ArcaMax

We're not southern enough to be yes, ma'am or no, sir, but I try to nudge manners into my kids' daily interactions with strangers. Today, I nudged him when I saw two women cross the parking lot and asked him to open the restaurant door. One of the women was older and one much younger, maybe a grandmother and granddaughter. The younger one smiled...Read more

Dear Annie: My sister-in-law has turned every family gathering into a courtroom, and somehow I am always the defendant.

For years, I have hosted holidays, birthdays and Sunday dinners because I genuinely love having family together. I cook, clean, set the table and try to make everyone feel welcome. But my sister-in-law has a habit of ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: We're a same-sex couple, and my husband has never gotten along with my sister and her husband. The tension has grown over the 17 years they've known each other. I suspect my sister may feel competitive or even jealous of our relationship. She comes across as self-focused, while her husband is quiet and disengaged.

We see them once a ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I work in media and communications, and I was recently offered a role as a media and communications professor. Teaching has always been something I've wanted to do, so I was excited. Just a week before I got the offer, I had a conversation with a friend of mine who has been teaching at the collegiate level for some time. I told ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: A sibling has disclosed that they and their spouse have been nudists for years, and intend to retire and move to a clothing-optional community.

I have no objection to their lifestyle choice if it makes them happy, but I have no desire to partake of said lifestyle.

How does one respond to an invitation to visit in those ...Read more

Dear Annie: My granddaughter allows her son to order mocktails -- drinks that sound like the adult version but don't have liquor in them. Even though they are virgin drinks, I'm afraid this will lead him to drinking real alcohol at a young age.

What do you think? -- Concerned About the Message

Dear Concerned: Your worry comes from a loving ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I met "Maureen" 25 years ago, and we dated for a few months. Since then, we have remained friends in loose contact, married to and then divorced from other partners. Four years ago, we began talking and socializing more often.

I have made it clear that I'm not interested in a dating or romantic relationship. In fact, I stopped dating...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I'm visiting my sister, and I've noticed that she has road rage. I've been here for about two weeks now, and after three days riding around with her, I decided to take cabs wherever I needed to go. She yells and honks and rages, and it just feels excessive to me.

At first, I bit my tongue and hoped for the best, but when she ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I was delighted to be invited to a baby shower for my daughter, hosted by two of her friends. I thanked them for their generosity and asked if I could bring anything. I also asked if they would like photos of my daughter as a baby. They said yes to the photos, so I sent five pictures (no naked or embarrassing ones) and thought...Read more

Dear Annie: My stepson of 15 years, "Toby," is getting married. I've always had a great relationship with him and his bride-to-be, and I've treated her like she was already family.

Here's my dilemma: Toby got angry with me because my sister, who worked at his and my husband's company, decided to quit and move on. He blamed the whole ordeal on...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I recently retired. I also have fibromyalgia, which leaves me fatigued and in pain, and I never know how I will feel on a given day. My daughter is a single mom of a 3-year-old and asks me to babysit overnight on occasional Saturdays so she can spend the night with her boyfriend.

I love my grandson and love being with him, but ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: My husband and I have been saving for a house, but I figured out last week that he is addicted to sports betting and that a lot of our savings has been feeding his addiction. I was completely blindsided by this discovery; I genuinely had no idea how serious the situation had become. Over the past year, we had been talking ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I live on a private lane of just five houses, each with large surrounding fields. After mowing my (perfectly dry) field, I went over to my neighbors' to perform a courtesy mow of theirs, as they both work full-time.

On the second turn, my full-size tractor sank deep into the mud, and any attempt at freeing it merely dug it in...Read more

Dear Annie: My husband and I both work from home and each have our own offices. The problem is our walls are thin and his voice is LOUD. It travels through walls and doors and can even be heard by colleagues I'm speaking with when we both have meetings at the same time. It honestly sounds like he's screaming in there.

I've resorted to noise ...Read more

You sigh for it -- and sometimes your sighing deepens into outright yearning. You dream of discovering lover and best friend in one wonderful one. Your yearning is hidden from the daylight in a zillion ways, but in the dark of night, masks slip and your yearning for "the real thing" becomes your bedmate.

Listen up. Did it ever occur to you that...Read more