B6 East Oregonian PEANUTS COFFEE BREAK Tuesday, April 9, 2019 DEAR ABBY BY CHARLES M . SCHULZ Texts rock the foundation of relationship built on trust FOR BETTER OR WORSE BY LYNN JOHNSTON B.C. BY JOHNNY HART PICKLES BY BRIAN CRANE BEETLE BAILEY BY MORT WALKER Dear Abby: I have been seeing better learn to control it. a woman for a year, and everything Dear Abby: My stepfather, “Ron,” and my mother finalized seemed pretty sweet. She told me their divorce a month ago. He has when we met that trust is import- ant to her as she has had issues in been part of my life for 19 years, since I was 10. He was a grandfa- past relationships, including with ther to my two boys, and because her ex-husband, who was seeing an he adopted me when I was 17, I ex without disclosing it to her. J eanne took his last name. This week I saw a series of texts P hilliPs My problem is that two years pop up on her phone from someone ADVICE ago, when Ron left Mom, he cut off I have never heard her mention. all contact with me and my boys. When I asked about it, she said No calls, texts, messages. Nothing! they were from an “old friend.” I am still coming to terms with all of it, and I found it troubling and asked her more it’s hard to explain to my 7-year-old where about it. She then mentioned she had been his grandfather is. in a romantic relationship with him many Ron was a father to me after my biologi- years ago. She also disclosed that the text cal father passed away. It’s painful to think exchange was started because she told him that he may not have loved me or my boys (via text) that she had dreamed about him like I thought he did. the night before. How can a father/grandfather do that so She assured me her dream was not easily? What’s worse is his children (my romantic or of a sexual nature, and her step-siblings) have also cut us off. I have no intent in reaching out wasn’t romantic. idea why. Despite this, my suspicion meter has gone My husband thinks I should contact him, through the roof, and I’m having a hard but I don’t think I should have to beg some- time trusting her story. I find this especially one to be in my life, especially if it’s a par- baffling given her history. Am I overreact- ent/child situation. What are your thoughts? ing? — Less Trustful Now Any guidance would be appreciated. — Dear Less Trustful: If everything has Left in the Dark in North Carolina been going well in your relationship with Dear Left: Ron may think that because this woman for a year, why are you look- he and your mother are no longer married, ing at text messages that pop up on her your loyalties lie with her and you don’t phone? Although not all people would text want him in your life. I agree with your hus- an ex about his/her appearance in a dream, band. Reach out to him and your step-sib- she can text whomever she wishes, and she lings. Tell them you and your children love shouldn’t have to account to you for it. them and still want them to be part of your The two of you need to have a serious lives. They may need the reassurance. And conversation about the parameters of your if they still prefer to have no contact, you relationship. The problem may be your will know you did everything possible to insecurity, and if you are going to have a keep the relationships intact. successful outcome with anyone, you had DAYS GONE BY GARFIELD BLONDIE BY JIM DAVIS BY DEAN YOUNG AND STAN DRAKE 100 Years Ago From the East Oregonian April 8-9, 1919 Easter isn’t so far away and the Smythe-Lonergan creamery has seen to it that the butter which is the creamery’s chief product has an appropriate bonnet in the form of three-color cartons and wrappers, bearing the words “Golden West,” with a blowing western sun in the background, as well as a picture of a contented herd knee deep in clover. The design, which has been copyrighted, was originated by Dan Smythe, and executed by Charles Leben- good, Portland artist who is famous for the “Round-Up Girl” on O.-W. R. & N. posters. The “Golden West” design will be used also on letterheads and as a trade mark for the ice cream which is another product of the company, 50 Years Ago From the East Oregonian April 8-9, 1969 Umatilla Army Depot’s Delmar Van Ars- dale, 36, and Marvin Carpenter, 39, left Fri- day for temporary civilian duty in South Vietnam as members of a Quick Reaction Team. Made up principally of volunteer civilian Department of Army employes, quick reaction teams are organized on short notice by the Army Materiel Command, Washington, D.C., from skills registers maintained there. Team members provide assistance to meeting unforeseen short-term requirements in connection with supply and maintenance of military equipment. The UAD employes will help identify and clas- sify supply items, and they expect to be gone from their jobs for at least three months. 25 Years Ago From the East Oregonian April 8-9, 1994 The Oregon State University Experiment Station in Hermiston showed off its new weather station Wednesday. The facility uses satellite transmission get information about water to farmers. The systems helps conserve water for irrigators by providing more accurate information about how much water is needed to area crops, based on cur- rent weather conditions. The weather station is next to a potato field, north of the exper- iment station, where sensors will be placed to measure the moisture in both the soil and plants. “The information will be relayed to the station, then transmitted by satellite to Boise,” said Gary Reed, superintendent of the OSU Extension Service. TODAY IN HISTORY DILBERT THE WIZARD OF ID LUANN ZITS BY SCOTT ADAMS BY BRANT PARKER AND JOHNNY HART BY GREG EVANS BY JERRY SCOTT AND JIM BORGMAN On April 9, 1968, funeral services, private and public, were held for Mar- tin Luther King Jr. at the Ebenezer Baptist Church and Morehouse College in Atlanta, five days after the civil rights leader was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee. In 1865, Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee surren- dered his army to Union Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Court House in Virginia. In 1940, during World War II, Germany invaded Denmark and Norway. In 1959, NASA pre- sented its first seven astro- nauts: Scott Carpen- ter, Gordon Cooper, John Glenn, Gus Grissom, Wally Schirra, Alan Shepard and Donald Slayton. In 1965, the newly built Astrodome in Houston fea- tured its first baseball game, an exhibition between the Astros and the New York Yankees, with President Lyndon B. Johnson in atten- dance. (The Astros won, 2-1, in 12 innings.) In 1979, officials declared an end to the crisis involving the Three Mile Island Unit 2 nuclear reactor in Pennsyl- vania, 12 days after a partial core meltdown. In 1984, “Terms of Endearment” won five Academy Awards, including best picture, best actress for Shirley MacLaine and best supporting actor for Jack Nicholson. In 1992, former Panama- nian ruler Manuel Noriega was convicted in Miami of eight drug and racketeering charges; he served a 17-year U.S. prison sentence. Today’s Birthdays: Satirical songwriter and mathematician Tom Lehrer is 91. Naturalist Jim Fowler is 89. Country singer Hal Ketchum is 66. Actor Den- nis Quaid is 65. Actress Annie Funke is 34. Actor Jordan Masterson is 33. Actress Leighton Meester is 33. Classical crossover singer Jackie Evancho is 19. Thought for Today: “The ultimate test of a moral society is the kind of world that it leaves to its children.” — Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906-1945). PHOEBE AND HER UNICORN BY DANA SIMPSON BIG NATE BY LINCOLN PEIRCE