DEAR READERS: Warm weather can put us in the mood to give back. How about volunteering with your kids or grandkids? Teaching children about volunteering can benefit them:
• Kids learn it feels good to share and give back; they are less likely to put value on material things.
• Kids can develop a heightened sense of self-worth by volunteering.
• When it's a family affair, kids are likely to continue volunteering into adulthood.
What are some ideas? Visiting kids in a hospital with toys and homemade cards; reaching out to kids whose parents are deployed or away from home; putting together care packages for kids and moms at homeless shelters; and there are tons of opportunities at animal shelters.
DEAR HELOISE: I'm reading the label of a bottle of "grape soda," and it's interesting. No grape juice. How does the flavor come to be? I called the company and the representative said the flavor comes from essential oils and extracts, which include fruits, spices, vegetables, herbs, roots and bark. So "natural" doesn't mean "healthy," but it doesn't mean "unsafe."
-- Roberta S. in Ohio
DEAR HELOISE: What does the flashing yellow traffic light mean?
-- A Reader in Pennsylvania
DEAR READER: It means slow down and be alert and careful in the intersection. You don't have to stop at a flashing yellow light.
The flashing yellow arrow indicates that you can turn left, but you must yield to oncoming traffic. A solid yellow light means prepare to slow down. It does not mean speed up through the intersection.
DEAR HELOISE: Cash boxes at weddings are popular for gifts of cash, checks and gift cards. I saw on the news that a man "crashed" a wedding (he was dressed up, so he blended in with the other guests), and he snuck over to the gift table, tucked the cash box (a decorated shoe box) under his jacket and walked out the door. The news station offered these hints:
• "Hire" a guest or a kid of a guest to watch the cash box.
• Use a large object to hold the monied envelopes: a large birdcage or lidded aquarium, for example.
• Make sure the venue has cameras.
-- Doreen T. in Arizona
Send a money- or time-saving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio, Texas 78279-5000; fax to (210) 435-6473; or email
Weekend on 04/18/2019