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Baggage with daughter keeps grandma from her grandsons

Dear Annie: I have eight beautiful grandchildren. I have been blessed to help care for six of them from birth to 5-6 years old. My daughter has twin 7-year-old boys. She has issues with me that I’ve apologized for and have given her space to work through things. I’ve never met my twin ...

There’s no need to preheat oven

Dear Heloise: Almost every recipe I read starts with: “Preheat oven to the ‘appropriate’ degree.” Most ovens will preheat to 400 degrees Fahrenheit in less than 10 minutes. Some recipes’ prep time is 30 minutes or more; therefore, you are wasting energy and money. While I realize the ...

Food poisoning or stomach bug?

Dear Heloise: So many people can’t tell the difference between food poisoning and a stomach bug. It’s important to be able to know the difference: -- Food poisoning: You experience diarrhea, cramps, nausea, vomiting and possibly a low-grade fever. It’s usually brought on by contaminated ...

Giving grandkids the gift of quality time

Dear Annie: When my nephew was a toddler and his family visited, my mom (his grandmother) got big furniture boxes discarded from stores and made forts and tunnels in our large family room. She got down on the floor and played whatever character he chose her to be in this turf maze. She didn’t ...

Saying ‘thank you’ at the grocery store

Dear Readers: We recently ran a letter from someone who complained that cashiers at grocery stores rarely thank them, the customers. I heard from many of you who have worked as cashiers at supermarkets, and I am grateful for your letters as they provide a firsthand account of the other ...

Racing through the Dairy Expo

A dairy expo is the type of event where you can walk around all day and never go hungry thanks to all the free cheese and ice cream that are available. It’s a dairy aficionado’s dream. The Central Plains Dairy Expo is an event where one can view all of the latest and greatest advancements ...