Dear Doctors: I am 72 years old and have started to have problems with dry eyes. It’s not all the time, but at some point each day, my eyes will suddenly get very dry. It’s even hard to blink. What causes that? Those lubricating drops help, but only for a little while.
DEAR HARRIETTE: Ever since I was a child, my mom never liked to throw anything away, whether it was old clothes, expired food, broken appliances or even random junk mail. At the time, I thought it was just her being quirky or frugal, but as I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized it’s much more than that.
Dear Doctors: My sister and I are roommates, and we are both back to in-person work. We keep getting sick because co-workers with the flu won’t stay home and aren’t careful. I doubt we are the only ones wishing for a code of good behavior for when you’re sick. Can you talk about that?
Dear Doctors: I just turned 65, and my doctor wants me to have a bone density test. What is it, and how does it work?
DEAR HARRIETTE: Returning to New York City after five years abroad is both exciting and overwhelming.
DEAR HARRIETTE: When I was single, I never learned how to cook; my mom always took care of that for us. However, after getting married, I’ve been wanting to learn how to cook more than just fried foods and to try more varied meals. The problem is that I always feel intimidated by complicated recipes. I end up sticking to the same meals every week because I don’t know where to start or how to manage it. The idea of cooking something new often feels daunting, and I worry about wasting ingredients or not getting the recipe right. I genuinely want to improve my cooking skills and experiment with different dishes, but I’m concerned it will be too stressful or take too much time. At times, I feel discouraged before I even start. Should I try breaking down the cooking process into smaller steps and gradually work my way up to more complex recipes? – Cooking Anxiety DEAR COOKING ANXIETY: Take a deep breath. Everything is going to be all right!
• For many of us, the idea of leftover wine seems like an oxymoron, but if you do have a little extra vino from a party, you can use it to help your plants. The nitrogen content in wine is beneficial for plants, gardens and compost bins. Just pour the wine directly into a compost bin or dilute it with water if you are feeding it to plants to give the good bacteria a healthy dose of nitrogen.