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Gifts of love: Creating memories and teaching values

Dear Readers: Many of you wrote in with tips on encouraging children to focus less on material items. Thank you for sharing these terrific suggestions. Here are some of my favorite letters: Dear Annie: I just read your letter from “Caught in the Middle,” the parent whose daughter is being spoiled by her grandparents and is looking for a polite way to call off the gifts. The letter writer should follow your advice and encourage her mother to start giving memories instead of presents. She should get on the floor with her granddaughter and play with her. Whether it’s having a tea ...

Use these two steps to avoid fraud

Dear Heloise: In response to recent hints regarding credit card protection, I have my two cents to add: We have recently had our major credit card canceled and replaced three times in three months! This is such an inconvenience. I asked the credit card company what we could do to prevent future problems related to fraud. The fraud seemed to be coming from in-person purchases. So, they suggested two things: -- Always tap the card on the credit card machines (instead of inserting or sliding the card in), if available. -- Cover your account number on the front of your card with a piece ...

Vic Roznovsky and memories

Raise your hand if you remember Vic Roznovsky? Unless this gets to Vic’s hometown of Shiner, Texas, that would be none of you. Vic had a small Major League career as a backup catcher for the Baltimore Orioles in the 1960s. It coincided with summers when I played dice baseball with my brother and nephew. This was before video games, when kids had to use what was at hand to entertain themselves. For us, that was two dice, our baseball cards, and the kitchen table if my mom didn’t chase us away. We used teams of cards to “run the bases” while the dice dictated the action. ...

Naming of cars: every great car deserves a good name

I’ve owned three different cars in my life, and all three have had a carefully chosen name. I’ve only owned three because I believe in saving up for at least 10 years, buying a brand new car and keeping it as long as possible. It doesn’t make sense to buy used. You have no idea what you’re getting. There’s no way to know how the car has been treated. I bought my first car with help from my parents in 1986. It was a 1986 Chevy Nova. My step great grandfather came with my dad and I to the dealership. That told me it was a special occasion. It must be special when a man in ...

Try this simple way to clean walls

Dear Readers: When washing your walls, dust them before washing and wash them from the bottom up so that the drips won’t leave their marks. Clean one small area at a time, then rinse and dry before moving on to another area. -- Heloise COOKING OATS Dear Heloise: I have found that using my rice cooker for old fashioned oats is very easy. I put 2 1/4 cups of water and a dash of salt in my 6-cup rice cooker and let the water warm up. I then put a crumbled nut granola bar and 2 tablespoons of peanut butter in, then let it melt while stirring. Next, I add 2 cups of old fashioned rolled ...

Finding love in all the wrong places

Dear Annie: I have let myself get involved with a significantly younger guy. To make matters worse, I’m married. In my defense, before I even started talking to this other guy, my husband and I had come to a place in our marriage where we were more like roommates than husband and wife. We didn’t even share the same bedroom (which was his decision). He never showed me affection of any kind. We spoke to each other, but that was it. I started socializing with men on social media, and I must admit I did get taken by a scammer for $12,000, which I shouldn’t have ...