Dear Doctors: Our 12-year-old son loves swimming. He's in the pool all year, without any problems. This summer, he started taking surfing lessons, and he got a pretty bad earache.
DEAR HARRIETTE: I am a 40-yearold single mother of twin 10-year-old daughters. I have been dating a guy for a year. I really like him and even think he could be the one. My daughters, however, have been nothing but nasty to him, regardless of how well he has treated them. He has brought them gifts and taken them to do fun activities, but they still aren't impressed. I know it's because they feel as if I am replacing their dad, who unfortunately died when they were 6. I loved him very much, but I am ready to find another partner. I feel distraught about how to proceed in this relationship because I don't want to make everyone who's involved have a miserable life if we marry. I have tried breaking through to them about my boyfriend and telling them that he's not here to replace their dad, but they just don't listen. I am thinking of breaking up with him even though I really like him. What are your opinions on my situation? — Making Peace DEAR MAKING PEACE: Your girls need more time. While a year may seem like a long time to you and your guy, it is not long from the perspective of a life. If you and he seriously want to marry and create a family together, you both have to be willing to be patient and continue to build relationships with the girls.
In a fast-paced world where the next model of a smartphone seems to come out every month, there is a market for something unexpected: old electronics. Take a look in your basement or attic for record players, vintage audio equipment, cameras and even VHS players, because they all have high resale value online.
DEAR HARRIETTE: Recently, I bumped into a college friend with whom I shared a close bond in the past. While catching up, I mentioned my relatively newfound friendship with another woman we both knew from college — and that's when things turned awkward. My college friend was taken aback and expressed surprise about my new friendship with this woman. According to her, my new friend used to badmouth me in the past, which left me feeling hurt and confused. I am not sure what to do about this situation and how to proceed with my friendship with my new friend. We were in college more than 10 years ago, but I had no idea she used to talk about me the way that she did. How do I handle this?
One time I started to write a book I called 'Animal Passion,' a history of my marriage in pets. The first chapter, about an extraordinary collie/German shepherd mix we'd adopted during our student days on a cattle farm in Virginia, appeared in the Oxford American, for which I was most grateful.
WELLS, Maine — It looks like a first-baseman's mitt, the sort you might see of a summertime evening at a local baseball diamond. Turn it clockwise 90 degrees, and it looks a bit like Nebraska, though that state is landlocked and lacks anything faintly resembling mighty Mount Katahdin.
Dear Doctors: My boyfriend says that lately I've been talking in my sleep and sometimes acting out my dreams. One time I actually hit him. He says it may be something called an REM sleep behavior disorder. This has been kind of scary, and I would like it to stop. Would going to a sleep clinic help?
DEAR HARRIETTE: I am a 30-yearold single woman who just moved to Washington, D.C. for a work opportunity. I previously lived in Minnesota, which is where I grew up and where all of my friends, family and newly exboyfriend live.
he headline on the Washington Post editorial put it well: 'The Trump indictment's main finding: Do you want this person as your president?'
EAR HARRIETTE: The ongoing union strikes have left me jobless as a writer's assistant for a major entertainment company. It has been a year since I moved to Los Angeles for this job, and now I'm left with the difficult decision of staying in the city to search for a new job or returning home to my family and familiar surroundings. While I have grown to love the vibrant city of Los Angeles and the exciting industry it holds, the practicalities of living expenses and the unpredictability of finding a job in such a competitive market leaves me unsure of what to do. Moving to LA and being a writer for this company have been my dreams since childhood. What should I consider before making this life-changing decision? — Lost in LA DEAR LOST IN LA: If your dream is to live and work in LA, don't give up just yet. Behind the scenes, the union and film executives are working overtime to come to an agreement. It is not easy, as both sides have their arguments. While they are at a standstill, you have to take action. Aggressively look for a job, preferably something that pays well and offers flexibility. Restaurant and bar jobs work well for people in the entertainment industry, but there are other options depending on your skills and experience.