Despicable sickos prey on people in hospitals

Dear Heloise: Your recent letter about thieves in stores touched a nerve! Recently in our community, a despicable theft occurred in our children’s hospital. Two men came into the hospital and watched for chances to steal valuables. This pair preyed on a poor mother who fell asleep while in the intensive-care waiting room. The thing that really upset her was the camera and precious photos of her son and family that were in her purse and are irreplaceable. They also stole a cell phone from a sleeping man and money from a nurse’s backpack.

Keep your purses (with zippers closed) close to your body, and always wrap the strap around your arm. If thieves will steal from vulnerable people in a hospital setting, you are susceptible anywhere. If we all keep a helpful, watchful eye out for others as well, we might help someone else prevent a theft and maybe slow this type of disgusting crime.

On a lighter note: Thanks for all the years of wonderful hints. I’ve been enjoying your pet columns. May I include my beloved “grandpup,” a Chihuahua named Caru (pronounced “Car-ee”), which is Welsh for “friend”? I enjoy her visits, and when I get tired, I can send her home! J. Evans, Salt Lake City

Always make safety No. 1, and keep a close eye on your valuables, no matter where you are. Heloise

Dear Heloise: Hang your decorative gift bags on a hanger in the closet. They stay neat, and you can see what you have at a glance. Lois Paul, Port Republic, Va.

Dear Heloise: I put two frozen waffles in the toaster. One stuck to the wires, and instead of popping up, it stuck down and kept on toasting, and the waffles caught fire! My toaster is under a cabinet, and it could have been really serious if I hadn’t heard it buzzing and come back in, unplugged it and dumped out the waffles into the sink. Thank goodness it didn’t hurt anything, but it didn’t help my blood pressure! Next time, I will stay in the kitchen. Elizabeth, via e-mail

Dear Heloise: I would like to expand on the hint for organizing owner’s manuals. I keep a three-ring binder with clear pockets to hold the manuals, any warranty information and invoices for any repairs that are done for appliances, etc. I did like the hint of using dividers to separate the manuals by type or area of the home.

I eventually took my organizing one step further by using a 1-inch black binder in the garage to hold manuals for garage doors, garage-door opener and lawn equipment. Rita Smith, Cottontown, Tenn.

FYI: Save money by washing only full loads in your dishwasher. Because the machine uses the same amount of water and energy for every load, stretch your energy dollars by doing full loads. Heloise

X Send a money-saving or timesaving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, TX 78279-5000, or you can fax it to (210) HELOISE or e-mail it to Heloise@Heloise.com.

King Features Syndicate