Dear Heloise: Maybe you can help me. I infer from reading your column in the Omaha World-Herald that you have an affinity for pets. This leads me to ask you what may be an unanswerable question. I’m a widowed nonagenarian who yearns for a cuddly comfort. Although she’s been deceased for nearly seven years, I still feel so attached to my wife of 63 years that I don’t want a new romance. But I love dogs. I’d love to have a miniature Goldendoodle to snuggle up next to me. I would enjoy the companionship and having a loving, nurturing, living being beside me.

The problem is that in my old age, I have a heart issue that makes it impossible for me to take it for walks. Our winter and stormy times are additionally prohibitive for walking outdoors. I live in a senior living apartment, so I don’t have a fenced-in yard.

I’m an old, retired pastor who doesn’t feel like he can afford to hire someone to walk the dog. So, is there a solution for me? Or should I give up the dream? Thank you. You bless a lot of lives. — J. Keith C., via email

J., it seems that at this stage of life, a dog is not really the answer. They have vet bills, need to be walked, and need to have a caretaker if you are not there to take care of them. They also need to be bathed and groomed.

However, one of my readers told me that she sleeps with a fairly large-sized teddy bear so that she can cuddle with it at night. Another reader said she uses a long pillow that is almost as long as she is so that she can wrap herself around the pillow.

Readers, do any of you know of a solution that works for you or someone else you know? Write to Heloise@Heloise.com. — Heloise

HINT FOR DRY-ERASE BOARDS

Dear Heloise: I’m not sure if many of your readers can use this tip, but I have a dry-erase board that I use for working at home. I know some use it for family schedules. Over the years, I tried dry-erase sponges and cleaners that never quite got the ink off. Recently, I was out of sponges, so I tried using a Kleenex; it got everything off perfectly and even left it shining!

I always learn a lot from your column, which I read in the Plain Dealer. — Susanne S., in Shaker Heights, Ohio

DONATE BAGS

Dear Heloise: Please ask your readers to save their plastic bags for the local food bank. We constantly need bags of all kinds — paper, plastic, canvas — anything that can hold food for our clients to carry home. Additionally, egg cartons are very helpful as we buy eggs in bulk, then divide them into smaller portions in cartons. — Jennifer W., via email

WHEN STORING A WILL

Dear Heloise: I have to disagree with Ken F., in Nebraska, who suggested placing wills and funeral instructions in safety deposit boxes.

If the co-personal representative for the deceased is a co-owner of the box, they may be able to get access. But if they are just a cosigner on the box, then their access ends after the owner of the safety deposit box dies. The safety deposit box is usually sealed until a court appoints a personal representative (an executor), who presents a death certificate and a court order to the bank.

If the will and funeral instructions are in the safety deposit box, they will not be readily available if they’re stored this way. I learned this the hard way after my parents’ deaths. — Ruth D., in Louisiana

SEND A GREAT HINT TO: Heloise@Heloise.com