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Dear Heloise: What should I do with a full set of fine china dinnerware that was made in 1968 with a gold edge? My kids don’t want it because it can’t go in the microwave. It was made by a well-known company and is in beautiful condition. — Theresa M., in Topeka, Kansas
Theresa, you might try a woman’s shelter, or perhaps a church would like to have the entire set. Possibly a home for nuns or priests would welcome such a beautiful gift. Any family who has lost their possessions through a fire or flood might also want a set of nice dinnerware. A full set of fine china is a generous gift! — Heloise
INTERESTING DOG FACTS
Dear Readers: Here are some interesting facts about dogs:
— A dog’s nose is said to be 10,000 to 100,000 times more sensitive than a human’s nose.
— Dogs were domesticated about 15,000 to 20,000 years ago and were our first-known pets.
— A dog doesn’t sweat all over. They sweat primarily through their paw pads and in minor sweat glands on their noses.
— Some breeds of dogs can understand up to about 165 commands from their owners.
— About 45% of dogs in America sleep in their owner’s bed.
Readers, did any of these facts surprise you? — Heloise
HOW TO START DOWNSIZING
Dear Heloise: My husband and I are aging, and we want to downsize our home. We have a big house with a lot of belongings. Where do we start to get rid of a lot of what we have in the house? — Andrea P., in Tucson, Arizona
Andrea, start by going through your belongings and deciding what to keep and what to give away. You can set items aside for a garage sale or ask family members if they want anything. (If there’s a homeowners assocation in your neighborhood, ask them if they permit yard sales.)
Be ruthless. You’ll find that you need far less than you thought you would. You’ll also find that many charitable organizations will be glad to take any donations. There are many families out there who need furniture, blankets, pots, pans, etc. — Heloise
LETTER CORRECTION
Dear Readers: A reader reported that Wyoming schools would move away from traditional spell tests, and this was incorrect. Wyoming schools refuse to let artificial intelligence take over and have instead doubled down on teaching kids how to read and spell using phonics.
The confusion likely comes from two major education trends — the Science of Reading curriculum and the established state guidelines on AI. Early elementary schools will still teach reading, writing and spelling but are strictly forbidding students from using AI to complete assignments.
Will AI come to schools? Probably in the future, but this is a topic for discussion at a later time. We applaud Wyoming’s decision and dedication to their students. — Heloise
Send a money-saving or time-saving hint to Heloise@Heloise.com. I can’t answer your letter personally but will use the best hints received in my column.