I guess I am. I’ve always been willing to experiment and challenge common knowledge. This hasn’t always been a wise thing to do.
For instance, not long after we moved into our first house, it seemed strange to me that I could put all manner of vegetable parts down the garbage disposal, so why not corn husks? My recently-retired dad did not appreciate my curiosity when he spent an entire afternoon getting husks out of our plumbing.
More recently, I realized sticking a fork in potatoes before they bake can cause dark marks inside the potato. Did I really need to stick them with a fork? The answer is yes. Don’t ever forget to take this vital step. I was perplexed when there was a loud thud and couldn’t figure out what it was until I opened the oven door to find exploded potato guts clinging to the entire interior.
Not all my experiments are failures. I read years ago that putting a minor burn in flour for ten minutes not only prevents blisters but also prevents redness. I have tried this many times to find it works. I had more of a challenge recently when I accidentally poured boiling water down my fingers and into the palm of my right hand. I didn’t think flour would do much to help, but I tried it anyway and it worked! Not one blister and only one tiny red spot resulted. But people look at me like I’m crazy when I claim flour is the cure for minor and maybe not-so-minor burns. Try it next time and you’ll see.
And how, exactly, did I burn my hand? Because I tried another experiment. I painted and antiqued an old spoon holder of my mom’s and have been collecting tea spoons to display. These were mostly in poor condition. Then I inherited a lovely but badly tarnished small teapot from friends who are leaving California. I checked Pinterest for easy ways to clean silver. Truly, Pinterest is a great source of experimental ideas. The method I settled on was placing a wadded-up piece of aluminum foil in a pot of water before bringing it to a boil. I added about a tablespoon of baking soda and dropped the silver pieces in.
After less than a minute, they came out incredibly shiny, even some spoons that were almost brown. You can see the results here.
It’s a bit difficult to photograph silver, but I think you get the idea.
The spoons on the left were pretty pristine except for the bottom of the handles. But pretty amazing, huh? Just a bit of gentle polishing after the bath removed even more tarnish. Was it worth getting burned? Probably not, but I’d try it again.
I’ve been on a tear, completing projects I’ve planned for years.
I painted and distressed the outside of this desk probably 30 years ago, always intending to beautify the interior. I believe I succeeded.
This was the dreary interior.
And this is the glorious result! Would I do some things differently if I started over? Definitely. But I’m pleased with the result and it puts a smile on my face every time I open the desk.
Next project? Probably gardening and sewing after we finish binge-watching Downton Abbey in preparation for the new movie—the first movie we’ll see since Covid. I can hardly wait!
Happy experimenting!
