Parents should keep kids' vaccination records

Dear Heloise: I hope you don't mind if I add something about medical records: I urge all parents to keep a copy of their children's vaccination records. We had a painful experience with a medical provider going bankrupt; some of the records vanished and were never found.

Thank goodness I had those yellow booklets with my children's inoculation histories to give to the new doctor, or heaven knows how I'd have verified them for school. — Jackie H., Brea, Calif.

How right you are! I still have my yellow shot record, too! Readers, do you have a list or even know what inoculations you have had? Think about it.

— Heloise

Dear Heloise: I have some old coins: pennies, dimes and nickels. How do I clean the buildup on them so that I can see the dates more clearly? — Martha Lambert, via e-mail

Martha, doing some updated research, it is best not to clean old or valuable coins, because you might damage them. Rare-coin collectors would want the coin in its natural state. So when in doubt, do no harm.

But, if you have coins that are not old or valuable, just change from your pocket, you can wash them in a solution of mild liquid soap and water, rub with your fingers or a sponge, rinse and then pat dry. Do not use baking soda or any abrasive powders, as these will scratch the coins.

Thank you for writing!

— Heloise

Dear Heloise: The subdivision I live in has curbside recycling for paper, plastic and cans, but glass is not picked up.

I labeled three large cat-litter containers (the ones with lids) with "green," "brown" and "clear," and store my empty glass in them.

When they're full, I can pick them up with the handles and take them to the recycler. They're out of the way, the containers can be stacked, and the glass stays clean. — Lillian S., Sugar Land, Texas

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