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Couple are living worlds apart right next to each other

Dear Annie: My husband and I have been married for 22 years, and lately I feel more like his roommate than his wife. We are kind to each other, we pay the bills, we talk about groceries, the kids, aging parents and the dog, but the warmth has slowly disappeared. There was no big betrayal, no dramatic fight and no one slammed a door. That is almost what makes it harder. We just drifted apart, one ordinary day at a time. He watches TV in one room, I scroll on my phone in another, and some nights we barely say more than goodnight. Last weekend, we went out to dinner for the first time ...

Watch the night sky to enjoy this month’s blue mini moon on May 30

When you hear the phrase “once in a blue moon,” what do you think? If you’re like most people, you think of something that doesn’t happen often. So what exactly is a blue moon, and why is it so rare? First off, a blue moon isn’t all that rare. It occurs on average about once every 2.72 years. Secondly, the moon doesn’t appear blue at all; it’s just a regular ol’ full moon that happens to be the second one in any particular month. You know this phenomenon if you receive a paycheck every two weeks. You’ll usually get two checks a month, but occasionally you’ll ...

What do you want to know most about ancestors?

What interests you the most about your ancestors? Is it simply just that they are your ancestors? Or does it go to something deeper than that? And if it does go deeper than that, well, in what directions does that depth of research take you? What about the ages at which your ancestors died? I recently focused a “Roots & Branches” column on my mitochondrial DNA line, the “mother’s, mother’s, mother’s,” etc., line and it showed great variance from two generations of women living into their late 80s, followed by age 53 (cerebral embolism) and then 27 (acute pulmonary ...

New tools, manufacturing revolutionlize wicker furniture

As the weather grows warmer, many of us like to set up furniture outside to enjoy the sunlight and spring breezes. Some of the best outdoor furniture, especially among antiques, is made of wicker. Wicker furniture has been made for thousands of years. Like many classic types of furniture, it experienced a renewed popularity in the 19th century. New tools and manufacturing processes revolutionized the furniture industry, and many people recognized the lightness, durability, and beauty of wicker. It could be easily bent or woven into the complex shapes and decorations that were ...

Thoughtful sign puts guests at ease

Dear Heloise: I spent hours crocheting edges on my guest towels, but visitors never used them. They noticed the towels, hesitated, and dried their hands elsewhere. To solve this, I wrote a short poem and placed it in clear view: “You are a guest, and we’re happy you’re here. These towels are for you, so please be dear. Use them freely when you enter here. They’re out for you, so have no fear.” The poem reassured guests; they smiled, felt welcome, and used the towels. The main lesson: A thoughtful sign puts guests at ease. –– Maria S., Perrysburg, New York Double-duty ...

The bridge generation is feeling its age

Millennials are a cultural infrastructure, like an older overpass everyone depends on, but it’s starting to carry more weight than it was originally designed to hold. We’re trying to move things forward as we absorb tension from both directions. And increasingly, this generation is being asked to adapt to a world we did not build, as parts of it begin to crack beneath us. We are old enough to remember an analog childhood and young enough to have built much of our adult lives online. We can still read a paper map, though now we rely on GPS. We can handle a formal work meeting and ...