Lifestyle

DEAR ABBY: I live with my boyfriend and his father. I moved in two years ago to help them pay bills so they could keep living in the house my boyfriend grew up in.

DEAR ABBY: My husband and I have been married for 40 years, and we’ve had our ups and downs. My problem is, he frequently talks about the girls he knew before me. He describes them all in glowing terms -- gorgeous, perfect body, beautiful hair, well-endowed and on and on. It makes me feel self-conscious and inadequate.

With travel back in full swing, AAA Oklahoma is encouraging those planning to fly over Thanksgiving or the year-end holidays to look ahead – and book ahead – to save money and minimize the risk of flight delays and holiday disruption.

This fall is a great time to replace any plants you may have lost to severe cold the last two winters or heat and drought this summer. Fall is also a great time of year in Oklahoma to plant some choice ornamentals in your yard to bring home autumn’s magical display as well as for year-round attraction. Fall planting allows time to establish strong root systems. With stronger roots, plants will be better able to survive the unpredictable weather Oklahoma is famous for. For a truly healthy and attractive landscape, variety is the key. Plant a little of everything – trees, shrubs, ornamental grasses, evergreens, spring and summer bulbs, annuals, perennials, herbs, and edible plants.

The Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden is celebrating the birth of a rare, endangered okapi (pronounced oh-COP-ee) calf born on Wednesday, September 7 at 3:42 a.m. in the OKC Zoo’s okapi barn.

Delta Dental of Oklahoma is ringing in the new school year by providing free, educational resources to Oklahoma classrooms. As the state’s leading and only not-for-profit dental benefits provider, Delta Dental of Oklahoma has two oral health education programs, Captain Supertooth and MouthScience, available for Oklahoma educators and students through its Foundation.

During National Preparedness Month, the American Red Cross of Kansas and Oklahoma wants to help as many people as possible get ready for emergencies. The region is offering free, virtual preparedness workshops every Wednesday and Thursday from noon to 1 p.m.

Beginning at 7 p.m., Third Thursday poetry night is being hosted at the Lunch Box, at 217 E. Main, featuring Sly Alley.

First United Bank, 2675 N. Harrison (on the southeast corner of Harrison and MacArthur), routinely hosts a food truck from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Thursdays at its site. This Thursday’s featured lunch rush destination is J&J BBQ.