She wants to go down the aisle with her daughter

DEAR ABBY: I am getting married to the man of my dreams, "Jon," next month. I have a 6-year-old daughter from a previous relationship, and she told me she would like to walk me down the aisle instead of being our flower girl. I love the idea, and so does Jon.

I will have to talk to my dad about it, because I know he was looking forward to it although we do not have a close relationship. How do I communicate to him in an appropriate way that my daughter will walk me down the aisle and not him?

- Confused Bride-To-Be

DEAR CONFUSED: Because you aren't close to your father, this may not come as a shock to him. However, if he was asked to walk you down the aisle, he may be very hurt and it could cause a rift.

Be as diplomatic as possible when you break the news. Start by saying, "I was talking about the wedding with little 'Jennifer,' and she came up with an idea Jon and I think is adorable. Instead of being our flower girl, she wants to walk me down the aisle. We feel it would bring our little family even closer together. I hope you don't mind."

DEAR ABBY: I have a small home-based business making baking extracts that I sell at our local farmers market. Occasionally, a patron will look over my stock and ask me how I make them. I am unsure how to answer the question in a way that won't have a negative impact on future sales.

Baking extracts are not difficult to make, but the process is time-consuming and the ingredients are expensive. I don't want to give away the details of my production process, yet I don't know how to say so without seeming rude. Any ideas?

- Perplexed in the East

DEAR PERPLEXED: Smile at the questioner and reply, "That would be giving away trade secrets - but I can share one of them: I make them all with love."