HELOISE Frequent mover shares tips for staying in touch

Dear Heloise: Having moved often in my life, I'd like to share a few hints for staying in touch with friends:
U Each time you move, buy a new address book. Every time you attend a going-away function, pass it around and have people fill in their information (address, phone, e-mail, etc.). This saves you from having to collect it and recopy it into a book.
UBuy postcards from the post office and address them to yourself at your new address. When people ask for the new address, hand them one. They now have the address, and after they record it, they will have an addressed postcard to send you a short message.
UFor the people saying goodbye, resist the urge to buy a going-away gift. Most people have too much stuff and are trying to get rid of stuff as they move. If you feel you must buy something, gift cards are great.
UFor anyone hosting a goodbye party, ask all the guests to bring pictures of themselves. Buy a collage frame and insert all the pictures. The friend moving away will have a collection of friends' photos, and it will be ready to hang in the new home. Vicki Schell, Hickory, N.C.
Dear Heloise: I travel a lot for my job. When I leave my hotel room to go to dinner, or during the day if the maid has already been there, I always turn the television or radio on low (just enough to be heard from outside the door) and hang the Do Not Disturb sign on the knob.
My room is less likely to be the target of a thief if he or she thinks I'm in there. Nancy Nash, Columbus
Dear Heloise: We chose ceramic tile floors for the kitchen when our home was built. My greatest fear was dropping something and ruining a tile. The week after we moved in, I dropped a knife on the tile while unloading the dishwasher. The coating chipped off and left a black spot.
During the past two years, I have contacted everyone I could think of, hoping for a suggestion on how to camouflage the spot. No one had an answer. Two months ago, it came to me to use automobile touch-up paint in a shade close to the floor color. I found the shade I needed at a discount store, but a difficult color could be found at a dealership.
I have mopped the floor and it has endured traffic, but the spot still is not showing any signs of wear, and if it does, I can just touch it up again. Jamie Matthews, Whiteville, Tenn.
Dear Heloise: I have several quilts, and they each have a different set of corresponding sheets. So, when I change quilts, I put the sheets in the quilt bag with the quilt. This way, I always know where they are. A reader, Sunnyvale, Texas
XSend a money-saving or timesaving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, Texas 78279-5000, or you can fax it to (210) HELOISE or e-mail it to Heloise@Heloise.com. I can't answer your letter personally but will use the best hints received in my column.
King Features Syndicate