Dear Abby News Headlines

DEAR ABBY: My sister "Ruth" and I spent most holidays dining out together after our families grew up and left home. Ruth died last year and her daughter "Lara" began inviting me for holidays "so I wouldn't be alone." I have tried to decline, but she persists. She insists that I should be with her instead of with friends, …

DEAR ABBY: From time to time I have read letters in your column about Peeping Toms. You might find our experience interesting.Many years ago, soon after my husband, Klaus, and I arrived as newlyweds from Germany, we rented a small bungalow in L.A. There were seven of them in two rows behind our landlord's large home in …

DEAR ABBY: I'm a 42-year-old woman who has been living with my boyfriend, "Matt." He has asked me to marry him, and I said yes. The problem is, Matt is still married.Matt and his wife have been separated for eight years. I keep telling him to get in touch with her and see if she filed for divorce, but he keeps putting it …

DEAR ABBY: I agreed to be maid of honor at my best friend's wedding. I am now planning her bridal shower and just received the guest list from her mother and the groom's mother, "Alicia."Alicia has given me the names of about 30 guests and says there are more people she wants to invite. Abby, the entire list will amount …

DEAR ABBY: My father absolutely refuses to turn off the ignition when fueling his car, despite the warning signs at the pump. How can I convince him to stop endangering himself and my mother? -- WORRIED DOWN SOUTHDEAR WORRIED: Motorists are instructed to "Stop Motor" while refueling for good reason. Gasoline is highly flammable. …

DEAR ABBY: I'm 19 and have a dear friend, "Emily," who is offended by cussing. She literally has never said a curse word in her life. When I'm around her I never use swear words because I respect her and her friendship.My issue is that Emily gets very upset if people swear around her. There have been nights that she ended …

DEAR ABBY: I am a divorced man with a live-in girlfriend I'll call Donna. Her two boys also live with us. Donna's older son will graduate from high school this year, and she has planned a party that her mother and other family members will attend from out of state.My daughter, "Sara," is graduating from the same high school. …

DEAR ABBY: "Searching for 'Me' in Texas" (March 4) is not alone! A wave of 78 million baby boomers will soon leave 30-plus-year careers and are looking forward to an estimated 20 more years of life.A vast majority of them are looking for meaningful opportunities for the second half of their lives. "Searching" should seek …

DEAR ABBY: Between juggling the joys and challenges of home life and staying productive at work, it's easy for women to make quick decisions now that could affect their health later on, or to miss early signs of medical problems altogether.To help women take control of their health, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's …

DEAR ABBY: One of my friends, "Max," cheats at golf. Otherwise he's witty, interesting and fun to be around. He moves his ball closer to the hole on the green and "improves" his lie when he thinks no one is looking. I have tried to overlook Max's transgressions, but others in our golf group talk and joke behind his back. …

DEAR ABBY: My niece, "Amy," got her driver's license last November. Since then she has been stopped six times for violations. Unfortunately, she wasn't ticketed for any of them -- just given warnings. Who knows how many other times she should have been ticketed?When Amy told me about it, she acted like it was a joke and …

DEAR ABBY: I hope you will print this on Mother's Day. This Mother's Day greeting is for all those incredibly unselfish mothers who chose to place their child up for adoption. I am an adopted child whose life has been a wonderful journey.If I could send a message to my birth mother, it would be one of eternal gratitude …

DEAR ABBY: I am in a relationship with someone I graduated from school with, so we have known each other for a number of years. We are both divorced. Because I'm an only child, my mother has always been protective and controlling. She hasn't recovered from my divorce, although it happened more than 10 years ago, and constantly …

DEAR ABBY: When I was in sixth grade, my 19-year-old brother, "Ray," came into my room and fondled me late at night. I pretended to be asleep so I didn't have to deal with the situation. I told my mom afterward. She told me not to tell my father and bought a lock for my door.Years later, when my sister found out what happened …

DEAR ABBY: My husband's son -- I'll call him Duncan -- came to visit with his family. He lived with us for about six months on and off when he was younger. During that time, he twice went through my dresser drawers without my permission. The first time, we discovered a photo of me in a negligee he had found and hidden. …

DEAR ABBY: I have heard that your dessert recipes are fabulous and I'd like to have them. I saw a column in which you mentioned your cookbooklets. I hope I'm correct about this, because I'd be interested in getting them. I have your booklet of poems and essays, which I have read and enjoyed many times.Would you print your …

DEAR ABBY: I have been with my boyfriend "Paul" for four years. We have a child together, and we each have a child of our own. We have lived together for three years, and our family life is great. However, when I was pregnant with our son, Paul contacted an ex on a social network. One day he left his computer open, and …

DEAR ABBY: I'm getting married soon. My mom says we should have one side of the church reserved for my fiance's friends and family, and one side for ours. I disagree. Not only does it make me feel like we would be separating people when the occasion should be about unity, but he doesn't have a whole lot of people coming. …

DEAR ABBY: I have been married to my husband, "Stu," for 27 years. His brother's family continues to send invitations addressed only to Stu. When they call to invite us to anything and I answer, they ask to speak to him. He has asked them not to do that.When RSVPing to the latest invitation to our niece's graduation party …

DEAR ABBY: I'm an artist and budding filmmaker with a B.A. degree. My problems are my job situation and where I live.My dad has told me that -- like him and his father -- my brother and I share a similar problem. We all have trouble getting and keeping jobs. We never seem to get ahead or be content or comfortable. On my …

DEAR ABBY: I am a professional ornithologist (bird expert) with a substantial record of accomplishments -- books, scientific papers, blog, website, consultant work, etc.My hometown has held a bird festival for more than a decade and each year it features a main speaker at the dinner. My expertise and experience far outshine …

DEAR ABBY: While standing in a serving line at a restaurant, a man commented to my wife about her weight. She was very upset. My take was, "Don't talk to strange men." Later, I wondered whether I should have confronted the guy, slugged him or waited for him in the parking lot.As a young man I was prone to rash actions. …

DEAR ABBY: On a recent airline flight, a tall man who sat behind me had his left leg out in the aisle during most of the trip. He was wearing shorts, and you could see his large tattoo of a naked woman on his thigh. The drawing was very explicit, and there was no way to avoid seeing it because passengers had to cross over …

DEAR ABBY: May I comment on the letter from "Working the Window in Georgia" (Jan. 22), the drive-through worker who said people should have their orders ready when they pull up to the speaker? Many drive-through restaurants place their speakers in FRONT of the first menu you see. Unless you frequent the restaurant, it's …