ArcaMax

DEAR ABBY: A longtime neighbor and friend has accused me of stealing a ring. I had been providing her with transportation to visit her husband while he was in rehab recovering from a broken leg. I also took her on other errands.

One day, she was upset. She told me she had lost a bunched-up handkerchief that held something important, but wouldn'...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I'm afraid my past embarrassing moments will make my boyfriend see me in a different light. I've been dating "Bryan" for two years now, and he is insisting on coming to my hometown to meet my friends, as I have met his. We both live in the city where we work, but I grew up as an overweight kid in a low-income household with ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: My best friend and I frequently get together for lunch at local restaurants. I am sometimes embarrassed by what my friend says to servers, and I don't know how I can get her to stop.

If the service is good, she is very effusive with her praise, and ties up the server by chatting as if they were now BFFs. If she thinks the ...Read more

Dear Annie: I have had a few health issues recently. During tests, my doctor incidentally found a mass on my spleen. I asked my husband not to tell anyone, except our kids who are 24 and 33.

I found out he told the neighbor down the street. I am upset. I haven't said anything yet to the rest of my family or friends. He argued (yes, argued) ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: My "best friend," as he has labeled our relationship, moved in with me eight months ago. He claims to have no romantic feelings for me. Despite this, he sleeps in my bed next to me and kisses me. (He claims to be asleep when he does it and says he doesn't remember it happening.) He encourages us to be sexually intimate and texts me ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I'm a 45-year-old man, and I thought I had finally married the love of my life just six months ago. My husband and I share many of the same values, dreams and goals, and I was overjoyed to have found someone I could build a future with. We dated for eight months prior to our marriage, but since getting married, he has started to ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I attended a live theater performance. Seated directly in front of me was a very tall woman whose hair was styled in an updo that added -- seriously -- five or six inches to her height!

I could not see the stage at all unless I leaned uncomfortably left or right, and each time she shifted in her seat, I had to shift in mine. ...Read more

Dear Annie: I read your postings in our local newspaper every day, and I've noticed that you often tell people to seek help from a professional counselor before making big decisions.

I agree this is an important step, but I've found that counselors and psychologists are so busy that they either aren't taking new clients or they only want to ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: Some relatives come once or twice a year from out of state to stay at my in-laws' house. For the past 20-plus years, it has been the same routine. They show up, but we never know ahead of time when or how long they are staying. We are expected to drop everything to go over there to visit with them as long as they are in town. There ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I'm having a hard time controlling my shopping habits. I often find myself buying things on impulse, which leads to regret afterwards. I want to take better care of my money, but breaking the habit of spontaneous spending seems really challenging.

I've tried setting financial goals by using digital spreadsheets, manual logging ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: We have some friends who regularly host a tailgate party in the parking lot of the college football stadium near our house. We walk to the tailgate, and then go home once the game begins.

Hosting this tailgate is "their thing," and they seem to enjoy being hosts.

Our other interactions with these friends center around our ...Read more

Dear Annie: I am struggling with conflicting feelings over feeling disrespected by family members. I was not especially close to my sister, but we did see each other occasionally and text/talk on social media.

My stepdaughter was attacked and bitten by my sister's dog a couple of years ago. My stepdaughter's biological mother chose to sue my ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I recently attended a funeral for a family member. During the 90-minute service, my great-nieces and nephews (ages 3 to 6) were running around the church. Their parents said nothing and allowed them to continue.

Following the service, we were all invited to a sit-down meal in the banquet room of an upscale restaurant. Again, the ...Read more

There's a fiction circling singleworld that making your life comfortable and secure while you're unmarried consigns you to a life sentence there, with no chance of parole or reprieve. Well, this lady engineer is over the moon to announce that the myth is pure fiction! The reality? The more interesting you make your singleness, the more relaxed ...Read more