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How to store food during outages

Dear Readers: With climate change has come some very unpredictable weather, which has caused many of you to ask how long food can last in the refrigerator or freezer. It appears that weather-related outages have increased significantly. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, all of us should be stocking up on ice and frozen containers of fresh water. If you know a bad storm is coming, you might want to stock up on ice and store it in coolers before the storm begins. Pay attention to the expiration dates on bottled water. Do not store milk, eggs and (nearly all) ...

Husband lacks experience parenting autistic daughter

Dear Annie: My daughter is 8 years old and was recently diagnosed with autism. She was just diagnosed at age 7, but I have suspected she is autistic since about age 3 when she used to be severely speech-delayed. Over the years, I had suggested she was autistic to my husband several times, and his responses were things like, “She’s just a little bit behind” and ,”She’s just stubborn and hot-headed like her daddy.” My concerns were always brushed off. However, he could no longer use those excuses when last year her classroom had to be evacuated due to her throwing furniture ...

Save coins and find dollars

Dear Heloise: Several years ago, my husband and I decided to start saving the coins we had in our pockets at the end of each day. We found several containers and separated the coins, putting pennies in one container, nickels in another and so on. After a year, we got some coin wrappers for each of the denominations and filled them with the coins that we had saved. After a couple of hours, we realized that we had a couple hundred dollars worth of coins to cash in. You might not become rich, but it’s fun finding money that you probably didn’t even miss. -- Sherry Brewer, Los ...

Haunted by granddaughter’s addiction and death

Dear Annie: Our granddaughter had been on drugs for several years. She had been in and out of jail and rehabs. She had two children, ages 1 and 2. She basically abandoned them, so we all decided tough love and prayer were the answer. She was found by the side of the road where someone dumped her, dead or dying from a drug overdose. Now we all feel guilty that we should have done something other than the tough love approach. She was only 23 years old. What should we have done? -- Heartbroken Grandpa Dear Heartbroken: I’m terribly sorry for the loss of your granddaughter. Death is ...

Reader submits two hints in one

Dear Heloise: If you’re given flowers, set them in front of a mirror. The bouquet will look twice as large. While at thrift sale, seek vases of various sizes. Every room should have some red color because it brings the room to life. You can also pick one color to use in three places in each room; it creates an inviting and welcoming scene. Using your favorite soothing color throughout the home makes for a harmonious look. Remember, if you like it, it will look great in your space! I also have another hint. If you have trouble removing rubber gloves, grab a wet rag to tug them off ...

Learning it’s OK to lean on others

Dear Annie: Please give me your opinion. I am an 84-year-old widow. I have one child, a son, and one grandchild in town. My other children live hours away. I no longer drive. I am financially independent and have someone to come clean twice a month, drive me to run errands, go to the doctor, do grocery shopping and take me to the beauty shop. I have taken care of my parents and my husband’s parents, and I know this can be very tiring. I truly hate to have to call on my children. I try to be careful, and I don’t spend unnecessarily. It adds up when you have to have extra help. My ...