Recently, many residents honored the annual tradition of gathering for St. Patrick’s Day to hang out with friends and celebrate as marketing campaigns focused on happy-hour deals and green food and beverages.
Cats! They’ve been with us for quite a long time. The domestication of the wild felines probably began with taming an African wildcat. Farmers in the Middle East had probably been encouraging the wildcats to stay around to help control the rodent populations. Cat bones were discovered near a Neolithic grave in Cyprus dating from 9300 years ago. Since no other native wildlife lived on that island at the time, it is thought the animal was brought with people who moved there. The Egyptians later elevated the feline to celebrity status about 3100 BC. The rest is history.
Dear Abby: I am a divorced single mother who has finally met someone. His name is “Greg,” and we’ve been dating for two months.
Good morning, Shawnee! It’s the Final Four Weekend, for those of you who follow college basketball! How did your March Madness Bracket go? Mine busted in parts fairly early, but it was still fun cheering on various teams!
Dear Abby: I once hosted a holiday dinner. The guests — my brothers-in-law, my brother and his family of four and his mother-in-law — all showed up carrying empty Tupperware. At the end of the day, all I had left was dirty dishes.
Dear Abby: I am 15 and have a big problem. I was looking through pictures on Mom’s phone and found some very inappropriate and romantic texts from “Rob,” her business partner. Mom forces our whole family to hang out with Rob, and my brother doesn’t like him either. But anytime we bring it up, my mom yells at us and makes me cry.
We live in stressful times, and our stress is magnified through quick and easy access to cable news and to each other through Facebook, Twitter, etc., where many spew venom behind a cloak of anonymity. ❚ Is today remarkably different from the past? In some ways, no. I can recall times loaded with considerable stress, like the Cuban missile crisis, when we were all concerned about the very real potential of nuclear war. But what is different today from back then is the stress associated with high alert issues was not relentlessly sensationalized, distorted, and pounded at us 24/7. ❚ The main problem today is we are so surrounded by chronic stress that we no longer are aware of it, nor do we appreciate the power it exerts. ❚ So, what can we do?
Dear Abby: I am a 26-year-old man, and I’m currently incarcerated. My girlfriend, “Diana,” and I have been together for four years.
What kid doesn’t love to play in the dirt? Kids love to get dirty because it’s a lot of fun! And while they’re busy having fun, there are myriad opportunities to teach them about the wonders of creation and the joy of seeing things grow. I remember, as a child, dropping some flower seeds in a pot on our porch. With the impatience of a child, I thought they were never going to grow. Then one day, there were little green plants! A thrill of excitement hit me at that moment. I waited, watered and worried. I wanted to see those tiny plants grow up to look just like the beautiful flowers on the seed packet. And they did! It was quite exciting and so rewarding. That’s when I learned the meaning of the old saying, “good things come to those who wait.” Patience–there’s a lesson from the garden! Everyone needs to learn it, and the garden is a good place to start.
Dear Abby: I have been married to my husband for a little over three years. I have two teen girls, and he has one. They get along for the most part, but lately my 18-year-old, “Lindsay,” and his 17-year-old, “Taylor,” have been clashing.