Reader complains about rude family members

Dear Annie: My grandfather passed away last month, and the wake was catered by a close friend of the family who owns a restaurant. He closed off a section of his dining hall for our family.

Man seeks advice regarding father’s dementia

Dear Annie: I am a 57-year-old man with no siblings, and my mother is deceased. My 82-year-old father is physically healthy, but he's in the early stages of dementia.

Man seeks newspaper etiquette advice

Dear Annie: Recently, my wife and I stayed for four days at the home of one of her school chums.

Concern with sister’s ‘outrageous claims’

Dear Annie: What should I say to my sister when she makes outrageous claims? For example, she believes the government is spraying poison into the skies and dropping ticks to kill us. She has a huge supply of plastic coffins ready to put our corpses into. She thinks crackpots rapping on YouTube are reliable sources of information.

Woman shares concern for friend’s marriage

Dear Annie: A close friend of mine is a successful professional woman who went through a painful divorce several years ago when her husband was unfaithful. "Diane" swore off dating for a long time.

Woman seeks advice on how to help friend

Dear Annie: My friend "Nina" just broke up with her boyfriend of five years. We are here for her, trying to help in any way we can, even though we think she is out of her mind for doing this.

Teen warns of dangers from tobacco use

Dear Annie: We are the future. It may sound cheesy, but that's the motto I live by, and it's one of the reasons I believe so strongly in the need to prevent and reduce tobacco use among teens and kids. My passion for tobacco-use prevention started when I saw the harm that tobacco use caused my older sister. She started smoking at age 13 and ended up with an addiction that spiraled out of control, in many ways taking her childhood with it.

Man concerned with his sister’s care of his nephews

Dear Annie: My sister, "Suzie," has always been a bit of a flower child, and my parents think it's funny.

Man seeks advice over losing his “soul mate”

Dear Annie: I am a 44-year-old guy who wears his heart on his sleeve. I met "Lisa" two years ago. I was fresh out of a divorce. Lisa was in terrible shape. Her mother had just died, and shortly after, she lost her fiance in a traffic accident. Then she moved back home to take care of her ailing father.

Woman wants kids to get along

Dear Annie: I have been dating my boyfriend for four years. We both have children from our previous relationships and share custody with our exes. Until recently, we had our kids on the same weekends. Then my boyfriend's ex decided that her children cannot be here when my 11-year-old son is staying over.

Teacher unsure how to deal with gun threats

Dear Annie: I am an elementary school teacher. This year I have two 7-year-old students with major behavior issues. Both of them have threatened to bring a gun to school and shoot me and their classmates. As shocking as it is to hear this from such young children, the response from the people in charge is worse.

Woman unsure how to handle bookstore visitors

Dear Annie: I took a job at a local bookstore after my position as a special ed teacher was downsized. Now I have a "special ed" problem at work.

Teenager feels her health is not worth much to mother

Dear Annie: I am a teenager in the northwest. Recently, I contracted a kidney infection that was painful and needed treatment. I didn't know what I had and wasn't familiar with the symptoms, so the only thing I said to my parents was that I didn't feel well.

Woman wants daughter and son-in-law to move out

Dear Annie: I don't know how much longer I can handle my daughter and her family living in our home. Five years ago, they came here intending to stay "a few months." My husband is ill, and he is extremely uncomfortable having no privacy and being limited to our bedroom for days at a time. I try to be kind, but I am still grieving the loss of my son to cancer. My son-in-law ...

Boyfriend in his 50s still relies on parents for financial support

Dear Annie: My boyfriend's parents are truly wonderful people, but they have taught their son to rely solely on them. He is in his 50s, and they still pay his bills and give him loans, often for "toys" rather than something necessary. I am self-sufficient. I borrow money from no one, pay my bills and am on a limited budget.

Dog’s human mom experiences drama at local dog park

Dear Annie: I have an 8-month-old puppy, and I take her to a local dog park so she can run off leash and play with the other dogs, which she loves. In the three months I have been taking her, "Phoebe" has never been attacked or fought with another dog. That was until last night, when Phoebe approached another dog that was on a leash and that dog attacked her.

Mother unsure how to handle ex’s girlfriend

Dating success not equal in open-marriage

Dear Annie: My husband and I have been happily married for 15 years and recently decided to try an open-marriage lifestyle. We are doing this with full honesty and respect for each other. The main problem is that the dating success is not equal. I found it easier to get a date. Whereas, my husband is having a tremendous degree of difficulty. He has online dating profiles, but no luck.