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DEAR ANNIE: Group gift busts budget of family member

DEAR ANNIE: My siblings and I usually go in on gifts for my parents for birthdays and holidays. Since there are five of us, we can pool enough for something really nice, such as new golf clubs or a weekend away, rather than five smaller separate gifts. My dad’s birthday is coming up, and my sister sent around her usual text to coordinate. The problem is my finances are especially tight this year. My car needed a ton of work last month, my landlord just raised the rent, and I’m still paying off student loans. I don’t want my dad to think I care less, and I don’t want my ...

HINTS FROM HELOISE: Use sock to fix any scratches on glasses

DEAR HELOISE: If your magnifying glasses keep getting scratched, try putting the glass part (or plastic part) into a snug-fitting sock. It stays on well and does the trick. Also, for short pieces (up to approximately 5 inches, per se) of metal or plastic, small bars, dowel rods, small pipes, etc., I tie together several PVC pipes, which are usually 4 inches long. I use conduit strapping, which comes in a roll and has small and big holes in it already; I cut a piece of strapping to go along the front of the PVCs (making it longer than the PVCs I have lined up) and screw the strapping ...

TO YOUR GOOD HEALTH: Irregular heartbeat often can be normal

DEAR DR. ROACH: You recently used the term “abnormal irregular heartbeat.” I’ve had an irregular heartbeat for decades without seemingly ill effects. My doctors haven’t put any restrictions on my vigorous cycling or any other activities that I do at 84 years old. Does this mean that I have normal irregular heartbeats? Is there an implied difference by your use of “abnormal”? — S.B. ANSWER: The answer is more complicated than it might seem. A perfectly regular heartbeat is, perhaps counterintuitively, not normal. The heart should respond to subtle changes in chest ...

Recipe for ‘Popo’s Wontons’ is as good as gold in one family

In her new cookbook, “Have You Eaten Yet?,” actor and self-described restaurant kid Ming-Na Wen says wontons hold a special place in her heart. They bring back memories of making them with her mother. She now makes them with her children. Wen’s recipe for “Popo’s Wontons” includes ...

Hard to pronounce, but these 2 wines are worth it

Gruner Veltliner (GROO-ner-VELT-lee-ner) and Gewurztraminer (guh- VOORTS-trah-mee-ner) These two tongue-twister wines may be a bit difficult to pronounce in a public setting, but practicing a bit to order these in a tasting room or restaurant, will surely make the effort worthwhile, Gruner Veltliner: This very interesting white wine has emerged as a regional favorite here in the Lake Erie region. It is crisp, food friendly and is popular with those who love Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Grigio, but may be looking to explore something new. Gruner is the signature grape of Austria, but ...