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Luck of the Irish on St. Patrick’s Day

Saint Patrick’s Day is a holiday that involves wearing green and drinking green beer. If taken to an extreme, the green beer part can cause you to actually turn green. Not that I have any experience with that, mind you. I can’t wear a “Kiss me, I’m Irish!” button on St. Patrick’s Day or any other day. According to 23AndMe I am 100% Norwegian, which confirms that I’m the whitest guy on the planet. My wife is a genetic mishmash. While the bulk of her DNA is from Germany, France, and Holland, she also has a smattering of genes from Eastern Europe and the United Kingdom. ...

Making peace with family estrangement

Dear Annie: Sixteen years ago, I separated from my wife, as we were headed toward a divorce. Her father, “Bob,” just lost it; he was so angry over the divorce. He swore to me that he would do everything he could and spend his last dime to take my sons away from me. He did his best to ruin my career, to no avail. However, through paying for cruises (seven to date), much money spent and careful manipulation, he has been able to take my sons away from me. My oldest son texted me five years ago to say his life was better off without me, and he has not spoken to me since. My younger son ...

Dear Heloise: I just wanted to give a friendly reminder to consider donating clean, gently used towels to your local veterinary clinics. I have also spotted a great towel sale and bought a bunch for a nearby clinic. Their need is incredible. Believe me, they will be so grateful. As a side note, some clinics may accept unused pet meds (still within their expiration date) as long as it is in the prescribing bottle. This goes for special shampoos as well. Please call first, though, as guidelines may vary. In some cities, there’s a specific group that accepts pet meds, and your local vet ...

NEW ULM – The New Ulm Film Society is continuing its legal drama series with a screening of “The Crucible.” The screening begins at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 12.  “The Crucible” is not typically cited as a legal drama, though it centers on one of the most infamous trials in history; the Salem Witch Trials.  In 1692, the town of Salem, Massachusetts was plagued with accusations of witchcraft. Several townsfolk in the puritan community were accused of cavorting with the devil. Many citizens were put on trial and forced to make false confessions under pains of torture. In the ...

Minnesotans should have final say on the new state flag and seal

Friends and neighbors: Our state flag and seal have represented the people of Minnesota for generations, but in just one session, members of the majority party decided to get rid of our current state flag and seal. The new state flag and seal came about through a provision in last year’s state government finance budget bill, which created the State Emblems Redesign Commission. As a result, a group of thirteen unelected people were brought together to redesign our state emblems. Though I have heard from members of our community that they are unhappy with the final designs ...

Good friend insists on reciprocating gifts

Dear Annie: I have a longtime friend who has serious trouble with gifts. It is very difficult to give her anything because she insists on “evening the score” by responding with a gift back to the giver. For instance, we comfortably exchanged token holiday gifts at my place, but my husband learned she liked a certain special candy we had on hand, so he gave her a box. She tried to turn down this gift and even checked on her phone to see what it had cost. Two days later, she showed up at our condo with a beautiful but unexpected handmade item she had just created for us (she is a ...