Welcome to “Ask Frank & Jane”, a lighthearted advice column where domestic dilemmas are considered carefully, and usually from inside a colander. ⸻ Dear Frank & Jane, During a family holiday gathering, I found myself happily occupied with setting and decorating the table:
Dear Frank, I’ve been thinking about Thanksgiving and how it seems to tuck little lanterns of light into the corners of our lives, the small kind, the lovely ones shaped from tradition, memories, and affection. My own lanterns come from the
There are many advice columns in the world, but very few address the real crises of modern domestic life: The mother-in-law who travels with drawer dividers The friend who “checks in” by delivering emotional weather reports about herself The neighbor
Meet Frank, the long-legged velvet frog who once kept order in my music classroom and somehow became my most faithful writing companion. Here’s how, years ago, he hopped into my suitcase for Honduras, and why he still has a seat
A reflection on trust, dignity, and the quiet joy of letting grown children live their own stories. While working on some new sections for Honoring Their Dignity, one chapter keeps tugging at me — the one about honoring the dignity
An honest look at the beauty of being delightfully offbeat—and why our quirks just might be the secret language of joy. Dear Frank, Everyone within confiding earshot of me lamentably knows that I was once described as “quirky” by a mean-spirited soul.
Dear Frank, You would have enjoyed this morning. Mitzi’s been staying with me some — which I love — and she was in full porch-patrol mode, squinting into the sunlight like a sentry guarding the azaleas. She’s perfected her squirrel-surveillance stance:
Dear Frank, You and I have mused about a lot of things, and today seems like a good day to talk about pedigree. My family had a solid pedigree, though it was never something we leaned on or led with. My mother,
Dear Frank, I was listening to a magazine article this morning, while in the car. It was about a woman, a writer, who poured herself into caring for a dear friend with a terminal illness. She adored her, and because of
Dear Frank, You may remember when my son, David was 14, and his teacher, beloved-yet-strict Mrs Spain gave the students the assignment to write a character sketch. Remember who he chose? His uncle - My brother David! I came across his essay