HELPFUL HINTS

DEAR HELOISE: Please remind people that when they walk down a road (a two-lane road) with little or no shoulder, to always walk facing oncoming OPINION traffic. With so many pedestrians and drivers on their cellphones, far too many people are not paying attention to people walking along the road or to traffic. At least if you’re walking toward traffic you might have a chance to get out of the way if the driver is careless about watching the road.

— Carol L., Silver Springs, Md.

DEAR READER: You’re absolutely correct. There are so many distracted drivers on the road that many wreck reports contain the phrase “I didn’t see” or “I didn’t hear” or “I didn’t know.” So, readers, please watch the road, and if you need to check your phone or make a call, pull over and stop.

DEAR HELOISE: Many people place solar lights along a pathway or scatter them in a flowerbed, but I put mine in some of my large pots with flowers on my porch and patio. Several of my neighbors now have started doing the same thing, and it makes our street look beautiful at night. There’s just enough light to show off the flowers (geraniums, dusty millers and marigolds).

— Gloria T., Greensboro, N.C. DEAR HELOISE: I might be able to save your readers from making the same mistake I made. I have an all-brick house and there are “breathing” holes between some of the bricks. In my effort to cover my garden and flowerbeds around the house, I used too much mulch and covered up all the breathing holes close to the ground. Spring and summer rolled around, and before I knew it, I had water problems and termites. The exterminator told me to never cover those holes. They are there for a reason. Sadder but wiser now.

— Anita H., Barnwell, S.C. DEAR HELOISE: My memory isn’t what it used to be. To help me keep appointments and remember various important dates, I started using those small sticky notes that you get in an office supply store or grocery store. As soon as I have an appointment, I write it down and place it to the left side of my bathroom mirror. Every day before I shave, I glance at my sticky notes to see what’s coming up. A friend of mine loved the idea and started to do the same thing, but on a corner of his desk. Now neither of us misses birthdays or appointments.

— Stanley J., Deltona, Fla. Send a money- or time-saving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio, Texas 78279-5000; fax to (210) 435-6473; or email Heloise@Heloise.com