Heloise

Dear Heloise: I have been the victim of credit card fraud every once in a while, about one to two years apart. Each time, I had to get a new card with new numbers. So, I have since stopped authorizing auto-pay from my credit cards. Now, I tell them I will automatically send a payment to them on a specified date. If they don’t like that, then I don’t need their product or service.

No more hassles now with having to tell a long list of people about a new credit card number. Have a good day! – Louie Schirm, Emery, South Dakota

•••

SOUND OFF

Dear Heloise: Your voice is so respected, and I would love for you to forward this hint to networks that show highlights, graphics, etc., and insist on playing music while the commentators are “analyzing” the highlight or graphic. This forces the analyzers to talk over the music. (Specifically, the Golf Channel does this.) As an aging senior with aging hearing who loves to watch these networks, I implore them to eliminate the alleged “background” music and just let us listen to the announcers. I have reached out to some networks without any response at all. – A Lifelong Reader, Maui

•••

RECYCLE

Dear Heloise: Save “green” food scraps (potato skins, carrot peels, celery ends/leaves, etc.) in a container in the freezer. When full, remove the frozen green waste scraps and boil them to make vegetable broth. Strain, then use the broth for cooking. You can place the boiled scraps in the correct trash or recycling container or in a compost pile. – Kay K., via email

•••

GRADUATION GIFT

Dear Heloise: Just read your hint in the Omaha World Herald about grad gifts. The best one any of my kids ever received was a small toolkit with the basics. I told the guy who gave it to him that it’s the greatest thing ever. My kid got it for his high school graduation, and we just moved him to Madison, Washington, for his first job. He still has it intact. – Pete Balerd, Columbus, Nebraska

•••

PET PAL

Dear Heloise: This is my three-year-old pet mallard duck named Fly. She is best friends with Pecky, despite her being a chicken! She is very intelligent and friendly around humans. She loves to be petted and listen to me sing. Along with that, some of her favorite things include swimming, scaring sparrows and playfully fighting over food with Pecky and the ducks.

Like all six of my other pets, she is deeply loved and cared for by me and my family. – Skyler Haddock

Readers, to see Fly and our other Pet Pals, go to Heloise.com and click on “Pet of the Week.”

Do you have a furry friend to share with our readers? Send a photo and a brief description to Heloise@Heloise.com. – Heloise

Send a money-saving or timesaving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio, TX 78279-5001, or you can fax it to 1-210-HELOISE or email it to Heloise@Heloise.com. I can’t answer your letter personally but will use the best hints received in my column.