I’m a 57-year-old twice-divorced man. Though I never wanted to get to a point where romance wouldn’t be in my big picture, I’m feeling done with it. I’ve replaced dating and getting married again with gourmet cooking for one. I’m really enjoying it, but it worries me. Is it okay to be done? — Single […]
Community & Lifestyle
Posted inArts & Culture
For whom the sleigh bells toll
I get very lonely around the holidays. My family is just my parents, and they’re far away. I don’t have a boyfriend right now. I have many friends and good people in my life but instead of hanging out with them, I find myself isolating. So … it seems my treatment for loneliness is loneliness […]
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Celebrate the holidays German-style
The sizzle of sausages perking up your ears, the aroma of roasted nuts tickling your nostrils, the strudel melting in your mouth and the hot-spiced wine warming your insides can transport your senses to the holidays in Germany. But you can experience the joys of Christkindlmarkt right here in Illinois. Belleville, Carlinville, Chicago and Naperville […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Holiday events calendar
Christmas Card LaneNov 29-Dec 30. An outdoor exhibit/competition comprised of larger-than-life “cards” created by local artists and groups based on the theme “Holiday Season Around the World.” Hosted by the Decatur Area Arts Council. decaturarts.org. Downtown Decatur. Holidays at the White HouseNov 29-Jan 6, 9am-5pm Mon-Sun. Featuring cards, documents and photos from Lyndon Johnson, Richard […]
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Teetotally awesome
I’m a recovering addict, five years sober. My ex-boyfriend was a “normie” (12-step slang for someone who hasn’t had addiction issues), and there were definitely things he just didn’t get. Do I need to date another recovering addict to feel understood? I’ve done that before, and I really don’t like it. It’s like living in […]
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Woe is meow
I lost more than 100 pounds. I’m really proud of myself and my new body, so I post pix on Instagram. Disturbingly, I’ve got a few haters — all women! — who come at me saying I’m narcissistic, slutty, a showoff, etc. I thought women are supposed to support one another. How should I respond? […]
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Apartnering up
My husband and I started having problems when I found an email he sent to his ex-girlfriend saying, “You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever met. I want to spend the rest of my life with you.” He’s never complimented me during our five years together. He revealed that he and his ex used to […]
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Business meating
A man asked me for my number at an event, saying he wanted to take me to dinner. I told him I’d just ended a relationship and wasn’t ready to date. Of course, he then said it’d be a business dinner, and I consented and wrote my number down. I feel that I had bad […]
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Here we glow again
My friends tease me, saying that I’m such an obnoxious jerk, but amazingly, everybody seems to love me. Somebody said it’s because I have charisma — like a rock star/movie star quality. Honestly, I don’t think that highly of myself. I’m interesting-looking, outgoing, funny and relatively talented in what I do. What is charisma exactly, […]
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Catch the colors in Calhoun County
When I was growing up, I loved going to my mom’s cousin’s house for Sunday dinner. Iva Rose would serve seemingly endless platters of chicken, roast beef, mashed potatoes and gravy, garden vegetables and rolls. To top it off, she would bake several homemade pies and cakes filled with deliciousness and served with love. Those […]
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Jenny from the flock
I hit it off with this guy I met on Match.com. We’ve been dating for a month and slept together twice. He said he’d delete his Match profile because things were going so well, so I deleted mine. Recently, a mutual friend told me he’d just gone on Tinder. I’m super upset, and though we didn’t […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Hi, Anxiety!
I’m a 29-year-old woman. My boyfriend of a year is a wonderful guy. I’ve always been a jealous person — very insecure about whether a guy really cares and is being faithful. I ruined my last relationship (with a nice, decent guy) by snooping in his email — finding nothing. I’ve started seeing a therapist […]
