Dear Annie: I am a 39-year-old man who is married to the greatest wife in the world. We have three boys and one girl; our oldest is 19, and our youngest is 8. A couple of years ago, I started a cabinet-making business, and it is growing faster than I could have imagined. Our oldest son works…

Dear Heloise: I received a call from my sister telling me that my mother had passed away. I had to get from Arizona to New Jersey in a hurry, so I took an airplane to get home.

Editor’s note: Vern Lawson is on vacation. Please enjoy these “best of” Vernacular columns. This column originally ran Nov. 8, 2018.

Dear Annie: My boyfriend and I have been dating for two years. He’s a hard worker, which appealed to me, as I’ve always been the breadwinner in previous relationships. But lately, I feel like he’s not putting any effort into the relationship.

Dear Heloise: Whenever I open the door of my microwave, unpleasant odors from previous meals come out. I have tried leaving the door open for a while to air out the inside of the microwave, but I am afraid I will burn out the light inside. What do you suggest I do? Thank you.

Dear Heloise: My neighbor had me over for dinner recently, and she served the best potato salad I’ve ever eaten. I asked her what the secret was, and she said she sprinkles a little fresh lemon juice over the potatoes after they’re cooked and had cold water run over them. This recipe has a f…

Dear Annie: You recently printed a letter from two physicians with an alcoholic daughter. Al-Anon is the organization that supports friends and families of alcoholics, and Alcoholics Anonymous is support for the individual with a drinking problem. You recommended Alcoholics Anonymous.

On the subject of all things concerning everyone who has ever served in the military, it is hard to feel anything other than bittersweet on the days immediately following the 20th anniversary observance of 9/11.

When was the last time you made a mistake and admitted you were wrong? And when was the last time you witnessed somebody else made an error and refused to admit the mistake? And why it seems so hard to admit a mistake?

Dear Annie: While reading the letter from the “Parent Who Does Not Want to Get Divorced,” the way she was describing her husband sounded very much like he might have narcissistic tendencies.

Dear Readers: I have gotten several letters asking how to get red wine stains out of light colored carpet. When you are having a gathering, a lively and good time with friends and family, this just seems to happen. And we know it’s not the end of the world. Here’s what to do:

Los Angeles County

This week launches a series of columns on the current crisis — not the COVID pandemic, which will eventually come to an end, but rather, the seemingly endless escalation of the type 2 diabetes pandemic.

Dear Readers: Being a good neighbor can be more complicated than it sounds, at least when it comes to finding financial help for the elderly who are seeking home care. That’s what experts in the field have discovered, and I am very grateful that so many of them spelled out the problems and o…

Today’s Sound Off is about dipping tobacco:

Dear Annie: I feel the need to provide a different view to the “Grieving Grandmothers” who wrote in saying that their daughters-in-law keep their grandkids and sons away from them.

Writing about new businesses last week got me to wondering what the world, which is constantly changing, will be like in 20 years.

No one wants to see some poor unfortunate soul put out on the street the first time they fall a few days behind on the rent, but do California laws do more to create homelessness than to prevent it?

Dear Readers: I have received many suggestions for protecting passwords. This is an important issue for all of us to protect our data. Here are two to consider.

When it is hot, you may be thinking of shade and shade trees.

Dear Annie: I am a woman in my mid-30s, and my wife is in her early 40s. We met a little less than two years ago and haven’t left each other’s side since. We got married about a year ago. Needless to say, we both fell fast and hard for each other. When I met her, my whole world changed, and …

Dear Heloise: I am writing about the information you had about dryer fires. A good friend was a firefighter, and he also said to never leave the house with the dryer on. Also, never go to bed with a dryer on. My sister and her family got really lucky with a dryer fire. Her son’s bedroom just…

Dear Annie: My husband and I have been married for 34 years. We have two grown children, both of whom still live with us. They work and pay rent toward our mortgage. I have no problem with their living at home, and I don’t think my husband does either. The problem I have is that both my husb…

What does 9/11 mean to you? Not on a personal level but as an American?