THE DAILY ASTORIAN • WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15, 2015
FEATURES
5A
Foreign wedding etiquette questioned Tomorrow’s horoscope
By Holiday Mathis, Creators Syndicate Inc.
Dear Annie: How much can I
ask my host about etiquette for her
overseas wedding?
I live in Canada. The bride is
French. I met her when she was
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went back to France two years ago,
and now she’s getting married there.
The wedding invitation was sent to
my name only, and there was not
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whether I am welcome to bring a
guest, since attending would in-
volve a rather lengthy journey.
Would it be acceptable to email
the bride and ask her whether I
can bring my boyfriend? I don’t
want to put her on the spot, but I
also don’t want to bring my date to
a country where he doesn’t speak
the language and then stick him by
himself for the day, only to find out
later that they had expected me to
bring him. — Beaucoup Baffled
Dear Baffled: Did the invita-
tion appear to be formal or infor-
mal? If informal, it is perfectly
OK to ask the bride whether you
can bring a guest. If it is formal,
however, you’d have to be more
circumspect. Email the bride and
say that you would love to attend
her wedding, but you aren’t certain
you are up to making such a long
Annie’s
Mailbox
Creators
Syndicate Inc.
Kathy Mitchell
and
Marcy Sugar
journey by yourself. If she wants
you to bring a guest, she will then
tell you so. But if she doesn’t make
such an offer, you can assume that
her guest list is limited, sorry.
Dear Annie: After reading the
letter from “Holding My Breath,”
whose spouse has terrible breath, I
had to respond.
My husband had terrible breath,
but he also had a very rigorous
oral care routine, which made me
wonder what else could be going
on. Having been a dental assistant,
I was aware of various odors from
different oral diseases. The smell
was not from what he ate. I ate it,
too, and didn’t have such an odor.
It was the worst thing I had ever
smelled, and I just knew it was
metabolic in nature.
His dentist simply told him it
was “not dental in nature.” The
doctor told him he was “fine.” Fi-
nally, after three months of wors-
ening gastrointestinal symptoms,
his doctor gave him a blood test,
and a colonoscopy showed a fist-
sized tumor.
He underwent chemotherapy
and was graced with a lovely os-
tomy bag. But during this time, the
breath issue went away. When it
recurred, it was because the lesions
on his liver had spread. He passed
away two months later.
I would get that man in for a full
physical, including a colonosco-
py. It could save his life. — Been
There
Dear Been There: Halitosis is
often a result of poor dental hy-
giene, but it also can be due to
oral problems, throat issues, gum
disease, infection, certain foods
and sometimes gastrointestinal
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have pointed out, can be quite seri-
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stick around for a long time. You
must be an advocate for your own
health. If you suspect something is
wrong, be persistent.
Annie’s Snippet for Income
Tax Day (credit author Arthur C.
Clarke): “The best measure of a
man’s honesty isn’t his income tax
return. It’s the zero adjust on his
bathroom scale.”
FRANK AND ERNEST
BLONDIE
THATABABY
SALLY FORTH
STONE SOUP
B.C.
LOLA
DILBERT
SIX CHIX
BIZARRO
MUTTS
NON SEQUITUR
BABY BLUES
WIZARD OF ID
ZITS
ROSE IS ROSE
ARIES (March 21-April 19). Take on the
small challenges that will be easily won.
Building up a track record of success will
give you the confidence you need to take
on the more remarkable and difficult oppor-
tunities coming your way in the near future.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20). Today feels
a bit like throwing a party. Seldom does
the host enjoy it while it’s going on, and
yet somehow the memory is often worth
it because a party happened where there
wouldn’t have been one before.
GEMINI (May 21-June 21). The to-do list
is important, but not as important as the
spirit-in-which-things-are-done list. If trying
to check too many items off causes you to
lose your temper, it’s not worth the effort.
CANCER (June 22-July 22). People
are paying attention to you today, and they
might even be taking pictures. So enjoy
the attention, and don’t do anything you
wouldn’t want blasted on social media.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). You’ll contribute to
the harmony of the world, not by donating
tons of money or completing a mission in a
foreign land, but by having a stellar attitude.
You’ll get along with everyone you meet.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). Other peo-
ple’s feelings about what a human de-
serves in life will influence you. Entitlement
is a disease, and it’s contagious. Be careful
who you spend time with. Prize humility
and modesty.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). Maybe every-
one in your group doesn’t fit together. Some
of them don’t even get along. That’s where
you come in. You’re inclusive; you set a tone;
you’re the gel that makes this work.
SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). As your
project evolves, so will your opinion of it.
That’s why it’s good to leave yourself an
out. Don’t talk in terms that are too concrete
or make long-term commitments today.
Leave yourself wiggle room.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). Peo-
ple around you will struggle to do a job.
Knowing when to help and when to let
them learn on their own (and have the sat-
isfaction that comes from this process) will
be tricky. But if you’re mindful, you’ll nail it.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). Most
bad choices begin with needlessly putting
oneself in a dangerous environment or,
more specifically, in bad company. As ad-
venturous as you are, there are places you
shouldn’t go.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). Why is
the circuitous path so appealing? Because
your curious mind needs to know the big-
ger picture of how and why things work. For
today, let yourself investigate your whims.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). Your loved
ones sense it: You’re happy when they are
happy. If it makes them smile, you’ll buy it.
Just know that you don’t always have to
foot the bill. They really want to spend time
with you.
THURSDAY’S BIRTHDAY (April 16).
Your life is beautiful creation enough, but
you still feel driven to make things. You’ll
get teachers and resources this year and
amp up your output. In May, your outstand-
ing work will build your reputation and your
wallet simultaneously. Find better ways
to take care of yourself in June. Your love
life gets renewing energy in July. Leo and
Scorpio people adore you. Your lucky num-
bers are: 5, 15, 44, 19 and 28.