Dear Annie: I’m in a strange situation with my childhood best friend, “Lila.” We’re both 32 now, and while we’ve stayed close over the years, something shifted after I got engaged last spring. Lila has always been single, and she’s made it clear she doesn’t believe in marriage. I ...

Dear Heloise: One serious point about trying to replicate the wide plank floors of early American homes: The wood that you can obtain at a semi-reasonable cost is not the same as the antique stuff. It is of a different quality. It is wetter as it is not well-seasoned and often an entirely ...

Dear Annie: This Thanksgiving I will be meeting my new boyfriend’s family for the first time, and I am already a bundle of nerves. His mom is hosting a big traditional dinner at their home, the kind with a perfectly roasted turkey, gravy from scratch and about 10 different side dishes. She is ...

Dear Heloise: I read with interest the letter from Robert D., who commented on schoolteacher Margaret’s letter about children reading books. He is a member of Kiwanis and spoke about how their club puts books in places like doctors’ offices for parents to take home to their children. I am ...

Dear Annie: My 12-year-old son has always loved playing soccer. He is not the most talented kid on the field, but he works hard, listens to feedback and truly enjoys being part of a team. Unfortunately, his new coach seems to have taken all the joy out of it. From the first practice, this ...

Dear Heloise: Concerning the righty-tighty, lefty-loosey confusion, I’m from the old school when clocks were round and had 12 digits on them. To tighten a nut or bolt, you would just turn the nut or bolt in a clockwise direction. To loosen, you turn it in a counterclockwise direction. The ...