I tried the chalk line a while back--the ants apparently hadn't been told it was a 'do not cross' sign. Alcohol is the best way I've found to clean windows. Putting sugar in corn while cooking will add a little sweetness, but it makes the corn tougher. I just buy supersweet corn at the farm stands--it doesn't need sugar. for cleaning vases with narrow necks, I break up a denture cleaning tablet or 2, drop in and add warm (not hot) water. Interestingly, when I took a pate de verre class (molding glass pieces from frit), the instructor--who was a nationally known glass artist also used the denture cleaner method for cleaning the plaster bits of the molds off the molded pieces. Elmer's glue also works for splinters. Spread it on over the area, let dry and peel off the glue--the spinter usually comes with it. Murphy's oil soap also works well on crayon marks if they're on something like wood. Baking soda is my #1 go-to cleaner in the house. It takes those brown specks off frying pans and ranges, removes KoolAid and Grape juice stains from formica, safely scours surfaces that can't tolerate real cleanser or steel wool pads, it disinfects, deoderizes, is cheap, readily available... I buy it in 5 pound bags, and keep a decorative jar of it on my kitchen sink, since I use it pretty much every day.

Being in retail a long time I'm not surprised at all. Hopefully people will object with their wallets. This is another one that slays me....when large chains offers sales. In my state (Illinois) this is part of the consumer protection laws: It is an unfair or deceptive act for a seller to compare current price with its former (regular) price for any product or service, unless one of the following criteria are met: a) the regular price is equal to or below the price at which the seller made a substantial number of sales of such products in the recent regular course of its business; b) the former price is equal to or below the price at which the seller offered the product for a reasonably substantial period of time. I find extremely unlikely the big chains bring in merchandise and let it sit a full price for any period of time. But customers like to believe they are getting items on sale. Here is a good article on those "deals". Here is a link that might be useful: their usual tricks

A while ago there were suggestions that Obama should do something. Let's not forget, that in recent times they've been dropping their drilling bits down through a whole mile of water before they even start drilling for the oil. And off Newfoundland, they're going even deeper. Bush Senior ... was an oil man. Bush Junior - another oil man. Condoleesa Rice was well connected in the oil industry. Cheney was, also. And I've heard suggestions that he was involved with a substantial amount of deregulations, back then. We know that the oil industry types chafe under regulations. The banking people do, as well. It seems to me that when employees, regardless of how high up they are in an organization, almost run their company into the ground, so much so that it takes multiple billions ot taxpayers' money to bail them out ... ... that they deserve to be fired, rather than to feel justified in demanding major bonuses at year end. ole joyful

My Dad taught me a lot of things. He was a walking encyclopedia. He also made us learn by experience - some things good and somethings bad. LOL Like sniffing horseradish would clear your stuffy nose. LOL We always had a jar on hand just for that purpose. Every night at the dinner table he quizzed us on all kinds of things - some of them were riddles to make our brains work. My Mom taught me about baking. I also learned a lot from my older siblings. Again, some not so good things like sticking your tongue on icey cold metal. LOL I tell you I was tortured by my brothers at times. LOL My Scottish Grandma taught me how to knit and embroider and cross stitch. You rarely saw her without knitting needles in her hands making argyle socks for her "boys" and hats, mittens and sweaters for us kids. She made the most beautiful hand embroidered pillow cases and table cloths without a pattern. When she was too old to hold a sewing needle in her hand she gave me all her floss and hoops that were in a metal Scottish shortbread cookie tin. I still have it. My Dad's French stepmother, my Grandma H. taught me how to crochet. She made some wonderful lacey tableclothes and bed spreads and those pot holders that looked like dresses. I have all of her tiny metal crochet hooks somewhere in this house. My Scottish Grandfather taught me his love of fine things. Any time anyone came into his house he would take you over to my Grandma's china cabinet and show off the Royal Doulton character figurines, the toby jugs, the china tea cups and saucers, the crystal, He didn't have 2 cents to rub together and he was a drunk but he was proud that his wife through hard work could afford to buy beautiful things and he loved to show them off. Patti, speaking of metal ice cube trays, they bring back good memories. My Grandpa would make grape juice ice cubes and when we came to visit he would hand each of us kids a large purple cube wrapped in a napkin or paper towel to suck on. They were the best. My Grandma H would make pink "Junket" in hers. Anne