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DILBERT ScottAdams PEARLSBEFORESWINE StephanPastis PICKLES BrianCrane BABYBLUES JerryScott&RickKirkman GETFUZZY DarbyConley ZITS JerryScott&JimBorgman SHERMAN'SLAGOON JimToomey ARGYLESWEATER ScottHilburn BIZARRO DanPiraro DEARAMY»Myhusband and I married in our mid- 30s after we both had a number of serious rela- tionships. My husband was mar ried fo r a few years and divorced before we started dating. We now have two great children ages 11 and 7 and I won- der: When (and how) is the best way to tell them their father was married before? He seems hesi- tant to do this but I think it should be a natural conversa- tion before they find out on their own — from an extended family member or by coming across evi- dence on their own. When I've asked him about it he says it can wait. I'd love your guid- ance on how to handle this family conversation. —RelateorWait? DEAR R OR W » I say "re- late." Definitely. I agree with you that this should be a natural conversa- tion and that it should be treated as another part of the fabric of mom and dad's life before kids came along. I disagree somewhat that your husband must be the person to bring this up. He obvi- ously finds this extremely difficult to do, and he might find it easier if you nudged the conversation along. Ask him if it's OK if you try to handle it. You say, "Divorce can be tough, but sometimes couples break up and things work out OK. When I met Dad he was a divorced man. He got married when he was just out of college and it didn't work out so they ended their marriage." Then you toss the conversation to your husband. The kids might ask him if he has other children, what his ex- wife's name is or where she lives. DEAR AMY » My fiance and I recently got engaged. About five years ago, his parents divorced when his dad announced he had been seeing someone else and was leaving. His mom has had a very difficult time with this. My fiance only sees his dad every few months despite being in the same city, although they text back and forth somewhat frequently. However, he has never liked his dad's girlf riend, si nce he views her as the reason for his parents' marriage ending. Soon we are going to be making guest lists and sending out invitations for the wedding. My fian- ce does not want his dad's girlfriend to attend, not only because he doesn't like her, but because he doesn't want to make his mom uncomfortable or cause any drama on our wedding day. Do you think it's fair to ask that his dad's girlfriend not attend our wedding? — Wondering Fiancee DEAR WONDERING » Because your fiance's father's girlfriend was a party to the breakup of the marriage, your fiance should ask his father to attend the wedding alone on that day. The couple should do so out of respect for the feel- ings of the mother of the groom and to keep the relationship focus where it belongs. When should you tell the kids about a previous marriage? You can contact Amy Dickinson via email: askamy@tribune.com and follow her on Twitter @askingamy. Amy Dickinson Ask Amy Sudoku Instructions:Theobjectistoplacethe numbers1to9intheemptysquaresso thateachrow,eachcolumnandeach 3x3boxcontainsthenumberonlyonce. AnswertoPreviousPuzzle CelebrityCipher ByLuisCampos Instructions:CelebrityCiphercryptogramsarecreatedfromquotationsbyfamouspeople, pastandpresent.Eachletterinthecipherstandsforanother. NEACrossword Aquarius(Jan.20-Feb.19) — Be prepared to face opposi- tion. Family members will not be happy with the number of hours you have been spending at work. Try to free up more of your time. Pisces (Feb. 20-March 20) — Don't give away your secrets. You can prosper if you focus energy on your work and present your accomplishments indepen- dently. Make changes. Aries (March 21-April 19) — You can make professional gains if you talk to your boss about your findings. Promotions will be yours if you have acted competently in times of crisis. Taurus (April 20-May 20) — Reading books on philoso- phy will bring about a definite change of attitude. You can influence those around you. Gemini (May 21-June 20) — Your curiosity will force you to do some research. Your interest in a moneymaking opportunity looks prosperous, as long as you do your homework. Cancer (June 21-July 22) — Romance will find you if you participate in group events. Don't be too eager to talk about yourself. If you listen, you'll learn a great deal about others. Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) — Deception is apparent if you are dealing with your peers. Don't give away your secrets if you don't want them circulated. Jealousy is likely among co- workers. Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) — You may want to change your direction. Don't be afraid to try something totally new. Your interesting approach to your work will be appreciated by the right boss. Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) — Don't be too quick to make decisions regarding legal mat- ters. You will have to go over contracts with a fine-toothed comb. However, you could sign the deal of a lifetime. Scorpio (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) — Expect your partner to be unstable. Empathy will be a must when dealing with loved ones. Give them a chance to ex- plain the way they feel. You can probably help them by providing some tender, loving care. Sagittarius (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) — Don't let love interests at work stand in the way of your performance. You need to do the best job possible if you want to hang on to your position. Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) — Spend time making personal improvements that will help you feel better about yourself. Changes in your domestic scene will be necessary, even if you don't welcome them. Horoscope By Eugenia Last THURSDAY, JAN. 29 THURSDAY,JANUARY29,2015 REDBLUFFDAILYNEWS.COM |YOURDAILYBREAK | 3 B