Lifestyle

FICTION

Listen, I am a pretty positive person – like I am proud of that about me. Typically, I can take just about anything thrown at me, digest it and find some sort of good. There’s a reason for it – God has it. I just need to put it all in His hands and trust Him.

John T. reads this column in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and writes about his experience with COVID-19: “I had minimal symptoms with the exception of my loss of taste and smell. I am a little concerned as it is approaching 8 weeks since I have been negative for COVID and I have never recovered from my loss of taste and smell. Will this just pass in time or should I be concerned? Any ideas, suggestions would be much appreciated. I have an appointment with an ENT doctor in mid-February regarding this.”

CHICAGO — Stepping inside Erin Adams’ lab at the University of Chicago is a bit overstimulating.

One of my husband’s favorite dishes when we dine out is Baked Stuffed Shrimp. I decided to bring the restaurant experience home and created a simple version that is tender, with a moist flavorful stuffing.

When the power goes out, it can throw off all of your family’s normal routines. If the power failure is in winter, the danger of extreme cold can add to the problem. Younger children — especially infants — are at risk for hypothermia. But alternative sources of heat can be hazardous. So how do parents keep their kids warm — and safe?

Q. My child’s father and I have been divorced for 20 years. We have a daughter who is now 23. He remarried and also has another daughter, age 18. The girls are quite close. My daughter came home from college with an invitation to her father’s family reunion and she has asked me to attend with her. I have not talked to a relative of his since the divorce, but my daughter is begging me to go. She tells me her father and his wife have said they have no problem with my attending. This seems awkward to me, but there are some relatives I would like to see. What’s good ex-etiquette?

Traveling the world can be exciting, adventurous, entertaining and, sometimes, scary. The last is no reason to stay home, however.

Nothing has preoccupied humanity quite like our fascination with the moon.

From frostbite to hypothermia, extremely cold can be dangerous.