A Common Household Irritation.... :0

Here is a picture of what, I believe, is an incredibly irritating phenomenon that plagues untold numbers of households in the world today.

Ever since Zeth Wheeler introduced the world to perforated rolls of tissue paper in the late 19th century there has been an apparent breakdown of human hand-eye coordination upon entering the bathroom, powder room, loo, john, or whatever other name this area generally falls under. Their motor capabilities diminish to the point that they cannot replace the toilet tissue onto the holder, but can only manage to rest it on top of the old, empty tube.

After a lengthy investigation into this problem, I have discovered that it seems to be an affliction that disables all but one member of the household...usually a woman...who then must resign themselves to a lifetime of removing spent cardboard tubes and replacing them with fresh ones.

After interviewing each member of the household, I discovered that whatever it was that damaged the brain's ability to co-ordinate the removal and reinstallment of the toilet paper had also affected their recall of past events, as each and every one stated emphatically that, "Yes, I put new rolls on all the time! It's not me! It must be...(insert sibling's name, or 'Dad')."

Further investigation reveals that the problem is not corrected by the unaffected person's refusal to replace the rolls. It would seem, in fact, that this will continue to be a problem for generations to come...or at least in this household!!

Old-Time Aprons

The following came from an email that I received awhile back. I don't know who wrote it, but it's worth passing on. There aren't many women today who'd consider an apron to be a necessity, but most of us can probably remember someone who did. Reading this made me glad that I have some of my Grandmother's old aprons. In fact, I think I'll go tie one on!

Enjoy!

Aprons

"I don't think our kids know what an apron is.

The principal use of Grandma's apron was to protect the dress underneath, but along with that, it served as a potholder for removing hot pans from the oven. It was wonderful for drying children's tears, and on occasion was even used for cleaning out dirty ears. From the chicken coop, the apron was used for carrying eggs, fussy chicks, and sometimes half-hatched eggs to be finished in the warming oven.

When company came, those aprons were ideal hiding places for shy kids. And when the weather was cold, grandma wrapped it around her arms. Those big old aprons wiped many a perspiring brow, bent over the hot wood stove. Chips and kindling wood were brought into the kitchen in that apron. From the garden, it carried all sorts of vegetables. After the peas had been shelled, it carried out the hulls. In the fall, the apron was used to bring in apples that had fallen from the trees.

When unexpected company drove up the road, it was surprising how much furniture that old apron could dust in a matter of seconds. When dinner was ready, Grandma walked out onto the porch, waved her apron, and the men knew it was time to come in from the fields to dinner.

It will be a long time before someone invents something that will replace that 'old-time apron' that served so many purposes. "

A Streak-Free Shine!

It's spring cleaning time! Even if you don't go all out for this old-time seasonal ritual, you probably have some windows that are looking a bit grimey after withstanding the winter months. Several years ago I came across the following method for washing windows. I believe it was in an old copy of Hints from Heloise that I found in my mother's house. There is nothing easier, and I've never found anything else that leaves the glass so sparkling clean. I even think it resists dirt and streaks longer than other traditional solutions.

*** 1/2 cup of Corn Starch mixed in 1 gallon of warm water

That's it! You can add a teaspoon of mild dish detergent if you absolutely must have soap, but it really is not necessary. Use a clean, low-lint cloth (old cotton flat-fold diapers are perfect) to wipe down the glass. Allow the solution to sit for a minute or so, and then use a clean, dry cloth to rub the glass. At first it will seem to be streaking, but keep rubbing and it will suddenly dry to a sparkling, streak-free shine that no store-bought cleaning solution has yet to match, in my opinion.

Give it a try and leave a comment to let me know what you think!