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DEAR ANNIE: It’s not a crime to still want to cling to blanky

DEAR ANNIE: I hesitate to write this because I’ve never seen anything like this subject in your column. I am a grown woman, mom and grandmother and still have a “blanky.” When I come home from work and walk in my bedroom and see the piece of the silk end, I immediately feel relaxed. I know this sounds crazy, but it gives me comfort. I wouldn’t call it a problem —more of an insecurity, maybe? I sleep with it, but it stays in my bedroom. I swear I’m a normal person! But I wonder if other grown adults have a childhood habit they still do today. — Still Need My ...

HINTS FROM HELOISE: A surefire way to clean your grill

DEAR HELOISE: To clean a grill, purchase a quart of regular household ammonia. Grab a heavy black leaf bag and pour 1 cup of ammonia into the bag. Place all the dirty, crusty grates from your grill or smoker into the bag. Roll the top down and leave the bag outdoors in the sun for a day or two. Finally, remove the grates and rinse them off. They’ll be clean. The heat uses the ammonia gas to get off the crud. — Don F., in Chesterfield, Virginia DEAR HELOISE: Why would a brother make a wooden wine rack as a gift for his sister’s wedding when the couple doesn’t drink? Was ...

TO YOUR GOOD HEALTH: Kidney stones can bring on UTIs

DEAR DR. ROACH: Five years ago, I was diagnosed with a kidney stone while getting an ultrasound for a different reason. A CT scan was ordered, which showed that I had a conglomerate of small stones within a calyceal diverticulum in the posterior mid-pole of my left kidney. My urologist at the time said it wasn’t in an area that was amenable to shock wave lithotripsy or a stone removal with a scope. He said that I could have a wire inserted by interventional radiology, then go to the operating room for a stent that would require an overnight hospital stay. He also said that I could do ...

Dear Annie: Making room to create new home memories

DEAR ANNIE: My husband and I are both in our 70s, and he’s been pushing for us to sell the house and move into something smaller for over a year now. He’s not wrong; it’s more house than we need. But we raised our three kids in this house. Every room has something in it — the kitchen table my dad built, the height marks on the door frame, the driveway where our children learned to ride their bikes. I know we probably can’t stay here forever. But I feel like he’s asking me to hand over all these memories without a second thought. Am I being stubborn, or is he being cold ...

Hints from Heloise: Getting grease off clothes

DEAR HELOISE: Regarding the question on how to get grease out of a jacket, try using hand cleaner and a nailbrush to scrub the stain. This works on all kinds of stains on clothes. Rinse out the jacket and let it air-dry to see if the stain disappears, as you don’t want to dry it through a machine again to set the stain even more. — Carla, in Montana Carla, I’ve not tried this method, but I will the next time that I have a grease stain. Thanks for writing in! — Heloise DEAR HELOISE: When my son was 6, we came home from a function to which he’d worn white pants ...