A couple of weeks ago, I was chatting online with blogger buddy Vicki, and she mentioned having driveway chats. She invites a friend/neighbor to bring their own chair over to sit in her driveway to have a visit while maintaining social distance. I thought this was a brilliant idea. Phone calls are nice, and video chats have been fun, but a few friends you just need to see in person. Our lower driveway is perfect for this, with nice shade in the afternoon, so I set out a chair and a table making sure they were at least 8 feet apart. I know, six is the standard, but that extra 2 would make my guests feel super safe, and it is still close enough to talk.
My friend Bonnie came over for a one on one chat. We had a chilly day, but we were getting desperate for face to face contact. My Sweet Babboo took a photo of us from the veranda.
Then, a few days later on a warmer day, two more friends agreed to come over. That’s Bridget on the left and Sam in the center, two very dear friends willing to come over for a safe visit, and a bit of show and tell. They brought their own chairs and once again I provided little tables spaced 8-9 feet apart so they would know where to set up. We chatted for 2 hours, and it went by in a flash. We are going to get together like this again, and next time for lunch, with each of us getting take out.
If you are wondering what we are all holding up, I had treats for us. I put on a mask, and held the box, while my guests pulled an individually wrapped ice cream bar from the box for no-contact treat sharing. Sam originally introduced these decadent chocolate bombs to me when I was recovering from spine surgery some years ago. I’ve never forgiven her forgotten it.
Finding the humor these days is so important to keep our sanity, isn’t it? From my friend Chryste, a few thoughts for a laugh –
After a few days of not going out, I saw someone I knew walking by on the sidewalk outside.
I immediately ran to the window and started yelling to them.
Now I understand dogs.
Day 68 of social isolation and it’s looking like Vegas in my house:
We’re losing money by the minute.
Cocktails are acceptable at any hour.
Nobody knows what time it is.
The longer this goes on, the harder it will be to return to a society where pants and bras are required!
Happy hour is starting earlier and earlier.
If this keeps up, I’ll be pouring bourbon in my cereal!
This meme was on the Quilter’s Dream page on Facebook, too funny!!
How are you maintaining your social connections?
Sharing at Vintage Charm.
From My Carolina Home 
i have had a few driveway visits. one day i stood in the freezing rain talking to my daughter-in-law and 3 grandchildren while they were in the car. my daughter-in-law said she felt bad i was standing in the freezing rain and i said i never noticed and would do it again.
a few weeks later, she brought the kids back and brought lawn chairs and we visited an hour. she kept reminding the boys they needed to stay back. we did air hugs when they left.
one afternoon, i was staining my deck and my dear friend and her husband pulled in my driveway and we visited for a while. this wasn’t a planned visit like yours, but it was still a welcome visit that in our normal world, i wouldn’t be thinking about a month later.
“It was a welcome visit that in our normal world, I wouldn’t be thinking about a month later.” Isn’t that profound? That’s how much more meaningful connections with others has become. It’s one of the silver linings in this scary time.
I love it!! What a great idea!!!
I think the loneliness is the worst, and can be very depressing. I have a quilt bee buddy who lives about a block away, and I check on her frequently, as she is home alone with her dog. She and I text back and forth, and I will walk over to her house and visit from the front porch or driveway. I feel fortunate to have visited with my quilting friends “from the porch” when they came by to drop off or pick up masks. I was not being altruistic offering to be the ” collection point “, it was really to have some human contact. My friends all stayed in the driveway and I on the porch but visiting was great. I’ve seen the grand kids the same way as Sheryl, standing in the driveway or on the porch while they do a stop over en route to town for school packets etc. Luckily, my daughters check each time they shop if I want something picked up. What I miss most is getting those wonderful hugs from my daughters and the grands. I am thankful for my husband who will run errands, and who will just get in the car and go for a drive through the countryside to give us a change of pace. This is hardest of all on the very youngest grandchild who is four. She just wants grandma to come and stay and wants mommy and daddy to “go on a date”. She and I are video chatting fairly regularly. Mommy hands off the phone and she “takes me to her room”, hops on her bed and shows me what pillow I should put my head on and we “virtually” snuggle. She will tell me “stay right there while she hops out and runs for a book to read to me! Makes my whole day brighter.
Oh this is priceless. I hope you write this down somewhere. What a wonderful memory this will create for both of you. Maybe her mom can take pictures sometimes when she is doing this with you.
We discovered those chocolate bombs years ago in Australia and they are fabulous! They have finally reached my corner of the world in SE Michigan and are a very special treat.
I made a quilt for my nephew who’s graduating from college. They have a lake house so we met at the lake, sat all around in different seats, went into the house to get our dinner one by one, and he opened his gift. He loved it and I was so pleased. As you say, it was just so great to see people for real!
Chocolate bombs? I haven’t seen those here, but they look tasty! Glad you were able to do some driveway chats with friends. It really helps, doesn’t it? I’ve had friends over for chats on my deck. They bring their own coffee, and we sit 6 feet apart. The time flies!
That was a wonderful post. I can see where that might become a permanent thing. Just bring some handwork and enjoy nature and good friends! You do have the perfect driveway! Thanks for sharing.
we have a nice long porch so sitting on one end for visitor(s) and the other side us – all covered from the sun or light rain – dear daughter will be stopping by later today and that is how we visit as she has continued to work during this time and is exposed – we go shopping once a week so have been a little exposed but not like she has been – so she refuses to come in the house and we just visit outside. We are in the country so rarely see anyone.
Hmmm neighbors? might be nice. I am pretty used to being all by myself but when my sister comes to work on Mothers house, now my sisters, it is kinda nice to be around someone. I think this whole situation is just terrible and the reasons behind it even more so.
Being social creatures by nature, I am sure this did a world of good for everyone. Love the cat sewing a mask cartoon!
Last week our sons and families came by at different times for visits with us like this. It was so good just to talk in person. It’s been a few months since we’ve seen our daughter and family…think we need a driveway visit with them soon, too! Fun post!
That is such a great idea! Not sure why I haven’t tried it. I have a friend I meet for tea regularly and we haven’t met in two months now! I should suggest it to her. Have a great day, Carole!
A family did this in our neighborhood. Great humor your friend sent!
Readers have been sending more, LOL!! Enjoy these!!
Wearing a mask inside your home is now highly recommended. Not so much to prevent COVID-19 but to stop eating.
This cleaning with alcohol is total BS. NOTHING gets done after that first bottle.
Kinda’ starting to understand why pets try to run out of the house when the door opens.
My Mom always told me I wouldn’t accomplish anything by laying in the bed all day, but look at me now! I’m saving the world!
The spread of COVID-19 is based on two factors.
1. How dense the population is.
2. How dense the population is.
Love the humor and seeing you and your friends visiting. As our state is in the first stages of reopening, we actually donned our masks and took a trip to Costco and out to lunch at my favorite Mexican restaurant on Friday! It actually felt good to “get dressed and make-upped up!” and get out of the house for a bit. It was good to see the restaurant was following social distancing guidelines. Gotta love that meme don’t you?! Unlike the kitty, our poor dog, who has a bit of separation anxiety anyway, was soooo excited when we got home! I thought she was going to have a heart attack! Have a great week, Carole!
Thanks for the chuckles this morning, Carole! And good for you for finding some fun ways to connect!
LOL! Loved and laughed at the comments and meme!!! Your shared shared time and chocolate are wonderful.
I live on a corner lot in Broadlands Virginia. I get a lot of walkers and kids all good fun neighbors. I love talking at the fence. It is fun to catch up on the grand kiddos, the college kids, and the kids next door, we actually play badminton over our fence.
we can adapt to just about anything now. Especially our generation, gosh, we LIVED in the “olden days” without the internets and cheap stuff made in communist countries
Good morning, loved the driveway as a meeting place for your friends. Good idea but what I loved more was the thought of eating one of those ice cream bars. I quickly hurried and put them on my grocery list. Maybe I will do grocery pick up sooner rather than later…..
I love the meet up idea!! I really enjoyed your post today. Hugs,
Hope you don’t mind but I copied some of your jokes. LOVE the dog and cat jokes. Thanks for the reminder that we can “get together”. We still have a mailman that delivers to the house and the poor man gets stopped at every house! But we all met at the corner house driveway and cheered him on then stayed to talk. He had the virus early on and is doing well. I’m finding myself listening to Broadway show tunes these days. Songs that have a storyline. (And I do a little dance.) Cleaning a closet I found a box of tee shirts for tee shirt quilt for my daughter. Those always take me down memory lane. Now if I can find enough iron on interfacing.
Thanks for the Chocolate idea – sounds wonderful!
Good morning Carole,
Isn’t it great to be able to have visitors, even if we have to sit so far apart, just don’t hurt your voices trying to talk loud enough to be heard. My red hat friend sent me an e-mail this morning of a big bush, and I mean big, with a couple holes cut out for eyes and a white mask with the strings to hold it onto bush, what a great sence of humor. Another picture was of a bug truch on wheels but the wheels were rolls of toilet paper, just a little humor of how people are finding ways to entertains others and themselves, she had several other pictures but those two really got my attention. I have a big gardenia bush by the steps going to my front door and I would love to put a mask on it but have too many other projects on my plate. Working on some mask is one of them. Ya’ll keep the faith and stay smart and safe. Phyllis
Your driveway visits are a great idea. I have a friend that does that, too! Lunch with friends on the driveway would be fun. We could all bring our own and just chat away! Thanks for the smiles. Take care
I love your friends in the driveway visits, how much fun. I have never seen those ice cream bars, oh my they look divine. Thanks for the laughs!
Haven’t all of these silly pictures and captions been great for giving us some chuckles! Thanks for sharing these. My sister and mother passed along the ice cream treats suggestion last year. Good for me that these are only on sale a few times during the summer.
Connie
Nice shady spot for your meetups!
In the last several weeks, small groups of us have been gathering in places here at Rossmoor where chairs are widely spaced or we can space our own chairs out, limit to 6 people, bring our own treats and talk. The quilt groups also do show and tell!
We have also had a busy text string among some of us working on donation quilts – porch drops of supplies, kit pick-up, top drop off to our long armer, binding fairy pickup and so on, sometimes by stealth and sometimes with a safe distance chat on the porch.
Getting old, but I don’t see much opening up anytime soon. By definition, all 10,000 of us living in this community are high risk😀.
Be well and stay safe,
Susan @susansquiltstudio
What a cute post. You are finding great ways to connect. Neighbors on our street host a social distancing party every Saturday, everyone in the neighborhood is welcome and each week there is a different theme (e.g. Hawaiian/tropical, glitter, cowboy, etc). People bring their own chairs and it is a great way for neighbors to connect.
Hang in there. This will soon be history.
My husband has been suffering from the virus since May 5th, so I am terrified to have any contact even distant. He finally seems to be starting to improve, but now I wonder when I will get sick…My last day of work is Wednesday and I hope I can find my sewing mojo again. Thanks for your joyful update!
Yes, joyful is the word for this post! Laughed out loud at some of the jokes! Thanks so much for this bit of amusement on a Sunday!
So happy to read you did some driveway visiting – we have done this once here. Happy hour with a visiting couple who bought there own drinks and forks. I provided their own bottle of blue cheese stuffed olives and their own smoked oysters tin, even had sani wipes to wipe down containers. Is this our new normal for a time? Looks like it…. Love the funny quotes and the cat sewing a mask – hysterical!
I did this with my sisters and daughter/granddaughters. I retired in January hoping I could spend lots of visiting time with my sisters since they are much older that I am. We talk on the phone a lot but it is not like giving them hugs and kisses.
My close gf has been working on her backyard and we are about to try the very same thing you’ve done here. This looks like some semblance of normal, which we all want so much. Our state’s opening on its biggest scale yet this week, with gyms, larger retail and indoor dining (50% capacity). Guided whitewater rafting began last week, and our antique mall opened (smaller retail, less than 10 employees), as did outdoor dining. Have a good week.
Hello Carole, I enjoyed every part of your post today! Since we live in the country and each of our neighbors are very unsociable, we just continue as normal. Although, my Mother and a couple of her neighbors started doing exactly what you are doing, setting up lawn chairs and tables and visiting. Plus, many people walk dogs or go along with their children riding bikes and such and everyone stops and visits for awhile also, while everyone is keeping the distance. Thank you for sharing a post filled with wonderful positive thoughts today! Have a fantastic day!
It hasn’t been warm enough here to have driveway visits, but there are plenty of walkers on decent days (we live in a village with sidewalks). Love the cat at the sewing machine meme. Our region (in NY) is one of those that has started re-opening, but my husband and I have decided to forego restaurant dining in-house and will continue to do occasional take-out meals. I’m going to look for those chocolate ice cream bars.
Great post! awesome idea to chat with friends-good for you, we are in lacking in friends, our two best friends are back near the woods house. so we have been really isolated that last few months. ice cream bars-perfect treat-hugs
Good for you Carole! I am going to have a drive by end of the year treat pickup for my piano kids the end of May. Girl #2 arrived from Montana Friday night, which has been wonderful beyond words.
Yes, and it was fun. A girlfriend and I met at a vacant parking lot, brought our lunches with us, and sat at a distance in our cars, each facing opposite so we could roll down the window and talk under a shade tree. Bringing a chair on a nice day to each other’s house is also a great idea. Loved the humor at the end of your blog, too, Carole. This, too, shall pass. 😉
Hubby and I actually enjoyed a “happy hour” in our friends’ driveway on Saturday. We brought our own snacks and wine, and they had theirs. We spent a couple of hours just having a nice conversation. Such a nice change of pace. The last time we got together with them was my birthday celebration in February! It looks like you had some very nice visits. I love the humorous posts. They definitely can keep you sane in this crazy world right now.
Yay for you! Seeing people fixes a lot of things. I’m in Hatteras this week with family. There’s nothing like some beach therapy.
Thank you for the idea, Vicki! It has helped me immensely!!
😂 I loved your comment on resembling Las Vegas!! I haven’t worn shoes for 2 months, I think it’s going to be fun to see how different things will be as we “emerge!” I’m glad you’re able to enjoy treats with your friends!
Jenna
As I told Carole and Bridget, I have never been so excited to go to someone’s driveway before! Time went by too quickly. This was a much-needed connection. Your driveway was perfect! I have a little flock of elderly dogs, and they are thrilled to have me here all the time, but the conversations are not very interesting. I have an online “buddy” who posts lots of photos of her dog giving her the side – eye since he is ready for her to leave his place during the day! I think I’m going to have a little issue with a little dog I am fostering. She is almost feral and terrified…..but now when I go to the office where the computer is, she stands on the other side and barks until I come back to the sewing and tv side of the house! Tanya, I hope your husband continues to improve. This virus is truly scary.
On the bright side, I may never go into a grocery again……this no-contact pick up and Instacart deliveries have introduced me to a new world. Is anyone else standing aimlessly staring into the fridge, as if a magical thing may happen?
Hi Carole, I loved the meme in your post, it made me laugh, haven’t got to do much of that. Today they announced they are keeping all public swimming pools closed for the summer.🙁 Instead of working on my projects, I have had to keep a close eye on my boyfriend as his meds for Diabetes & BP have just really messed him up. Got a little planting done last Saturday so happy about that. Has turned really cool here so will have to wait before I can plant again. My friend & I don’t wear masks when out but we keep our distance. I don’t quilt but your driveway looks inviting, wish I could sit & chat w/you. Have a good night Carole it’s time for 😴. Hugs, Judy Sent from my iPhone
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That is a lovely idea and looks like a lot of fun. Perfect on a warm day. I am disappointed it is so cold here now as I would love to do that.
I have been going to a friends house to talk etc. We meet in her large 2 car garage. There are 4 of us, so we can social distance. We have met 3 times. it is nice.Love the cat verse.
I have the grandbabies around, but it’s nice to have adult conversation! We have MS Teams thru work, so I just chatted with one of my guys, was lovely. He said the one good thing about this is that his family is doing video chats, and he’s talked more to his family than in a long time, because texts or cards or phone calls were always short!
Fun idea! Have you tried the Magnum tubs–I’m addicted! Thanks for sharing at Vintage Charm!