Ann Cannon

<b>Dear Ann Cannon • </b>I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and a little over a year ago I was called in to meet with one of our bishop’s counselors about a potential calling (job) in our congregation. We have lived in this neighborhood for over a decade, as has this counselor, and I have always liked him and his family. When he told me about this calling, however, I had to regretfully decline, or at the very least I would have to wait months to start. The bulk of…

<b>Dear Tribune Readers •</b> I love Halloween. I love Christmas. I also love that one holiday that comes between them. You know which one I mean. Gah! I can’t remember what it’s called at the moment because the sound of Mariah Carey singing “All I Want for Christmas Is You” on the radio has taken my brain hostage.

Through the years, lots of people I love have exited the Church Formerly Known as Mormon. While any transition can be temporarily bumpy, their departure from the faith has never changed the way I feel about them and, as far as I can tell, it hasn’t changed the way they feel about me. So that’s a big old win right there.

<b>Dear Ann Cannon •</b> I am often asked a question that I have a difficult time answering. When asked how many children I have, I don’t know if I should say one or two, since one child is deceased. Inevitably I’m asked if it was an accident or illness. When I say my son committed suicide, there is usually an awkward silence or an apology for asking. If I tell people I have one child, I feel as if I am denying the existence of my son. Anyway, if you can think of a reasonable response to this qu…

<b>Dear Ann Cannon • </b>Our mother announced at Sunday dinner last week that for her 70^th birthday (next week), she’s going to get a tattoo. I never would have guessed that tattoos are her style, but fine. As far as I’m concerned, she’s earned the right to do whatever she wants to do. My sister, on the other hand, thinks Mom will regret getting one and feels like we should try to talk her out of it. Also, I think she’s annoyed that Mom made the announcement in front of the grandkids…

If you’re not a fan of Utah winters, the shortest month of the year can start to feel really loooooong.

What would a snowman look like if Picasso painted it?

So, I’d really, REALLY like to tell you what the play “White Rabbit, Red Rabbit” is about.

<b>Dear Ann Cannon </b>• My wife of nearly three decades is very, very sensitive to criticism, so I’ve learned that to keep our marriage blissful it’s best not to point out any of her (few) undesirable qualities. However, she has developed really bad breath recently. I don’t know why, because she brushes her teeth often, flosses, uses mouthwash, etc. I think she needs to see a doctor or dentist about it. How can I tell her without hurting her feelings?

There’s something special about “You May Already Be a Winner,” a new realistic middle-grade novel by local author Ann Dee Ellis. In just a few short weeks, it has been selected as a Junior Library Guild pick, a Summer 2017 Kids’ Indie Next List pick, A July Amazon Best Book of the Month pick and a Barnes and Noble Best Books for the month of July.