Thrifty Ideas for the Home

Because I married a smoker...at night, place a bowl of water in the smoking room. The water will absorb the fumes and sweeten the room....ahhhh... no air freshener needed.

A few walnut leaves placed in a room discourages flies....Buzzzz....no fly swatter needed.

Soak strawberries in a bowl of water with 1 teaspoon of vinegar added...this will clean the strawberries and make any insects hidden in the fruit come out. Then, wash in clear, cold water and drain. Yum....no fruit cleaning spray needed.

After any laundry is hand done, instead of tossing out the water, sprinkle the water on the roses, shrubs and fruit trees....suds..........no chemicals needed.

Enjoy!

Washing China and Glassware

To clean china and glassware, add a few drops of turpentine to tepid water in a deep bowl so as to fully immerse each piece. Dry and polish each piece with a linen cloth. Voila!

LTTE W Magazine - considered for "Readers React" page

Poor bored fashion photographers. Having to shoot Haute Couture day after day. Y'all, if I wanted to take Studio Art 101 and Photography 101 AGAIN, I'd run on down to the community college and sign up. Please, have your photographers turn the lights on and focus their lenses. I simply want to see well lit, well photographed pages of your featured, gorgeous, hand crafted, hand sewn garments. I thought W was a fashion magazine, not a vehicle through which fashion photographers practice their side careers as photo-journalist/artists. Please let your loyal readers clearly see the 300 year old tradition of "High Costume," Haute Couture.

Facebook Etiquette

One is who one's friends are on Facebook, and for this reason, there are rules about how to use Facebook.

1. Only make friends with people you know.
2. Tag friends in photos only with their prior permission, and post only flattering photos of all friends and family members. Photos should be worth 1000 positive words.
3. Sass will bite you in the a** every time. Keep all comments positive, please.
4. Do not walk away/leave your Facebook page on/open in a public place (office or library) as someone else could access and alter your private profile information.
5. Do Not change your relationship status without your partner's knowledge. That is just tacky and mean.
6. Do Not over "Poke" friends without their prior permission and Do Not over "send" gifts, Easter Eggs, pillow fights, snowball fights, etc. without the friend's permission. It is annoying. We all have busy lives. We do not have time to constantly "Poke" back, "Send" back, "find" the Easter Egg, etc.
7. Please, refrain from putting down what you ate for dinner. No one cares, unless you had dinner at The White house, Buckingham Palace or 300 feet up in the air on one of those "Sky Dinner" adventures. Keep your information interesting.
8. How can one possibly have 556 friends, and if one does, how can one possibly keep up with all of them? Please, Facebook is not a popularity contest. Also know, every time you accept a friend, you are opening up your information to that friend and their friends. Control yourself!
9. Do Not make other friends read your mind. When posting information Wall to Wall, keep the information complete and whole. Do not post a reply from some other friend who sent you a question privately. Make lunch plans with friends using the "send a message" feature.
10. Be Very Careful of posting health issues on Facebook. If one must post health issues, do so only with prior permission from the patient and be consistent in updating the information. Other friends who may not be in touch regularly may not know what is going on, and you can scare friends by posting poor health information. Remember what your Mother taught you about religion and politics. Even in our modern day, one should still be very wary of posting religious thoughts or political opinions.
11. Read the fine print when taking quizzes. You are allowing Facebook and those companies giving the quizzes access to your information and your friends' information.

On the whole, mind your public babble on your "Wall" and "Wall to Wall". Be careful, be positive, keep it interesting and have fun!

Tea Party Poem

A poem from my book: "Forget-Me-Not, Forget-Me-Never"

I wish I were a tea-cup,

So when you drink tea,

At every little mouthful,

You would sometimes think of me.

Your Classmate

Beulah W. Kennedy

June 21, 1906

There are 3 types of tea: Oolong, Black and Green

When pouring tea, fill the cup only 3/4 full to allow for spillage

fill the cup only 1/2 full if the recipient takes milk

Never mix milk and lemon. The acidity of the lemon will curdle the milk

Never use cream with tea. Cream is too strong for the taste of the tea. Only use milk.

Do not clank your spoon against the edges of the cup when stirring.

Honey with green tea and a petite chocolate treat is my favorite! What is your favorite tea? ENJOY!

An Easter Poem from my "Forget-Me-Not, Forget-Me-Never" Book

From my book: "Forget-Me-Not, Forget-Me-Never"

May Heaven preserve and keep thee,

From every sorrow free,

And grant thee every blessing,

My earnest wish for thee.

Your Friend,

Mary Gleich

June 21, 1906

Happy Easter everyone!

Continental vs. American Dining

Until the 1850's, Europeans ate in the same style as Americans, switching their forks to their right hand after cutting with their left hand. In 1853, a French chef was cited in an etiquette book that changed thie practice. This French chef suggested that those who wished to eat like fashonable people should not switch their fork to their right hand after cutting their meat, but raise their fork to their mouth still in their left hand, thus, the Continental style.
The European upper classes immediately adopted this practice. Soon, Europeans of all classes began eating in the Continental style. This easy, convenient style is also great for left handed people, and as always, remember to cut your meat in any style with your elbows next to your sides.