Post a good thing that happened in your life today

[MizBrown]

3 hours ago, aphperspective said:

Old buildings can be quickly loose the romantic idea of owning one.

 

The houses in Philadelphia weren't that old, 18th or 19th century, but a friend said of those houses that it was like building a new house inside the old one. 

 

I had a 19th Century one. 

 

 

[aphperspective]

The windows we found dated that cottage to somewhere around 1540's according to the local historical building geek from the council.

[Betty LaRue]

They don’t build things to last these days like in the old.

[Bryan]

12 hours ago, Thyrsis said:

 

When we bought our first house in West London in 1974 it still had all the original gas lighting and a ‘copper’ in the kitchen, and no bathroom. The old lady wouldn’t have the workmen in!  Spent 5 years renovating it before we moved to Oxfordshire  and started all over again renovating an old thatched cottage. 

 

Similar experience at a similar time. We bought a stone built terraced house without a bathroom, and no piped hot water. Had to use the local bathhouse to take a bath. Horsehair ceilings etc. Cured me of the need to renovate, and with bairns on the way, we subsequently bought new houses. Our younger son is clearly a chip off the old blockhead, as he's just about finished rebuilding a three storey Victorian terraced house that had been laid waste as a rental house of multiple occupancy, including cockroaches. Shameful to think of people living in those conditions in this country in the 21st century.  Nice house now mind.

[MizBrown]

28 minutes ago, Betty LaRue said:

They don’t build things to last these days like in the old.

 

Mheh, anything that didn't last, we don't know about.  Nicaragua has many two room brick houses (solid brick with rebar reinforcing) that are built to last, but also built because people expect that their grandchildren will also be poor.  And some houses are build of wood and won't last.  My Philly house was built out of brick seconds, and the plumbing was crap, and some of the jousts weren't in great shape.  Had to also do work on the stairs.  Other things were up to the new landlord when I left.  New landlord took it over as a rental and had a crew who could do the rest of the work.   It was a worker's cottage -- brewery had been at the end of the street, and that was gone.

 

Current rental house is probably early to mid 20th century, split into three smaller houses.  Cinder block.  I got the garage part and a back two story set of two bedrooms.  A  study and kitchen are on the ground floor behind the garage turned livign room, and there's a second floor studio over the kitchen.  Central courtyard has a shed addition for a toilet and shower, now toilet and washing machine.  Cement stucco inside and out.  Wooden floor on the second floor studio, probably wood under the tiled upstairs bedroom.  Whole different set of priorities about houses here.   Houses often get rebuilt and across the street, the owners went up a story and then have a rooftop space above that.  Ground floor is now a two car garage, parked one behind the other.   Someone added a toilet and shower in each of the two back bedrooms, no walls, just shower curtains on poles.

 

My impression is that Nicaraguan houses are works in progress. 

[Betty LaRue]

13 minutes ago, MizBrown said:

 

Mheh, anything that didn't last, we don't know about.  Nicaragua has many two room brick houses (solid brick with rebar reinforcing) that are built to last, but also built because people expect that their grandchildren will also be poor.  And some houses are build of wood and won't last.  My Philly house was built out of brick seconds, and the plumbing was crap, and some of the jousts weren't in great shape.  Had to also do work on the stairs.  Other things were up to the new landlord when I left.  New landlord took it over as a rental and had a crew who could do the rest of the work.   It was a worker's cottage -- brewery had been at the end of the street, and that was gone.

 

Current rental house is probably early to mid 20th century, split into three smaller houses.  Cinder block.  I got the garage part and a back two story set of two bedrooms.  A  study and kitchen are on the ground floor behind the garage turned livign room, and there's a second floor studio over the kitchen.  Central courtyard has a shed addition for a toilet and shower, now toilet and washing machine.  Cement stucco inside and out.  Wooden floor on the second floor studio, probably wood under the tiled upstairs bedroom.  Whole different set of priorities about houses here.   Houses often get rebuilt and across the street, the owners went up a story and then have a rooftop space above that.  Ground floor is now a two car garage, parked one behind the other.   Someone added a toilet and shower in each of the two back bedrooms, no walls, just shower curtains on poles.

 

My impression is that Nicaraguan houses are works in progress. 

My grandson is a missionary in Mexico, in a very poor village. Their rentals are weird also. His wife requested my Dressing recipe to make for Thanksgiving. She had to make it without sage, because no store sold it. 😳 Dressing (stuffing) without sage is..is..unspeakable! 😁 That would be like calling a cone full of pudding an ice cream cone.

Edited January 25, 2021 by Betty LaRue

[aphperspective]

Its amazing how the old techniques stand the test of time, The roof beams Oak with Ash pegs never had a nail in it. The walls were Cob, which was horse hair,straw,trodden chalk and flint, and that old cottage was dead square to within 1/2 inch in length and width. The entrance floor stones were originaly over 3" thick worn down by the thousands of feet over the Eons of years, and the Thatch only needed the top layer renewing very 20 years or so (Norfolk Reed). I was told by a Thatcher the whole roof could last over 100 years depending on the weather.

Couldn't buy anything in B&Q for it though.😁  

[Thyrsis]

1 hour ago, Bryan said:

 

Similar experience at a similar time. We bought a stone built terraced house without a bathroom, and no piped hot water. Had to use the local bathhouse to take a bath. Horsehair ceilings etc. Cured me of the need to renovate, and with bairns on the way, we subsequently bought new houses. 

 

First child was born at the beginning of our second renovation. She learned to crawl on her hands and feet, not knees, amongst the rubble! We moved again twice after that, extending each property,  until we settled in our current house in 1987. Can’t see us moving again, but who knows........

 

 

 

[gvallee]

I used to have a romantic chocolate box thatch cottage in Normandy, as a weekend house from the UK.  There was a park, two fields, a river through the land. It was magic. I swore I would never-ever-ever-ever sell it. Then came the chance to live in Australia... and I did sell it. It was built around an old cider press. The staircase was a piece of the corkscrew press itself.

 

But what a nightmare for weekend visits only. There was always some kind of problems. The plumbing had frozen and was leaking, a tree had come down, a pine martin had dug a hole in the thatch roof, the cows from the next field had invaded again and destroyed the fish pond. It also tried to kill me twice. Once the wooden bridge over the river collapsed underneath me while I was holding a sharp knife which ended up pointing an inch from my heart. The second time, there was a problem with the fireplace, I woke up in the middle of the night with a splitting headache and noticed thick smoke. I couldn't open any windows as they were all jammed with the difference in temperature, the door was locked and I couldn't find the key in the thick smoke. 

 

Anyway, the first image licensed for $300 to an American magazine. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[aphperspective]

Come the Winter very bloody rodent for miles around made their way back into the cottage. Mice would climb the out walls into the attic, sounded like a herd of horses running around above the bedroom, much to the annoyance of my 2 Siamese cats. A hair line crack in the chimney brickwork up in the attic allowed the resident bats to pop out of the massive fireplace at regular intervals into the living room, (more annoyed cats). One morning the oil fired boiler would not start because a Wren had got through the flue grill and made its nest around the burner while we were away.

[gvallee]

5 minutes ago, aphperspective said:

Come the Winter very bloody rodent for miles around made their way back into the cottage. Mice would climb the out walls into the attic, sounded like a herd of horses running around above the bedroom, much to the annoyance of my 2 Siamese cats. A hair line crack in the chimney brickwork up in the attic allowed the resident bats to pop out of the massive fireplace at regular intervals into the living room, (more annoyed cats). One morning the oil fired boiler would not start because a Wren had got through the flue grill and made its nest around the burner while we were away.

 

We had bats roosting behind the shutters along with swarms of ladybirds. I once put my hand inside a cupboard in the kitchen to grab a plate. A mouse did a somersault and landed on my hand. Once when we entered the cottage, my OH said 'oh nice smell of lavender'. It was a decomposed mouse....

[MizBrown]

2 hours ago, Betty LaRue said:

My grandson is a missionary in Mexico, in a very poor village. Their rentals are weird also. His wife requested my Dressing recipe to make for Thanksgiving. She had to make it without sage, because no store sold it. 😳 Dressing (stuffing) without sage is..is..unspeakable! 😁 That would be like calling a cone full of pudding an ice cream cone.

 

I'll check for sage next time I go to La Colonia.  Can't get mustard seeds here,. but have heard that it's possible to get them in Managua.  The plant place has thyme plants occasionally, haven't noticed sage one way or the other.  Rosemary plants are common enough -- I have one now.  There are some native American sages, don't know how they'd do for an herb, or if they grow as far south as Mexico.   Here, we can find wild hot peppers and achiote. 

 

Jinotega isn't a particularly poor town and we were getting few and few short term missionaries as it began to look more and more like a Latino neighborhood in the DC suburbs. 

 

Funniest thing I've heard about Nicaragua is that Cubans come here to shop in Managua before Christmas. 

[Bryan]

6 hours ago, gvallee said:

I used to have a romantic chocolate box thatch cottage in Normandy, as a weekend house from the UK.  There was a park, two fields, a river through the land. It was magic. I swore I would never-ever-ever-ever sell it. Then came the chance to live in Australia... and I did sell it. It was built around an old cider press. The staircase was a piece of the corkscrew press itself.. 

 

What a beautiful house, must have been a wrench to let it go. However better to have loved and lost etc

 

We toyed with the idea of buying a property in France, but it remained just a dream. The 300 mile drive to the south coast of the UK on crowded roads  being just one significant reason not to. In the end we suffered towing a tiny caravan all that way and beyond, but June in France was lovely, weather generally pleasant and the off the beaten track  campsites not crowded. Some great memories over the best part of a decade.

Edited January 26, 2021 by Bryan

[gvallee]

28 minutes ago, Bryan said:

 

What a beautiful house, must have been a wrench to let it go. However better to have loved and lost etc

 

We toyed with the idea of buying a property in France, but it remained just a dream. The 300 mile drive to the south coast of the UK on crowded roads  being just one significant reason not to. In the end we suffered towing a tiny caravan all that way and beyond, but June in France was lovely, weather generally pleasant and the off the beaten track  campsites not crowded. Some great memories over the best part of a decade.

 

You're quite right Bryan. One thing I will never miss are the bi-monthly ferry crossings. We used to catch the Friday overnight Portsmouth/Le Havre ferry. That was OK. But for the return, we had to leave the property at 2pm on Sundays, which was a wrench on a sunny day. On either side of the Channel, the drive was a mere 45mn which was good. I left France so long ago, now I don't know but at the time properties were super cheap compared to the UK.

Edited January 26, 2021 by gvallee

[aphperspective]

On 24/01/2021 at 22:08, MDM said:

 

I know. My great uncle who lived in Beara was similar. He refused mains electricity. I can recall visiting as a kid in the early 60s and they were using oil lamps. He was not a man to argue with. Small in stature but very fierce. I get my middle name from him I believe. 

 

PS. Just in case of misinterpretation, The reference to English hippies was not a slight in any way by the way. When I lived in Ireland I used to travel about quite a bit in the west and south and befriended lots of so-called hippies of various nationalities (Irish, English, Welsh, Dutch, German ...) living the rural lifestyle. My wife and son are English as well 😀

 

 

Even our traffic regulations are a bit eccentric down here. 🙂 

Andy.

 

 

 

[Bryan]

3 hours ago, aphperspective said:

 

 

Even our traffic regulations are a bit eccentric down here. 🙂 

Andy.

 

🙂🙂 Makes perfect sense, if you drive on the wrong side of the road you should do so more slowly!

[aphperspective]

21 minutes ago, Bryan said:

🙂🙂 Makes perfect sense, if you drive on the wrong side of the road you should do so more slowly!

I did ask a guy out for a walk why the difference in speed limits " So the holiday makers don't get confused". Moving swiftly onwards.....

[spacecadet]

5 minutes ago, aphperspective said:

Moving swiftly onwards

How swiftly, though........?

Edited January 26, 2021 by spacecadet

[Ed Rooney]

I got my first jab/shot/vaccination this morning.

 

It was AstraZeneca, the Oxford vaccine. Two 25 minute taxi rides were inconvenient and costly, but the NHS temporary operation set up in this Village Hotel Pharmacy was very impressive. Very.

 

I'm lucky to be here in the UK with the NHS on my side. 

 

Edo

[NYCat]

I met my new primary care doctor today and I'm delighted to say I really like him. I think he is gay, though I could be wrong. Anyway, very easy to talk to and apparently it won't be difficult to schedule appointments. I had been with the same doctor for 30 years so it was rather nerve-racking to look for someone new... especially during a pandemic. I wonder what he looks like without a mask... Hmmm. Strange times.

 

Paulette

[Betty LaRue]

7 hours ago, NYCat said:

I met my new primary care doctor today and I'm delighted to say I really like him. I think he is gay, though I could be wrong. Anyway, very easy to talk to and apparently it won't be difficult to schedule appointments. I had been with the same doctor for 30 years so it was rather nerve-racking to look for someone new... especially during a pandemic. I wonder what he looks like without a mask... Hmmm. Strange times.

 

Paulette

I had to do that when I moved. It’s tough finding a new family doctor, dentists and specialists. I had been with my Oklahoma doctor for many years, also. So far I like them all, but my cardiologist will never get me to take another chemical stress test.  
 

I managed to see their faces before all this hit, except for the dentist. I still have to find an Ophthalmologist.

[NYCat]

In March I will be two weeks out from the second dose of vaccine so I will schedule medical visits I've been putting off. I think five appointments in one month is going to feel like an awful lot. A wonder which ones I can delay a little longer. March is going to be medical month.

 

Paulette

[Allan Bell]

On 27/01/2021 at 13:03, Ed Rooney said:

I got my first jab/shot/vaccination this morning.

 

It was AstraZeneca, the Oxford vaccine. Two 25 minute taxi rides were inconvenient and costly, but the NHS temporary operation set up in this Village Hotel Pharmacy was very impressive. Very.

 

I'm lucky to be here in the UK with the NHS on my side. 

 

Edo

 

I was given the Pfizer. So there.🤓

 

Allan

 

Edited January 29, 2021 by Allan Bell

[Ed Rooney]

29 minutes ago, Allan Bell said:

 

I was given the Pfizer. So there.🤓

 

Allan

 

 

Really? Hmm. They make Lipitor, a drug I hate. I hear the new Russian jab turns you into a Putin supporter. 

[Betty LaRue]

1 hour ago, Ed Rooney said:

 

Really? Hmm. They make Lipitor, a drug I hate. I hear the new Russian jab turns you into a Putin supporter. 

Well, the Moderna turns you into a hipster.