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Features

Private matters, public knowledge

Dear Annie: I love your advice and the fact you're able to cut to the chase. I find myself in need of your level head, too! I've been (mostly) happily married for 26 years. My husband is very gregarious and never met a stranger. In fact, he happily opens up his life to anyone and everyone. I ...

Turn on the closed captioning

Dear Heloise: Enabling closed captions on television has greatly improved our viewing experience. Whether a character whispers, the music becomes loud, or the audio is unbalanced, captions help us follow the story. Finding the setting takes about 2 minutes — dig into your TV’s accessibility ...

Hike with caution: it’s ground nesting season

ESCANABA — Watch your step! Wilma the woodcock and Greta the grouse are about to do something amazing. These birds will transform the cold, muddy, leaf - littered and moss-covered Upper Michigan ground into a nursery. Where yesterday was snow and ice and moldy lichen, new life will be ...

The uneven split

Dear Annie: My friend insists on splitting every restaurant bill "evenly," no matter what. The problem is, she always orders cocktails and appetizers, while I usually stick to one entree. Last week, my $22 dinner somehow became $48 after the "split." When I suggested we each pay for what we ...

Scents are made ‘to be discovered’

Dear Heloise: The French have a saying: "Scents are made to be discovered, not announced." -- David K., in Buffalo, New York David, this is very true. But unfortunately, some people -- both men and women -- don't understand the phrase "less is more." ...

Resetting a pandemic friendship

Dear Annie: My neighbor and I became friendly during the pandemic. We'd pick up things for each other at the grocery store, help water each other's plants, chat on our porches in the evening. Somewhere along the way, she decided we were much closer than I did. Now she'll drop by unannounced ...