Parent worried that daughter has started biting nails

DEAR HARRIETTE: My daughter used to have a bad habit of biting her nails down to the skin. Over the years, she has done much better, which is why it is worrying me now that she is back to this behavior. I don't know what is going on with her, but I'm sure that something is wrong.

DO JUST ONE THING

• Bees aren't the only insects that help pollinate fruits, flowers and veggies. Butterflies are also an important part of the ecosystem. To help attract butterflies to your garden, avoid using insecticides, which are obviously lethal to them.

Things are certainly looking up

Meanwhile, back at the ranch ... To readers of a certain age who grew up watching cowboy movies on TV, that timeless phrase signals a major plot development. Maybe the scheming rancher with the mustache is ordering his henchmen to saddle up.

Friend worried about woman’s exercise obsession

DEAR HARRIETTE: A new friend of mine who is a fitness buff recently told me that when she was much younger, she was bulimic. She described the whole scenario of how she got caught up in this behavior when she was in college and how, eventually, she got past it.

Heat problems can escalate quickly

Dear Doctors: Can you please talk about why hot weather is so dangerous? We've had a couple of heat waves with high humidity, and my grandfather didn't even realize he had heat exhaustion. Air conditioning isn't common in our area, and our kids are struggling, too.

Cheneys stand by their daughter

If you muted the television, closed the door to keep out the muffles from the street and listened carefully the other day, you may have heard the voice of John Quincy Adams.John Quincy Adams, you ask? You may not have heard of him since 11th grade American history.

Trashing Republican traditions

After most Republicans vociferously condemned the FBI’s raid on Donald Trump’s Florida estate, Fox News host Steve Doocy plaintively asked his guest, GOP Congressman Steve Scalise: “Whatever happened to the Republican Party backing the blue?”When Scalise protested that “rogue” elements of the FBI...

Having a family home to visit is a luxury

Isometimes envy people who have a family home to return to, a place where they grew up, where their parents or even their grandparents lived.The closest thing I have is the farmhouse where my mother grew up.

Adult son leaves room at parent's house a mess

DEAR HARRIETTE: My young adult child finally moved out of my house this summer. He finished college a few years ago and has just gotten on his feet with a job. It looks like he is starting his life off well.

Who or what can we trust?

We once heard that throughout someone’s entire life, there are fewer than five people a person can totally trust if you don’t include your parents.It is the type of trust that allows you to tell your deepest secrets and know that no matter what happens, they will be kept secret.