by Debbie Walker

Some of these pieces you may know about and some you may be introduced to today. My hope is you find usefulness and hopefully a little humor, too, in what I am going to share with you. Most of this information is coming from the 2020 Farmer’s Almanac.

We’re going to start out with a couple Helpful Hints:

Reusable Storage: Don’t throw away any of those cardboard carriers of a 6-pack. You can use one for the cookouts. Use the individual holes for carrying ketchup, mustard, mayo and other things necessary. OR Use one for crafting or kids activities to hold supplies.

Home Spa: Tie a bunch of fresh eucalyptus to your shower head and let the smell turn your shower into an invigorating way to start the day. (It is said to open nasal passages).

Bug Bite Relief: (The bugs will return soon!) Soak a cloth in a mixture of two tablespoons of Epsom salt in one cup of water. Wring out and hold cloth over the bite for several minutes.

Plastic Snow Sled: (Summer use) Use a plastic snow sled with a rope lead to haul your camping gear from the car to your site. You can also use it for carrying planting supplies and tools around the yard, from one site to another.

Have you ever wondered about eating insects? (Me neither, but it’s kind of funny):

Crickets: Remove legs; dry roast, fry, or stir fry. There is also such a thing as cricket flour. I don’t have any, how about you? Oh, and you can get them at a pet store.

June Bugs/Beetles: Fry in oil/butter with shallots. (Oh, bummer, I am all out of shallots!)

Ants: Can be roasted in a dry pan and added as a flavoring or crunchy topping to other dishes. (If you ever wondered what to do about the ants I’ll bet you never thought to cook them up for a new taste!)

Pill Bugs (Sow Bugs): These insects are related to lobster and shrimp. Boil or sauté briefly in butter.

CAUTION: Avoid insects with bright yellow, red, or orange markings. Be aware of areas sprayed with pesticides. (And please check for more information before you try any of these things, please.)

Camping Hacks:

Bring two coolers – one for just the drinks and the other for food.

Duct tape: Always bring it. It has helped us out with medical problems and patching holes, use your imagination.

Tic Tac Containers: Fill them with your favorite seasonings. Use permanent marker to write what’s inside.

Fruit Flies: Fill a small bowl with apple cider vinegar plus two drops of liquid dish soap. Mix well. Fruit flies will be drawn to the bowl… and to their demise.

Philosofacts:

It doesn’t require many words to speak the truth.

Spring is when you feel like whistling even when your shoe is full of slush.

A snowflake is winter’s butterfly.

Aspire to inspire before you expire.

Some people only like the changes that jingle in their pocket.

I am just curious if you found any bits or pieces useful. Let me know, contact me at DebbieWalker@townline.org. I hope you found some things to smile at. Thank you for reading and have a great week.

by Debbie Walker

Yes, that’s right. I am going to pass along my latest lesson. I hope you will forgive me if it, in no way, is of use to you, but it goes like this: Last Thursday I was driving down a busy road and I heard a noise. It was my phone. Somehow my phone picked out and dialed a number. Fortunately, I saw the name on the screen before he answered so I didn’t look completely foolish, not knowing who “I” called.

The number belonged to my friend of many, many years. Truthfully, as near as I can figure, it’s about 46 years. George and his wife, at the time, were my daughter’s first teachers, pre-kindergarten.

Over these past 46 years we have always stayed in touch. We have traveled together, my family followed George and his family in moving to Florida, also.

We have been there for each other’s good times, especially for the worst times, when we really needed non-judgmental caring support.

What I didn’t explain was when I spoke to George that day he told me he was in the hospital thanks to Covid. We had stories we laughed about. Our conversation was just like so many we have had in the past. The only thing different was the Covid factor.

About 24 hours later I got one of the saddest calls ever. George had died. All that made him George was gone, left this world. His heart gave out. No one has a kinder, gentler heart than George. Now this world is missing that big, loving, caring heart that was there for 36 years of high school students.

There will be a celebration of life for him this weekend. Sadly, I have to opt out of going. I have tried to ignore this Covid mess, but I can’t attend. In my world there are three ladies, 81 years old, 87 years old and 90 years old. I spend a lot of time with them, and I don’t want to be responsible for causing them to worry.

One thing I didn’t expect was this has been an eye opener, the reality of life and in this case, death. In years past we would go home to Maine to visit and one year we lost a family member, a grandparent. Later it became aunts and uncles and parents, even a brother. And all the while daily life goes on, school, jobs, bills, etc.

Since George passed, I have wanted to gather all my friends and family to tell them how much I love them and even thought about begging not to ever leave. Short of that I guess all I can do is let them know I love them.

Before you have to say goodbye to someone be sure to tell them now. It will never seem enough but at least it will be said. Talk about real stuff, don’t text, meet in person whenever you can. I know we spoke of love often, George and my family.

Don’t get down in the dumps after reading this, just get busy. “I love you.” Just three important words, when you mean them, say them.

I’m just curious if you have found anything interesting in this column. If you want to share anything I am ready to read. Send your words to DebbieWalker@townline.org.

Thank you for reading. Have a great week.

by Debbie Walker

Good Day! I have been leafing through some of the helpful hints I have collected over the past few years. I love this stuff, as you probably have noticed.

This one I have to try. This is our time of year for condensation on our windows and windshield of our vehicles. The people from a First magazine shared what works for them. Fill a sock with kitty litter, tie it up after you fill it; lay it across your dash for the night. The litter absorbs the moisture in the air. Let me know how it works for you. I have to buy or beg for kitty litter.

Another thing I have come across is to clean your interior windshield with shaving cream. I tried it with my bathroom mirror and the fogging disappeared.

To organize home office supplies you could try using a wine rack. Fill the rack with plastic glasses (Dollar Tree) and you have storage. Be creative. Most of all, have fun.

I love this one! I could have used this so many times over the past many painting projects. Today I received mail from Do-It-Yourself magazine, associated with Better Homes and Gardens. In it they included a small newsletter. The following is a small portion of the newsletter: Painting:

Have you ever wondered what finish would be best for what room? Gloss, Semi-gloss, Satin, Eggshell and Flat. The answers:

GLOSS adds shine – lots of it. It’s easier to clean than flat finishes but harder to apply. Best for trim and cabinets.

SEMI-GLOSS – again easier to clean. Walls in high traffic spaces such as a kitchen or mudroom.

SATIN is super popular and less shiny. Best for walls that aren’t pitch-perfect. It’s more forgiving than glossy finishes.

EGGSHELL ­– softer and less sheen than semigloss. Harder to clean so not great, though so not great for kitchens and baths. Best for less than perfect walls.

FLAT is less sheen so hard to clean. Not super resistant to stains. Best for ceilings which are often painted and flat.

I hope you find this as helpful as I do, especially with my renovation project. The following is more information from the same newsletter:

The RIGHT PAINTBRUSH: Width matters: 1 – 2 inch brush is for trim. 2-inch brush size for cutting in around doors and windows. 3 – 4 inch brush size is for flat surfaces.

LATEX = nylon or polyester bristles. OIL = Natural bristles.

Paint Rollers:

Nap is an important word: A larger nap means a less smooth surface of the roller. This works well on rough textured surfaces like brick. The longer fibers make it easier to get into all those nooks and crannies. At the other end of the spectrum, the smallest naps – about ¼ inch – after a super smooth finish for walls and other consistent surfaces.

Roller Frame: Smaller rollers are designed for small areas like trim and cabinet. A bigger frame makes quick work of walls and ceilings.

Best Roller Technique? Zigzag to overlap the lines, going from top to bottom. Once done, lightly roll again vertically from ceiling to floor.

Okay that’s all I have today. I’m just curious what some of your tips would be. Hope this was helpful. Contact me at DebbieWalker@townline.org Thanks for reading. Have a great week!

by Debbie Walker

My hope is as you read our columns that you sometimes find information of use in your daily life. Some of the columns are aimed at giving you a chuckle. Some columns are designed to give you information we have heard and you may not have yet, so we pass it along. Some are just as the title says, just our opinions.

Some weeks you may read an opinion and totally agree with it. You may in some way feel validated knowing someone else carries the same opinion you do. That same column may strike someone else completely different, they may absolutely disagree. And still others may read it and it gives them something to mull over as to how they feel about the subject.

Some weeks a column may give you something to laugh about. For at least a few minutes you forgot something weighing heavy on your mind and have a little chuckle and possibly something you feel was positive enough to share with others.

There are times we are very serious about subjects like politics of many levels. Again the information may be general or it may be quite detailed, all of which is presented for you to consider. (Very seldom do I tackle this subject. You would shortly find out I have a healthy disrespect for the subject!)

Sometimes we write about health issues as I did with “Ticks and Bumps“. I re-run it once a year because it is about a little known skin cancer, that’s the “bump”, little known and yet it is cancer. If you had seen mine you probably would have thought like I did, “It’s nothing”, however I was wrong.

Some writers give you a bit of history of the area. Local history is always interesting to me. When people are new to an area they often appreciate this info. If you have your own memories of the area it may be a trip down memory lane. If you know a local story of earlier years pass it on.

It’s my understanding that the biggest newspapers are slowly on their way out. A friend of mine, a long time newspaper man explained to me that we now have access to the subjects we are most interested in instantly with internet and hand-held devices.

Newspapers are becoming obsolete as we are driven more and more into the “tech” world. He believed the small local papers would continue for quite some time. Most people like to see local folks in their papers; local kid’s sports, celebrations, honors, obituaries, police beat; all things local, good and bad. And if anyone is like me I still prefer flipping paper pages.

I believe each of the writers for any paper hopes to please the readers with information of interest to the community. You can play a role in a local paper, as well, if you know something you think should be printed, give the paper a call! See what happens.

I’m just curious if you noticed that I have printed this article before.

Contact me with questions and comments to DebbieWalker@townline.org. I’ll be waiting.

by Debbie Walker

Last week you saw A Little Fun and the first part of the little test for couples. How did you do with the first one? The original came from a book titled Humor for a Woman’s Heart. The test was written by Bill and Pam Farrel. And here is the second part:

10. His idea of the perfect honeymoon is:

A. A week in the Poconos. B. A Mediterranean cruise. C. Anything under a hundred bucks.

11. The phrase “not in your lifetime” refers to:

A. Him cleaning the bathroom. B. Her cleaning the gutters. C. Either of you ever cleaning the stuff that grows under the vegetable crisper in the refrigerator.

12. When you think about the love letters you used to write when you were courting, you’re reminded:

A. Of a passion that burned like ancient Rome. B. Of a love that will last for an eternity. C. The writing corny love letters is not a crime.

13. Often men and women will show subtle signs of stress and strain in different ways. For each way listed below, choose the most appropriate gender.

A. Punch inanimate object, such as door or steering wheel. Male, Female, Either. B. Make sniffling noises and sigh heavily. Male , Female, Either. C. Blame clubs, bats, bowling balls, for poor athletic performance. Male, Female, Either. D. Clamp hands over face and weep. When questioned, keep saying, “Oh, nothing” over and over. Male, Female, Either.

14. When the both of you attend church together, it is best for the husband to wear:

A. A dark suit. B. A tuxedo. C. Whatever his wife picks out.

15. When the waiter asks what you’d like for a dessert, a wife’s most common response is:

A. “Chocolate mousse, please.” B. “I’ll try the cheesecake.” C. “Oh, nothing for me. I’ll just have a teensy bite of his.”

16. Your husband tries on his high school jacket and finds he can no longer snap it up.

A wife’s best response is: A. “Maybe it shrunk.” B. “I like you a little less skinny.” C.”That jacket would look dumb on a bald guy anyway.”

18. Your spouse is snoring. You should:

A. Accept it as a minor flaw in an otherwise perfect mate. B. Gently nudge him and say, “Roll over, dear.” C. Put a pair of sweatpants over his head and tighten the tie.

22. TRUE or FALSE: The husband often lets his wife answer the telephone because it’s usually for her anyway. FALSE: The husband often lets his wife answer the telephone because, if he doesn’t, he may end up talking to her mother.

23. The phrase most often heard when the two of you are alone in a quiet setting is:

A. “I love you.” B. “I need you.” C. “Zzzzzzzzz.”

27. (Wife question) To prove your love for your husband, you would gladly:

A. Climb the highest mountain. B. Swim the deepest ocean. c. Put gas in the car at one of those self-serve places where the risk of a broken fingernails a constant threat.

So how did you do? You probably noticed I skipped a few numbers, but I wanted to finish this week. I am just curious how you did. Contact me at DebbieWalker@townline.org I will be waiting. Want to share? Have a happy, healthy week. Thanks for reading!