I took a swing at him. I clipped his chin, but the blow had no real force behind it. He looked at me with shock on his face, and then he hit me in return. We stared at each other for a moment, shrugge...

In deep thought, she leaned against the outside wall of the four-room house that was home to Dad, Mom and seven siblings. At age eight, the middle child and oldest girl, for a couple of years now had ...

DEAR ABBY: My boyfriend and I have been together for 18 years. Everyone we know thinks we are married, but we never got it on paper. He has always been less empathetic than I would like, and there’s a...

DEAR ABBY: In the past, I always disliked my appearance. I have been obese most of my 70 years but am now within 20 pounds of my ideal weight. My problem is, I have met someone I like very much and co...

As 2026 begins, the topic of insurance affordability and what can be done to keep costs from going up is top-of-mind. While much of that discussion will occur at the federal level and involves adults,...

DEAR ABBY: I am a very overweight woman, but down 50 pounds from my top weight and continuing at a consistent, but slow, rate to lose. My A1C is now down to pre-diabetic, so I know my efforts are maki...

It is interesting to me how we carry over the names of characters in books into our current lives. I had a friend who named his dog “Frodo” after the character in “Lord of the Rings.” In similar fashi...

Everyone should plan for longterm care as we enter a new year. Many people focus on improving finances, health and well-being but one powerful New Year’s resolution often overlooked is planning for lo...

While the 52nd week of another season fades in the rearview mirror of our marathon lives, my own week features an added, and quite special, milestone... Penning this column two days ahead of the Times...

DEAR ABBY: I am in my early 30s and happy in certain aspects of my life: I recently moved to a house and married a man I love very much. I have friends, hobbies and dreams. One of these dreams is to b...

It is hard to believe that 2025 has come to an end. For those of us at the Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy (OICA), I must say that our work felt incredibly important this year with addressing is...

“Promises made, promises kept,” we hear that a lot these days, but only the God of Heaven can perfectly deliver on every one of His promises every time. Untold numbers throughout the Bible and through...

DEAR ABBY: My sister, “Blanche,” and I didn’t grow up together after she turned 13. I was 6 at that time, and our grandmother raised her. We talked on the phone a lot until I was 45 and my husband die...

• Ed Hawkins of Beggs was arrested after abandoning a stolen demonstrator car that ran out of gas in front of Officer Ben May’s home. Police tracked him into the woods, where he confessed to stealing ...

I can’t imagine what it must have been like to be in the military service away from home and living in danger at Christmas. I was the same age as many of my friends and relatives who served in Vietnam...

Rocket science isn’t required for this brand of boot camp. Nor is youthful age! A quiet army of apprentices to Jesus (millions of ordinary people dotting our planet) enter most mornings in solemn reso...

I hope each of you is looking forward to the upcoming Christmas break and will have time to spend with loved ones. As a Christian, Christmas is one of my favorite holidays and is a very special time f...

DEAR ABBY: My parents were married for 50 years. My dad remarried a nice lady a year after Mom died. Within two months of meeting her, they were engaged. Dad made more than a few missteps, including a...

• Senator W.B. Pine returned home for the holidays with sobering news. Okmulgee learned it would not receive a federal building in the coming year. Despite introducing a bill with Congressman Hastings...

DEAR ABBY: My wife and I stopped having sexual relations eight years ago. She keeps our two grandchildren 11 to 12 hours a day, five (and sometimes six) days a week. (That’s 60 to 70 hours.) By the ti...