DEAR ABBY: I’m a college junior in need of advice. I share an apartment with two other female students, “Wendy” and “Lauren,” who roomed together before I met them. Wendy is sweet and easygoing, but she grew up in a rural area and seems very sheltered. For example, she can’t swim and thinks that eating shrimp is exotic, but she likes to clog dance and play the mandolin. She has never mentioned having a boyfriend or even dating. We are completely different, but until recently we got along well. A few weeks ago, Wendy asked me to go with her to hear a bluegrass band at a club near campus. By 11 p.m., I was ready to leave, so she drove me to our nearby apartment and said she was going back to keep listening to the band. I woke up around 4 a.m. (long after the club had closed) and realized that Wendy hadn’t come home. I was freaked out and tried to call her but discovered that she had left her cellphone at the apartment. I went looking for her (in my car) all over campus and anywhere else I thought she might be. I seriously considered calling the police.
However, when Lauren got home around 8 a.m., she said, “Oh, Wendy has done this before. She probably hooked up with some guy. I should have warned you.” Then Wendy rolled in all starry-eyed about this “great guy” she had slept with, who was a stranger she knew only as “Joe.”
Wendy was unapologetic about the distress she had caused me by disappearing and staying out all night. I was exhausted and furious. When she wondered out loud whether “Joe” would be calling her, I snapped, “Why would he? He’s probably sober by now.” However, I’m now wondering if I am the sheltered one. Am I being judgmental, and was my concern for Wendy’s well-being an overreaction?
— NERVOUS IN NORTH CAROLINA
DEAR NERVOUS: You now know that Wendy is not as unworldly as you originally thought. It is regrettable that you weren’t told how well she gets along with other fans of bluegrass, but now you know. You and your roommates should consider making a pact that if you plan to stay out all night, you will inform the others, because your concern was not unfounded. She could have been in any kind of trouble. Luckily, this time she wasn’t, and no, you did not overreact.
** ** **
DEAR ABBY: I’ve been married for almost 40 years to a woman who is verbally abusive. When we went to counseling 30 years ago, she agreed to stop hitting me, which she has mostly adhered to. She still says hurtful things frequently and then laughs them off. What should a man do to leave an abusive wife? Why should I put up with abusive and demeaning behavior anymore?
— ABUSED IN TEXAS
DEAR ABUSED: You should not put up with it. Inform your wife that the verbal jabs hurt you as much as the physical blows did. Offer to return to counseling with her so she can learn to treat you with more kindness and respect. In the meantime, consult a lawyer and be prepared to part ways if she continues to believe her abuse is funny.
The announcement Tuesday that Philadelphia’s Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University would be closing its museum doors later this month figures to leave a dino-sized hole in the city’s cultural landscape.
For years, the two-century-old museum has been a dinosaur enthusiast’s dream. In all, more than 30 species are highlighted in the heralded Dinosaur Hall — many in full skeletal representations. The permanent exhibit boasts a Torosaurusskull, dinosaur eggs, and a touchable T. rex bone fragment.
There’s still time to visit: The last day open to the public with regular business hours will be Sept. 27. There’s also a “Dinos After Dark” event slated for Sept. 18, complete with a beer garden and pay-as-you-wish pricing.
For those hoping to get their fossil fix in the future, meanwhile, rest easy: There remain other places in and around Philly with plenty of dinosaur-related programming.
Life-size depictions of creatures that roamed the area 66 million years ago in the “Dinosaur Coast” prehistoric life dioramas produced by Gary Staab at the Edelman Fossil Park & Museum of Rowan University during a media preview March 5, 2025.Tom Gralish / Staff Photographer
Edelman Fossil Park & Museum
Located just across the Delaware River in New Jersey — less than 20 miles from downtown Philadelphia — is Rowan University’s Edelman Fossil Park & Museum.
Opened a year and a half ago, the museum boasts a lineup heavy with dinosaurs and other extinct creatures: There’s fossil teeth from the Cretolamna, an ancient shark that inhabited the state; a hadrosaur egg fossil; and full-scale renderings of dinosaurs from up and down the East Coast.
“We really feature the dinosaurs and other extinct creatures from New Jersey and Pennsylvania,” said Kenneth Lacovara, paleontologist and EFM’s founding executive director.
For an additional cost, patrons can also join a fossil hunt at the museum’s 45-foot-deep quarry in Mantua, which over the past century has turned up more than 100,000 fossils.
🕒 Open daily from 10 a.m.-5 p.m., 💵 $29 for ages 13+, $24 for ages 3-12, free for ages 2 and under, 📍 66 Million Mosasaur Way, Mantua, N.J. 08080, 🌐 efm.org
North Museum of Nature and Science
The Lancaster museum’s “Dinosaur Discovery Hall” exhibit seeks to get visitors up close and personal with “the fossils, minerals, and plant species in prehistoric life,” according to the venue website.
There’s a focus on the T. rex, and in the Paleontology Gallery, you can handle real bones and fossils.
🕒 Wednesday and Thursday, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., Friday through Sunday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. 💵 $13 for general admission, 📍 400 College Ave., Lancaster, Pa. 17603, 🌐 northmuseum.org
New Jersey State Museum
The museum’s ongoing “Written in the Rocks: Fossil Tales of New Jersey” takes visitors more than 3.5 billion years into the past.
The star of the show might be the Dryptosaurus — reconstructed in life-size form for the first time — but there’s also a life-size cast of a Hadrosaurus foulkii and a Mosasaurus maximus, plus a look at Ice Age creatures.
🕒 Tuesday through Sunday, 9 a.m.-4:45 p.m., 💵 Free, 📍 205 W. State St., Trenton, N.J., 08608, 🌐 nj.gov
Wagner Free Institute of Science
In 1891, the Wagner purchased a collection of Camarasaurus bones from the Colorado quarry of Edward Drinker Cope — which Cope’s assistant traveled to Philadelphia to help arrange. Today, the remains are still on display at the museum.
🕒 Tuesdays through Fridays, 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., and select Saturdays, noon to 4 p.m., 💵 Free, 📍 1700 W. Montgomery Ave., Philadelphia, Pa. 19121, 🌐 wagnerfreeinstitute.org
Please Touch Museum
Though Philly’s favorite hands-on museum isn’t currently hosting any fossil-related exhibits, the pint-sized dinosaur lovers in your life might enjoy the upcoming “Dino Day” later this month — a celebration of all things dino.
Kids can handle fossils, dig for bones, and take part in dinosaur-themed arts and crafts during this one-day event.
🕒 Sept. 12, 💵 $24 for general admission (discounts available), 📍 4231 Avenue of the Republic, Philadelphia, Pa. 19131, 🌐 pleasetouchmuseum.org
Montour Preserve Fossil Pit
There are worse places to go fossil hunting than this roughly 400-million-year-old one-acre site of exposed shale located three hours northwest of Philly.
Once upon a time, the site was covered by water, and while you probably shouldn’t expect to come away with any velociraptor bones — the most common finds at the site are the fossils of small sea creatures — the site is free to the public, and visitors are welcome to keep any fossils they find.
🕒 Open daily from dawn to dark, 💵 Free admission, 📍 374 Preserve Road, Danville, Pa. 17821, 🌐 montourpreserve.org
After a summer of nonstop action — the World Cup, Major League Baseball’s All-Star Game, the festivities surrounding the nation’s 250th birthday — things have finally calmed a bit in Philadelphia.
But that doesn’t mean there’s not plenty still to come this fall.
The area will once again host a variety of festivals and markets in the coming weeks and months, celebrating everything from food to the arts and everything in between.
Now entering its fourth year, the festival celebrates Muslim-owned establishments in and around Philly. Last year’s version featured more than 100 vendors and 6,000 attendees.
📅 Sept. 19,📍King of Prussia Mall, 160 N. Gulph Road, King of Prussia, Pa. 19406, 🌐 phillyhalalfoodfest.com
Scene of the swan boats from the 2023 Delaware River Festival held both in Philadelphia and Camden.Partnership for the Delaware Estuary
The event combined two former festivals, the Partnership for the Delaware Estuary’s Coast Day and Alliance for Watershed Education’s River Days Festival. Expect lots of family-friendly activities, from ferry rides and pedal boats to crafts and water-related education. Events take place at both Penn’s Landing on the Pennsylvania side of the river, and Wiggins Park on the New Jersey side.
📅 Sept. 26, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., 💵 ,📍101 N. Columbus Blvd., Philadelphia, Pa. 19106 and 2 Riverside Dr., Camden, N.J. 08103, 🌐 delawareriverfest.org.
Held at Allens Lane Park, this fourth-annual festival features live performances, food, an art market featuring the work of local vendors — but also the opportunity to make some art yourself, with stations for painting, printmaking, and ceramics.
📅 Oct. 3, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., 💵 Free,📍601 W. Allens Lane, Philadelphia, Pa. 19119, 🌐 allenslane.org.
First Fridays return to the Cherry Street Pier, complete with artist studio tours, markets, and exhibit openings along the Delaware River. Upcoming dates are Aug. 7, Sept. 4, Oct. 2, Nov. 6, and Dec. 4. Events begin at 4 p.m.
📅 Various dates, 💵 Free,📍121 N. Columbus Blvd, Philadelphia, Pa. 19106, 🌐 cherrystreetpier.com
Since 1987, St. Nicholas of Tolentine Parish has held this annual event dedicated to Italian culture. The day kicks off with a 10:30 a.m. Mass and subsequent neighborhood religious procession, and there’s plenty of live music, Italian food, and family-friendly activities.
This three-day event in and around Philly’s Gayborhood celebrates National Coming Out Day. Things kick off Oct. 9, with a variety of pre-parties and kickoff events. The following day, Oct. 10, is a night of dancing at Voyeur Nightclub, and the festival concludes with a parade on Oct. 11.
📅 Oct. 9-11, times vary, 💵 Prices vary by event,📍Various locations, 🌐 phillygaycalendar.com
The fall market this year celebrates its 10th year at Dilworth Park near Philly’s City Hall. Held over three days in October, this pet-friendly event brings a slew of artists and makers together, from jewelry and photography to glassware and woodwork.
📅 Oct. 9-10 (noon to 8 p.m.) and Oct. 11 (noon to 6 p.m.), 💵 Free,📍1 S. 15th Street, Philadelphia, Pa. 19102, 🌐 madeinphila.com
A day of celebration in honor of one of Pennsylvania’s most iconic foods: the Dutch breakfast meat, scrapple. Reading Terminal Market turns into a scrapple haven, as vendors offer a variety of scrapple-themed items. There’s live entertainment, cooking demonstrations — even a scrapple-sculpting competition (held Oct. 15, the Thursday before the festival).
📅 Oct. 17, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., 💵 Free entry, pay as you go,📍1136 Arch St., Philadelphia, Pa. 19107, 🌐 readingterminalmarket.org
The fifth annual Philly Bike Ride kicks off at the Philadelphia Art Museum on Saturday, Oct. 17.Courtesy of Philly Bike Ride
Now in its fifth year, this annual ride takes cyclists past some of the city’s top landmarks. The 20-mile course is closed to traffic, making it a great event for riders of all ages and experience levels. Afterward, celebrate with food trucks and a beer garden. Registration is required; early-bird prices (through July 12) range from $43 to $200.
There’s live music all day, pumpkin decorating for kids, and a variety of items from local shops, crafters, and artisans. Local vendors will be on hand, with a beer garden from Wissahickon Brewing.
📅 Oct. 17, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., 💵 Free admission,📍Ridge and Midvale Avenues, Philadelphia, Pa. 19129, 🌐 discovereastfalls.org
Last year’s inaugural event went so well that organizers are running it back. Main Street will be taken over by local artists and vendors, food trucks, live music, and — ahem — a mac and cheese crawl.
The 23rd Street Armory hosts this annual celebration of all things coffee. More than 20 roasters have already been lined up (with more expected soon) for this two-day event that also includes food and live music.
📅 Oct. 17-18, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., 💵 Tickets are $25-$73,📍22 S. 23rd St., Philadelphia, Pa. 19103, 🌐 phillycoffeefestival.com
More than 100 artists, crafters, and vendors are expected at this year’s annual family-friendly festival held at Croft Farm. Mechanical Brewery will have a beer garden, plus there’s free pumpkins, a petting zoo, and live entertainment.
📅 Oct. 18, noon- 4 p.m., 💵 Free entry, pay as you go,📍100 Bortons Mill Rd., Cherry Hill, N.J. 08034, 🌐 chnj.gov
This free event gives visitors a peek behind the scenes of the Community Arts Center in Wallingford. There’s 30 vendors, plus demos and tours, art activities for children, and a pumpkin-painting contest — plus live music. For a full schedule of the day’s events, check out the Community Arts Center website.
The Braid Mill in Germantown hosts this fourth annual fall festival, with food trucks, wine and cocktails, local bands and DJs, and a craft marketplace. Early-bird tickets are available at a steep discount if purchased before Oct. 1.
📅 Oct. 25, noon-5 p.m., 💵 $20 for entry ($12.51 before Oct. 1), pay as you go,📍346 E. Walnut Lane, Philadelphia, PA 19144, 🌐 phillyflannelfest.com
The first-ever Inquirer Food Festival was held last year at the Fillmore in Fishtown. This marks the event’s second year.
The city’s premier food festival returns to the Fillmore this fall, featuring a lengthy lineup of top area restaurants. Sao, Pine Street Grill, and The Bread Room are among the participants already confirmed for this year’s event. There’s also an empanada-making workshop from chef Jezabel Careaga, with music from DJ Na$h, plus the chance to try off-menu dishes.
📅 Nov. 14, 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., 💵 Ticket prices vary,📍29 E. Allen St, Philadelphia, Pa. 19123, 🌐 foodfest.inquirer.com
DEAR ABBY: My father passed away three months ago, leaving my mom alone for the first time in her life. She lives nearby, so my wife and I have been doing what we can. We have her over several times a week, and we visit and call to check in often.
Mom is having a hard time and sometimes forgets to eat or get dressed if we don’t remind her. There has been a lot of legal stuff to do following Dad’s death, decisions she’s not up for, so we’re doing that, too. I’m trying to get her professional help (counseling and help at home), but there are waiting lists, and it’s going to take time. I’m also mourning Dad, and it’s been a lot.
What I’d really like is for my brothers to step up. One lives in the next town. The other is only a couple of hours away. Neither one has been to see Mom since the funeral, and it doesn’t sound like they’ve been calling her often.
I’m the oldest, and they are used to me taking care of things, but this is more than I can handle alone. I have told them that directly. They both say they want to help, but then they don’t. I have tried giving them specific tasks (for example, to call Mom in the morning before 10 on a certain day), and they agree but then don’t follow through. We usually get along.
They are both successful people with good jobs and families, so I don’t understand why they are slacking here. I think they’re just used to Mom being the caretaker and can’t see that the roles are reversed now even though we’re all in our 40s and no longer little boys. How do I get them to start shouldering their share of the responsibility here?
— IN CHARGE IN WISCONSIN
DEAR IN CHARGE: Because your brothers cannot be trusted to step up and give your mother more time, there is another way they can take some of the responsibility off your shoulders. They can offer money in lieu of time. Each could chip in so that their mother has a caregiver or companion to help her with the household chores. They should also contribute toward grief or psychological counseling until she is stronger. If you suggest all of that, you may find they magically begin calling Mom more often!
** ** **
DEAR ABBY: I am at my wits’ end. I support myself and my boyfriend of 14 years. I have no extra money to support anyone else. My boyfriend’s mother, who is our neighbor, treats him like a dog and always has. She constantly asks him for stuff. He gives her things that I have worked for — cigarettes, soft drinks, food, etc. It all adds up, and I can’t do it anymore. Please give me any advice that you have.
— TIRED
DEAR TIRED: You have learned the hard way that your boyfriend and his mom are a package deal, and they are both deadbeats. Get out of there and stop letting them use you. Find a place of your own, block his calls, and experience the satisfaction of living on your own. Once you’ve done that, I’m sure you can find yourself a much better man — or you may decide you don’t need one.
Next year’s Met Gala will not spotlight controversial fashion designer John Galliano after all.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art and Galliano announced in a joint statement that the museum would not move forward with John Galliano: Horizons. Galliano, 65, is a British designer who has worked for some of the industry’s top fashion houses, including Christian Dior, Givenchy, and Oscar de la Renta.
At the peak of his career, he served as Dior’s creative director for nearly 15 years. But in 2011, he was infamously canceled after his conviction in a Parisian court over a series of racist and antisemitic comments. It cost him his job leading Dior. At the time, Galliano said his alcohol abuse sparked the outburst.
The museum’s retrospective was reportedly going to highlight the fashion director’s portfolio while also addressing his personal life, including his public exile and the work he later did to atone and get sober.
“Following thoughtful discussions with many stakeholders and with John Galliano, we together have decided not to proceed with the exhibition,” said Metropolitan Museum of Art director Max Hollein.
The announcement came exactly one month after the initial Met Gala theme reveal. Galliano’s exhibit would have only been the third retrospective for a living designer in the Costume Institute’s history.
While fashion experts largely agreed the fashion director’s work is seminal, critics said the exhibit’s timing — which coincides with a global surge in antisemitism — was cause for concern.
Professional thrifter and fashion writer Virginia Chamlee previously told The Inquirer that while the Met was equipped to accurately cover the designer’s checkered past, she was concerned about whether the storytelling would resonate with the average Met Gala consumer.
The annual exhibit’s largest publicity draw is a televised red carpet where celebrities invited often wear pieces by or paying tribute to the spotlighted designer — not the exhibit itself.
“Even if the museum intends to offer a complete examination of Galliano’s complicated legacy, it may come off as a straightforward celebration of someone who said things so heinous and racist that they were charged and fired for them.”
In the joint statement, Galliano himself said he requested not to move forward with the exhibit.
“After much reflection and discussion with The Met and all those involved, I have decided, with great sadness, that it is best for the exhibition not to take place at this time,” Galliano said. “I remain fully accountable for the pain caused by my words in the past, particularly the hurt I caused to the Jewish and Asian communities, and I remain deeply sorry for it. I understand that meaningful atonement is not achieved through an exhibition, institutional recognition or a single public gesture. It is a continuing responsibility, demonstrated through listening, learning and one’s conduct over time.”
Galliano went on to thank Anna Wintour, a longtime champion of Galliano’s and the global editorial director of Vogue, chief content officer of Condé Nast, and Met Gala chairperson responsible for the event’s programming.
In her extended statement to Vogue, Wintour framed Horizons’ cancellation as a “postponement.”
“John’s decision to ask the Museum to postpone the exhibition devoted to his work is very courageous and a measure of the man he is,” she said. “I believe this is the right decision, and both he and the Museum have my full support.” The Met’s version of Wintour’s statement does not use that phrasing.
Information on a new Spring Costume Institute exhibition and the 2027 Met Gala will be announced later, the museum said. The Gala itself was initially scheduled to take place May 3, though it’s unclear if that date would shift in light of the exhibit change.
DUSHORE, Pa. — The competitors were wiped, but they gathered at the starting line in this sleepy Sullivan County town for one last push on their custom-built toilets.
“All right, this is it, folks,” emcee Gretchen Little announced. “Reputations are made. Legends are created. It’s all here, the drama, the triumph, the heartbreak. There’s nothing like the Dushore Outhouse Races.”
A half-dozen or so teams began the Dushore Founder’s Day 26th Annual Outhouse Races earlier on this Saturday night in early August. One by one, they dropped, teams like the Blue Water Angels, Perfect Dump, and Royal Flush.
The Coal Region Turd Herder’s team races down the hill on Main Street in Dushore, Pa.RALPH WILSON/For the Inquirer
Little let the crowd decide the best-looking outhouse before the final race. One of them was Steiny’s Heineys. Another team had a Dunkin’ Donuts theme with some unprintable potty humor.
The crowd itself was an anomaly in Dushore, easily four times bigger than its year-round population of about 450. Sullivan County, about 160 miles northwest of Philadelphia, is one of Pennsylvania’s most rural counties, and its population has been rapidly decreasing and aging for decades.
“You come to this town tomorrow, you might not see a soul,” said Darryl Kashner, of Coal Township.
The Lyons Club driver reacts as the team’s outhouse crosses the finish line in Dushore, Pa.RALPH WILSON/For the Inquirer
Dushore’s Founder’s Day also included a 5k and a keg-rolling competition, but the crowds swelled on Main Street for the outhouses. Vendors included local wineries, coffee shops, and a Sullivan County artisanal broom maker that’s been in business for 100 years. Despite the crowd, many attendees said the turnout was smaller than usual.
“It used to be much bigger,” said Greg DelBuono.
The Steiny’s Heinys team races down the hill in Dushore, Pa., as part of the 2026 Founder’s Day festivities.RALPH WILSON/For the Inquirer
Dushore’s outhouse races are essentially bobsledding on the street. The outhouse must have a real toilet seat, and most sit on simple aluminum frames with wheels.
“Remember … this must look like an outhouse … be creative,” the rule book states.
The Corkscrew Crew team races down the hill during the 2026 Dushore Founder’s Day festivities.RALPH WILSON/For the Inquirer
The pilot sits on the throne, steering, while pushers line up outside. In Dushore, the best pushers were young and brawny, often sleeveless or shirtless. They came off the starting gun fast, racing uphill on Main Street. They passed through Sullivan County’s lone traffic light, swept around a memorial, and pushed back hard in the opposite direction, their legs burning.
“It’s a young man’s game,” said Kyle Nolte, 39, of Forksville. “I did this about 25 years ago, but I hung it up.”
The Coal Region Turd Herders were underdogs from the anthracite area south of Dushore, but they’d advanced to the finals by recruiting some real athletes — one of them was named “Speedy” — to do the pushing. Their outhouse was painted safety orange and featured a brown piece of, well you know, wearing sunglasses.
Locals and visitors line Main Street to watch the 25th Annual Outhouse Races at the Dushore Founder’s Day.RALPH WILSON/For the Inquirer
Like many people, Kashner discovered the races after he bought a hunting cabin in the area. Now, he pilots the Turd Herders’ outhouse.
“We bought the camp, came down, and decided to build one,” Kashner said. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”
Team Nutz, the local boys from Sullivan County, were perennial favorites at the races and faced off with the Turd Herders in the finals. The winners would come away with a trophy and a few hundred dollars, but the bragging rights were more important.
The Dushore Lyons Club team race up the hill on Main Street during outhouse races at the Dushore Founder’s Day.RALPH WILSON/For the Inquirer
When they rounded the memorial, the teams were neck and neck. The crowd was roaring. Cowbells were clanging.
“This is close,” Little said. “This is real close.”
Team Nutz, the locals, crossed first and dedicated their win to team founder Larry Kiess, who died at 36 in 2011.
“We trained for this. We came down here this week and trained for this, and every dollar we win goes to a scholarship in Larry’s name at Sullivan County High School,” said team organizer Jeff Neary. “This is our 26th year racing outhouses.”
Team Nutz celebrate their victory.RALPH WILSON/For the Inquirer
DEAR ABBY: I respectfully disagree with your response to “Woman’s wedding has been hijacked.” These mothers have no business trying to co-opt the bridal couple’s wedding. If the daughter gives in, it’s only the beginning of these two mothers trying to strong-arm themselves into trying to make future decisions for this poor couple.
The couple should put their feet down and tell these mothers to back off. It’s their wedding, the only one (hopefully) they’ll ever have, and, if they cave to these mothers’ incipient narcissism at the expense of their wedding plans, they’ll all regret it (including these mothers) for the rest of their lives. I’m truly surprised you didn’t tell the couple to stand their ground.
— DON’T BACK DOWN
DEAR ABBY: Why should the bride put her hopes and dreams on the back burner just so the moms can impress their friends and associates? Not only does this advice fail to help the dad help his daughter, but it also sends the message to the daughter that her wedding is not really her wedding, it is a stage production the moms are orchestrating for their advantage.
— THINK AGAIN
DEAR ABBY: The advice for the hijacked wedding plans should have been for the bride to tell these two mothers to let the bride plan the wedding of her dreams, not theirs. I am assuming the bride can afford to pay for her small wedding. She can still include these mothers in something special.
— ONCE IN A LIFETIME
DEAR READERS: In the first line of my response to Doting Dad, I agreed that the daughter should have the wedding she wants. In retrospect, it’s clear I should have ended my answer there! If one of the moms had written in to complain about the intimate wedding the bride had planned, I’m sure I would have told her in no uncertain terms to back off and let the bride have her way. My apologies to the couple for wavering and siding with those pushy moms. Thank you all for calling me out on this one!
** ** **
DEAR ABBY: I’ve been ill for almost a year now. Before this, I was in perfect health, able to take care of all my own needs. I have no spouse or significant other. Before I got sick, I used delivery only for the rare pizza I didn’t want to go out for. Now the only reason I have the food and medicine I need is because of delivery drivers. Thank you, delivery drivers! Bless you! I can’t imagine what I’d do without you. I’m sorry if the tip isn’t always the best. Please hang in there. You do more good than you will ever know.
— GRATEFUL IN WEST VIRGINIA
DEAR GRATEFUL: Being a delivery driver can seem like a thankless job some of the time. I’m glad you do your best to show gratitude and tip them, and I hope their employers compensate them fairly. Not only do these workers serve the underserved, but they also help keep local businesses afloat.
DEAR ABBY: One year ago, I convinced my daughter (64) to move here to Florida to be closer to me. I bought her a small mobile home to live in, and I don’t charge her any rent. Before she moved down here from Minnesota, she agreed to pay the lot rent and her own utilities.
Recently, she met a man and fell in love. She has been single and self-supporting for more than 20 years, but she says she’s lonely and wants someone to talk to when she gets home from work. She thinks this man fits the bill. He is 60 and doesn’t have a job, a car or a place to live. He has been staying with a friend for the entire two months she has known him. He has given her an engagement ring after two months, and they plan on marrying later this year.
My daughter asked me if I’m happy for her. When I told her if she is lonesome when she comes home from work, she should consider getting a pet, she laughed. I do not think two months is long enough. In my opinion, her fiance should at least have a job — and a car would be nice so she wouldn’t have to take the bus to work every day. What should I tell her if she asks me if she should marry him?
— CONCERNED MOM
DEAR CONCERNED MOM: She won’t ask, because she knows she won’t like the answer. However, if she does, give your honest opinion — and tell her that I share it. A legal union with this man who has nothing would be foolish and self-destructive. Instead of planning a wedding, his time and energy would be better spent looking for work.
** ** **
DEAR ABBY: I am receiving physical therapy at a center with a huge TV on the wall. It is on the entire time, playing stuff like sports and home improvement shows. I find it tedious, stressful and distracting. Importantly, due to my declining hearing, the TV makes it difficult to understand the young physical therapist I’m working with. I have told her several times now that because of the background noise, I need her to face me, not the TV, so I can hear her. She tends to forget this fact. I have even asked about playing music instead of the TV, to no avail.
I would go somewhere else, but this is the only place my insurance pays for. I dread going there because of this. Am I wrong to want a quiet environment in which to heal?
— PEACEFUL IN FLORIDA
DEAR PEACEFUL: You are not wrong. Your physical therapist appears to have a listening problem. Rather than continue to complain to this employee, talk to the manager of the therapy center and explain the problem.
** ** **
DEAR ABBY: This may seem like a silly question, but when filling out paperwork that asks if I am married, divorced or widowed, I’m not sure what to put down. I was divorced, but then he died. Does it matter which answer I choose?
— BEFUDDLED IN INDIANA
DEAR BEFUDDLED: This is not a silly question. It is one I have been asked before. The correct answer is that you are divorced. If your ex-husband remarried after your divorce, the woman he married is his widow.
My neighbor has started decorating for Halloween. There are six skeletons in the yard, jack-o’-lanterns hanging around the whole front of the house, fake tombstones that have punny names (I.P. Freely), and I know a lot more is coming. Halloween is more than two months away and it’s still 90 degrees outside. Is it too early for this or am I being a Grumpy Gus?
Elizabeth Wellington, Features columnist
Yes, you are being a Grumpy Gus, but I’m right there with you. I’m one of the people who get sad on June 21 on the summer solstice when the days start getting shorter.
People who rush autumn get on my nerves. That goes for the stores that stock back-to-school supplies in July, and the pumpkin spice lattes available the second week of August.
Stephanie Farr, Features columnist
I just said last weekend “I can’t wait for Christmas,” so I’m about doing whatever you need to do to get you from now until the end of the year. That being said, part of what makes decorations special is that they’re only up for a limited amount of time every year.
If this person wants to approach their neighbor about these decorations, how would you suggest they go about it, Elizabeth?
EW: Ugh… you are one of those I love Christmas people… (I guess I’m a little bit of a Grinch, too).
Honestly, I don’t think a person has the right to approach their neighbor about their decorations. Their house. Their skeletons. But perhaps the offended — and I do count myself in this group — can do some self-care to soften the blow. Perhaps you sit by your window and drink margaritas. Maybe you just close your eyes tightly when you walk by? Maybe retaliate and decorate your home with sunflowers and a “Welcome Summer!” banner in March?
SF: I’m down with that retaliation plan, Grinchy McGrinch. Honestly, when I moved to this region I was shocked by how many holidays people decorate for. I didn’t even know that there were Thanksgiving decorations, and now everybody has a dang inflatable turkey in their front lawn in November! Heck, there are already fall and Eagles decorations around me in Delco, which should definitely get their time in the sun before folks start exhuming their Halloween decorations.
There’s one person in my neighborhood who keeps their 12-foot skeleton up all year around, but just takes the legs off in the offseason. I think I’d definitely have to say something to them if I lived next door.
EW: Only you can call me Grinchy McGrinch.
But what do you say to a person about their decorations? I hate your pumpkins and cornucopia, please take them down until Sept. 1? That’s wrong, too. I think we McGrinches have to grin and bear it.
For the record, I think Eagles decorations are about Philly pride and sportsmanship (and I’m not even a sports fan). They don’t make me grimace. They are allowed to be up year round just because. That’s contradictory, isn’t it?
I think First Amendment rights extend to holiday decorations, even though it makes me crazy.
SF: Bringing in the founding principles of our country, that’s some heavy fire power!
It’s very admirable of you to grin and bear it in silence. But I also think there’s a growing portion of the population who do whatever they want and don’t care how it affects others and that does bother me.
EW: I just don’t think putting up holiday decorations rises to the level of infringing on my rights. It’s infringing on my personal joy, yes. But not my rights. Why should I be forced to think about my future because you don’t want to deal with your present?
SF: I guess it depends on whether you put your decorations out early to bring yourself joy or to bring joy to others. In the end, the only person you can make happy is yourself, so if you find putting skeletons up in August humerus, go for it.
But if you put your Halloween decorations up in August to bring joy to others, they’re going to lose their luster by the time October comes.
EW: Yeah, if you like getting all gussied up for the holiday, go for it. Nobody can stop you. Just know you might be triggering Scrooges… Your joy isn’t someone else’s.
SF: One person’s treat could always be another person’s trick — or ick.
Kyle Schwarber and whatever the hell that ninth inning was: A+
For eight innings last Sunday, the Phillies did absolutely nothing. Four hits, zero runs, down 4-0, and two outs in the ninth. The Cardinals had their closer on the mound, and everyone could reasonably start thinking about dinner.
Six runs, all with two outs, and we ended the game with a 6-4 win, sweeping the Cardinals. Nine straight victories. The kind of finish that had Scott Franzke yelling “It’s over!” on the radio, Tom McCarthy doing the same on TV, and John Kruk apparently deciding there was nothing he could add to the situation.
Michael Barkann called it maybe the greatest regular-season finish he’s ever seen, which could sound like postgame exaggeration until you realize the Phillies hadn’t won a game after trailing by four or more with two outs in the ninth since 1983.
This team lost 10 straight games in April, and now has swept three straight series for the first time in 16 years and is suddenly breathing down Atlanta’s neck. Please let this happy chaos continue.
Dolly Parton performing on her “Pure & Simple Tour” at the Mann Center in June 2016. (Photo by Owen Sweeney/Invision/AP)Owen Sweeney/Invision/AP
Patti LaBelle and Dolly Parton’s acrylic duet: A+
Dolly Parton was 80, had been famous for nearly 60 years, and somehow belonged to everybody — country fans, drag queens, kids getting free books, your mom, your grandma, anyone who ever owned a rhinestone.
Philly got its share of Dolly, from the Spectrum to the Mann and Atlantic City, where she once joked she’d keep performing until she dropped dead mid-song, “high heels to heaven.” But the clip we’ll keep replaying is her and Patti LaBelle in 1987, two icons in enormous hair and sparkly gowns, using their acrylic nails as percussion while singing “Short’nin’ Bread.” It looks less like television than two of your aunties got bored at a wedding reception and decided to put on a show.
She once said she hoped that long after she was gone, people would look back at her career and say, “Damn, that was good.”
And damn, Dolly. It was.
Back to school without the heat: B
There are certain signs that fall is coming in Philadelphia: Kids go back to school, the Eagles start playing games that count, and someone you know sets mums out on their porch.
That matters in Philly, where 52 district schools still aren’t fully air-conditioned and hot days can mean early dismissals or remote learning. Nothing eases a parent back into the school-year routine quite like dropping a kid off and then finding out you need to leave work to pick them up three hours later.
The district did eliminate half days this year, so families have one less factor contributing to scheduling chaos.
And this week’s cooler mornings have been enough to make us start thinking about sweatshirts, football, and maybe opening a window at night. But next week’s forecast has temperatures creeping back toward the 90s, so it looks like we still have a wait.
People gather on Independence Mall for an outdoor screening of the 2004 film “National Treasure” in Philadelphia on Friday, Aug. 21, 2026. The screening was part of Philadelphia’s first National Treasure Weekend.Erin Blewett / For The Inquirer
‘National Treasure 3’ is finally happening: A-
It has been nearly 20 years since Nicolas Cage last went hunting for treasure, which is an absurd amount of time to leave a man who once stole the Declaration of Independence without another important American document to steal.
But National Treasure 3 is finally real. Director Jon Turteltaub broke the news at Philadelphia’s first National TreasureWeekend. (Where else should this announcement happen?)
The original movie filmed some of its most memorable scenes here, and Philadelphia has spent the two decades since happily accepting National Treasure into the local canon. Benjamin Franklin signed the Declaration of Independence, and Nicolas Cage stole it.
There’s a script, Cage is expected back, and Turteltaub says they’re trying to bring back the rest of the cast.
No word yet on whether Philly makes it into the third movie, but after hosting an entire weekend in its honor, we better get robbed again.
The Honey Butter Hoe Cake at Sao on Wednesday, Nov. 26, 2025 in Philadelphia.
Philly restaurants make another national list: B+
At this point, a national food publication naming Philadelphia restaurants among the best in the country is less breaking news and more a recurring calendar event.
We could pretend to be surprised, but both restaurants already have plenty of hardware — and attention. Honeysuckle is Michelin-recommended, while Sao comes from Phila and Rachel Lorn, whose first restaurant, Mawn, remains one of the hardest tables to get in town.
So yes, another national publication has discovered that Philadelphia is very good at restaurants. We’ll take the nod and act appropriately impressed.
Philadelphia Police released an image of a masked man who had been harassing people in August 2026. The suspect, a 22-year-old man, was arrested in Las Vegas. (Philadelphia Police Department via The New York Times)PHILADELPHIA POLICE DEPARTMENT
The masked menace has been caught: A
Remember the guy in the creepy Halloween mask who spent a morning terrorizing people around City Hall? Well, he made it all the way to Las Vegas before the U.S. Marshals caught up with him.
The whole thing was bizarre even by Philly standards: A man in a cracked-doll mask allegedly spent half an hour chasing and scaring people, including asking one jogger if she was “ready to die.” One woman was injured trying to get away. Then he apparently packed his bags and left town.
There are plenty of characters around City Hall already, and we did not need one who looked like he wandered off the set of a low-budget horror movie.
