I’M JUST CURIOUS: Some advice on customer service

/0 Comments/in /by
by Debbie Walker

Customer service is another one of those business items that owners and operators should force themselves to take notice of. I know right now they are just concerned to get more staff. That is witnessed by the many “hiring” signs in front of their businesses.

Hiring is going slow so now is the best time to tune up who you do have. If you are shorthanded, you probably have unhappy customers and employees. I believe that because I have heard it from friends. Because business has been so far behind and it is tough to take care of the numbers you are dealing with, an attitude adjustment of all would be great timing.:

One thing I know is the basics of customer service are quite uncomplicated. Most everyone wants to be acknowledged. It’s really very easy. You simply have eye contact with the customer and either tell them you will be right with them, or you signal them with your index finger held up, most people understand that as “just a minute”. I can’t tell you how much grief that can save in customer service by just giving that little attention.

Twice in the past week I have stood at a service counter for several minutes each. Clerks were on the phone and assisting other people. One was “chatting” with a co-worker. “Chatting” when a customer is being ignored is a big no-no. The clerks all ignored the fact that I was standing there. That little bit of eye contact and a smile acknowledging that I was there would have made a big difference in how I was feeling.

Oh yeah, and customer service is anyone who is being paid for their services rather by the hour, by commission or maybe by the treatment. It includes clerks in a store or even doctors. It’s all customer service. It’s because of these people waiting that you even have a position.

It’s a shame all offices and stores don’t do some training on customer service. What little bit it would cost them; they wouldn’t even notice, however, their customers/clients would notice.

One evening in a grocery store a little old lady in line just ahead of me asked the clerk to read her something on a label. That extremely rude clerk started ranting off to that woman about how she wasn’t hired to baby-sit people or read to them. I read it to her myself. As she left the cashier started running her mouth about “these old people”. With every word out of her mouth I was seeing a darker shade of red. I know she wanted my agreement, however, what she got was, “I hope if you make it to her age all you find for assistance is someone like yourself.” After I finished checking out I had a chat with the store manager. That just wasn’t a winning fit.

Having worked on front line registers and a variety of other customer service positions I know there are people who will try your patience. Stores and offices would be wise to do some of this training. If the company doesn’t offer it, train yourself, there are books. It will help you live longer.

We’re all in a hurry these days. Sometimes we forget we are not the only ones in this hurry-up life. It would be nice if we could all slow down a bit and be more compassionate towards others.

It’s just a thought but if you take good care of the customers you do have, you will get them and more. Smile. Laugh with your customers, A little common sense and courtesy can go a long way.

I’m just curious if you will find more patience this week. Contact me at DebbieWalker@townline.org with any comments or ideas. Thanks for reading, Have a great week.

I’M JUST CURIOUS: Dart’s escape

/0 Comments/in /by
by Debbie Walker

Apple Tree Notch is the home of the Bailey fairy family and many of their friends. Mom and Papa Bailey had noticed that as their fairy children grew older their home became busier.

Their children could in a matter of seconds turn their quiet little home under the apple tree into a very busy, crazy home. Can you just imagine Momma Bailey trying to clean her home when three little children came flying through the door? Some times they were running, sometimes flying, flitting and scurrying between Momma and Papa trying to tell them about their adventures that day.

Well, this day was no different. All three of the Bailey children came rushing through the door and following closely behind was their friend, Dart. He was a very excited young dragon fly. They all began flying and flitting around between the parents and of course Dart was “darting” around, that was how he had gotten his name.

Papa finally stood up from his chair and said, “Everyone stop, there are too many talking at the same time, Momma and I just can’t understand. Dart it sounds as if you are the one with the adventure, so you may tell us. Daisy, Fern and Twig settle down while Momma and I listen”.

It was hard for the excited three to settle down. They were excited remembering how Daisy had escaped the big house behind Apple Tree Notch. The child, Tristin had almost put Daisy in a vase of water as a present to her parents. The escape had been a close call and now this!

Dart began to explain. I was just flying around with some friends. We were playing a game of chase. One of my friends made a quick swoop past the open door of the house. “I missed him and flew right into the house. I saw the people there but they didn’t see me, so I hid behind the curtain.”

“A short time after the house got quiet, I thought everyone had left. So I started trying to wing my way out from behind the curtains. Sometimes I still can’t control my wings as well as I would like to.”

“I heard the mother of the house say to herself, “what is that noise I hear?” I knew she was looking for me. That made my wings flap even harder against the window.” “The woman moved the curtain out of the way, and she caught me in her hand. I was so scared, but I got out and flew, only to land behind another curtain and I knew she was still after me. Papa, Momma, I was so scared. I was afraid my wings would get torn or something worse.”

“The lady was still after me. I couldn’t help flapping my wings and again she found me. You won’t believe what the woman did. She grabbed me and I thought that was it for me. The woman spoke to me. She said, “little dragon fly if you will slow down just a second I will help you out.” The next thing I knew I was on her open hand, and she let me fly out the door! That’s when I almost hit Twig as I was flying away. That woman let me go, just like that and I’m not hurt at all!”

Momma and Papa saw the sparkle of light from the Sprite, the guardian of all the local children. They saw him fly out the door, so they knew everything was alright.

Momma had been fixing dinner while Dart was telling his story. She said “Well Dart with all that flying you must be tired and hungry.” The whole family giggled as they looked at Dart. He had lit on a cushion and fallen fast asleep.

No harm was done. They ate dinner as Dart slept dreaming of his release by the woman. Apple Tree Notch is certainly full of adventures, but for now things were quiet.

Thanks for reading, hope you enjoy a little kid’s stuff.

Debbie Walker of Lecanto, FL. Contact me DebbieWalker@townline.org with any questions or comments.

I’M JUST CURIOUS: Hints for a better life

/0 Comments/in /by
by Debbie Walker

There is so much nastiness and cruelty in the world today that whenever I see something promoting a more pleasant life, I want to use it. The writing I saw this week didn’t have a title or an author just hints to a better life.

1. Compliment three people every day. (I do enjoy complimenting people. I like seeing the look of surprise on their face and I know I added at least a couple of smiles for them. One smile when I complimented them and one, they will experience as they compliment another.)

2. Watch a sunrise at least once a year. (This one I don’t do so well at. I am better at sunsets.)

3. Be the first to say, “Hello”. (I have found people enjoy it when I greet them with a smile and “Good Morning”. The whole thing kind of catches folks off guard!)

4. Live beneath your means. (I do struggle with this one.)

5. Treat everyone like you want to be treated. (Some days this is a little easier said than done. But if we all continued to try wouldn’t this be so much more pleasant way to live.)

6. Never give up on anybody, miracles do happen. Another idea I discovered a long time ago is, “As Long as There is Breath There is Hope.”

7. Forget the Joneses. (If you don’t know who the Joneses are, ask someone older). Concentrate on you. Make your wishes simple, you don’t have to participate in the rat race.

8. Never deprive of someone of hope. It may be all they have.

9. Pray not for things, but for wisdom and courage

10.. Be tough-minded but tender hearted.

11. Don’t forget, a person’s greatest emotional need is to feel appreciated.

12. Keep your promise. Don’t make a promise if there is the slightest doubt.

13. Learn to show cheerfulness, even when you don’t feel like it. We always referred to “fake it till you make it.”

14. Remember that overnight success usually takes 15 years.

15. Leave everything better than you found it.

16. Remember that winners do what losers don’t want to do.

17. When you arrive at your job in the morning, let the first thing you say brighten everyone’s day.

18. Never waste an opportunity to tell someone you love them.

19. Watch a movie chosen by a new friend. It may not be a movie you would have chosen but, you may learn a lot with an open mind.

20. Stranger is just a friend you hadn’t met yet. That is what my grandfather always said.

Fall Bird Questions: from Farmer’s Almanac 2022:

1 No, birds do not become dependent on your feeders.

2 No, feeding birds in the fall will not stop them from migrating. Somewhere I read that red pepper flakes sprinkled in bird seed will keep the birds happy but really mess with the squirrel happiness.

3 Birds need water year-round.

4 Only 40 percent of birds are migrating birds.

I am just curious if you will find any of this helpful. Hope so. Contact me at DebbieWalker@townline.org. with questions or comments. Thanks for reading and have a great week.

I’M JUST CURIOUS: Common sense education

/0 Comments/in /by
by Debbie Walker

I found this information on Facebook, and I have no idea who originally wrote it, but I applaud them. The title is 40 Old-Fashioned Skills That Kids Need to Know Today! I was pleased when I realized Kathy and I taught some of these to our little first graders. They are not in any particular order, but I wish I had seen this when I was raising my daughter. A check list for parents to go by would have been helpful.

{ } How to write a letter; { } How to make a phone call. {1 } How to take a message. {2 } How to get to know an older person. { } How to play with a baby. { } How to sew on a button. (There are people who throw away a shirt or a blouse because they lost a button! Not in my house!); { 3} How to make a genuine apology. { } How to read slowly. { } How to hammer a nail. { } How to shake hands. { } How to introduce yourself. { } How to take notice of needs around you. { 4} How to make a scrambled egg. { } How to see a job/task through to completion. { } How to write a thank you note. { } How to fix something instead of replacing it. { } How to hang a picture. { } How to wash dishes. { } How to wait and save for something. { } How to ask questions to get to know someone better { } How to read a map. { } How to find a book in the library. { } How to ask for assistance from an elder. { } How to select a gift that the receiver will appreciate. { } How to admit a mistake. { } How to iron a shirt. { } How to give someone the benefit of the doubt. { }How to weigh out the pros and the cons of a decision { }.

{1} If your child is not old enough to take a message properly, hands off the phone. {2}Practice on the grandparents either on the phone or in person; You will be giving them both quite a gift, { 3 } An apology given with rolled eyes or a sarcastic voice is worse than never getting one, it’s the same thing. {4 } Allow your child to make scrambled eggs before he/she becomes 18. Yes, that was sarcastic because I have seen parents cutting meat for kids who were 16: they didn’t want them to get cut.

I am sure you have some answers or two for some of these comments as I do. Would you like to share them with me or just add them to the list? My thought behind these is for parents to use as a check list for teaching their children. Little things like a child who has not learned to tie their shoelaces before they enter school, please put them in Velcro sneakers. Teachers don’t need to tie 19 pairs of sneakers once or twice a day. And not all teachers have an aide.

Ok, that’s enough time for me, now it’s your turn. I’m just curious how many of you will share with me. I’ll be waiting at DebbieWalker@townline.org. Have a great week and thanks for reading.

I’M JUST CURIOUS: Feeling unlucky? This may help

/0 Comments/in /by

photo credit: www.flickr.com/photos/sequoya/2431236121

by Debbie Walker

It is well known by now that I love the Farmer’s Almanac! I get newsletters from them, and they are just as good as the book somedays. This latest newsletter had 13 Ways to Improve Your Luck, written by Jaime McLeod, one of their journalists. Please do check their stuff and ours online. You never know what neat stuff you may find.

I will be using some of Jaime’s information and some I have found online; I will also be adding some of my own information. This has nothing to do with The Town Line staff, just me sharing with you.

13 or so….

1. Keep Your Fingers Crossed: Making the sign of the Christian faith with your fingers is believed to keep the evil spirits from ruining your good fortune.

2. Knock on Wood: It was believed good spirits lived in trees and by knocking on anything made of wood, we can call upon these spirits for protection against misfortune. (Sometimes it’s hard to find real wood these days, it might be a really good grade of plastic!)

3. Find a 4-leaf Clover: Ancient druids believed shamrocks helped them to see evil spirits providing the chance to avoid them. (Have you ever seen purple shamrocks. We have a few pots of them.)

4. Wear Your Clothes Inside Out: (I had never seen this one before. I bet more people would be doing this if they knew it would bring good luck. I read children will wear their pj’s inside out, hoping for a snow day from school. We would have too when we were teaching first and second grade!

5. Look at the New Moon Over Your Right Shoulder: If you have new projects being successful or not, it depends on if you see the New Moon over your right shoulder.

6. Sleep Facing South: (from Feng/chi ) good health and fortune: Connection with positive spiritual energy.

7. Break Clear, Uncolored Glass: Broken mirrors are said to bring bad luck. Broken clear glass is said to lose bad fortune.

8. Walk in the Rain: always seen as good luck because a rainy season meant the difference between lean years and prosperous years.

9. Sleep on Un-ironed Sheets: just an old superstition with lost origins. Not many iron sheets anymore, maybe that’s the answer to the mess the world is in. Iron those sheets people!

10. Avoid Cracks in the Sidewalk: Step on a crack, break your mother’s back. I suppose it could be a safety issue, you might trip in a crack, especially with some heels over the years!

11. Carry an Acorn in Your Pocket: An ancient symbol of fertility and long life. To get a long life here you would have to fight the chipmunks!

12. Sneeze three Times Before Breakfast: Three seen as a lucky number belief throughout history. Associated with Christian Trinity.

13. Pick up a Pencil, a Pin, a Penny or a Piece of Coal in the Street: Find a penny, pick it up, all the day, you’ll have good luck.

Wishing you the best of luck and health. I’m just curious what little poems you have. Can’t wait to hear from you. Contact me a DebbieWalker@townline.org.

I’M JUST CURIOIUS: Are you a lefty?

/0 Comments/in /by
by Debbie Walker

If you have answered the question, “Are you a lefty?” more than once or twice in your life you probably are left-handed. I imagine you have also heard some interesting comments. Well, here comes a few more. I just had to share them.

This info I found in a book titled The Natural Superiority of The Left-Hander, by James T. de Kay. The info follows:

“One person in ten is left-handed. And every last one of them thinks he’s sort of special.” The author’s words, not mine! It is said that left-handedness is something of a rarity. There are even some plants and sea critters that are said to be lefties. Lobsters are sometimes left-handed. (If you were very hungry you wouldn’t pick that one from the case in the restaurant or store!)

It is believed the very first members of the humans were left-handed. I am not sure who they found to ask about that item. Things were said to be fine for us lefties up through the Stone Age. With the Bronze Age of manufacturing, most work was done by right-handers, so the tools were designed for right-handers. Go figure! By the Middle Ages left-handers were left out in the cold, even suits of armors were made for the right-handers.

If we gave it much thought those of us who are left-handed could feel a little paranoid. Yes, paranoid when you consider many of us can tell the stories about the teachers who tried to change us over to be right- handed. Could have gotten the feeling of failure by first grade!

Today the only thing that actually favors us is the toll booths! AND even those are being put out of business by the Sun-Passes! But that is okay because Ben Franklin favored us with his writings about the left- handed with his left hand, I guess.

There have been five left-handed presidents; Garfield, Truman, Ford, Bush, and Clinton. Swimming also favors left-handers. Left-handers make fantastic tennis players, even though they are not clear why, forty percent of top pros are left-handed.

There are more left-handed boys than girls. Some experts claim you can tell about a baby being left-handed by the swirl of the hair on top of their head. It is said you can tell if your left-handed if the base of your thumb is wider and squarer than the right.

Right-handers adapt comfortably to abstractions. But left-handers tend to translate everything into visual imagery. Right-handers tend to think lineally. One out of every four Apollo astronauts turned out to be left-handed.

We now know why left-handers have always believed they were special. In their hearts, they know they are right!

So, are you a lefty? I am happy that my dad fought the “battle of the teacher” wanting to change my dominating hand. I have not felt my left handwriting holding me back much, if at all. They tell me I even hold my pen the right way.

I am just curious if you are a lefty. We are special, as are we all. We each bring something special to this old world. Contact me at Debbiewalker@townline.org. Have a great week and thanks for reading.

I’M JUST CURIOUS: “Bless your heart”

/0 Comments/in /by
by Debbie Walker

I decided to have some fun tonight. I get curious about “sayings”. I am going to share some southern sayings. When I moved to Florida one of my treats was hearing these sayings. How about:

My favorite is: In the south you can say anything about anybody as long as you follow it with “bless his heart”. “That is the ugliest baby I’ve ever seen, bless his heart.” “She needs to do something with that hair, bless her heart.” Following an elder on the highway driving 30 miles an hour you can cuss and then just cover it with “Bless his/her heart.

“Do you know the difference between a conniption fit and a hissy fit?” None. Just pray you are not the one who caused it!

“I brought you into this world and I can take you out and make another one just like you!”

“Over yonder a piece” is not very far but “Way over yonder” is a far piece.

“A truth comes naked, a lie has to wear it’s pants.”

Southern babies know that “Gimme some sugar” is not a request for the white granulated sweet substance on the table.

A southerner knows that “fixin” is used instead of “getting ready to” any particular thing. A southerner is “fixin’ to do something.”

When a southern mama says, “Don’t ugly your sister” it has nothing to do with physical appearance.

Southern mamas are good at “slap” threatening. “I’ll slap your face off”. Or “I’ll slap you so far down in your shoes you can’t see daylight” or “I’ll slap a knot on your head.”

“If his lips are movin’, he’s lyin!” One lady I know used to say about her brother, “If he has a choice between standing flat footed on the ground or climbing that big pine tree and lying, he’ll climb that tree every time!”

“If that boy had an idea, it would die of loneliness”.

“He’s so dumb; he could throw himself on the ground and miss”!

“Well, butter my butt and call me a biscuit”!

“Keep it up and I’ll cancel your birth certificate!”

“He fell out of the ugly tree and hit every branch on the way down”.

“I’m so hungry my belly thinks my throats been cut.”

“Well, aren’t you precious”.

Oh yeah, this is a favorite of mine. I found out when I moved south that the south was still fighting the Civil War! I had never heard the term YANKEE as much as when I moved down here. They let me know that there was a Yankee and a damn Yankee. A Yankee was a northerner visiting the south. I was a Damn Yankee because I moved here!

I’m just curious if there are Northern “sayins” to compete with these. Contact me at DebbieWalker@townline.org and “Bless your heart” for reading once again.

I’M JUST CURIOUS: Words from Joey’s book

/0 Comments/in /by
by Debbie Walker

Tonight, I am using one of my books, one of the many, authored by Joey Green. You might have seen him on The Tonight Show, Jay Leno, Good Morning America, and The View. When does he find time to write?

I have a few of his cleaning books. Next I will have to try: Last Minute Travel Secrets, Last Minute Survival Skills, The Electric Pickle (that has my curiosity bell ringing!), Dumb History, and Weird and Wonderful Christmas. It will take me a while to collect them all.

Tonight, I am using his book Clean It, Fix It, Eat It. I love to flip through a book first to see what attracts my attention. It never fails, something jumps out at me. This time it worked again!
Try this (maybe just for fun or let me know what your idea would be): Solar-Powered Water Heater: Clorox, Coca-Cola and Downy. Save the empty bottles and by dinner, the water is hot enough to use for washing dishes, puppies etc., With enough containers you can heat a child’s pool!

This book has chapters from Bathe It to Wear It. I can’t even pick a favorite chapter at this point.

For some reasons I am having trouble with flies, I am going to try:

FLIES: Alberto VO5 Hair Spray: As the book says, I can’t kill the things with a swatter, The trick here is to spray flies with Alberto VO5 hair spray. It freezes their wings and smells better than insecticides. I will try this one today.

MOSQUITOES: Joy dish detergent: Put two or three drops of Lemon Joy in a dinner plate, fill with water, and place the dish on the patio. They will fall in and die (with a little look).

CLEAN IT: Use Maxwell House Coffee grounds to scrub pots and pans that have a build-up of food and stains. Rinse well.

CLEAN IT: EGG: Clean a broken egg from the floor with Morton Salt. Poor salt over the broken egg. Let the salt blend with the egg and let sit for a minute. Then easily wipe up mess with paper towels.

FIX IT: Maybelline Crystal Clear Nail Polish: Paint clear nail polish over stones in costume jewelry to prevent them from falling out. Repeat when necessary. This also works if put on over screws of your eye-glasses.

FIX IT: PLEDGE: Spray Pledge furniture polish in the track of your sliding patio door. It helps keep dirt out and slides easier.

COOK IT (title of book is Eat It but the closest I found was Cook It) Coca Cola: Baked Beans cooked with a half can of Coca Cola will prevent flatulence. (Some families have used this for years but I never heard of it before).

COOK IT: ZIPLOC STORAGE BAGS: Fill a gallon size bag with cake batter ingredients then squeeze the bag to mix. {How neat is that!!}

I didn’t even make a tiny dent in this wonderful book tonight. I believe we need to visit this book often, hopefully Joey won’t mind. This book is accumulated hints Joey received from his fans. I hope he understands that I am a fan and I love telling people what I have learned. Enjoy! He has books to be bought and a website.

As usual I am just curious how these things work for you. I have tried some and will be trying more. Please contact me at DebbieWalker@townline.org with any questions or comments. Thank you for reading and have a wonderful week.

I’M JUST CURIOUS: Thoughts and ideas

/0 Comments/in /by
by Debbie Walker

Every year I try to think of a unique Christmas gift for my grandchildren who are both now adults with their own families. However, I am still Nana Daffy (they named me that when Blake was learning to talk) just as when they were children. I see no reason to change either the name nor this tradition.

When the kids got old enough to have a preference in clothes, music, games, etc., I didn’t want to try to please them. It was easier to dream up something different or unique.

I started out first sending them on day trips to places like Museum of Science, in Tampa, (MOSI), Weeky Wache, in Spring Hill, or Silver Springs Attraction, in Ocala, all in Florida. Then things got too expensive, so, again, I switched.

Next, I bought them things they were going to need for their dorm or their future homes. I started with the small things I find handy in my kitchen, like my favorite spatula or my little knife. From there it went to the bigger stuff like a toaster. Oh yeah, and kitchen gifts from me were always wrapped with aluminum foil. There really was a reason for it the first year but don’t have a clue why I did it. The aluminum foil was gathered and rolled into a ball that would last them all year until the next Christmas.

Blake went off to college and his first apartment and pleased his roommates with a good amount of their kitchen needs being supplied by him. Tristin, my granddaughter, started out in her first home with a partially established kitchen, also.

There has now come a time when they really don’t need anything I can afford, so now I am working on weird stuff. This year will be my best so far, I hope. Previously, I have found things that aren’t really common, so we have a guessing game. Whoever guesses the use gets to keep it. So far this year I haven’t found anything.

Do you know what a loofah is? I knew it was a sponge, but I thought they were like the ones they dive for in Tarpon Springs

Did you know that a loofah sponge starts out as a vegetable/gourd? I wrote vegetable because you can eat the young plant but allowed to grow it is a gourd. (Did you know that even a watermelon is from a gourd family?)

I explained to my neighbor, Glen, what I would like to do. I wanted to plant the seeds and document the process traveled. I looked for seeds and couldn’t find them locally. Glen got on the computer, and found and ordered the seeds. When received he proceeded to plant and care for my (?) plant. The vines have grown so they are a lot taller than me.

So now I have to continue to take pictures and the information about the process, all into a little booklet to go with each sponge on Christmas morning. I can’t wait to tell them the whole story! I will let you know how I make out with peeling off the outside of the plant to find the fibrous and seeded center. The seeds must come out. From what I have read there are a lot of seeds. We will have to get them all out and hang on an outside line in the sun to dry and for the sun to bleach the sponge.

The kids will get a laugh about the gift. I will let you know as the process continues.

I am curious how many of you knew it started out as a veggie. Questions or comments contact me at DebbieWalker@townline.org. Thanks again for reading and have a great week.

I’M JUST CURIOUS: Open minded?

/0 Comments/in /by
by Debbie Walker

How open minded are you? Maybe you have done things one particular way for years, can you try something else at least once? Ooops, maybe twice. Foggy mirrors in your bathroom are a nuisance. I am offering you two ways to maybe prevent the problem.

Number 1 is to clean your mirror with regular shaving cream. Spray it on, wipe it off. Try that for a few days. Number 2, make sure you use a second mirror. Rub cucumber flesh over the mirror. This will leave a thin film that repels water droplets. The two mirrors allow you to compare the results.

Okay, you made it through two examples of difference, how about some oldies but goodies? Medicinal, that is. The information came from my June issue of First magazine, and I have no idea who the author is but the name of the article is The Best Oldie-Goodie Cures. I hope they don’t mind my sharing it with you. As always with anything medical, check with your doctor with any questions.

Remove warts with aspirin: Rub a crushed aspirin on a wart before bed and cover with duct tape: remove in the morning. Repeat daily until gone. (Or apply daily with nail polish. You could scrub well once a day and then apply more, etc).

Avoid poison ivy rash, use dish washing liquid like Palmolive if you brush up against poison ivy. When rinsed, rub a little Palmolive on your skin.

Nail fungus is no fun, even though the first three letters spell fun! According to this article you make a solution of equal parts mouthwash and white vinegar and soak for 15 minutes. Repeat three times a week.

Heal skin with lavender. To do mix 3 drops essential oil to 1/2 teaspoon of coconut oil or another carrier oil. It treats minor injures kills germs, reduces swelling and speeds new collagen and skin cells to reduce healing time.

Relieve a minor burn with baking soda. Pour one teaspoon of baking soda into a small bowl, then add enough water to make a paste. Use your fingers to gently apply paste, let dry.

Eliminate dandruff with mouthwash. Pour 1/4 cup of thymol-containing mouthwash like Listerine Cool Mint onto damp hair and massage into scalp. Wait five minutes then shampoo as usual. Repeat daily until flaking disappears.

Soften calluses with castor oil. Dampen a few cotton balls with castor oil, place them on rough spots and cover with bandage before slipping socks on your feet. In the morning, wash feet, then gently buff with pumice stone and moisturize.

Treat canker sores. Dab the sores with aloe vera gel from the plant’s leaves or product three times daily.

Shrink varicose veins. Dabbing witch hazel on mild varicose veins twice a day can reduce their appearance ­– and soothe vein related pain in as little as seven days. Keep the witch hazel in the refrigerator if your varicose veins tend to itch, applying the liquid chilled provides immediate relief.

Long after I desperately needed relief from super glue I found what follows: Nail polish remover, either acetone or non-acetone, nail polish remover can be used to clean up messes around the house. Try it on coffee or tea stained mugs, stains on upholstery from ink or permanent marker (test first on fabric) or super glue that stuck on hands!

I am just curious what you will use and what you already use. Contact me at DebbieWalker@townline.org. Thank you for reading and have a great week!