Post a good thing that happened in your life today

[Bryan]

9 hours ago, Michael Ventura said:

 

My dentist has been encouraging me to get one...I suppose I should.

 

We have a radio programme called The Best Thing Sliced Bread - Or Marketing BS.  They looked at electric tooth brushes a while back. The conclusion, if I remember correctly, was that with time, patience and dedication you can do just as good a job with a manual brush, but, for normal busy/lazy  people the electric solution is better.

[StokeCreative]

4 hours ago, Bryan said:

 

Oh dear, sorry to hear that ! Hope  you can find a dentist.  Years ago the bloke we used went private and wanted to charge a fortune, but we were able to find a good HHS practice locally. I get the impression that NHS dentistry is in a bit of a crisis these days, with many people unable to sign up in their area.

 

Thanks Bryan. And in other news we are planning to move from stoke on trent to "oop North". My wife is from Hexham area and my sone has moved up to Matfen, so we are re-locating to somewhere in Northumberland. Bit more northerly than you, I think youre in Durham.

[Michael Ventura]

4 hours ago, Bryan said:

 

We have a radio programme called The Best Thing Sliced Bread - Or Marketing BS.  They looked at electric tooth brushes a while back. The conclusion, if I remember correctly, was that with time, patience and dedication you can do just as good a job with a manual brush, but, for normal busy/lazy  people the electric solution is better.

 

I wouldn't hesitate to get one but I just don't have much counter space in my small bathroom.  I have a pedestal style sink, so very little room for accessories.

[Cecile Marion]

A good electric toothbrush only takes up slightly more room than a regular brush, and stands on its end. Mine only needs to be charged once a month, so my charger (also small) is put away until I need it. 

[Bryan]

1 hour ago, StokeCreative said:

 

Thanks Bryan. And in other news we are planning to move from stoke on trent to "oop North". My wife is from Hexham area and my sone has moved up to Matfen, so we are re-locating to somewhere in Northumberland. Bit more northerly than you, I think youre in Durham.

 

For anyone else reading, Northumberland is an unpleasant wilderness where madmen chop down historic trees  - visit at your peril - but, between you and me, a beautiful, almost empty county with fabulous countryside, castles and coast.  My wife has specified that her ashes be scattered in sight of the Simonside Hills  - hopefully  by someone other than me. 

 

Hope you are successful in your search. 

 

I was born in and have moved back to what was a part of County Durham, now Tyne and Wear.  Once upon a time it was all called Northumbria.

[StokeCreative]

11 minutes ago, Bryan said:

 

For anyone else reading, Northumberland is an unpleasant wilderness where madmen chop down historic trees  - visit at your peril - but, between you and me, a beautiful, almost empty county with fabulous countryside, castles and coast.  My wife has specified that her ashes be scattered in sight of the Simonside Hills  - hopefully  by someone other than me. 

 

Hope you are successful in your search. 

 

I was born in and have moved back to what was a part of County Durham, now Tyne and Wear.  Once upon a time it was all called Northumbria.

yes  Sycamore Gap now truly lives up to its name  And thanks, the search continues...

[wiskerke]

10 hours ago, Michael Ventura said:

 

I wouldn't hesitate to get one but I just don't have much counter space in my small bathroom.  I have a pedestal style sink, so very little room for accessories.

There are wall mounts. I like the ones that sit on top of or plug into a US power outlet. They may be 3d printed. (Thingiverse has 28 pages with holders for electric toothbrushes. Including some wall mounted ones.)

And then there are outlet covers with a little integrated shelf. No link because Home Depot says: You don't have permission to access "http://www.homedepot.com/" on this server.

Which is very annoying because I used to give friends tips on what to buy from their local Home Depot. They are much cheaper from Walmart anyway. That'll teach them.

 

wim

Edited November 23, 2023 by wiskerke
typo

[Betty LaRue]

My area is supposed to get a nice snow today, up to 6 inches. I love snow if I don’t have to travel. The nice thing about it is there is no wind. When it begins in an hour or two, I expect a lot of straight down, beautiful, large, floating flakes.

I will be torn between watching college football & watching snow falling, & if I need a break, I’ll finish my watercolor painting. I just need to put the trees in.

[Sally Robertson]

42 minutes ago, Betty LaRue said:

My area is supposed to get a nice snow today, up to 6 inches. I love snow if I don’t have to travel. The nice thing about it is there is no wind. When it begins in an hour or two, I expect a lot of straight down, beautiful, large, floating flakes.

I will be torn between watching college football & watching snow falling, & if I need a break, I’ll finish my watercolor painting. I just need to put the trees in.

That sounds like a lovely day ahead Betty. I hope you get the lovely snow fall. I‘ve only seen snow fall once in my life when I was 20 in Canada. They were just light flurries, but that was super exciting to me. There is something magical about snow.

[Michael Ventura]

Like Betty said, snow is great when you don't have to travel in it.  My father was born and raised in Cairo, Egypt and never saw a flake of snow (except for in the movies) until he came to the U.S. to go to Syracuse University.  Well after one winter in Syracuse, New York, he promptly transferred to a school in Washington DC.  Syracuse averages 10 feet of snow a winter, DC gets very little by comparison, maybe a foot altogether, for the winter season.

Edited November 26, 2023 by Michael Ventura

[Rebecca Ore]

3 minutes ago, Michael Ventura said:

Like Betty said, snow is great when you don't have to travel in it.  My father was born and raised in Cairo, Egypt and never saw a flake of snow (except for in the movies) until he came to the U.S. to go to Syracuse University.  Well after one winter in Syracuse, New York, he promptly transferred to a school in Washington DC.  Syracuse averages 10 feet of snow a winter, DC gets very little by comparison, maybe a foot altogether, for winter season.

 

Nicaragua had snow at higher elevations once in the early 20th century (1912?).   I showed a young friend pictures Virginia snow and he said it looked like refrigerator frost.   My second landlord and his wife are planning to go to Calgary, Canada, where his wife will have a scholarship and he'll be given a work permit (they have two children).   I cringed thinking of just how cold that's going to be for a tropical family.   As for me, the fartherest north I ever want to be would be NYC.  Oriziba is the nearest snow capped mountain going north, and the Andes in SA going south.   Guatemala has some frost and snow at higher elevations, but nothing to last.   Orizaba is a bit over 18,000 feet.  Saw it from an airplane flying to the US once.  Didn't look straight down to see it, sideways and somewhat down.

 

Have seen a hail storm here which is a one in 80 years event from what I was told.

[Cecile Marion]

Snow? What’s that? 😄

 

I’ve just had a bad thing turn into a good thing. I ordered a pair of hiking boots online from a very reputable hiking/camping gear company. The boots were quite pricey, but something I will really need soon. I’ve had two pair of this brand of low-rise shoes and they’ve fit me very well. I’d put off the new purchase for awhile with the hope they’d go on sale, but I finally gave in yesterday. Of course, today the boots were marked down 25%, as evidenced by a promotional email I received this morning. It was quite a substantial savings. I figured it wouldn’t hurt to ask, so I gave the company a call (online chat, as it turned out), and they’ve agreed to refund 25% of the original price. So, now I’m very happy. 

[Betty LaRue]

5 hours ago, Sally Robertson said:

That sounds like a lovely day ahead Betty. I hope you get the lovely snow fall. I‘ve only seen snow fall once in my life when I was 20 in Canada. They were just light flurries, but that was super exciting to me. There is something magical about snow.

Yes it is magical. Funny thing, the watercolor I’m working on is a lovely snow scene.
Snow is still coming down & is predicted to continue until the wee hours. I’ve watched 3 teen girls across the street play in it, go inside to warm up, then go out again several times. They don’t last too long before seeking the warmth of the house.

As an adult with teenagers who were no longer interested in making snowmen, I used to go out by myself & make them. I made a snowwoman with a snow-poodle on a leash one year, and the next, a man relaxing in a lawn glider with his arm across the back. He had a hat and clutched a real pipe in his mouth.

The newspaper photographer took pictures of them & featured them in soft news about the weather. Fun stuff.

Analyzing myself, it probably was because I was always too sickly as a child for mother to allow me to play in the snow. I spent a lot of time with my nose pressed to a window watching my two older sisters build snowmen. I still caught a lot of colds & viruses as an adult, but when I built my snow people, I donned long underwear & my ski outfit, ski gloves, hat & moon boots. Remember those? 😁
As children, all we had were coats.

Edited November 25, 2023 by Betty LaRue

[Sally Robertson]

15 hours ago, Betty LaRue said:

Yes it is magical. Funny thing, the watercolor I’m working on is a lovely snow scene.
Snow is still coming down & is predicted to continue until the wee hours. I’ve watched 3 teen girls across the street play in it, go inside to warm up, then go out again several times. They don’t last too long before seeking the warmth of the house.

As an adult with teenagers who were no longer interested in making snowmen, I used to go out by myself & make them. I made a snowwoman with a snow-poodle on a leash one year, and the next, a man relaxing in a lawn glider with his arm across the back. He had a hat and clutched a real pipe in his mouth.

The newspaper photographer took pictures of them & featured them in soft news about the weather. Fun stuff.

Analyzing myself, it probably was because I was always too sickly as a child for mother to allow me to play in the snow. I spent a lot of time with my nose pressed to a window watching my two older sisters build snowmen. I still caught a lot of colds & viruses as an adult, but when I built my snow people, I donned long underwear & my ski outfit, ski gloves, hat & moon boots. Remember those? 😁
As children, all we had were coats.

 

I imagine a snow scene looking beautiful in watercolours. It is great you have the real thing happening outside to draw on for inspiration.

Your snow creations sounds wonderful Betty! I'm glad you have had a chance to live out those fun activities you watched your older sisters doing. And it's fantastic they caught the eye of the newspaper photographer.

I had to look up moon boots to be reminded of what they look like. Snow is so rare here in Australia except for some southern highland areas, and it occasionally falls at lower altitudes in southern regions. But otherwise it's a rare sight. However, there are outdoor equipment and apparel stores that do sell that sort of thing, as people do like to either travel to those snowy areas or overseas.

Yes, there are many more warmer clothing options now. Even though it gets much less cold here in Australia I still remember often being cold as a child in the winter. We just had a t-shirt, skirt and jumper as our school uniform. I remember shivering a lot, especially outside at lunchtime at school.

I hope you enjoy the snowy scene tomorrow if it's still there ❄️

 

[Bryan]

No snow here as yet, but near freezing temperatures.

 

Yesterday we met up with our sons and their families at a children's indoor adventure  play barn. Spent time following 3 and 8 year olds over obstacles, down slides, crawling through tunnels etc. good fun but exhausting !  

 

Earlier spent time constructing a flat pack wardrobe for our elder son, who has many skills, but they don't include DIY. Instructions diabolical, no text and blurry indistinct  illustrations, which made IKEA stuff look really good in comparison. Got there eventually, so great feeling of satisfaction - I hope it doesn't fall apart.

[Ed Rooney]

 

Just now I was listening to Mozart's Eine Kleine Nachtmusik—three of my 15 words in German. I love the music and I love saying the title. The rest of my German vocabulary concerns beer and WW2 movies.

[John Morrison]

A new arrival in the family yesterday: a daughter for Chas & Dasha, to be called Arlene. I’m glad to (finally) have a grand-daughter; the extended family is already awash with testosterone…

[Mr Standfast]

1 hour ago, John Morrison said:

A new arrival in the family yesterday: a daughter for Chas & Dasha, to be called Arlene. I’m glad to (finally) have a grand-daughter; the extended family is already awash with testosterone…

 

The word congratulations never seems enough. It will have to do, congatulations. 🥂👍

[Stephen Dwyer]

I met a bunch of relatives yesterday that I didn't know existed. My son was mapping our family on Ancestry.com and was contacted by an 88 year old woman who turned out to be my father's cousin. Apparently there was a family breakup in the 1920's and they hadn't spoken since. Names were changed after a death and remarriage so when my father was researching the family in the early 2000's the Dwyer name didn't come up. It was an amazing experience. 

[Mr Standfast]

5 hours ago, Bryan said:

No snow here as yet, but near freezing temperatures.

 

Yesterday we met up with our sons and their families at a children's indoor adventure  play barn. Spent time following 3 and 8 year olds over obstacles, down slides, crawling through tunnels etc. good fun but exhausting !  

 

Earlier spent time constructing a flat pack wardrobe for our elder son, who has many skills, but they don't include DIY. Instructions diabolical, no text and blurry indistinct  illustrations, which made IKEA stuff look really good in comparison. Got there eventually, so great feeling of satisfaction - I hope it doesn't fall apart.

 

 

 

Sounds like a more fun than finding pictures in the Times. Good choice.

 

Eldest son and family are arriving for Christmas. This means the office has to be converted to Grandaughters bedroom. Nobody lets me do any lifting at the moment so youngest son has volunteered to step out of his comfort zone to disassemble the desk and assemble a bed. He's a star.

[Bryan]

14 hours ago, Mr Standfast said:

Eldest son and family are arriving for Christmas. This means the office has to be converted to Grandaughters bedroom. Nobody lets me do any lifting at the moment so youngest son has volunteered to step out of his comfort zone to disassemble the desk and assemble a bed. He's a star.

Great to have the family around at Xmas, we're all meeting up on Boxing day at our elder son's place, weather permitting. In days gone by people generally lived close to one another, but sadly being separated is now more common.

 

I hope that your lifting ban is a temporary problem.

[Betty LaRue]

On 26/11/2023 at 06:17, Sally Robertson said:

 

I imagine a snow scene looking beautiful in watercolours. It is great you have the real thing happening outside to draw on for inspiration.

Your snow creations sounds wonderful Betty! I'm glad you have had a chance to live out those fun activities you watched your older sisters doing. And it's fantastic they caught the eye of the newspaper photographer.

I had to look up moon boots to be reminded of what they look like. Snow is so rare here in Australia except for some southern highland areas, and it occasionally falls at lower altitudes in southern regions. But otherwise it's a rare sight. However, there are outdoor equipment and apparel stores that do sell that sort of thing, as people do like to either travel to those snowy areas or overseas.

Yes, there are many more warmer clothing options now. Even though it gets much less cold here in Australia I still remember often being cold as a child in the winter. We just had a t-shirt, skirt and jumper as our school uniform. I remember shivering a lot, especially outside at lunchtime at school.

I hope you enjoy the snowy scene tomorrow if it's still there ❄️

 

I enjoyed the snow, all 8 inches of it, greatly! What with football on TV & watching snow fall, I didn’t get the watercolor finished until today. I think I’m finally getting the rust off my painting technique. I’m somewhat pleased with the result.

Sunday was filled with the sounds of shovels scraping snow off driveways up & down the street, the sunshine making everything sparkle like diamonds while clouds of vapor hung by the shovelers’ mouths.
my son-in-law brought his snow-blower & blew off my driveway late Saturday night shortly before it quit snowing. I think he was afraid I’d slip and fall going to my mailbox near the street. Falls aren’t good when one’s back is held together with screws & rods.

On second thought…I’d probably break a leg or hip before the rods & screws gave way! 😁 After two days of sunshine, there’s a lot of melting going on but it’s still cold…the snow cover keeps it so.

I’m determined to lose a couple of pounds I gained, so I had only one meal today, but it was a nice meal. Why is it when the weather turns cold we eat more? Or maybe not more, but we crave calorie-laden richer food. I’m including you all so I won’t feel so guilty. Much better to say “we” than “I”.

[Ed Rooney]

22 hours ago, Mr Standfast said:

 

youngest son has volunteered to step out of his comfort zone to disassemble the desk and assemble a bed. He's a star.

 

Could you send him over here when he's finished? 

[Allan Bell]

9 hours ago, Ed Rooney said:

 

Could you send him over here when he's finished? 

 

Still need that light bulb changing?

 

If so I can come over one day.

 

Allan

 

[Michael Ventura]

On 23/11/2023 at 02:33, Bryan said:

 

We have a radio programme called The Best Thing Sliced Bread - Or Marketing BS.  They looked at electric tooth brushes a while back. The conclusion, if I remember correctly, was that with time, patience and dedication you can do just as good a job with a manual brush, but, for normal busy/lazy  people the electric solution is better.

 

Well I did it, I broke down and got an electric toothbrush on Amazon on "Cyber Monday".   Got a good deal.  Now I need to get used to it.  I put toothpaste on it and turned it on and the toothpaste flew off like cake batter coming out of a mixing bowl.  Luckily this one has various speed, the fastest one felt like it was going to rip my gums to shreds.  I think I got the hang of it and I am sure it will do a better job than the traditional toothbrushes.