Summar/Fall 2010

A publication of Mountain C.A.R.E. (http://mtncare.com)
Editors
Karen Goodyear
Rod Goodyear
Advertising Director
Shirley Bauer
Mailing Director
Barbara Vance
Mountain C.A.R.E.
Board
President
George Forgues
Vice President
Matt Bottenberg
Administrative VicePresident
---Treasurer
Gina Johnson
Secretary and
Calendar Director
Summer/Fall 2010 Volume 4, Number 3
Mountain C.A.R.E. President’s Message
George Forgues
Did you make it to this year’s 4th of July Chili
Cook-off? There was chili, pie, cake, salsa, a great
band, dancing in the street — even someone sharing
small samples of Jell-O. Fire Station 99 had its Water Tender out cooling off the street just before the
pet parade, and there was a dunk tank and a bubble
gum blowing contest. Although most would treasure this as a once- in-a-lifetime event, we are fortunate to experience it every year. It always is a good
time and very family friendly. If you missed it, go to
YouTube and search for “Forest Falls Chili CookOff 2010” to see the video. . Pictures on p. 4 of
this issue. Thank you to all the volunteers that make
this event possible every year.
Have you received your notice yet? The County of
San Bernardino, Forestry and your local Fire Department want you to make your lot as fire safe as
possible. That means removing ladder fuels and
thinning out trees that are too close to each other.
Michelle Macri
Membership
Chairperson
Shirley Bauer
Webmaster
MJ Turner
Member at Large
Sunny Broman
Walk your yard. From your large trees, remove
branches up to 8 feet from the ground. If you can
raise your arm and touch a branch, it is too close to
the ground. Trim it as soon as possible.
ignition zone.
From 10 feet to 30 feet out you should do your best
to remove pine needles, dead or dying trees and
other dry vegetation. This is called the clean zone.
From 30 feet to 100 feet you should get rid of ladder fuels, thin trees, and just do your best to make
this area as fire safe as possible.
Of course you are responsible to take these fire safe
suggestions only as far as your property line unless
your neighbor needs help — in fact, get together
him or her so that the lot next door to you is also a
fire safe zone. You can go to www.calmast.org for a
much more detailed description of making your
home and your community fire safe.
Souper Thursday’s are a big hit at the Valley of the
Falls Community Center. Look for the time and day
at http:\\www.vfcci.org. Come visit with neighbors;
enjoy free food. If you can, tip the waitress!
Now, look around for any dense groups of trees
(trees less than 6 inches in diameter). You should
thin these trees so that each tree is at least 10 feet
from the next tree.
Do you have something important to say? I am
looking for someone to write a paragraph or two
that will appear in this column next issue. Happy
about something, have an issue you want to talk
about, mad as hell and need to vent? Send it in and
we will pick the best one. It will show up on the
front page… start thinking and remember that
space is limited.
Next, draw an imaginary circle 10 feet from your
home in all directions. You should do your best to
remove all flammables from this area. This is the
Please support your local businesses and this paper.
We should all be grateful to live in such a beautiful
place. Let’s take care of it and each other.
Bear Facts Editing — Two Years In
Karen and Rod Goodyear
With this issue, we will have completed two volumes
of the Bear Facts (we began at midyear). We want to
use this marker event to say how rewarding this has
been, particularly in terms of the opportunities to
work with friends and neighbors and to get to know
them and our mountain communities better.
those who may have wanted to, but have not.
We also want to thank those who are regular Bear
Facts contributors — and to invite participation of
And we welcome ads. Please submit those to Shirley
Bauer at shirley.bauer@verizon.net
Please send contributions or simply suggestions. We
also welcome your submissions of pictures of wildlife, community events, and so on. Please send any
of the above to: bearfactseditors@gmail.com.
Page 2 - Volume 4(3)
A Publication of Mountain C.A.R.E.
Considering Books…..
Katherine Thomerson
It quickly is becoming fall, when it will be too
chilly to sit in the shade with a good book.
But….good books may be read inside, sitting
in a comfy chair and by a window with a
clear view of summer garden changes or yellow/green mountains. It doesn’t matter anyway; a good book takes the reader away….somewhere else.
The two books I will review – nonfiction/biography – are bon appetite on my list, feeding the mind with gourmet stuff. Their writers
share good information about people who lived hard, carefree and
hearty lives – some are pirates and one an immortal woman.
THE IMMORTAL LIFE OF HENRIETTA LACKS by Rebecca
Skloot:. I never watched the PBS documentary about Henrietta
Lacks and her immortal cells. I would not have picked this book to
read either. But a writer friend sent an email which said, “…..I just
finished an amazing book. Get it! Read the first page and you won’t
be able to stop….and it’s nonfiction.” My friend was right; I was
fascinated by the story of a woman scientists refer to as HeLa!
Henrietta Lacks was a poor Southern tobacco farmer who worked
the same land as her slave ancestors. She married young, had several
children and died while the youngest two were still in diapers. She
developed a tumor on her cervix and was treated at John Hopkins
Hospital where her cells were taken without her knowledge. These
cells became one of the most important tools in medicine. They were
the first human cells grown in culture and are still alive today; though
she has been dead for over 60 years. These HeLa cells have been
sold all over the world and been used in cancer research, nuclear testing and other scientific discoveries. The cells launched a multimillion
dollar profit, but Henrietta’s family ne’er saw a penny.
The author notes – “I conducted more than a thousand hours of
interviews with family and friends of Henrietta Lacks, as well as with
lawyers, ethicists, scientists, and journalists who’ve written about the
Lacks family.” The author tells Henrietta’s story through interview,
authentic dialogue, and documentation. It’s simply an incredible
story.
The author states that “There’s no way of knowing exactly how many
of Henrietta’s cells are alive today. One scientist estimates that if you
could pile all HeLa cells ever grown onto a scale, they’d weigh more
than 50 million metric tons – an inconceivable number, given that an
individual cell weighs almost nothing.” The most important part of
this story is how and why the cells were retrieved; how they were
used; how the family never knew.
I can’t say it better than Eric Schlosser, author of Fast Food Nation…”The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks brings to mind the work of
Philip K. Dick and Edgar Allan Poe. But this tale is true. Rebecca
Skloot explores the racism and greed, the idealism and faith in science
that helped to save thousands of lives but nearly destroyed a family.
This is an extraordinary book, haunting and beautifully told.”
My writer friend was right; this book is the primrose path of nonfiction. I will be passing my book on to many reader friends. Who
wants to borrow it first?
LIVES OF THE PIRATES:
Swashbucklers, Scoundrels
(Neighbors Beware!) by Kathleen Krull and Kathryn Hewitt: This
book sets the record straight on any pirate blarney ever told! This
non-fiction is fun for all ages. Arrrrggghhhh! These are seafarin’ fun
facts about real pirates and their shipmates. It begins with a quote
from Mark Twain: “Now and then we had a hope that if we lived
were good, God would permit us to be pirates.”
The stories begin with that of Alvilda, the Scandinavian princessturned-pirate from the middle ages and end with Benito De Soto, the
bloodthirsty Portuguese outlaw who died in 1832 and often is called
one of the last pirates. Each story contains fascinating facts.
A great bit of historical information is presented in reading about
Madame Cheng, the Chinese commander of 2,000 ships and the largest pirate gang in history. She was a Cantonese prostitute who married Cheng I and joined him on-ship in attacking vessels in the South
China Sea. When her husband was washed overboard in a gale, Madame Cheng was elected the new head….imagine this description of
her…”robes with gold-embroidered dragons writhing over backgrounds of rich purple and red, sewn with bits of ivory and hade, her
husband’s war helmet on her head, his swords in her sash.”
Intricate details are given about each pirate’s life: how they came to
piracy, the politics of their sea-faring adventures and their deaths.
Information is given about ‘buried treasures’ and heads cut off and
displayed as warnings. There are surprising facts about women pirates
Mary Read and Anne Bonny (one English; one Irish), who sailed to
the New World and into the pirate hall of fame. It was great to read
about Edward Teach (Blackbeard), an English pirate so intimidating
that victims surrendered at the sight of him and his fiery beard. How
he looked and how he died is most unusual in the telling. Captain
Kidd, Sir Henry Morgan (from which Captain Morgan’s Rum is
named), Grace O’Malley (whose face is etched into Ireland’s Waterford Crystal), and Sir Francis Drake (El Draco), all make an appearance in this marvelous collection of ‘real’ pirate history.
Also interesting are the artistic depictions of each pirate painted by
the illustrator , Kathryn Hewitt. Great detail was spent on the authentic look of each famous villain of the sea. Publisher’s Weekly said
of this book – “Living, breathing anecdotes – the stuff of which the
best biography is made.” And the New York Times: “An entertaining
survey, of interest to adults as well as children.”
If you want to know which pirate liked to wear pajamas on deck, who
liked to have tea served and dressed like a gentleman and who liked
to have unusual animals on board……read this entertaining and interesting book. And if you like this one…there are more – Lives of the
Musicians, Lives of the Writers, Lives of the Presidents, Lives of the Athletes,
Lives of the Artists, Lives of Extraordinary Women. All these books make
great gifts for any event.
I am so very excited for the success of this book and carry much
ebullience for the dedication which reads,
“For Katherine Thomerson, the original queen of the Frugal Frigate, who inspired us………”
Land Ho! Ye Book Lovers……..enjoy reading the frolics and fevers
of the seas!!!
Page 3 - Volume 4(3)
A Publication of Mountain C.A.R.E.
MountainWildlife
Wildlife
Mountain
When looking for Bears in the wild, don't get tunnel vision and only scan the ground. Black Bears take refuge and often sleep by
laying across several limbs high up a tree as demonstrated here. "Look Up, Look Down, Look All Around"
Photo Courtesy; Drive By Shootings, Wildlife and Nature Photography. Tom McIntosh
Simply Irresistible
Sweet and Sour Chicken:
Quick and easy
Warren Romanow
For many people, sweet and sour
Chicken is an all time favorite. It is a
constant at any Chinese venue.
Oddly this particular dish did not originate in China – or, for that matter, anywhere in Asia.
Its roots do, however, stem from sweet and sour pork, which is a
Cantonese creation (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
Sweet_and_sour_pork). The substitution of chicken occurred in
Australia, the U.K. and the U.S.. All versions, regardless of the
meat being used, rely on a combination of the “sweet” (sugar) and
the “sour” (vinegar).
Basic Ingredients
The ingredients: boneless, skinless, chicken breast(s); sesame seed
oil; green pepper; white onion; pineapple (optional); and, La Choy
Sweet and Sour Sauce (several jars depending on how much
chicken your putting in). La Choy is my all time favorite, but certainly any sweet and sour sauce that you like will do.
Directions
Clean the boneless, skinless, chicken breast(s) of all fat and cut
them into small cubes. Put the sesame seed oil into a wok and get
the oil hot. Sear the chicken until it is golden. Cut the green pepper and white onion into bite size pieces. You may also use some
pineapple chunks (optional). Combine these with the La Choy
Sweet and Sour Sauce (several jars depending on how much
chicken you’re putting in.
Clean the wok and put the sauce in it with the green peppers, onions and the pineapple. Bring it to a boil and let it simmer for
about 20 minutes. Do not let it burn. Just before you are ready to
serve, put the seared chicken into the wok with the sauce and let
them heat up (for about 10 minutes). If you wait too long the
chicken will begin to the hard and lose it’s tenderness.
You’re ready to serve!
Re-Heating Tips
When you re-heat this you may need to add some additional sauce
(depending on how much you started with) but just pop it in the
microwave and you’re ready to go!
Enjoy!
Page 4 - Volume 4(3)
A Publication of Mountain C.A.R.E.
Mountain C.A.R.E. Website
Mountain C.A.R.E. (which publishes the
Bear Facts) maintains a website that local
residents should find useful. A screenshot
of that website appears to the immediate
right. Visitors to that site will find calendar information, news, and past issues of
the Bear Facts.
Special thanks to M.J. Turner, our webmistress, who maintains this site for us.
http://www.mtncare.com/
Arrive Alive on State Routes 18,
38, 138 and 330
During this period, the CHP (as well as the San Bernardino Sheriff’s Department) will focus on cracking down on traffic violators
on these four local, mountain highways. This will include particular focus on drivers who are driving under the influence, speed… is the title of a one-year, grant-funded California Highway
ing,
and making unsafe turns and passes. There also are to be occaPatrol (CHP) project that began August 1. This was funded by the
California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway sional sobriety checkpoints. This initiative will include extra patrols,
Traffic Safety Administration.
especially on weekends
Interested in Talking Genealogy?
Call Dee Konczal at 794— 0885
Chili Cookoff: July 4, 2010
Page 5 - Volume 4(23
A Publication of Mountain C.A.R.E.
FLEA MARKET
8 am—1pm Saturday, September 25, 2010
Forest Falls Community Center: Sponsored by your local
Frozen Green Thumb Garden Club
Spaces available; 1st come 1st served. $15.00 per (10ft x
10ft) space. Pop up tents OK, but not to exceed space
rented. Set up time 7:00AM. Spaces must be rented by
Sept. 18th.
Checks payable to
F.G.T.G.C. Mail checks to
Anne Harrington, P O Box
851, Forest falls CA 92339
Any questions, please contact Sheri Roland at 3897482
What’s Up?
WMAP
Rob La Pointe
You may sometimes wonder what good comes of the billions of
dollars Congress appropriates to scientific research each year.
Most of the reporting on the outcome of these research projects
is trapped in inaccessible scientific journals. Some results,
though, are too far-reaching and too complete to be left in the
scientific journals and so make it out to the popular press.
Year seven results have been published for NASA's Earthorbiting observatory called Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy
Probe (WMAP) and the precision is unprecedented. WMAP is a
telescope that looks at the universe in the microwave region of
the light spectrum. Its job is to photograph the universe as it
looked a few thousand years after the Big Bang. Light from this
time in the universe is reaching us now in microwave wavelengths. What is this light able to tell us? I have listed only
some of WMAPs accomplishments.
3. The composition of the universe has been measured with
greater precision. Dark matter makes up 23.3% of the universe
by weight. Dark energy makes up 72.1% of the universe by
weight. The balance (only 4.6%) is normal matter like the stuff
of which you and I are made. Most of the universe is made of
stuff with which we are not very familiar.
4. The recombination event has been pushed back to earlier
than 270 thousand years after creation. This is when matter and
light in the early universe first separated. It is this light that
WMAP is observing.
5. Successful analysis of the first trillionth of a trillionth of the
first second of the universe, narrowing cosmological models.
Matching observation with theory is what enables us to perfect
our theories.
Want to learn more about WMAP? Visit the WMAP website at
http://map.gsfc.nasa.gov/
1. WMAP has definitively measured the age of the universe to
four significant figures, 13.73 billion years old. This measurement has been recognized by the Guinness book of records for
its fantastic precision. In scientific measurements numbers like
13.73 mean that 13.7 are known with certainty and that 0.03 is a
calculated uncertainty.
2. The universe is within 1% of being geometrically flat. This
means that the universe is precisely balanced between the gravitation potential caused by the material it contains and it’s expansion properties. This also provides for a test of Dark Energy,
independent from previous supernova data.
website at http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/index.cfm
Page 6 - Volume 4(3)
A Publication of Mountain C.A.R.E.
San Bernardino County Ordinance: Duty to Abate Fire Hazards or Hazardous Trees
(the complete ordinance can be found at: www.amlegal.com/sanbernardinocounty_ca)
Letter to the community:
Forest Falls is like no other place in Southern California. We
Proposing a VFCCI Trust Fund and Autumn Color enjoy clean air, pure water and views beyond compare. We enjoy
friends and community spirit that I had never experienced beI want to present my Forest Falls neighbors with two issues for fore. If you want to live quietly, that is allowed too! What a wonderful unique spot Forest Falls is!
their consideration.
First, I wonder whether you ever have considered giving a monetary gift back to your community?
So, I ask VFCCI: will you set up a trust fund?
And neighbors: if such an option were available,
would you contribute to it?
Gail Cox led the way with her incredibly generous gift to us all. If the Community Center were
to establish a trust fund, we could build on her
legacy by including the trust fund in our wills.
And, of course, we would not have to wait until
we pass on: We simply could donate whenever
and whatever we wanted!
Second: Many of us love autumn. Therefore,
here is a suggestion I hope many of you will consider: Plant a tree in your yard that displays autumn colors. It is such a delight to see the trees
in our little canyon that are blazing yellows,
golds, and reds during autumn.
Visit the Mountain C.A.R.E. website: http://mtncare.com
ANON
Page 7 - Volume 4(3)
A Publication of Mountain C.A.R.E.
TRI-COMMUNITIES
EVENT CALENDAR
Summer/Fall 2010
Cub Scouts
Boy Scouts
Meet every Thursday at 6:30 pm, Valley of
the Falls Community Church
Meet every Tuesday at 6:30 pm, Valley of
the Falls Community Church
CERT Training July 10, 17, 24 (see article on p. 6 of this issue)
Girl Scouts
Meet every other Monday at 6:30 pm, Valley of the Falls Community Church. Call
Kristi Ranabauer 794-5131 for more information
Explorer Post 128 Currently meets every Monday at 6:00 pm,
Forest Falls Fire Station. New explorers
welcome. Call 794-4413 to leave your information.
Frozen Green
Thumb
Garden Club
Meets 3rd Monday every month. Call Dee
794-0885 for location.
Forest Falls
Meet every Tuesday at 6:30 pm, Forest
Fire Department Falls Fire Station
Angeles Oaks
Meets periodically. Dates are announced
Fire Safe Council on the A.O. FSC bulletin Board in the An
gelus Oaks Post Office
Angeles Oaks
Meets on 2nd and 4th Tuesday every
Fire Department month at 6:00 pm, Angelus Oaks Fire Station
Mill Creek Canyon Meets 1st Thursday every month at 6:30
Fire Safe Council pm, Forest Falls Fire Station
Valley of the Falls
Search & Rescue
Meets 2nd Monday every month at 7:00
pm, Forest Falls Sheriff Station 389-2435
Valley of the Falls Meet every W @ 6:00 to 8:00 pm
Community Church All ages welcome.
Youth Group
.
Mark your calendars
•
•
September 25: Flea Market, Big Falls Lodge (8 am—1 pm)
October 15: Submission deadline, next Bear Facts issue. Send submissions to bearfactseditor@gmail.com
Inquire about how easy it is to have YOUR business ad in the Bear Facts.
Contact shirley@forestfalls.com
Page 8 - Volume 4(3)
A Publication of Mountain C.A.R.E.
Scorpions
John and Jeanne Goodman
rado Rivers in extreme Southeast CA and in AZ, especially Tucson
and south into Mexico.
The most common scorpions in Mill Creek Canyon are Vaejovis. I
Being arachnids (related to spiders), scorpions inject venom through
have found two species of Vaejovis: V. spinigerus, which is striped
their sting, which is at the end of their tail. It is a swollen terminal
tailed; and, V. flavus, which is yellow. The former is far more comsegment ending in a sharply curved spine. The tail is thrown forward
mon. Another scorpion in Mill Creek Canyon is the swollen-stinger
over the back.
Anuroctus, A. phaedactylis. It is easily identified by its swollen base
of the stinger. It lives in holes. There is a population between the fire
Catching scorpions is easy: You pick them up by the tail, avoiding the
station and Fallsvale School. It is a harmless species, though its swolterminal stinger. But the two pincer-like chelipeds by the mouth are
len stinger makes it look frightening.
very strong and can produce a painful pinch in a large species. They
are used to hold prey while being consumed and so most species with
The giant hairy scorpion, Hadrurus arizonensis, does not occur in our
large chelipeds do not have dangerous venom. In general, smaller
canyon, but in the immediate deserts. It is huge, 5 inches, and despecies are the most venomous. One of this type in the U.S. is the
pends on size and strength of pincers so is not venomous.
bark scorpion, Centruroides exilicauda, found in AZ
deserts, but rarely in CA. It is our only potentially
deadly species in the U.S.
Locating scorpions: Because scorpions’ bodies contain
fluorescent chemicals, they glow when exposed to certain
Of the more than 1,200 species of scorpion in the
wavelengths of ultraviolet light, such as that produced by a
world, only 50 or so are extremely venomous. In
blacklight. Handheld blacklights can be used, therefore, to
CA, there are 59 species; only one extremely venlocate scorpions at night.
omous, C. exilicauda, found only along the ColoVaejovis spinigerus
Recycling Bin
Residents of our three mountain communities have access to the recycling bin the
Burrtec Waste Industries makes available
to us from Thursday morning through
Saturday morning
Please do not dump garbage or refuse: Those
who do probably are unaware that picking up
that garbage or refuse then falls to volunteers
from our communities.
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A Publication of Mountain C.A.R.E.
— Cancelled —
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A Publication of Mountain C.A.R.E.
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A Publication of Mountain C.A.R.E.
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A Publication of Mountain C.A.R.E.
HONESTY-INTEGRITYSAFETY-QUALITY
Page 13 - Volume 4(3)
A Publication of Mountain C.A.R.E.
The mountains are calling and I must go.
-John Muir
Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature's
peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds
will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their
energy, while cares will drop away from you like the leaves of
Autumn.
— John Muir
Dog Tails
Ann Klingbeil
A recent news story saw a dog being
saved from a too hot car. The dog
was closed in the car in 100-degree
heat, while its owner went into a
store. A passerby saw the panicked
dog (it takes only seconds for a car to heat up into the hundreds in that
kind of heat) and a policeman broke the window out just in time to
save the dog from certain death. The owner was arrested for cruelty to
animals.
Please do not lock dogs (or children) in your car while you “run in” to
a store, or any place, “for just a second.”
Review your pet’s disaster plan for fires, earthquake, etc. Be sure if you
are not here, that you have a neighbor or friend who can transport your
pet(s) for you. Have a safe place to meet or leave the pets.
Be sure your dogs have had all of their shots within the last two or
three years as the wildlife we live with can carry diseases that can be
transmitted to your pets.
Heartworm is a year round threat. Be sure your dogs (and cats, too, if
you and your vet have decided your cat should have a preventative
also) are on a heartworm preventative.
Have a safe and fun summer.
Page 14 - Volume 4(3)
A Publication of Mountain C.A.R.E.
MOUNTAIN C.A.R.E.
NEEDS YOUR
SUPPORT!
Please renew your
membership!
Just $15 per household
per year shows you care
Page 15 - Volume 4(3)
A Publication of Mountain C.A.R.E.
Kick Back & Pop It In
Did you Know?
Buddy Pictures
Paul Tetreault
Shirley Bauer
I had the pleasure of watching
Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid
recently and was reminded of two
things. The first was of how very
good that film was; and the second
was of what a great concept the
buddy picture has been. It transcends genres, is emotionally accessible to all of us, and usually
will lift your spirits, even if the ending is not happy.
There have been dozens of buddy pictures over the years (my
mom always loved the Bob Hope-Bing Crosby Road pictures).
To repeat what I’ve had to say in previous issues about particular categories of film, there are too many to mention here. Here
are some of my favorites:
The Bucket List (2007) starring Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman begin a little rough. But through all the antics and lessonslearned -- which is no small feat for these old dogs -- the film
manages a smooth and fulfilling finish.
UP (2009) is an odd buddy pic that spans the generations for a
heart warming adventure and genuine camaraderie. But if I
were to choose a Pixar film for this list of buddy films, it would
be Toy Story (1995). The adventure and initial meeting of Woody
and Buzz is one for the ages.
Buddy Pics are no stranger to chick flix either. Of course there
is Thelma & Louise (1991). But after consulting a few of the ladies in my life, Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (2005) seems to
rank higher in quality. I haven’t seen it but my wife Beth highly
recommends it. So there you have it.
Fandango (1985) is a great film in which the buddy picture meets
the coming of age genre. It is one of Kevin Costner’s first films.
A group of guys graduating from high school and going their
separate ways go on one last road trip to seal their friendship.
War films are often a tough watch but almost always involve
some intense camaraderie. If happy endings are a must, check
out the classic Steve McQueen movie, The Great Escape (1963). If
you like the kind of film where you’re left with your heart in
your throat, check out a young Mel Gibson in Peter Weir’s Gallipoli (1981). There really is so much more going in this World
War I historical recreation than war.
So if you don’t remember the classic final image of Butch and
Sundance together against odds, then break out the popcorn,
pour a nice cold one and give it another spin as you kick back
and pop it in!
Finally, after what was a long winter, many of us
have flowers blooming and enjoying cut bouquets. We want the flowers to last when
cut. Hair spray sprayed on a day or two after
cutting them, makes them last longer.
If you find yourself with a lot of recycle material, here are ways to
save room: Roll up plastic bags; cut off both ends of cans, put lids
inside & crush the cans by stepping on them; crush plastic bottles after removing lids; the same with plastic containers.
You may already know this...new to me. To keep brown sugar soft,
put it in a jar with a slice of bread, and store in the freezer.
Here are some uses for your plastic grocery bags: Use as a floor
protector for the commode plunger; use as packing & filler material
in mailing packages; wrap around out of season shoes to keep them
dust free; use as a shoe bag when traveling; line waste baskets.
It is picnic weather. To keep stuff in our cooler fresh, we freeze
our used water bottles, filled with water (about 2/3 full) to use in
the cooler. They stay cold longer than freezer packs.
My dear mother-in-law did this and I had forgotten it until
lately. Remove the label and wash out an empty spice container,
such as garlic powder, one that has a plastic shaker top. Fill with
toothpicks, and screw on the lid. When you want a toothpick, just
shake one out. The toothpicks are clean and easily accessible.
Peanut butter jars are plastic, unbreakable, see-through, and come
in different sizes. Use them to store pasta, rice, dried beans and
lentils. Use them as freezer containers for food, because they are
not glass which might break. Great as "to go" containers at parties,
and when the "kids" have come to visit. Use in the garage or shed
for nails, screws, small light bulbs, small holiday ornaments.
This is a great drain cleaner: 1/2 cup soda followed by 1 or 2 cups
of vinegar. Wait a few minutes. Put in the stopper. Fill sink with
water.
Pull plug and let the "swoosh" push everything
through. Leaves drain CLEAN!!
Through the years I have bought needle threaders. Never again.
This is such a simple idea. Glad someone thought of it, for all of
us who like sewing, needlework, knitting. Bend a stripped bread tie
into a V shape. Makes a great needle threader.
It is important to unplug the computer before cleaning with a damp
paper towel. A used toothbrush dipped in rubbing alcohol, then
shaken, works well on the keys at the same time. For everyday
use, use a used fabric softener sheet, and for the keys, a disinfecting kitchen wipe.
Have some tips that have worked for you?, email to
Shirley.bauer@verizon.net Thanks.