Mammogram makes great birthday gift

Dear Heloise: We women all know how important mammograms are, yet we (or I) put them off. Finally, I decided to give myself a birthday “gift.” Each year on my birthday, I have an appointment for my mammogram. When my birthday falls on the weekend, I go the next Monday. JoAnn Stowers, Garden Grove, Calif.

JoAnn, my gift to myself was the very same thing this year, and the receptionist noted what a good way to remember. So, ladies, pick a date you can remember — a birthday (yours, a friend’s or a child’s) or even another special and easy date to remember. Mammograms save lives, so don’t put them off! Heloise

Dear Readers: Here is a little hint to save on your energy and water bills: Wash your hands with soap and cold water, not hot! Hot water may kill germs, but your hands could not stand the high temperature needed. It’s the soap and the scrubbing action that do it. Same in the shower: When you want the water warmer, turn down the cold, not up the hot. Helps Mother Earth and saves you money, too! Heloise

Dear Heloise: I use the Oakwell/Tobin library (San Antonio), which is crowded and noisy (actually, I think that is a good thing). I have also found that the whole place is pretty quiet in the mornings. It doesn’t liven up until the school kids arrive. However, for those who long for calm, there is a reading room that is designated as quiet. Your reader who complained about the noise should check his/her local library for something similar. Joan in San Antonio

Dear Heloise: My bank and ATM give me a receipt slip (stores and gas stations, too) that shows my account numbers. I do not want someone to find them and use them, so I stuff them in my wallet or purse and intend to shred them at home. Soon my wallet or purse is bulging with little annoying slips I need to (but keep forgetting to) shred.

When I get a receipt, I pull out a wipe from my travel pack that I keep in my car and rub the receipt with it. The numbers completely disappear — there is not an imprint left at all, not even a name. I can safely toss the paper in any trash can. Sherry Yoxtheimer, Sidney, Ohio

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