The day came together exactly as it should

Ihad not planned on a party; that was the trouble.There is something ridiculous about a woman who has collected so many dresses that they barely fit in her adequately sized closet, showing up at her own anniversary party with nothing to wear.

Parents differ on how to approach grief

DEAR HARRIETTE: My 7-year-old daughter’s hamster died last night, and my husband wanted to go buy a new one that looked exactly like her old one so she wouldn’t notice that he had died.

Kindness left big impression

Dear Editor, During the week of Fe. 15-22, my husband and I stayed at the Hampton Inn here in Clinton.We have stayed here many times and have always enjoyed it.

CLINTON’S HISTORY 10, 20, 30 AND 40 YEARS AGO

• Clinton participants for the Clinton High School Mock Trial Team were chosen.

GLP-1 microdosing is still experimental

ASK THE DOCTORSDear Doctors: I’m trying to lose the 18 pounds I have gained since the pandemic. It has been hard enough that I’m wondering about Ozempic.How does that work? I’m also hearing about people doing Ozempic microdosing.

Teen daughter acting up after breakup

DEAR HARRIETTE: I think my daughter might be suffering from a broken heart.I’m speculating, but a few weeks ago, she and her boyfriend broke up; he’s a rising star on his high school football team, and you know how that goes.

Vagus nerve central to the gut-brain axis

ASK THE DOCTORSDear Doctors: I keep reading about how the vagus nerve has a lot to do with things like mood, digestion and keeping your brain healthy. Where is it located? Supposedly there is even a kind of technique where rubbing it can help with anxiety and irritable bowel syndrome?

Reader questions being a public speaker

DEAR HARRIETTE: I’ve always admired public speakers. I have a desire to sit on a panel and share my thoughts, but a part of me struggles with courage, and another part of me questions the authenticity of this desire.

Where Dvorak found music in the air

SPILLVILLE, Iowa – Here, the fields of corn and soybeans go on forever, and here the road into town makes incongruous turns in a territory whose byways are defined by 90-degree angles.

Actor struggling with lack of family support

DEAR HARRIETTE: My family has never taken my acting career seriously, and it’s starting to wear on me. I’ve been dedicated to acting for 15 years, performing in multiple plays and constantly working to improve my craft.