Even in an age of digital media, printed books are still in demand and can be donated if you're ready to make room on your bookshelf at home. The rule of thumb for donating books is this: If the book was published in the last two or three years, donate it to your local library, which will resell the book at a fundraiser for their valuable work. If it's older than that, donate it to a Salvation Army or Goodwill store.
DEAR HARRIETTE: My daughter is a freshman in college, and I have no idea how well she is doing. Students don't have to tell their parents anything about their grades, even though we are paying for it all. This seems ridiculous to me. I am not a meddling mom, but I do want to know how things are going and whether she needs help. The fact that she is not talking about it concerns me. How can I get her to open up about this important subject? — Talk To Me DEAR TALK TO ME: Schedule a time to talk to your daughter. Let her know that you are checking in about school. Ask her directly how she is doing in her classes and what her grades are now. Invite her to walk you through her classes and tell you what she likes about each one and what is challenging. Do your best to find out if she needs any support in understanding or completing her work.
Afriend down at the dog park asked about my wife the other day. She and her girlfriend had taken a long weekend trip to visit a former roommate. My friend wondered if I thought she’d be safe from crime in Chicago. Isn’t that a terribly dangerous place?
SENSE & SENSITIVITY
ASK THE DOCTORS
October surprises are not really surprises anymore; they seem to happen so often during campaign seasons. And this year, only five days into the month, the first – but probably not the last – spasm of uncertainty disrupted the run-up to next month’s midterm elections.
Ilove Little Free Libraries.
DEAR HARRIETTE: My dad is elderly and has been in poor health for several years now. He was in the hospital recently, and my siblings and I were asked if we wanted to issue a do not resuscitate order. It was weird because the doctor asked me right in front of my father. Though he was asleep at the time, imagine if he had heard us. I actually don't know if he did. We haven't figured out what to do yet, but I feel certain it wasn't handled well at that moment. How should the hospital find that answer? What is the process for making such a tough decision? — Choosing Life DEAR CHOOSING LIFE: You are right. Such matters should be handled discreetly, always keeping the patient's state of mind as a priority. You should have been assigned a caseworker who would share the options available to you and help you understand the implications of each. This is one of the hardest decisions that a family member must make during a loved one's end of life. It should be considered carefully and privately.
30 YEARS AGO
Harkening back many days ago to junior high (middle school depending upon where you grew up and what era) English class people were taught the best stories always have conflict.