DEAR HARRIETTE: I started a book club around eight months ago, and I advertised it on my community’s Facebook page. I was so excited because the first time I hosted, it was a success. More than 30 people came, and the discussion we had on the book was amazing. As I’ve hosted more sessions, the numbers have slowly started to dwindle, with as few as three people showing up sometimes. Am I doing something wrong?
Ispent yesterday with more than 5,000 librarians.
Dear Doctors: A year ago, I had fluid in my eustachian tubes that didn’t clear.
DEAR HARRIETTE: My mom has always had a troubled relationship with my grandmother, primarily due to growing up in poverty, surrounded by so much uncertainty. Due to her upbringing, my mom vowed to provide her children with a better life than what she had. After high school, my mom left home and became the first one in her family to obtain a college degree, and she married my father, who is from an upper-middleclass family. Lately, there has been even more tension between my mom and grandmother, with my grandmother believing my mom thinks she’s better than the rest of the family since she has a degree, career and house in the suburbs.
DEAR HARRIETTE: I have been going out with this guy for a few months now. He’s great. His energy makes me feel comfortable, we have great conversations and he is well-mannered. When we have disagreements, they stay respectful and productive; however, there is one caveat: He has two kids, a son and daughter. They are both in middle school, and they need their father present to guide them.
• If mosquitoes are turning your backyard into a buzzing nightmare, consider recruiting an unexpected helper: bats. A single bat can devour as many as 1,000 mosquitoes in one night, making them one of nature’s most effective pest controllers. To attract them, install a bat house – available at many home and garden stores – in a warm, sunny location at least 15 feet above the ground. Skip mounting it on trees, where predators can easily reach; placing it on the side of your home or on a tall pole gives bats a safer place to settle in.
DEAR HARRIETTE: I recently started working as a manager of a bank in New York City, and I’m having a hard time fitting in socially because most of my co-workers come from extremely wealthy families. They often talk about their extravagant weekend plans that include skiing or taking weekend trips. I don’t come from this type of money, so it’s hard for me to have anything to contribute to these conversations. I’ve worked hard to get to this position, and I feel confident in my professional abilities. However, I find myself staying quiet in group settings or avoiding after-work events because I worry I’ll say the wrong thing or be judged for not living the same lifestyle.
Hello, dear readers! Welcome to the monthly letters column. You have been keeping our mailboxes busy, so we will dive right in.
DEAR HARRIETTE: My mom has gotten into burning incense lately, and whenever I bring my 10-year-old daughter over, she has an allergic reaction to it. She starts coughing and sneezing and has even gotten rashes from it. I’ve asked my mom not to burn it on days when she watches my daughter after she gets out of school, but she says no because it helps her relax and she likes the smell of it. This has been frustrating because my mom is the one who offered to help watch my daughter after school while I’m at work. I’m grateful for the help since child care is expensive and my work schedule makes it hard to pick my daughter up right away. At the same time, it’s painful to see my daughter clearly uncomfortable every time she’s in my mom’s house.
Dear Doctors: I’m a 64-year-old man with Type 1 diabetes and very high cortisol from stress at work. I can’t lose weight despite lower calories, exercise and GLP-1 meds. I have a fatty liver and elevated bilirubin, which have never caused problems. I want to take ashwagandha for stress but read it can affect the liver. What is your opinion?