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Mother in the middle

Dear Annie: I'm writing for advice about a dear friend, "Meg," who we've known for more than 40 years. She has a son, "Rodney," who went to high school with our son and who has always been on the edge of being an outlaw. Over the years, we've seen Rodney continuously depend on his parents ...

Nut allergy scare occurs with beer

Dear Heloise: This is a warning/tip for adults with a nut allergy. My 40-year-old daughter was at a craft brewery with friends enjoying a beer when she began having a mild reaction, as she has with her allergy to several nuts. She took the appropriate steps immediately and is fine. She called ...

The perpetual plus-one

Dear Annie: I'm 29, living in New York City, with a job I love and a great group of friends -- none of whom are single. Half are married or engaged, the other half coupled up in serious relationships. I'm generally OK being single, but going out as the perpetual third wheel is wearing on me. ...

Students lack in grammar skills

Dear Heloise: As a retired high school English teacher, I read with interest the letter concerning how written and spoken English standards have deteriorated in the United States. Based on my experience, my students in middle school would tell me that there was little to no exposure to grammar ...

Hoping to heal a hurting family

Dear Annie: I've been married for 35 years and have four children and seven grandchildren. We are a blended family. All the children lived with, and were raised by, my husband and me. One of my daughters was always kind of a black sheep, always doing things outside the box. As a young child, ...

Change is constant for languages

Dear Heloise: King Alfred the Great would never have said “you” to one person, since this was the plural form, and “thou” was the singular form. (This can be compared to the German “du” and the Spanish “tu.”) After the French-speaking Normans in 1066 forced a two-tier society ...