Family
The Indiana Gazette
WEDDINGS
EVERYDAY CHEAPSKATE Taking care of hardwood floors can be challenging given the everyday conditions of a family and pets. But keeping your home looking crisp is crucial to maintaining your home’s value and what is likely your biggest investment. Generally there are two types of residential wood flooring: real wood and laminates that are man-made to look like wood. Don’t know what you have exactly? No worries. When it comes to cleaning wood floors (real or fake) the only thing you Email need to figure questions or out is whether or tips to not your floors mary@every have a finish. You daycheap don’t really need skate.com or to know the type Everyday of finish, just Cheapskate, that the floors 12340 Seal have been treatBeach Blvd., ed in some way Suite B-416, to make them reSeal Beach, CA sistant to stand90740. ing water, which is the enemy of all wood and wood-like floors. To find out if your flooring is finished, drop a single drop of water on the floor. If it beads and just sits there, the flooring has been finished; if the drop of water soaks in and disappears leaving a dark spot, the wood it not finished. If your flooring does not have a finish you can stop reading now. What follows is for finished real wood and laminate flooring only. When it comes to wood and laminate cleaners, you can spend a fortune on commercial products like Bona and Black Diamond — or you can make your own for pennies. When it comes to cleaning floors, you need to have the commitment of a physician: first, do no harm. The trick is making a product that will clean well without harming the finish. NO VINEGAR: White vinegar is a fabulous cleaning product. But it is highly acidic, and over time it will attack the finish on your wood or laminate floors by dulling the finish. It can also soften the finish, making it feel gummy or sticky. So let’s just agree that when it comes to cleaning wood or laminate floors, no vinegar. YES ALCOHOL: Alcohol is a fantastic cleaning product — rubbing alcohol, denatured alcohol, even gin or vodka. Alcohol is also a disinfectant, as you know from visiting a doctor’s office or hospital. The odor of rubbing alcohol is unmistakable. The great thing about alcohol is that like water, is has a nearly neutral pH — neither acidic nor alkaline. This makes alcohol the perfect ingredient in your homemade cleaner to both to protect and preserve beautifully finished wood and laminate floors. THE RECIPE: One part rubbing alcohol (or your alcohol of choice) to four parts distilled water plus ½ teaspoon blue Dawn dishwashing liquid. You want to use distilled water (available in any supermarket) to eliminate streaking, hard watermarks and mineral buildup. The very small amount of Dawn will break the surface tension of the water, making the cleaner much more effective — but not require rinsing. Mix this up in a spray bottle each time you clean the floors. Or if you make it up ahead, be sure to label it well and keep it out of the reach of children. APPLICATOR: Spray, scrub and immediately wipe the area dry with a microfiber cloth. Do not soak a large area and allow it to just sit there. The secret is to spray, clean and wipe dry. I highly recommend a hardwood floor spray mop for both wood and laminate floors: it has a removable bottle that lets you make your own cleaner and a large surface mop with even bigger detachable microfiber cleaning pad that swivels for really easy handling. MAINTENANCE: At least twice a week you need to vacuum or sweep your wood or laminate floors to remove the real enemies here: dirt, sand, grit, pebbles and grime. It comes in on your shoes and gets ground into the finish and surface of your beautiful floors every time you and the kids walk on them. Make sure the vacuum you use has a hard floor attachment (not just a setting for hard floors) or you might as well not even bother. You can be sure my Shark Navigator Pro vacuum (www.everydaycheapskate. com/sharkvacuum) has that attachment plus a washable microfiber pad that acts like a dirt and dust magnet. Every two weeks, clean and scrub the floors with your homemade cleaner and a good mop that cleans and wipes the floor nearly dry in a single effort.
Monday, November 9, 2015 — Page 5
ENGAGEMENT
MARY HUNT
WHITNEY STIFFLER and SHAWN BOWERS
SMALLEY — MATHE
SILVIS — LIPPERT
Janelle Leigh Smalley and Kevin Joseph Mathe were united in marriage on Aug. 22, 2015, with the Rev. Tedd Cogar officiating. Both the wedding and reception were held at Glades Pike Winery in Somerset. The bride is the daughter of Brad and Colleen Smalley, of Greensburg. The groom is the son of Joe Mathe and Karen Mathe, of Indiana. Myrissa Nichols, of Williamsburg, Va., sister of the bride, served as matron of honor. The bridesmaids were Alexis McCain, of Westampton, N.J., and Nancy Rohrbaugh, of Dillsburg, cousins of the bride. The flower girl was Jocelyn Crunkilton, of Williamsburg, Va. Mark Mathe, of Indiana, brother of the groom, served as best man. The groomsmen were Steven Stitt, of Indiana, and Shane Stitt, of Freeland, Mich., cousins of the groom. The ring bearers were Ethan McCain, of Westampton, N.J., and James Rohrbaugh, of Dillsburg, cousins of the bride. The bride is a 2009 graduate of Hempfield Area High School and a 2012 graduate of Indiana University of Pennsylvania, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology. Janelle is currently enrolled in the University of Pittsburgh’s Master of Social Work program. The groom is a 2008 graduate of Indiana Area Senior High School and a 2011 graduate of IUP with a Bachelor of Science degree in marketing. Kevin is employed by the Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh. Following a honeymoon in Nova Scotia, the couple is residing in Youngwood.
Carrie Elizabeth Silvis, of Indiana, and Brandon Lee Lippert, of Rochester Mills, were united in marriage on Aug. 15, 2015, in Indiana at the Brewer barn with Pastor Jude Urso. The bride is the daughter of Kathy Deabenderfer, of Indiana, and the late Richard Silvis. The groom is the son of Rick and Rita Lippert, of Marion Center. The bride wore a satin soft white wedding gown with beaded patterns. She also wore a veil. She carried a mixture of white roses and white hydrangeas with a photo charm in memory of her father. The matron of honor was Tristan Brewer, sister of the bride, of Indiana. Bridesmaids were Laura Burns, sister of the groom, Creekside; Lindsey Sawyer, Rochester Mills; and Courtney Atwood, Kittanning. The best man was Brian Burns, brother-in-law of the groom, of Creekside. Groomsmen were Levi Brewer, brother-in-law of the bride, Indiana; Ryen Sawyer, Rochester Mills; and Johnny Loughry, Clymer. Junior bridesmaids were Chloe Brewer, niece of the bride, Indiana; and Adelyn, niece of the groom, of Creekside. The junior groomsman was Clayton Burns, Creekside. The flower girl was Riley Brewer, of Indiana, niece of the bride. The ring bearer was Lawson Burns, nephew of the groom, of Creekside. The bride is a 2010 graduate of Indiana Area High School and a 2012 graduate of ICTC Medical Assistant program. She is employed at UPMC Cancer Center in Indiana. The groom is a 2004 graduate of Marion Center Area High School and is employed at ACME, Punxsutawney, as a CNC programmer. The reception was held at St. John’s Hall in Clymer. A honeymoon is scheduled for February.
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IN REMEMBRANCE
Len and Becky Stiffler, of Clarksburg, have announced the engagement of their daughter, Whitney Rae Stiffler, to Shawn Lee Bowers, son of Don Bowers, of Robinson, and Randy and Sheary Snyder, of Armagh. Whitney is a 2007 graduate of Saltsburg High School. She then went on to obtain a bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown in 2011, and a Doctorate of Pharmacy degree from Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine in 2014. Whitney is currently employed as a pharmacist for Walmart. Shawn is a 2007 graduate of United High School. He is currently employed as a department manager for Lowe’s. The couple got engaged on Sept. 10, 2014, while vacationing in the Outer Banks, North Carolina. A wedding is set for Aug. 27, 2016, at La Ferme Rouge in Patton.
If you see these people today, be sure to wish them a happy birthday: • Anthoney Filler, Indiana • Pam Ickes, Champion • Helen Mitchell, Brush Valley • Ron Shirley, Creekside • Christine Thomas, Clarksburg The Gazette would like to wish you a “Happy Birthday!” To have a name added to the list, call (724) 465-5555, ext. 265. If you leave a message, be sure to spell out the first and last name of the person celebrating their special day and remember to tell us the day and the town where they live. Messages left with incomplete information will not be run on the list.
SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
Submitted photo
VNA FAMILY Hospice held its annual Hospice Memorial Service on Nov. 1 at the Saving Grace Church on Hospital Road. The service consisted of special readings, music, reading of the names of those remembered and lighting of candles. Shown in the photo are, first row, from left, Kimberly Ondrizek, director of hospice and palliative care; hospice volunteers Jane Pedersen, Jeanne James, Judi Zelensky, Jane Armbrust and Shirley Nealer; and Anthony Frazier, who wrote and performed a special song for the service. Second row, from left, is hospice volunteer Ray Goss; chaplain Tom Spiker; and hospice volunteers Janice Starry, Kathy Jones and Cleo Free.
• Submissions may be mailed to The Indiana Gazette, 899 Water St., Indiana, PA 15701; faxed to (724) 465-8267; or emailed to fami ly@indianagazette.net. For more information, call (724) 465-5555, ext. 265, or visit http://bit.ly/IGsubmis sionguidelines • All submissions must be typed and must include a daytime phone number. The Gazette will not accept handwritten submissions.
HUMAN SERVICES CALENDAR FAMILY SUPPORT • TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) meets weekly at various locations: 5:15 p.m. Thursdays at Clymer Methodist Church, Fifth and Hancock streets, Clymer; 5 p.m. Mondays at Grace in Ministries Building, 728 Church St., Indiana; and 9 a.m. Tuesdays at Purchase Line Methodist Church. For more information, call (724) 465-6389 or visit www.tops.org.
GRIEF SUPPORT • Adult Grief Support is offered in six-week sessions. Dates and locations vary. For more information, call Excela Health Call Center at (877) 771-1234. • Bowser-Minich Bereavement Support Services offers lectures and grief seminars to public groups upon request. Call (724) 349-3100 or (888) 923-5550. • C. Frederick Bowser Funeral Home, Homer City, offers support services through an interactive website for bereavement and grief
support literature at www.bowser fh.com. • Curran Funeral Home Grief Support Group, 701 Salt St., Saltsburg. Call (724) 639-3911 for dates, times and location. • Graystone Church GriefShare is a 13-week seminar and support group for people who are grieving the death of someone close to them. Sessions are offered in the spring and the fall. Registration is not necessary and participants may join at any time in the series. Call (724) 349-5556 for the next session. • GRASP (Grief Recovery After a Substance Passing) helps families and individuals who are grieving due to a substance misuse death and provides support via phone and private meeting. For more information, call (724) 762-3344, email atskelly17839@gmail.com or visit www.grasphelp.org. • John A. Lefdahl Funeral Home, White Township, offers a bereavement support group open to the public. Call (724) 463-4499.
• Hopeful Hearts, a service of the VNA of Indiana County, is a childfocused family bereavement support center that provides peer support at no cost for all family members when someone close to the family has died. Families meet biweekly in a safe, caring and confidential environment. For more information about this program or volunteer opportunities, call (724) 349-3888 or (877) 349-3888. • Pregnancy Loss Support Group provides support for families who are grieving the loss of their baby through miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy, stillbirth or newborn death. Call (877) 771-1234. • Rairigh-Bence Caring and Sharing Grief Support Group offers a support group, in addition to a bereavement lending library with booklets, videos, etc. For time and date, call (724) 349-2000. • Richard Shoemaker Funeral Home Support Group, Blairsville, offers information and support by phone. Call (724) 459-9115.
• Resolve Through Sharing Bereavement Services are offered at Indiana Regional Medical Center, Obstetric Unit, for those suffering a neo-natal loss, miscarriage or tubal pregnancy. Trained counselors provide counseling and support and are available for private consultations by appointment. For more information, call (724) 357-7060. • SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) Support meets from 7 to 9 p.m. the first Tuesday of the month at Riverfront Place, 810 River Ave., Suite 160, Pittsburgh. Private meetings are also available by calling (412) 322-5680, ext. 4, or visiting skelly17839@gmail.com. For more information, visit www.grasphelp.org. • VNA Grief Support is open to all of those coping with grief and loss. The group meets at 2:30 p.m. the third Tuesday of the month at VNA, 850 Hospital Road, White Township. For more information, contact the Rev. Spiker at (724) 463-6340.