A View of the Valley

by Linda Schwanke I don’t know who needs to hear this but you can get food coloring out of clothing by running cold water on the area right away, then soaking it in dish soap and white vinegar. For a day or two. Maybe longer. It depends on the dedication of the person who is grinding food coloring into her clothing. Or him. I’m not a misogynous. Son Bill got as much food coloring on his clothes as daughter Gwen did when they were little. But I never had the, um, issues with food coloring that I’m having with granddaughter Mildred. Perhaps I was better at remembering to put aprons on my kids than I am/ we are with Mildred. Perhaps because when Gwen and I are in the kitchen doing the holiday baking with Mildred and talking a mile a minute we forget to get an apron on her. (While Mildred’s laundry is not normally in my wheelhouse, I take responsibility for stains when it’s my idea to play “fun in the kitchen”.) Perhaps, as I grow older, things like aprons seem less important to me than they once were. Really, probably, I wasn’t as good at removing the stains my kids created because I didn’t have the internet to help me remove them so I was good at remembering to get aprons on. As holiday traditions go, food coloring stains are hardly the worst. They mean that we are busy baking and frosting and creating memories. I have chapped lips and broke a nail, also traditions at the holidays. It’s not a big deal and a reminder that the air has dried out and it’s time to moisturize.  My family had a nice, but quiet, Thanksgiving. Reports I’ve had from friends and family sound like it was nice all around in spite of cloudy skies. One of the best of holiday traditions is to begin the season with a nice Thanksgiving. Late last Wednesday, we decided on pumpkin cheesecake for dessert. Gwen got up at the crack of dawn, which really isn’t all that early this time of year, to get it in the oven. As luck, or following the something-always-goes-wrong tradition, would have it she couldn’t find the springform pans. I looked and looked in the cupboards I know they were in but no luck. (We’ve rearranged the cupboards so many times in the last couple years, they could be anywhere. Just ask Jim – he can never find anything these days :) But this turned out to only be a problem looking for a solution. Which happened to be a good one. I dug out the deep dish pie plates and Gwen made the cheesecake in them. It meant that there was a lot more graham cracker crust so it was a delicious win which will hopefully become a new tradition.  We haven’t put up our Christmas decorations yet. I like to wait until my mom’s birthday, also St. Nick’s Day on December 6, for that tradition. I got a reminder about fire safety just in time to share with you as we swing into this joyous season:  Make sure your tree remains hydrated while in your home. Cut about two inches off the trunk and keep the tree stand filled with water. When you’re setting up the tree, keep it away from fireplaces and radiators. Place the tree out of the way of traffic and don’t block doorways so your tree doesn’t get knocked over or prevent a safe exit in case of a fire emergency. The National Fire Protection Association states that while Christmas tree fires are not common, 2020 estimates show that nearly one-third of Christmas tree fires occur in January as trees dry out. If you choose to use an artificial tree, make sure it’s flame retardant. If it has a built-in light system, make sure it has the safety standard UL label. Don’t overload electrical outlets. Use only three sets of lights or less per extension cord. Check the lights to make sure none of the cords are frayed, and it is a good idea to unplug any lighted decorations when you leave your home or before going to bed. When you’re hanging outdoor Christmas lights, use a ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) outlet. Just like indoors, turn off and unplug decorations before going to sleep or leaving your house. According to the National Fire Protection Association, candle fires peak in December, with three times as many candle fires than the daily average occurring on Christmas than any other time of year. Assign someone in your family to check that all candles have been extinguished after guests leave the house or before you go to sleep. Keep anything that’s flammable away from candles. Keep flammable objects away from heat sources. If you plan on using your fireplace, clean out the chimney beforehand and never leave a fire unattended. Don’t leave the kitchen when you have food cooking on the stovetop. It’s also important to keep anything that can catch fire — such as oven mitts, plastic bags, or towels — away from the stove, and be sure that children and pets stay clear of the stove while food is cooking to avoid any spills that could result in a fire.  Test your smoke alarms. You should have a smoke alarm near your kitchen, near sleeping areas and on every level of your home.  Develop and practice an evacuation plan with the whole family to follow throughout the year. Plan two exit routes for each room and practice your plan at night and during the day. Is it a good idea to have fire extinguishers in the kitchen and near the bedrooms of your home. Choose the largest size you can comfortably handle and be sure you know how to use the extinguisher beforehand in case a fire breaks out. Embrace holiday traditions this Christmas season. Create new ones as you go. And stay safe. A couple weeks ago, I listed the names of local election workers following Governor Tony Evers proclamation recognizing November 1, 2021, as Election Hero Day to celebrate the work our election officials. Town of Clyde officials weren’t listed but I heard back Town of Clyde clerk Deanna Brennum over the weekend and here are their names: Robert Dries, Emily Landmann, Debra Klebesadel, Arthur Temby, Sally Leong, Catherine Price, Regina Fisher, Susan Gereau, Tom Spicer, Paul Cummings, Barbara Manion-Platt, Rebecca Sadler, Maureen Gilbertson, Judy Temby and clerk Deanna L. Brennum. Thank you, one and all, for your hard work making our elections accurate and safe.  Stay in touch. My phone number is (608) 574-3159 – call or text me anytime. You can also email me at homenewseditor@newspubinc.com or write to me at the Home News, P.O. Box 39, Spring Green WI 53588. I don’t know if our deadlines will be different this year because of Christmas and New Year’s since they fall on Saturdays this year. I’ll let you know when I find out.