Embarrassed by boyfriend’s attire
Adapted from a recent online discussion. Dear Carolyn: My boyfriend and I have been together ...
See all in Ask CarolynColumnists
Cheers
No more for us. We’re good
In Greece, it’s considered impolite to let your party guest stand around with a nearly ...
See all in CheersGone Shopping
Handmade for the home
Main Street Ellsworth has a new boutique focused on handmade items. Sunshine & Dixie, at ...
See all in Gone ShoppingKitchen Garden
As American as they come
There is nothing subtle about a sunflower. Poke a seed into the ground and a ...
See all in Kitchen GardenMaine Dish
Chef froze plenty of fresh corn to make chowder
In her book “Cooking Down East,” the late Maine Sunday Telegram columnist Marjorie Standish shares ...
See all in Maine DishMore from our Columnists
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Politics burnout craves a break from the news
Adapted from a recent online discussion. Hi, Carolyn! I try to keep informed on politics and the state of the world, but I’m getting so, so tired. I have depression and anxiety and struggle to deal with my daily first-world issues. How do people deal with watching the world fall apart? I want to do …
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Brooklyn boyfriend has odd communication style
Dear Carolyn: I would love some perspective on how to accept my significant other’s communication style. For 20 years I have told him I would appreciate it if he would initiate conversations about what’s going on in my life and ask me how/what/why questions instead of yes/no questions. At this point it’s clear it’s not …
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Give yourself permission to move away from mom
Dear Carolyn: No one in my family, including myself, wants to spend time with my mom. She can be really toxic. She has hurt me all my life, and, really, everyone I love. I stopped asking my husband and kids to go with me a while ago. In fact, I limited my children’s exposure to …
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Jazz up meatballs with blueberry dipping sauce
I’m coming down the home stretch in my resolution to discover, develop and test 31 wild blueberry recipes. My family and friends have sampled a wide range of delicious and some not-so-tasty creations with Maine’s best known fruit, including lots of smoothies. Try the beet and wild blueberry one. The flavor is nice and sweet, …
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Wife fears hubby’s brags set family up for failure
Adapted from a recent online discussion. Dear Carolyn: Two years ago, we were invited to skip our son “Johnny” ahead from first grade to second mid-year. My husband was a bit insufferable about it, bragging to a number of our friends about how well Johnny was doing academically. This really bugged me at first but …
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Enliven dinner with colors and flavors from the deep earth
It’s dark in our root cellar in wintertime. Ideally, it’s a bit clammy down there too, as the temperature hovers around 33 degrees with a humidity of 90 percent. It smells earthy and maybe a little cabbagey — not a fun place to hang out. But grab a bucket and something from every bin, bring …
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Boyfriend couldn’t live up to girlfriend’s married ex
Dear Carolyn: What is it about single women and “dating” married men? I just broke up with my girlfriend of two years because I could not live up to her past married “boyfriend.” I was not as funny, charming or fun as he was. Funny thing, they never did anything except have secret meetings at …