Columns

Presence of New Girlfriend Causes Added Pain For Ex

DEAR ABBY: My boyfriend of two years, “Kevin,” recently broke up with me. We’ve had problems in the past about me lying to him or withholding information. I didn’t lie because I’m an awful person. I lied because he had high expectations of me, and I didn’t want to be a disappointment. He is truly the first person I have loved unconditionally since the breakup with my child’s father five years ago. Kevin and I are still friends — sometimes with benefits — but he has moved on to another woman. I’m heartbroken, and it has taken a toll on me. When I visited him the ...

Decisions, Decisions!

The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has posed difficult decision making challenges for us as individuals as well as professionals and policy makers. Should the schools reopen? Should I send my children back to school if they do open? Should I go to my doctor or dentist office appointment? Should I have that mammogram or colonoscopy? Should I go to the barber shop or hair salon? Should meat-packing plants, movie theaters, amusement parks and other entities open? Should I dine indoors at a restaurant? When is it safe to shop for clothing or groceries, ride the bus or ...

Soak or Drip? Watering Advice For the Hot Season

August is the month for two garden W’s: weeding and watering. Regular attention to both keeps a vegetable or flower garden pretty and productive well into autumn. For now, let’s look at watering. It’s not necessarily less rain that makes soils drier in August; it’s August’s ...

Favorite Creole Roast Recipe

Dear Heloise: Having to stay at home more these past few months, we’ve been grilling more. I hear you have a recipe for grilling beef tenderloin, my favorite cut of meat. I’d like to give it a try. Will you please print that recipe? — Tommy in Arkansas Tommy, I have a wonderful recipe for beef tenderloin that’s sure to please! You’ll need for Creole Roast: 2 to 2 1/2 pounds of beef tenderloin 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 1 tablespoon snipped parsley or 1/2 to 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon pepper 1/4 teaspoon celery seed ...

Man Smitten by Second Cousin Hides Relationship From Wife

DEAR ABBY: Three months ago, my husband ran into a second cousin he hadn’t seen in 40 years. They were close for a short time during high school and saw each other a couple times after that. I was not aware until recently that he had looked her up on social media and has been communicating with her every day since then. I didn’t think much of it when he did tell me — until one night when he stayed on the computer with her until 3 a.m. He has lied to me about the number of times he has been online with her and, if she calls or texts, he tells me it is someone else. She sent ...

Co-signing A Loan

Dear Readers: What happens if someone you know, a friend or family member, asks you to co-sign a loan? Most financial advisers will discourage you from saying yes. Why? Let’s take a look. According to the Federal Trade Commission (www.ftc.gov), when you co-sign a loan, you are saying that regardless of any situation, this loan will be paid. But what if the borrower cannot pay and you don’t have the money to do so either? If the payment is late, fees and penalties can accrue, which will add to the amount owed. Be aware that the creditor can collect from you first, before ...