DOWN-HOME COUNTRY LORE

Article Tools

Image Gallery

Print

E-mail

Comments

RSS

Nancy Perry considered the many rocks on her 13 acres in Shady Cove, Oregon a solution instead of a problem. When she needed a fence, she neatly stacked the rocks around a pole held at the inside edge of a 24-inchdiameter cylindrical "cage" made from old wire fencing. That way, Ms. Perry could put fenceposts right where she wanted them, without digging holes. After six months, Nancy happily reports that her Holstein has yet to knock one over!

AND YOU THOUGHT YOU'D HEARD IT ALL DEPARTMENT: Yep, there are three more good uses for that ever-popular, ever-versatile white vinegar. First, Shirley McHenry of California, Missouri removes tobacco and other household odors from her living quarters by placing a small brandy snifter half filled with the potent liquid in the room needing to be freshened. Shirley likes to also drop a colorful artificial flower in the glass, adding a festive touch to the room while clearing the air.

Second, Tom Kennedy of Mishicot, Wisconsin finds that vinegar comes in handy when he patches concrete. Tom splashes the old cement with the acid before applying the new ... and swears that the vinegar makes the new mix adhere tightly to the old.

Third, Billie Durham of North East, Maryland eliminates the need for salt or butter on her vegetables by accenting them with a dash of wine- or herb. flavored vinegar.

Hold on there! Were you just about to junk those old automobile and bicycle tire tubes? You'd be wasting recyclable material, say ingenious MOTHER-readers, who write that discarded inner tubes can be cut to make short, flexible water hoses . . . substitute gaskets . . . tool-handle wraps to reduce vibration and to keep the grips warm to the touch . . . patches for the soles of running shoes with worn tread . . . quick repairs for cracked pipes and hoses (when stretched tightly around the damaged area) ... windshield wiper blade replacements for those whose hands are steady enough to slice straight-edged strips from the rubber . . . hinges for gates, boxes, and lids . . . shims to increase the diameter of a pipe or hose so that it fits snugly inside another . . . grip pads to help loosen jar lids that have been screwed on too tightly . . . protective shields for electric cords at spots where the wires are run through doors, windows, or walls . . . and splendid giant rubber bands. Used singly, or tied or looped into chains, these thin cross sections of tubing can hold furniture parts together while the glue sets . . . tie newspaper around chickens at slaughter time . . . serve as replacements for screen door springs . . . secure rolled-up rugs or chicken wire for storage . . . and keep items stationary while cargo is being transported in the back of a car or pickup truck. And you'll find it's easier to make the clean-edged diagonal cut necessary to fashion rubber bands if you keep the knife blade or scissors wet with water.


We'd like to thank the readers who sent in the tips we've included: Howard Abts (Toledo, Ohio), Jeff Forssell (Birthrate, Sweden), Mel Canal (Applegate, Oregon), Donald Cook (Monmouth, Oregon), Ron and Sue Correll (China Grove, North Carolina), John DiGiacomo (Youngstown, Ohio), G.M. Erickson (Yakima, Washington), L.A. Facey (Courcelette, Quebec, Canada), Mrs. Mike Pardee (Random Lake, Wisconsin), and Mrs. Vern Swanke (Horatio, Arkansas).

One way to find a little "stretch" in your household budget is to eliminate the need for separate varieties of shampoo. Fran Breckon--of Ellensburg, Washington suggests that one bottle of your family's favorite gentle shampoo can be suitable for all hair types . . . when it's complemented by the use of a natural astringent, witch hazel. Individuals with normal to dry hair can use the shampoo as is, and those with hair that tends to be on the oily side can lather up with the shampoo and then work a capful of witch hazel in with the suds before rinsing. Fran says it produces the same effects as the expensive "specially formulated" shampoos for oily locks.

RSS | Comments | E-mail | Print