Lifestyle

Q. My husband and his ex share equal custody of their kids. However, she calls constantly, whether the kids are here or not. We have asked repeatedly, politely and firmly not to call except in cases of emergency, but today she called to tell my husband that William lost his first tooth. A tooth? He’s got tons of them! It’s driving me crazy. What’s good ex-etiquette?

NEW YORK — In an age of deepfakes and post-truth, as artificial intelligence rose and Elon Musk turned Twitter into X, the Merriam-Webster word of the year for 2023 is “authentic.”

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — There’s a reason they call it Happy Valley.

Come the holidays, homemade gifts from the kitchen are the ones I like to make and receive. They’re not at all fussy or fancy — spiced nuts in a pretty container, marinated cheeses and herbed biscuits — but they are foods I might find useful during the holidays, too.

Between cocktail parties after work, making cookies with the grandkids and the never-ending holiday get-togethers, it can feel like the season is built for overindulging.

Stumped for a holiday gift? Go to the bookstore.

Lima merchant Gus Holstine had a forgettable autumn in 1920. In quick succession, he fractured two ribs, contracted pneumonia “and to cap the climax developed a serious attack of appendicitis, which resulted in an operation, his life in the balance for five days,” the Lima Republican-Gazette reported November 21, 1920.

LIMA — Local businesses will once again be participating in Downtown Lima, Inc.’s Holiday Festival this year.

FICTION

I texted my daughter, who lives two states away, to ask what she is most looking forward to when she comes home for Thanksgiving.