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Niece robbing ailing grandmother

Dear Annie: My mother is 86 and lives in another state.

My 33-year-old nephew and his three kids live with her, as do my niece, “Joanna,” and her two children. Not one of them has a job. READ

Will bagpipe tradition be deflated?

The 83rd annual conference of the Alberta Fish and Game Association, our largest and most geographically diverse conservation organization, will be held Feb. 23-25 at Calgary’s Glenmore Inn & Convention Centre. READ

Digestive microbes work differently in fat, lean

For the first time, scientists have studied the vast array of microbes found in the human digestive tract as one biological system — almost a stomach within a stomach. READ

Cuttings simple way to start plants

Indoor plants respond to lengthening days by putting out new growth. Once herbaceous plants, one with soft stems, have a few inches or centimetres of new growth it is possible to take cuttings and start new plants. The process is simple and has been used for centuries. READ

Textbooks entering tablet market

The day my husband handed his iPad to our two-year-old, I cringed, fearful of the US$700 device’s imminent destruction and of introducing technology at perhaps far too young an age. READ

Son standing in way of marriage

Dear Annie: After 40 years of marriage, my wife came home from work one day and said she was leaving. READ

Husband is immature, mama’s boy

Dear Annie: I have been married nearly 30 years to someone who is a self-centered, selfish, immature mama’s boy. READ

Student’s ‘wild ways’ may be cry for help

Dear Annie: I am a college freshman. My sister, “Katie,” is a sophomore in high school. I am on good terms with many of her friends. One, “Jessie,” is a bit wild. READ

Make removal of ice huts mandatory

Tom Maccagno, lawyer, former mayor of Lac La Biche, multi award winning environmental activist, naturalist, and a fine wildlife photographer died at 72 on Jan. 7th while undergoing heart surgery. READ

Interesting times and engaging people

Here is a picture of a country and lifestyle that no longer exists. Rosina Harrison, born in 1899 in a small Yorkshire village, grew up to be lady’s maid to Lady Astor, she who duelled verbally with Winston Churchill in the House of Commons. READ

Tiny insects pack a deadly punch

Longer days encourage inside plants to break dormancy and to put forth new growth. READ

Facebook’s Timeline? Take control now

I’ve been dragging my heels about adopting Timeline, the Facebook profile introduced in September. READ

Blood, urine testing faces new competition

Collecting blood and urine specimens can often be messy or painful for patients. And for legally sensitive tests, such as for drugs or alcohol, ensuring the sample’s integrity demands close supervision at the expense of privacy. READ

Make removal of ice huts mandatory

Facebook’s Timeline? Take control now

I’ve been dragging my heels about adopting Timeline, the Facebook profile introduced in September. I haven’t wanted to accept that my comfy, familiar profile will soon be gone for good. But there’s no delaying anymore: Facebook announced last week that “over the next few weeks, everyone will get Timeline.” READ

Tiny insects pack a deadly punch

Longer days encourage inside plants to break dormancy and to put forth new growth. The new growth attracts insects that may have otherwise gone unnoticed. The insects mentioned below all give off ‘honey dew’, a sticky substance that drops and deposits on anything under the insect making a large infestation very noticeable. READ