by Debbie Walker

I have been watching a chain of events taking place. Have you noticed? It seems to me that we have been losing touch with those niceties. When I was working in the school system with first and second graders, that first day of school we had to teach academics but also had to begin teaching basic table manners. They caught on quickly. Kids learn good and not so good behavior at about the same time.

Okay, enough about kids. I have a book (of course) titled Manners and Morals of Victorian America, by Wayne Erbsen. I get a wicked chuckle from reading this stuff. The olden ways were pretty stiff but if we could have saved a bit of the manners and morals it might have been better.

We are entering the holiday activities time of the year. I am working for the theater group, and we are doing a play, Mistletoe Ridge, a Christmas comedy. It’s cute. I have recently read the manners book and there was information about how to behave in concerts, and table manners in group meals. Naturally I was interested. So…..

Beating the time with canes or feet is not a fashionable way to applaud at the play (It appears to be appropriate now) can indicate natural emotion and everything like feeling is now out of fashion. And of course, it is rude to whisper or talk during the performance and annoying to those of the audience around you.

Applause is by clapping hands, and not by stomping or kicking with the feet. (Still the proper thing).

There are quite a few of these DON’Ts, many more than I am printing here. These are geared for dining:

Shoveling food in is considered an atrocity, that in Europe you would be escorted out.

Solemn dullness and unsociability at meals is not acceptable.

Don’t tuck your napkin under your chin, nor spread it upon your breast. Bibs and tuckers are for the nursery.

Don’t fail to notice elderly people. (Even in a Native American family following old customs will seat their elders and serve them first.)

Don’t scold and snarl, as it is exceedingly ill bred to do so.

Don’t chew or fumble your toothpick in public. (Even restaurants give them to you until you are exiting.)

(THERE WERE MANY MORE!!)

Hold your tongue. Nothing is ruder than to converse whilst people are singing. If you don’t like what you are hearing, you should remove yourself lest you ruin it for others.

More Nevers. Told you there are many more than I am going to be able to print at this time.

Never fail to be punctual at the time appointed.

Never fail to give a polite answer to a civil question.

Never appear to notice a scar, deformity, or defect of anyone present.

Never fail to offer the easiest and best seat in the room to an invalid, an elderly person or a lady.

It is fun reading about the manners and morals of years ago. Comparing them to today gives us something to think about.

I’m just curious if you find these things as interesting as I do. If you have time to comment, you can find me at DebbieWalker@townline.org. Have a wonderful holiday season.

by Debbie Walker

That is right. Quite a bit of time I am working on one project or another. The most recent one has Dave scratching his head in wonder. I have been wanting to do some matchy (means I want the different pieces to match) things for the bedroom. I found a comforter for the bedroom, truthfully, I bought it to help me cheat in making a quilt. But… some other idea traveled through my head before I got to the quilt (I’ll just have to buy another one to cheat with.).

I have had a lightweight quilt om my bed for quite some time. One side of it was all the bright colors I like. On the other side of it is a print with a white background and flowers outlined in black. Did I mention the quilt is black with a little white mixed through it. So, I have the comforter for the bed and yesterday I started cutting up the black and white flowered comforter to make something like blinds for the windows. Got a pair done and discovered the sun shined through and showed the bright colors of the other side of the comforter. I was kind of bummed but I got over it. I just have to put another thickness of fabric to hide the bright colors, not really a problem.

I also bought some black cotton to make some simple curtains for over the “blinds”. I have to get some more fabric because I want to make some king-sized shams, too. If I complete the entire project, I will let you know. If I don’t you will know another project got my attention. (I always have more than one going).

My friend, Ed, sends some of the neatest emails out daily, some just funny, and some are very interesting. This week one of them is something I am going to do for yet another project. This is written for the month of December, daily. Each day you pick up some form of food, canned or maybe dry foods, common sense items you could use anytime. You know, what you use regularly. Your church or local food banks will certainly accept the contribution or gift it privately. I will let you know how my gift box is progressing.

I was reading our local paper the other night and an article became interesting. We have a local theater group, and they were looking for people who would audition for a part or even volunteer for other needs. And yes, I called the next morning. I will be going over Saturday to meet the people and audition. Isn’t that a hoot! The play is a comedy, and I am anxious to hear more about it. I am ready for some new experiences, fun ones. When I was working at the school in Corinna I used to dress up and act out stories for the kids, and I do miss that.

When we first moved here, I was so shy. I was always a shy kid. My first year my boss at the recreation club had me on the stage and that was just the beginning of speaking to the crowds. I also found out then if you put on some kind of costume, you can be anyone you need to be.

I’m just curious what your latest projects are. Let me know, please. Contact me at DebbieWalker@townline.org . Have a great week.

by Debbie Walker

You know I like comical things and I love words. When I came across this material in a Blum’s Farmer’s and Planter’s Almanac from 2018, I saved this page for future reference. I think this is ‘future enough’. I hope it brings you a chuckle or two.

Avoidable: what a bullfighter tries to do. (Avoid-a-bull)

Baloney: where some hemlines fall. (below-the-knee)

Bernadette: the act of torching a mortgage. (Burn-a-det)

Heroes: what a guy in a boat does. (hee-rows)

Paradox: two physicians. (par-a-docs)

Pharmacist: a helper on the farm. (farm-uh-sist)

Relief: what trees do in the spring. (Ree-leaf)

Rubberneck: what you do to relax your wife. (rub-’er-neck)

Seamstress: describes 200 lbs. in a size 2. (seam-stress)

Selfish: what the owner of a seafood store does. (sel-fish)

Subdued: a guy that works on a submarine. ((sub-dude)

TECH:

Log on: when you want to make the homestead warmer.

Log off: TIMBerrrrrrr

Mega Hertz: when you are not careful getting the firewood.

Laptop: where the cat sleeps.

Hard drive: maneuvering through those rocky fields on the northern range when there is snow on the ground.

Windows: what to shut when it’s cold outside.

Byte: what mosquitoes do.

Modem: what I did to the hay fields.

Keyboard: where the keys hang.

Mouse: critters that eat the grain in the barn.

I have room to go over odd uses for ordinary products. The Jello column was different so now I think we will do Colgate toothpaste, the plain old fashion one, nothing fancy added.

To start: Did you know an inch of Colgate to wash your hands with when you are handling fish, onions, or garlic to remove the smell. I never would have guessed it.

I haven’t tried it yet, but Joey Green had it on his list of hacks. Ink can be removed from cloth with Colgate Toothpaste. I have tried hairspray and that worked.

Colgate can be used for removing hair dye from skin. Wish I had known that when I was dying my hair. Not sorry that’s over!

Grass stains used to be an issue when we were growing up. Wish Mom had known about Colgate and grass stains. She might now have been so upset with us!

It’s no secret that I enjoy Joey Green’s books. Helpful and entertaining! He now has a monthly newsletter that you might want to check. Just try your search engine with his name and see what comes up. Enjoy!

Changing up a little: If you have a shedding pet, try this (maybe). If when you are brushing the pet looks wonderful, but you look like a shaggy critter. I read about a possible answer. Cut a pair of pantyhose into pieces just big enough to fit over the brush’s head, allowing the bristles to poke fully through the material. Fur will cling to pantyhose instead of your shirt. Then pull off pantyhose and put in trash. (Try this out on Piper, Mim)

The cup holder in my car is always nasty and hard to clean. I read today to put a silicone cupcake liner in it and it will be easy to keep clean. I’ll let you know.

One more thing before I finish. Some doctors are saying good ole’ soap and water will kill as many germs without the use of alcohol or other chemicals in the hand sanitizers. Just saying….

I’m just curious if you have any ideas you want to share. Contact me at DebbieWalker@townline.org with any comments or questions. Have a wonderful week.

by Debbie Walker

I love getting e-mails from people like Joey Green. He has quite a few books about the different hacks (different uses for ordinary things.) Look him up online, his books are entertainment and a great deal of useful information.

Today I am passing on information he collected about Jello. I loved it, the uses, not the Jello!

Jello to unclog a drain. Most everyone has heard about using vinegar, however, it is often too acidic, possibly damaging. Total Info about this process is online from his book ‘Joey Hacks”.

Jello to style your hair. I guess maybe it would work with most stuff that is sticky and stiff when dry. Don’t forget to make some whipped cream for the left-over Jello!

Jello can be used to make marshmallows. I never heard of it but then again, I am not a cook. Seems a lot easier just to buy them! It is in my recipe book.

Wine Jello? Okay, it’s simple enough, just doesn’t sound very appealing to me. Boil one cup of water and mix with Jello powder until dissolved then add a cup of red wine, stir well, and refrigerate for four hours. Serves four.

How to prepare for a wrestling match in Jello. Pour 2,347 boxes of Jello into an eight-foot square padded box, add boiling water, and chill for two days. I think that match might make national news.

If your apple pie doesn’t have enough flavor, you can always add Jello. Just prepare your apple pie and before the top crust sprinkle ¼ of dry Jello, cover with crust and bake.

Watch seedlings grow roots. Yes, we are still talking about Jello. Root seeds on a damp paper towel. (While your Jello is setting). Once the seeds have sprung plant them in a clear jar or glass. Kids will love it.

Jello for enhancing marital relations. I am not touching that one!

Use Jello to help recover from diarrhea. I believe that is to allow you to eat something! I wonder how many cases of that stuff that hospitals buy.

You’ve seen flavored cream cheese at some time, right? Well, you can choose any flavor you would like with Jello.

I wish I had known about this when I first quit coloring my white hair. You can use Jello, add a little water to make a paste. Apply it then let it dry then rinse. It will last through three or four washes. Maybe I will try it.

I have never heard you can use Jello to stop a nosebleed. Place one tablespoon of any flavor Jello powder on the tongue, press the Jello against the roof of your mouth letting it slowly dissolve The Jello clots the bleed.

Please let me know what ones you try. I know someone will. However, I want to add something I read, not related to Jello. Do you know how to recover from a sugar overload? I read you put one tablespoon of apple cider vinegar in a glass and sip. Acids release tummy calming sugar digesting enzymes. Hope it works!

I’m just curious if you found this as funny as I did. I hope so!! If you have any questions or comments just email me at DebbieWalker@townline.org. Have a great week and thanks for reading again.

by Debbie Walker

This column will make some folks happy and some probably not so happy. I am going to start with beer:

For some who the thought of using beer for anything other than drinking could cause them painful thoughts, this might make you feel a little better: Do you have any yellow patches in your lawn (possibly from a fungus)? IF you have any flat beer in the house, feed it to the yellow (finding flat beer a problem?) and watch it improve.

Need help falling asleep? Not a drinker, you don’t have to be. I don’t know where to find it but I read you need to buy some India pale ale, no, not to drink. Wash your pillowcases with three to five tablespoons of the ale, the hops make quite the sedative.

Wish Mom and Dad knew you could use beer to wash the smell of skunk off your dog. If my Mom was still alive I would love to tell her this one! Mom went into our barn one night and came back into the house smelling of skunk. We dug through the pantry looking for anything tomato trying to find the cure. Of course, the skunk had sprayed Mom close to our front door and that smell lasted just way too long! Got any stories?

Do you have gold jewelry? You don’t need the expensive cleaner. Pour some pale beer in a shallow bowl, add the jewelry. After soaking for 10 minutes, buff with clean cloth – it sparkles again.

Do you ever have slivers of bar soap? Slivers have uses, too.

Do you have a zipper that sticks? Rub the sliver on the teeth of the zipper, a couple of ups and downs and ta-da, it works.

Do you have a cabinet or room door that sticks? That’s right, just rub the soap sliver where it seems to be sticking. Works like a charm.

Do you have a pet who likes to chew, and is trying to chew electrical cords? Wipe those cords with your sliver of soap and your pet will decide the taste is not appealing.

Coffee grounds are usually a throw-away item in the home. There are uses for the used grounds.

Do you have black clothing that’s faded? Revive them with coffee “dye”. Steep ¼ cup of coffee grounds in one gallon of water for 10 minutes. Pour in washer with clothing and run on gentle cycle (no soap). Once the dying is over run a cycle of the washer with a cup of vinegar.

Coffee grounds for the garden. Sprinkle a thin layer of coffee grounds over the soil. When it rains, nitrogen will seep into the dirt. It will create a healthier environment.

I am going to get a little personal for a few minutes. I guess most people are aware that Florida, as well as a few other states, just experienced a hurricane. When I first moved here from New England my family and friends thought if the news said “Florida” then it must be affecting me. Not the case. I live in what is referred to as “Central West Coast” Florida. It means we are on the west coast of Florida and midway down the coast.

I have been here the better part of 40 years and have always considered myself lucky this is the area I landed in! David moved here from Maine in March and he was feeling uneasy (to say the least) about all the talk of hurricanes. I explained to him there are many types of areas here just as in Maine. There are miles of coast and some lowlands in Citrus County but for the most part we have comfortable elevation. Dave kept the TV on and watched here as it rained, and we had some wind. The TV is, of course, showing all the hardest hit areas of the coast and across state.

I recommend whenever anyone is relocating, please research the areas you are interested in. I have met too many people who moved here with so little information. For instance, because you visit here once and the property appears dry, next time you come, it looks like a lake. Get the idea?

Are you curious about anything Florida? Let me know, I’m not selling anymore but I haven’t forgotten what I have learned! Contact me at DebbieWalker@townline.org.