Mom dreads rivalry between daughter and her new sibling

Dear Abby: I am the mother of a 5-year-old daughter I'll call Mandy. Her father and I separated when she was 16 months old and now we are divorced. I am newly engaged to a wonderful man and very happy.

RVs on highways this summer will need extra room to roam

Dear Abby: It's vacation time again, time to hit the road in the RV. Please make your readers aware that people driving motorhomes, towing fifth-wheel trailers and travel trailers CANNOT stop as quickly as a small car or truck.

Kicks 4 Kids will raise money to provide Pontiac students with sneakers

Kicks 4 Kids will hold its third annual shoe fundraiser from 5-9 p.m. today at Rosie O'Grady's, 279 W. Nine Mile, in Ferndale.

Light, fresh, colorful spring vegetable ragout complements luscious polenta

The first few times I cooked polenta, I followed recipes that called for endless stirring, and as much as I enjoyed the result, I wasn't keen on making polenta very often.

Household items can kill if ingested by pets

A toy poodle that was rushed to the vet after swallowing a tube sock. A Great Dane that had to be operated on three times for eating his owner's shoulder pads.

Woman needs courage to end man's plan for future together

Dear Abby: I am a divorcee with college-aged children. I love my children, and I thought I loved my ex. However, after my divorce I wonder if I'm capable of loving anyone other than my children again.

Online community raises $165,000 to support family of child without eyes

Like most people, Krissy and Heston Stein of Royal Oak expected their share of ups and downs when they married 10 years ago. But they never dreamed thousands of strangers from around the world would one day be showering them with donations and well wishes.

Ex-etiquette: Plan around 'bonusparents'

Q: I'm faced with a dilemma. My parents are divorced and my father has been remarried for 20 years.

Free family health kits offer news you can use

Dear Abby: When friends and family get together, the conversation often turns to the subject of health. They swap stories about the medications they may be taking and the lifestyle changes they're making to improve their health.

Even without the animals, we should be proud to be the Wolverine State

We are the Wolverine State, even though we have no wolverines.

Possum an unlikely, but lovable pet

The tiny baby's odds of survival were slim. At four weeks, he was alone, his mom and siblings snuffed out by a car. It's likely the baby possum would have been a vulture's meal — but for the actions of one motorist and the unpredictable events that followed.

Woman who doesn't like sex can't get rid of men who do

Dear Abby: I am a woman in my late 40s and I hate sex. I always have and always will. I'm disabled, and it has always been torture. I never got any positive benefits out of it. Dear Sexless: Although we live in a sex-obsessed society, not everyone — male or female — is a sexual creature. Your therapist should not have tried to label you as gay. You appear to be asexual, which you describe as happily sex-free.

Groom, not the bride, is under pressure to change his last name

Dear Abby: My wife's niece is marrying a wonderful man of Greek descent this summer. Her grandfather insists that his last name is too long and impossible to pronounce. He thinks they need to change the name when they marry. He went so far as to make them call him so he could tell them what he wanted. Then he gave them 10 days to "think about it" and call him back with their answer.

Legoland Hotel is built, brick by brick, with kids in mind

The Legoland Hotel, which opened April 5, got plenty of little things wrong in its first weeks. But its designers got one thing enormously right, and that will make this place a screaming success: kid-centricity.

Happy tween is troubled by feelings of depression

Dear Abby: I am a 12-year-old girl who is happy, healthy and doing great in school. But lately I have felt sad, lonely and just plain frustrated. I used to ...

Her grandson’s choice of toys is cause for a family’s concern

Dear Abby: I am a longtime reader but a first-time writer. My problem has been bothering me for some time now.

Cellphone snoop suspects friend of having an affair

Dear Abby: I have a friend who I believe is having an affair. I have no concrete evidence, only a slew of circumstantial evidence such as odd work hours, ...

Ford Freedom Awards to honor our ‘quiet heroes’

The annual Ford Freedom Awards, a fundraiser for the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History in Detroit, on Friday will honor some “quiet heroes,” ...

Pet of the Week: Elvis

Elvis is a 2-year-old Beagle mix sure to make a great addition to any family. This active puppy likes going for long walks with you around the neighborhood.

After seniors endure extreme TSA pat-downs, feds make amends for missing cash

At 96 years old, Omer Petti never thought he’d live to see the day. Literally. But a year after he and his partner, Madge Woodward, 86, were subject to extreme ...

Couple finds lasting, loving marriage recipe

Dear Abby: My husband came up to me after dinner, wrapped his arms around me and asked, "Honey, is there anything we need to discuss?" In his hand he held an ...

10 gifts for Mom -- from sassy to classy

This Mother’s Day, whether you’re looking for a gift for a mom who is funky or spunky, plain or fancy, traditional or of-the-moment, we think we’ve got it ...

U.S. Postal Carriers will collect nonperishable food on Saturday to feed people in need

Things have changed a bit since the old days when stamps had to be licked. The wooly mammoth has died out, for one thing. Also, people are sending emails ...

Hopeful lottery winners want to share the fortune

Dear Abby: I'm responding to your request for comments about the letter from "Happily Single" (Feb. 13) and whether a divorce would be the first course of ...

Grandma can speak up about phone talk

Dear Abby: My granddaughter and her boyfriend live in another state, and I love hearing from her. However, when I call her, she always puts me on speaker ...

Derelict mom books go dark to be funny

These moms curse a lot, drink to excess, reveal scary truths and draw twisted little stick figures of their kids pooping and whining relentlessly. And this ...

Comics giveaway woos new readers

When the doors open today for Free Comic Book Day, an annual event that’s grown in stature from a few stores to some 2,000 worldwide, publishers and purveyors ...

Shoppers face hurdles in finding ‘ethical’ clothing

You can recycle your waste, grow your own food and drive a fuel-efficient car. But being socially responsible isn't so easy when it comes to the clothes on ...

Father’s hands-on approach makes his girl uncomfortable

Dear Abby: I'm a 13-year-old girl who has been trying to give my father a second chance. I was taken away from my parents when I was 8 because they were on ...