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Seeing red is a good thing

ESCANABA — Seeing red is a good thing. It is red plaid season all across the awesome Upper Michigan. This is the first weekend of fall. We all take a cue from mother nature. The maple trees change their leaves from green to crimson. The frost tints the apples on the branches a nice juicy, pinkish, red. Sumac leaves become fire-red and there fuzzy berries turn into maroon clusters of seed. Cranberries, choke cherries, and rosehips blush shades of red and feed a myriad of wildlife. And U.P. folks don red and black buffalo plaid shirts, vests and jackets as soon as there’s a ...

When using ceiling fans

Dear Heloise: Fans don't cool the air, whether it's a ceiling fan or another type of fan. They remove the heat from one's body, be it a human or an animal. So, if you leave a pet at home, leave a fan running for them. My dog laid right in front of our floor fan for most of this past ...

‘Retired’ husband puts their golden years on hold

Dear Annie: My husband retired last year after 40 years as an engineer, and we finally started planning the life we'd been talking about for decades: travel, hobbies, quality time together. But three months after he retired, he accepted a series of offers for "small consulting projects." He ...

Reusing leftover soap chips

Dear Heloise: Any ideas on how to turn leftover soap chips into a new usable bar? I hate to just throw them away if there's a way to reuse them. I love your column in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch! -- Nita S., via email Nita, here are some ideas: -- Using old but clean panty hose, place a ...

Parents’ generosity has its price

Dear Annie: My fiance and I are getting married next spring, and my parents generously offered to help pay for the cost of the wedding. We were thrilled. Weddings are expensive, and money is tight. But I quickly realized that this might actually be a mistake. Their contributions come with ...

Reprogramming car functions

Dear Heloise: A suggestion was made to have your car key fob reprogrammed by a mechanic to only unlock the driver's door so that it's safer when refueling at a gas station. A mechanic isn't necessary. The doors are programmed through the car itself in the vehicle's utility menu. Each make of ...