FEATURES
8A
Tomorrow’s horoscope
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Dear Annie: Please help us
with an upcoming dilemma. Our
son, daughter-in-law and grand-
children all live in another state.
We spend Christmas with them
every other year.
In October, our daughter-in-
law told our son she was leaving
him, but would wait until after
Christmas to tell the children so
as not to upset them during the
holidays. She has decided that
she would rather run around with
her single girlfriends from work,
but right now, she still remains
in the home they own. She has
already said she does not want
to take the kids and is leaving
them with our son. She did the
same thing five years ago, but
then decided to return and our
son let her back into their lives.
Our daughter-in-law knows
that we are aware of their situa-
tion. How can we possibly give
the same very generous Christ-
mas gift to someone we know is
walking out the door on Jan. 1?
— Stuck in the Middle
Dear Stuck: You do not have
to give your daughter-in-law the
same gift you have in the past.
You don’t, in fact, have to be
generous to anyone, and can de-
cide only to give presents to the
Annie’s
Mailbox
Creators
Syndicate Inc.
Kathy Mitchell
and
Marcy Sugar
children. However, since Ms.
Flighty has left before and re-
turned, there is a good possibility
she will do the same thing again.
If so, will your stingier gift cre-
ate a problem at that time?
We suggest you talk to your
son about this. Ask him how he
would like you to handle the
situation, and then follow ac-
cordingly. Your daughter-in-law
sounds immature and selfish. Be
grateful that she prefers to leave
the children with their more sta-
ble father.
Dear Annie: Two months
ago, I became a grandmother
for the first time. But I’m not al-
lowed to see my grandchild nor
is anyone in my family. Yet my
son’s father, who has not been in
his life for more than 20 years,
is apparently welcome to visit
the baby any time.
This is causing a lot of fight-
ing in my family. My other
children are worried that I did
something to upset my son and
his wife. But believe me, I have
done nothing to cause either of
them to act this way. I am in-
credibly hurt and don’t know
what to do. — Looking for An-
swers in Pennsylvania
Dear Pennsylvania: These
sad circumstances are only too
common. We wish we had a
magic potion to make family
relationships smoother, more
loving and more rational, but we
don’t. There could be old hurts
that you are unaware of. Your
son may be looking to include
his father now that he is a father
himself. Your ex-husband could
be poisoning your son’s mind
with tales about you, or he could
demand that you be excluded.
Your daughter-in-law may sim-
ply not like you or someone
else in the family. Unless you
can speak to your son, you will
not know. Please try to contact
him, without judging or being
angry, and ask what you can do
to fix this. You might also enlist
the help of any friend or family
member still in their good grac-
es to get to the bottom of it.
THE DAILY ASTORIAN • TUESDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2015
By Holiday Mathis, Creators Syndicate Inc.
ARIES (March 21-April 19). Something
you thought you were through with still
holds an electric charge. Maybe you’re not
as “over it” as you thought, but you’re get-
ting there. Wrap your head around it once
more, and once more let it go.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20). Try not
to confuse attachment with connection.
Connection is mostly love. Attachment is
mostly fear. Connection is magnetic. At-
tachment adheres by grasping.
GEMINI (May 21-June 21). There’s
much to appreciate in a special relation-
ship. For starters, you are somehow each
able to grow in a direction that feels per-
sonally fulfilling without growing apart from
one another.
CANCER (June 22-July 22). Peo-
ple-watching will be a source of entertain-
ment and education for you. You’ve a talent
for making accurate observations. You’ll be
able to apply this to your own life, too.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). Sometimes you
do wonder if you could be more content in
a slightly different scenario than the one
you’re living out now. You’ll get a peek into
a world that makes you imagine different
futures.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). Time con-
straints bring stress and frustration. Do
what you can to eliminate or ease them
wherever possible. It’s a good time to con-
sciously decide to be socially flexible and
generally easygoing.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). Winston
Churchill suggested, “The empires of the
future are the empires of the mind.” You are
leaning toward a less materialistic defini-
tion of success these days.
FRANK AND ERNEST
BLONDIE
THATABABY
SALLY FORTH
PHOEBE AND HER UNICORN
B.C.
LOLA
DILBERT
SIX CHIX
BIZARRO
MUTTS
NON SEQUITUR
BABY BLUES
WIZARD OF ID
ZITS
ROSE IS ROSE
SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). You’ll at-
tract people who are spiritual like you.
They may not share your religion (or lack
of one) and they may not share your belief
system, but they stargaze, just like you, in
awe of something bigger.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). The
happy thoughts have energy. The unhappy
thoughts, unfortunately, have more. Who
notices them? That person is an empa-
thetic soul who will make your life better.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). How
you landed in your particular support circle
is a story of the coming together of thou-
sands of small decisions, circumstances
and impulses. Today you’ll just be glad for
the way things panned out.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). Conver-
sation is inevitable. Be forewarned, this will
only be as interesting as the questions you
ask. Your best partners in this are Gemini,
Libra and other Aquarians.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). Being able
to process difficult feelings is a skill that
you were born with. That doesn’t mean you
can’t improve upon the gift. Don’t avoid or
procrastinate the thing you know you need
to experience.
WEDNESDAY’S BIRTHDAY (Dec. 23).
The world is better because you were
born. and this year you’ll spend your ener-
gy and time proving that point. What you’ll
do with your psychic inheritance will be
completely interesting to others and logical
to you. February and August will be espe-
cially notable on the love-front. The main
message: Don’t hold back! Libra and Leo
adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 49, 2,
25, 38 and 11.