• Coffee shops are a competitive business, and they’re typically willing to meet your requests to ensure that you’re happy with your order. When placing your order for whatever keeps you caffeinated, be sure to specify “for here” to make sure it’s served in a reusable cup. Bring your own reusable thermos to fill up, and you can reduce your single-use consumption to zero.
DEAR HARRIETTE: I have a small business that has experienced many ups and downs over the years. We did well during the pandemic. Now that we are a couple of years out of quarantine, things are tight again. My contracts are dwindling, and I am finding it difficult to drum up new business. I don’t want to become despondent, but it is hard. Just when I thought things were going well, the economy fell out and I am scraping to keep my staff and everything going. I have cut back in every way that I can. How can I keep a positive mental outlook when the horizon is looking pretty bleak? – Life of an Entrepreneur DEAR LIFE OF AN ENTREPRENEUR: Review the history of your business. What has worked over the years? Since you have been able to stay alive through lean times in the past, now you need to consider how you did that.
Try as I may, I simply cannot comprehend the thinking of Texas Republican officials who forced a 31-yearold mother of two to flee the state to secure a legal abortion in order to spare the doomed fetus in her womb from terrible suffering, preserve her ability to bear a third child, and possibly save her life.
It depends on what the definition of “is” is.
Dear Doctors: My husband was given a small jar of an electrolyte powder by a friend and has decided to take it on a daily basis. He is 76 years old, sedentary, a bit overweight and has high blood pressure. Might taking electrolytes cause him problems?
DEAR HARRIETTE: Despite announcing my decision to stop drinking to many friends and family, I still encounter peer pressure when I go out with them. It’s challenging to stick to my choice without feeling like I’m ruining the vibe or being seen as a buzzkill. I value my decision, yet I don’t want to dampen the fun or create discomfort when declining drinks. How can I navigate these situations gracefully and stand by my choice without negatively affecting the atmosphere?
Preparations are well underway for the 2024 legislative session, which convenes on February 5. The deadline to request bills recently passed, and we are now working on finalizing legislation related to a variety of issues and projects across the state.
It’s the time of year when I look back and see where I’ve been and wonder where I’m going.
DEAR HARRIETTE: I received a holiday bonus and planned a family trip for the New Year, but considering our budget, it’s looking tight. My wife suggested that I use the bonus for a solo trip, leaving her to manage our three young kids -- ages 2, 4 and 6 -- for about five days. I’m conflicted; I want to honor her suggestion as it was my bonus, but the idea of leaving her with all the household responsibilities and our little ones makes me feel extremely guilty.
Ababy, a mother and a father. They are at the heart of the Christmas season. And, yet, as Mary Eberstadt points out in her book 'How the West Really Lost God,' a nuclear family might seem strange to many people who did not grow up in one. And the celebration of a baby might hold a painful reminder to a person unable to have children for whatever reason. Eberstadt's point is that we should acknowledge how reality contrasts with our ideals.