lifestyle

CLEARWATER, Fla. -- Dawn Clark and Jeremy Teabout tied the knot on Feb. 17 before God and a film crew from WE TV's hit show "Bridezillas."

DEAR DR. FOURNIER: I recently graduated and have my first teaching position at a school for socioeconomically and racially diverse gifted children.

She was my first ragtop, sleek and black with leather seats. On cool days, when the breeze blew back my graying hair, she made me feel young again.

True confession: That was the idea.

Nine years ago, she was already 3 but still full of life and power. Her six speakers smoothed away road noise. Strangers pulled up at stoplights and showered us with compliments.

Paul Bengston was different from the other boys in the Minnetonka, Minn., neighborhood where he grew up in the 1960s and early '70s. At age 10, while his pals collected Marvel comic books or chased the latest Roger Maris baseball card, Bengston was searching high and low for pins from Franklin Delano Roosevelt's political campaigns.

Is it just me, or are there others out there who think that Sept. 11 should be a national day of mourning? It has been said that you grieve in direct proportion to the depth that you loved. For many, the love they have for our country was reignited on that tragic day in 2001.

PALMER, Alaska -- Jim Reader and T.J. Casey are the kind of cowboys who still rustle stock, who proclaim their country-folk status with big hats, blue jeans and calloused fingers.

Food fuels our bodies and minds, but for some, it becomes an addiction.

Comfort foods, when eaten daily, can cause you to become very uncomfortable with yourself emotionally and physically. If you really don't like how you look or feel, changing the way you eat could actually alter your self-worth and your waistline for the better.

So, I'm always writing about not being afraid to let our kids experience adversity. This past weekend I had a chance to practice what I preach with my 12-year-old daughter.

I would have preferred a root canal.

At a time when humans are rethinking the wide use of water bottles for environmental reasons, now comes bottled water for dogs.

Actually, these bottles for canines are more along the lines of nutraceuticals, in which regular foods are fortified with vitamins and supplements. In this case -- water.

As dog and cat owners know, pet-care costs can add up quickly. I recently wrote about how my affectionate bichon frise, Mojo, is costing an average of $2,000 annually, half of which goes to veterinary care and special-order food.

Which brings me to pet health insurance: Good deal or not?

Gauge your situation