Lifestyle

Dear Neil: I have weeds that have extremely deep roots growing in my lawn. I prefer not to use chemicals.

We gardeners spend so much time stressing over what our plants need that we often forget they grew just fine for millennia without us. Suppose we step back from our self-aggrandizing human nature and take our cues from actual nature instead?

Dear Abby: I come from a nice family. My siblings are thoughtful and kind, but one of my brothers is a conversational narcissist. He drones on for hours (if we let him) without asking a single question to engage another person.

Dear Dr. Roach: I am an 81-year-old male with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease. During the night I have pain in my thighs and feet. I’ve been taking two extra-strength acetaminophen (Tylenol) nightly for the past year, as my doctors and nurses who give me flu and COVID shots say it is safe to take for pain. One of the side effects of CMT is hearing loss. I wear two hearing aids, and without them am deaf. This week I read an article saying several studies show that people who use acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Advil) twice a week are up to 24% more likely to develop hearing loss than people who use them less frequently. Their expert says continued use of these meds at a high dose can result in permanent hearing loss or tinnitus. Am I risking permanent hearing loss by using acetaminophen nightly? I stopped taking it, but have trouble sleeping when I have pain. Is there a safe alternative for pain?

Street vendors cross East Asia scrunch small pieces of meat onto skewers and baste them over hot coals with a sweet and savory sauce. Amid the sizzle and aromatic puffs of smoke, the sauce thickens to a luscious glaze, and — importantly — the meat cooks up fast.

Dear Dr. Roach:In early November 2021 my son, who is 30, was diagnosed with Addison’s disease and was treated with cortisol. He was doing well on that regimen. In March 2022 his blood sugar went up (300+), and he was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. As late as January his blood sugar was normal! We are told that it happens sometimes with Addison’s.

AMANA, Iowa (AP) — Linda Grabau finds odd moments throughout her day to prepare the material that she will later weave into a rug. She’s made rugs from pantyhose and shirts.

Dear Abby: I’m a senior in high school, and I come from a family that is financially stable but unable to travel often due to time and money constraints. We usually travel only once a year in the summer, and for the most part, we’re not able to travel very far or stay for long.