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Happily married, but hardly intimate

Dear Annie: I’m 73, and my wife is 74. We’ve been married for 53 years and have never spent a night apart due to marital conflict. Admittedly, each of us may have spent a night or two on the couch, but my point here is that I think we’re still happily married. The problem is that we’ve not been intimate for nearly 10 years. The closest we get is maybe a hug or peck on the cheek. Nothing else! When I attempt to discuss this issue with her, she only mentions her chronic urinary tract infections and blames me for not understanding how uncomfortable it is for her to have ...

Teeth cleaning is all about time

Dear Heloise: Your answer to me about rinsing your teeth turned the question into a matter of time. The original question was, “Do I rinse or not?” The time you spend on your teeth is a matter of personal preference. My husband doesn’t spend nearly the time on brushing that I do, but he also rinses. He doesn’t have any cavities either. However, I do what I do because I love the everyday feeling of “I just got my teeth cleaned!” -- Clean, in Montana ANOTHER BEDSHEET HINT Dear Heloise: I enjoy reading your column in the Springfield News-Sun and wanted to share how I save ...

Finding solutions to bitter brews

Dear Heloise: We tried the hint for how to make coffee less bitter by adding 1/8 teaspoon of table salt when making drip coffee. Ugh! It tasted terrible; I’ll take the bitterness! My favorite creamer balances any bitterness perfectly. No offense meant to the person who wrote in about the salt. I just wanted to weigh in so others readers are warned that they might have to dump a pot of coffee if they don’t like the salt either. -- Jen, in New Jersey Jen, coffee has always been a bitter brew, but many people like it this way. We get suggestions all the time on how to take the ...

When tough love turns too tough

Dear Annie: My husband, “Keith,” and I have been married for 12 years. We’ve always been a team when it comes to parenting our two kids, ages 9 and 6, but lately I’ve noticed a shift. Keith has become increasingly harsh with them, especially our oldest, “Ben.” He’ll snap over small things -- like a jacket left on the floor or a missed chore -- and his tone has turned cold and critical. I’ve brought it up several times, but Keith insists he’s “just trying to teach them responsibility.” I understand that, but I worry he’s doing more harm than good. Ben has started ...

Explaining the science behind having the factor V Leiden gene

Dear Dr. Roach: My son is 32 years old and developed a superficial blood clot in his arm near the elbow. They tested him for the factor V Leiden (FVL) mutation, and he is positive and heterozygous. They put him on blood thinners. I went and got tested. I tested positive and am homozygous, which means that I inherited the gene from both my parents. My cousin (my mom’s brother’s daughter) took the test and was negative. How can this be? I had a blood clot during one of my four pregnancies 25 years ago. It was superficial, and I had to give myself injections twice daily of heparin for ...

Regional Calendar

The Independent calendar lists upcoming meetings, facility hours and events in and around Marshall. To have your group’s events listed, email the information to news@marshallindependent.com or submit the information to our virtual newsroom. Today Household Hazardous Waste Facility open 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Public Works Building, Marshall. Call 532-8210 for more info. SW MN Arts Council Gallery 9 a.m.-noon and 1-4 p.m., 509 West Main Street, Marshall. Lyon County Museum 10 a.m.-4 p.m., 301 W. Lyon St., Marshall. Marshall-Lyon County Library hours 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., 201 C ...