Though the column name was a sweet coincidence -- a play on the Spanish verb for pain, dolor -- once Ms. Prida took it over in the spring of 1998, it took fabulous form.

CNN: Latina 'Dear Abby' brought wit, wisdom, light

"Their sour attitudes change almost immediately into silliness and I inevitably become their favorite target, " said Ms. Pesapane, a 34-year-old from Silver Spring, Md.

WSJ: Smarter Ways to Discipline Children

Ms. NULAND: This has been this spring and summer as we get ready for this higher-intensity mission for NATO.

NPR: NATO Takes Expanded Role in Afghanistan

In Ms Stowe's experience, there are seasonal variations in divorce - but the blips tend to come in the spring and early summer - when school exams are over and term is coming to an end.

BBC: Season of ill will?

John's fourth-grade class in a suburb of Chicago recently invited Ms. Rudnicki to consult with the planning committee for a spring fair to help select refreshments that won't trigger John's allergies.

WSJ: Finding Food Allergy Allies