This was originally posted to commemorate the birth of baby Alexandra, my niece, daughter of my stepsister Deb and her husband Lenn. Here are some thoughts on raising children. 1880: Facts for Parents Paternity is earth’s highest dignity. The parent is the best human type of God. Paternal authority is the germ out of which […]
“How’s Married Life Treating You?”
Q Dear Miss Abigail: My sweetie and I cohabited for several years before marrying. I have found myself astonished at the number of people who have asked questions along the lines of “so, how’s married life treating you?” Although I can think of several flip and not-so-proper responses, I am in need of something that […]
Falling in Love with a Married Man
This was originally written long ago with Monica Lewinsky on the mind, but perhaps it will continue to guide other young people as they make decisions about who they spend their time with. 1956: Falling in Love with a Married Man Very little has ever been written about falling in love with a married man. […]
My Mother-in-law Is Ruining My Marriage!
Q Dear Miss Abigail: How do I deal with my evil mother-in-law without ruining my marriage? Signed, Lovely Wife A Dear Lovely: Honey! Sweetie! Darling! Don’t fret. Miss Abigail is here to help. 1954: Try a Little Empathy Empathy, which is the ability to put yourself in the other person’s place, is of tremendous value […]
Making Him Popular
Q Dear Miss Abigail: My problem is my fiancé. I love him dearly but it seems that his work colleagues feel quite differently. This all came out on a recent training weekend when they were all a bit worse for wear. His job means everything to him and he is good at it, so I […]
Go Hubby! Get a Job! Go Hubby! Ra Ra Ra!
Q Dear Miss Abigail: My husband lost his job. Any suggestions for how to be supportive and not be a nag. i.e. “so, what did you do today, dear?” Obviously not a good thing to say. Signed, Debbie A Dear Debbie: Yeah, I guess that would be a little awkward, particularly when the job market […]
How to Help Your Husband Get Ahead
This week I bring you something a little different. What follows is the complete table of contents of Mrs. Dale Carnegie’s, um, intertesting book titled How to Help Your Husband Get Ahead, which shows quite clearly how warped some of this stuff can be. This one is definitely a keeper. Only after the introduction is the […]
Does Your Career Conflict with His Interests?
This selection is written by Mrs. Dale Carnegie. In her introduction to this somewhat disturbing book with a very long title, How to Help Your Husband Get Ahead in His Social and Business Life, Mrs. Carnegie states: “I wish I could guarantee that, by following the rules in this book, you would slowly but surely help […]
Woman: Waster of Energy
With so much going on in my life these days, I don’t know how I’m keeping it all together. How did women juggle it all in the past? Peter Steincrohn reminded me in his book How to Stop Killing Yourself. 1950: Woman: Waster of Energy There are career women who want to have two jobs ~ because […]
10 Commandments for Wives and Husbands
When I first read this excerpt from Edward Podolsky’s Sex Today in Wedded Life, I was disturbed, and quite pleased to be living in the modern times. The wife seems to have a lot more serious things to worry about! Her husband only has to remember her birthday and kiss her in public. But as I […]