Posts about Local History and Culture

A Comedy Tonight Comedy Classics

Its been a long week, its Friday night and you have the evening free. What better to do than pop some popcorn, open a bottle of your favorite brew, and settle in to watch a comedy. The most difficult thing about the whole venture is choosing what to watch. Never out of style, and appealing to the funny bone in all of us, comedy classics are sure to please. So throw on your jammies, relax in your apartment, and get prepared to laugh away the evening. To help you out, we have compiled a list of classic comedies to work your way through. A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum Get ready for a throwback to the psychedelic sixties, via ancient Rome, in this classic comedy. An all-star cast, including the talents of Zero Mostel, and Phil Silvers shows us what happens when a hapless slave must unite his twitter-pated young master with a virgin courtesan before his mistress gets home. McClintock! A western comedy, McClintock! will have you laughing out loud. Watch the sparks fly as McClintock (John Wayne) and his estranged wife, (Maureen OHara) engage in a battle of wills, only coming to a temporary, short-lived truce for their daughters homecoming. Throw in the conflict between the settlers, the Indians, and the townfolk, and you have a recipe for mischief. Definitely and 1960s piece, McClintock! is never-the-less a lot of fun, indeed. Its a Mad, Mad, Mad World What do you get when you throw a dozen of Hollywoods leading comics together? What producer/director claimed would be the comedy that would end all comedies. And, his comedy certainly has endured. Released in 1963, this comedic race to find the fortune buried under the big W will have you giggling, turn-by-comedic turn. And for some of todays best comedies, check out this list . And next time, schedule the big screen in the clubhouse and invite our friends. Drop a line in comments and tell us what your favorite classic comedy is today.

Using the Fitness Center at Your Community

When was the last time you used the on-site fitness center at your community? If you are a regular user, kudos to you. If its been awhile, you may want to start using this great amenity. Granted, sometimes it is difficult to get motivated to start, or to keep going day after day, week after week, month after month. But, the payoff of looking and feeling better is worth the effort it takes. Here are some tips for getting the most out of the gymn: Tip #1 Set a regular time for exercise. Try several different time frames to figure out which one works best for you; then make a commitment to do it according to your schedule, and do your best to be consistent (and if you miss, just start again the next time). And if youve ever tried the form a habit in 21 days, you will want to read this article about how habits are actually formed. Tip #2 Create a routine that challenges you, but isnt too difficult. And it might be a good idea to check with your doctor before starting an exercise program. This article at WebMD provides a good overview of appropriate questions to ask. Tip #3 Track your progress so you can see how often you are exercising, and the results of your hard work. Whether you use a Fitbit, or simply jot down every time you exercise in a notebook, simply keeping track can help you to maintain regular exercise. Tip #4 Set up a support group and/or find a buddy to exercise with. Someone, being accountable to someone else for showing up to exercise can be the perfect motivator. Reporting to a group can give us a place to share our exercise triumphs and tragedies. Find your own cheering team. Tip #5 Take the time to learn how all of the machines work. Using the exercise machines properly can make a huge difference in how effective the exercise you do actually is. After your workout, you will be ready to hit the pool and relax! Please share a comment about how starting a fitness program has impacted your life.

A Place for Everything and Everything in Its Place

Storage. No matter how much storage we have in our homes, we manage to fill it up. And then what? How about some tips for creating/maximizing your storage space. First, purge. Simply getting rid of extra things that you dont really need cuts down on the clutter. Consider donating your gently used clothing and household items to a womens shelter, a Goodwill, or a halfway house. Knowing that something that was just taking up space has found a new home and is being used, creates warm fuzzies inside. Do you actually need to keep every single paper that comes home from school? Or notebooks from college? Or ten-year old business reports? But what if you may actually need it, or what if you really love it? Take a picture that way you can keep the memory intact, without having to keep the stuff. After purging, look for furniture that can double as storage. For example,put your bed on risers, and then use the space underneath to store items that are rarely used, decorations come to mind. What about seating that doubles as a storage chest? Or use a loft bed, which leaves room underneath for a desk, toy box, or cubed storage. Go vertical. The back of the door is a great place to gain some storage. A shoe organizer can do duty as a holder for office supplies, or in the kitchen it can hold all of the random little things that currently clutter the drawers. Bookshelves and baskets are a pleasing combination that can keep game controllers out of the way, and off the floor, provide a place for random DVDs, and keep the books you are currently reading handy. If you have a balcony, outfit it with weatherproof boxes for additional storage. Or hang your kite collection on the wall there, adding a decorative touch. Is your closet overflowing? Rotate your clothes on a seasonal basis. Put the off season in totes (perhaps they can go under the bed) and keep what you are currently wearing on the shelves and hanging up. As you sort at the end of each season, cull old and worn out items before you put away them away in storage. At the end of the day (or week, or month) after you have created a place for everything, and everything is in its place, admiring your clutter free spaces will bring a smile of satisfaction to your lips. Please feel free to share your storage tips in the comments.

A Book Club in the Clubhouse

Do you remember the kid at school who always had his nose in a book, or were you the girl who was a voracious reader? Chances are, shes still reading; and if you like to read too, you can bet that there are plenty of other people in your community who like to read. One of the perks of living here is the use of the clubhouse, and what better place to get together for a lively discussion about books? Todays blog is about how to go about organizing a book club. One of the marvelous things about book clubs is that they are so flexible. Essentially, two ingredients are necessary for a book club, books and readers (and throwing in some good food is always a plus). Generally speaking, a book is chosen,read, and then the members of the club get together and discuss their opinions, thoughts, and observations about the book. Book clubs can be formal or informal, focus on a specific genre or explore multiple genres. One person can decide the titles or it can be a democracy where everyone gets a voice. Books can be planned for the year, or month-to-month, or in some book groups, the person who brings the food that month chooses the book too. The gathering can be held the same time every month, i.e. every third Wednesday or on a rotating schedule. Flexibility, thats the name of the game. So, to get started, first, decide the type of club, formal or informal, the genre/s, when to meet, and who to invite. Second: Decide on your first book. (It might be a good idea to start with a book youve already read for the first one.) A book that is not too long and is a fairly easy read (and falls within your genre guidelines) is a good first choice. Here are a couple of websites that have lists of books that are currently popular with book clubs: LitLovers About.com Resources for Book Clubs, Classes & Reading Research Third: Choose a date and schedule the clubhouse. Remember, its not set in stone, after your first meeting, you can change the schedule to meet the needs of the members. Fourth: Advertise - use your community bulletin board (electronic and physical), have the office put it on the scheduled events, word of mouth, to get the word out. Create a FaceBook Group to facilitate communication for the ongoing club. Many books have book club Study Guides, that have thought provoking questions to stimulate discussion, these can be accessed online, and are sometimes in the book itself. And many libraries have book group loan kits where multiple copies of popular books can be checked out. Libraries also often have books available to lend electronically; this is a great option for people who use Kindle, Nook, or other reading apps. (Check in advance to see if the book you are considering is available electronically for loan.) And there is always the method of passing a book around if only a few copies are available. Books groups tend to work best when the numbers average about a dozen. Enough people that you get a consistent turnout, but not too many, so everyone has an opportunity to share their thoughts. So if several differently focused book groups are available, the more to choose from. And there you have it. A fun, friendly way to use the clubhouse in your community and an opportunity to read a book genre you may not have tried before. Leave a comment today and share your favorite book with us.

Getting the Most Out of the Playground

One of the best place for kids to enjoy is the playground; knowing something about Playground Etiquette will help create better community relations for everyone. Tip # 1 Keep an Eye On Your Children Its something that should go without saying, but we all know that one parent or caregiver, the one who reaches the playground with the kids, and immediately sits down on the bench and proceeds to be glued to her/her phone, oblivious to the kids who are monopolizing the swings. Please, be aware and keep track of what your kids are doing. Kids, especially young ones, need constant supervision. Take time to join them in their play. Tip #2 Let Everybody Have a Turn We know little Johnnie loves to swing. But if a line is forming, waiting for a chance to use the swings, too, thats a good indication that you need to finish soon. Give your child a couple of minutes warning that you are going to play on something else soon, and use the situation as an opportunity to teach the child about sharing. Tip #3 Clean Up after Yourself Its happened to everyone who uses playgrounds, coming across that sticky spot, stepping on a piece of chewed gum, or trying to find a picnic table to sit at that doesnt have bits of trash from a meal still there. Simply taking the time to throw trash in the can, and wipe up sticky spills (or report larger ones to maintenance) will make the playground more pleasant for everyone. Tip #4 Be Prepared Making & taking a playground pack, including tissues, wet-wipes, band-aids, sunscreen, insect repellent, and a plastic bag can help you avoid the little emergencies that can happen at the playground. Scraped knee? A quick wipe down, a bandaid, and a kiss, will get a kid back to the slide in no-time. And if you have sunscreen and/or insect repellent, you wont have to cut your visit short. Tip #5 Be Courteous When you are asking another parent or a child for cooperation, you DONT want to get involved in a screaming match. So, rather than telling another parent to make their annoying child stop his annoying behavior, gently suggest to the child, an appropriate behavior he can do. For example, My daughter would like to use the slide, too, and if you dont move, you may get hurt when she slides down. Rather than Get off the slide, now! The old saying, you get more friends with honey than vinegar applies to this situation. Playgrounds are awesome places to get outside, let kids get some exercise, and to socialize and get to know your neighbors.

Dos and Donts of Cleaning Stainless Steel

Your stainless steel appliances give your home a sleek and polished appearance, especially when theyre sparkling clean! However, smudges and fingerprints often accumulate quickly, taking away some of the sophistication you expect from this beautiful finish. There are plenty of people with all sorts of solutions for your stainless steel sadness, but weve noticed that quite a few of these miracle cleaners dont quite do what they say they will. We have for you what NOT to do when cleaning your appliances, and a few tips on what is safe. DONT 1. Do NOT use anything abrasive, such as steel wool or scrubber sponges. These may scratch the finish. 2. Never rub the steel in a circular motion or against the grain. Always clean stainless steel with the grain. 3. Never use chlorine bleach on stainless steel. It ruins the finish and can corrode the steel. 4. Do not allow residue (cleaning products or otherwise) to sit on the surface of your appliances. Grime, dirt, and cleaning products should be removed as soon as possible. 5. Do not use furniture polish. Any drips on the fridge will be seen and the appliance will have to be coated with the polish again. 6. Avoid baby oil. While it may create a sleek shine, is also susceptible to drips from other liquids. 7. Think twice before using olive oil. It may give your appliances a temporary shine, but it can quickly turn to a greasy residue with just as many fingerprints as before. DO 1. Buy a microfiber cloth. It is gentle enough to avoid ruining the finish, but will also effectively banish streaks and smudges! 2. Use cleaning vinegar. Common vinegar works as well, but takes more elbow grease to remove stains. Cleaning vinegar can be found in many major stores and wont damage your stainless steel. 3. Buy a trusted brand of stainless steel cleaner. There are several brands of cleaning products made specifically for stainless steel, and often its best to go with the professionals! We think this list is pretty comprehensive, but would you add anything else?