Out and About – Week of March 27th

Spring officially arrived a week ago yesterday, March 20. When it will feel like spring, remains to be seen. One day we are able to wear lighter clothing, then the next day we find ourselves scraping the frost off our car windows. I guess Mother Nature is having difficulty making up her mind, so we’ll just have to wait until the dust settles. After all, this is March, which is usually the month when we make the transition from winter into spring. Another one of the benefits of living in Pure Michigan.
As I’ve mentioned before, I’m not much of a reader. If I read anything, it’s usually a biography of some sort. Currently, I’m reading “Schulz and Peanuts” by David Michaelis. I’ve always been a fan of the Peanuts gang, and in reading this biography, I’m finding out quite a bit about Charlie Brown and how he came to be.
Charles Schulz was a quiet and private person, and because of that, he kept his beliefs to himself. I have my opinions and feelings about politics and religion, but I try not to share them in this column. It’s nobody’s business anyway, and hopefully no one cares what my beliefs are. Anyway, I’d like to share a few things that Charles Schulz felt strongly about.
Charles was a religious person and at one time was very active in his church. After he ceased attending church regularly, someone asked him why he had stopped going. He replied, “I don’t know where to go. Besides, I don’t think God wants to be worshipped. I think the only pure worship of God is by loving one another, and I think all other forms of worship become a substitute for the love that we should show one another.” He went on to say, “Many people attend church on Sunday with the same feeling that they attend a theater. They just sit there and enjoy what is going on…” Even the sacraments were misrepressented: “You cannot ‘take’ communion. You are a part of the Communion.’” I’m not saying that I agree with this, but it definitely makes me think about what he said. “Schulz and Peanuts”, by David Michaelis, gave me some insight into one of the greatest cartoonists that ever lived.
With the arrival of spring comes the need to give your car or truck some spring cleaning. Giving it a thorough washing and waxing would be a good start. Kudos to you if you had it washed throughout the winter whenever the weather cooperated. Road grime, debris and salt builds up as you travel the winter roads, and, if left unattended, the paint and finish on your vehicle will suffer. Don’t forget the interior of your vehicle. Regular vacuuming of your vehicle’s floor will add years to its appearance. Air freshener also makes your car or truck more appealing to others. Next to your house, your mode of transportation is probably your biggest investment.
While on the subject of car care, don’t forget those wiper blades. Our winter could have been worse, but our windshield wipers still got a workout. How many of you used them to remove the frost from your windshield, rather than getting out and scraping them off with a device made just for that? Anyway, with April comes spring showers, so you’ll need to make sure you have wiper blades that are in decent shape. The time to change them is when it’s not raining. Finally, make sure that your turn signal fluid reservoir is at least half full. The reservoir is usually located just below the hen way next to the car battery.
My buddy, Vic, likes that I share a few bits of Michigan trivia from time to time, so read on:
Michigan was the first state to provide in its Constitution for the establishment of public libraries and the first state to guarantee every child the right to a tax-paid high school education.
A “jiffy” is an actual unit of time for 1/100th of a second.
See you Out and About!

Submitted by Norm Stutesman