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Dear Annie: Feeling lost in the pew

Dear Annie: My question is: Can I still keep going to my church or is it time to cut ties? This is complicated because my husband was a pastor, and I appreciated him greatly as a preacher. He took early retirement, but we stayed in the same town because I had a good job, and we needed my income and insurance until I could retire. Unfortunately, my husband — who was 15 years older than me — began developing dementia. We’d planned to move to the university town in our state where I attended college, and where three of our five children also graduated. One son and his family live ...

Antique Victorian eggs had a hidden purpose

A peep egg might sound like an Easter treat. As a white egg-shaped object, often painted with colorful decorations, like the two that sold together at Austin Auction Gallery for $215, it might look like one, too. Peep eggs are actually Victorian optical devices. At the time, advances in ...

Distance, perspective, and the weight of America

There is something clarifying about being far from home. In Cape Town, South Africa, where the mountains meet the sea and the horizon feels endless, distance creates a kind of stillness that invites reflection. But even here, halfway across the world, America is never far away. It lives in the conversations, the questions and the quiet curiosity of strangers trying to understand what is happening and where it is all heading. What has struck me most is not just that people are paying attention but how intently they are watching. Taxi drivers, business leaders, students and shopkeepers ...

Decades of hostility between Iran and the US were preceded by a little‑remembered century‑long friendship

The British- and American-backed plot to overthrow Iran’s prime minister in 1953 laid the groundwork for the 1979 Iran hostage crisis and decades of hostility with the U.S. that have now culminated in a war launched on Iran by the U.S. and Israel. Many Americans only know the anger and tension with Iran that has grown from those roots set down during the middle of the last century. But as an archaeologist who has spent over 50 years specializing in Iran, and from my research on Iranian history in the context of changes undergone by Iran’s nomadic population through time, I believe ...

Dear Annie: The bare minimum brunch guest

Dear Annie: My husband and I host Easter brunch every year for both sides of the family — about 16 people total. I cook a big frittata, a glazed ham, homemade rolls and a salad or two. My problem is my sister-in-law, “Brenda.” For the past four years, she has signed up to bring dessert. And every year, she arrives with the exact same thing: a single grocery-store container of brownies. Last year, she set it next to the spread without even taking the brownies out of their plastic container. Meanwhile, I’m prepping for days in advance trying to get the food cooked and nicely ...

AI scribes help doctor to better focus and interact with patients

DEAR DR. ROACH: In your recent column, a reader complained about a doctor using AI to write after-visit summaries. I think my doctor has begun using AI for this purpose, but I like it. The reason why I think she is using AI is because she has begun looking at me while we discuss my health, rather than looking at her computer while she types the report. This feels much more personal, and the after-visit summary seems to be just as accurate. — G.U. ANSWER: I appreciate your writing. This is one good outcome from the use of AI scribes. It does often feel like we physicians are too busy ...