DEAR ABBY: I was married recently but kept my maiden name. As wedding gifts, we received two sets of towels monogrammed with my husband's last initial, and a plaque for the front of the house -- "House of (his last name), Established 2012."
While we appreciate this generosity, I'm sure we will not put the items to use. (The plaque was from a close family member on my husband's side who knew I would be keeping my name.) How do we handle this? -- PERPLEXED NEWLYWED IN CLEVELAND
DEAR PERPLEXED: Here's how: Consign the plaque to your husband's man-cave (or toss it), use the towels for something other than display, and write a gracious thank-you to the family members who gave them to you for their thoughtfulness.