‘I had a neighbor who had bought a new pickup. I got up very early one Sunday morning and saw that someone had spray painted red all around the sides of this beige truck for some unknown reason. I went over, woke him up, and told him the bad news. He was very upset and was trying to figure out what to do. Probably nothing until Monday morning, since nothing was open. Another neighbor came out and told him to get his WD-40 and clean it off. It removed the unwanted paint beautifully and did not harm his paint job that was on the truck. I was impressed! WD-40 – who knew?

Water Displacement #40. The product began from a search for a rust preventative solvent and degreaser to protect missile parts. WD-40 was created in 1953 by three technicians at the San Diego Rocket Chemical Company. Its name comes from the project that was to find a ‘water displacement compound.  They were successful with the fortieth formulation; thus WD-40. The Corvair Company bought it in bulk to protect their atlas missile parts.

Ken East (one of the original founders) says there is nothing in WD-40 that would hurt you…’It is made from fish oil.’  When you read the ‘shower door¹ part, try it. It’s the first thing that has ever cleaned that spotty shower door. If yours is plastic, it works just as well as glass. Then try it on your stovetop. It is now shinier than it has ever been before.

1. Protects silver from tarnishing.
2. Removes road tar and grime from cars.
3. Cleans and lubricates guitar strings.
4. Gives floors that ‘just-waxed¹ sheen without making it slippery.
5. Keeps flies off cows!
6. Restores and cleans chalkboards.
7. Removes lipstick stains.
8. Loosens stubborn zippers.
9. Untangles jewelry chains.
10.  Removes stains from stainless steel sinks.
11. Removes dirt and grime from the barbecue grill.
12. Keeps ceramic/terra-cotta garden pots from oxidizing.
13. Removes tomato stains from clothing.
14. Keeps glass shower doors free of water-spots.
15. Camouflages scratches in ceramic and marble floors.
16. Keeps scissors working smoothly.
17. Lubricates noisy door hinges on vehicles and doors in homes.
18. It removes black scuff marks from the kitchen floor! Open some windows if you have a lot of marks.
19. Bug guts will eat away the finish on your car. Removed quickly, with WD-40.
20. Gives children’s play gym slide a shine for a super fast slide.
21. Lubricates gear shift on lawn mowers.
22. Rids kids’ rocking chairs and swings of squeaky noises.
23. Lubricates tracks in sticking home windows and makes them easier to open.
24. Spraying an umbrella stem makes it easier to open and close.
25. Restores and cleans padded leather dashboards in vehicles, as well as vinyl bumpers.
26. Restores and cleans roof racks on vehicles.
27. Lubricates and stops squeaks in electric fans.
28. Lubricates wheel sprockets on tricycles, wagons, and bicycles for easy handling.
29. Lubricates fan belts on washers and dryers and keeps them running smoothly.
30. Keeps rust from forming on saws and saw blades, and other tools.
31. Removes splattered grease on stove.
32. Keeps bathroom mirror from fogging.
33. Lubricates prosthetic limbs.
34. Keeps pigeons off the balcony (they hate the smell).
35. Removes all traces of duct tape.
36. Folks even spray it on their arms, hands, and knees to relieve arthritis pain.
37. Florida>s favorite use: ‘cleans and removes Love Bugs from grills and bumpers.¹
38. Protects the Statue of Liberty from the elements.
39. WD-40 attracts fish. Spray a LITTLE on live bait or lures and you will be catching the big one in no time.
40. Fire ant bites. It takes the sting away immediately and stops the itch.
41. WD-40 is great for removing crayon from walls. Spray on the mark and wipe
42. with a clean rag.
43. If you’ve washed and dried a tube of lipstick with a load of laundry, saturate the lipstick spots with WD-40 and re-wash…. Presto! Lipstick is gone!
44. If you spray WD-40 on the distributor cap, it will displace the moisture and allow the car to start.

Keep a can of WD-40 in your kitchen cabinet over the stove. It is good for oven burns or any other type of burn. It takes the burned feeling away and heals with NO scarring.

Remember, the basic ingredient is FISH OIL!

Christmas is a great tradition in our family. I remember the Christmas eve meal with all the family members who could be there gathered at our family home. At some point the living room was locked and my dad would wait for Santa to come. The doorbell rang and he was here. My dad helped him bring the gifts into the house. We had glass doors that led into the living room but you could not see clearly through them because they were colored and wavy so you could only see shadows and a little color.

When all the gifts were in place and Santa had said his good-byes my dad would open the door so we could all see inside. We then opened the gifts from anyone who was not at the celebration and a telephone call was originated to them. It was no easy task in those days to make a long distance call. We often had to wait until the call went through and the operator would call us back. It was exciting when the phone rang and my sister was on the line and everyone took their turn to talk.

Traditions are carried forward and changed as families grow. It is so easy to call today. You never have to wait because the circuits are busy. The traditions of family must be carried forward and cherished. They may have to be changed or amended to fit with the needs of the family but they just have to be carried on.

Everyone has been receiving emails, blog posts, and little cutesy things from everyone about the Christmas or Hanukkah celebration. I wonder if we have any of us really look at what this is all about. We seem to be stuck on ourselves and what it means to us. No matter what tradition each of us holds in our hearts, we must begin to realize that the birth of the Christ Child speaks to each of us about what we should be doing for our fellow man. We must see God in each and every person that we come into contact with, no matter what their race, color, sex or anything else about them. We are all brothers in our Lord and He in us.

Merry Christmas

The interesting part of a DREAM is how am I going to do it.  Where am I going to get the money.  When will I have time.  When you are asleep, it is like a movie, all these things just happen.  When I’m awake, I have to be the one that gets it going.  Is it time to get going?

Speaking of getting it going, I have come across some interesting information.  The dream that I think that a lot of have experienced recently may just be coming true.  It looks like the housing market is beginning to turn around.  Northern Saint Johns County, FL has just under 7 months supply of exisiting homes for sale.  This is down from 22 months at the height or should we say the depth of the housing housing problem.  We are now approaching numbers that are usually in a stable market.  Even Condominiums and Townhouses are getting hard to find.  Investors are back in the market.

As you might imagine, the number of rentals is down and of all things, the interest rates are still at the lowest rates in my lifetime.  I remember buying my first house in 1961 at 5 1/4%.  That was a long time ago.

This is one dream that seems to be coming true and waiting was all that I needed to do.

I am going to keep following this and I will have more data on this market in a few days.

If you are interested in how the markets are doing in the rest of the country  please click the link below to an article in Inman News that gives a synopsis of the recent market nationally.  I will be back tomorrow with more info on the local market.

INMAN NEWS 

Install a new mailbox with house numbers
Give the yard extra color by using a nitrogen fertilizer and a good watering
Cut the grass and do an extra special job on trimming the edges and shrubs
Paint the trim on the windows and around the doors
Plant some new flowers around the mailbox

All these things add color and appeal when a prospective buyer drives up to your house.  They don’t cost a lot and they are very simple to do.  You will be surprised at how they dress the house up and you get to enjoy the improvements yourself.