Weekly Chat Thread -- November 12 - 18

[Emerald_Door]

Today is November 12.  

On November 12, 1859, Jules Leotard performed the first Flying Trapeze circus act.  He also designed the garment that bears his name.  

This woman was born on November 12, 1929.  Do you know who she is?

[Desire]

Grace Kelly - Princess Grace of Monoco - American Actress who left the US to marry Prince Rainier of Monoco

Don't know anything about Jules Leotard

[val2525]

I'm guessing Jules Leotard invented the leotard? Gorgeous picture of the fall leaves, Emerald!

Chilly and rainy here. I think we're supposed to get rain off and on today and Monday. Today's To Do List includes assembling the bookcase for behind the sofa, so Twila will have her spot back when we all pile on the sofa to watch TV. She's an affectionate cat but not a lap kitty. Usually it's me, Simon and Trixie on the sofa and Twila has a spot on the back of the sofa she likes. Ever since I moved the sofa, though, she hasn't been able to lie there. The sofa (futon) back is at an angle and without a wall or taller item of furniture against it, the kitties can't comfortably sleep there. Twila looks at me reproachfully pretty much every night at TV time and then curls up on the coffee table.

[labbypaws]

Wow! Where is everyone?

Anyway I finally brought my NOS Hallmarks down from the attic. Double checked my inventory and am in the process of boxing them up. Will put them on the Facebook Hallmark groups. I am halfway through boxing them up. I have to inventory each box.

Not sure how to price them or what offers I would accept. I know they are worth pennies on the dollar. Maybe try to get $2-3 a piece.

[denise15601]

It's been pretty nice here in PA. It does go down to freezing at night, but in the 50's during the day. Fine with me. Now that all of my outside work is done, I really should get more listing done. Should.

@labby...Hallmark cards or ornaments?

[jesmelric]

Hi, hope everyone is doing well. We actually had a rainy day yesterday! It rained pretty much all day, and we really needed it. We tried out Janey's new raincoat, and she tolerated it surprisingly well. It worked really well, and kept her much drier than she otherwise would have been.

The sun has come back out today, and it's still in the 60s so very nice. So far they are saying low in the mid 40s and high in the mid 60s on Thanksgiving. It would be really great not to have to run the a/c while I'm cooking as I've had to the last few years.

I cleaned out my closet a couple of months ago and I found a huge box of photo negatives. I found a few of mom to make into prints, and I went to Walgreens today to pick them up. I think they will make nice gifts framed. I have a couple of my nieces with mom, and my girls with mom. I also had a little photo book made for my sister. It will be sad to have Christmas without mom. She always enjoyed it so much. Then again, we are lucky to have so many holiday memories to enjoy.

[labbypaws]

Hallmark Ornaments. Put them on the one Facebook group. The other one wants photos and what I want for each one. A bit ridiculous. I have a spreadsheet and everything is boxed. I contacted a seller from Harrisburg who sells on her page.

[chapeaunoir]

jesmelric - my bro', SIL and niece made me a photo book for my last birthday - I really treasure it! 

Well, I'm all derpy today. I'm going to have to scratch the marathon and sign up for the 10k because I can't get my mileage beyond 16 miles - my dodgy wonky hips act up too much. I'm fine with 13 but pushing past that is tough. Maybe I need months and months to prepare, which I didn't have. At any rate, today I hit 16 miles and was two miles from home, and realised that hobbling up the hill was probably stupid. I texted my DH and asked him if he could take a quick break from work and dash down with the car and pick me up. He said "I'll be right there" - I thought he would be frustrated but he couldn't get there fast enough. 

I might have pushed through but less than a week after I get back from Hawaii we're leaving for a month in England, and the last thing I need is to spring my hips so that I'm hobbling around on a cane for two weeks of it. It's just not worth it. 

We'll still have fun, though - the 10K and the marathon start at once (5:00 a.m. urk) so my friend and I can start out together. The 10k ends at a beautiful beach (point to point). I figure after I get my chip timing and medal I can just run back to the start line - I have no problem at all doing that. There's no time limit for any event and there's so much Aloha spirit sloshing around that I don't think anyone will care. 

Now I have to break it to my friend. 

[denise15601]

@chap...so sorry that you can't run the marathon! You are amazing at being able to what you can do! Good luck!

[labbypaws]

Ashley and I snaked our way down to the Perkiomen Trail today.  Nice and peaceful.  One buck prowling a bunch of doe.

[val2525]

I get your disappointment, Chap, but hey - a 10K run in Hawaii is nothing to apologize for! That way you can enjoy the whole trip, and not be injured for your UK trip. Win/win to me. You'll have to take lots of pics and post them!

Beautiful pics, labby! So you have two black labs - Smokey & Ashley?

Mid 70's here thru next Monday, then it looks like we cool down again for Thanksgiving.

[labbypaws]

Nov 15, 2023 23:06:32 GMT val2525 said:

I get your disappointment, Chap, but hey - a 10K run in Hawaii is nothing to apologize for! That way you can enjoy the whole trip, and not be injured for your UK trip. Win/win to me. You'll have to take lots of pics and post them!

Beautiful pics, labby! So you have two black labs - Smokey & Ashley?

Mid 70's here thru next Monday, then it looks like we cool down again for Thanksgiving.

3 Black Labs - Shadow, Ashley and Smokey
1 Yellow Lab - Joker
1 Chocolate - Halligan
1 Mix - All yellow - Gunner

[chapeaunoir]

Nov 15, 2023 23:06:32 GMT val2525 said:

I get your disappointment, Chap, but hey - a 10K run in Hawaii is nothing to apologize for! That way you can enjoy the whole trip, and not be injured for your UK trip. Win/win to me. You'll have to take lots of pics and post them!

Beautiful pics, labby! So you have two black labs - Smokey & Ashley?

Mid 70's here thru next Monday, then it looks like we cool down again for Thanksgiving.

This right here! If I run the way back I get 20k or 12 miles, which is doable and comfortable for me and I'll look forward to that rather than worrying. Also I'll have enough time to hang out at the finish line and whatever is going there. My friend will send me his Garmin tracking so I can be there at the chute to cheer him in on his marathon - he is understanding and glad I'm going anyway. I'm going to bring my jaw harp and play - maybe I'll get to jam with someone.

labbypaws - I looked up the Perkiomen trail - it's not all that far from where my bro' and SIL live - he may have ridden his bike along there on a day trip (bro' used to bike and hike, but his knee gives him problems so he mostly bikes). It looks beautiful! Ashley is so cute - actually, all labs are cute.

[sunsetpainter]

Our string of gorgeous days will be coming to an end. It's been pushing 70° all week, but supposed to be only 46° and rain tomorrow.

DH and I have been having fun. All this week we've been moving farm equipment to an auction place for a friend of ours. I got to play with a nifty fork lift sort of thing. It has joystick for driving and maneuvering the forks, just like an old video game! Totally fun! But I'm pooped. There was also lots of other physical work that I'm not used to anymore...up and down on the trailer, wrangling a 25# chain, hooking up tie down straps, etc.

[denise15601]

Sunset-same here. Was in the upper 60's today. But tomorrow will be cold and rainy.

I guess that is to be expected for November, though.

LOL to fun with the heavy machinery!

[sunsetpainter]

Nov 17, 2023 2:11:26 GMT denise15601 said:

LOL to fun with the heavy machinery!

I used to drive a tow truck when I was younger.  I get green with envy when I see the newer style tow trucks.  So much better than the ones I drove!

[denise15601]

Sunset---you sound like my friend who used to drive the Caterpillar construction vehicles.

She now drives Jeeps and does the Jeep things where she drives up and down horribly steep trails. And she honestly got several first prizes and beat the men. The men are always aghast when she exits her Jeep. A woman!!! She is my age, and did quit them several years ago.

[chapeaunoir]

Nov 17, 2023 1:29:53 GMT sunsetpainter said:

Our string of gorgeous days will be coming to an end. It's been pushing 70° all week, but supposed to be only 46° and rain tomorrow.

DH and I have been having fun. All this week we've been moving farm equipment to an auction place for a friend of ours. I got to play with a nifty fork lift sort of thing. It has joystick for driving and maneuvering the forks, just like an old video game! Totally fun! But I'm pooped. There was also lots of other physical work that I'm not used to anymore...up and down on the trailer, wrangling a 25# chain, hooking up tie down straps, etc.

That's the good stuff! Same with sunsetpainter driving a tow truck! I'm two wheels only in the dirt, though.

We had frozen fog for a lot of the morning today - I had to go north to Everett for a Healing Touch session with my friend who is an accredited practitioner, then I had a pedicure from one of her colleagues. The fog had burned off where I lived, but 15 miles north it was still pretty thick and speeds on the freeway slowed from 65 MPH to about 50, like WHOA, I can't see!  At any rate, this was the first pedicure I've ever had! I though they were just cosmetic, but when my friend said that a good practitioner also made it therapeutic I signed up. I had a lover between marriages who used to like to massage my feet and it was wonderful, though this practitioner actually did reflexology. She also lightly smoothed the calluses on my runner's feet - she really knew how to tend to hard-used feet.

My friend and I are doing the Turkey Trot 10k on Thanksgiving - many of the towns around here have their own Turkey Trot, 5k or 10k and it's a lot of fun as hundreds of people turn out and run or walk, have hot soup afterwards and go for beer and coffee. A year or so ago we did an off-road 5 mile Turkey Trot and it was loads of fun. It poured the entire time, but no one cared. Lots of high schoolers showed up for the 5k run version - a lot of them on school track teams, and they were splashing through puddles and laughing - they moved fast, too. Believe it or not, this is high noon on Thanksgiving day lol (I'm in the front, my friend behind me, and some guy who tailed behind us).

[val2525]

Bath & Body Works has their hand soaps and bar soaps on sale again for $2.95. Code is SUDSY. Guess I'll stock up on my favorites, since it appears BBW is bad about discontinuing scents and changing the scents on the same formulas.

The apartment is going to be a disaster this week. I'm bringing out all the indoor Christmas decorations I figured I'd do the inside this week, and then use the long Thanksgiving weekend to decorate outside. The complex is doing the patio decorating contest again (YAY!) I'm not sure how one outdoor decoration in particular is going to hold up, so I think I'll put it up the day of the contest. It's a set of nutcracker banners outlined in multi-color mini lights. I have two pillars, one on either side of my patio, and they'll look really good hanging there. It's battery operated which is why I question their longevity. Also if I wait until then to put them up, I can see what everyone else is doing and plot how to move up to second place this year

[labbypaws]

People around here took advantage of the warm weather yesterday and put up their decorations. Too early for us. Went on a late walk so I got to see the one house that looked so nice.

[chapeaunoir]

Around here some people just leave them all until summer lol, or all year round - mostly lights and wreaths. They bring any inflatables in, though.

There are always a couple of yards I like to see, and the DH's coworker goes all in on his - he loves Christmas and Christmas decorations and his entire house is lit up.

[kritter]

I can see what everyone else is doing and plot how to move up to second place this year

I think it is time to go for it and grab 1st place.  From what you described to me a couple of weeks ago when I was over there, you should win it.
.

[denise15601]

We will need pictures, please.

[denise15601]

I mentioned this about 3 years ago, I think. On Facebook Marketplace, I posted an ad for free pine branches and pine cones. And that has worked very well. Right now I have two ladies cutting down branches to make garlands.

And every year a man comes and cuts down a whole trailer-load of branches that he uses to make a life-sized nativity scene. He always sends me a picture of the scene and it makes me feel pretty good. He also leaves a gift for me as a thank-you.

This also helps me since I have fewer pine branches whacking me in the face when I mow. And so many people come to pick up pine cones, so it is less for me to rake up.

I usually have about 15-20 people a year coming for the free stuff.

[jesmelric]

Well it's 75 today but cooling off for Thanksgiving which is perfect. We are heading to the bins tomorrow, I hope to find some treasures in the trash lol. It's so much more work than the regular thrift, but so far the pay off has been worth it. Then VV made a FB announcement about a big sale coming soon, hopefully that's the 1/2 off Black friday weekend sale.

My sister already put up her Christmas tree and decor in her apartment (not that she has a ton, she is a minimalist) I have some really nice vintage Thanksgiving ceramic turkeys, turkey candles, etc. I don't want to just skip over the holiday. I'm going to get Christmas out of the attic probably next Sat or Sun. Some of the huge houses out here already have out their Christmas. They pay people and I think there's a shortage so they are taking what they can get. I have some vintage blow molds for the porch, no more lights on the roof for us at our age. I love Christmas but I think I actually have more Halloween decor lol.

[val2525]

Nov 18, 2023 20:01:59 GMT kritter said:

I can see what everyone else is doing and plot how to move up to second place this year

I think it is time to go for it and grab 1st place.  From what you described to me a couple of weeks ago when I was over there, you should win it.
.

OK, I'll admit it - I'm shooting for first place this year. My nextdoor neighbors won first place last year and I think my decorations will blow them out of the water.

I put multicolor net lights on the railings, then use C7 or C9 (I forget which I have) to outline the storage room door, bedroom door and sliding glass door.  I have a multicolor strand of edison lights that will hang from the overhang on the front of the patio. I also have 3 oversized green bulbs from WM that will hang from the overhang as well.




I bought a strand of large white snowflake lights, and they'll go in the center of the patio railing. I have 4 large white lighted snowflakes that go in the large windows in the living room and office. All inside windows are outlined in multicolor mini lights.




I'm wrapping the two trees outside my unit in green mini lights and I found some red LED lighted bows to put on the trees where the wrapped lights stop.  They're big too, something like 24" long and 18" wide.





Then there are the luminarias that I'll outline the outside of the patio with.  I have two sets, but I think I'm only putting one set out to start with. 


         



I have several of these that I added bows to.  In the past I've put them on the patio doors (storage unit, bedroom door, one side of sliding glass door). I'm debating if I want to add any battery operated lights to them this year. In the past, I've put silver tinsel wreaths with lights on the patio, but those are being used inside this year. That's why I'm thinking of adding fairy lights to the candy canes. I just haven't decided what color - clear, red, green, multi?




I'll also put up a Christmas tree on the patio, but that's for me.  I have a nice indoor/outdoor tree from Ikea and there is a corner on the patio that is viewable from the dining room and kitchen.  I'm going to put the tree there so I can enjoy it with no fear of the cats destroying it. I don't think you'll be able to see the tree much from the outside front view of the patio, but that's OK. 


My last item is the nutcracker banners:




They're cute, but they're not very heavy so I don't know how they'll stand up to weather. That's why I might wait and put these up on the day of the contest.


I also have these, from WM, that I got over the summer on a dirt cheap clearance price:

     


They're MDF wood, heavy, three dimentional and around 30" tall.  They can be used outdoors (if it doesn't rain) but there is no way to anchor them to the ground.  Thus making them tempting to someone who might want some free Christmas decorations.       I'm thinking of putting them out on judging day too, to hide the a/c units in front of my apartment.


I started shopping for Chritmas clearance back in July, and decided to add to what I already had rather than go with a whole new theme or color scheme. I've learned that if you don't have the lights you want by this weekend, you'll be shopping whatever is left over.

I know, it's probably overkill, but my dad used to love outdoor Christmas lights and he went nuts every year. It's a lot of work but it also comes with a lot of good memories, so it's worth it. As for the indoor decorating, that's all on me since my mom put out a few things but she'd didn't really go overboard. Even with all the inside decorations that I have, it's still easier than putting up a tree with lights. And don't get my started on the tree....my mom liked tinsel on the tree and you had to hang it One. Strand. At. A. Time. Needless to say I will not be using tinsel on my patio tree. Since the patio tree will only be visible from the front, I only have to decorate the front

[kritter]

If it would help, I will bring a couple of my outside deer over to put out in the rocks.

[val2525]

That might work. Are any of them lighted? They could go out the day of the judging and then I could return them to you the next day. I'd bring them inside later that night so no one steals them.

Lest anyone think I live in a bad neighborhood - I don't. I live in a pretty decent part of town actually. There's my complex, a complex next door, and then a subdivision where the houses start at about $450,000 and go up. Then there is another nice apartment complex, a small shopping center, and then a housing area where the houses are in the millions. However, it's an apartment and while it's gated, it's not totally enclosed. Anyone can walk in and out at any time. The thefts so far have been limited to catalytic converters, but you never know what might appeal to people at Christmas.

[denise15601]

Wow Val! That sounds great!

[val2525]

First prize is a $100 card, second prize is $75 gift card, and third prize is a $50 gift card, all from HEB. And bragging rights of course   Plus I'm downstairs this year so I can do more.  I checked at the office and there are no restrictions on using inflatables, lighted figures, etc on the "grounds" so I have what amounts to a small "front yard" to play with.  

But I'd still decorate even without the prizes and contests. I remember one year when I lived in Dallas, my apartment was on the second floor and there were four units at the entry - two downstairs, and two upstairs on either side of the stairs. I decorated all my windows and front door, and wrapped clear minilights around the railing by my front door and down the stair railing on my side. I did the same around the railing on my balcony on the backside of the building.  I come home about 3 days later, and my upstairs next door neighbor had done the same thing on their side By the next weekend, both downstairs neighbors had done the same - decorated their windows, doors and patio railing. One neighbor told me he didn't usually decorate for Christmas but it looked so nice that it made him want to finish out the look. We had probably the nicest looking building in the complex.