Time for Spring Window Cleaning

Spring has finally reached Chicagoland and it is time to clean the windows, covered with a thin film of fall and winter grime.  There are some great recipes for window cleaning solutions, I will tell you the two I have tried at the end of this blog, but I do want to share a tip for drying the windows without streaking:

Sponge on the cleaner then wipe off with crumpled newspapers (not colored print).  Believe it or not the crumpled newspapers keep the windows from streaking.  Recycle the paper when you are done.

Do not clean the windows when the sun is shining on them, they will dry too fast and leave streaks before they can be wiped.

Wash one side of the window up and down and the other side to side.  That way if there is any residual streaking you know what side to polish.

Two recipes that I have tried ( the 2nd one is the one I normally use):

1.  2 cups isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol) , 1/2 cup amonia, 1 tsp liquid dish detergent and top off with water until you have 1 gallon of cleaner

2.  2 tablespoons cornstarch, 1/2 cup amonia, 1/2 cup white vinegar and top off with warm water until you have 1 gallon.  Make sure the cornstarch is dissolved.

Happy Cleaning!  Let me know if you have any tips on making those windows glisten.

2 wind energy turbines in background supply energy for drive-in.

This has to be a first, on the news this morning was information on a Drive-In movie theater in Gibson, Illinois  that has really gone green. Two wind energy driven turbines supply electricity for the theater.  Killowatt hours generated go directly to the local power company grid and whatever is generated when the theater is not in use earns credit for future use.   If you would like to read more try this link to the Paxton Record.

What a unique idea, I hope it catches on.

Wind Generator #1

          

Wind generator #2

The Twelve Days of Christmas was one carol that I never understood.  What do all those weird presents have to do with Christmas?   I found out this week, and below is the explanation. I hope you find it as interesting as I did when I received it in an email from my sister.  ENJOY!

From  1558 until 1829, Roman Catholics in England were
not  permitted to practice their faith openly.  Someone
during that era wrote this carol as a catechism  song for young Catholics.
It has two levels of  meaning: the surface meaning
plus a hidden meaning  known only to members of their church. Each element in  the carol has a code word for a religious reality
which  the children could remember.

-The  partridge in a pear tree was Jesus  Christ.

-Two turtle doves were the Old  and New Testaments.

-Three  French hens stood for faith, hope and  love.

-The  four calling birds were the four gospels of Matthew, Mark,  Luke & John.

-The  five golden rings recalled the Torah or Law, the first  five books of the Old Testament.

-The  six geese a-laying stood for the six days of  creation.

-Seven  swans a-swimming represented the sevenfold gifts of the  Holy Spirit–Prophesy, Serving,  Teaching, Exhortation,  Contribution, Leadership, and  Mercy.

-The  eight maids a-milking were the eight  beatitudes.

-Nine  ladies dancing were the nine fruits of the Holy  Spirit–Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness,  Goodness, Faithfulness,
Gentleness,  and Self Control.

-The  ten lords a-leaping were the ten  commandments.

-The  eleven pipers piping stood for the eleven faithful  disciples.

-The  twelve drummers drumming symbolized the twelve points of  belief in the Apostles’ Creed.

What do you think?  It sounds believable to me.