DEAR ABBY: A friend of 35 years recently accused me of exposing her and her mother to COVID. She told me she thinks I did it on purpose because I thought so little of them. This is not true! I had been home for eight days and saw her on a Friday. The following Wednesday […]
Life & Culture
Arts and entertainment news and advice columns from the Sun Journal.
Posted inDr. Roach
Alcohol consumption played tricks with routine bloodwork
DEAR DR. ROACH: I am a 55-year-old female. I have always been in excellent health, but this year, my routine bloodwork showed that my creatinine is 1.08 (high) and that my GFR is 58 (low). Can that be because I drank alcohol the night before my bloodwork? My 2019 test showed GFR 65 and creatinine […]
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Posted inSun Spots
Memorable funny stories about moms planned for Mother’s Day
DEAR SUN SPOTS: The Sun Journal is putting together a Mother’s Day story about moms and their funny moments. Through thick and thin, good times and bad, we’re sure your mom has tickled your funny bone in some memorable, even epic, way. Her reaction to your shenanigans, her practical jokes, comical missteps, off-beat sayings, or […]
Posted inEncore, Things to Do
Fauré Quartett to perform virtually from Merrill Auditorium
Check out the Fauré Quartett at 3 p.m. Sunday, April 18, virtually at Merrill Auditorium, 20 Myrtle St. in Portland. Join Portland Ovations for a virtual concert featuring the 10 movements of Russian composer Modest Mussorgsky’s masterpiece Pictures at an Exhibition followed by a special surprise encore. The experience opens with a live conversation with […]
Posted inDr. Roach
Jock itch not responding to the usual cures
DEAR DR. ROACH: I have been suffering for some time with jock itch. The resulting scratching leaves my groin area and thighs abraded and oftentimes bleeding. In addition to the ketoconazole I’ve been prescribed, I have tried several over-the-counter sprays and ointments, to no avail. My doctor prescribed generic Claritin (loratadine) and I use a […]
Posted inHoroscope
Leo: Don’t fold under pressure
CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Emma Watson, 31; Seth Rogen, 39; Flex Anderson, 51; Emma Thompson, 62. Happy Birthday: Keep life, love and your financial matters in perspective. Put a strategy in place to ensure you stick to your budget, and don’t take on more than you can handle. You have so much to gain […]
Posted inEncore
Looking Back on April 15
100 Years Ago: 1921 Amidst the cheers of the crowd and the tooting of whistles and the music of the band, the auxiliary schooner “Bowdoin,” built to carry Donald M. MacMillan, the explorer, on his next Arctic voyage, was successfully launched just at noon Saturday from the Hodgson Brothers yard here, at East Boothbay. Fully […]
Posted inSun Spots
Experienced French traveler offers advice, books on touring the country
DEAR SUN SPOTS: In regard to the inquiry in the April 13 Sun Spots about traveling in France, I’m a retired French professor who has seen many areas of that country. Definite highlights for me are Alsace, the chateaux of the Loire, Mont St. Michel, and the Mediterranean coast. But you can’t “do France” without […]
Posted inNuptials
Engagement: Smith — Fickett
AUBURN — Abigial Smith of Auburn, the daughter of Juli White-Smith and George Smith Jr. of Durham, and Derek Fickett, also of Auburn, the son of Anita and Randall Fickett of Auburn, announce their engagement. The future bride graduated from Kennebec Valley Community College in 2016 with a degree in Sustainable Agriculture. She is the […]
Posted inDear Abby
Mother-daughter fight leads to threats of leaving home
DEAR ABBY: My best friend (since we were babies) and I are having a disagreement. She had two kids when she was 16 and 17 who are now in their early 20s. One of them still lives rent-free under her roof. My friend struggled her whole life but got a college degree, bought a house […]