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Wednesday, March 17, 2010 – Daily News – 5A FEATURES Road trip leads to questions about marriage Dear Annie: I am 28 years old and have lived with the same man for 10 years. We have two beauti- ful daughters, ages 8 and 4. Last May, ‘‘Rob’’ and I decided to take an extend- ed vacation. We bought an RV and spent the summer traveling and visiting fami- ly. While I really enjoyed the sights, some aspects of our trip were truly horrid. I frequently had to act as ref- eree between Rob and the kids. Our older daughter had a bad attitude throughout the trip, and Rob took it personally. What’s more, we rarely made love, and several times we fought. We’re back home now, but have yet to return to any semblance of normalcy. Rob took a temporary job in another state. At first, I was supportive, but he has begun to stay away longer and longer. At the moment, he’s home for a day or two every two weeks. He says he wants to start a business with his brother and thinks we should move there in six months. months and then move? My daughters miss their father, and it would be hard on them if we split up. It is important to keep my family together, but at what cost? — Between a Rock in Kansas Annie’s Mailbox by Kathy Mitchell and Marcy Sugar Dear Kansas: If you and This puts me in a dreadful situa- tion — away from professional contacts and a supportive family. I have no idea whether this venture with his brother will work out, and Rob hasn’t bothered to look for a job closer to us. I don’t need to tell you how challenging it is to be a single parent. I am exhausted, sad, resentful and angry. I miss Rob’s help and companionship, but I’m not sure I miss him. Should I endure the next several Rob have been together for 10 years, you were both quite young when your rela- tionship began. After the enforced togetherness of the road trip, Rob may be rethinking his domestic situation and enjoying his ‘‘freedom.’’ If you believe he’s going to stay in his new location whether or not his business venture succeeds, you might consider moving so the chil- dren can be closer to their father. However, you sound unsure about the relationship and could benefit from counseling. It would be best if Rob would go with you, but if not, please go alone. Dear Annie: My mom and dad were together for 30 years and raised four children. Dad died sud- denly at age 60 from an undetected heart problem. Mom was 52 and grieved terribly. Four years after Dad passed away, Mom met a widower. They wanted to travel, but he felt they should get married first. After some time, she agreed. My problem is, I have always viewed the marriage as a betrayal of my father and, to this day, have a problem accepting it. All of these people have passed away, including my mom, who died in December. Are my feelings justified? — Still Miss Him Dear Still: You can’t help how you feel, justified or not. But it was unreasonable and unfair to have expected your mother to remain alone forever in deference to your father’s memory. When children grow up and move away, the remaining parent is left with an empty house and no one to share her life. Please forgive your mother for wanting to recapture the happi- ness she once had. Dear Annie: I am responding to ‘‘Upset in Santa Cruz’’ about the unexplained bruises on a young boy. A reader suggested he could have Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. He could also have leukemia. My sister had bruises all over her body. We thought her small dog had caused them, but later, to our dismay, we discovered she had an aggressive form of leukemia. — Kathy in Omaha Dear Kathy: How terribly sad. Please know your warning will help others. Dear Readers: An Irish bless- ing for St. Patrick’s Day: May your blessings outnumber the shamrocks that grow, and may trouble avoid you wherever you go. Annie’s Mailbox is written by Kathy Mitchell and Marcy Sugar, longtime editors of the Ann Landers column. Please e-mail your questions to anniesmailboxcomcast.net, or write to: Annie’s Mailbox, P.O. Box 118190, Chicago, IL 60611. Bidwell students form Ecco Earth Tribe Mrs. Fout's Bidwell SERRF class, grades 3- 4, recently went on a field trip with Ecco Earth Tribes Instructor Alicia Valencia to the Sacramento Discovery Center. The students were accompanied by Beth Birk, SERRF recreation specialist and several parent volunteers. The students were observing and trying to have birds return their bird calls. Several birds responded to the class' calls. Everyone took turns looking through binoculars at different sites across the pond, while the rest listened and hoped to see a beaver. Tribes taught the stu- dents about animals and plants native to our area. Many students were able to talk about the birds, plants, trees and types of habitats animals live in. Mosquitoes and brewer’s yeast DEAR DR. GOTT: I used the search function at your Web site but couldn’t find the answer, so I am hoping that you can help me. A while ago, some- one wrote about an herb that changes the body chemistry so that mosquitoes stop biting. What is the name of that herb? ical bug sprays, which should be reapplied often whenever you are outside. To provide Dr. Peter Gott DEAR READER: I am sorry to hear that the search results failed to help you. Just to double- check, I looked for the article and didn’t find it. This means that the article has not been entered into my archived database yet because of its age. Putting several years of past columns onto the site is a time-consuming project. However, this does not mean I don’t know the answer. I believe the product you are looking for is not an herb but rather yeast — brewer’s yeast, to be exact. In the original arti- cle to which you are likely referring, a gentleman wrote in about his success using brewer’s yeast to ward off mosquito bites. He went on to say that his child was in veterinary school and was told by a friend that it worked in repelling biting fleas in both pets and humans. The recommendation was to take one 7.5-grain (about 486 milligrams) tablet daily. Brewer’s yeast is also a good source of several B vitamins, so there is no harm in taking it year-round. Speak to your physician prior to starting the regimen, espe- cially if you are on med- ication (prescription or over-the-counter), herbals or have a medical condi- tion that may prevent you from safely consuming the product. Courtesy photo Bidwell Elementary School’s SERRF class on a field trip at the Sacramento River Discovery Center The field trip was an excellent opportunity for students to take what they learned in their class and observe it in a natural environment. Antelope District offers community scholarship The Antelope School District spring. invites graduating high school seniors to apply for the Antelope School Dis- trict Community Scholarship. This is the fifth year of the com- munity scholarship. The district is prepared to give $3,000-4,000 in scholarships this year after a success- ful basket auction fundraiser last 2 Applicants must have graduated from Berrendos Middle School and attended Antelope district schools for at least five years. 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Main St. Now Enrolling Children Recently expanded and moved near Bidwell Elementary License # 525405817 (530) 209-8743 My qualifications include: B.A. in Elementary Education and experience teaching grades K-8. Accepting state pay programs & cash pay, etc. Other readers have had success consuming garlic or garlic pills (not the odorless type) daily. If you don’t want to ingest something but want to be outside, try putting a plate of lemon-scented dish detergent in the area where you will be. The mosquitoes should be more attracted to the detergent than to you. If these recommendations don’t work, there is always the standby of top- related informa- tion, I am sending you copies of my Health Reports “Dr. Gott’s Com- pelling Home Remedies” and “More Compelling Reme- dies.” Other readers who would like copies should send a self-addressed stamped No. 10 envelope and a $2 check or money order for each report to Newsletter, P.O. Box 167, Wickliffe, OH 44092. Be sure to mention the title(s) or print an order form off my Web site at www.AskDrGottMD.com . DEAR DR. GOTT: I am a seven-year survivor of ovarian cancer. I now have pain in one of my hips. I recently read an article about a lady who was a cancer survivor who developed bone cancer 10 years later. How do they test for bone cancer? DEAR READER: Before jumping to the conclusion of bone can- cer, you should consider the more common occur- rence of arthritis of the hip, a condition that leads to pain in one or both hips as the cartilage begins to wear down. If you underwent radia- tion, this could have sped up the deterioration of the connective tissues. The pain could also simply be age related, but because you did not provide any history, such as age, health status, medications, etc., I can’t determine whether this is likely. I urge you to speak to your physician, who can order an X-ray that will show whether there are any abnormalities within the hip or bone suggesting arthritis, cancer or other causes, such as osteoporo- sis. If anything is abnor- mal, further testing will be necessary to determine the cause. Dr. Peter Gott is a retired physician and the author of the book “Dr. Gott’s No Flour, No Sugar Diet,” available at most chain and independent bookstores, and the recently published “Dr. Gott’s No Flour, No Sugar Cookbook.” CARE TO COMMENT? At redbluffdailynews.com, scroll to the end of any story, click the link and type away. ●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●● Specials $799 pecials $799 Dinner Traditional Corned Beef & Cabbage Grilled Reuben Sandwich $899 in Frontier Village across from the fairgrounds. • (530) 527-1420 645 Antelope Blvd. #1 Lunch Bud’s