Advice and Games

I enjoy the gardens everyone else plants

Tuesday, May 27, 2025

Summer arrived suddenly. It was as if spring got shortchanged and we leapt from late winter into summer with nothing in between. I watched the gardeners wake with a start and begin tearing up their lawns and gardens with a fury, as if they had overslept and had to make up for lost time.

Family expects woman to pay sister’s expenses

Tuesday, May 27, 2025

DEAR HARRIETTE: I’m a woman in my early 20s, just starting out in my career and trying to get my footing financially. My older sister, who’s in her late 20s, recently accepted a new job in Missouri and is planning to move soon, but she doesn’t have the money to make it happen.

DO JUST ONE THING

Thursday, May 15, 2025

• Do you want to add houseplants to help beautify your home and purify the air? One option is to buy them at your local florist or home improvement center; another option is to get them totally free. The website Freecycle is like Craigslist, but without money ever changing hands for goods.

Parent doesn’t want son’s girlfriend on trip

Thursday, May 15, 2025

DEAR HARRIETTE: My family and I are gearing up for our annual family vacation. My oldest child is in a relationship and has been badgering me about wanting to bring his girlfriend.

DO JUST ONE THING

Thursday, May 8, 2025

• If you’ve purchased a new washing machine, listen up: Don’t use DIY laundry detergent for your machine. While handmade detergents are a good all-natural alternative, they have a tendency to clog modern-day washing machines.

Reader needs help conquering self-doubt

Thursday, May 8, 2025

DEAR HARRIETTE: One of my best friends came to town. We’ve known each other since college and have seen each other through a lot of chapters.I don’t feel like I’m in the best season of my life right now.

Elizabeth Ko, M.D.

Ability to metabolize caffeine has many variables

Wednesday, May 7, 2025

ASK THE DOCTORSDear Doctors: Have you ever encountered anyone who barely seems to metabolize caffeine at all? I am a 64-yearold woman, and over the last eight years, I have become increasingly unable to tolerate even small amounts of caffeine. I would like to understand why.

Roommate’s workout routine interrupts sleep

Wednesday, May 7, 2025

DEAR HARRIETTE: My roommate works out at 5 a.m. every day, which means that his alarm goes off at 4:30 a.m., and it’s been affecting my sleep in a major way.

Out-of-town man’s personality shifts on visit

Tuesday, April 29, 2025

DEAR HARRIETTE: Earlier this year, I met someone at a friend’s birthday party. I thought he was handsome, and my friend ended up fixing us up. We live in different states, so we exchanged numbers and kept in touch. We talked often on the phone, and I felt comfortable with him.

Imagining how to fill the empty space

Tuesday, April 29, 2025

This week was spent with the familiar sensation that I have no idea what I am doing.I just started rehearsals for a show about my column and the origin story for my first novel, “Loon Point,” that comes out next February.