ArcaMax

As her three kids steadily picked through the large orange bowl for all the remaining chocolate, she said she remembered when my husband had started his office. The first Halloween was in a pandemic, but there was a driveway. He dressed up in a fake hazmat suit and real mask to give candy to kids in the backseats whose trick-or-treating had been...Read more

Dear Annie: I returned home from a trip recently to find my world turned upside down. While I was away, my daughter, her husband and my two grandchildren, who live in a camper on my property, broke into my home. They forced their way into my bedroom, the basement where I store my late husband's antiques, my sheds, my grain bin and even cut the...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I have a group of wonderful women friends I have known for decades. We get together monthly for dinner and drinks at a local restaurant. The location is generally left up to whoever has a birthday that month, and usually varies among three choices.

Occasionally, I bow out if they choose a restaurant that caters to a local creep. This...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I've been living in my apartment for over a year, and I really love it: the location, the space, my neighbors and the fact that the rent is so cheap. The only problem is my landlord. Every time I submit a maintenance request, it takes weeks for anything to get fixed. I've had leaky faucets, a broken heater in the middle of winter...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: A cousin and his wife, who are close to me, have an annoying habit of click-clicking on their phones while we are talking.

I am about 20 years older than them. I have a background in the arts and culture, and was once known as a trivia whiz, which I don't publicize. But this couple constantly fact-checks everything I say. And...Read more

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...Read more

DEAR ABBY: My neighbor is 80. She's my political opposite. She's known me since I was 13. Her husband died 10 or so years ago. All she does all day is stay inside her house (even when it's sunny) and watch TV news. I try to be nice to her because she's alone and probably depressed, but sometimes I want to curse her to high heaven.

I borrowed $...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: My friend's boyfriend and I got into a heated argument at a dinner party. He made a joke about me being a drama queen and gossiping too much. At first, it was funny, but then it felt like he was bringing up situations that I had spoken about with his girlfriend in confidence. Despite his dwelling on this untimely joke, my friend ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: When my mother passed away some years ago, my brother and his wife placed a stuffed black cat toy in her casket. My mother had owned several black cats.

Months later, I was opening a Christmas gift from my brother. It turned out to be a stuffed black cat. He said, "Do you know where that came from?" Of course I knew! My mouth...Read more

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 --...Read more

DEAR ABBY: My husband and I discussed our 25th anniversary and mentioned Hawaii as a possibility. He reached out to his brother and sister-in-law for suggestions, since they have visited Hawaii twice and we never have.

My husband mentioned to my sister-in-law (without consulting me) that maybe the four of us should travel together to Hawaii. ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: How do I get someone who believes in tough love to understand that that does not resonate with me? For a long time, my siblings and I have had strained relationships with our mom because of how crass she can be. She has strong and often negative opinions, and she is not shy about sharing them. I was recently admitted to a two-...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: My wife and I have a difference of opinion about emails sent from "do not reply" addresses. I say that, in principle, they display poor manners. They are akin to saying something to somebody and then putting your hands over your ears and repeating "I can't hear you" (like children do).

Now, I understand why a business or ...Read more

Dear Annie: My younger sister "Natalie" got married this spring to a man none of us really know. They met online, and within six months, they were engaged. My parents were uneasy about how fast it all happened, but Natalie was sure. She said she'd never felt so connected to anyone.

Since the wedding, though, she's been pulling away from the ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: My grandmother passed away 16 years ago. Before she passed, she told me and my two kids that she had an account for each of them for their college. After she was gone, my aunt was in charge of her will. My kids never got their money, and my aunt would never let me see my grandmother's will.

I heard my grandmother ask my aunt if she ...Read more

Here's the second part of this quiz. Do you agree or disagree with the following statements?

--Everyone desirable is already taken.

--Marriage and children are the ultimate fulfillment for every woman.

--Being single is not normal.

--Being married is better than being single.

--Being an older single woman means being undesirable and out of ...Read more