Breaking News

Columns

How Do You Know When You Really Need Blood Pressure Meds?

DEAR DR. ROACH: I’m a 71-year-old female who is basically in good health. I am active and still working. I usually walk 3 miles per day, five days per week, and try to stay limber by doing strength training and stretching to enhance my health. I eat healthy with low salt and hardly any caffeine. I tend to have high reactions to drugs. How do you know when you really need blood pressure medicine? I have received conflicting advice. For example, I have been told that blood pressure is a cycle in that it is lowest when sleeping, rises in the morning and continues to rise during the day ...

Long-Ago Divorce Remains Source of Constant Criticism

DEAR ABBY: I desperately need to learn how to cope with caring for my mother, who is living with me. We get along most days, however she is very much a “Negative Nancy” on all topics, especially my life. I have been divorced for more than 10 years, but she digs about my ex and his new wife as often as possible. I have asked her repeatedly to stop, but she flat-out refuses because “he left me in financial ruin.” Yes, my ex is more financially stable today than when we were married, but I am neither desolate nor destitute. She makes me feel like no matter what I do for her ...

Save Those Jars

Dear Heloise: When I am finished with a jar containing spaghetti sauce, olives or another food product, I wash it out, remove the label, rinse and dry. I have a small box of clean jars to put flowers in to deliver to my friends or people in care centers. They do not have to worry about returning the “vase.” I recycle the lids rather than throwing them in the trash. Some lids can be used for spoon holders while cooking or for other messy activities. — Pat Rittscher, Webster City, Iowa NANA DOGS Dear Heloise: I had to write and tell you that my favorite thing to do with leftover ...

Wife Looks for Words to Heal Man Cut Down By His Mother

DEAR ABBY: My husband’s mother recently told him he no longer matters to her because he is an atheist. His mother is supposedly a Christian, but she rarely acts like one. It has left my husband devastated and feeling more lonely than ever. I can’t find the right words to comfort him when he’s going through something I haven’t got a clue about. How do I empathize with him to let him know he did nothing wrong and that he never deserved to have those words thrown at him by his own mother? It infuriates me, but I don’t think it would be right for me to step in and talk to her ...

Care Bags

Dear Readers: In tough economic times, it’s not uncommon to see people who may be down on their luck and out on the street asking for money. It can put you in a tough spot — you don’t want to see someone go hungry, but at the same time, you don’t want to give them cash. Here’s a great way to help people who are genuinely in need, especially those who ask for help at traffic lights or near shopping centers. Put together care bags. They can be a gallon-size plastic bag that can contain a granola bar, potted meat, peanut butter crackers, toothpaste, toothbrush, gloves in ...

Man Pines For Wife Who Left Without Giving An Explanation

DEAR ABBY: My wife left me a little over two years ago, and I can’t seem to get over it. All she said was that we had an “emotional disconnect.” I don’t believe she was unfaithful. All I can think about is being with her, and I cringe if I think about her being with someone else. I’m a professional with a good career and pension, and I have been approached by some nice women who would like to date. How can I get over my feelings for my ex? — LONELY IN THE PLAINS DEAR LONELY: Have you been getting out and participating in leisure activities since your wife left? That would ...