Q. How could I write the queen of England? I have followed the news about her since I was a child and would like to send her one of my personal handmade greeting cards.
-- Bernadette Kimutis, of Swansea
A. Address your envelope to Her Majesty the Queen, Buckingham Palace, London SW1A 1AA, United Kingdom, and send it on its jolly good way.
Ye royale staff suggests that you open the letter with "Madam" and use "madam" or "ma'am" throughout. (She reportedly doesn't care for the stuffy "Your Majesty.")
If you were a British citizen, you'd close with "I have the honour to be, Madam, Your Majesty's humble and obedient servant." But since you're American a simple "Respectfully yours" or "Sincerely yours" would be quite nice
Here's the good news: You may have a good chance of receiving a reply. They say it is likely the queen will read your letter and either dictate an answer or ask that one be written by one of her ladies in waiting or private secretary. Wouldn't that add a crowning touch to your creative ways?
Q. On Monday, they said this was going to be Carol Daniel's last week on KMOV-TV's "Great Day St. Louis." Why? Is she staying on KMOX?
-- C.H., of Belleville
A. If you've ever heard this ball of energy on TV, radio or even those Don Rodgers ads, you could guess she's not the retiring type -- and she's not.
But she apparently has so many irons in the fire that she announced on Twitter that she is leaving "Great Day," where she has been a mainstay since its start in 2008.
"It's been a blessing to add television talk show host to my resume," she wrote. "I will really miss seeing the staff weekly but I won't miss worrying about my wardrobe and makeup quite as much."
Instead, Daniel, who, with her husband, Patrick, moved from O'Fallon to Caseyville two years ago, is getting ready to release her new book, "All I Ever Wanted: Relationships, Marriage, Family." She will discuss and sign the book from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Feb. 27 at the St. Louis Public Library at 1301 Olive St.
She and her husband also volunteer in the Journey to Oneness Couples Ministry at the New Life in Christ Interdenominational Church in Lebanon. And, Carol, who turns 51 on March 27, has no intention of turning off her mike at the 50,000 red-hot watts of KMOX.
"I am NOT, NOT leaving KMOX radio where I've been a news anchor, reporter and host since 1995," she emphasized on her Facebook page, where you'll find a heartwarming picture of her and the man she met at a New Year's Eve party some 20 years ago.
Q. I've noticed that the MITRE sign on the office building at the corner of Air Mobility and Siebert near Scott Air Force Base is gone. Why?
-- George Taylor
A. Boy, wouldn't that be a stunner to find that MITRE Corp., which just cut the ribbon on that 22,000-square-foot building last May 3, would fold up less than a year later.
Not to worry. I'm told that for "business reasons" the MITRE sign was taken off the building and shipped back to the not-for-profit company, which has headquarters in Bedford, Mass., and McLean, Va. The company, which provides systems engineering and information technology support to the government, says it soon will be replaced by a free-standing sign on the ground.
Q. On eastbound Illinois 15 near the O.C. Joseph dealership there's a sign that says "Lindenwood University next left." What???
-- B.G., of Mascoutah
A. You apparently haven't had the pleasure of driving over Belleville's newest "freeway" -- the 17th Street extension. If you did turn left at the Belleville West Parkway and then right at the T intersection, you'd follow the road to 17th and Main. Turn left, go seven blocks and you're at Lindenwood.
I suppose it's just a handy alert for strangers coming to the area for the first time and looking for a quick route -- much like you see signs for Webster University on I-44, even though the school is a mile down the road on Big Bend.
Today's trivia
How did the foodborne pathogen known as salmonella get its name?
Answer to Wednesday's trivia: You've probably heard cooks say, "Yes, I added wine to the recipe, but don't worry, the alcohol burns off." Is it true? Not totally, according to a study by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Even a dish that has been baked or simmered for an hour retains 25 percent of the original alcohol that was stirred into it. It can be much more for other preparation methods or shorter cooking times. For a detailed look, go to www.ochef.com/165.htm.
Send your questions to Roger Schlueter, Belleville News-Democrat, 120 S. Illinois St., P.O. Box 427, Belleville, IL 62222-0427 or rschlueter@bnd.com
