DEAR HARRIETTE: I recently have become friends with a group of older women. We get along great and have had some wonderful conversations and enjoyable times hanging out together.

• Believe it or not, one of the most dangerous things your pet can eat isn’t a food at all: It’s the bag your favorite chips or snack foods come packaged in. When you’re done eating your BBQ potato chips, a few remnants of the snack remain in the bag. If you leave the bag where your dog can find it, they’ll naturally stick their head in. A Facebook page called “Prevent a Pet Suffocation” says many animals actually suffocate when they trap themselves in the bag and are unable to breathe. To prevent this, simply cut the bottom of the bag open before throwing it away.

DEAR HARRIETTE: A few weeks ago, I had a really embarrassing accident at work. I tripped in the office and split my pants right in front of my colleagues. On top of that, I sprained my ankle in the fall, so I had to take some time off to recover. While I was out, I kept imagining everyone replaying that moment in their minds, and I worried about what they thought of me.

Hello, dear readers! Welcome to a bonus letters column. We have several interesting questions to address, so we’ll get right to them.