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Bridge by Steve Becker

It may at times seem amazing how some declarers are able to figure out what to do when they are faced with a difficult decision. While many might attribute this to a mystical quality known as “table feel,” in reality it is simply the ability to place the cards from clues gleaned during the ...

HINTS FROM HELOISE:Touch base with loved ones daily

DEAR HELOISE: I read a letter about keeping track of elderly people who live alone and their pets. A friend of my mother’s was left three days after having a stroke before someone found her. After this, I began calling my mother daily at 8 a.m. She’d answer and say, “I don’t know anything,” and I’d say, “I don’t know anything.” Then, an hour later, we’d hang up after chatting. I miss these calls. Now I’m the one living alone, and I text my son daily that I’m OK. I also keep a bowl full of dry cat food for my Katie, just in case something happens. —Linda H., ...

DEAR ANNIE: Daughter-in-law distances herself after baby

DEAR ANNIE: I am heartbroken over my daughter-in-law’s sudden and painful change in behavior since the birth of our grandson a year ago. Before the baby was born, we had a warm relationship. For four years, she was sweet, kind and very much a part of our large extended family. She joined family trips, holidays and even our “happy birthday” text chains. We truly believed she felt invested in us. Since giving birth, however, she has almost completely cut off communication. She rarely answers texts or phone calls. We have offered to drop off meals, babysit so she can get her hair ...

TO YOUR GOOD HEALTH: Access to records shouldn’t be difficult

DEAR DR. ROACH: I’ve decided that it’s time for me to find a new primary care doctor. My biggest concern is access to my medical records. I currently have access to a patient portal to request doctor appointments or prescription renewals and review test results. Since the healthcare providers in my area use different portals, I need to know if I’ll have access to my past records. More importantly, will my new physician have access to my CAT scans, doctor’s notes, and other information that I’m not privy to through the patient portal? In the past, I know I could request that ...

DEAR ANNIE: Cornered by her sister’s constant invitations

DEAR ANNIE: I moved to northern Florida over a year ago to help care for my parents. My sister has lived in southern Florida for many years, and for as long as I can remember, nearly every conversation with her includes the same question: “When are you coming down?” Before I moved here, she asked it constantly. Once, she and her husband picked me up from the airport, and before we had even left the curb, she asked, laughing, “When are you coming down again?” She knows it irritates me, but she does it anyway. Now that I live in the same state, nothing has changed. It is still, ...