1. Two spades. Partner’s two-heart bid, a new suit by responder, is 100% forcing, and you should now make the most descriptive bid possible. You can do this by bidding two spades. Partner already knows that you started with minimum values because of your two-diamond rebid, and it’s now time ...

DEAR ANNIE: Christmas at my parents’ house used to feel magical, but lately it feels like I’m walking into a performance review. My older brother’s new hobby is “radical honesty,” and apparently the holidays are his favorite time to practice. Last year, as we decorated the tree, he ...

DEAR HELOISE: I have two thermal mugs. One is for coffee, and one is for tea. They can’t be used in the microwave or in the dishwasher. To get the stains out, I boil some water and put it in the mugs. I then add a couple of squirts of lemon juice. I let it soak until the water gets cold. ...

DEAR DR. ROACH: I have benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), and I am taking tamsulosin daily. It works and helps with my daily urination. How long should I continue to take it? Are there any related side effects? Or should I consider an eventual prostatectomy? Thank you. — A. ANSWER: ...

There are plays that are relatively simple and yet are frequently overlooked because they are somewhat out of the ordinary. Usually, the reason for missing the play is that it is so far removed from normal procedure that it does not enter the player’s mind. Yet when the play is later called ...

When people talk about baking, they often focus on the final product. The tender cookies, the domed muffins, the rich brownies. But the real draw of baking starts long before you roll out the pie crust. Baking can be many things: an act of creation, connection, control. There’s something ...