month?
The tulip garden continues to show signs of life
Good morning, Peepers!
B-I-G yawn here! As y'all can see, I got my coffee in hand, but I'm not quite ready to start the day. So I'm couch potatoing it right now. My absolutely favorite pasttime!
@DaveMcK, I loved your Isolation Diary!!! I laughed out loud as I went down the list. Needed that laugh for sure!
The weather here has been up and down and left to right. Seems like it can't make up it's mind. One day we have temps in the 60s and the next day it's in the 40s. It's crazy! Yesterday it was warm and sunny and today it's "brrrrrrr" cold, overcast, and raining. I mean, it rained so hard last night, that I was sure the streets would be flooded this morning. But despite my sump pump having had to work overtime last night, the streets are just damp and my basement is dry. Yay!
But it can do whatever it wants to do outside, 'cause I'm not going out at all today. I've been furloughed from work and I am NOT complaining at all about it! I was off last week and was supposed to return to work this week or so I thought. But now, I feel like I've been given a reprieve at the last minute. So I'm making a new list of stuff to do around the house. Trying to get as many special little projects done as I can; things that I haven't had time to do in the past. And in between, I will snooze and binge (on TV) and work on my culinary creativity. "Eat, sleep, binge!" Sounds like the perfect title for a interesting book.
Well, since I turned the heat way down yesterday because our temps were so warm, I guess I'll turn it up now 'cause there is a definite chill in the air. And then I'm going to assume my new nickname "Chugalottajava" and enjoy my first cup of the day.
To the good peeps out there, I hope all are well and in health and will remain so. Let's do our best to make it through this hard time..together!
My formula: Coffee, a lotta cream, a sinful amount of Truvia, and Me!
Lydia
Evening everyone here on the Front Porch on this first Saturday of April, 2020.
Well so far it has it has been quiet weekend here in the "Made City As We Are Often Called"!
I was able to get outside today while it was sunny to catch a couple of pictures of some flowers starting to stick their noses out of the ground. I am also including a picture of the tulips in bloom a couple of years ago.
Hoping everyone has a restful evening and a great mug of coffee tomorrow morning!
Good morning, Porch Peepers!
Are y'all there?
It's early Sunday morning and I've been awake since about 3am. Even though I rose super early, I have to admit that I went to bed just after the sun set last night. My intent was to stretch out, relax, and binge watch Chicago PD. But that intention went south and before I knew it, I was sound asleep. 
And it (that sleep) was goooood!!!
So since being up, I've done a load of laundry and walked a little over a half a mile on my treadmill and I listened to some unfamiliar radio talk show while doing both. At round 5am, I began hearing the waking birds chirping and cawing outside. So I turned the off the noise of the radio and TV and in the quiet; I happily listened.
At 6 o'clock, I took my meds and a hand full of my daily cocktail of vitamins and minerals. I followed that up with a mini breakfast which included a hot, hot cup of chicken boullion. (Don't judge!) Smile.
I haven't turned on any news yet. I just don't want to hear about you know what. Not just yet. I just want to slowly work my way into the dawn of this new day--to enjoy it and the peace.
Anyway, today is my last full day off from work. Tomorrow I have to go back to the daily grind (work). But this little foretaste of retirement makes that dream all the more enticing. For once retired, I dream of trips I'll finally have time to take and days of doing whatever I wish including doing absolutely nothing at all. But for now, I hope and pray daily that we all can survive this dark time and live to be able to freely pursue life again.
In the meantime, the words from this wonderful song just came to mind... 
Here goes...
or listen...
Take care Peepers. Be blessed. Be strong. Stay safe. Godspeed.
Lydia
Good morning to everyone on the Front Porch on this first day of April 2020!
Hoping I am finding everyone safe on the Porch this morning and sipping on a fresh mug of coffee and eating your breakfast while checking the TV listings for a couple of movies. I hope you book worms have found a new source. We still have a couple dozen books on CD'S that we found at garage sales last Summer.
I have a Facebook friend in England that recently was complaining about people trying to sell JIGSAW puzzles online at greatly inflated prices. Greed still seems to rule even at times like these.
Thankfully there are people that want to help those that are in need due to a lost job or health issues. There are restaurants that are providing them with free or low cost meals. Some are delivering hot meals to healthcare workers at ground zero hospitals.
We are supporting a group that provides food to those that are in need now because of the economy
Help us reach our goal of distributing 100,000 boxes of food to those struggling with hunger!
Please stay safe and stay at home now.
Good morning, Everybody!
Popped open my eyes this morning--just happy to be yet here. Doing the social distancing, self-isolating, being a hermit thing to the very best of my ability. I look out of my living room window and I see a car or truck in almost everyone's driveway, but no people. Accept yesterday, one of my oldest neighbors could be seen walking from her home which is at the far end of the block, all the way to the corner and back. It is quite a hefty little walk. But she took her time and made it home eventually--not one car passing by or any other human being being out either. It was so surreal. But at least the streets have not been overrun with zombies or Men in Black type aliens (from that Will Smith/Tommy Lee Jones movie). So at least that's something. Smile.
I am enjoying my time at home though. I've been cooking and exercising daily--riding my stationery bike daily. Did two miles already this morning. I've been watching, watching, and watching TV. Binge watching 911, 911-Lone Star, The Biggest Loser, and a whole bunch of free movies and of course the news (as much as I can stand of it). Local news, world news, CNN, MSNBC, FoxNews, BBC News, ad infinitum. All of them telling the same story--each with their own slant. But THE STORY is much the same.
But happy days! The weatherguy predicts temps in the 50s and sunshine. So far so good. The cloudy, gloomy skies of yesterday have now blown clear. And the sun is already up, the skies are blue, and my mood is elevating upward. So I will be venturing out in a few hours. I have a limited list of things to do and then I'm going to screech home on two wheels--rounding the corner, up my drive, and back inside my house. I will push the door shut tight with one hand while simutaneously turning all of the locks with the other. Home. I can breathe. Aaahhh!
So I hope everybody on the Porch is doing well and staying safe and healthy. Remember:
And.....
And that light is hope!
Be well,
Lydia
Knock, knock, knock....
Greetings, Our Front Porch Peeps!
It is Friday! The week is almost up and the weekend is ahead. Yip, yip, ya-roo! (I just made that up!) lol But since I have no reason to be out and about, I am in full
self isolation mode today.
At least the weather is nice. Sunny. Warmer. Blue Skies. Filled my bird feeders and a variety of my feathered friends have arrived--eating and chirping away. I guess they have no idea what's going on in the world right now. But for me, their very presence gives me a sense of normalcy. Peace.
Every year I long await Spring-enduring the harsh winter anticipating the newness of Spring. This time it's different. Right now, I'm just glad to "be" here at this season. And if so blessed, I hope to see....
the blooming of all the different flowers with their colors and unique shapes/design.
So with any luck, we will all make it through to enjoy the beauty of this season and the seasons yet to come. But in the meantime, I'm believin'.....
I'm making couch potatoing my most favorite pasttime.
So let's be wise. Let's stay safe and do what we can to stay healthy. Praying everyone the best.
Lyds
Hello, Peeps!
@LaDolceVita ...I'm glad your well is well! 
I finally decided to go to CVS today. My main goal was Listerine since I use it regularly and heard there may be a run on that, too, for Pete’s sake. Had my gloves on and a homemade mask I concocted from coffee filters. 
Didn’t take my usual bag in as advised. My friendly cashier said she would have used it if I had brought it in. I could have thrown that one in the washer, too. What a waste of plastic! 
Found no paper towels or wipes, no alcohol or zinc. DID FIND LISTERINE! So I bought this huge bottle.
I am counting the trip as a success (I picked up some Easter M&M’s, too) 
so will celebrate with more coffee. It’s Friday, so I can have a glass of wine later.
May small pleasures make your day, too. Stay well!
@catwoman500 A mask out of coffee filters, very good! Hubby had 2 masks of good quality for spraying fairly toxic stuff on plants and we are using those. Pretty extreme looking for the grocery store but we do not mind. Getting that Listerine must have made your day! I feel really good after my weekly trip to the grocery store as I am usually able to obtain what I need. Thankfully I have not needed TP!
Most stores in our area are offering early AM senior hours, very helpful I wish that would continue indefinitly. Chewy is delivering again and I am trying Misfits Market for produce. Also bought 13 pepper plants, okra and cucumber seeds so we will have a garden again this year. Missed the peppers last year, cannot buy decent banana peppers anywhere.
@LydiaN586309 Your mask pictures are funny and hit the spot! @Frozenoem John Prine's death made me sad. Thanks for the link 
Problem is many are now working from home internet connection goes to heck.
A little input would help what are you using Windows 10, iPhone/iPad/Mac, Android when you get error message.
33* raining presently and snow is an hour out. I'm bored my troubleshooting hat awaits.
If you can pm me, by clicking that little envelope icon on your browser window.
Or here 🤣
For the moment my internet and cell phone both work.
May become a crapshoot later today, now I need to eat and drink.
Froze
Good morning, Peepers!
Well, I finally ventured outside yesterday after having been under house arrest for over a week. I had to do some shopping for a senior friend and a little for me too. I also picked up her laundry as she as been under the weather and cannot get out for herself. Moreover, I was able to sit and spend some time with her since both of us have been on lock down so long that neither of us feared contaminating the other. She was so glad to have some company if even for a little while. Needless to say, Friday was a very busy day for me.
Back to the shopping-- The main thing was the c-r-o-w-d-s!!! The other thing was there still was no toilet paper or paper towel or napkins. What's up with that? I just don't understand. After all, you can't EAT the TP! "Can you!?" And there was no Lysol anything! But everything else was is good supply. So the overall shopping trip went well.
@Frozenoem, seems like you live in a place that has as of yet resisted the advent of Spring. Snow! And then to have no power! Eck!!! We had very light flurries (snowy dots really) the other day and when I got up, I found my car dusted with the stuff. But it quickly melted with the warmth (42 degrees) of the sun.
@catwoman500, I, too, have been having problems with accessing AARP for time to time. It happens so often now that I don't even frustrate myself with it. When I can't get on or in, I just pick up my phone and let my fingers do the walking. Believe you me, when this whole corona situation finally passes, I will head to Best buy and get me a new computer. I've had this one 15 or 16 years now and I guess it's just tired.
@LaDolceVita, glad you like and enjoy my pics. Hope you are well and doing okay.
Today (Saturday) I intend to stay on lock down in my house until tomorrow. Tomorrow is Easter Sunday and I will have to go back to work for sure. No more hedging. No more time off. I gotta do what I gotta do! But I feel ready. At least I'm not feeling terrified (you know--of the...virus).
I guess we're all doing our best to do our part with social distancing, staying home, and handwashing. I know it can all be kind of restrictive, but I guess it's a small inconvenience which will hopefully help us through and get us out of this pandemic mess.
Well, I've been awake and up since before the dawn which has now fully come. The house had a chill. But I turned up the thermostat and now it's quite toasty warm. Will soon start breakfast, but for now the next best thing is,
It's....
C-o-f-f-e-e t-i-m-e!
Be safe and stay strong everybody.
Lyds
"I downloaded AARP Perks to assist in staying connected and never missing out on a discount!" -LeeshaD341679
