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It’s time to prepare Christmas cards

Dear Heloise: It’s time to think about Christmas cards. I don’t send many, but I buy cards from UNICEF and museum gift shops. The money goes to these organizations to use as they see fit. They all have distinctive gifts like scarves and jewelry, too. Check them out online. Items come in nice gift boxes with the organization’s logos. -- Carolyn McDonough, in Canaan, Connecticut DON’T REUSE MASCARA Dear Heloise: Using old mascara is not a safe idea. Your mascara brush can redeposit bacteria from your eyelashes back into the tube, where it can grow in the warm, moist ...

Dear Annie: It’s been a long journey for my wife and I. I left grad school and we got married in 2008, just as the economy collapsed. It took us a while to get our careers going. After 10 years of struggle, we moved to a new state for new jobs, and right before the pandemic, my wife started working on her teaching degree. During all of this, our oldest child had behavior issues, and our youngest was young and hyper and wouldn’t fall asleep at a reasonable hour. We’ve struggled with things like “us time,” date nights, etc. Many weekends we don’t even leave the house. On top ...

Reader updates her list of meds

Dear Heloise: I read the letter about daily medication from Howard Zeff in our local paper (The Times of Northwest Indiana). I am 79 and also take several medications. My list of medications is in Excel, and I use it to check off the pills as I put them in the weekly pill box. I have added three additional columns where I put the shape, color, and numbers/letters on both the front and back of the pill. The pill may change if it comes from a different manufacturer. Thanks to Mr. Zeff’s letter, I am adding my medical insurance and Medicare numbers, as well as the pharmacy I use. I ...

Choosing peace over family drama

Dear Annie: I’ve made the decision to distance myself from my sister, who exhibits narcissistic, dramatic, needy and demanding behavior. For years, I offered her help, advice and support, only to have the relationship follow a repetitive and unhealthy cycle. I would set boundaries and shut her out after being hurt but eventually let her back into my life. Unfortunately, she simply cannot respect my boundaries. She would be kind and polite when she wanted something, but her response would quickly turn into anger, abuse and manipulation when things didn’t go her way. After ...

Watch out for this computer scam

Dear Heloise: I have a warning for those who don’t know everything about computers! At 63 years old, I nearly allowed someone to access my computer. While I was trying to print a recipe, my computer froze, and a big alert appeared on my screen. It showed a phone number for Windows tech support. Unfortunately, I made the call. I was on the phone with someone who wasn’t in this country. He asked a lot of questions, like “Does anyone else use this computer?” This seemed odd to me. I gave him no personal information. He said my IP address was at risk. I could hear other operators ...

Flying the U-2 spy plane

There aren’t many current and former U-2 spy plane pilots in the world, but I recently had the pleasure of becoming acquainted with one of them. Stan Rauch, who turns 80 this month, grew up at Lake Preston, South Dakota. He and his wife, Mary, live on an acreage in the Lake Whitewood, South Dakots, area. “My dad was a commercial pilot who also ran a crop-dusting business,” Stan said. “Dad was my first flight instructor; I got my private pilot’s license when I was 19.” After high school, Stan enrolled at South Dakota State University where he majored in wildlife ...