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Mopping memories

ESCANABA — Cinderella had to scrub the floor while her stepsisters danced. The army sergeant had Beetle Bailey on KP duty scrubbing the floors in the famous comic strip. Floor scrubbing was something great grandma did on her hands and knees with a wooden horsehair brush. Saturday was typically the day when grandma swept, scrubbed and waxed the floors so that they looked spiffy for Sunday supper time when company would often come over. The art of cleaning floors sure has changed much over the decades. Scrubbing floors on hands and knees was never a homemaker’s favorite job, but ...

A drier than usual fall

“Either get ready for elimination or your hearts must have the courage for the changing of the guards,” – Bob Dylan With a rush and a mighty rustle through a pile of downed leaves, the autumn changing of the guard blew into these Great North Woods in no uncertain fashion. This was the ...

Try this hint for scratched glasses

Dear Heloise: If your magnifying glasses keep getting scratched, try putting the glass part (or plastic part) into a snug-fitting sock. It stays on well and does the trick. Also, for short pieces (up to approximately 5 inches, per se) of metal or plastic, small bars, dowel rods, small pipes, ...

Group Gift Busts the Budget

Dear Annie: My siblings and I usually go in on gifts for my parents for birthdays and holidays. Since there are five of us, we can pool enough for something really nice, such as new golf clubs or a weekend away, rather than five smaller separate gifts. My dad's birthday is coming up, and my ...

Employee out of office, boss out of line

Dear Annie: I recently returned from a lovely two-week vacation to Europe with my husband. It's rare that we get a trip like this, so we were looking forward to it, and it did not disappoint! I set clear expectations with my team at work beforehand that I'd be fully off work. Everyone ...

Leaving food out for wildlife

Dear Heloise: I don't know where you live, but it's a violation of municipal law in many counties and recommended public-safety policies to leave out "safe drinking water" for wildlife. This is harmful for many reasons. For example, it breeds mosquitos that carry potentially life-threatening ...