Use nine: Try softening brushes that are hardened with old, dried-in paint by boiling them in vinegar and let them stand for one hour. Then heat the vinegar and brushes come to a gentle boil. Simmer for 20 minutes. Rinse well, working the softened paint out of the bristles. For extremely heavy paint encrustations, you may need to repeat the process...or head to the hardware store.

Use ten: A little vinegar and salt added to the water you wash leafy green vegetables will float out bugs and kill germs.

Use eleven: Soak or simmer stuck-on food in 2 cups of water and 1/2 cup of vinegar. The food will soften and lift off in a few minutes.

Use twelve: Clean and freshen the garbage disposal by running a tray of ice cubes, with 1/2 cup of vinegar poured over them, through it once a week.

Use thirteen: In a pinch, you can use equal parts of lemon juice and vinegar to clean brass and copper. On difficult areas add a little salt to the mix for some abrasive action.

Thursday, August 4, 2011

139. The Nethercutt

We are blessed to have friends who like to jump right in and take little adventures, some local and some not so local.  Proctoring the Bar exam took up most of last week, but we managed to get reservations for a tour of the Nethercutt Museum on Friday at 10:00.  If you have never heard of the facility, you are not alone.  Our local adventure buddies, Polly and Phil, told us a few months ago that it was not to be missed.  Wow, were they ever right.  Which brings me to one more reason why we love California...doggone it...everything is close at hand.  We love the fact that just around the corner is something you haven't seen yet.  I guess that's true with everywhere, though.  One trip to the East coast, I told Bob, "If we don't quit stopping at the visitor information centers, we are never going to get out of Arizona, let alone get to the East coast!" 

I had no idea there was a "Dort" auto!

What an amazing and wonderful experience the day was.  They are located in Sylmar, California which is off the I-5 above Burbank.  That is about an hour from Alta Loma where we stay with Bruce and Dort for work. There are two facilities, actually, one that houses over 120 Antique, Vintage, and Classic automobiles displayed in a Grand Salon showroom circa turn of the last century together with the world's finest assemblage of mechanical musical instruments.
Imagine a showroom ceiling like this!


  The automobile museum is open Tuesday - Saturday and the tours through the musical collection is by tour reservation only Thursday - Saturday.  The admission to both is completely free. That also includes the 1912 Pullman Private Car once owned by Clara Baldwin Stocker daughter of "Lucky" Baldwin which was nothing to sneeze at.  What a way to travel!

All of the cars are restored per original factory specifications.  The original color combinations  were astounding.  Thanks to Ford and black and white movies one would assume that all early cars were black.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  What an amazing array of colors...from butternut to shades of lavender...a rainbow of colors and pen striping, some that looked like caning from chair seats.  We have been to many, many car shows and museums including Harrah's in Sparks, Nevada but this one wins the prize.

 
Doing her best to keep her skirt down!
 I almost forgot the fabulous and sometimes saucy hood ornaments.
This was one of my favorites.

All of this comes from the sale of Merle Norman Cosmetics.  That's right Mr. Norman's little Misses, Merle, started creating cosmetics in her kitchen and it took off like a rocket.  So, I would like to say a big "Thank you" to Mrs. Norman and her husband who didn't pooh pooh her and was smart enough to know a good thing when he saw it.
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