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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (May 1, 2015)
FEATURES 6A THE DAILY ASTORIAN • FRIDAY, MAY 1, 2015 Mom doesn’t need to overshare Tomorrow’s horoscope By Holiday Mathis, Creators Syndicate Inc. Dear Annie: My youngest son is engaged to “Carol,” a love- ly young lady. My oldest son, “Mitch,” lives out of state with his partner, “James.” Both are in the wedding party. Carol has known Mitch for years, is well aware that he’s gay and has no problem with it. How- ever, I’m relatively sure her par- ents don’t know, and I’m of the opinion that they need to be told before the big event. I’ve tried to casually bring it up with Car- ol several times, and she always smiles and says, “Don’t worry about Mom and Dad,” and then changes the subject. The truth of the matter is, I don’t worry about them. They are charming people and pillars of the community. But I don’t want them to be shocked at the wedding when meeting the gay brother and his same-sex spouse. Mitch and James are not into public displays of affection, but they’re obvious- ly not going to ignore each other. Considering the idiotic things peo- ple can say, I think Carol’s parents need to be prepared. At my daugh- ter’s wedding years ago, an uncle of her new husband cornered her at the reception and strongly sug- gested she consider adoption “just Annie’s Mailbox Creators Syndicate Inc. Kathy Mitchell and Marcy Sugar in case it’s hereditary.” I’m considering inviting Car- ol’s mother to lunch and laying the cards on the table, but my other kids insist I need to stay out of it. Even James, who basically agrees with me, says it has to be Carol’s decision. Is he right? Carol’s par- ents are going all out for this wed- ding, and I wouldn’t want a sur- prise like this to upset them. What to do? — Mother of the Groom Dear Mother: Your heart is in the right place, but you are talking to the wrong people. Your soon-to-be-married son is the person who should talk to Carol if he thinks her parents need this in- formation in advance. And while surprises should be kept to a min- imum at weddings, we don’t real- ly see a problem here. Mitch and James won’t be doing anything disruptive, and there’s nothing you can do about ignorant people like your daughter’s uncle-in- law. You are over-thinking this. Relax. Trust your son and his bride to handle the details, what- ever they are. Dear Annie: I have a quick tip for your readers: My wife and I receive a lot of junk mail. I take all of the junk envelopes, whether they have been opened or not, put a rubber band loosely around one end, stick a pencil or pen under the rubber band, and leave them where my wife and I write notes or grocery lists. This works great. We haven’t bought note pads in a year. — The Villages, Fla. Dear Villages: For folks on a budget, this is a great way to have spare notepaper handy while recy- cling. Thanks for the suggestion. Dear Annie: “Cringing in Ex- ercise Class” pointed out the an- noyance of chewing gum while exercising. Gum chewing is dan- gerous during all sports activity. I am particularly concerned when I witness children and others doing so in the swimming area. As a wa- ter safety instructor, I have had to deal with some scary, life-threat- ening episodes. — No Gum In the Pool, Please 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). You may find yourself too involved in the craziness of hours one through three to bother with making a plan for hours four through 12. Good! Let the future “you” handle the fu- ture “you.” TAURUS (April 20-May 20). Should you be thinking the things you do? The better question is: Do you have a choice? Enjoy your fantasies as you would a blockbuster movie — or even more so because the star of the picture is you. GEMINI (May 21-June 21). What a per- son does once a week to impress people or earn money is very different from what a person does day-to-day. People appreci- ate the personal character it takes for you to show up strong and consistent. CANCER (June 22-July 22). There’s nothing wrong with appearing ignorant on a subject. Ignorance is the natural state we were all born into. Your gift is the will- ingness (indeed, eagerness) to learn. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). Sometimes you wonder what you could accomplish with just a little more emotional and financial support. Well, thanks to a Taurus or a Vir- go, today will show you. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). When you’re challenged, you soar. When you’re under-stimulated, you sleep. That’s why you need to put yourself where you feel entirely out of your league. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). The day calls for forthright action. Let everyone know what you want. If people are left to spec- ulate about your motives, they’ll guess wrong. Be direct, and you’ll gain support. SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). Playing the games you want to play will be fun. Playing other people’s games that you get accidentally sucked into will be exhaust- ing. They should get your agreement first. If they don’t, walk. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). Why update your status to the world when you could update your status in the world? Today you’ll be too involved with face-to- face real interactions to bother with the digital version. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). Exper- iment! Don’t wait for the powers that be to let you. Take initiative. Tonight, tension is good for your relationship. It produces a far better result than the lackluster product of constant agreement. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). Ques- tioning authority is a tenet of some cul- tures, and in other cultures it is seen as disrespectful or even dangerous. Ob- serve the culture of your group and act accordingly. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). Opinions are soft; judgments are hard. If you’re asked to make a judgment, hold off until you are sure you have all of the informa- tion. Be slow to commit. SATURDAY’S BIRTHDAY (May 2). It’s said that well-behaved people rarely make history — you’ll prove it wrong. You’ll play by the rules and get bumped to new levels because people trust you. The next six weeks will introduce a new study, lead- ing to a new skill, leading to a new love. July shows you far from home. Septem- ber brings a windfall. Gemini and Scorpio people adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 6, 13, 23, 16 and 50.
