Breaking News

Neighbor’s barking dog keeps baby awake

Dear Annie: My husband and I recently welcomed our first baby, and we are exhausted but overjoyed. We live in an apartment building, and after weeks of trial and error, we finally started getting our daughter onto a somewhat predictable sleep schedule. The problem is our next-door neighbor's ...

Testing basements for dampness

Dear Heloise: My husband and I decided to remodel our basement and use it as a hobby/crafts/half-bath/extra TV room, where our teenagers and their friends can enjoy themselves or where we can gather as a family to watch movies. Since my dad had been a builder all his life and knew what to look ...

The gift — and challenge — of having two cultures

Dear Annie: My mother is German, and my father is American. Growing up, I was raised with traditions from both cultures, but I have never felt fully part of either one. Last Christmas, my mother made a traditional German dinner and invited several relatives. I tried to join the conversation, ...

Is coffee bad for health?

Dear Heloise: My husband hates coffee and asked me to switch to tea, but I don't like tea. He says that coffee damages our health. Is this true? -- Shelly J., in Little Rock, Arkansas Shelly, studies have been done on thousands of people to discover the effects of coffee on the human body, ...

Sixty-five-year old gets hospitalized due to hypercalcemia

DEAR DR. ROACH: A few years ago, at the age of 65, I was hospitalized and in critical condition with a calcium score of 14 mg/dL. After many tests, the diagnosis was hypercalcemia. After a 10-day hospital stay, I was discharged, and every test in the book was done to find the cause. All tests ...

Using lights to deter thiefs

Dear Heloise: I decided to put a timer on a couple of lamps to make it look like I'm home all the time. My handyman came over and placed a timer on my outdoor lights that was hidden by shrubs. When I drive up to my little home, the whole house and yard are lit up. They turn off after 15 ...