HELPFUL HINTS

DEAR HELOISE: When I’m setting up for a new baby sitter, and after I thoroughly check her references, I invite the prospective sitter over for a meet and greet.

I want to get to know her, see her interact with our kids, go over the ground rules, show her around my home and property, and just get a feeling for how things will go when we leave her with our kids.

This provides me with peace of mind. Do your readers have any other baby-sitting hints? Thank you.

— Emily R., Indiana DEAR READERS: What baby- sitting hints can you share for the forthcoming spring and summer, when you’re bound to be busy? Do you use technology to help you monitor your baby sitters, as well as your kids and their activities? Email Heloise@ Heloise.com.

DEAR HELOISE: I would like to comment about GMOs (from a February column). I am married to a third-generation farmer.

If the term were “genetically enhanced organisms” instead of “genetically modified organisms,” Americans would embrace this as a healthy innovation. The United States has the best and most affordable food supply in the world.

We eat the same products that we raise to help feed our nation and the world — we won’t feed you anything but the best. Thanks.

— Ruth D., via email

DEAR HELOISE: I have acquired some old letters that my grandmother had sent to my grandfather during World War II. They were written in pencil and are beginning to fade. I was hoping that you might have a hint for me on how to preserve them.

— T.H., Rapid City, S.D. DEAR READER: Here are a couple of hints to help: Photocopy them as soon as possible. And store the original letters in a cool, dry place, away from all light. Doing this will help preserve these letters for your family for many years.

DEAR HELOISE: Last year, I suffered an injury, from which I recovered. One lingering effect, though, is that I cannot bend my neck down comfortably to read, knit, use my computer, etc. I have been able to solve almost every problem from that by buying a black, high-school-type music stand.

They are inexpensive online. I can raise or lower it to any height.

— Betsy B., Salem, Ore.

Send a money- or time-saving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, Texas 78279-5000; fax to (210) 435-6473; or email Heloise@Heloise.com

HELOISE