Tips for making blueberry pancakes

Dear Heloise: I would like to add to the pancake-making hints from Laura M. of Hillsboro, Oregon, and Nancy H. of Princeton, Indiana.

My family members like plain and chocolate-chip pancakes; I am the only one who prefers blueberry. My solution is to put some blueberries on a plate and heat them in the microwave until they are warm and soft (as they would be inside a pancake). Then I serve myself plain pancakes and put the berries on top. This gives me blueberry pancakes without taking time to make an additional batch or clean the griddle between flavors. I also get more berries this way! — Suzanne M. in Virginia

Dear Heloise: Important! Do not be the first one to hang up. The operator might have more questions. Wait until the operator says that they are done. — Kit Hope, Emergency Manager

Kit, this is key information to know in an emergency. Take a deep breath. Follow all the directions and listen to all of the information the operator is giving you. — Heloise

Bird’s nest in ball cap

Dear Heloise: My husband hangs his ball caps on the inside wall of our covered patio. We were surprised to watch a house wren build her nest inside, twig by twig. After the eggs hatched, we watched the mother (and others) feed the babies. Then one day, a flurry of activity was followed by the departure of all the new babies. A wonder to behold! — Barbara M., San Antonio, Texas

Packing moving boxes

Dear Heloise: My household hint to share with everyone is about packing moving boxes.

When moving, instead of writing the contents of what’s inside the box, I simply number the boxes numerically. On a separate pad, I write the number down and the contents of that box next to the number. It should remove any temptation from unscrupulous movers, who might “lose” a box occasionally. I also stick a return address label on each box next to the number with the new name and address where it’s going. — Bob Del Castillo, Leesburg, Florida