Heloise

Dear Heloise: I had to write in after reading Henrietta N.’s letter, as I often hear that young people don’t want to work. I think they are being painted with a broad brush. I know neighbor’s kids who can’t get a call to be stockers at a major grocery store, but the “help wanted” sign remains. I believe companies are sometimes taking advantage of the terrible post-COVID customer service and reaping profits.

In a time where kids need to have side hustles to pay rent, I really am offended by the broad-brush painting. This is coming from an old person who appreciates the struggle. — Mollie Lamar, Colorado Springs, Colorado

CHECK IN ON ELDERS

Dear Heloise: Here’s something to add to your reminder list in this oppressive, unrelenting heat: How about reminding those who are able to check in on the elderly neighbors and long-distant parents? — Joan, Houston

DOWN THE HATCH

Dear Heloise: As a mother of two and a grandmother of three, I know what a chore it can be to get babies and toddlers to take their medicine, but my family came up with a genius idea. Unscrew the top of a bottle, pour the liquid into the nipple, and then hold the nipple for the baby to drink out of it. It works every time.

I read your column every day in the Daily Freeman in Kingston, New York. — Joan Alberts, Saugerties, New York

CROCKPOT COOKING

Dear Heloise: Here’s an ingenious idea for CrockPot meals. We go fishing several times a year to June Lake. There aren’t a lot of options for places to eat after getting off the lake at a later time, so my sister came up with this idea. She fixed some chili beans in the CrockPot with a CrockPot liner, removed the beans in the liner and froze them. Now, all we have to do when we are ready to cook them is return them to the CrockPot. Then, dinner will be ready when we return from fishing for the day.

Now, we prepare meals ahead of time, so we can quickly fix our CrockPot meals. It’s a very easy cleanup as well! — Terry and Patty, Bakersfield, California

FEEDING HUMMINGBIRDS

Dear Heloise: Instead of using hummingbird feeders, which are filled with sugar water and have to be cleaned once a week during the summer, we plant flowers. There are several red tube-shaped flowers that hummingbirds particularly like. We currently have pots of cigar plants (Cuphea ignea), and hummingbirds fly around them often.

In addition to requiring less care than a feeder, the nectar is probably healthier than sugar. Also, the birds become pollinators when they use real flowers instead of feeders. — Sarah Thomas, Springfield, Illinois

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.

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