• Laundry detergent sheets are all the rage now, replacing heavy plastic jugs as an ecofriendly way to add detergent to your washing machine. Since the soap is activated in water, it’s imperative to make sure the stack of sheets does not get wet or even come in contact with trace amounts of water. Remove the sheets from the existing paperboard packaging and place them in an airtight container. This is a great way to upcycle an old food storage container.
It is almost impossible to be against a rule announced by the Environmental Protection Agency last month requiring utilities to replace all lead pipes within a decade. After all, who opposes the swift removal of a deadly toxin from drinking water? But there’s a tricky road ahead, and it’s an expensive one to travel.
DEAR HARRIETTE: I am still friends with my high school besties, “Erica” and “Celine.” Erica became a registered nurse and moved abroad for work, while Celine is working in Dubai and enjoying a good life, even though she hasn’t finished college. I have a master’s degree in business administration, but I’m currently unemployed and waiting for responses from the jobs I applied for. I’m also overweight and feeling like there’s no progress in my life. What advice can you give me to avoid feeling jealous and instead be happy for what they have achieved in their lives? – Stagnant Frustration DEAR STAGNANT FRUSTRATION: Stop comparing yourself to your friends. Each of you has your own life filled with potential and frustration. Their lives look exciting to you from the outside – and they may be. But your life is your own, and it is your job to design it as best you can.
Dear Doctors: I tripped on a tree root and almost did a face-plant. I landed on my hands with my arms stretched out, and now my right shoulder has started aching. My boyfriend thinks it’s a rotator cuff injury. I’ve only heard of that in baseball players. What is the rotator cuff? What is the treatment?
The interchange of Interstate 40 and Airport Road in Weatherford soon will be designated as the “Lt. Gen. Thomas P.
DEAR HARRIETTE: My 9-year-old daughter recently went over to her friend’s house for a playdate. She was so excited to spend time with her friend, and everything seemed fine when I dropped her off. However, when I went to pick her up, her friend’s mom pulled me aside and made a comment that really caught me off guard. She criticized my parenting style, specifically how my daughter behaved at dinner. Apparently, my daughter didn’t finish all of the food on her plate, and the mom felt that was incredibly rude and a sign of poor manners. She went on to say that in their household, children are expected to eat everything they’re served and suggested I should be more strict at home to instill better manners in my child.
So I’m doing a show after all.
When the megarich owners of the Washington Post and the Los Angeles Times spiked editorials endorsing Kamala Harris over Donald Trump, cold shivers and hot anger swept through the ranks of their editors and reporters. Staffers protested that their bosses were hedging their bets, anticipating a Trump victory and protecting their wider business interests against a man who punishes his enemies with vicious vindictiveness.
DEAR HARRIETTE: I was in a clandestine relationship with a guy for most of this year. We hit if off after meeting on the street. We had a lot of fun together, but I always felt like I was putting forth more effort than him.
Hello, dear readers, and welcome back to our monthly letters column. You have been keeping our inboxes full, so we’ll dive right in.