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Dear Annie

Dear Annie: Thousands of grandparents and extended family members are stepping in to raise children in today’s world, often due to parents struggling with substance abuse. While many of us take on this responsibility out of love and necessity, it comes with its own set of emotional challenges. As one of those grandparents, I’ve had to put my retirement plans on hold, which sometimes leaves me feeling angry, resentful and overwhelmed. This wasn’t the life I had envisioned for myself at this stage, and I struggle with the loss of my own plans and freedoms. At the same time, I am ...

To Your Good Health

DEAR DR. ROACH: Can you please explain what is cholesterol/high-density lipoprotein and the significance of a high HDL cholesterol value? What about non-HDL cholesterol? I have had cholesterol tests for the past 30 years with HDL readings that had a low of 68 mg/dL and a high of 117 mg/dL. Two first-degree relatives also have high HDL cholesterol levels, and although they have high blood pressure, neither has had any blockages in their arteries. For the past nine years, my average total cholesterol is 206 mg/dL, my HDL is 104 mg/dL, and my LDL is 89 mg/dL. My triglyceride count is 70 ...

The Kovels – Collecting and antiques

If you’re familiar with 19th-century ceramics, you probably know about ironstone. It was first made by English potter Miles Mason, who sold Chinese export porcelain and decided to make his own replacements for broken dishes. To make these replacements, he created a ceramic using slag from processing iron, which his son patented as ironstone in 1813. Heavy, durable and hard to chip, it was clearly different from porcelain, but quickly became a favorite for tableware. Many other potteries began making ironstone, especially in the Staffordshire district of England. Albion Pottery, also ...

Dear Annie

Dear Annie: My husband and I have been married for over 20 years. Recently, he has become increasingly controlling, checking all my movements and whereabouts, even while we are both at home. He checks if I am asleep by pretending to be putting something on the bedside table when he could just ask if I am asleep, for instance. This has caused me to lose trust and interest in our marriage. I am a religious person, and we both attend church regularly, but I feel like a prisoner in my own home. — Help Me Dear Help Me: Your husband’s behavior is intrusive, possessive and controlling, ...

To Your Good Health

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am a 69-year-old female in excellent health, other than having been treated for breast cancer eight years ago. (I underwent surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, then five years on an aromatase inhibitor.) Since then, I have gained 40 pounds. I am 5 feet, 2 inches tall, and weigh 178 pounds. I have been unable to lose the weight despite working out at least 1 hour every day and following a healthy (Mediterranean-style) diet. I am told by my oncologist that being within a healthy BMI weight range is one of the best things I can do to prevent reccurrence. I was told by ...

The Kovels – Antiques and collecting

When spring returns, mallard ducks are a common sight on the water. In any season, you can find them in duck decoy collections and auctions. (Many were made) by the Mason Decoy Factory of Detroit, which operated from 1896 to 1924 and is still celebrated by decoy collectors today. Founder William James Mason had been making decoys by hand for years when he started his company. When he died in 1905, the company passed to his son Herbert, who used his business skills to expand the operation. One of Herbert’s innovations was the introduction of the inexpensive Standard grade of ...