7/13 Tribune copy 1 (Page 1) - Stonebridge Press and Villager ...

PUTNAM VILLAGER
Friday, February 24, 2012
• A7
What a difference a year makes
It was around this time
last year that I stood in
our home with my
hands clasped to my
cheeks “Home Alone” style
concerned about its structural
safety and wondering
how on earth I was going to
contend with the mess that
lay before me without Dad
home.
Fortunately for us, I was assured
that our roof was structurally sound
but it took three men two hours to
clear a massive build-up of snow and
ice off of it.
But water is a funny thing and it
will seek the path(s) most easily traveled,
which for us, ended up being
the interior of our home. I tore out
the four front interior walls (the
lower halves of both the living and
dining rooms, and the entire front
walls of both a son’s bedroom and
the master bedroom), and dragged
them out in 30 gallon trash bags or
tossed them out of an upstairs window
and into a dumpster, depending
on which phase of the demolition we
are speaking about. And insurance
is a funny thing as well – it will pay
for the damage to the inside of the
home, but it will not cover a single,
THE NEW
NORMAL
LAURA
FISHER
ANDERSEN
solitary dime for the requisite
roof replacement,
which was done a couple of
months ago, in anticipation
of another winter of snow
and ice, which hopefully
wouldn’t be as bad as last
year, and has, thus far,
turned out not to be.
As I write, I look around
to see what remains to be
done. There isn’t a lot, but it is dirty,
dusty work and penciling it in
between the goings-on of basic daily
life can be a bit challenging when
taking on the task of doing some of
the repairs oneself. My plan during
Dad’s absence last year was to renovate
our master bedroom. We live in
a home built in the 50’s so we don’t
have a walk-in closet or a master
bathroom and the water streaming
into our room through the roof and
front window last year didn’t qualify
as one despite its best efforts. Being
somewhat of a “do it yourself-er” I
mapped out a new floor plan for our
room to include that walk-in closet I
so desired. When winter dealt its
destructive blow, I simply incorporated
that plan into the repairs we
had no choice but to make.
Though the majority of
the
repairs were done by contractors,
I’ve done a bit of it myself, and as a
result, I’ve become much more adept
at hanging sheetrock, taping, mudding,
and sanding, and then repeating
the mudding and sanding
process where and when necessary.
Though it is a very dusty job and has
resulted in more frequent use of my
inhaler, there is definitely something
about standing back and looking at
the finished product that brings a
sense of pride and accomplishment,
despite the amount of time it takes
to get it done oneself. Once that is
completed, it’s on to priming, painting
and installing new flooring
throughout the entire second floor.
Time. I’ve often said that work
expands to fill the time available. I
also find that I am far more productive
if I have several things to do and
not a whole lot of time in which to do
them. Homeschooling, taking care of
elderly relatives, or simply holding
down the fort in Dad’s absence, have
occupied the majority of my days
over the past several years. I have not
had (or perhaps I simply haven’t
taken) the time to seek out employment
that would allow me the ability
(or the flexibility) to also be available
to our own children. But 2012 has
been good to us thus far. It’s been
quite a while, but thanks to timing
and friends, who thought I’d be a
good fit, I am doing things I love to do
and am still around for our own children,
something that has always
been important to us. Children need
their parents at the end of their
school day whether they are six or
16.
So, in the span of a couple of
weeks, I’ve acquired not one, but two
jobs. Funny how things work.
Thanks to my friend, Kathleen
Lundy, I’m tutoring – combining my
love of working with kids (particularly
teenagers) with my love of finding
new ways to impart knowledge.
Even more fun is doing something I
haven’t done in seven years and that
is waitressing. A few weeks back,
Dad thought it would be a good idea
to walk to Price Chopper to get milk.
Mind you, this was on Saturday, Jan.
21, a day that was actually a “winter”
day given that we haven’t had many
of those this year. It was cold and
snowy and resulted, in the end, in us
calling our son to come pick us up!
We started out by walking to the
post office to send something to our
son who lives in New York City, and
given that we were so close by, on the
spur of the moment, decided to stop
for breakfast at the Main St. Grille
before getting the milk. Having once
worked with the owner, Kim, at
Stateline in Rhode Island, off the
cuff, I decided to ask if she was hiring.
Timing is everything. The
restaurant was about to expand into
yet another building unit. She might
need more wait staff. Over the next
couple of days, a text here, a phone
call there, I found myself hired and
back in the fast pace of the waitressing
world – and I do mean fast!
To be honest, I didn’t realize how
much I missed it until I started doing
it again!
The transition back into the serving
world has been relatively seamless
and one I am incredibly grateful
for it. The regulars know I’m new
and their welcoming of me and
patience with me is most appreciated.
Indeed, what a difference a year
makes.
Laura Fisher Andersen is a resident
of Putnam. She writes a bi-weekly
column for the Villager
Newspapers. She may be reached at
laurawriter65@gmail.com.
It’s that time again — when
readers reveal their
favorite tips and tricks.
From easy appetizers to preventative
pet care, the following
ideas promise to lessen the little
hassles in life and make
everyday life a little easier!
And remember readers, send
in your best helpful hint for a
chance to win dinner for two at the Publick
House in Sturbridge!
This reader’s bargains translate into “giving
back.”
Now that my kids are grown and on their
own, I put together packages for them. I save my
“Buy 1 Get 1 Free” items or anything I can use a
good coupon for. Anything that is non perishable
such as toothpaste, razors, shampoos,
canned goods, pasta, etc. I try to package them
in reusable containers like totes, reusable shopping
bags, pillowcases, etc to be creative!
Sandy Conway
Charlton, Mass.
Attention pet owners: A reader shares petfriendly
advice that can prevent unnecessary
cost and concern:
We found this out at our house after confounding
our vet. Our cat was losing hair on his
hindquarters, 100 percent hair loss on the back
side of his legs. The vet did a blood test to see if
it was a thyroid issue, it wasn’t. Other tests were
suggested. We watched the cat’s movement and
found him to be sitting on some insulation in
the basement. The insulation was a nice comfy,
Undeclared.
Rebecca Coolidge ‘15 of Danielson was named to
the Dean’s List. Coolidge is a full-time student
majoring in Communication.
Graham Cooper ‘13 of Pomfret Center was
named to the Dean’s List. Cooper is a full-time student
majoring in Social Work.
Nicholas Cuesta ‘12 of Brooklyn was named to
the Dean’s List. Cuesta is a full-time student majoring
in History.
Erika Enderle ‘13 of Woodstock was named to
the Dean’s List. Enderle is a full-time student
majoring in Accounting.
Kayla Fafard ‘13 of North Grosvenordale was
named to the Dean’s List. Fafard is a full-time student
majoring in Pre-Elementary Education.
Tracy French ‘12 of Brooklyn was named to the
Dean’s List. French is a full-time student majoring
in Sociology.
Nathan Gagnon ‘13 of Thompson was named to
the Dean’s List. Gagnon is a full-time student
Readers reveal tips and tricks
TAKE
THE
HINT
KAREN
TRAINOR
warm place to sit. We removed
the insulation and the problem
went away. We told the vet so they
could help other families. I hope
you are able to tell your readers
so their families will not have to
incur expenses unnecessarily.
People love their pets! People love
to save money!
Curt Weissinger
Woodstock, Conn.
Paper clips are an old school staple – and a
clever reader shares a half dozen uses!
Ready to share the miracles of paper clips . . .
(great at home and while traveling . ..darn
cheap too)!
1. Christmas ornament hook.
2. I used one as a washer on a stripped screw
on the bottom of a shower door, where we couldn’t
get the screw to back out, but I opened the
paper clip enough to fit around the screw, tightened
it down and voila!
3. Paper clip on any book I am reading, top of
the page, prevents bend corners and lets me find
where I left off very quickly. Great on the airplane
and passes security.
4. Works as a temporary money clip or for
bundling bills for the bank etc.
5. I have hung pictures or door decorations
with a paper clip, over a less damaging push pin
or thumb tack, with the paper clip as the hook,
when opened and shaped like an “s”.
6. Paper clips on the fabric in office cubes, as
a hook, (tape to the back of card or photo you
want to hang), then gently push the opened
hook end into the fabric of the cubicle. It leaves
no damage when removed to place a new photo
EDUCATION NOTEBOOK
NOTEBOOK
continued from page A1
majoring in History and Social Science.
Elaine Gazzola ‘14 of Rogers was named to the
Dean’s List. Gazzola is a full-time student majoring
in Pre-Social Work.
Maggie Gibeault ‘12 of Brooklyn was named to
the Dean’s List. Gibeault is a full-time student
majoring in Communication.
Jonathan Goodwin ‘12 of Woodstock Valley was
named to the Dean’s List. Goodwin is a full-time
student majoring in Business Information
Systems.
Shelbie Greene ‘12 of Putnam was named to the
Dean’s List. Greene is a full-time student majoring
in English.
Erik Hazelton ‘14 of Woodstock was named to
Turn To NOTEBOOK, page A13
etc., but strong enough, even for small plaques
etc.
Viola Bramel
Northbridge, Mass.
A chemical free oven cleaner is as close as
your kitchen cupboard:
Here is an effective way to clean the inside of
your oven without using the harsh chemical
sprays from stores. Simply spray vinegar all
over the inside of the oven. Follow that with an
even sprinkling of baking soda and allow for
the mixture to bubble and fizz. Leave the mixture
to sit for about 30 minutes to an hour,
depending on how much grime /grease is clinging
to the walls of the oven. Then use a scouring
sponge to scrub the walls and bottom of the
oven to remove the grime and build up. Vinegar
is a great degreaser, so try rinsing the sponge in
vinegar to maintain its grease cutting abilities.
You can rinse the oven by sponging clean water
on the walls and bottom, this way no chemicals
are required to achieve a clean look
Mary C.
Sturbridge, Mass.
This reader cooks up an appetizer that’s not
only delicious, it’s easy!
I have a very easy and delicious appetizer that
is a family favorite:
1 cup shredded mozzarella; 1 cup chopped
Vidalia onion; 1 cup mayonnaise.
Mix all together, place in shallow baking dish
and cook at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes
until bubbly and golden brown on top.
Especially good served with the baked Ritz
crackers!
Linda Goodbrand
Woodstock, Conn.
Prize Winner: Congratulations to Curt
Weissinger of Woodstock, Conn., whose name
was drawn as winner for Dinner for Two at the
Publick House in Sturbridge. He offered the pet
tip above.
Win Dinner for Two at the Publick House:
Your tips can win you a great dinner for two at
the historic Publick House Historic Inn in
Sturbridge! Simply send in a hint to be entered
into a random drawing. One winner per month
will win a fabulous dinner for two (a $60 value)
at the renowned restaurant, located on Route
131 across the town common in historic
Sturbridge. Because I’m in the business of dispensing
tips, not inventing them (although I can
take credit for some), I’m counting on you readers
out there to share your best helpful hints!
Do you have a helpful hint or handy tip that
has worked for you? Do you have a question
regarding household or garden matters? If so,
why not share them with readers of The
Southbridge Evening News? Send questions
and/or hints to: Take the Hint!, C/o the
Southbridge Evening News, 25 Elm St.,
Southbridge, MA 01550. Or e-mail
kdrr@aol.com. Hints are entered into a drawing
for dinner for two at the historic Publick House
Inn.
For more great hints, tune into Take the Hint!
one minute snippet tips aired twice daily on ORC
FM 98.9. And for more tips and talk, be sure to listen
to my live hour long show from 9 to 10 am.
each Friday on WARE 1250.
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