ColumnsTalk of the Town: I’m gonna wash that stress right out of my hair—I mean clothes!
By Regina FordDon’t laugh. When I’m stressing, I do the laundry—that is if I’m home. (I don’t just indiscriminately run over to people’s homes offering to wash their clothes to calm down.) There’s something rewarding about clean clothes and the smell of newly laundered sheets. Of course, we can’t air dry them like my mother did when I was young. Our homeowners’ association would come after me, but I have discovered some pretty wonderful and fragrant fabric softeners. My husband says he can’t smell any difference, Sigh! I still lose those blasted socks. Where do they go anyway? I know. They are washed into the Bermuda Triangle! Well, Mary Ellen Pinkham of iVillage.com offers the ultimate laundry suggestions for those of us who are laundry challenged. If a sweater shrinks, is it a lost cause? And just where do those missing socks really go? Test your laundry know-how with Pinkham’s laundry quiz and learn a thing or two along the way! Answer true or false to the following questions: False: Although chlorine bleach does whiten dingy items, it does its job within 15 minutes. The only effect of prolonged soaking may be to weaken the fibers. True. Sometimes lightweight objects like socks get sucked down the drain hose along with the dirty water. To reduce the chance of this happening, load heavy items at the bottom of the machine and the lighter ones, such as socks, on top. False. Manufacturers have to list one safe cleaning method for every garment. Sometimes they advise you to dry clean or hand-launder an item rather than machine wash it so that you don’t run into any problems that might cause you to complain to them. Clothes washed rather than cleaned may lose some body; or (more seriously) the garment may run. However, if an item says “Dry Clean” or “Hand Wash” and it’s not one of my most pricey or favorite things; and if you don’t want to put up with regular dry cleaning costs or bother with hand washing it, you can gamble that machine washing with cool water will do the job. Most of the time, it works. False. Clothes are best ironed when they are slightly damp. If you remove them from the dryer before they are bone dry but cannot get to the ironing immediately, it is a smart move to store them in a plastic bag in the freezer for a couple of days to prevent mildewing. False. There is a product called Rit Color Remover that is meant specifically as a remedy for this kind of product. Find it in a sewing supplies store or wherever dyes are sold. False. Maybe. You may be able to re-size it if you soak the sweater in cool water to which you’ve added some hair conditioner, roll up in a towel to absorb as much moisture as possible, and dry flat. Avoid shrinking in the future by removing knit items from the dryer when still slightly damp, then stretching them back into shape and drying them flat. How’d you do? I still can’t find those stupid socks! Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, “A Little Night Music”- Mozart and then some! will be the topic of the March program of Keyboard Classics and Comments with Ann-Marie Schaffer at 10 a.m. Monday at St. Francis-in-the-Valley Episcopal Church, 600 S. La Canada Drive. The theme this year of how composers of different eras and styles express emotions through their different compositional styles will continue through the season. Listeners should come prepared to hear very different compositional styles and emotions! The talks-with-performances are free and open to the public. For information call Ann-Marie at 625-1609. The Sisterhood of Beth Shalom Temple Center will present a luncheon and fashion show, “All That’z Jazz,” at 11:30 a.m., Tuesday, March 4, at the Temple, 1751 N. Rio Mayo. Six Sisterhood members will model many lovely outfits provided by Rose’s Fashions. The models are Eileen Rottell, Janis Ferraro, Fran Gordon, Yeta Weston, Sondra Bernard, and Ginger Linde. A delicious luncheon is being catered by Kristofer’s and includes a scrumptious dessert. During the program, live music will be played by the Arizona Jazz Quartet. A limited number of tickets are still available at the price of $22. For reservations or more information, call Judy at 625-5073. The Steering Committee of the Green Valley Newcomers clubs is planning its annual spring luncheon, “A Taste of Arizona,” to be held Thursday, April 10, beginning with a silent auction at 10:30 a.m. followed by a gourmet lunch at noon, at the West Center, 1111 Via Arco Iris. The luncheon is $20 and open to all Green Valley Recreation Newcomers. This year it’s hosted by the nine “Year 26 Newcomers” clubs. Reservations can now be made by downloading the reservation form on http://members.cox.net/gvnewcomers/. Seating is limited, so reservations are on a first-come basis. Some of the Newcomers working on the event include: Vera Lopes, Jill Dryden (entertainment chair), Dee Craig (luncheon chair), Diane Willcutt (decorations co-chair), Anne Cummins and Betty Griffith (catering co-chairs), Anna Marie Vinci and Marcia Lickei (raffle co-chairs), Bonnie MacLain, Carol Perry (luncheon co-vice chair), Kris Maher (secretary), Carol Cole (publicity co-chair), Mary Jane Nowak (reservations co-chair), Diana Mork (publicity co-chair), and Donna Denton (treasurer). The idea of Newcomers Groups is such a wonderful concept that started right here in Green Valley by the late, but very dynamic Esther Beamer and her friend Jean Johnson in the early 1980s. Esther, who passed away in 2002, was a gifted and prolific author. She and her husband Elmer (also deceased) retired and moved to Green Valley in 1981, where they both became community movers and shakers. At that time, Esther, a newcomer herself, recognized the benefit for other newcomers to quickly meet others in the community and, with a simple notice in the paper, brought Newcomers I in to being back in 1981. The tradition goes on. rford@gvnews.com | 547-9740
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