ArcaMax

DEAR HARRIETTE: I had an amazing date with someone who's been interested in me for some time now. I was too scared to agree to a date before as I am only about one year out from getting divorced. My date picked me up for dinner and a movie, and it went so well we ended up getting drinks after and shutting down the bar! When he picked me up, he ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I attended a dinner party hosted by a couple who are new friends to me. The evening was lovely, save for one glaring issue: The hosts were constantly sniping and digging at each other.

Occasionally, this appeared to be in jest (although not actually very funny). Other times, they just seemed to really want to put one another ...Read more

Dear Annie: My husband and I are both in our 70s, and he's been pushing for us to sell the house and move into something smaller for over a year now. He's not wrong; it's more house than we need.

But we raised our three kids in this house. Every room has something in it -- the kitchen table my dad built, the height marks on the door frame, ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I have a younger brother who has moved back to the area where the rest of our siblings live. He went for 30 years without keeping in close contact with anyone during that time. He's the youngest of 10 children, and our mother spoiled him rotten. He's in his 60s now and still acts like an immature spoiled child. Our father had to bail ...Read more

Once we fall in love, we tend to think it's the other person -- the beloved -- who is filling in the missing part of our emotional neediness and making us feel complete. Both sexes fall into that abyss and never fully recover. Sadly, we tend to look for a person who will make us feel like a real woman/man, totally fulfilled and whole. Well, ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I wanted to do something special for my mom, so I decided to surprise her with a vacation for her birthday. She loves to travel, so I thought it'd be a nice opportunity for the two of us to get away and bond. My mom and I are not as close as I would like us to be. When I was younger, my mom took the "I am your parent, not your ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: Strolling through a state fair, a couple run into a national celebrity. Husband asks if he can take a picture of the celebrity and wife together.

He clicks the shutter as the celebrity places a hand on the buttocks of his wife. Impropriety or playful humor? Would it be an exaggeration to call this a groping?

GENTLE READER: ...Read more

Dear Annie: I go to the same nail salon every few weeks, and lately I've noticed something that is driving me crazy. Almost every time I'm there, someone is talking loudly on their cellphone, watching videos without headphones or having a FaceTime conversation while the rest of us are trying to relax.

At my last appointment, the woman next to...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I'm in love with an older woman. I'm 41, and she is about 35 years older. I have known her since I was a kid. She's the reason I always dated older women. I want to tell her how I feel, but I'm scared she'll be shocked, and I wouldn't want anyone else to find out my feelings, like her kids. I grew up with them.

We always enjoy our ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: For our whole lives, my cousin has had it so much easier than me. Our moms are sisters, and we were born only a year apart. Growing up, her family was significantly wealthier and more connected than mine. As a result, she went to Harvard and became a dermatologist, and her husband got super rich from selling a tech company he ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I am very fortunate to have found a number of good companions through my active participation in local clubs. However, most of my new friends are a generation or more older than I.

They are wonderful people, and I am grateful for their kind interest in me. Yet I find it uncomfortable when I am asked about my family.

I ...Read more

Dear Annie: I am desperate to declutter our house, but my husband has a very hard time letting go of anything. Our closets are overflowing, the garage is packed, and we have boxes of things we haven't opened in years. There are old tools, clothes that no longer fit, broken electronics, stacks of paperwork and even things from hobbies he hasn't...Read more

DEAR ABBY: Two years ago, I ran into an old friend I hadn't seen in more than 25 years. We went to dinner the following week. The dinner lasted three hours. Abby, she talked the entire time! It was a mix of grandiose stories, complaints about her health, complaints about her relationships and an attempt to make me feel guilty for not contacting ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I'm dating someone new, but we're having a hard time finding things we want to do together. I don't mean to sound posh, but I do enjoy getting dressed up and going to shows, nice dinners, live performances and more. The guy I'm dating is quite different from me. Much of his life revolves around health, fitness and training. He ...Read more