Dear Heloise: As far as hiding a spare house key, I use a double-layer system: My garage key is hidden on my back porch (disguised as a piece of caulk), and this key gets me into my garage, where my house key is hidden. It’s a fantastic system. I read your column daily in The Journal Gazette! — Richard K., Fort Wayne, Indiana Dear Heloise: Of course, homemade ice cream is the best and can be bought at some great ice-cream shops. But I grew up on mostly store-bought ice cream as a little kid. Unfortunately, as I grew older, specifically in my 60s, my body did not like ice cream like it used to. Maybe I was eating too much of a good thing? So, I switched to a frozen yogurt that my body likes. (My favorite is black jack cherry.)
I’ve loved your column for years, and I read it in the New Hampshire Union Leader. — Rosemary M., New Hampshire Dear Heloise: In the 1950s, my mother introduced us to peanut-butter-and-mild-onion sandwiches. My sister and I love them — even still today. My daughter also indulges in them.
I think I found the idea in an old sandwich cookbook from the ‘40s. Maybe it was introduced because of rationing during World War II. — Daphne Kivinen, Vancouver, Washington
Dear Heloise: Many of us suffer from high humidity for at least part of the year. Please, someone, invent a solar-powered dehumidifier that can go outside. We can put them in the garden and near our trees, saving us from having to water them and lowering the air’s humidity at least a little bit.
We have one air conditioner that drips water outside. I collect this water to use elsewhere. Other air conditioners turn the water from cooled air back into humid air and put it back out into our air. — Andi, in Gardiner, New York Dear Heloise: My family has a tradition at mealtimes where we go around the table and each person names three things that they are grateful for. It may seem like a small thing, but it makes us remember how fortunate we are to live where we live, enjoy the freedoms we have, and cherish the friends who are there for us in times of need.
For so many people, just having a roof over their head or a decent meal is a luxury. Many others are lonely, frightened or sick and don’t know where to turn. We sometimes grumble about the stress and strife in our lives, but instead, we should learn to show more gratitude. — C.G., in Nevada Dear Readers: Try this easy way of cleaning artifical flowers (only plastic, not silk): Mix 3 parts water with 1 part vinegar in a spray bottle and spray the flowers. Wipe them with a clean cloth, and they’re as good as new! — Heloise
