The BulleTin • Sunday, June 20, 2021 C3
CENTRAL OREGON GARDENING
DEAR ABBY
Write to Dear Abby online at dearabby.com
or by mail at P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069
Dear Abby: I have been
married for 40 years. My be-
loved mother-in-law passed
away two years ago. She
had always been my “buf-
fer” against the rest of my
husband’s family — two
brothers and their families
and his stepfather, none of
whom care for me. When
we would visit from out of
state, I could be sure that,
by my MIL’s side, I would
be comfortable and loved,
while my husband hung out
with his brothers and nieces.
After she passed, some
things happened that hurt
me, and I must now decide
whether to accompany my
husband when he goes to
visit. I know if I do, I’ll be
left alone and isolated on a
couch while the rest of them
socialize elsewhere, and I
dread the thought. My hus-
band doesn’t seem to under-
stand how much I am fear-
ing this. Please advise.
— Missing My Mother-in-Law
Dear Missing: Unless
your husband is an ostrich
with his head in the ground,
surely he must have noticed
how his siblings and their
families have treated you for
the last 40 years. If it has es-
caped him, give him chap-
ter and verse! No law says
you “must” accompany him
on these visits, and frankly,
I see no reason why you
shouldn’t plan some pleas-
ant activities for yourself in
his absence. Try it. You may
find you like it.
Dear Abby: Several years
ago, when my daughter and
her hubby were a young
family with two boys, they
gave me a large wall clock
with sound, lighting and a
wooded background with
deer. It was a well-thought-
out gift, as I was a bow deer
hunter. I loved it and I’m
sure they didn’t need to
be spending money for a
Christmas present for me.
My problem is we have
since retired and moved. I
no longer have a place to
hang the clock, and it no
longer goes with my de-
cor. I don’t want to hurt her
feelings, and it hurts me to
think about getting rid of it.
Would it be tacky to ask her
if she would like it back, ex-
plaining my reasoning? An
alternative would be to offer
it to her sister who also lives
in Florida now. If I were
to do this, should I tell my
gift-giving daughter?
— Grateful Mom in Florida
Dear Mom: When your
daughter comes to visit, she
will notice the clock is miss-
ing. Talk to her. Explain that
since you have relocated,
you no longer have room
for the beautiful clock she
gave you, and ask what she
would like you to do with
it — including offering it to
her sister who might enjoy it
as you did. There will be less
guilt for you and fewer hurt
feelings for your daughter if
you keep everything open
and aboveboard.
Dear Readers: I want to
wish a Happy Father’s Day
to fathers everywhere —
birth fathers, stepfathers,
adoptive and foster fathers,
grandfathers and all of those
caring men who mentor
children and fill the role of
absent dads.
P.S. And a big shout-out
to dual-role moms. I ap-
plaud you all, today and ev-
ery day.
— Love, Abby
YOUR HOROSCOPE
By Georgia Nicols
Stars show the kind of day you’ll have
DYNAMIC | POSITIVE | AVERAGE | SO-SO | DIFFICULT
MOON ALERT: Avoid shopping or making important decisions from
6:30 a.m. to 8:15 a.m. EDT today (3:30 a.m. to 5:15 a.m. PDT). After that, the
Moon moves from Libra into Scorpio.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY FOR SUNDAY, JUNE 20, 2021: You are
warm, charming and emotionally generous. You’re intuitive when dealing
with others and you enjoy their company. You are confident, courageous and
loyal to your loved ones. This year you want to set your life in order. This is
why you will plan, do and build. You might literally build physical structures,
or you will restructure the framework of your life.
ARIES (March 21-April 19)
Be friendly with others today, because people will be generous to
you. Keep your pockets open, because gifts, goodies and favors from others
will come your way. This is a good day to explore loans, mortgages or to bor-
row something. Tonight: Focus on family.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20)
People are friendly today, especially people from other lands and
different cultures. In turn, you feel friendly to them, which makes this a big
mutual appreciation society. You’ll be successful when dealing with every-
one. Tonight: You have something to say.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20)
Work-related travel might be a factor for some of you. Many of you
will converse or be involved with people from different cultures and other
countries. Whatever effort you put out today will come back to you multi-
plied. Tonight: Organize possessions.
CANCER (June 21-July 22)
This is a fun-loving day! Enjoy good times with others, especially
children. Sports activities, social outings, the arts and playful times will ap-
peal to you because you want to enjoy yourself. You also want others to be
happy. Tonight: It’s all about you.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22)
Family discussions will go well today. In fact, they will be mutually
supportive, which is why this is a feel-good day for any family get-together.
However, you also might choose to enjoy your own solitude at home. To-
night: Take a breather.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)
Today, you’re in a positive frame of mind, which is why all your re-
lations with others are warm and friendly. You will notice that you get from
others exactly what you give, especially in terms of warmth and affection.
You are concerned for someone’s welfare. Tonight: Enjoy friends.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)
This is a good day for moneymaking ideas! You might see ways to
boost your income. You might earn more money today. You also might buy
something for yourself that makes you feel richer. Tonight: Make a good
impression.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)
Today, you have a genuine concern for the welfare of others, even
the welfare of strangers. It’s important to you to feel that you are helping
someone who needs your help. This makes you feel more worthwhile and
edified by your actions. Tonight: Explore!
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)
Solitude in beautiful surroundings will delight you today because
you feel the need for some peace and quiet to restore your equilibrium. We
all need to do something to restore and replenish ourselves. Tonight: Do your
fair share.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)
All your dealings with others, especially in groups and clubs, will be
positive and upbeat today. Others will welcome your physical and emotional
support while you cheer them on! Tonight: Enjoy time with loved ones.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)
You make an excellent impression on others today, especially peo-
ple in authority — bosses, teachers and the police. Regardless of what you
do for a living, you will look successful and affluent. Tonight: Focus on your
health.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20)
Travel opportunities abound! If you can’t travel today, you might
make travel plans for the future. Likewise, you might explore opportunities
in publishing, the media, medicine, the law and higher education. Tonight:
Have fun!
Reign of purple vegetables is here
BY LIZ DOUVILLE
For The Bulletin
Have you noticed that pur-
ple has become the new veg-
etable “green”? And all this
time you have been under the
assumption that the purpose
of the purple carrot was to con
our young ones into eating
their veggies.
I started thinking of purple
vegetables as I was transplant-
ing the purple-colored seed-
lings of midnight Roma, the
new purple Roma tomato from
Oregon State University tomato
breeder Jim Meyers, Ph.D.
Released in 2021, midnight
Roma is a cross between Ore-
gon star, a fleshy tomato good
for slicing or paste, and indigo
rose, a dark purple tomato rich
in anthocyanins, a healthy an-
tioxidant. Indigo rose was also
developed at Oregon State by
Meyers. Indigo rose was re-
leased in 2011.
Purple vegetables aren’t a
culinary fad. The colorful veg-
etables are being recognized
as providing numerous health
benefits from their deep color
and amount of anthocyanins.
Among the many benefits are
reduced blood pressure and
improved heart health, re-
duced cholesterol and reduced
risk of colorectal cancer. It is
also being studied as a boost to
cognitive functions.
I have a frozen coleslaw rec-
ipe that I make every fall. Af-
Mark your calendar
Submitted photo
Midnight Roma tomatoes are a new variety from Oregon State University.
ter reading that purple (red)
cabbage contains up to eight
times more vitamin C than
green cabbage, I will change to
purple this fall. Granted, it may
take a little getting used to eat-
ing purple coleslaw.
Purple beans have been
available for many years. It
is always a surprise to a new
cook to discover the purple
bean reverts to green when
cooked. The anthocyanins are
pH sensitive. The cooking pro-
cess ruptures the bean cells,
which causes the acid around
the anthocyanins to be diluted.
The most nutritional value of
the purple bean would be un-
cooked in a salad.
Purple cauliflower, purple
potatoes, purple leaf lettuce
varieties (and don’t forget the
purple carrot) are available
for us to try in the garden and
at the table. Back to the pur-
ple carrot. Some fact finding
from the World Carrot Mu-
seum stated the first cultivated
carrots originated in Afghani-
stan before the 900’s and were
shown to have purple or yellow
roots. Genetic improvements
in Europe in the early 1600’s
resulted in the white and or-
ange varieties.
The market availability of
red, purple or blue fruits and
vegetables, which also contain
high levels of anthocyanins,
increases every week. Looking
for something new? Try egg-
plant.
In addition to eating the
berries in season, pop a few
containers in the freezer for
On Sunday, June 27, join
in the fun at the WaterWise
Landscape Field Day at Hol-
linshead Park Barn on Jones
Road in Bend from 10 a.m. to
1 p.m. The event is a collab-
orative effort organized by
the city of Bend WaterWise
Program, OSU Extension and
the Central Oregon Master
Gardeners Association.
Events include an open
conversation featuring local
landscape designers, and the
regional extension horticul-
turist focused on sustainabil-
ity and the urban landscape
of the future. This will be an
indoor session and will re-
quire wearing face masks.
This indoor event has limited
space. Request attendance
by emailing conservation@
bendoregon.gov.
Outdoor demonstration
and display booths will fea-
ture plant information, plant
choices, native pollinators,
resource conservation, lo-
cal guidelines and irrigation
technology. Hollinshead
Demonstration Garden tours
will also be available.
winter. Its summer salad time,
and what could be better than
an addition of chopped red or
purple grapes. I’m looking for-
ward to my first big bowl of
Oregon cherries to snack on.