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shippey Mishu-2007 016
Mishu - photo by Photo provided.
I have come to the conclusion no one over age 60 should ever attempt to move. I also think it is easier to move to another town than it is to move across town.  Having done both in my life, I can make a comparison.
I have missed writing in recent weeks, but it has taken every ounce of my being to make this move. To have to sort, dispose of, gather, pack, supervise, unpack and place in a new location the belongings accumulated in 34 years at one address is daunting. Thankfully, I had wonderful help and support. I am now settled in my new home, proudly showing if off to all those who happen by. All my things have a place, so I am ready and eager to write again.
I also have a new “baby” in my life; a 6-month-old apricot poodle. Her name is Mishu (pronounced me shoe) and she has taken over my heart, my conversation and, to a large extent, my life. I have never owned a dog by myself before. Other family members would always take over the care of the dogs I bought and brought home. This one is all mine and she sticks to me like glue. As I write this, she is sitting under my desk on one of my feet.  Wen I am cooking, she lies on the rug in front of the sink. I know she is hoping for a tidbit and most of the time she does not hope in vain. But this article is not about Mishu. We’ll save that for later.
After the unpacking, it was obvious all my silver needed polishing. It probably needed it for some time, but the dining room in my old home was dark and the tarnish didn’t show. It certainly shows now because of all the natural light coming into the dining area.
I didn’t have the time or the energy to spend hours polishing silver in the old fashioned way, so I experimented with a new method I had only tried on flatware. Believe me, this method can work on any silver, no matter how tarnished. Many of my pieces were bright and shiny with no rubbing needed at all. This is how it works:
Line the kitchen sink with heavy duty aluminum foil. Place the silver to be cleaned on the foil. Boil as much water as you can (making sure to put the stopper in the sink before you add the foil).  Pour the boiling water into the sink and add at least three heaping tablespoonfuls of baking soda. The soda and the foil form some sort of reaction and the tarnish is gone in a jiffy. I used long-handled tongs to carefully turn my larger pieces in the sink so all parts of the piece would come in contact with the foil. The results are truly amazing. When the piece is clean to your satisfaction, rinse it well with warm water and dry it thoroughly with a towel. This technique is cheap, easy and effective, with no harsh chemical smell.  
Try it yourself and let me know how it works for you. 
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