Breaking News

Uncategorized

Living under the threat of divorce

Dear Annie: I am a 69-year-old man who is still totally and madly in love with my wife of 49 years. I know many people would say I’m foolish for feeling this way after she cheated on me several times during the early years of our marriage. At the time, I blamed myself. We were young, I felt responsible for providing for our growing family, and I threw myself into work. I came from a broken home, and my wife came from poverty. I was determined that neither of us would ever go through that again. Looking back, I think my long hours may have left her feeling lonely. After that, I made ...

Avoiding unnecessary purchases

Dear Heloise: I used to come home from the store, only to realize I’d bought spices that I already had tucked away in the cupboard. To solve this problem, I came up with an easy system that works every time. Whenever I buy a new container of a spice that I already own, I place a rubber band around the older container. This way, when I look in my spice cabinet, I can quickly see that I have a backup and don’t need to buy more. The rubber band acts as a simple visual reminder, saving me from buying duplicates and wasting money. This method doesn’t require labels, lists or special ...

Seeking rest and relaxation at last

Dear Annie: My husband and I are at a full-blown spring break standoff, and the kids are watching it like it’s a sport. He wants to take our two kids skiing. He’s already talking about “fresh powder,” early lift tickets and how this is the perfect chance to make “core memories.” He grew up skiing, and it’s his happy place. I can see how excited he is, and I’m not trying to be the villain who cancels joy. But I want to go somewhere warm. Not “a light jacket” warm, but genuinely warm. Sun. Sand. The kind of weather where you can sit outside with coffee and feel your ...

Flowers are ‘for the dead’

Dear Heloise: While I agree with Daniel D.’s mother that flowers are best enjoyed by the living, I had to share with you that my late mom said “flowers are for the dead” when, as a kid, I presented her with a bouquet (from her garden). However, later in life, she really did seem to enjoy the birthday and Mother’s Day arrangements that I would send when I couldn’t be present to spend the day with her. -- Lori, in Central Texas Lori, whenever I visited someone and stayed at their home, I arranged to have flowers sent to my hosts as thanks for their hospitality. Everyone I knew ...

Barie wins Rail Jam championship

Submitted photo/information On Feb. 8, Grace Barie from New Ulm won a Minnesota State Championship in the Rail Jam competition at Hyland Park in Bloomington, Minnesota at the Minnesota State High School Snowboard & Freeski Championship.

Politics is harming our healthy friendship

Dear Annie: I’m a 64-year-old woman who thought making new friends at my age would be simple: find someone kind, show up, bring snacks, repeat. A few months ago, I met “Jill” at a community class. We clicked right away. She’s funny in that dry, smart way that makes you feel like you’re in on the joke. After class we started lingering in the parking lot, then grabbing coffee, then texting little updates like teenagers. She even came over one night when my pipes froze and stood in my kitchen holding a flashlight while I tried to pretend I knew what I was doing. I left that ...