Dear Readers: Today is Thanksgiving 2020. This year has been unlike any other, but we have learned so much. Let’s continue to follow our COVID protocols (social distancing, handwashing, masking up, staying home if we feel sick), and let’s also always look for the good in every situation. Tha…

On “60 Minutes” last Sunday, Lesley Stahl interviewed Neurologist Claudia Kawas, the 90+ Study lead investigator, who reported that “Half of all children born today in the United States and Europe are going to reach their 103rd or 104th birthday.”

Dear Annie: I am in my mid-20s and fortunate enough to have a job that I’ve been able to do remotely since the outbreak of the pandemic back in March. Working from home has its drawbacks, but on the whole, I’ve come to really enjoy it.

Dear Heloise: I read your helpful hints every day in the paper.

Yes Virginia, there is a way to improve upon classic Parker House rolls. Spread garlic-herb butter on the hand-mixed dough, braid it into a wreath and give the idea of breaking bread a whole new meaning.

This year is almost over, leaving us with some deep scars.

Dear Heloise: When I’m out with my Grands (ages eight, seven, five and four), we have a system if any of them were to get separated from me. They are to go to an adult and ask if they are a grandma or a grandpa.

Dear Annie: My husband and I have two teenage children, and both of us work out of the home. We try hard to be engaged in our children’s lives and be aware of everything they’re doing. As working parents, it’s not easy, but we try hard.

Dear Annie: We all know plastics are polluting our oceans. I don’t have numbers, but the proportion of balloons amidst us is frightening. In my family, we released balloons to send love to a child lost too young. Although we did it before plastic statistics were the norm, it still makes me c…

Today’s Sound Off is about bad driving habits.

We live at a time of growing choices regarding food substitutes. But how good are these new products when compared with the old staples?

Dear Annie: While I don’t hate holidays, nor dread them, as “Holiday Anxiety” expressed, I don’t go “all in” either. I believe in moderation, in all things, including moderation.

A popular landscape plant that is starting to bloom now are camellias.

Dear Annie: I contracted genital herpes 35 years ago when a sex partner failed to tell me he had this virus. Over time, outbreaks became shorter, less frequent and virtually painless. Based on talks with others with GH, this is typical of the virus’ progression. Most claim that the worst thi…

Dear Heloise: I enjoy reading your column very much. Many good hints.

Dear Annie: I have always dreamed of moving to Memphis, Tennessee, and would really like to do so. It costs so much to get a hotel there, so I know I would need to find an apartment to rent pretty quickly. Can you give me some advice on what I can do as soon as I get there to get situated? I…

I am not what you’d call a joiner.

Dear Heloise: During the pandemic, I’ve enjoyed watching cooking videos on many of the social media platforms, but it got me wondering: What cooking staples should I keep on hand? What do your readers always have in their pantries?

Dear Annie: A few months ago, I found out that my boyfriend was messaging a girl. He says she is just a friend. I’ve asked where he knows her from, but he brushes it off and says it was just a friendly text. I believe him that she’s just a friend, but what bothers me is that the whole time t…

With the days growing colder and al fresco dining still the norm, bars and restaurants are likely to offer more hot cocktails on their menus. One cold-weather treat is spiked hot chocolate — a drink just as warming when made at home.

Dear Heloise: How do I clean burn marks off my glass-top stove?

Dear Annie: My husband and I are 72 and retired. We have always had a special relationship with our 27-year-old grandson, bailing him out financially whenever he was in a tight situation. However, he just recently asked for big help with his rent, utilities and other expenses since he change…

Remember the times when you laughed so hard, your stomach hurt? The precious laughter episodes as we socialize with each other are pure magic. The flooding of happy hormones makes the good feelings last. Later, the episodic remembering of the comic details can still trigger the same result. …

Dear Readers: During the pandemic, lots of people are moving because interest rates are low — upsizing, downsizing, you name it. So much work is involved in a move. Checklists are available online to keep things moving smoothly. Here are some things to think about. First off, shutting off an…