Dear Heloise: I just narrowly missed hitting a pedestrian early this morning. The person decided to cross the street from between two parked cars. So, I have a few reminders for folks out exercising early in the day and also at dusk:

• If you wear earbuds while you exercise, be extra-careful about traffic, because you may not hear a vehicle approaching.

• Walk facing traffic. This is especially important if there is no sidewalk and you need to walk in the road.

• Do not cross the street from between two parked cars. Go to the crosswalk, where you are much safer.

• Get off your phone and watch where you're going. I can't emphasize this enough.

• When it's dark outside, wear reflective clothing or carry a flashlight so you can be seen.
- Henry H., Pebble Beach, Calif.

Manicure maintenance

Dear Heloise: I love having a FRENCH MANICURE, and I like it to look good for as long as possible, but occasionally the white edges get scratched. When this happens, I get out my correction fluid, touch up the scratch, then apply a clear coat, and no one can tell the difference. - Mary Ann in Wyoming

GARLIC AND TEA BALLS

Dear Heloise: My husband hates biting into a chunk of garlic, so instead of tossing the cloves directly into a soup or stew that I'm cooking, I put them in a tea ball and drop it into the pot. All the flavor but none of the chunks. - Angela J. in Utah

NEW USE FOR OLD PANTYHOSE

Dear Heloise: My husband is in the military, and he has to keep his dress shoes shiny, so he used my old pantyhose to buff them. Turns out they're great for shining dress shoes. Who knew? - Sarah M., Albuquerque, N.M.

BIRD FEEDER

Dear Heloise: Instead of throwing away cardboard toilet paper rolls, I smear peanut butter on them, then roll them in seeds and hang them from branches for the birds to eat. - May T., Keswick, Va.


GET YOUR SOCKS TOGETHER

Dear Heloise: I think my washing machine eats my socks. I'm always losing one sock, so when I go to match up my socks after washing them, I seem to be one sock short. Help! - Bob S., via email
Bob, this is an easy one: Just take a safety pin and pin two matching socks together. Do this with all of your socks before you wash and dry them. - Heloise

LOOK IT UP

Dear Heloise: I keep my phone by my side. When I come across a word I don't know or haven't heard before, I quickly look it up. Then I try to use the word in a sentence. This works great! - Kevin R., age 11, in Virginia

SIGNALING DEVICE

Dear Heloise: My son went out of the house and walked onto the driveway. Then I needed him back inside. My keys were in sight, so I pushed the "panic" button. That got his attention, and he came inside to see what I needed. I'm 98 years old, so he figured that it might be important. I love your hints every day in the Pekin Times. - Nelda M., Pekin, Ill.

Nelda, this is a good system to use for safety's sake. Hugs to you and your son! - Heloise

INTERNET DESERT

Dear Heloise: Some of us live in an "internet desert": We can't afford the equipment or the coverage. "We the People" who helped companies succeed for decades (pre-online) are getting treated terribly. Any company that no longer has a human answering the phone no longer gets my business. - Joy E., Lake Milton, Ohio

Joy, I understand, and you're not alone. Read on:
"Dear Heloise: I do a lot of writing to companies when I have questions. Would you please ask companies to put their street address on the package?" - A Reader in Ohio

EASY DIP

Dear Heloise: Low-fat sour cream, yogurt or cottage cheese mixes nicely with a packet of onion soup mix to make a delicious dip for veggies, pretzels or chips. - Ann H. in Texas

TEXT MESS

Dear Heloise: What do you think of texting while walking? - Camilla G., age 12, Grand Rapids, Mich.
Camilla, it may seem harmless, but walking while looking down at your cellphone can be dangerous and can lead to serious accidents.
Fact is, we're not wired to focus on a phone and the road at the same time. A study shows that people looking down at their phones are more likely to do something careless - like walking into the street without looking.
Always think "safety first." If you need to text your friend or your mom, stop, sit on a bench, send your text and then put your phone away. - Heloise

(c)2019 by King Features Syndicate Inc.