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Keep mice away with lavender

Dear Heloise: Using a sealed bin helps to keep mice out, but it doesn’t always work. The smell of birdseed can get through plastic, and mice are persistent. What finally did the trick for me was putting a lavender room freshener inside the bin, tucked in a corner away from the seed bag. ...

The day an irregular compass changed everything

The following story has been compiled from Marquette Regional History Center articles. Following the Revolutionary War, the U.S. General Land Office was formed in 1812 to survey public lands. The newly created U.S. government, which needed funds, wanted to distribute the land to war veterans ...

Retired husband is rewriting house rules

Dear Annie: My husband retired eight months ago, and ever since then, our home has felt less like a place to relax and more like a company he has decided to manage. After years of leaving early, coming home late and barely noticing whether the bath towels matched, he is suddenly very ...

Trying out fruits at the grocery store

Dear Heloise: I read your column in the Journal Gazette of Fort Wayne, Indiana. Jim R., in Houston, wrote about people who are eating produce that they haven’t purchased. But there is another view on this issue. Purchas- ing grapes, for example, without tast- ing them, often leads to sour ...

When a wedding invite asks too much

Dear Annie: My husband and I are invited to my co-worker's daughter's midweek black-tie wedding at 3 p.m. My husband and I would need to leave work early to attend, and I feel it's a burden to both take time off work and purchase or rent black-tie attire for a warm weather event in the summer. ...

Thoughtful sign puts guests at ease

Dear Heloise: I spent hours crocheting edges on my guest towels, but visitors never used them. They noticed the towels, hesitated, and dried their hands elsewhere. To solve this, I wrote a short poem and placed it in clear view: “You are a guest, and we’re happy you’re here. These towels ...