The Shadow
Dear Heloise: It was such a tremendous pleasure meeting the woman who has been so quietly influential in my life.
(Readers: I was doing two seminars at a women’s conference in Austin, Texas. Sireesha was at one of them. — Heloise) Because of you, my mother, who immigrated to the United States 40 years ago, learned ALL THE TRICKS of traditional American households. Let me explain.
Moving here was no easy task for my mother, Raju, who left all the comforts of home and her own “mother’s tips” to embark on a journey from India to this land, half a world away.
She did not grow up using some of the commonly used household items and was unaware of many things that American families had generationally passed down.
It wasn’t until she came across her new friend Heloise’s column that she began to feel just a little closer to making this home.
The traditional American housewife my mother was not. She worked and took care of children, and then went on to work at one of the country’s most prestigious cancer institutions, dedicating her life to researching a cure for breast cancer.
She taught my brother and me how problem-solving did not have to be such a chore, like using baking soda and vinegar. She constantly came up with ingenious ways to solve some of life’s (and the kitchen’s) worst problems, simply and effectively.
There were so many days when I would come home and your column was cut from the Houston Chronicle, posted on the refrigerator, right next to my recent artwork or a calendar of upcoming family events. She knew we wouldn’t read it, but she strategically placed these newspaper cutouts so that by whatever means, we would learn.
Now, married with a home of my own, I find myself asking my mom how to get something out of this, or how best to use that, and every time, her answer begins with “Heloise says …”
Thank you, Heloise. You’ve been a part of our family for so long and will continue to be what we pass down to our next generations. — Sireesha R., Austin, Texas
It was wonderful to meet you and hear about your mother. I’m thrilled that my column helped ease the transition to American housekeeping. You have a smart mother! — Heloise
PET PAL
Dear Readers: Shawna of San Antonio sent a picture of her short-haired black-and-brown cat, Mikey, peeking out of a cabinet on top of the refrigerator, behind the bottled water. It’s a safe place to hide and take a snooze! To see Mikey and our other Pet Pals, visit www.Heloise.com and click on “Pets.” — Heloise
CLEAN CABINETS
Dear Heloise: I cleaned out my bathroom cabinets, and wow, so many expired medications and old, yucky products were in there! Check over-the-counter medicines — they have a shelf life, too. — Amanda in California
Send a money-saving or timesaving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, TX 78279-5000, or you can fax it to 1-210-HELOISE or email it to Heloise(at)Heloise.com. I can’t answer your letter personally but will use the best hints received in my column.
(c)2011 by King Features Syndicate Inc.
