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DEAR ANNIE: Love runs deep in the shared little moments

DEAR ANNIE: In response to all the working mothers who are weighed down by guilt, I’d like to share my experience. I am 75 years old, and when I was growing up, my mother worked from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. I usually came home from school around 3:30 or 4, and my memories of that time are nothing but warm. Before leaving for work, my mother made dinner for my father to heat up later. She ate her own dinner at 4, and I would sit at the table with her and tell her about my day. She always gave me one bite from her plate while we talked, and somehow that small ritual has stayed with me ...

HINTS FROM HELOISE: Put leftover pie dough to tasty use

DEAR HELOISE: A simple way to use up leftover pie dough is to just take the odd-shaped pieces, lay them on an ungreased cookie sheet, and sprinkle them with cinnamon and sugar. Place them in an oven along with the pie and bake until they’re lightly browned, or for about 5 minutes. They make a quick and tasty snack. — Marlene K., in Regent, North Dakota DEAR HELOISE: For catching food grease, I take an empty glass jar with a wide mouth and put the grease in there with a spoon. If the grease is hot, it could melt plastic, so I have a glass jelly jar that I bought. A pickle or ...

TO YOUR GOOD HEALTH: Seeking cause for bobbing of head

DEAR DR. ROACH: I’m a 66-year-old retired female who’s trying to keep active. My neurologist thinks that I may have tardive dyskinesia (TD), for which I tried Ingrezza, but I experienced heaviness in my chest. I’ve tried meds, vestibular therapy, balance therapy and acupuncture. I’ve also been evaluated by an ENT physician and a cardiologist. I’ve become used to the “bobbing” of my upper torso/head after the past two years. I only get relief when my head and shoulders are against something. I have been on Xanax for 15 years and may have developed this “bobbing” due to ...

Bridge by Steve Becker

You don’t have to be a great mathematician to be a good declarer (or defender). All you need is the ability to count to 13. Consider this deal where West leads the Q-J of hearts, which South allows to hold, and then shifts to a low spade. It is certainly reasonable for declarer to conclude at this stage that West started with exactly two hearts. South wins East’s jack of spades with the ace and plays a diamond to the queen. East takes the ace and returns a heart to declarer’s ace, on which West discards a spade. When South next leads a diamond to the king, West discards a ...

My experience with comfrey

I have always been fascinated by plants that seem to have a story of their own, and comfrey is one that continues to capture my attention. With its broad, hairy leaves and delicate bell-shaped flowers, comfrey may not look particularly remarkable at first glance. But once I learned more about this old-fashioned herb, I began to understand why it has been grown and valued for centuries. Comfrey is a hardy perennial that thrives in moist, fertile soil. Once established, it produces large leaves throughout the growing season and flowers that attract pollinators. It can grow several feet ...