there are a few really old houses out here in the desert with sleeping porches on the roof. They were built to have canvas walls, and a system to have water trickle down the canvas walls. It's generally rather windy out here, so the residents could sleep upstairs on the porch and have cool air when the wind blew through the wet canvas. Pre-swamp cooler days. Doesn't work when the weather is humid.
Ask Happy Homemaker!
by compound complex 337 Replies latest jw friends
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compound complex
Dear Hortensia,
Thanks for that glimpse into yesteryear. Primitive is often more cost-effective and, with fewer moving parts, less likely to break down.
My canvases, OTOH, drip with paint.
How cool is that?
H.H.
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Hortensia
pretty cool - wish I could paint.
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compound complex
Dear Happy Homemaker,
I enjoy your column and don't know if I've ever seen this question addressed before. It may seem a trifle to most people. A solution from you would sure be swell.
We just had our kitchen repainted with oil-base enamel. While it's been an entire week since the painters left, I do notice a fingerprint here, a smudge there. I am accustomed to using Old Dutch Cleanser on my woodwork, which I normally scrub daily. But here's the rub - the paint is peeling off in long, stringy chunks and sticking to my heavy-duty green scouring pad.
Are the painters at fault for doing bad work? Should I switch to Ajax or Comet?
Hilda
Dear Hilda,
No, the painters are not at fault. My advice to you is to toss the green scrub pad and chill out over the non-issue of imaginary (or near-imaginary) fingerprints and smudges. Fresh, new paint requires curing time and one week, while otherwise sufficient time, is far too early to go gang-busters with Mr. Clean, as it were.
You asked for a "solution." How about a little soap and water and a soft cloth. Always start with the simplest and least abrasive materials. Freshly painted surfaces are no match, however, for Hilda's brand of elbow grease. Cool it!
Hope this helps!
Happy Homemaker!
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compound complex
Dear Happy Homemaker,
I grew up eating oatmeal everyday as a kid because we were poor. It was more like a thin, watery gruel. Well, now I'm a lot older and the doc says I need to mend my ways as to what I eat.
I'm going to give mush another go. How can I make it more appetizing?
Richard
Dear Richard,
Strange you should ask! Even as we write, a caldron of the gluey mass is bubbling away on the open fire. I use less H2O so it's not pasty, grey and runny. YECCCCCH! I add any or all: apples, raisins, overripe bananas (like now), granola as a topping, a chunk of vanilla ice cream (now you be careful here), berries ... Oh, a splash of whole milk (I don't care what your doctor says, skim milk will simply not do! You may as well go without breakfast altogether.
I'm eating my 'mazing mush now - 3:57 p.m. Anytime's the right time!
Bon Appetit, Ricardo ...
Hope this helps!
Happy Homemaker!
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compound complex
Quick & Easy Grilled Fish
Your favorite fish is even better on the grill. From spicy tuna steaks to tender mustard-glazed halibut, these recipes are sure to delight.
Slide 1 of 21
Grilled Halibut and Leeks with Mustard Vinaigrette
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compound complex
Dear Kind and Gentle Readers,
Stayed tuned for more exotic recipes that will fill your life with gustatory delight (yet at ever the bargain-basement price!).
Happy Homemaker!
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compound complex
Dear Happy Homemaker,
May I call you HH? I'm off to clean a bachelor's pad. Any suggestions on wading my way through?
Thanks!
Gilda
Dear Gilda,
1) No, you may not.
2) I'm on my way to assess a similar disaster. I shall return.
Hope this helps!
Mr. Happy Homemaker to you, Sister!
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compound complex
Dear Happy Homemaker,
I don't have a huge grocery budget, but, when it comes to cheese, I want the best. Problema? My hard cheese, like Parmesan and Romano, they get hard about the edges or a teense moldy (when spending what little time they do in the fridge before grating and devoration). Same with semi-hards.
When I cut the cheese, hard edges can mean knife slippage and guillotined digits. What's a fromage guy to do? I've been soured over this question from age 12.
Thanks.
Scolios
Dear Scolios,
Coat your edges with a lightish coat of butter after cutting your fromages. From ages past this has been customary ...
Hope this helps!
Happy Homemaker!
