Post a good thing that happened in your life today

[Bryan]

The spell of mild weather we are enjoying has meant that we've been able to do some severe tree pruning. I bought myself an electric chainsaw last year and it has proved to be an invaluable piece of kit. Fortunately I've avoided removing any of my own limbs to date. Taking the prunings to the council tip today, what fun !

[Bryan]

7 hours ago, zxzoomy said:

With condensation a real problem in Manchester, UK, a friend lent me his spare dehumidifier. Much appreciated.

 

Our younger son lives in Manchester. Last year we gave him an outdoor tomato plant to grow in a hanging basket. When I asked if he was keeping it watered, his response was "This is Manchester !"

[Allan Bell]

5 hours ago, Bryan said:

 

Our younger son lives in Manchester. Last year we gave him an outdoor tomato plant to grow in a hanging basket. When I asked if he was keeping it watered, his response was "This is Manchester !"

 

😃🤣😂

 

Allan

 

[Betty LaRue]

It’s dark:30 and I’m up 2 1/2 hours early so I can go to sleep early tonight. Making prep so I’ll have my full rest when I get up at 4:30 am tomorrow for the drive to pick up my sister. I don’t fancy falling asleep at the wheel…gotta watch for them deer, y’know. This may be a 3 cup morning of coffee instead of two. YAWN….

[Michael Ventura]

25 minutes ago, Betty LaRue said:

It’s dark:30 and I’m up 2 1/2 hours early so I can go to sleep early tonight. Making prep so I’ll have my full rest when I get up at 4:30 am tomorrow for the drive to pick up my sister. I don’t fancy falling asleep at the wheel…gotta watch for them deer, y’know. This may be a 3 cup morning of coffee instead of two. YAWN….

 

Hope all goes well for you and your sis, Betty!

[Betty LaRue]

22 hours ago, Michael Ventura said:

 

Hope all goes well for you and your sis, Betty!

Thanks, Michael. It’s 4:15am & I’m gulping a cup of Dunkin’ coffee before getting ready to leave at 5:30. Cold front coming in but it’s dry, thank heavens. I have just cooked Echo’s breakfast. She’s going to be surprised to have her cage uncovered at this ungodly hour.

I had leg cramps, really bad ones, about 4 times during the night that took forever to release. Even drinking pickle juice barely helped.

Well…got a date with my toothbrush so better get after it. I’ll check in tonight if & when I make it back home.

[StokeCreative]

On 16/12/2023 at 02:46, Bryan said:

Congrats on your speedy sale and welcome to the frozen North. Having said that the car's thermometer measured an amazing December external temperature of 12 deg C coming home tonight,  

 

That hoarded Apple thing might be worth a few bob, Hours wasted watching antiques based shows on TV have shown that old IT gear is collected, but I guess it's old games machines that do best. 

Cheers Bryan. I've got a loft full of old Apple stuff (and boxes) , I think they mostly have to go as generally not worth a great deal, except *perhaps* as an image.

[Mr Standfast]

The children have arrived from that there America. 😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊

[sb photos]

My wife's brother just finished 3 months work in the Netherlands and arrived today at our home to stay with us for a few days. I haven't seen him for a few years. Tomorrow we will all be having lunch in a nearby village pub. Next we will be spending Christmas in Bristol with our daughters family. Luckily we have a friend who will pop in twice a day to attend to our cat. We do the same re her dog and cat. Will also be meeting up with my sister locally for a short time while on my way to Bristol. Very little photography planned other than family stuff.

[Mr Standfast]

11 hours ago, Betty LaRue said:

Thanks, Michael. It’s 4:15am & I’m gulping a cup of Dunkin’ coffee before getting ready to leave at 5:30. Cold front coming in but it’s dry, thank heavens. I have just cooked Echo’s breakfast. She’s going to be surprised to have her cage uncovered at this ungodly hour.

I had leg cramps, really bad ones, about 4 times during the night that took forever to release. Even drinking pickle juice barely helped.

Well…got a date with my toothbrush so better get after it. I’ll check in tonight if & when I make it back home.

 

 

Can't go wrong with a Betty in your corner. 👍

[Betty LaRue]

Well, I made a post here but it seems to have disappeared. I made it home at 6:30 this evening after a round trip of 6 hours on the road & somewhere around 5 1/2 hours at the hospital. I’m exhausted.

My sister came through surgery with flying colors, especially since she has a dodgy heart. 2 hours under anesthesia. The best case scenario happened, & some things the doctor said might need to be done didn’t have to be done. A mass was removed & it’s not cancer & she didn’t need a colostomy after all.

If I have leg cramps tonight I think I’ll cut my legs off.

Edited December 19, 2023 by Betty LaRue

[Sally Robertson]

6 minutes ago, Betty LaRue said:

Well, I made a post here but it seems to have disappeared. I made it home at 6:30 this evening after a round trip of 6 hours on the road & somewhere around 5 1/2 hours at the hospital. I’m exhausted.

My sister came through surgery with flying colors, especially since she has a dodgy heart. 2 hours under anesthesia. The best case scenario happened, & some things the doctor said might need to be done didn’t have to be done. A mass was removed & it’s not cancer & she didn’t need a colostomy after all.

If I have leg cramps tonight I think I’ll cut my legs off.

That’s really good news about your sister Betty. It’s lovely of you to support her. The exhaustion is so understandable. 6 hours on the road is a lot and there is something tiring about waiting in hospitals too, combined with hoping everything is going ok with your loved one. I hope you can get some good rest now and the leg cramps will alleviate.

[Betty LaRue]

2 hours ago, Sally Robertson said:

That’s really good news about your sister Betty. It’s lovely of you to support her. The exhaustion is so understandable. 6 hours on the road is a lot and there is something tiring about waiting in hospitals too, combined with hoping everything is going ok with your loved one. I hope you can get some good rest now and the leg cramps will alleviate.

A funny thing. I only had time this morning for one cup of coffee before leaving home. But I filled my insulated travel cup with coffee, and covered it with a plastic baggie so the heat wouldn’t escape through the drinking hole, and so the enticing aroma of the brew wouldn’t tantalize my sis.

I picked her up at her home.  Sis wore soft clothing as was asked of her by hospital personnel. She was not allowed any food or fluids by mouth. Her mouth was so dry she could barely talk. My coffee sat there in my car holder, & I wasn’t about to sip from it or even glance at it on the long drive into the city, not when she was denied her morning coffee.

I dropped her off at the doors of the hospital, & drove into the parking garage. There I sat in my car & guzzled my coffee, which after 3 hours of driving was still hot & delicious.

I texted sis & told her I was drinking coffee, then I would head to the second floor as she instructed. Woe was me, When I exited the parking garage,  I went into physicians building A and B, that looked exactly like the front doors where I dropped her off. But HER doors was of the hospital & I’d gotten myself totally turned around by the time I came out of the parking garage. I exited the garage at the west side when I should have gone out the north side, the way I’d driven in.

I have an amazing sense of direction outdoors. I always know where to turn while driving,  etc, & almost never get lost. But put me inside a shopping mall, or a hospital, or in this case, a multi-tiered huge parking garage, and I need to drop bread crumbs to find my way. So in the wrong buildings, I went to the second floor of each (two different times like I expected the results to change, surely) & found no surgical floor. 3 different people took pity on me & tried to help before at last…I was led to the hospital by a security guard who took pity on this silvery-haired lady whose back had finally given out from all of the walking & wandering.

When I at last found my sister, she looked at me and said that must’ve been a massive cup of coffee if it took me that long to drink it.

Edited December 19, 2023 by Betty LaRue

[CAROL SAUNDERS]

Fantastic news about your sister Betty, you've both done so so well, onwards and upwards and all the best for Christmas and Healthy New Year xx

 

Carol

[NYCat]

Such good news, Betty. I'm happy for you and your sister.

 

Paulette

[Ognyan Yosifov]

deleted

 

Edited December 20, 2023 by Ognyan Yosifov

[Bryan]

So today I was pressurised into a trip to Berwick. We drove, took the Tyneside Metro and then a LNER train from Newcastle.

 

There followed a walk around the Berwick coast in mainly glorious sunshine, but then a bad idea. We elected to take a bus to Spittal on the south bank of the Tweed, but, as we were waiting, an express bus to Newcastle turned up and we instantaneously decided to leap aboard - despite the fact that we had return train tickets !  Now the "express" we had chosen decided to visit every settlement between Berwick and The Toon, including having to reverse to escape from Craster, so we abandoned ship at Morpeth and boarded a speedier ride. However the journey had some compensations, for example riding in the upper deck we had a superb sunlit view of Bamburgh Castle and the islands beyond seen from the hills inland etc.

 

We eventually made it back to Newcastle in darkness, far later than we would have done had we taken our scheduled return train, and needed a cup of M&S coffee before continuing our way home.

 

An interesting experience.

 

[Betty LaRue]

17 hours ago, Bryan said:

So today I was pressurised into a trip to Berwick. We drove, took the Tyneside Metro and then a LNER train from Newcastle.

 

There followed a walk around the Berwick coast in mainly glorious sunshine, but then a bad idea. We elected to take a bus to Spittal on the south bank of the Tweed, but, as we were waiting, an express bus to Newcastle turned up and we instantaneously decided to leap aboard - despite the fact that we had return train tickets !  Now the "express" we had chosen decided to visit every settlement between Berwick and The Toon, including having to reverse to escape from Craster, so we abandoned ship at Morpeth and boarded a speedier ride. However the journey had some compensations, for example riding in the upper deck we had a superb sunlit view of Bamburgh Castle and the islands beyond seen from the hills inland etc.

 

We eventually made it back to Newcastle in darkness, far later than we would have done had we taken our scheduled return train, and needed a cup of M&S coffee before continuing our way home.

 

An interesting experience.

 

Yes, sometimes following your nose gets you in trouble. But that is how hubby and I operated on our road trips in our van. Each morning we’d look at the map & decide our route, often diverting onto side roads that we came across as the day wore on. 95% of the time it worked well & we’d find delightful places.

Like Oregon’s high desert.

 

Edited December 20, 2023 by Betty LaRue

[Bryan]

14 hours ago, Betty LaRue said:

Yes, sometimes following your nose gets you in trouble. But that is how hubby and I operated on our road trips in our van. Each morning we’d look at the map & decide our route, often diverting onto side roads that we came across as the day wore on. 95% of the time it worked well & we’d find delightful places.

Like Oregon’s high desert.

 

 

 

When we toured Europe with our small caravan, the next destination was generally heavily influenced by the weather forecast. Travelling out of peak season there was no need to book ahead. That adventure came to an end with a combination of Brexit, Covid, and both me and the van feeling our ages. These days I prefer someone else to do the driving, but a degree of spontaneity is no bad thing ! 

Edited December 21, 2023 by Bryan

[Sally Robertson]

On 19/12/2023 at 12:29, Betty LaRue said:

A funny thing. I only had time this morning for one cup of coffee before leaving home. But I filled my insulated travel cup with coffee, and covered it with a plastic baggie so the heat wouldn’t escape through the drinking hole, and so the enticing aroma of the brew wouldn’t tantalize my sis.

I picked her up at her home.  Sis wore soft clothing as was asked of her by hospital personnel. She was not allowed any food or fluids by mouth. Her mouth was so dry she could barely talk. My coffee sat there in my car holder, & I wasn’t about to sip from it or even glance at it on the long drive into the city, not when she was denied her morning coffee.

I dropped her off at the doors of the hospital, & drove into the parking garage. There I sat in my car & guzzled my coffee, which after 3 hours of driving was still hot & delicious.

I texted sis & told her I was drinking coffee, then I would head to the second floor as she instructed. Woe was me, When I exited the parking garage,  I went into physicians building A and B, that looked exactly like the front doors where I dropped her off. But HER doors was of the hospital & I’d gotten myself totally turned around by the time I came out of the parking garage. I exited the garage at the west side when I should have gone out the north side, the way I’d driven in.

I have an amazing sense of direction outdoors. I always know where to turn while driving,  etc, & almost never get lost. But put me inside a shopping mall, or a hospital, or in this case, a multi-tiered huge parking garage, and I need to drop bread crumbs to find my way. So in the wrong buildings, I went to the second floor of each (two different times like I expected the results to change, surely) & found no surgical floor. 3 different people took pity on me & tried to help before at last…I was led to the hospital by a security guard who took pity on this silvery-haired lady whose back had finally given out from all of the walking & wandering.

When I at last found my sister, she looked at me and said that must’ve been a massive cup of coffee if it took me that long to drink it.

 

Betty, I so relate to this. For me it is when I use the public toilets in shopping malls. It often involves going down a couple of corridors. On my way out I feel seriously disoriented and cannot figure out which way I came in. And hospitals can truly be very confusing! But, like you, outdoors I'm pretty good. I have a very old car with no sat nav. I actually just look at a map of where I want to go, usually on google maps on my phone, commit it to memory and then use my instincts and sense of direction which seems to work. I actually prefer that than a voice giving me instructions.

 

That sounds like a great way of keeping coffee hot! I will keep it in mind if I ever need to do it.

[Betty LaRue]

12 hours ago, Sally Robertson said:

 

Betty, I so relate to this. For me it is when I use the public toilets in shopping malls. It often involves going down a couple of corridors. On my way out I feel seriously disoriented and cannot figure out which way I came in. And hospitals can truly be very confusing! But, like you, outdoors I'm pretty good. I have a very old car with no sat nav. I actually just look at a map of where I want to go, usually on google maps on my phone, commit it to memory and then use my instincts and sense of direction which seems to work. I actually prefer that than a voice giving me instructions.

 

That sounds like a great way of keeping coffee hot! I will keep it in mind if I ever need to do it.

Yes I get the bathroom disorientation! So at a shopping mall, the biggest stores, many times on the end of the mall, have a front entrance & a back one, (sometimes a third one!) with parking. I park at the north door. Go in, shop, go out in the rest of the mall & shop. Go back into the first store & want to go to my car out of the entrance I came in. Which one was it, and which way to turn to find it. I wander around up this aisle & that, and finally see an exit door. I go outside & can’t find my car & everything looks unfamiliar. Go back in the store and ask someone “where is the north door? By then, I’m toddling around in exhaustion.

These days, I go in a door & immediately look at the merchandise just inside. Oh, shoes & purses. After shopping, since I’m inside & don’t know north from south, I just ask a clerk to point me toward the shoe department & get the correct door.

[Ed Rooney]

On 19/12/2023 at 04:29, Betty LaRue said:

 

 

she looked at me and said that must’ve been a massive cup of coffee if it took me that long to drink it.

 

Love to hear good news, Betty -- no deer crossing the road and Echo didn't bite you for leaving her alone. And best of all, your sister is in better shape than was thought. 😀

[Ed Rooney]

On 17/12/2023 at 04:35, Bryan said:

The spell of mild weather we are enjoying has meant that we've been able to do some severe tree pruning. I bought myself an electric chainsaw last year and it has proved to be an invaluable piece of kit. Fortunately I've avoided removing any of my own limbs to date. Taking the prunings to the council tip today, what fun !

 

Don't try to remove an avocado pit with that thing, Bryan.

[Bryan]

More on tree chopping. We've had to clear a neglected allotment plot on our site prior to welcoming new tenants. Dismembering and digging up the trees was a communal task, carried out by the normal group of willing horses, but yesterday I got to light an enormous fire to dispose of the unwanted wood. We have to be careful lighting fires as there are houses on two sides of the triangular site, but yesterday storm force winds were carrying the smoke away from local habitation. I guess that in future allotment fires will be completely banned, as concerns over air quality and global warming will dominate proceedings = there is an article in today's paper suggesting that the use of domestic wood burning stoves  may be restricted on bad air days. But for now I get a primeval pleasure from lighting a fire.

[gvallee]

47 minutes ago, Bryan said:

More on tree chopping. We've had to clear a neglected allotment plot on our site prior to welcoming new tenants. Dismembering and digging up the trees was a communal task, carried out by the normal group of willing horses, but yesterday I got to light an enormous fire to dispose of the unwanted wood. We have to be careful lighting fires as there are houses on two sides of the triangular site, but yesterday storm force winds were carrying the smoke away from local habitation. I guess that in future allotment fires will be completely banned, as concerns over air quality and global warming will dominate proceedings = there is an article in today's paper suggesting that the use of domestic wood burning stoves  may be restricted on bad air days. But for now I get a primeval pleasure from lighting a fire.

 

Funny you write about fire Bryan. We are currently camping in the Bush for the night. The fire danger gauge sign at the entrance of the track was on 'extreme risk'. 36C today in tender dry vegetation. Yesterday I receive an SMS alert about a large uncontrolled bushfire nearby. Not a fan of fires.