What's New This Week? We just closed a deal to start selling some of the finest hand made, hard maple kitchen utensils you've ever seen on our web site. This week we've been frantically putting together the web pages for these beautiful and functional utensils. Each piece is hand crafted from hard maple and finished to a beautiful luster with a special oil and beeswax. We'll be selling both the utensils and their special oil by next week. The oil is not only good for their wooden utensils but works great on butcher blocks, rolling pins and other wood kitchen tools that need protection from foods and washing. It's always fun to have things in the kitchen and on your table that look exceptionally nice and are very functional. The holidays are coming and Bob and Jean's hand crafted tools will make a perfect gift. Stay tuned for our grand opening next week. We may just have some RunnerDuck specials for our readers.

If you would like to discuss getting a web site up and running we would be willing to offer suggestions. Just drop us a line and we can talk.

     Have you seen the new $20 US bills? I haven't seen one in person yet but they look kind of neat on TV. Have you ever seen a $1 US bill that looks like this?

Corn Husk Flowers

     After we made the corn husk candy wraps last week we had some corn husks left over. So what's a person to do with left over corn husks? Make corn husk flowers of course. We think these turned out really great and hope you can make a bouquet also. This is a fun project to do with your kids. Be sure to supervise their use of scissors, wire cutters and steam iron.

Here's what you'll need:

A package of corn husks wrappers
Florist tape
A steam iron
Scissors
Wire Cutters
24 gage wire, for the stems
30 gage wire, for wrapping
Colored permanent markers

First we need to get the husks flattened out to work with. Dip them in warm water and then iron flat with a medium hot steam iron (steam off).
Cut the stamens (the centers of the flowers) 1" X 2". Cut the rectangle so that the grain of the husk runs the short way.
Cut a fine fringe, about a 3/4", along one 1" edge of the husk. Use the grain as your guide.
Color the fringe using a colored permanent marker.
Twist the fringe around a stem cut from the 24 gage wire. Secure it with a 12" long piece of 30 gage wire. Only take a few wraps with the wire you'll use the rest of it for the pedals.
Cut pedal shapes out of the husks with the grain running long ways. You'll need about 8 - 11 pieces. These can be just about any shape or size depending on how you want your flower to look. You can see two examples in the picture above.
Press the pedals using a steam iron (set to steam). While they are still warm and pliable (don't burn yourself) shape each pedal with your finger. You can easily put a gentle curve into each one.
Wrap each pedal onto the stem by at least one wrap. Keep repeating this until all the pedals are attached.
Wrap florist tape around the bottom of the pedals, hiding the wire, and all the way down the stem.
You can add some husk leaves using the same process as for the pedals.
To add variation you can use Indian corn husks which are reddish in color.

Now make up a bouquet and set them out for all to enjoy.

     We hope you enjoy Marilyn's Corner and look forward to all the fun things she brings you each week. If you have a fun project that would be suitable for our newsletter we'd love to share it with our readers. Just contact marilyn@runnerduck.com and we'll do the rest.

Remember we have all of our past projects archived on our web site at www.runnerduck.com. Just click on the Projects or Kids Only Eggs.

Halloween is coming fast but you still have time to get those costumes on order. Here are three great costumes for that special little crumb cruncher that will be out collecting treats this year. Just click on the pictures to check them out.

(CLICK on the Pictures)

The Tempos just received four new charts. It's always fun to get new music for the band. The only down side is the first time we play it the sight reading isn't always 100%. I guess that's why we practice every week. We should have these new songs ready to perform by our next gig. If you'd like to here these songs then click on the link below and check into hiring the band for your next event.

     The Tempos big swing band is available for hire. If you have a special event that could use the wonderful music of a classic sixteen piece big band be sure to contact thetempos@runnerduck.com. We perform all over the Seattle area for all sorts of events.

Album Pick of the Week

My good friend Gordy, one of The Tempos trumpet players, gave me a Spike Jones CD recently and I had forgotten how much fun these guys are. Although they haven't been around for a number of years their hysterical music lives on. If you haven't heard them in a while then you need to get this CD. If you've never heard them then you really need to get this CD. It's just one of those classics that everyone should have a copy of. Click on the album cover below for this CD and many more by Spike Jones.

(CLICK)

Remember, we have a link on our web site, www.runnerduck.com, to our ever popular Grammy® Shopper site. If you haven't been there yet just click HERE to see all the 2003 Grammy® winners complete with links to purchase any one of them.

   THIS WEEK'S FREE RECIPE

• 1 Package Yeast
• 1 Cup Warm Water
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 1 Tablespoon Sugar
• 3 Cups Cold Water
• 4 Cups Flour
• 3 Eggs, beaten
• 1 Cup Shortening, melted
• 1 Cup Sugar

Remember, if you have a recipe you'd like to share please send it to marilyn@runnerduck.com.

     Every month we post a new recipe on our web page. Be sure and check out the October recipe at the RunnerDuck Kitchen Store.
We'd be happy to post your favorite recipe there or in our newsletter and give you credit. Just drop a line to marilyn@runnerduck.com.

Be sure and visit the RunnerDuck Cookbook Store for other great savings on cookbooks and cooking supplies.

5 Drawer Tool Box

Circa 1940's

This is week four for this project and we're still moving slowly. Last week we cut all the dados and got everything ready to glue up. If you missed something along the way you can always go back and check the previous weeks newsletters by visiting www.runnerduck.com/rdnews.htm

The way the toolbox is designed it should be glued and clamped complete at one time.
The first thing you want to do is check and double check that everything fits perfect. Since this is made from Oak you don't want the joints too tight. You should not have to tap the joints together to make it fit. I spent quite a bit of time putting it together, taking it apart, trimming and putting it back together.
Once all the pieces fit the way you want them you're ready to glue.
I laid the back flat on the table and added the middle shelf, drawer support, bottom, sides, front and top, in that order.

Glue the joints on both sides and smooth out the glue with a gloved finger or roller before putting them together.
Once everything is together you can start clamping. Be sure to put pieces of wood under the clamp jaws to protect your project.
Run all the clamps up snug but not tight. After all the clamps are in place tighten them evenly and keep checking for gaps.

I did make one pretty good mistake that I should share with you. I clamped the middle of the front pretty good and after everything was dried and I removed the clamps I saw that the bottom was quite warped. Darn I hate it when that happens! Before you clamp down on the bottom cut a spacer to provide support. All you are really clamping with a middle front clamp is the top.
Let everything dry over night and you are ready to pull the clamps off and admire your accomplishment to date.

We hope you enjoy our projects. Remember, if you ever have any problems with our projects just drop us a line and we'll try to help. Since we build every one of these projects we have a pretty good idea of how to get through them. We also make lots of mistakes so we can help avoid them. If you have a project that you would like to share please send us an email and we'll help get it published in the RunnerDuck review. We are looking for woodworking, gardening, crafts and kids projects so send us your thoughts at projects@runnerduck.com .

      With Marilyn unemployed we were looking for ways to save money on our food bill. We read an article that compared lots of grocery stores and offered the best suggestion. Go to a warehouse store and buy in bulk. Break the bulk packages into smaller serving sizes and freeze or store them. Then find the cheapest store in your area for all the stuff you can't get at the warehouse store. The article actually suggested that you could save several hundred dollars a year using this method of shopping. I guess it's worth at try, we're off to Costco!

If you have a conservation tip please send it to conservation@runnerduck.com and we'll post it in our newsletter.

The RunnerDuck web site is hosted by

This was submitted by Ken's brother Ron, www.roadcow.com.

Proudly showing off his new apartment to a couple of his friends late one night, the drunk led the way to his bedroom where there was a big brass gong.

"What's that big brass gong?" one of the guests asked.

"It's not a gong. It's a talking clock," the drunk replied.

"A talking clock? Seriously?" asked his astonished friend.

"Yup," replied the drunk.

"How's it work?" the 2nd guest asked, squinting at it.

"Watch," the drunk replied. He picked up a hammer, gave it an ear- shattering pound and stepped back. The three stood looking at one another for a moment.

Suddenly, someone on the other side of the wall screamed: "Hey you big dummy.... it's ten past three in the morning!"

Thanks Bro.

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