HELOISE Use shower-curtain liners as tarps

Dear Heloise: I like to replace my shower-curtain liner about once a month, and at $3-$4, I don't mind throwing the old ones away.
However, every once in a while I will wash a used shower-curtain liner, fold it up nice and tight, and save it to use as a project dropcloth for painting, spray-painting and adhesive and glue projects.
They are easier to handle than tarps or plastic dropcloths, and they fold up to the size of a book. When they get too messy, I throw them away; there will always be another one next month. Sunny Campbell, Germantown, Md.
Dear Heloise: Your article about crossword puzzles brought back memories. My mother was blinded when she was a teen-ager, long before I was born. One of the things she missed was doing crossword puzzles. So, practically from the time I could hold a pencil, I would read the clues to her and fill in the answers she gave me. I am now 57, and although I lost my mother several years ago, I will never lose my love for crossword puzzles. April Johnson, Vero Beach, Fla.
Crossword puzzles are a good way to keep the mind sharp. I'm pleased the article evoked good memories of your mother. Heloise
Dear Heloise: I think it would be a good idea to have a little mark sewn right in the top center of a bedsheet (maybe also in the bottom) so one can quickly center the sheet on the bed when making it. This would also be a help on blankets and quilts. It might add a bit to the manufacturing cost, but I for one would gladly pay it. Walt Bauer, Richmond, Ind.
Dear Heloise: It's always a challenge to use up leftovers at our house. Here is what I did when I had some leftover stew the other night: I added some stewed tomatoes, canned mixed veggies and some cooked rice. I used a little cornstarch to thicken it up, and no one knew that it was made from leftovers. Caron from Milwaukee
Caron, sounds good to me. Did you know that you can also make your own soup stock? Save steak or chicken bones and boil them in some water with some herbs and seasonings. Drain off any excess fat, and you're ready for more ingredients. Heloise
Dear Heloise: For small jobs in my yard or garden, I use a discarded eight-ounce Parmesan cheese container to sprinkle grass seed, weedkiller or fertilizer. Larry Dedman, Berry, Ky.
XSend a money-saving or time-saving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, Texas 78279-5000; fax to (210) HELOISE or e-mail it to Heloise@Heloise.com.
King Features Syndicate