Post a good thing that happened in your life today

[Allan Bell]

6 hours ago, gvallee said:

Look at what you lot made me upload. This was our lunch yesterday.

Gourmet smoked salmon, avocado, capers, red onions, toast, balsamic dressing. Who's joining me?

 

 

YUM

Allan

 

[sb photos]

Thames water were investigating a drop in water pressure and decided to dig up the pavement and go down about 4 - 5 feet literally outside my house. Although I was going out I had time to chat with the 2 workers and take a few photographs. I then took a 14 km exercise stroll shooting some stock and reportage. The sun even came out for 20 minutes. Quite a nice productive afternoon.

[Ed Rooney]

I managed to shampoo my hair with one hand in the kitchen sink this morning, a major victory!

 

One of my last best friends from my Rome days lives in Bar Harbour, Betty. 

[spacecadet]

45 minutes ago, Ed Rooney said:

I managed to shampoo my hair with one hand in the kitchen sink this morning, a major victory!

 

 

Ed, everybody gets a 😀 from me nowadays regardless. I decided months ago that extra larfs wouldn't hurt.

[Allan Bell]

3 hours ago, Ed Rooney said:

I managed to shampoo my hair with one hand in the kitchen sink this morning, a major victory!

 

One of my last best friends from my Rome days lives in Bar Harbour, Betty. 

 

Which one.😈

 

Allan

 

[Mr Standfast]

28 minutes ago, Allan Bell said:

 

Which one.😈

 

Allan

 

 

 

 

Look after yerself Edo. 😉

Edited November 22, 2020 by Mr Standfast
Silly

[Michael Ventura]

My daughter’s rental house had a new refrigerator delivered, the old one was not cooling very well.  The company that delivered it, plugged it in and left.  Only one little problem, the doors opened towards the living room, not the kitchen.  So she called dad.  I went over with my toolbox and homemade veggie soup I made this morning and managed to switch the hinges so it opened the right way for her kitchen layout.  These new fridges are much more complicated then the last time I did that.  Luckily she did not have any ice maker in the door or it would have been beyond my skill set.  Anyway, it was nice to spend time with her, which is rare these days since she works night shifts only.

 

I should add that we both wore masks the whole time.

Edited November 22, 2020 by Michael Ventura

[Cecile Marion]

Good for you, Michael! I’m guessing your daughter appreciated your ability to make the change! My daughter has lived in four different apartments since 2014 and, in and every single one, the refrigerator doors have opened on the wrong side. It would drive me nuts, but doesn’t seem to bother my daughter one little bit. I guess she’s used to it.

[Betty LaRue]

5 hours ago, Cecile Marion said:

Good for you, Michael! I’m guessing your daughter appreciated your ability to make the change! My daughter has lived in four different apartments since 2014 and, in and every single one, the refrigerator doors have opened on the wrong side. It would drive me nuts, but doesn’t seem to bother my daughter one little bit. I guess she’s used to it.

Mine is a 4 door. Upper split into two side-by-side doors, then a middle pull-out drawer, then bottom pull out freezer. It avoids a big single door. Works well. Might say it’s ambidextrous! 😉

The one before this one (also a different house) swung out wrong, too, but I didn’t have someone handy like you, Michael.  From past experience, I knew better than to ask my husband to switch it. He was handy with a lot of things, but that was out of his wheelhouse. The part of the door close to the hinge sort of crunched a door frame when opened wide and I had to tape a strip of sponge on the woodwork so it wouldn’t mark my refrigerator door.
Same thing, the two guys plunked it down and I forgot to pay attention. My bad.

[Bryan]

THREE good things happened today. 

 

1) We have had a problem with a weep from the inlet connection on one of our toilet cisterns. I've tried to source a new washer in the past but the big DIY stores don't stock the size. However I did a bit of research on T'Net and found that plumbers use a length of PTFE tape twisted into a spiral and then wound around the base of the connector. Tried it, it failed the first time. Added more tape and, Voila, no leak!  I took the old washer to a specialist plumbing supplier and they provided me with a shed load of spares, so any more leaks, bring em on....

 

2) It being a miserable dull day, I went to the allotment intending to throw some of the muck heap over to aerate it and make room for fresh supplies. Managed to shift the entire heap and then wheeled in about 12 barrowloads of new muck, job not finished, but very good progress.

 

3) While at the allotment our No. 2 son phoned asking for advice on planting a tree. Makes an old guy feel useful when the offspring still ask for help !

[Betty LaRue]

11 hours ago, Bryan said:

THREE good things happened today. 

 

1) We have had a problem with a weep from the inlet connection on one of our toilet cisterns. I've tried to source a new washer in the past but the big DIY stores don't stock the size. However I did a bit of research on T'Net and found that plumbers use a length of PTFE tape twisted into a spiral and then wound around the base of the connector. Tried it, it failed the first time. Added more tape and, Voila, no leak!  I took the old washer to a specialist plumbing supplier and they provided me with a shed load of spares, so any more leaks, bring em on....

 

2) It being a miserable dull day, I went to the allotment intending to throw some of the muck heap over to aerate it and make room for fresh supplies. Managed to shift the entire heap and then wheeled in about 12 barrowloads of new muck, job not finished, but very good progress.

 

3) While at the allotment our No. 2 son phoned asking for advice on planting a tree. Makes an old guy feel useful when the offspring still ask for help !

Plumbing repair is tough. So many times you try to fix what is wrong and you break the thing next to it.
My husband hated it. He fixed pipes under the kitchen sink once, but not very well. There was a catastrophic fail while I was fixing Christmas dinner. I put some garbage through the disposal, and the pipes came loose. So I had flooding and garbage under the sink spilling across my freshly waxed floor. Not only did I have a colossal mess to clean up, but my sink was out of commission right when I needed it most.

I called a plumber from then on.

Good for you, Bryan. Come across the pond. I have work for you.  By any chance, do you do electrician work? I need at least 3 more outlets.

Edited November 24, 2020 by Betty LaRue

[Bryan]

38 minutes ago, Betty LaRue said:

Plumbing repair is tough. So many times you try to fix what is wrong and you break the thing next to it.
My husband hated it. He fixed pipes under the kitchen sink once, but not very well. There was a catastrophic fail while I was fixing Christmas dinner. I put some garbage through the disposal, and the pipes came loose. So I had flooding and garbage under the sink spilling across my freshly waxed floor. Not only did I have a colossal mess to clean up, but my sink was out of commission right when I needed it most.

I called a plumber from then on.

Good for you, Bryan. Come across the pond. I have work for you.  By any chance, do you do electrician work? I need at least 3 more outlets.

Oh dear, plumbing can go catastrophically wrong !  You can get local isolating valves on every feed, but our house, although sound, was very much a no frills job, so no way to locally isolate the taps etc and far too few electrical outlets.

 

Our  first house was an old stone built cottage, with no plumbed hot water or central heating and aged electrics. With the enthusiasm and foolishness of youth, I rewired  and plumbed the  lot, learning some hard lessons on the way. Our younger son is near the end of a major refurbishment of a large Victorian terraced house so this degree of idiocy runs in the family.

 

These  days I've lost that level of confidence and tend only to do what is absolutely necessary, so while I would relish another trip to the States, fixing pipes or wiring sockets would be low on the agenda!  😋

[Thyrsis]

3 hours ago, Bryan said:

 

 

Our  first house was an old stone built cottage, with no plumbed hot water or central heating and aged electrics. With the enthusiasm and foolishness of youth, I rewired  and plumbed the  lot, learning some hard lessons on the way. Our younger son is near the end of a major refurbishment of a large Victorian terraced house so this degree of idiocy runs in the family.

 

 

Our first house was a Victorian terrace in London. No electricity at all, it still had gas mantles and a copper for heating water!

Ian did most of the plumbing and electrics himself with the aid of the ‘Readers Digest Home Maintenance’ manual! 

 

[Bryan]

27 minutes ago, Thyrsis said:

 

Ian did most of the plumbing and electrics himself with the aid of the ‘Readers Digest Home Maintenance’ manual! 

 

 

Yes also my bible at the time !  Our house had a kitchen range for cooking, i.e. an oven next to the coal fire. We did try to use it but after producing rice pudding with a layer of soot, we gave up and I wired a second hand electric cooker directly to the meter in the living room.  At that time local authorities maintained public bath houses, not a swimming pool, so we were able to take a weekly bath courtesy of Wigan council. Lived like that for months. Our property had no gas supply so we ended up with a coal fired central heating boiler.

[Thyrsis]

39 minutes ago, Bryan said:

  At that time local authorities maintained public bath houses, not a swimming pool, so we were able to take a weekly bath courtesy of Wigan council.

Between getting married and buying the house, Ian and another photographer converted an old Sunday School building in Chiswick into a studio and living space. At first the darkroom sink was the only place to wash so we used to go home to my parents at the weekend for a bath! 

[sb photos]

My Nikon ES-2 arrived 5 minutes ago. My main use will be to copy 35mm B&W film, and produce TIFF files for myself, plus being selective producing JPG files hopefully for the Alamy archival route. First I'll check to see if I can use it with my Nikon micro 55mm f3.5, and if not or to speed up copying I'll look for a used 60mm f2.8 D or newer. I also have a fair few family colour negs to scan, along with some strips of E6. I'll devise other methods for 6x6 and 6x7 negs rather than use my old Epson 4990 flat bed.

[Betty LaRue]

On 20/11/2020 at 16:08, Cecile Marion said:

Betty, it’s the only fruit pie I like, so am glad about his request. Since we’re the only family who will be in town next Thursday for Thanksgiving, we plan to meet in a green space somewhere and have a Turkey sandwich, blueberry pie picnic. 

I would love to taste your blueberry pie. After the one in Maine, I’m a fan.

[Betty LaRue]

On 22/11/2020 at 07:22, Ed Rooney said:

I managed to shampoo my hair with one hand in the kitchen sink this morning, a major victory!

 

One of my last best friends from my Rome days lives in Bar Harbour, Betty. 

Ah yes, the old one-handed shampoo. I did that for a long time because of a frozen shoulder, then for weeks after surgery. Not fun.
I’m one of those who will have to be in a coma before I let my hair be dirty. The morning after a code blue from a respiratory arrest, the doctor brought another doctor in for a consultation visit, and found me freshly shampooed and working on my hair. I had hung onto a chair and scooted to the sink in my hospital room. I waited until the nurse left from taking vitals, then sneakily did it. I knew better than to ask. 

[Betty LaRue]

16 hours ago, Bryan said:

Oh dear, plumbing can go catastrophically wrong !  You can get local isolating valves on every feed, but our house, although sound, was very much a no frills job, so no way to locally isolate the taps etc and far too few electrical outlets.

 

Our  first house was an old stone built cottage, with no plumbed hot water or central heating and aged electrics. With the enthusiasm and foolishness of youth, I rewired  and plumbed the  lot, learning some hard lessons on the way. Our younger son is near the end of a major refurbishment of a large Victorian terraced house so this degree of idiocy runs in the family.

 

These  days I've lost that level of confidence and tend only to do what is absolutely necessary, so while I would relish another trip to the States, fixing pipes or wiring sockets would be low on the agenda!  😋

Well, heck. Shot me down. 😁

[wiskerke]

45 minutes ago, Betty LaRue said:

Well, heck. Shot me down. 😁

 

Then I'll do it. Could take a while before I pass through your neck of the woods though...

😁

 

wim

[Cecile Marion]

1 hour ago, Betty LaRue said:

I would love to taste your blueberry pie. After the one in Maine, I’m a fan.

It’s a very simple pie, Betty, but tasty. Basically, just blueberries cooked with a little water and sugar, topped with fresh whipped cream.

 

For my good thing: I haven’t seen my older sister in 18 months. She was supposed to drive down to visit me last fall, but developed some very serious health issues at the beginning of her trip. Due to covid, she’s unable to stay with me this year, but drove from Pennsylvania, arriving last night. We “tailgated” for dinner and then breakfast this morning in her hotel parking lot, all the while keeping our distance. She left to see our cousins in south Florida (apparently they’re not too concerned about covid), and will be back through my town for more tailgating this next weekend. Not ideal, but certainly better than no visit at all, and it was great to see her in person.

Edited November 24, 2020 by Cecile Marion

[Betty LaRue]

3 hours ago, Cecile Marion said:

It’s a very simple pie, Betty, but tasty. Basically, just blueberries cooked with a little water and sugar, topped with fresh whipped cream.

 

For my good thing: I haven’t seen my older sister in 18 months. She was supposed to drive down to visit me last fall, but developed some very serious health issues at the beginning of her trip. Due to covid, she’s unable to stay with me this year, but drove from Pennsylvania, arriving last night. We “tailgated” for dinner and then breakfast this morning in her hotel parking lot, all the while keeping our distance. She left to see our cousins in south Florida (apparently they’re not too concerned about covid), and will be back through my town for more tailgating this next weekend. Not ideal, but certainly better than no visit at all, and it was great to see her in person.

That’s good. Eating outdoors in Florida is certainly doable. Too chilly here to be very comfortable. But if that was my only chance to see my sister, I’d do it! 

[Betty LaRue]

We’ll have a small gathering of four people for Thanksgiving dinner. I made pie crusts today and have them in the freezer. I’ll make pumpkin and pecan pies.  I’ll brine my small turkey tomorrow. I have white bread pieces and cornbread already dried for the dressing. I add ground pork sausage (crumbled and browned) to my dressing along with onion and celery, seasoned with salt, pepper, turkey drippings and sage. 
Of all things we have, I love dressing the most. I never liked it stuffed in the turkey, but bake it in its own pan. I make a lot of it, because it’s so good leftover.

My daughter is making some sides, one being baked macaroni and cheese. Yum. I’ll probably gain 3 pounds. That’s ok, I’ve lost 3 recently.

Another good thing, we’re getting a nice rain, sorely needed. Accompanied by thunder. A threat of tornadoes south in Oklahoma. Not needed.

[Betty LaRue]

4 hours ago, wiskerke said:

 

Then I'll do it. Could take a while before I pass through your neck of the woods though...

😁

 

wim

You need to fly over tomorrow and partake of our Thanksgiving dinner Thursday! 😁

[Sally]

My husband got the good news today that 8 weeks of radiotherapy during July and August has resulted in a PSA of 0.1 down from 36. So prostate cancer, bye bye.