November chitchat

[agate]

It's November and many people haven't shown up here lately. Many thanks to those who continue to post!

Has anyone else noticed that the MS forum's RSS feed has been updating somewhat? Just recently more posts showed up, and they were more recent than the previous ones.

Tomorrow I go for an annual flu shot, and if I'm not too wiped out afterwards, maybe I'll try calling Howie to find out what is going on with him.

I hope everyone here will stay well and safe as winter comes along.

[Lazarus]

Happy November Agate!

[Virginia]

Agate, thanks for starting our November thread.

I received a late Halloween treat this morning - a painter called me. Wonder of wonders!! He is one that my brother asked him to call me and I also called and left my name on his answering machine. He had done some painting in my Nephew Grayson's house that he just sold. I saw some pictures of the work he did. I didn't get over before Grayson sold it, but there were about 30 pictures on the internet. He had a large house and mine is small, but I just want to get some things done and finished.

One of the things I plan to do is have my fireplace painted. The problem is, I don't know what color to paint it. The mantel is white and there is chair railing that goes up to it and it is white. This is a white white like trim that I am talking about. I had planned on painting the fireplace a softer white (just a little off white), but he said he painted his fireplace and had the same scenario as I was describing. He felt in his place that the fireplace should be like the trim. He says he loves it.

If any of you have seen any painted fireplaces please tell me what you thought of them. I wish I could go look at some, but I can't. I have looked at a lot on the internet, but it just gets confusing there are pictures of so many.

Happy November to everyone!

[agate]

Virginia, I'm sorry I have had no experience with fireplace painting. But when I entered "painted fireplaces" in the Google search window, there were many sites that seemed to specialize in showing examples of painted fireplaces if you're looking for ideas.

Unless something badly needs paint, I probably wouldn't consider painting just because it's so much of a nuisance--and usually fairly costly, but I'm getting lazier and lazier as I get older.

Around here the only time a place is painted is when the tenant first moves in. After that tenant moves out, repainting will be done, but if you last here for 18 years (as many have, and I've been here for 12) there won't be any painting done.

Years ago a neighbor filched a bit of paint from the management somehow and shared a tiny container of it with me. I still have it and I dip into it whenever a spot needs touching up. Amazingly it's still in usable shape.

It's astonishing that even after 12 years this place doesn't look as if it needs paint. In Chicago when I was younger a place needed painting every year because of the soot from the coal most people used for fuel--and the generally filthy air. It's not like that any more, and around here nobody burns coal. They're apparently trying hard to keep the air cleaner now.

[Virginia]

Agate, I just enjoy doing a few things to spruce up and maybe update my place a little. It kind of gives me a lift if it is well done. I am having him in for some other painting that does need to be done so I figured I would just go ahead with the fireplace. I have a white couch and sort of a blue and white theme going on in my living room. I am just here so much that I enjoy making little changes. I will have to see how much he wants to do and how expensive it is. I know he is very, very busy and is kind of trying to work me in because he has done work at my nephews that probably paid quite well. Hope he isn't expecting my town house to be anything at all like that house.

[agate]

I can understand that. "Brighten the corner where you are," as they say. I like changing things around in my place for the same reason but when it comes to painting and all of the mess that creates, I just get lazier and lazier.

[Earth Mother 2 Angels]

((((((Hugs to All)))))) ~

Virginia ~

I have a rustic brick fireplace, which is unpainted, because our "decor" or "motif" is Southwestern. Every home in my neighborhood has a red brick fireplace, as the original when it was built. Many have remodeled and removed the brick and put in stone or marble, while others have painted the brick.

One reason why we didn't paint the brick is because fires in the fireplace would cause soot to damage/discolor the paint. There was a time, when we had fires in our fireplace, and it was quite cozy. But with the drought and fire danger, we couldn't do that any longer. I wouldn't anyway, because it is too much work for me.

If you don't use your fireplace, then painting the brick is a good way to lighten up the room and give a fresh look to your surroundings.

Perhaps you could explain your concerns to the painter and obtain his advice. He must be a qualified painting contractor to have painted your nephew's home. Perhaps he can do as I suggested and let you choose a couple of colors, then bring in a small tin of paint to put on the brick to help you decide. It doesn't hurt to ask!

By the way, how are your shrubs doing, and are you happy with the color of your home and door now?

Love & Light,

❤️❤️❤️❤️

Rose

*Virtual Hugs Are Germ-Free!


THANKS!

[Virginia]

Rose, the brick on the fireplace is something that I had already had a concern about, however I have gas logs and do not burn wood in my fireplace. It is a wood burning fireplace, but I could not handle that. After my husband died I had gas logs put in my house and I was always glad I did. Without his help I could not have continued to burn wood. So, when I moved to this town house I had a 120 gallon tank put in and I burn propane. However, it is so expensive that so far this year I am just using my new heat pump. I will use the fireplace some, but not as much as I use to.

I will mention this to the painter, but I really don't think in my case there would be anything to worry about.

Thanks for reminding me to mention this to him.

[Virginia]

My day today and yesterday have been not so good. I overdid it yesterday and then had to get up today and go to the Doctor's for a flu shot.

Today I left home at 2:07PM. I went to the cleaners, then the drive thru bank and then to the Doctor's. When I left there I went to a Harris Teeter store and walked over that. I got everything to make my vegetable soup again except the soup vegetables. I decided to go to Fresh Market to see what I could get there. After that I came home, made two trips in and put the Harris Teeter and Fresh Market food away, then decided I would go to Lowe's Foods to see if they had any of the soup vegetables. They did and I got another couple of items. Chic-Fil-A is not far from them so I decided to go there and get some of their mac & cheese for tonight. The car line was unbelievable and I couldn't turn in to their drive in because I was going to it from one direction and the cars were streaming in from another. Anyway, I was hemmed in so I had to wait. Once I placed my order I waited way longer than usual, but still for the amount of cars they did good--those split lanes are amazing. Then I came home and put the groceries from Lowe's away and was getting ready to fix some supper when a neighbor came to my door and told me the lights were on inside my car. She went out to see if the all the doors were closed right, but she couldn't get the light off. I got a flashlight and went out and finally got them to go out. I had kept telling her, I didn't know how to tell her to do it, but if I got out there I could remember how to do it. Then my middle brother called and talked. So it was going on 9PM when I got to eat. I gave a shot, washed my face and came in to the computer. I forgot I went to take out the trash after I got home tonight.

This was on top of yesterday when I cleaned the two vanities and toilet in my master bath. I washed the linens on my bed and vacuumed all over downstairs. Then I showered and washed my hair, blow dried it and curled it. After that I put the sheets on the bed. My back was killing me. Putting that bottom sheet on is hard on the back. It has panels at the top and the bottom and they need to fit just right. There is elastic in the panels. Then I washed all the towels, etc and watched a little TV. I like HTVG. If any of you are interested in seeing houses decorated or sometime rebuilt it is interesting. Then I folded the towels. It was late when I got to bed and I wasn't feeling well this morning, but felt I needed to go because of getting the flu shot.

Now I am truly dragging!!!

[agate]

Oh my. Having a car sounds as bad as having a whole house to maintain, and you have both, Virginia. Not easy.

Good luck with the flu shot, and maybe you can rest for a while now. I had the flu shot (the regular one, not the super-strength one) on Monday and my arm still hurts but I needed Tylenol only for the first day or so. I took it easy and postponed a lot of little jobs, and that may have helped.

[Howie]

My PT Cruiser is the first new car I had ever bought. I washed it frequently, even put Armor All on the tires. That was 16 years ago. It's been YEARS since I washed it, or cleaned the interior.

I do get the oil changed, and they check my other fluid levels, but cleaning it is out of the question.

[agate]

If you're not driving it around in mud, why would it even need cleaning?

I used to wonder at all of the people who would be outside polishing their cars that didn't even look dirty. I think they just enjoyed being outside and showing off their cars and chatting with passersby.

And if the thing runs, why does it matter so much if it's a bit dusty-looking? I guess I just don't understand cars.

[Howie]

When you wax and polish a car, it has to be usually after you have washed it. If it's at all dirty when you wax it, you grind the dirt into the paint, and scratch it.

[agate]

And the waxing has to be done to help protect it from the dents and scratches that bother people so much?

I have noticed that the car-cleaning folks tend to be out there spending the better part of a day on the job, and now I understand why.

But I still wonder about how often a car has to be cleaned. I see cars being cleaned that don't look dirty in the slightest to me. And I've been in cars that were just covered with dust but why bother to clean them? They'd look better clean but looks aren't everything. If you're just looking for a way to ride somewhere, does it matter if the vehicle is covered with dust?

There's a lot to be said for a dusty car anyway. Bright clean cars create a glare problem. They're so dazzling that it almost hurts to look at them in a bright light. A dust-covered car has a nicely muted tone....

[Virginia]

I am now and have never been a big fan of cars or big price tags. They have always been, for me, a means to get from one place to the other. I am glad my car now, that is a 2007 model, has the kind of paint on it that doesn't have to be waxed. All you have to do is wash it well, which I don't do. I do occasionally take it through a car wash and I have twice had a mobile unit come and do it, but only because it sits out and it was looking so bad that I was a bit embarrassed by the fact that there was dirt that would no longer come off the windshield. I like for it to run good and not leave me sitting somewhere, but aside from that I don't worry a lot about it. I have the oil and filters changed once a year, but then I have only been putting about 500 to 600 miles per year on it. Still, I like having it when I need it and being able to go when I want to and not when someone else decides I should.


Now my house - that is another matter. I live in it and like for it to look reasonably clean and nice. The painters that were to come and give me a quote yesterday or today did not show up. Par for the course around here.

I did have another little shock yesterday. I walked into my kitchen and saw a puddle of water on the floor. It came from the dishwasher. I got a plumber that came out and said the pump had gone bad, that I would need a new one. He said maybe I should buy a new dishwasher. I went on line and found a Whirlpool that I wanted at Home Depot. Today I called a store just down the street from me, but they said I would have to order it on line. Well, I went back on line and tried, but when I would start to checkout I couldn't get it to come up right. I called a help number and got someone who didn't know anymore than I did about it. Finally, I called a local appliance center and got a dishwasher to be delivered when their delivery people say. They will call me. It is a Frigidaire. It was more costly, but I can't go looking all over stores trying to find a dishwasher.

I have not been feeling well. I assume it was because of the flu shot Wednesday. But it seems like a lot of things have come up, plus I have had to get up early the past two days and get dressed to wait for the painters.

My Fire tablet came yesterday, and I fiddled around with it last night and I find it hard to understand. I actually did get on here enough to read one time, but there wasn't much on here that was new. The font was so small I couldn't see well. I had changed the font one time, but maybe that was only for the kindle. I really don't know. Right now I am frustrated. I expected there to be the bare minimum of instructions with it, but there just wasn't. Maybe when I am feeling a little better I will try to work with it.

My day has been shot with staying on the phone trying to get a dishwasher and also trying to get homeowners insurance information to my bank. I do not have a mortgage, but I do have a small line of credit that I keep just in case some emergency comes up and I received a 2nd letter that they were going to charge me $320.00 a year if I didn't get this information to them. I changed insurance companies back in August so they need information from the new insurance company. Anyway, another lost day.

I would like to have some relaxing days. I was thinking maybe I could sleep in tomorrow, but then I guess there is a possibility that the painters could come on Saturday which means I probably need to get up again tomorrow.

I think for a retired person my life has been hectic lately. I need a break. I don't remember how to juggle things like I use to.