Joan Reeves

Saturday Share: Fix Doors That Won't Stay Open

There's a bedroom door in our house that simply won't stay open. You can open it all the way and unless you put a book or other weight against it then it will gradually close.

I was told it would have to be removed from the hinges and replaned in some way to make it hang better on the hinges.

Who wants to tackle that? Not me. So I did a little research and asked the all-knowing Mr. Google how to fix a door that won't stay open.

Surprise! The answer was simple—an amazing door stop that looks like a normal door stop but uses magnets to hold the errant door open.

Introducing the Wedama Stainless Steel Magnetic Door Stop

This amazing little invention is only $7.99, and it's a Prime item meaning free delivery for subscribers. Even better you can get this in a variety of finishes. I got the brushed stainless to match the metal in the room.

You mount one part on the baseboard or wall like a conventional door stop and mount the other piece on the edge of the door. It looks great and works beautifully.

Use the included Adhesive Tapes to installl it or use the included Screws for Stronger Mount, i.e., if the door is really heavy.

I was simply amazed at how an inexpensive solution worked so well and looked so good. I wish I'd taken action earlier instead of feeling constantly frustrated by this door that simply wouldn't stay open.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

The little annoyances in life eat away at your sense of tranquility. Don't allow that to happen. There's a solution for just about every problem. Find it today.

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Thursday3Some: 3 Amazing Free Websites

I'm always looking for free services and tools that might help readers.

Today I have 3 websites that may offer a service you need.

Carrd

This website offers free webpage creation. You can create your own webpage using their templates. You'll be amazed how easy it is especially if you want a mobile-first approach to website design. They also offer a hosting service for a minimum fee.

Coverr

Looking for free video footage for a project? This website offers stock footage for personal and commercial projects. Amazing, right? It's true. Sign up for an account and get started.

Edit Photo

This website lets you edit photos or videos without setting up an account or downloading software or jumping through any hoops.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

I hope one or all of these websites will prove useful to you. Have a great day!

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10 Gardening Tips for Fall

Fall is coming. This is a great time to get your garden ready for fall and winter.

Presently, it's 6-8 weeks before the first frost date in most parts of the country.

This gives you plenty of time to plant cold weather crops if your climate supports that, or time to put your garden to bed for winter.

10 Gardening Tips for Fall

1. Analyze what's going on in your garden. Does it need to be cleaned up with spent flowers and dead vegetable plants removed? Is the soil in good condition? If not, add compost and/or a good organice fertilizer. Does it have any kind of infestation of vegetable-damaging insects or slugs? If so, clean up the site and take care of the creepy crawlers.

2. If you use some kind of edging around your garden, check to see if it needs to be repaired or replaced. If you don't use garden edging, maybe this is a good time to add a stone border or something else durable and attractive that suits your yard decor.

3. Till the soil well. Pull oout those pesky weeds by the roots.

4. Water the garden well to let the soil settle.

5. If you have perennials in your garden that need dividing and/or transplanting, this is a good time to do that.

6. Personally, I love a mix of flowers and vegetables. Plant some cold-weather veggies like kale, mustard, spinach, carrots, and turnip greens along with some blooming flowers that love the cold like pansies and mums.

7. Now is the time to design a watering system for your garden. Cool weather is a good time to lay water lines for drip irrigation so that next summer watering isn't such a chore.

8. Prune shrubbery and trees. If you have fruit trees, pruning in the winter means vigorous growth in the spring.

9. Now is also a good time for you to tend to your gardening tools. Clean them well and dry them. Sharpen the edge of anything that cuts with a file. Sand off any rust spots. When they're all clean, fill a bucket with sand and a bit of oil and mix well. Insert the business end of the implement in this bucket of oily sand to protect them from rust. By the way, this is something you should do each time you use them.

10. Last, layer mulch over the entire garden. That's like laying a blanket over a bed to stay warm in cold winter nights.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

If you're looking for a good vegetable gardening book, you can't go wrong with Vegetable Gardening from the Ground Up by Master Gardener Stephanie Suesan Smith.

Joan participates in Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, affiliate advertising designed to provide a way for websites to earn advertising fees by linking to products on Amazon. She may receive a small commision at no extra cost to you.

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Review: Fubar on Netflix

I finally decided to review Fubar, a Netflix original series starring Arnold Schwarzenegger.

If you're looking for something reminiscent of one of his biggest hit movies, True Lies, you'll find this series somewhat entertaining.

It mines the generation gap for comic relief and is one of the many movies and series featuring the "old guy" who still has his/her skills and smarts. Dare I say this has become a genre of its own?

As an author of a certain age, I'll confess to finding these movies that pit the old woman/man against the young whippersnappers who think they know everything rather delightful.

F.U.B.A.R.

In case you don't know, FUBAR is an acronymn for F**ked Up Beyond All Recognition.

This American action-comedy TV series was created by Nick Santora for Netflix and is Schwarzenegger's first leading role in a scripted live-action TV series.

Produced by Skydance Television and Blackjack Films, it debuted May 25, 2023. After only a month, it was renewed for a second season because it had an 87% audience approval rating even though it had a 50% Rotten Tomatoes rating.

WHAT'S IT ABOUT?

Luke Brunner (Schwarzenegger) and his daughter Emma (Monica Barbaro) have lied to each other for years, with neither of them knowing that the other is a CIA operative.

When they both learn the truth, they realize they don't know anything about each other.

When their CIA handlers demand they work together on dangerous operations, Luke treats Emma like a child and wants to protect her from danger and questionable relationships.

ASSETS

Obviously, the above mentioned cast is experienced. Just as obviously, they need some fresh and original material to sink their teeth into.

The supporting cast includes Travis Van Winkle who was excellent in The Last Ship, Fabiano Udenio as Tally, Luke's ex and the mother of Emma, Jay Baruchel as weird boyfriend Carter Perlmutter, Fortune Feimster as foul-mouthed Roo, and Tom Arnold as Norm Carlson.

MY 2¢

I didn't watch the entire series. After the first couple of episodes, I watched bits and pieces of other episodes including the last one. I found the situations and conflicts repetitive and clichéed. I also thought Perlmutter as the boyfriend was an odd choice for Emma's alpha female character.

If you don't have anything else to watch, try this. It's pleasant with a few good lines of dialogue tossed in.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

One can only hope Season 2 will be more original and compelling because it's a shame to waste such a talented cast.

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Didn't Read Terms of Service? CYA App for You

Mondays are too manic to worry about Terms of Service and the guilt created by not reading them before checking the I AGREE box so you can use the app. Right?

You know you should read them, but do you? If you don't, you may be signing on for something you never wanted.

Today, I'm sharing Terms of Service, Didn't Read, an app that interprets Terms of Service in easy to read and understand language. (It's free, but they take donations.)

As it says on the TOSDR website, "I have read and agree to the Terms is the biggest lie on the web. We aim to fix that."

When you visit the login page, you can see examples from many popular websites like Facebook that shows what you sign up for when you agree to their TofS.

This app is easy to use. Simply type in the website you're thinking of using. If it's in their inventory of websites, TOSDR will show you their grade and what the Terms of Service really mean.

If they haven't logged a particular website, no data will display.

This was a bit scary when I checked the websites to which I belong and realized the extent of the tracking and privacy invasion a user authorizes by joining.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

Gary Kovacs, former CEO of Mozilla, said, "Privacy is not an option, and it shouldn't be the price we accept for just getting on the Internet." Be forewarned. Check this app before you sign up for a website.

Sunday Thoughts About Rain

Why am I thinking about Rain? Because we finally got some on Friday which was the first time since May!

Yikes. Yes, no rain in June, July, August, and the first 2 weeks of September. The subject of Rain became of great interest to us.

Lack of rain combined with triple digit days for 106 days straight took a toll of our yard even though we watered every day until water restrictions started in August.

Our area is allowed to water our yards only 2 days a week. Our days are Thursday and Sundays, and watering is allowed only between 9:00PM to 5:00AM. Even with limited watering, our water bill soared to over $250.00, and our St. Augustine lawn has patches of dead grass now.

I wondered how long we could go without rain so I did a little research and discovered some fascinating...

RAIN: SPRINKLE, DRIZZLE, DOWNPOUR ETC.

1. The driest place on earth is the Atacama Desert in northern Chile and southern Peru, averaging only .019 inches (half a millimeter) of rainfall each year. According to NASA, it's the driest non-polar desert in the world.

2. The rainiest place on earth is Mawsynram, in India’s Maghalaya state. It averages 467.4 inches of rain a year.

3. Virga is the name for raindrops that fall but never reach the ground. This happens because rain falls from clouds, but if the air is very dry, raindrops can evaporate during their fall to the ground.

4. Petrichor is the word coined by Australian scientists in 1964 for the distinctive smell of rain.

5. Raindrops are not really tear-shaped. They're round.

6. The height of clouds from which raindrops fall may vary, but raindrops fall at an average speed of 14 mph. Large raindrops fall faster at an average speed of 20 mph.

7. The record for the longest rainfall in history was recoreded at Manuawili Ranch, Maui, in 1939-40. Yes, over a two year span, it rained 331 consecutive days of measurable rainfall.

If you include just a trace of rain, that was also set in Hawaii at Honomu Maki, Oahu. From 1913 to 1916, it rained 881 consecutive days.

When it rained Friday, I felt like dancing in the raindrops, and I called everyone to report that it was raining at my house. Saturday, it rained again—a double blessing. If you're in a drought, I wish you rain!

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

Nature possesses the power to heal. I'm happy to report the dead spots in our lawn look not so dead today.

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Second Chance Reads from Summer 2023

If you're like me and you're constantly bookmarking posts you want to read but find you never go back and click those links, this post makes it easier.

Here are some great posts from around the internet collected this scorching hot summer.

HAPPY AND HEALTHY

Coffee Smoothie from A Beautiful Mess

Baking Soda in the Kitchen

The Best Non-Toxic Cookware Comparison Guide from A Beautiful Mess

Pumpkin Dip from The Pioneer Woman

Get Fit for Life from Health Advocate

SUCCESS

Maximizing Your First Job from RogueHire

How to Be More Confident from Steve Keating

Voyage of Being Truly Yourself from Better of Me

INTERNET SUCCESS