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HINTS FROM HELOISE: Use citric acid on all glassware

Lifestyles

DEAR HELOISE: We are using citric acid to keep our dishes and glassware clear. When dishwasher detergents stopped using phosphates, our glassware got cloudy. Additives became readily available at the grocery store; the 12- and 16-ounce containers were pricey but effective. After a few years of the cost, I finally read the ingredients: citric acid. That’s it. A quick search brought up several online options by the pound. It also works super fast to cut through hard water buildup at a fraction of the cost! — Cynthia B., via email DEAR HELOISE: This may not be in your bailiwick, ...

DEAR ANNIE: If she’s ready to marry, she’s ready for responsibility

Lifestyles

DEAR ANNIE: My 19-year-old daughter — she’ll be 20 in July — is a sophomore at Charleston College. She came home for spring break and informed my husband and me that she had found her soul mate at Charleston, and they plan to marry this summer. He’s 24 and a graduate student teaching English. She wants to go back to school in the fall as husband and wife. How they plan to support themselves we have no idea. Should we try to talk her out if it? We’ve already told her we think it’s a mistake. — Disapproving DEAR DISAPPROVING: Have a candid conversation with your ...

Bridge by Steve Becker

Lifestyles

A fine declarer plays many hands as if he can see every card in the defender’s hands. This knack of playing as if all the cards are exposed can be attributed to inferences declarer draws from either the bidding or early plays by the defense. Consider this deal where declarer should make ...

Microgardening means a surprisingly big harvest from a windowsill or balcony garden

Lifestyles

Short on space? Consider microgardening. Although the term might conjure thoughts of minuscule garden gnomes and fairies, the reality is quite the opposite. You can get a surprisingly high yield from a small space, even a windowsill or balcony, if you plant it right. One way to maximize your harvest is to grow plants that mature quickly, harvest them and then plant more. Small greens on repeat Microgreens — 2- to 3-inch seedlings of certain edible plants — are perfect candidates for such succession. They sprout quickly indoors in as little as a week, and are easy to grow. Just ...

TO YOUR GOOD HEALTH: Avoid all beer and sugared beverages

Lifestyles

DEAR DR. ROACH: What’s better for your health: beer (light or full) or soft drinks (sugar or sugarless)? And why? — W.C.G. ANSWER: Neither alcoholic drinks nor sweetened beverages are on my list of recommended beverages. Alcohol has many toxicities, whether it’s short-term or long-term use, and is a known carcinogen (cancer-causing substance). The Centers for Disease Control estimates that 178,000 deaths per year occur due to alcohol in the United States. While “light” beer has slightly less alcohol and calories than regular beer and is therefore less toxic, I still ...