HELOISE Unplugging sometimes can be a quick fix

Dear Heloise: I read the column about unplugging an answering machine when it isn't working as a way to fix it. Unplugging will also work on many other electronic devices that are processor-controlled. When you unplug it, you reset the processor.
I am an electronics technician, so trust me and give it a whirl. Unplug your device overnight -- you have nothing to lose. Darryl, Sparta, Mich.
Thanks for your letter. We also had a letter from K.M. in Texas. She works in a convenience store, and when she changed the paper in the credit-card machine, it wouldn't come back on. So, as a last resort, she completely unplugged it and then plugged it back in, and voil & aacute; -- it came right back on! Heloise
P.S. Don't do this with your computer except as a last resort -- you could lose data.
Dear Heloise: A few hints I have for the clear, plastic sleeves our daily newspaper arrives in:
Since I love to sew, I put the pattern envelope and pieces in the plastic sleeve. Everything fits, and I can see the front of the envelope.
I decorate my windowsills, end tables and candleholders for Christmas. I put all the items in a plastic sleeve afterward and mark on the sleeve where the items go.
When sewing for my seven granddaughters, I cut out all their outfits at once and put each child's pattern pieces in one sleeve, marking the child's name on each one. There are no lost pieces.
I also use the sleeves to store leftover and new fabrics. It keeps my totes neat. Lucy Wells, Wheaton, Md.
Dear Heloise: I list all my cleaning chores on a dry-wipe board. As I finish a chore, I erase it. Sandy Fristoe, Via E-mail
Virginia Sampson says that she uses one to keep track of her children's chores. When they are done, they put a check mark next to the job, and she says things run smoothly in her home. Heloise
Dear Heloise: Just read the hint suggesting that greeting-card manufacturers indicate the extra postage that is needed on large cards/envelopes. I think this is a really good idea and have seen it on some cards. It's not necessary to indicate the precise amount of postage is needed if the envelope can just indicate that extra is needed. Dorothy, Via E-mail
Dorothy, you are right! Putting a "needs extra postage" notation would help out. And speaking of greeting cards, here's a Sound Off solution from Glenna Runkle McKee of Columbia, S.C.:
"About prices printed on the backs of greeting cards: I agree that it is inconvenient, but there is a simple solution. I get a sheet of stickers, such as little smiling faces, angels, flowers, etc., then paste one over the price. Heloise
XSend a great hint to: Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, Texas 78279-5000, Fax: (210) HELOISE or E-mail: Heloise@Heloise.com.
King Features Syndicate