DEAR DR. ROACH: I have calcium buildup throughout my vascular system. My legs were operated on, and the surgeon had to drill through the calcium to open up the blood flow. I am now told that there is calcium buildup on my aortic valve, which I had replaced four years ago. I also have prostate ...

The expert declarer runs into just as many difficult guessing situations as anyone else, but usually manages either to guess right or to somehow avoid the guess altogether. For example, take this deal where West leads the four of diamonds against three notrump. Declarer wins East’s jack ...

DEAR ANNIE: I’m a 75-year-old widow who has lived in the same little Cape for 43 years. I still do my own shopping, I drive myself to church, and I host Sunday supper when my joints cooperate. I’m not fragile, but I am ... older. And lately, I feel like everyone is determined to treat me ...

Marcus Samuelsson has a recipe he calls true comfort food. It’s an oxtail pepperpot recipe from his cookbook, “The Rise.” This is a traditional Caribbean dish, mainly from Guyana, that combines oxtail and dumplings in a rich gravy. The gravy is flavored with cinnamon, brown sugar, hot ...

We have entered the month of February already. Today is Groundhog Day and it looks like Mr. Groundhog says six more weeks of winter. It seems we get six more weeks or more either way. We have had a real winter so far with cold weather and lots of snow. Maybe if we get it all at once, we will ...

DEAR HELOISE: Maybe you can help me. I infer from reading your column in the Omaha World-Herald that you have an affinity for pets. This leads me to ask you what may be an unanswerable question. I’m a widowed nonagenarian who yearns for a cuddly comfort. Although she’s been deceased for ...