Columns

The Lost Wallet Woes

Dear Heloise: When you lose your wallet, all sorts of scary thoughts go through your mind. You’ll, of course, need to act quickly to cancel your credit cards, but do you remember everything that was in your wallet? I couldn’t when it happened to me. So as soon as I had replaced my driver’s license, insurance cards and credit cards, I took a photo of each (front and back) with my cellphone and emailed them to myself. I saved the photos in a file on my computer. Now I have peace of mind knowing that I have a record of what’s in my wallet saved in two places. — Donna in ...

The High Cost Of Weddings

Today’s Sound Off is about the high cost of getting married: Dear Heloise: My daughter and her fiance came to us and wanted $30,000 for their wedding. They had also asked her future in-laws for the same amount. They said “no” and so did we. Why do young people today think they have to have huge, splashy affairs to get married? My husband and I feel that a smaller, more intimate wedding is more appropriate, especially when they still have student loans to pay off. We told them that when they get ready to buy a house, we’ll give them a nice check to help with the down ...

Ex-Wife Balks At Inviting Other Woman to Son’s Graduation

DEAR ABBY: My husband of nearly 22 years and I divorced last year after he told me he didn’t want to be married anymore and didn’t know if he ever loved me. Since our split, he has bought a home with another woman — the same woman I suspected him of having an affair with, and the same woman he encouraged me to befriend during our marriage. (I even took her on a trip to Europe.) Our son is graduating from high school. We are planning a belated, socially distanced graduation party for my son, and my ex wants to bring her. My challenge is that I am with someone new as well, but he ...

Celebrate For The Right Reasons

The day was July 4, 1963. As my feet hit the cool linoleum floor in the bedroom I shared with two sisters, I thought about the day ahead. As I descended the stairs, I could hear my parents already busy in the kitchen. It required the better part of the morning to get ready for the backyard picnic that would consume the afternoon and deep into the night. It was a Thursday — a rare occasion that our dad was home on a weekday and not at the newspaper office. I truly believe that next to Christmas, the Fourth of July was our dad’s favorite holiday to celebrate. And celebrate he ...

Americana Celebrates the Red, White and Blue

Summertime and the Fourth of July make me think of Americana antiques. I don't think you can find a more enthusiastic flag waver than an avid fan of this category of collectibles. This category of antiques includes colorful reminders from our country’s past and its small town, rural beginnings. What a big category it is, too! Advertising items, posters, quilts, kitchen tools, glassware, pop culture items, country store memorabilia and even carousel horses are some of the fun items that make up the classification of Americana. Many museums, including our own Mansion Museum at ...

Girl’s Tantrums Stymie Man’s Relationship With Her Mom

DEAR ABBY: I have met the most remarkable woman, but after eight months of serious dating, I have realized that she has the worst and most manipulating 10-year-old daughter ever. She constantly claims sickness, and now even mental health issues like anxiety and panic disorder, although they have never been formally diagnosed, to prevent her mother and me from having time together. Immediately after her mother agrees to her daughter’s request and lets her get her way, the kid becomes happy and energetic, and goes back to playing. (I feel she is laughing in my face.) The numerous ...