HELOISE: Help out a family, and mow a lawn

Dear Heloise: I really appreciated the hint that was sent in concerning mowing the lawn for families in mourning. This would be a great aid to families of deployed service members as well. When my husband was in Iraq and I had four small children and a large yard, mowing was my most difficult chore. My mom and I love your column and discuss the newest on most days.

C.L. Scott in Temple, Texas

Dear Heloise: I make my own unique fingernail colors. I always have bottles of different colors that just didn’t look good on me — either they were too dark or too light. So, instead of throwing them out, I decided to mix and match.

I take a bottle of one color and add little bits of the dark color to it. I make little marks on a white napkin, and when I get the color I want, I keep it. I then write on an index card what color I started with and how many drops of the dark color (name) I added. Nobody else has the same color of polish as me; I am unique in my color of nails.

Joanne in Connecticut

Wow! This is creative, and it saves money, too. Fingernail polish usually has a shelf life of one to two years. I have some nail polish that’s older than 10 years and still going strong. If nail polish gets a little thick, I use a few drops of enamel solvent, which can be bought at a drugstore or beauty-supply store. A small bottle will last a long time.

Heloise

Dear Heloise: My bathroom sink was very slow draining; even baking soda and vinegar didn’t help. I took a wire hanger, cut a piece about a foot long and made a small hook on one end. Since the drain stopper couldn’t be removed, I inserted the wire with the hook end into the drain. I was able to grab the hair that was causing the problem. Now the drain is working great.

Myrna Parscal in Kahului, Maui, Hawaii

Dear Heloise: I have small hands, and to get a grip on a jar lid, I put on my kitchen rubber glove. It’s handy, easy and gives me an excellent grip on even the largest lid.

Shyrl in California

Dear Heloise: When rehearsing your lines from a play, tape the entire play, recording only those lines that are not yours. When it comes to your part, just fill in your lines. Leave a short pause after the lines to alert you to your lines.

Berl Davis in Keizer, Ore.

King Features Syndicate