Annie’s Mailbox: Wife a nudist and showoff

Dear Annie: I am 34, and my wife is 24. We’ve been married for two years, and I am the happiest man alive. She is everything you could ask for in a wife and lover, except for one thing.

My wife is a nudist. We have a rather private backyard and a pool, so she just hops in the pool in the buff with never a concern that someone might see her. I had met her family on only two occasions before we wed, but when they came to visit, they all went swimming in the nude (her father, mother and brother). I was somewhat taken aback, but figured, “when in Rome.”

However, a UPS driver delivered a package the other day, and my wife answered the door wearing panties and an open blouse. She wasn’t wearing a bra, and she has a fabulous figure. When I said this was a little inappropriate, her answer was, “He’s old enough to be my father.”

Last week, she called me at work and asked if I could come home early as she wanted me to meet her brother’s best friend. When I got home, they were all swimming in the nude. When my wife got out of the pool, I can tell you that her brother’s friend was not looking at her like a sister.

I don’t think she is promiscuous, but how can she treat her body so trivially? She has an advanced degree, a wonderful job and is very religious. Am I just an old fogey? – Bradenton, Fla.

Dear Bradenton: Not at all. Your wife may be a nudist, but she is also an exhibitionist. She enjoys going without clothes and likes others to see her that way. Insist, as a sign of respect for you, that she cover up when nonrelatives are present, especially when she answers the door, for heaven’s sake. She could get into serious trouble doing that, no matter how old the deliveryman is.

Dear Annie: My sister’s best friend died last spring. My sister has known the best friend’s live-in boyfriend for 15 years. In September, they took a trip together, and by October, they were engaged. They married in Hawaii two weeks ago but don’t plan to live together for nearly a year, because they each have their own home and it will take time to consolidate living quarters. Once that’s done, they will have a reception for family and friends.

This is her second marriage and his first. Both of them are in their 50s. What is the protocol as to gifts? – Perplexed Sister

Dear Perplexed: The same as for any other newlyweds, regardless of their living circumstances: You wish them well and send a gift. If their combined homes mean they don’t need anything, you can send a bottle of wine, a gift certificate to a restaurant or theater, a donation to their favorite charity or anything else you think they might enjoy.