Carthage Christmas Open House

Prize Winners Announced.

Prize winners in the Carthage Christmas Open House were announced by the Chamber of Commerce. Fourteen Carthage merchants sponsored the contest as residents and visitors alike shopped from one retail business to another throughout the two-day event held November 12-13.

Carthage Chamber Retail Committee Chair Amy Campbell announced prize winners and thanked the businesses for sponsoring the event to kick off the Christmas season.

Grand Prize … Bill Keith of Collinsville, IL 2nd Place … Velma Donnell of Carthage, MO 3rd Place ... Lisa Clark of Webb City, MO 4th Place … Charlotte Pickering of Sarcoxie, MO

Other winners include: Judy Keith of Collinsville, IL, Bill and Lana Proemsey of St. Louis, and Barbara Sanders, Bess P. Wilkes, Amy Scott, Donnie Ray Campbell, Becky Wagner, Kelsey Scott, Miranda Browning and Tommy Pugh of Carthage.

I’ve never been superstitious, but I’ve come to believe that folks are affected by a full moon. I’ve heard studies have been conducted that show crime and emergency room visits increase when the moon is in full bloom.

After seein’ the moon Thursday evenin’ I shoulda been prepared. Friday evenin’ I was in a group a people that shoulda all stayed home, includin’ myself.

Nothin’ extraordinary really happened, just wasn’t the typical fun lovin’ group a folks. A lot a little things that didn’t amount ta much ‘cept it pretty well made the evenin’ a loss. I blame it on the moon.

I haven’t checked the police records for last weekend, but I’d bet there was a little spike in activity.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

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Weekly Columns

HERE’S A TIP

By JoAnn Derson

• Here’s a great bit of advice given to a friend who recently gave birth to a darling baby boy: When you receive some of the more-complicated items from your gift registry, try them out right away. Before the baby comes, that is. You’ll have little time to set them up and learn how to work them with a newborn to care for.

• Line a measuring cup with a plastic sandwich bag or plastic wrap to keep it clean between uses if you know you will be using it for multiple ingredients.

• "I go through a lot of papers. Sometimes, instead of using one of those rubber fingers (and definitely instead of licking my finger), I twist a wide rubber band loosely but securely around the tip of my index finger. It really works." -- R.F. in Massachusetts

• "Clean a buildup of starch on your iron by wiping it down with a solution of diluted vinegar -- one part vinegar to three parts water. If you have a curling iron or flat iron for your hair, you can get rid of hairspray gunk the same way, just dampen a cloth with the mixture and wipe the iron clean." -- F.P. in Pennsylvania

• Filling up unused space in your deep freeze helps it to work more efficiently. An easy way to do this (and to prepare for holiday parties) is to bag ice from your regular freezer and use the bags to fill any empty areas in your deep freeze. You’ll always have a steady supply of ice, and it can be dumped out if you need the space.

• Looking for an excellent prewash for ring around the collar? Look no further than your shower. Rub a small amount of shampoo in the stains and let sit for 5 minutes, then launder as usual.