Special family photos discovered in museum exhibit

Dear Heloise: I read the letter from a reader about how she solved her problem of unidentified old photos by donating them to the Institute of Texan Cultures in San Antonio.

My husband’s family emigrated from Germany in the 1800s and settled in the Hill Country of Texas. His aunt was touring the institute back in the ‘70s, browsing in the German exhibit, when she suddenly came face to face with a picture of her mother as a child of about 9 years of age! She had never seen it before. The curator was kind enough to make a copy of that photo (taken in an old schoolhouse) as well as a couple of others of her mother that weren’t on display.

What joy those photos have brought all of us through the years! They are historically significant, but also special to us as her descendants. And if someone hadn’t taken the time to find a good home for the photographs, we never would have had the good fortune of coming across them. You just never know how that small act may impact several generations of a family! Kristi Armstrong, Tyler, Texas

Kristi, this is a delightful story! Folks, the Institute of Texan Cultures is here in my hometown, San Antonio. If you get a chance to visit, look for my purple cowboy boots (and a pair of my mother’s) in the “Texans: Footprints and Imprints” exhibit! And you can visit the institute online at http://texancultures.com. Heloise

Dear Readers: Need to sew on a button? Here are a few hints to help:

•Use dental floss for heavy material such as coats or jeans.

•If using thread, double- or triple-thread the needle for quick sewing.

•Use a toothpick or match under the button to make some space so the button is not sewn too tightly.

•When finished, push the needle up through the material, just under the button, and wind the thread around several times to make a shank. Go back through the material to the underside and sew a knot.

You can do this in less than a minute! Heloise

Dear Heloise: Whenever I make cupcakes or muffins, I use an ice-cream scooper (the kind that has a scraper) to put the batter in the cups. This is easier than using two spoons, and you automatically put the same amount of batter in each cup. Hannah, Salt Lake City

Sound Off

Dear Heloise: My Sound Off is about parents who place an infant car seat on the handles of a shopping cart. Those seats were not designed to be placed there, and the parents are putting their child in danger of falling. Kelly, Monroe, Ohio

SBlt 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