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DEAR ABBY: My father considers himself a deeply religious man. He believes that anyone who doesn’t conform to his beliefs is going to hell. He told my gay sister she is going to hell. At my brother’s wake and celebration of life, he announced to everyone that my brother was going to hell because he was an atheist. He also criticized the arrangements, even though they were exactly what my brother requested. I pulled him aside and asked him to quit saying these things. He refused and declared, “This conversation is over!”
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Granny Fern’s Recipes (from the 60s-70s) Sour Cream Apple Pie
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Saw a movie this summer. Titled “Mrs. Harris Goes To Paris.” If you have already seen this film, then you know its premise. If not, then never fear, I don’t intend to spoil it for you by revealing the plot or the ending. But I do want to make an observation. After seeing the movie, I came to the conclusion that this movie is truer to life than we realize. Even with its fluffy and shallow exterior premise of Cinderella-Miracles-In-Paris.
Read moreWe all have our “hotbutton issue.” Among conservatives, it might be gun rights, or property rights, or religious liberty. Accounting nerds like me can even get worked up over tax policy. But whatever we care about, if we want to win, we had better protect parental rights.
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DEAR ABBY: I have a friend who has recently separated from an abusive husband. I’ve always had feelings for her, and I recently let her know about them. My problem is, it seems like I have to walk through broken glass just for her to talk to me. Last week, I had emergency surgery, and even though she said she would, she never visited. Now that I’m out of the hospital, nothing has changed. Must I just let her go and forget about her? -- WANTS A CHANCE IN COLORADO DEAR WANTS: You mentioned that this “friend” recently separated from an abusive husband. You did not say she was divorced. The woman you are trying to pursue has been damaged. She may not be ready for a romantic relationship for a very long time. Her actions show she is not interested in you, so, YES, let her go and look for someone who can reciprocate your feelings.
Read moreI am now 80 and my wife is 76, and we both took early Social Security benefits at age 62. When my wife took her Social Security, it was a lot smaller than mine, so they took a portion of mine and added it to hers. How does that work? Also, when I die, will my wife get all of mine or just a percentage? Signed: Curious Senior Dear Curious: Social Security’s standard process is to pay a beneficiary’s personally earned retirement benefit first, and then add an additional amount as necessary to bring the payment up to what they are entitled to as a spouse, or as a surviving spouse. So, in your wife’s case, she is now (while you are both living) receiving her own earned Social Security benefit plus a “spousal boost” to make her payment equal what she’s due as your spouse. Your wife’s spousal boost was not taken from your benefit payment – you still get your own retirement benefit – but her spousal boost amount was computed by comparing the amount she was entitled to at her full retirement age (FRA) to 50% of your FRA benefit amount and then reducing her spousal boost amount because she claimed at age 62 (all Social Security benefits, except disability benefits, taken before FRA are reduced).
Read moreDo you make a difference in the world? Does anyone care about what you do? Are some people more important than others? We all ask ourselves these questions from time to time. Some people wonder about them more than others.
Read moreThere is an old saying about never meeting your heroes for fear of being let down. I am sure there are many examples in which people can point to which would demonstrate this.
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