Lifestyle

My sis, Jen, and I are five years a part — which is like a lifetime when you are a kid. Growing up, she was that really cool girl down the hall — the girl I looked up to — the girl I so wanted to beat at basketball one day. She set the bar for me — I wanted to do everything she did and more.

PHILADELPHIA — Footage of the historic civil rights March on Washington. Photos of AIDS activists protesting for survival, women walking for equal rights. Documents written by the founding fathers on freedom of religion. Newspaper front pages that made history.

After sitting down to dinner at a friend’s house a couple of days ago, I was confronted with something I hadn’t seen in a month: a big leafy green salad. Because of traveling on the East Coast, and eating out so much, I had forgotten the homey joys of a giant bowl packed with salad greens, various chopped vegetables and fruit, some cheese, nuts and seeds, etc. I promptly stuffed large forkfuls in my mouth, relishing the crunch of the lettuce spines while the bracing vinaigrette stung the corners of my lips. It was as good a welcome back to California as I can imagine.

NORFOLK, Va. — Kim Keene knows the difficulties of being a starving artist. She also knows how hard it is to live with cancer.

Q. We pay child support and all med/dental bills, even though my husband’s ex is supposed to pay half. She says she can’t afford it. So she and my husband made a deal that she will just pay co-pays when she takes the kids to the doctor or dentist. I know she has a job. She works at Ross when the kids are at school. But, we are getting notifications that co-pays are not being paid, and now they are coming after us. I don’t believe she can’t afford co-pays! Isn’t there a limit to enabling her dependency on my husband? Plus, when we ask for a little extra time with the kids, she makes it very difficult. I want to take a stand! She needs to do her part. Am I wrong? What’s good ex-etiquette?

Stephen King does something amazing in his new novel, “Holly,” that you might not even notice at first.

During an appearance at Beautycon in Los Angeles earlier this month, R&B songstress Kelly Rowland revealed her expensive skin care secret: LED therapy.

Dear Answer Angel Ellen: I read in your column that you’re a big fan of women’s jumpsuits because they’re a one-stop solution for “what to wear.” But you didn’t mention men’s jumpsuits. Are they considered fashionable, or would I be laughed out of town if I wore one?

In remarks this month to members of Congress and their staff, Dr. Wendaline VanBuren, a Mayo Clinic radiologist who specializes in gynecologic imaging, discussed the importance of research in improving early detection and diagnoses of endometriosis, including through medical imaging.

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: A friend has a family history of diabetes and obesity. She is diligent about eating healthfully and enjoys sharing new recipes and information about food. Recently she mentioned a sugar substitute called erythritol. I’m not familiar with this product. Can you explain what it is and if it is healthy?