Answer Angel: Toe or no toe?

Ellen Warren, Tribune News Service on Jun 16, 2026

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Dear Answer Angel Ellen: What is the protocol for showing your naked toes in sandals?

--Francesca T.

Dear Francesca: Common sense and brutal honesty.

Our feet are in hiding much of the year so their appearance is easy to hide or forget about. Take a good hard look and if your toes are ungroomed or plain ugly, choose sandals that cover the toes. There are plenty of closed-toe sandal styles for women and men at every price point. You did not ask, but of course men can show off colorful polished toenails too. Anything goes if the toes are fit for public viewing.

Dear Answer Angel Ellen: This is a plea for a solution to what I think should be a simple consumer item found in many homes: a clock-radio. Nothing fancy. Just a simple clock that tells time in illuminated numbers large enough to see from the bed. It doesn’t even need to have an AM radio — FM-only is OK.

Now comes the hard part. I do not want to have to read the instruction manual every time I want to change the radio station, reset the time, turn the volume up or down or painlessly change stations. As you have probably guessed I am not a “digital native.” I’m in my 50s and proficient enough to use a computer, an iPhone, an iPad and a Kindle, but I can’t find an easy-to-use clock-radio that does not require a huge number of steps and gyrations to perform simple functions.

--Phillip N.

Dear Phillip: I feel your pain. At least you are not asking me to resolve the problem of needing three remotes to change the channel on your television! (I can’t.) After a lot of testing and checking various consumer websites (no help at all), I have an answer: DreamSky Alarm Clock Radio (FM only). I bought it on Amazon for $26.99. Yes, the instruction manual makes it look like a complicated machine. But take a deep breath and focus on your basic needs when setting the thing up and you’ll be fine.

Angelic Readers

Sue D. writes, “For your reader Carla J. who has trouble getting rings off due to swollen fingers, I wonder if she limited or reduced her salt intake, if her fingers wouldn’t swell. I know she mentioned that hot weather was the cause, however some people have an issue with swelling from fluid retention. I get bags under my eyes as well as swollen fingers after eating a wonderful kosher hot dog!” I know the feeling!

Eva M. says: “My jeweler gave me a great tip for removing a ring from a swollen finger: Spray Windex on ring and finger and voila!! Works like a charm!!” Bev K. says Windex has worked for her too—a trick she too learned from a jeweler. “I don’t know why it works but it does,” Bev says.

Veronica L. says olive oil does the trick for her: “It has saved our family more than a few trips to the emergency room.” Sandy P.’s solution: “What worked for me -- before I got my rings resized -- was easing them off while washing my hair. The conditioner did the trick every time.”

Alyce B. has a suggestion for petite reader Carol S. who can’t find jeans or pants with a large enough waist yet they flatter her narrow hips: “Try Gloria Vanderbilt Amanda-style jeans, pants and capris. They come in petite size and petite size short. I have them in several colors. They come in denim and regular pants material.”

Reader Rant

Laura M.’s gripe: “Why do companies feel the need to put shampoo, conditioner, body wash and so forth in bottles that you cannot squeeze. I literally have to put them on the edge of the tub and step on it with my foot to get the stuff out.” (From Ellen: Agree! The only solution I’ve found is to store the containers upside-down. Be sure to close them tightly first! You might need a hanging shower caddy to store them upside down for this to work for you.)