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Twins Are Divided Over Mom’s Treatment for Terminal Cancer

DEAR ABBY: My 63-year-old mother has recently been diagnosed with stage-4 metastatic lung cancer. Even prior to her diagnosis she was a negative and depressed person. She has been a smoker, drinker and backseat driver for almost 50 years. She has undergone intense radiation but is refusing to take her chemo pill. In her words, why should she prolong her life by another year, especially if it causes more side effects and won’t cure her? My twin and I are her only children. She has no significant life partner, and there are no grandkids. While I have kept in steady contact and ...

Savvy Senior: How to Track Down Old Friends Online

Dear Savvy Senior, I’m interested in tracking down some old friends I’ve lost touch with over the years but could use some help. What websites can you recommend that can help me find them? Tracking Tom Dear Tom, Thanks to the Internet, tracking down long-lost friends from many years ago is relatively easy to do and, in most cases, it won’t cost you a cent. Here are some tips and online tools to help you get started. Remembering the Details Before you begin your search, a good first step is to jot down any information you can remember or find out about the people ...

The Hall Closet aka The Phone Booth

I know what you’re thinking. The photo accompanying this column is of — well — a sampling of some ugly wallpaper from the 1960s. Patriotic wallpaper was in vogue during the ‘60s as evidenced by this pattern that my mother slapped on the walls of a large closet located in the ...

Blue and white china is one of the most popular collectibles ever. With its clean look and easy to use style, this is no surprise. Blue and white china can be incorporated into so many decorating schemes, and for those lacking a motif, blue and white is an easy way to make a decorating statement. My first attraction to blue and white china was when as a child, I received a sweet little plastic blue and white bulb holder dish one winter. This cheap imitation, decorated with Holland scenes, was perfect for the bulbs that were housed in it and watching the color of a spring bulb ...

Must Son Wait Until He’s 50 to Get Shingles Vaccine?

DEAR DR. ROACH: In your recent column referring to the shingles vaccine, you do not mention younger adults. My son had a very bad case of chickenpox when he was only 6 months old. He is now 40 years old, and earlier this year had an attack of shingles that affected the area behind his ear. He wanted to get the shingles vaccine to hopefully avoid a repeat of this and was told he was too young and would have to wait until he is 50 to get it. Is he to remain susceptible to this for another 10 years? What is your opinion on this situation? — L.C. ANSWER: The shingles vaccine has only ...

One-Upmanship Habit Tests Limits of Woman’s Friendship

DEAR ABBY: I have a good friend I’ll call Josie. She’s kind, generous and always willing to help. There is only one problem — she lies. The lies she tells are ridiculous. I find myself getting more and more angry as she stumbles through her stories. If someone makes a comment, she takes over the conversation and we hear a looong story about the same thing happening to her but much worse. I could say I climbed Mount Everest and Josie would say she climbed it twice. What can I say or do to get her to stop lying? I’m so tired of it I’m thinking of quietly ending my friendship ...