Advent Wreath

A friend of mine does gorgeous wood-working.  He's been turning his hobby into a small business.  Look at some of the things he's made.

The Advent wreath is in the shape of a cross.  It can hold tapers or the little votive candles.  (I can find votives in purple and pink much easier than I can find tapers.  So I prefer the little glass globes for the stumpy candles.)

The Christmas-tree ornaments are delicately worked and make a full nativity set.  When I saw them on the Christmas tree at church, I coveted them.  When a set went up for sale at our school's annual fund-raising auction, we were lucky enough to get a set for ourselves.  Woo hoo!





Matt's website isn't fully set up yet.  But for those of you who know us, the website will give you enough information that you would know how to contact him if you want to purchase something to be crafted over summer for gift-giving next fall/winter.  For those who will be attending symposium, there may be some of these beauties for sale there; there were last year, at least.  For those of you who don't know us, there's information on the website about a craft booth in Spring Green.  (He doesn't know that I've bragged about him here in public, and I'm not finding information online.  So there's nothing for me to point you to, for easy-breezy ordering information.  If there's something you'd be interested in, you'd just have to write or call and start asking questions.)

Lock & Lock

When my aunt gave me some "Lock & Lock" I thought it was just another plastic storage container.  What was she so hyped about anyway?

I used them and found out.

The cracker container really works to keep crackers as fresh as when you opened them -- even for months.

If you store wet things (chili or soup) they will not spill, even if stored on their side or upside down.

Raisins and prunes will stay soft and fresh-as-new in the small containers.

These things are fantastic!  For most of my leftover containers, I don't need something this high-quality.  But when I do, these are perfect.  I'm hoping that some of those other brands (with the same kind of seal) work just as well.


[The only warning my aunt gave me was to make sure I never put anything in the microwave with the lid on.  She said it will seal the lid to the container.  If I need the lid while nuking, I turn the lid upside down to avoid any possibility of sealing.  I even take care not to close a container if the food in it is still slightly warm.]  

A Pharmacy Without the Abortion Pill

About a month ago I was horrified to see the abortion pill on sale at Walgreens, big and bold, obvious and in-your-face, on the shelf next to the Claritin and Zyrtec.  I was wishing for a pharmacy that didn't carry the abortion pill.  Or at least didn't push it quite the way Walgreens does.

Well, guess what?  A new pharmacy has opened in the Pick-&-Save strip mall at 164 and VV.  It's next to George Webb.  I went in today and asked if they carried the abortion pill.  The pharmacist apologized that she didn't have any.  She said she'd planned to order it but hadn't yet.  I explained that I had been shocked and offended over the situation at Walgreens, and I was stopping by to determine if I might want to change pharmacies. 

I also told her that, when I asked friends about a pharmacy that didn't push abortion, I heard from several people that they'd want to patronize such a pharmacy if there were one available.  She said she wanted to fit in with the community and serve the community, and she was open to not-carrying the drug.  She said that, if she did decide to carry the pill, it would be more appropriate for it to be behind the counter instead of out on the shelf.  She said that, if Walgreens has it, it wouldn't be like she was preventing access to the pill for someone who really needed it.  So if you're interested in encouraging this pharmacy to not-carry, now would be a good time to stop by and kindly ask if they might make a decision to win your business.

Sunbeam Mixer

For years I had a KitchenAid mixer.  I loved it.  It beat my cookies, kneaded my bread, and whipped up birthday cakes. When my standard-sized mixer died after about 15 years, we bought a larger one that could handle enough bread dough to make two full-sized whole-wheat loaves.  When the motor began to shed metal shavings, we knew the bigger machine wouldn't have the longevity of the older, regular-sized machine.  But we let it keep grinding away. 

In April it died.  Good-n-dead.

Option A:  Buy a replacement for $500.
Option B:  Buy a Bosch, which has a reputation for being a multi-decade machine-of-durability.  But that's more expensive yet.
Option C:  Buy a standard KitchenAid, which is $200 if you can find one on Craigslist or wait until the pre-Christmas sales. 

Y'know, if I believed that a machine would actually last 10-15 years or more (!), I might find a way to afford a new one.  But at the rate things are going, I'm not sure I can count on more than 5-8 years, and possibly less.  As a stop-gap measure while I decided what to do (or maybe as I waited until the pre-Christmas sales) I decided to buy a hand-mixer.

At Fleet-Farm I found a Sunbeam Heritage mixer* for thirty bucks.  It has whips, beaters, and dough hooks, powered by a pretty decent motor. When I first bought it, Maggie was at a loss.  She'd never operated a hand mixer before.  It took a while to figure out the machine.  We needed to slightly tweak how we made bread, as the mixer didn't have enough power to knead 8 cups of ww flour.  Because the bowl doesn't spin itself, you have to bother to hang onto the mixer and move the beaters around the bowl [gasp].  And yes, it can even make cookies, not just breads.  As an added bonus, we can whip the mashed potatoes instead of just smashing them up with the potato masher -- yummy.  As I was running $30-50 per year for my KitchenAid's depreciation costs, it looks like I'll be ahead if my little Sunbeam mixer lasts me just one year.

I wish I could have confidence that the quality of merchandise would be better if I forked over more money for a reputable brand known for quality and longevity.  But I don't.  So for now, I will just ask God to give me decent tools, and see what He provides.  Over the past five months, this Sunbeam has gone far beyond my expectations.





* I'm suspecting it may have been discontinued, as it's no longer available on the Sunbeam site, is expensive on Amazon, and is down to $22 at Fleet-Farm.

Hosiery for Tall Girls

"One size fits all."  HA.  Big fat lie.  HA.

I have discovered two possibilities for those of the lanky-leg problem.

First, there's a problem with "knee-highs" that come up to mid-calf, nowhere close to your knees.  I tried the smallest size of "thigh-highs."  I don't know what's wrong with my legs; thigh-highs in my size simply do not work.  My thighs may be too fat; they may be too thin; the band at the top always ends up scootched down by my knees.  So, if I buy the size intended for a scrawny girl of 5'0", the thigh-highs will fit me as just-above-the-knee socks.  And that works fine for skirts that hit well below the knee.

One problem solved.

Second, there's a problem with panty-hose that you take out of the package, and you could swear that this pair of stockings was manufactured for a 6-yr-old.  C'mon, they're stretchy.  But not that stretchy.  I recently bought a package of Leggs Queen-Plus hose.  According to the package I'm too skinny to wear these.  But my rule-of-thumb is to buy a pair of hose for somebody who weighs 50% more than I do, and then the stockings might actually fit.  When I pulled this pair of Leggs Queen-Plus out of the package, they were the most freakin'-long hose I'd ever seen in my life.  It was awesome!  It gave me hope!  I have no idea how a 5'2" and 240# woman would ever ever ever get into these hose, regardless of the claims on the package's sizing chart.  I think the Queen Plus was made for someone 110-160# who's got a 32-36" inseam. 

Second problem solved ... assuming the hose I bought were actually what they were supposed to be, and not some lucky fluke of a mistake that made its way past quality control into my home. 

Dirt Devil Hand Vacuum

One of my Christmas gifts was a hand vacuum for making it easier to clean the upholstered furniture and vacuum out the vehicles. 

What a bust!

The air filter clogs in a few minutes.  The filter can be cleaned and reused, but it cannot merely be tapped to knock dust loose.  I had to use a dry toothbrush to remove dust from the folds of the filter, and every time I used the machine, I spent as much time cleaning the filter as I did vacuuming.   The owner's manual says to change the air filter every 3-6 months.  It seems like changing it every hour would be the outside limit.  And these filters are $8 each.

When I asked for a refund, the company told me that I only had 30 days to return it.  A Christmas present that is purchased in early December means you have only a week or two to discover the problem and request your refund.  So now I have a machine that is fit only for the trash can.  I'd hate to take it to Goodwill and inflict it upon an unsuspecting customer there.

I spent half a year looking at Goodwill for a used Dirt Devil.  I finally stumbled upon one two days after buying this one online.  I didn't buy it.  Now I wish I'd nabbed that one anyway.  Those old ones actually worked! 

Frontline Plus

We seldom deal with fleas here. When the cats run across a flea or two, they usually take care of it themselves and don't become infested. On occasion, I have to apply Frontline Plus. That usually only happens once or twice a year; I don't keep up with dosing them every 4-6 weeks.

Last time I needed the drugs, I ordered online instead of buying it from the local vet or pet-supply store. I'm not doing that again. I don't know what's different, but the fleas seem to be merely suppressed, and they make a return shortly before the 4-week mark. It may be cheaper per bottle to buy from Pet Meds, but it has turned out to be more expensive because I need a lot more bottles.

Quarry Coffee

Gary took today off work because he needed to take care of some business at one of those government departments where the wait is usually 2-3 hours around here. (He drove to Elkhorn and took care of the renewal there. Quicker to drive than to stand in line in Milwaukee or Waukesha. And he fetched my piggy from the butcher.) He also wanted to attend the pollworker training that our township conducted this afternoon. We did go on a "date" for the training of how to set up the voting machines. I can't believe how humongous the instruction guide is for how to deal with various situations that will arise on election day!

We started the day with a breakfast date at Quarry Coffee. Our friend Randy took Gary there a couple of weeks ago, and Gary was so impressed that he wanted to take me. (Actually, he wanted to introduce me to baked oatmeal so that I could make some at home; the date was just the excuse. Lucky for me that Erin has a recipe for baked oatmeal.)

Quarry Coffee is a lovely little place. With real food. And a great atmosphere. I kept thinking, "This is the kind of restaurant I want to have." Someday. In my dreams. Either when the government cuts back on the hoop-jumping, or when I resign myself to jumping through a gazillion hoops. I would love to have a restaurant like that: a limited menu that has a bit of variety each day, quality ingredients, and a warm & friendly ambiance. Ah, dreaming ....

Product Registration

Oh, I seldom fill out those little white postcards that come in the package with appliances and electronics. I guess I always saw them as one more way for companies to snatch your name and address so that they could send you junk mail and phone you and try to sell you more stuff.

But yesterday changed my mind.

We received a letter in the mail addressed to the former owners of the house OR "current resident." It turns out that our refrigerator is being recalled. A component of the compressor has been discovered to be causing fires. The repairman will be here on Wednesday. In the meantime, though, I'm nervous. Granted, the fridge is 4-5 years old, and it's no more dangerous today than it was last week when I didn't know about the problem.

But now I know.

Our smoke alarm hasn't worked properly since we moved in. A new one has been duly purchased and installed!

And from now on, privacy issues or not!, I will fill out those little product-registration postcards so that the manufacturer can hunt me down when there's a recall.

SUCCESS

Rosie caught a mouse!

Athena's not sure what she thinks of this. She attacked Rosie's tail during her play with the prey. Athena went tearing around the yard like as if she were chasing something too. And when Rosie wouldn't eat all her mousie, Athena refused to finish it. The balance of the world is upset in the eyes of Miss Huntress-Supreme because...

Rosie caught a mouse!

Walworth Apartments

As long as I'm making recommendations for local businesses, there is a great apartment manager in Walworth. For those who are in need of an apartment to rent in Walworth, Fontana, or the surrounding areas, you really need to check out the complex on Allen Street.

It's a small complex, three buildings with 8 apartments each. I've been doing paper routes in Walworth for about a decade and have been very impressed by how this particular apartment manager takes care of the property and helps his tenants. The buildings are kept up well. The lawn is nicely cared for. The manager has been working his butt off keeping the parking lot and the sidewalks clear of snow this winter. The care he puts into his work and the pleasant way he interacts with the tenants really sets him apart. If I were to look for an apartment in Walworth, Village Commons would definitely be at the top of my list!

Auto Body Repairs

Most of you who read my blog aren't going to care about this, but I just gotta sing the praises of a local businessman, in case anybody in my area is web-surfing for a repairman.

Al's Auto Body and Arboretum is located south of Delavan, northwest of Walworth. It is conveniently located for people in Darien, Sharon, and Fontana too. Who wants to have the accident that puts you in need of a repairman? But when you do need someone to fix your car, you want somebody who is competent, reliable, and reputable.

After my accident last month, my insurance agent recommended Al Ritchey. Al has repaired his cars after mishaps, and Al has done work for many other clients of my insurance agent. Al can do the perfect repairs that many people want. But he's also wise about making less-than-perfect repairs if that's what the customer wants. For example, he didn't get new parts for my van, but pounded out the dents and repainted. This cost us only 35% of the estimated cost to repair the van "properly" and "good as new." I thought we were compromising on the van for the sake of cost, but when I picked up the van today, I was stunned by how great it looks and how well Al put it back together. He apologized that the back quarter of the van was more dented than he'd expected, so he was unable to get all the lines of the van doors to match up perfectly. (I would never have noticed the "flaws" had he not pointed them out.)

So for anybody in Walworth County who is looking for a person who does great auto-body work, I heartily suggest calling 262-275-2800.