Kidwise, 7's plenty for him, not for her

DEAR ABBY: I'm a single mom in a serious relationship with a divorced man who has children of his own. Between us, we have seven, ranging in age from 7 to 17. I'm in my early 30s; he's in his early 50s.

My dilemma: I'm interested in having another child if we get married. He definitely isn't.

Is it unreasonable for me to want to add to this already large potential blended family? I love the idea of experiencing motherhood again with a little more experience and age under my belt, and I'd love to share that intimacy with him. While he likes the abstract possibility of "our" child, he says he feels too old now and he wouldn't be able to be the kind of father he would want to be.

If neither of us had kids of our own, this would be a deal-breaker for me, but how do I know if my maternal longings are just the last, painful tickings of my biological clock, or a real desire that I'll end up resenting him for if I ignore it and we stay together?

- Is Seven Enough?

DEAR IS SEVEN ENOUGH?: Because your boyfriend is in his 50s and has made it clear that he isn't interested in becoming a father again, I think you should count your many blessings and consider that seven is a lucky number.

DEAR ABBY: Is it ever appropriate for a diner to lick his/her fingers in public, like when eating finger food or barbecue? It drives me nuts!

When I try to get the person in question to use a napkin, I'm looked at as if I've lost my mind! At the very least, our hands are covered with germs, and who wants to stick them in their mouth? Yecch.

- Grossed Out in Ohio

DEAR GROSSED OUT: I think it depends upon the circumstances in which the food is being served. If someone is eating canapes at a cocktail party, licking the fingers is a no-no. And most barbecue joints provide moist towelettes to their patrons.

On the other hand, Col. Sanders used to call his fried chicken "finger lickin' good." At a picnic or informal gathering, it's acceptable to lick one's fingers.