FEATURES
6A
THE DAILY ASTORIAN • TUESDAY, AUGUST 25, 2015
Sister deserves kindness and help Tomorrow’s horoscope
By Holiday Mathis, Creators Syndicate Inc.
Dear Annie: My heart is
breaking for my sister. She has
been married to the same man
for more than 30 years and he
has never been kind or respectful
toward her. They have two mar-
ried sons and a grandchild with
health problems. My sister loves
that grandchild more than life
itself, but she rarely gets to see
him. Worse, her sons treat her ter-
ribly and I have no idea why. The
younger son takes advantage of
her, and the oldest acts as though
his parents are beneath him.
I have several siblings and al-
though none of us is perfect, we
have all tried our best to be good
parents. My sister has recently
developed medical problems, but
she is so depressed about her life
that she doesn’t care about her
own health.
I am worried about her. She
deserves love and respect and has
sacrificed herself for the men in
her life. Should I write a letter to
my nephews and open their eyes?
— Big Sister
Dear Sister: If your brother-
in-law has treated his wife dis-
respectfully their entire married
life and she has tolerated it, then
her sons will treat her similarly.
That is the pattern they grew up
Annie’s
Mailbox
Creators
Syndicate Inc.
Kathy Mitchell
and
Marcy Sugar
with and they see nothing wrong
with it. Your sister needs to assert
herself and demand more accept-
able behavior, but we suspect she
doesn’t know how.
If you want to write letters
to your nephews, by all means
do so, but be aware that it might
not help and could estrange them
from you. Can you enlist the help
of your nephew’s wives? Men
who treat their mothers disre-
spectfully often repeat the pattern
with their wives. We also hope
you will offer to go with your sis-
ter for counseling, not only so she
can learn to stop putting up with
such disrespect, but to help her
move forward and take control of
her life and her health.
Dear Annie: Eleven years
ago, when my father passed away,
the funeral home gave my mother
an American flag, since Dad was
a veteran of WWII. As per his
wishes, there was no funeral and
my father was cremated. This flag
was never used and my mother
put it away in a closet. Now my
mother is in a nursing facility and
I have the flag.
Annie, we already have a
smaller flag that hangs by our
front door. Dad’s flag has no sen-
timental value for me, but I have
no idea who I can pass it on to
or what else can be done with
it. I can’t just throw it away.
Do you have any suggestions?
— Daughter of a Vet in Pough-
keepsie, N.Y.
Dear Daughter: Are there
nieces, nephews or grandchil-
dren who might like to have this
flag? Please ask around. Here
are some other ideas: Contact
your local historical society to
see whether they will accept this
item, perhaps along with your
father’s other war memorabilia
if there is any. Also offer it to
nearby schools, the Boy Scouts
or Girl Scouts, your local fire
department and the VFW to see
whether they are interested. Fi-
nally, please contact the U.S.
Dept. of Veterans Affairs (cem.
va.gov) to donate the flag for use
in the National Cemetery.
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). A “who-done-
it” situation arises. Note that the innocent have
a clear conscience, and so it’s easier for them
to remain calm when accused. Also, it’s easier
for them to apologize because of their lack of
attachment to the deed.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20). Your mind
is alive with images taken from the outside
world, some of which do not apply to you in
the way the advertisers are trying to make you
believe they do. In fact, it’s entirely possible that
you’re perfectly fine the way you are.
GEMINI (May 21-June 21). Marvelous
strategies and ingenious solutions are
part of the fun. Note that the answers don’t
always have to come from you. You’ll en-
joy trying it someone else’s way, even if it
doesn’t turn out to be right.
CANCER (June 22-July 22). You’ll em-
ploy that wide range of social and technical
skills to maneuver through the increasing
pressures of the day. Keep in mind that the
only reason you’re being challenged like
this is that you can handle it.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). You avoid talking
about problems for fear the focus will make
things worse. However, you need to identify
the exact sticking point. Once you do, you can
settle on the improvement that would most
help you and focus there.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). Those of superi-
or character are often well versed in the fine art
of finding something to like about an unlikeable
situation. The secret is creativity and focus. If
you can master this, you can do anything.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). Be proud of
what you’ve done in the name of a paycheck,
and mentally account for all of it. The odd, ar-
duous or distasteful tasks you handled in the
past prepared you for the dreamy job in your
near future.
SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). You’ve been
learning differently lately, picking a bit here,
there and everywhere, perhaps unsure of
what it’s all leading to. The whole picture
comes together today, and you’ll understand
why recent lessons were necessary.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). If you’re
feeling worried, it’s because you’re living in a
time other than the present. Bring yourself to
the current moment. It’s the only moment in
which you can do what needs doing.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). The
things you do just for you will affect others
in ways you can’t foresee, and so be sure
that you really believe in your choice. Would
you make the same choice if you knew you
were doing it on camera for millions to see?
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). You know
what’s going on. You’re in step with the trends,
hip to the buzzwords and in sync with the pre-
vailing style. The best part is that you don’t even
have to show off to profit from all this savvy.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). Your thoughts
link together like a railroad. All it takes is one
railroad switch to head you in an entirely differ-
ent direction. Today is for installing the thought
switch that will get you to a brand-new location.
WEDNESDAY’S BIRTHDAY (Aug. 26).
You’re a rebel this year, pushing boundaries
in the most creative ways. September and
March will bring a financial bonus. In October,
you will earn the cooperation of a group, and
your influence will grow with every project. No-
vember sees you laughing with the one with
whom you share a special chemistry. Taurus
and Capricorn people adore you. Your lucky
numbers are: 40, 29, 1, 24 and 16.