Dear Readers: Today’s SOUND OFF is about visitors and visiting hours at hospitals.

— Heloise

“Dear Heloise: As an RN in a busy hospital, we often need to ask people to leave so the patient can get some rest, or to take a crying, sometimes screaming, toddler out of the hospital. We have patients who are very ill, and they need peace and quiet to recover.

“If a patient is dying, we gladly allow family members to stay in the room IF they are quiet and do not have a child under the age of 14 with them. Sometimes nurses are asked to ‘keep an eye’ on someone’s child, but we’re so busy with our duties and patients that we cannot assume that responsibility.”

— Lisa W. in Buffalo

FAST FACTS

Dear Readers: Here are some uses for extra buttons:

* Teach children to make jewelry out of them by stringing them together.

* Use to decorate gift packages.

* Use as decoration on clothing.

* If you have enough of one kind, change out buttons on an old garment to give it a new look.

— Heloise

TOAD IN THE GARDEN

Dear Heloise: So many gardens benefit from having a toad or two to keep down pests. They’ll eat insects and will even devour slugs. A small pond or just a shallow dish of water will keep them happy and safe, but also provide some type of shelter, such as a clay pot on its side.

— Fred D., Southfield, Mich.

MOVING CACTUS PLANTS

Dear Heloise: I need to move my cactus plants from a small planter to my garden, but I don’t know how to transplant them without getting hurt.

— Kathleen M.,

Los Gatos, Calif.

Kathleen, use tongs to gently lift the cactus out of the old pot and into the new location. Use the tongs to keep the cactus upright as you spoon dirt around the cactus roots. The back of the spoon or a trowel can be used to press the dirt down around the roots.

— Heloise

RISOTTO VERSUS RICE

Dear Heloise: What is the difference between risotto and rice?

— Jim Y., Lawton, Okla.

Jim, risotto usually is made from Arborio rice. The name “risotto” is that of a finished dish, and not the rice itself. Risotto is made by quickly sauteing the rice in olive oil or butter, followed by adding some stock and stirring continuously until the rice absorbs the stock, at which time a little more stock is added and stirred for about 20 to 30 minutes. Generally, meats, fish or vegetables are added to this Italian dish.

— Heloise

NEW LIFE FOR OLD TEAPOT

Dear Heloise: I have an old teapot that was given to me by my great-grandmother, but I dropped the lid, which broke into many pieces. I put a plant in the teapot, and it now grows on the windowsill in the kitchen.

— Patty G., Lincoln, Neb.

SEND A GREAT HINT TO:

Heloise

P.O. Box 795000

San Antonio, TX 78279-5000

Fax: 1-210-HELOISE

Email: Heloise(at)Heloise.com