Breaking News

Columns

Mom Working Swing Shift Is Pressured to Stay on the Job

DEAR ABBY: My hubby and I come from very different backgrounds. He grew up in a community where all the moms had to work. I grew up in one where most of the moms did not. Our marriage was perfect until we had a baby. After our first child was born, my hubby made clear that it was unacceptable for me to leave my career or reduce my working hours. I never realized I would have the desire to be a stay-at-home mom or work part-time until I became a mom. For the last several years, I have chosen to work swing shifts so I can be available for my children during the mornings. But this has ...

After 44 Years, Breast Implant Ruptures, Causing Concern

DEAR DR. ROACH: I’m 73 and had silicone implants put in when I was 29. Other than getting firm, I’ve never had a problem with them. I have had a mammogram every year since I was 45 and all has been well except for this year, when the right implant showed up as ruptured. This was five months ago. I’ve had three opinions, two from plastic surgeons and one from my primary doctor, that I should replace. Please convince me that I need to do this when I have no pain and they are so encapsulated that the silicone is going nowhere. Also, it’s expensive, I’m a senior and I don’t ...

Ex Comes Back For a Second Chance After Being Rejected

DEAR ABBY: My ex had a prior relationship with my cousin “Earl.” When she talked about her past relationships, a common theme emerged. Her partners were emotionally abusive — cheating, berating her, throwing rage fits where they screamed in her face and threw things. My own history is similar. My partners have done the same to me. (I do not engage in such behavior.) Earl told her he still has feelings for her, despite the emotional abuse he had inflicted upon her. I confronted him and told him that what he did was inappropriate. Abby, when she heard about it, she dumped me and ...

Living With Ex-Husband Goes From Bad to Worse

DEAR ABBY: Although I have been divorced from my ex for eight years, we still live together. There is not — nor will there ever be — more than a platonic relationship between us, and I have made that abundantly clear to him. It wasn't always a bad situation, but now it's worse than I could have ever imagined it would be. He drinks heavily on a daily basis and becomes verbally abusive. He has a woman over a lot, and I can't sleep when she's here. She's a drunk, too, and she also abuses her prescription medications. At least half the time when she's here, I have to lift her ...

Shopping With Security

Dear Heloise: It’s peak holiday shopping season. The stores may not be as crowded as they were in years past, due to the global pandemic of COVID, but we are still shopping. What are some hints you can share with your readers for safety in the big-box retail stores? My favorite hint is to buckle my handbag into my shopping basket so no one can reach in and grab it; I also keep the bag’s zipper closed. — Helen T. in Texas Great hint, Helen. Be aware. Pickpockets often work in teams of two or three. One person may ask you a question or bump into you or your shopping cart to ...

Man Says Machismo Made Him Give In to Divorce Demand

DEAR ABBY: I was married to my wife for 29 years, and I have now been divorced for two. I have tried to move on, but I can’t because I still love her. She initiated the divorce because she thought I cheated on her. I didn’t fight her because I was too macho. I don’t know if I miss her or feel sorry for myself because I haven’t been with a woman in more than two years. I’m attracted to women who are at least 15 years younger than me or who are married. I have been on two dating sites for almost a year and even moved back to the state where my ex-wife lives hoping that one ...