THE DAILY ASTORIAN • MONDAY, AUGUST 24, 2015
FEATURES
5A
Husband won’t consider compromise Tomorrow’s horoscope
By Holiday Mathis, Creators Syndicate Inc.
Dear Annie: Six years ago,
our daughter left her dog with us.
We’ve grown to love “Lassie” and
would never give her back now.
But she wears down the furniture,
scratches the floors and leaves lots
of hair all over.
Last year, we were blessed with
grandkids, so now our living room
is gated off from Lassie. We keep
her in a large crate, which is very
comfortable and that I refer to as
her “apartment.” She seems to
like it, so when she is not playing
outside, I put her in the crate so
she doesn’t roam the entire house.
Well, my husband is having a
fit. He says I am cruel to “cage an
animal.” I now sleep alone in my
bedroom while my husband and
Lassie use the rest of the house.
My husband has no interest in my
feelings on the matter and refuses
to consider a compromise. What
do you think? — Can’t Stop Cry-
ing
Dear Crying: According to the
Humane Society, crating a dog
is a perfectly appropriate way to
train the animal not to destroy
the house. The crate becomes the
dog’s “home.” Even so, it is not
recommended that you leave the
dog in the crate too many hours at
a time, because all animals need
Annie’s
Mailbox
Creators
Syndicate Inc.
Kathy Mitchell
and
Marcy Sugar
exercise and human interaction,
and you don’t want the crate to
become a punishment. The point
is to train Lassie not to scratch the
furniture or do other destructive
behaviors. But a certain amount
of wear and tear is to be expect-
ed from any animal companion.
If you are trying to prevent Lass-
ie from leaving hair around the
house or wearing down the fur-
niture through normal usage, you
are being unfair. Of course, your
husband is being equally unrea-
sonable by banishing you to the
bedroom while he cavorts with the
dog. Tell your husband that you
are willing to rethink the issue if
the two of you can discuss it with
a dog trainer and both promise to
abide by the professional advice
given.
Dear Annie: My sister has
been in long-term care for more
than a year as a result of several
strokes and a broken hip.
I recently ran into her broth-
er-in-law. He asked me how she
was doing. He said he didn’t know
where she was staying. So I told
him. This brother-in-law lives one
mile from his nephew, my sister’s
son.
Please, people, don’t forget
about your loved ones. Don’t give
excuses. And if you decide to vis-
it, refrain from carping about your
lot in life. My sister can’t tie her
shoes, dress herself, cut a piece of
chicken or use the bathroom with-
out assistance. I guess you could
say she’s in her own kind of prison
without parole. — Her Sister
Dear Sister: A lot of people
are reluctant to visit relatives or
friends in nursing homes because
they don’t know what to say or
how to spend the time with some-
one who may not be communi-
cative. They feel awkward and
avoid going. So here are some
suggestions: Bring photographs
of people they know, play music
they grew up with, read from a fa-
vorite book, ask whether you can
take them for a walk. Once you
see how simple it is and how grat-
ifying it can be, you will be more
inclined to go again.
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’ve fall-
en many a time. How else would you have
become so good at walking? Staying
emotionally balanced will be easy today
once you decide what to ignore.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20). It’s easy for
people to forget what they hear, harder for
them to forget what they see and almost
impossible for them to forget what they do.
Use this knowledge to make a memora-
ble impression.
GEMINI (May 21-June 21). You’ll be
able to duplicate what you learned, but
this will only bring you good fortune if you
also apply your own thought process to
the problem. Stay wide awake.
CANCER (June 22-July 22). There
are many reasons to speak of your skills
modestly, if at all, today. Perhaps the best
reason will turn out to be the look on their
faces next week when they see what you
can do.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). “Hot” describes
the thing that’s fresh out of the fire and
unsafe to touch. Unless you’ve acquired a
set of oven gloves, it would be best to let
that hot thing in your life cool down before
you approach.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). You have a
deep inner zeal that is so much a part of
who you are that you don’t even realize
how many people walk around without
passion in their lives. You’ll provide energy
for someone who lacks it.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). Whatever
you do to cultivate your imagination — re-
search, whim-following, exploring — none
of it is a waste of time. Your days and
nights will be enriched for having nurtured
a deep inner life.
SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). It’s said
that it’s not what you know but who you
know. Today it won’t matter what or who
you know. Knowing things won’t get you
through like feeling things will. Be com-
passionate.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21).
Whether the job is big or small, your aim is
to do it right. The only trouble is, you need
good instruction. Your Internet search en-
gine will be your best friend.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). New
birth brings with it a sense of optimism.
Whether the birth in question is a being,
an idea, a company or a friendship, the
result will be the same: hope.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). When
the farmer was deciding on the evening
meal, he wisely left alone the goose that
laid the golden eggs. Remember who or
what the “goose” is in your life, and don’t
mess with it.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). They want
to talk of past glories; you do not. The
thing you haven’t done yet is the most glo-
rious. It holds for you the potential of what
you may yet become in your life.
TUESDAY’S BIRTHDAY (Aug. 25). You
haven’t always had the care you needed to
help you blossom to the fullest degree, but
that changes with the generous support
system around you this year. A financial
boost in October helps, too. Get training
in January because sharp skills will earn
you a prize. The theme for 2016 is: love
reciprocated. Sagittarius and Leo people
adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 11, 17,
10, 50 and 21.