A12
East Oregonian
PEANUTS
COFFEE BREAK
Friday, January 3, 2020
DEAR ABBY
BY CHARLES M . SCHULZ
History of put-downs causes
broken trust between in-laws
FOR BETTER OR WORSE
BY LYNN JOHNSTON
B.C.
BY JOHNNY HART
PICKLES
BY BRIAN CRANE
BEETLE BAILEY
BY MORT WALKER
GARFIELD
BLONDIE
BY JIM DAVIS
BY DEAN YOUNG AND STAN DRAKE
Dear Abby: I have been happily
than my parents. They have been
married to my darling husband for
like a second set of parents to me.
My concern is for their health.
20 years. The problem is his sister.
They are in their 60s and 70s, but
When we first met, she asked my
neither one goes to the doctor.
husband if I was “for real” because
The wife went 20-plus years ago
I’m very outgoing and affectionate.
and decided never to return after
In the early years, and until about
they prescribed diabetes and blood
six years ago, she would berate
J eanne
pressure medication for her. More
me with abusive criticism. In most
P hilliPs
recently, she can no longer leave the
instances, her comments were
ADVICE
house because she has injured her
inaccurate. If I tried to overlook her
arthritic knee so badly. She refuses
actions and have a good relation-
ship, she would soon find some-
to get it checked and claims it will
thing else to criticize.
heal. (She diagnosed herself via Dr. Google.)
I am normally an “it’s history” kind of Her intelligent adult daughter is aware of all
person when it comes to confrontations and of this.
I know this is a choice people make, but
forget them quickly. Thankfully, her abuse
has finally stopped. But I’m now having at this point I’m sure it’s just anxiety that is
trust issues because every time in the past keeping her from getting the medical help
when I let my guard down to mend the rela- she needs. She’s missing her garden, her
tionship, she’d lash out and put me down grandchildren and grocery shopping, so I’m
again. Any advice would be greatly appre- sure she doesn’t want to spend the rest of her
ciated. — Wary in Texas
life like this. Her husband has no influence
Dear Wary: One would think that either and is picking up what she no longer
during the time your sister-in-law was snip- can do. I have tried encouraging her to seek
ing at you, your “darling” husband would advice, but haven’t pushed her so hard as to
have stepped in and told his sister to put push her away. What should I do? — Scared
her knives away. After suffering through 14 For Them in Massachusetts
Dear Scared: If anyone could do any-
years of her emotional battery, it’s no wonder
you have trust issues where she’s concerned. thing, it would have to be the woman’s hus-
Intelligent person that you are, it’s likely band and her daughter. I assume you have
you always will have them, so stop blaming pointed out to your neighbor that with med-
yourself for it. Continue being the outgo- ical help she could heal more quickly, and
ing and affectionate person you always have also that there is something called preven-
been, and keep your guard up because that’s tive medicine that can help people avoid
what healthy people have to do when dealing becoming seriously ill. Because you have
talked until you are blue in the face and still
with someone like her.
Dear Abby: I love my wonderful neigh- haven’t been able to get through, my advice
bors of 28 years. They are 10 years younger is to love her while you have her.
DAYS GONE BY
100 Years Ago
From the East Oregonian
Jan. 3, 1920
When employees of the East Orego-
nian reached the business office this morn-
ing they were amazed to find the counter
cash drawer had been pried open during the
night, evidently by a thief or thieves. The
cash drawer was lying partly demolished
on the floor where it had fallen when “jim-
mied” loose from the counter. Inasmuch as
no money had been left in the drawer the
bold burglar had his experience for nothing
and may now reflect on his mistake in trying
to rob a newspaper in this day of high news-
print paper costs and rising wage scales.
50 Years Ago
From the East Oregonian
Jan. 3, 1970
Construction of two substations in the
area is being planned by the Bonneville
Power Administration in 1970. The new
substations will be located at Hat Rock,
northeast of Hermiston, and in the Board-
man area. A BPA spokesman said the sta-
tions will tap the existing system to serve
irrigation projects in Umatilla and Morrow
counties. BPA will spend about $43 mil-
lion in Oregon in 1970. This compares with
about $23 million for the Pacific Northwest.
25 Years Ago
From the East Oregonian
Jan. 3, 1995
The Housing Authority of the Confed-
erated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reser-
vation plans to begin building a residential
neighborhood in June to combat a housing
shortage. A needs and assessment survey
conducted last February shows 160 tribal
families are on a housing waiting list and
at least 50 are trying to relocate to the area.
The master plan calls for building about 400
units on 70 acres by the year 2000, with 76
units constructed in the first round begin-
ning in June. The project will build afford-
able housing units with a flat rental fee.
Tribal members will also be able to develop
their own homes on the land. Because of its
choice to go to outside funding sources, the
project is in the national spotlight. “I don’t
think it’s something that has ever been tried
on an Indian reservation before,” said Fred
Bradbury, Housing Authority executive
director.
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 Jan. 3, 1961, Presi-
dent Dwight D. Eisenhower
announced the United States
was formally terminating
diplomatic and consular
relations with Cuba.
In 1777, Gen. George
Washington’s army routed
the British in the Battle of
Princeton, New Jersey.
In 1892, J.R.R. Tolkien,
author of the “Lord of the
Rings” trilogy, was born in
Bloemfontein, South Africa.
In 1938, the March of
Dimes campaign to fight
polio was established by
President Franklin D. Roos-
evelt, who himself had been
afflicted with the crippling
disease.
In 1959, Alaska became
the 49th state as President
Dwight D. Eisenhower
signed a proclamation.
In 1967, Jack Ruby, the
man who shot and killed Lee
Harvey Oswald, the accused
assassin of President John F.
Kennedy, died in a Dallas
hospital.
In 1977, Apple Computer
was incorporated in Cuper-
tino, California, by Steve
Jobs, Steve Wozniak and
Mike Markkula Jr.
In 1990, ousted Panama-
nian leader Manuel Noriega
surrendered to U.S. forces,
10 days after taking refuge
in the Vatican’s diplomatic
mission.
In 2000, the last new
daily “Peanuts” strip by
Charles Schulz ran in 2,600
newspapers.
In 2008, Illinois Sen.
Barack Obama won Dem-
ocratic caucuses in Iowa,
while Mike Huckabee won
the Republican caucuses.
In 2013, students from
Sandy Hook Elementary
School in Newtown, Con-
necticut, reconvened at a
different building in the
town of Monroe about three
weeks after the massacre
that had claimed the lives
of 20 first-graders and six
educators.
Today’s
Birthdays:
Hockey Hall of Famer Bobby
Hull is 81. Musician Stephen
Stills is 75. Rock musician
John Paul Jones (Led Zep-
pelin) is 74. Actress Shan-
non Sturges is 52. Musician
Thomas Bangalter (Daft
Punk) is 45. Actor Jason
Marsden is 45. Actress Dan-
ica McKellar is 45. Actress
Kate Levering is 41. NFL
quarterback Eli Manning
is 39. Actress Nicole Beha-
rie is 35. Rhythm-and-blues
singer Lloyd is 34. Pop-rock
musician Nash Overstreet
(Hot Chelle Rae) is 34.
Thought for Today:
“Not all who wander are
lost.” — J.R.R. Tolkien,
English author (born this
date in 1892, died in 1973).
PHOEBE AND HER UNICORN
BY DANA SIMPSON
BIG NATE
BY LINCOLN PEIRCE