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When pregnancy tests relationships

Dear Annie: I’m struggling badly with something that occurred over a week and a half ago. I’m a mom. My son is 15. I’ve been dating a man for two years now, but I’ve known him for over six. He has no kids and has always expressed his interest in becoming a dad. A year ago, we decided to try for a baby, but I was a bit hesitant considering my son is 15 and I was 35. In my head, that’s kind of old, particularly for me because I’m not very healthy. I have sickle cell disease, so I’d capped my latest age to give birth at 32. He’s a good man to me, and my son’s very fond ...

How to better clean your walls

Dear Readers: Make sure to dust your walls before cleaning them. Wash from the bottom up so that the drips won’t make their marks. Clean small areas at a time, then rinse and dry before moving on to another area. -- Heloise DOES COFFEE STUNT GROWTH? Dear Heloise: You had a letter about cutting the crusts off of bread and other cooking practices. Growing up, I was told that eating bread crusts would make my hair curly. It never did, but I still love to eat them. I was also told that if I drank coffee, I wouldn’t grow. My parents (being Swedes) were great coffee drinkers, so ...

Respecting boundaries and bridging gaps

Dear Annie: We have neighbors who reside in a cul-de-sac that is at the rear of our property. Our property is located on a U-shaped half-mile neighborhood, which is ideal for walking. Over time, these neighbors have chosen to repeatedly cut through our property on an almost daily basis to facilitate their walking routine. It’s gotten to the point where these neighbors act as if they are “entitled” to treat our property as a public gateway from their neighborhood to ours. I would note that there was a time when we had friendly interactions with these neighbors; but today, they cut ...

Substituting onions for leeks

Dear Heloise: I just graduated from college, and I’m in my first apartment. I am teaching myself how to cook and have bought a couple of cookbooks. I’ve discovered that I really like leeks in a number of dishes. I was wondering if I can substitute green onions for leeks if the grocery store is out of leeks? -- Chad K., Wilmington, Illinois Chad, well, yes, you can. But there will be a slight difference in the flavor of the dish you prepare. Leeks have a rather subtle flavor once they are cooked, and they are almost always cooked in various dishes. Green onions have a sharper taste ...

Missouri meanderings

Missouri is the Show Me State, so when my wife and I recently visited Kansas City we decided to see what Missouri had to show us. We pointed our car at Springfield, the third most populous city in Missouri. Upon arriving at our hotel, we were told that our room wouldn’t be ready for several hours. All I can say about this is that my wife is the type of person who believes that if you aren’t early, you’re late. We asked the clerk if there was anything that one could do in Springfield for a few hours, and she immediately recommended a visit to the Bass Pro Shops. This sounded ...

Gifts of love: Creating memories and teaching values

Dear Readers: Many of you wrote in with tips on encouraging children to focus less on material items. Thank you for sharing these terrific suggestions. Here are some of my favorite letters: Dear Annie: I just read your letter from “Caught in the Middle,” the parent whose daughter is being spoiled by her grandparents and is looking for a polite way to call off the gifts. The letter writer should follow your advice and encourage her mother to start giving memories instead of presents. She should get on the floor with her granddaughter and play with her. Whether it’s having a tea ...