Dear Annie: I am 52 and I have a good life on paper. I am married, I work full-time, and I have two teenagers who keep me busy. But lately I have felt oddly lonely, and I am not sure if I am being overly sensitive or finally noticing something I have ignored for years. I have a close group of ...

In 1885, Mark Twain’s “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” was published in the U.S. In 1930, the dwarf planet Pluto was discovered by American astronomer Clyde Tombaugh. In 1970, the “Chicago Seven” defendants were found not guilty of conspiring to incite riots at the 1968 Democratic ...

Dear Annie: My husband and I have been together for more than 30 years. In the beginning, we were the couple who couldn’t keep our hands off each other. We smiled easily, held hands without thinking, and felt lucky just to be in the same room after a long day. Somewhere between raising ...

Dear Heloise: When cleaning small or hard-to-reach areas, I rely on a handheld vacuum with a brush attachment. Using the brush helps loosen dust, while the vacuum captures it so that it doesn’t get stirred up and settle elsewhere. I use this method for baseboards, corners, shelves, and other ...

In 1876: Inventors Alexander Graham Bell and Elisha Gray applied separately for patents related to the telephone. (The U.S. Supreme Court eventually ruled Bell the rightful inventor.) In 1929: The “St. Valentine’s Day Massacre” took place in a Chicago garage as seven rivals of Al ...

Dear Heloise: Here’s an idea that I’ve benefited from for years. Whenever I stay in a hotel, I save the shower caps that are usually provided for free. Because I garden, I regularly track in grass clippings and dirt on my shoes. Putting the shower caps on over my shoes when I go outside ...