Like a springtime Santa, Zuill Bailey blew into town over the weekend, bringing with him his customary bag of gifts: irrepressible energy, a tireless pursuit of excellence and an abiding belief in the power of music to enhance our lives. Also as customary, he was accompanied by a member of his worldwide network of colleagues exhibiting the same traits. This time, it was the Australian pianist, Piers Lane, who last appeared under Bailey’s aegis nine years ago. At that time, he guided us through a tour of European music beginning with the crystalline clarity of Mozart and ending in the demented supervirtuosity of Leopold Godowsky.
Dear Doctors: A friend who was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s disease is now fearful of getting thyroid cancer, which happened to another family member. A social media site advocates a rigid diet, such as no gluten, dairy, tofu or tomatoes. How strong is scientific evidence for these restrictions?
Dear Annie: I never imagined that after raising three children, loving them through every stage and being a hands-on mother, I would be feeling like a stranger to my own grandchildren.
Liza Minnelli has a lot to say about Hollywood, sobriety and former lovers in her new memoir. But the most memorable pages of “Kids, Wait Till You Hear This One!” are the ones she dedicates to her fractious relationship with her mother, Judy Garland.
Dear Annie: A friend of mine is facing a painful choice, and I can’t stop thinking about it. She has dogs she loves dearly, but the man she’s dating is allergic. Not “a little sneezy,” but truly can’t be around them. She feels like she’s being asked to choose between her pets and a relationship that could become something real.
DEAR MISS MANNERS: My local grocery store was very busy and the checkout lines were long. I paid little attention to the lady without a cart in front of me as she spoke to someone on her phone, assuming that she was with the person in front of her.
Dear Doctors: I have always liked how yawning feels and wondered what it’s for. I just read there is new information about how yawning affects your brain. Do you know anything about that? Also, do we know yet why yawning is so contagious? I’ve even been able to get my dog to yawn.
Dear Annie: I’ve been married nearly 40 years. My wife’s father has passed, and her 81-year-old mother still lives on the family farm. My wife is on a loan her mother took out to buy part of that farm, and my wife handles everything. One of her brothers lives there and is a slob. He won’t take off work to take their mother to appointments, so my wife does that, too.
The best-designed hotel rooms often come down to the details. Blackout shades, well-placed light switches and other thoughtful features can make all the difference. “If someone has anticipated these things, that’s the biggest gesture of hospitality you can offer,” said Jo Littlefair, who with her husband, Martin Goddard, runs Goddard Littlefair, a London- and Portugal-based interior design firm that’s worked on projects like the Mandarin Oriental in Vienna and the Gleneagles Hotel in Scotland.
SAN DIEGO — Before we see elephants at Elephant Valley in the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, we come face to face with destruction, only the wreckage is beautiful. A long, winding path takes guests around and under felled trees. Aged gray tree hunks form arches, for instance, over bridges that tower over clay-colored paths with hoof prints. The design is meant to reorient us, to take us on a trail ...
LOS ANGELES — Bruce Johnston, a six-decade member of the Beach Boys' live band, announced he will step away from the group. The 82-year-old Johnston told Rolling Stone that "It's time for part three of my lengthy musical career! I can write songs forever and wait until you hear what's coming! As my major talent beyond singing is songwriting, now is the time to get serious again." The Beach ...
DEAR MISS MANNERS: I believed that wearing all black was proper dress for anyone at a funeral, or any such service. In recent years, though, this seems to have changed. “Church dress,” or subdued outfits in muted colors, seem to be acceptable.
