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.

by Debbie Walker

I have been in Florida for about 39 years. How did that happen, I thought I was still only 34 years old. I am not sure what is going on, why some things are almost impossible to do. My family loves to tell me it is because I am getting older, they must be mistaken.

As I was trying to say it is one burning hot summer! Poor David is suffering and wondering if Florida was as good an idea as he first thought. There is no convincing him that it is going to get better. He will just have to stay here for the winter with no snow work to do!

I want to pass on a few things that might make your hot spell just a little easier for you. Let’s start with BUGS:

Did the mosquitoes find you outside trying to enjoy yourself? They will find you and you can relieve yourself with banana peels. Rub the inside over your bite for about a minute.

Are you like me and lost the screw from the frame of your sunglasses? I have three kits to repair glasses at home. Of course, I never loose the screw when I am at home. Well, get a toothpick and slip it in where the screw goes. It works. Saves buying new glasses immediately.

Gardening your thing? It can be great for the mood but can cause some ‘ouches’ to your body. I’d like to share a few more ideas from Woman’s World.

Hand pain: Fix hand pain with a sponge: Use a rubber band to wrap the sponge around the handles. Much easier on your hands.

Mowing: Sidestep mowing stickies: The reason behind the sluggish mower is likely grass gunk collecting on blades. Turn the mower and swipe the blades with a rag dipped in white vinegar. It will remove buildup, so your mower glides easily. (Make sure you turn off the mower first.)

Kids or no kids: If you work outside, you need one of those smooth, round bottom, sled. It would be cheap, and you can pile your tools or plants, etc., on it and drag it around the yard. It’s easier than rolling a wheeled cart.

Wrist strain: A regular, adult watering can is a bit hefty to handle. I love this one. Get a child’s watering can. Also, if you are buying dirt, buy the smaller, to be less strain for you to handle.

Make a pillow for your knees with pool noodles. Cut the noodles down to the right width to put your knees upon. Attach them together with rubber bands and enjoy some comfort, cheaper than buying one especially in the garden department.

Banish weeds cheap: Low cost, all-natural way to banish pesky grass killer: Mix ¼ C of salt, and 4 C of white vinegar in a spray bottle and spritz on weeds. Don’t spray this near your flower plants. Come to think of it, I am going to hit my weeds. They need to go.

As usual, I am just curious if you will try some of these. I am going to do the weeds tonight. Contact me with comments or questions anytime at DebbieWalker@townline.org . Have a great week!

P. S . Remember most of these ideas come from Woman’s World or FIRST magazine. Great magazines!

by Debbie Walker

This column is a little different from my usual. If I knew all the answers, I would call this my Public Service Announcement. Truth is I only have questions at this point. I am sure it will sound like a high school “Gripe Paper”.

The story reads something like this: About six weeks ago I started having trouble with what I thought was possibly ‘Sciatica’, I had it before, but it only lasted a few days. Since the pain doctor treated it before I went to him again. He did a shot right where it hurt. Unfortunately, the shot only helped a little for the next couple of days.

I called the pain doc again and he did a prescription of steroids (I think), to be taken for six or seven days, again, no change. One more call to him and he said to just give it a couple of days to see if the medicine kicks in. Four days later I called and left the message that I was in no less pain. His office called me with the message to go to the ER at the hospital. I was more comfortable with going to my primary care doctor.

Last August there were pictures taken of my spine and lower back. She looked at them and said it wasn’t the sciatic, I have severe arthritis and she was sending me home to take arthritis formula Tylenol and referring me to physical therapy.

Tylenol does nothing for me on a good day and what is not understood about the amount of pain I have and what I am limited in doing? I waited another day and gave up and had Dave take me to the hospital. I spent the afternoon having a CT scan and a few X-rays and then the wait. I won’t complain about the time because I really think it was reasonable. And what did they come up with? They said they could give me three days of hydro…whatever. And I should see my pain doctor. First of all I wouldn’t even get to see him in three days. And second, he had already passed me on. So, I wound up with 10 days of a muscle relaxer, they think it is a muscle deal. Oh, and let’s not forget the physical therapy. I can hardly get the nine feet from my car door to house door.

Fortunately, my primary care doctor gave me a referral to get into a spine specialist office, I am desperate at this point. It has been so long with this, and do you think I will walk out of that office that afternoon with no pain anymore? There will be more tests, more time, more pain.

I am not sure, but I think there was a point in time when you went to the family doctor, and they took care of you or at least oversaw your medical treatments. Your doctor would show up in the hospital, mornings, and evenings. Your doctor knew what medication you would be using when you left the hospital.

So, I am just curious if you will let me forget people used to bite down on a stick for pain! I’ll let you know what I have learned when this is over.

Contact me with any questions or comments to DebbieWalker@townline.org. Have a great holiday.

by Debbie Walker

If you have pennies, I am giving you ‘uses’ (they are not just for the piggy bank anymore). I have no idea who wrote these, but I knew it was time to pass them on to you, too.

Let’s say your little bird house has developed a leak in the roof. Use some strong glue to attach the pennies needed to keep your birds dry. (Not a fix I would have ever thought of.)

I make rice bags for my family and friends. A sock filled with rice, sew it closed and you have a rice bag. Put it in the freezer and when needed you have a comfortable cold pack. My great-granddaughter, Addi (3 years old now), calls Her’s a Cold, and I believe we are on or third or fourth generation now. They can develop a hole now and then.

In the First magazine, they mentioned putting pennies in a sock (in place of rice). Put a generous number of coins in a sock. The coins get very cold and will not melt and drip water. No mess.

Do you have fresh flowers, an arrangement brightens up most any room. Drop a penny dated before 1982 in the vase. Copper from the older coins kills wilt-causing bacteria, flowers stay healthy.

You might need to tighten a screw someday and not have a screwdriver handy. Insert a penny into the slot on top of the screw. It will fit into the slots of medium and a large flathead screw.

Do you get slugs in your garden? Place a circle of pennies (again before 1982) on the soil around the plant. The copper in the coins create a tiny electric shock on contact, so the critters will move along.

Rubbing alcohol uses:

If you overdid it spraying your new perfume you can dip a cotton ball in rubbing alcohol and rub it over the area you sprayed. The alcohol will evaporate some of the fragrance oils.

How about some fire starters? These will help with campfires. Fill an empty glass jar with alcohol, drop a few wine corks inside then seal and store (away from fireplace). When you are ready toss a cork under the kindling and light as usual.

Suffer from motion sickness? Fortunately, I don’t but I read this in another First magazine. Keep a bottle of rubbing alcohol handy and as soon as you get feeling queasy, open the bottle, hold it close to your nose, then take a deep breathe. I was thinking maybe those little alcohol pads (at Walmart, Walgreens, etc.) would do the trick and take up less space.

Others:

Make your own Wipes – Layer coffee filters in a sealable container, pour in enough multi-surface cleaner to coat the filters then seal, Filters last longer than regular paper.

The janitors in the Corinna school I worked at knew when I had been in. I did most of the art/crafts and that usually meant some work done with colorful sprinkles! Kids loved it, janitors not so much. Then I introduced a new activity. I used those lint removers that are rolls of sticky, just peel off when it’s not picking up. Works like a charm and the kids loved dong it.

I’m just curious what you might like to share. I will be right here waiting for your ideas. Any ideas or questions or comments to DebbieWalker@townline.org. Have a great week.

by Debbie Walker

I am curious if anyone still does May Day? I remember it from when I was a little kid, but I hear nothing about it now. Why did we lose that one? What else have we lost?

We’re starting out with May 15th:

15 – National Choc Chip Day, Straw Hat Day.
16 – National Do Something Good for Your Neighbor Day, National Love a tree Day.
17 – National Cherry Cobbler Day, National Mushroom Hunting Day, National Walnut Day.
18 – National Cheese Souffle’ Day.
19 – National Devils Food Cake Day, Plant Something Day.
20 – National Women in Aerospace Day, National River Cleanup Day, Plant a Lemon Tree Day, World Bee Day.
21 – Eat More Fruits and Vegetables Day, International Tea Day, National Talk Like Yoda Day.
25 – National Tap Dance Day, National Wine Day.
26 – National Blueberry Cheesecake Day.
27 – National Grape Popsicle Day, National Italian Beef Day.
28 – National Hamburger Day, Whooping Crane Day.
30 – National Creativity Day.
31 – National Macaroon Day, World Otter Day, World Parrott Day.

I do want to add that I got these May Days from a newspaper called Senior Voice of Citrus County. How many do you think you will celebrate?

Memorial Day is more than just a long weekend from work or school. However, that’s what you hear about on Tuesday morning. People get dressed up in red, white, and blue to enjoy their get-togethers. What gets less attention is the reason you have the time off.

Memorial Day deserves its own place on my page. The same little paper also had a title of Memorial Day Facts, and here they are:

The holiday started after the Civil War which ended in 1865. The Civil War claimed 620,000 soldiers’ lives. This made it necessary to create the first national cemetery. And over the next decade Americans started to hold their own rituals each spring to honor lost soldiers, by decorating their graves.

After World War I, it became a time to honor all who have died in all American wars. In 1971 it became a national holiday by an act of Congress. It was originally known as Decoration Day, when the emphasis of the holiday was on the memory of our soldiers who fought for us.

In May 1868 Maj. Gen. John A. Logan declared the holiday be observed at the end of May. It is believed he chose that date because flowers would be blooming and ready to be used to decorate the graves.

Federal guidelines indicate that flags on the holiday be hung at half-staff. But only until noon, then they should be raised the rest of the way. There is also a Moment of Remembrance, at 3 p.m., local time, around the country.

The finish today will be some morning statements:

“Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant.” – by Robert Louis Stevenson.

“When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive, to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love.” – Marcus Aurelius.

I’m just curious what May holidays you will enjoy!! Contact me with any questions or comments at DebbieWalker@townline.org . I’ll be looking forward to them!! Have a wonderful week!