DEAR HELOISE: I’m loving all the ideas that you are receiving about flowers and funerals. I just wanted to give you another idea:

A dear friend of my mother’s sent a planter of bulbs for my mother’s funeral this past February. The flowers were beautiful and bright at that time of year, and then I planted them out in our backyard. Every year for the past 15 years, these flowers have come up and multiplied. It’s a wonderful reminder of my mother and her dear friend.

• Lisa F., in Jacksonville, Illinois

DEAR HELOISE: Your column is wonderful! When I see people cradling their cellphones between their ears and shoulders, I absolutely cringe. I’m retired, but my job required me to do a lot of tasks. And of course, I was on the phone a lot.

I used a corded phone and did the same thing — I cradled my phone between my ear and shoulder so that I could use my hands. This caught up with me, and I had to go through a lot of physical therapy and take medication for the damage that occurred in my neck / shoulder. Even now, I still have problems.

To avoid injuries, we purchased headsets (now they would be called Bluetooth earphones) for my employees. I can’t imagine how much strain is caused by trying to keep your cellphone from falling. Please let your readers know that it’s not worth it.

• Fran, in Colorado Springs, Colorado

DEAR HELOISE: My laundry used to stink after I washed it, and I finally found out that it was caused by the minerals in my well water reacting to the fats that are part of liquid laundry detergent. I switched to powdered laundry detergent, and the problem was solved.

Another advantage to using powdered detergent is that it comes in a cardboard box, which is easily burned in my wood stove. The plastic detergent bottles create a waste problem because plastic does not recycle well. Also, it takes less powdered detergent for a load of laundry, so the box lasts for a long time.

• Kathy, in Michigan

DEAR HELOISE: We enjoy the fruit cups that come in small plastic bowls for individual servings. But how do you remove the lids from these containers without spraying juice everywhere? Do you or your readers have an answer?

• Bill E., via email

Readers, we have a question that one of you must have an answer for if you enjoy fruit cups. Please let us know your answer at Heloise@Heloise.com, and we will print your responses.

• Heloise

SPIRITS IN SOUP

Dear Heloise: When a recipe calls for adding sherry in a soup, how much should I use, and when do I put it in? — Cindy L., in Mesa, Arizona

Cindy, put the sherry in just before serving. Use 1 teaspoon of sherry per cup of soup. This is the way that it’s usually done in New Orleans with turtle soup. — 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.

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