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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 14, 2015)
FEATURES 6A THE DAILY ASTORIAN • FRIDAY, AUGUST 14, 2015 Boy’s mom ruining relationship Tomorrow’s horoscope By Holiday Mathis, Creators Syndicate Inc. Dear Annie: I follow you on Facebook. I am 18 years old and have been with my boyfriend for more than a year. We used to spend a bit too much time togeth- er and I know it wasn’t healthy, so we worked it out and now have new hobbies and see our friends a little more. Everything is good except for one thing: His mother. She is recently divorced and when my boyfriend and I were spending a lot of time at her place, she was upset and miserable. We under- stood, so we would make dinner for her and keep the house clean, but she would never come out of her room. My boyfriend and I would eat dinner and converse. One day, his mother came into the kitchen and apparently, saw this closeness as a threat. She complained that she wasn’t get- ting any attention from her son and that I was stealing him away from her. She prohibited me from coming over for three weeks, which my boyfriend and I found hurtful. She still complains about me, saying I give her dirty looks (I would never do that) and that I ignore her, even when I say hel- lo every time I see her. I get that Annie’s Mailbox Creators Syndicate Inc. Kathy Mitchell and Marcy Sugar she doesn’t like me, so I try not to engage her too often. But she also tries to sabotage our dates, saying my boyfriend can’t go out with me because he has some import- ant family dinner, which is usual- ly a lie. Sometimes, she calls in the middle of a date and tells him to come home right away and that sort of thing. The worst part, though, is that she has such a strong influence on my boyfriend that he is begin- ning to believe she knows what is best for him and that maybe we should break up. This devastates me. She is ruining our relation- ship and bringing stress into my boyfriend’s life. I don’t know whether to speak to her about her behavior or leave it alone. I fear I’m not going to win this. — Lost Dear Lost: You won’t win if your boyfriend doesn’t back you up. His mother seems very clingy, and this may be due to the divorce or it may be that she would not like any girl her son dated. Talk to your boyfriend. Let him know that if he doesn’t defend you to his mother, the relationship is over. Because, Honey, it will be. Dear Annie: I appreciate your advice to “Torn Son,” whose fa- ther is abusing alcohol, and the son suspects he is also using drugs. I am a member of a local 12- step program organized to help people and families under the stress of having an addicted loved one. You recommended Al-Anon and Adult Children of Alcoholics. Please add to your list “Families Anonymous” which was founded in 1971 and is a national and in- ternational self-help group. There is no cost to attend our meetings. — Outreach Coordinator Dear Coordinator: We have recommended Families Anony- mous in this space before and we are happy to mention it again. It is a fine organization for those whose loved ones are addicted to alcohol or drugs. Interested read- ers can contact the organization at familiesanonymous.org. 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). As the pillar of stability that you are, you sometimes for- get that in order to continue to withstand the pressures of day-to-day living you need love. Hugs and praise are key to your well-being. TAURUS (April 20-May 20). You know that feeling like you’re waiting for someone and you’re not sure whether or not the per- son is really going to show up? That’s the kind of anticipation that will make your after- noon interesting. GEMINI (May 21-June 21). Learn and use people’s names. Everyone loves hear- ing his or her own name. This simple act will be essential to your success. It will be the difference between winning first and second place. CANCER (June 22-July 22). If you could unravel the puzzle and unlock the mystery, you would. But for now, your job is to expe- rience the mystery instead. Marvel in fear, awe and wonder at it. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). Usually a person who has quite a lot won’t mind gambling with it. Whereas, a person with very little will hold what he has very precious and very dear. Let this be a clue to aid you in your nego- tiations. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). The new wish you send from your heart to the stars has been noted and filed. There are cosmic re- quirements that go along with this, starting with a request that you stretch and grow into the blessing. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). Is it possible that you could live up to your talents without the help of anyone around you? Probably not. Everyone needs a mentor. Stop trying to do it alone. SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). You get per- sonal satisfaction from helping others, and that’s a reward that overrides any tangible reward you might be offered. Let yourself be helped, too, without feeling that you must im- mediately repay someone. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). There’s a time to keep score and a time to even the score. But right now it’s better to throw out the score sheet altogether and start fresh. You will feel better immediately. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). You can’t force things to happen, and you wouldn’t want to anyway. Your attention and focus make things happen in such a natural and elegant way that force isn’t necessary in the least. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). The inves- tigator in you will get plenty of leads today. A few key words from the lips of someone you care about demand further inquiry. Your careful listening leads to intimate bonds. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). It takes a tough person to knock down the obstacles invented by others, but the obstacles invent- ed by you are the hardest to knock down. At least it doesn’t hurt when you crash into them, because they are mostly illusory. SATURDAY’S BIRTHDAY (Aug. 15). Your ideas are sharp; your follow-through, impressive. With an earth sign on your side (Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn), you’ll upgrade your lifestyle. A worthy sweetheart comes along in November. The end of 2015 is for healing family ties. January will bring a wel- come change to your professional life. You’ve worked for this -- savor it! Aries and Libra people adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 2, 23, 1, 19 and 37.