DEAR HARRIETTE: I got out of a fiveyear relationship eight months ago and finally felt like I was ready to get back out there. I signed up for a dating app and matched with a guy. We talked for about a week and decided to meet up.
• Do you want to prevent wasps and hornets from building nests on your house? Instead of reaching for chemical insecticides, fill a spray bottle with soap and water and spray the nest directly. This simple method works because the soapy mixture clogs the insects’ breathing pores while also creating a slick surface that helps break down the nest. The residual soap can also make the area slippery enough to discourage new nests from forming in the same spot. For best results, spray in the evening or early morning, when wasps and hornets are less active and inside the nest.
DEAR HARRIETTE: My nana is a gossip. It doesn’t matter what type of boundaries you try to establish – she will inevitably cross them and say something she shouldn’t. My mom has a complicated relationship with her, not talking to her as often as my nana deems appropriate. Due to this, my nana assumes and makes up reasons and scenarios. I try not to let her relationship with my mom affect me, but the other day she called me and claimed my mom is depressed and blamed it all on me for moving across state lines. My mom completely denied this and told me she hadn’t talked to my nana in months.
Dear Doctors: On Dr. Eve Glazier’s podcast, a dentist strongly recommended using a tongue scraper for oral health. Then I came across one of your columns, which warns against cleaning one’s tongue. I’m confused. Can someone clear this up?
DEAR HARRIETTE: I need a change.
• Adding music to an Instagram post may seem small, but it quietly increases your digital footprint. A silent photo might be just a few megabytes, but adding music can multiply the file size, which means more data is uploaded, stored and streamed to every viewer.
DEAR HARRIETTE: One of my friends and I grew up in similar situations, with one of our parents being alcoholics. We shared our experiences with each other, and we each expressed that our biggest fear is to turn into our parents.
• Witch hazel is a natural astringent distilled from the flowers of a shrub native to North America. It’s often used to soothe acne-prone or inflamed skin because of its powerful anti-inflammatory properties. In addition, witch hazel has natural antimicrobial, antibacterial and antifungal qualities. Pour it into a small spray bottle and you’ve got an easy, one-ingredient shoe deodorizer – just mist the inside of your shoes to help disinfect and neutralize odors naturally.
DEAR HARRIETTE: I have been dating my boyfriend for six years now, and I have developed a close relationship with his family. We got along immediately, and they welcomed me in. His mom and I speak regularly for long periods, and my boyfriend feels like it’s excessive. He doesn’t have the best relationship with his mom, and he feels like she isn’t interested in getting to know him as a person. He says that after he became self-sufficient, their relationship became distant and surface level.
Dear Doctors: My husband’s endoscopy showed a small pinkish area at the base of the esophagus. He has no GERD symptoms, but his doctor has prescribed a big dose of a heartburn medication for life. Is that appropriate for just a small pinkish area? What questions should we ask?