DEAR HARRIETTE: My husband and I barely get along. It has been like this for years. He retreats into the other room and watches TV while I cook dinner, look after the kids and then sit down to relax in the living room to watch TV -- never the same program and rarely in the same room. It has become more noticeable now that we both are at home all day long. Even as we are in the same space 24/7, we hardly ever talk about anything meaningful or sit together in the same room. How did we get to this point? I have other friends telling me how much fun they are having with their husbands during this time. What can I do to spice things up? -- Doldrums
DEAR DOLDRUMS: Talk to your husband. Pick a quiet moment before he settles into his evening routine. Tell him you want to have some fun together. Since you can’t go out for a date right now, invite him to go on a date with you at home. Ask him to help you prepare a special meal for the two of you. Help can be just having him in the room with you chatting, or, if he’s game, he could assist with the preparation. Choose a movie to watch that you both might like, and then talk about it afterward. Set the mood for romance. Encourage some form of intimacy. But take it slow. Little by little you may rekindle the flame if you choose to be together.