respublica

Best way to de-fog the windshield?

This sort of stopped me in my tracks this morning. A headline which read, "Using Shaving Cream to clear up that foggy windshield."

My first thought was how hard it would be to get that cream off after the window cleared of fog or frost. Can be used inside and outside on the window. Some people swear by this method, but I doubt I'll try it. My method is to get the car running before we have to leave with the defroster running.

I have used a vehicle ice melt spray in frozen door locks and doors themselves at times.

It's coming up Roses...or not

Watching the Tournament of Roses Parade has always been part of our New Year's Day practice. Dale has been blessed to have been on one of the floats 3 different times so we have an affection for this parade and especially the Lutheran Hour Float.

In recent years watching it has gotten harder and harder. The major networks which broadcast it, ABC, NBC...are constantly leaving for commercials and often give short shrift to the Lutheran Hour float. That leaves the Hallmark Drama channel on cable which we do not get on our cable package. We don't speak Spanish so Univision is out. And RFD we have never heard of and do not have.

The best years recently were when HGTV covered the parade. They did it commercial free and had good commentary on all the floats. At the moment I'm trying to find a streaming channel but am not optimistic.

Well, good-bye 2021

We aren't planning on doing anything special this New Year's Eve except for watching TV and snacking. Tomorrow the same, Rose Parade, football and snacking. But...this just figures. I got up early to go to Schnucks to pick up some items and wouldn't you just know two of the main things I wanted were not available. Dale always likes shrimps on New Year's Eve and of course the fresh fish counter does not open until 10. I thought I was being smart to beat the crowds, but now I will have to go back. I also wanted Ore Ida hash browns and they were completely sold out. I tried Walmart Neighborhood Market on the way home and they were sold out as well. I don't know if I have the energy to try the big Walmart.

It's not a big thing in the scheme of life, but it's frustrating nonetheless. Life on holidays and during the endless pandemic. Food goes fast. Shelves empty fast.

Update after going back to the store. The fish counter was open and i got Dale's shrimp. It looks like the person manning this area is going to have a very busy day.

 

A belated Christmas lighted house

Many years we attend Christmas Eve services at our daughter's church in Webster Groves. They are members of The Lutheran Church of Webster Gardens. When we head for home we make a point of going down the street behind the church to see the one house which is decorated beyond belief. Not to say this is tacky, it isn't. It's beautifully done and gets people driving by all night long. This year was no different. After  the service we headed round the block from the church and there it was. Not a Chevy Chase production, but filled with lights in a very amazing way. Even the garage was turned into Santa's workshop. Just beautiful.

Click to enlarge the photo, it's just mind-boggling. And the best part this year was the neighbor to the right of this house had blue lights on his left side underscored by an arrow pointing to this one which said, "Ditto".

Click the photo to enlarge

 

From our house to yours...

A blessed Christmas to all here.

This is me these days

One more week until Christmas and this year I've really felt my age. And this below is pretty much how it's going.

Not only painful to try and get up, but it's maddening. i have found that Blu Emu cream rubbed into the joints helps a lot. Hard to believe but it does.

Still Shopping?

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch tries to help all of us with hints for last minute Christmas gifts. Nothing against whoever wrote this article, but there are few things I'd want to give or get. For instance: Swiss travel mugs with holiday design.

A donut bicycle bell!

Thera Cane which is a therapeutic massager great for relieving muscle pain in hard-to-reach spots.

A home pedicure kit which looks much like a plastic mouse trap. Don't believe me?

There are many more at the link if you need ideas.

One of my favorite seasonal pictures

This photo was taken in 2012 while we were at Ted Drewes getting our Christmas tree. Back in those days we always took Ferdie along. This year we stopped by Drewes and they were almost sold completely out except for some very small which felt weird. So this picture makes me smile.

We have a tree!

I have to admit it really bewilders me how many people went out and bought a Christmas tree really early. The lots are pretty much empty and it is still early December. Normally a person could get a good tree a couple of days before Christmas. Not this year. This morning we first went to Ted Drewes where we've often gone in past years. Their trees have always been great and fresh, but today there were few trees and those were small. I am taller than most of them.

So we headed for the Kirkwood Farmers Market and discovered this place had lots and lots of trees. So many in fact, it was hard to even decide. There is also a great Christmas gift shop with lots of sweets and fun items for sale. I could have stayed longer in that gift shop. Dale got some peppermint bark, though.

We got a really nice tree and were helped with the carrying and lopping off part of the trunk by a nice young man named Keaton. Dale asked him if he was a student and he said he was. He is studying acting at Depaul. We took the long surface streets back into downtown St. Louis and enjoyed seeing areas we have not been to in a long time. We were mostly on Manchester, part of Chouteau.

 

Christmas Cactus

We have a Christmas Cactus plant and it is just beautifully filled with blooms right now. It has grown rather large and this article may help others who believe after the blooms have faded it will be time to re-pot it into a bigger container. This is helpful.

These plants bloom between November and January, thus the name. But being in the cactus family means learning a bit about when to water, what type of light, etc. This may be helpful there. 

We enjoy ours