DEAR ABBY: Is it harmful for someone to practice golf swings right after breakfast? I’m talking about leaving the breakfast table and heading outside to the back yard and starting practice. The way I see it, swings exert a lot of effort. Swinging a club for 15 to 20 minutes could do damage to the internal organs, right? To say the least, I don’t think it helps the digestion.

The “someone” I’m writing about is my husband. He plays golf almost weekly. The only time he doesn’t play is when he is away on a business trip. I’m 100 percent behind him playing golf because it’s good for his health. I just don’t think that practicing any sport right after a meal is appropriate.

I brought this up with him, but he keeps saying that it’s the only time he can practice. My argument is: Not being able to do it at some other time doesn’t mean that one should do it at the WRONG time.

Please enlighten me on this. If I’m convinced that it won’t do my husband any harm, I’ll shut up. – PROTECTIVE WIFE IN SANTA CLARA, CALIF.

DEAR PROTECTIVE: You appear to mean well, but you also appear to have some control issues. If your husband says he feels no ill effects from swinging after breakfast, please leave the poor man alone. Be happy you’re married to someone who cares enough about his health to exercise. Many women are not so fortunate.

DEAR ABBY: I was recently on a cross-country flight. My seat partner was an East Indian gentleman. During the flight I noticed that he still had the label sewn on the left arm of his new suit. Because he didn’t seem to want to talk, I respected his privacy and didn’t tell him about the label.

Now I wonder if I, a red-headed Southern lady, should have told him about his label. Abby, what should I have done? – SOUTHERN BELLE

DEAR SOUTHERN BELLE: Because your seat partner was not inclined to talk, you should have done exactly what you did – which was keep quiet.

The label on his jacket may not have been there because of an oversight. Some designers put their labels on the outside rather than the inside, so wearers can publicize not only the brand they are wearing but the implied price they paid for the garment. (Long gone are the days of quiet opulence.)

DEAR ABBY: How do you respond to a woman who is nearly 50 but acts like a child in public at meals? My sister-in- law, “Heather,” who is divorced, will hum very loudly and sing out at the table. The family just smiles and says something about how she must really like the song.

Abby, it’s embarrassing! We’ve been in very expensive restaurants, and Heather is rocking and saying, “La, la, la” loudly, and people ask if she’s impaired. What can I do? I cringe at any public event. – RED-FACED IN VERO BEACH, FLA.

DEAR RED-FACED: Heather may be making a bid for attention, which should strike you as more sad than embarrassing. Or she could have a mild form of Tourette’s syndrome. Someone in the family – not you – should speak to her about it.

However, if she’s unwilling or unable to “change her tune,” you’ll just have to accept her, eccentric as she is. It’s really no reflection on you, and after all – she’s family.

Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Write Dear Abby at www.DearAbby.com or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069.