Dear Heloise: I have a friend who lives in a lovely home in a warm, humid climate. She employees housekeepers who help her keep it lovely. However, she began smelling a strong, awful odor, and she and her helpers searched all over to try to find out where it was coming from. She finally decided to call a handyman to see if he could figure it out.

Sure enough, he found a dead possum in the attic! He kindly removed it, and before leaving, he asked her if she had any baking soda. She handed him a full box from her cupboard, and he climbed back up into the attic and dumped the whole box all over the area where the “body” had been. The odor went away after a day or two, and the handyman found the possum’s entry point and did his handyman magic! — Caroline Reid, via email

COMMANDING DOGS

Dear Heloise: I have a better option for controlling dogs for Rick L. — training. A well-trained dog is a royal pleasure. A poorly trained dog is a royal pain. The walker should be able to control the dog with just a command.

I have trained two dogs who obey me like good soldiers. I have even trained cows and sheep to some extent. It does not depend on the weight of the animal, nor the strength of the human. — Louis Richter, Reseda, California

PREVENT LOSS OF WIRELESS BUDS

Dear Heloise: I have wireless earbuds and feared losing them while traveling on an airplane. I’ve had people tell me of the times their ear buds fell on the airplane floor.

So, I use an eyeglass holder, cord or chain that has a loop at the end and is designed to fit on the earpieces of eyeglasses. I put the loops on the buds’ stems. — Barbara Silva, Mission Viejo, California

MORE PEANUT BUTTER SANDWICHES

Dear Heloise: My mother sent me to elementary school with peanut butter sandwiches at least once a week when we lived in Iowa and Nebraska. I still enjoy peanut butter spread on both slices of bread, then one slice covered with little discs of sweet pickles.

I never miss your column. Thanks to you and my newspaper for continuing to run it. — Jacque, in Elkins, Arkansas

EARRING STORAGE

Dear Heloise: I like to use small seven-day pill boxes to sort and store my earrings. — J.W., in Ohio

RINSING THE DISHWASHER

Dear Heloise: It takes a few days for me to fully load my dishwasher. Intermittently, I run the rinse-and-hold cycle. It’s a hot-water rinse and a great way to minimize the buildup of plastic residue from the gel packs. — S.H., in California

PET PAL

Dear Heloise: This is Gypsy. We got her from a pet store over eight years ago. She was skinny and scared, and she hardly had any hair. We were told she was rescued from a not-so-great home environment that ended up catching on fire. She’s always kept to herself and has been timid toward people.

Finally, in the past six months, she has become more of a social butterfly and will spend the majority of her day with us. She now loves treats and cuddles. — Jillian Rosano, via email

Readers, to see Gypsy and our other Pet Pals, go to Heloise.com and click on “Pet of the Week.”

Do you have a furry friend to share with our readers? Send a photo and a brief description to Heloise@Heloise.com. — Heloise