DEAR SOMEONE ELSE’S MOM: I am a trained carpenter with a day job in a different field, trying to get my woodworking business off the ground. In the past year, I have gained some regular clients and done some custom work, which has led to other jobs.

The problem is, I live in a three-story apartment building, on the middle floor, and no matter how much I try to keep my power tool work to regular daytime hours right after I get home and on my days off during the week and weekends, some people have complained about noise, never to me, but to management. When the weather is nice, I do as much work as I can out on my porch, but with the colder weather, I need to work more indoors. The funny thing is, most of my new customers are my neighbors and other people here in the apartment complex, who heard I do this kind of work.

I can’t afford to move to a house or rent a shop right now, so what else can I do to keep from being evicted and still work on my business? --- TRYING TO GROW MY BUSINESS

DEAR TRYING TO GROW MY BUSINESS: Given that more than the usual number of neighbors may be home during the week these days, it doesn’t surprise me that your activities are getting additional notice compared to more normal times.

Have you looked into renting a climate-controlled storage unit? I’ve heard that a few chains allow workshops to be set-up, and there may be some with that policy in your area.

The other thing you might investigate is if any of your friends or coworkers in private homes would rent out garage or basement space to you. You may still encounter limits on working times, but it would probably be easier than trying to please a whole apartment building.

DEAR SOMEONE ELSE’S MOM: My boss just lost his wife a few months ago. At first, he took time off to be with his adult kids and his siblings, so we didn’t see much of him for several weeks.

Now that he’s back in the office most days, we all see a change in him, which we would expect, but it isn’t the kind of behavior we thought we would see. He actually seems happier than before the death.

We have talked about it and we wonder if he’s on something or if he’s trying too hard, or someone even suggested he’s relieved his wife is gone. It was a long illness, and it took a lot out of him for years.

We don’t know if we should reach out to one of his kids, if we should say something to him, or if we should just let things play out. Would we be hurting more by doing something or doing nothing? --- WORRIED ABOUT MY BOSS

DEAR WORRIED ABOUT MY BOSS: Any and all of your and your coworkers’ conjectures may be true. Responses to grief are individualized and changeable over time.

I’d keep an eye on him, and think your idea of contacting one of his kids might be a good one if you’re getting a weird vibe. If the upbeat behavior you see is vastly at odds with what his family’s observed, it might give them something to keep a watch on for your boss’s sake.

DEAR SOMEONE ELSE’S MOM: My mother has already had one heart bypass surgery. She just turned 67, still works as an elementary school secretary, and keeps telling me she will not take the COVID vaccine, even though she is near the top of the priority list.

I have already told her we won’t visit her with our two kids until she gets the shot. Our oldest child and my wife have asthma, and I do not want them jeopardized, especially since we have been meticulous in taking precautions, including running my business exclusively from my home office.

Why is she being so stubborn, and what can we do to convince her the vaccine is the way back to a safer, more normal life? --- SON OF A VACCINE PHOBIC

DEAR SON OF A VACCINE PHOBIC: While I’ve been surprised by some of the people I know who have told me they don’t intend to get vaccinated against COVID-19, I can also understand a little of their hesitancy. We’ve all been through a lot over the last 12 months, and a good part of the ratcheted-up stress factor has been the high volume of both reliable and inaccurate information blasted our way.

Perhaps once more people she knows receive the vaccine, she’ll see the benefits outweigh the dangers for the vast majority of the population. She may also begin to get pressure from the school system where she works, especially if they’re anxious to get the kids back in the classroom if they haven’t returned yet.

Be patient with her, but continue to stress the benefits of the vaccine, especially for her and her family life.