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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 29, 2018)
THE DAILY ASTORIAN • THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2018 FEATURES Dinners price mother out Dear Annie: My daughter didly about what a strain the and son-in-law live in another expensive meals out are. Offer state. He is a doctor, and she is a to pick out restaurants that are nurse. They are both 30 and have within your budget. If they won’t no student loan debt. They have agree to go to a restaurant you two kids. I go up and visit when- can afford, then they should at ever I can. I don’t make near the least agree to help cover the cost amount of money they of your meals. I sus- DEAR pect that they’re living do, but when we all go so comfortably they’ve out to eat, I have to pay ANNIE forgotten that money is for myself — even if an object for most of us. I just order coffee and Let’s hope your conver- no food, which happens sation will be enough to sometimes because they remind them and give like to go to expensive them a more generous places. I told them I’m perspective. on a budget, so recently, Lane Dear Annie: “Sin- they’ve picked places Annie Creators Syndicate Inc. gle Senior” wrote where I can at least afford about activities for sin- an appetizer. Is it wrong of me to hope they pay for my gle seniors and mentioned a meals? Should I just offer to stay $40-a-year activities center. You at the house while they go out? considered that a bargain to jump on. — Mom on a Budget Dear Mom on a Budget: In Ocala, Florida, there is a When you’ve taken the trouble to hospital-sponsored group called visit, it would be polite of your Prestige 55. It costs $25 to join daughter and son-in-law to treat for life. The main activity is eve- you as their guest and pick up the ning talks by doctors and other tab when you go out to eat. It’s experts on various health-related not wrong of you to hope for that. subjects. Each is preceded by a But it is futile for you to just hope free supper. So you can get your and expect that to be enough to initiation fee back in a week or two. It also includes a variety of elicit change. Talk to your daughter can- other events and activities, such as art classes, visits to interest- ing places, bus trips and nature hikes. Some have fees. The semi- weekly aquatic exercise class in an indoor pool is $30 a year. A newer group in town has a sim- ilar set of lectures at noon, fol- lowed by free lunches. You can easily make friends at many of those events. Sometimes the pool group will sit together at a meal table. Thrift shop touring can be fun — and free if you do not buy anything. And as you say, some newspapers periodically print lists of local clubs and volun- teer service groups. Hospitals, schools, shelters, youth centers, libraries, churches and charities are always looking for people. All are good places to meet new friends. — Old Mainer Dear Old Mainer: Staying social is so important to health. Studies have shown that it’s good for our immune and cardiovascu- lar systems, among many other things. (See the article “Social Relationships and Health: A Flashpoint for Health Policy,” by Debra Umberson and Jennifer Karas Montez, if you’d like the in-depth analysis of why.) Not to mention, it’s just plain fun. Thanks for writing. 5A TOMORROW’S HOROSCOPE By Holiday Mathis, Creators Syndicate Inc. ARIES (March 21-April 19). Thoughtless people need your tolerance. Think of this as a test. If you fail it, cut yourself a break. It only means that your coping resources are already a bit stretched. Compassion starts with self-compassion. TAURUS (April 20-May 20). There’s much to be gained by suspending disbelief long enough to, say, get immersed in the world of a movie or understand the finer points of an argument you do not agree with. GEMINI (May 21-June 21). You have the strength, guts and initiative to do things your way, which flies in the face of convention and is sure to evoke bewilderment from most onlookers. In time, bewilderment will turn to admiration. CANCER (June 22-July 22). Endings do not have to be failures; they don’t even have to be losses. Things end because it’s time for them to. Then the graceful thing is to acknowledge the crowd with a bow and get off the stage. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). Remember when you thought you needed a Frappuccino but really needed an apple? Or you thought you needed a cookie and what you really needed was a support system? Today is different. You know exactly what you need. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). Groups have personalities. No single person in the group is responsible for the entire personality of the group, but everyone contributes, and not equally. Pay attention to tone of the group on the whole. Is it for you? LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). Some feelings are hard to name — combo platters of emotion with spice levels of varying intensity. Try to put words to it, if only for your own edification. The 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 words will make the feelings more palatable. SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). Anyone can click with someone who shares interests and general worldviews. It takes a superstar to find ways to connect with people when such things are not readily apparent. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). Relation- ships are worth it no matter how short or long they turn out to be, no matter how lucrative or not the arrangement is, or how frustrating or easy or fun or painful or thrilling. You’re better for it. That’s the takeaway. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). Get the right tools for the job, even if it costs more or push- es back your start time. You’ll go in with higher enthusiasm and morale and avoid much frustration throughout the life of the project. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). The same location can represent “vacation and freedom” to one person and “work and obligation” to another. When you’re there because you want to be there, it’s an entirely different place. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). Here’s an ap- proach to try that you just might find liberating because decision-making gets easier; instead of right or wrong, true or false, good or terri- ble, think of things as “for me” or “not for me.” TOMORROW’S BIRTHDAY (Nov. 30). Realizing that you’re the only one who can decide if life is matching up to your vision, if relationships are fulfilling your needs, or if this is what you want, you gather together your powers and make surprising and uncon- ventional choices this solar return, freeing a vividly alive version of yourself. Scorpio and Aquarius adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 10, 2, 22, 18 and 47.
