Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/452792
DILBERT ScottAdams PEARLSBEFORESWINE StephanPastis PICKLES BrianCrane BABYBLUES JerryScott&RickKirkman GETFUZZY DarbyConley ZITS JerryScott&JimBorgman SHERMAN'SLAGOON JimToomey ARGYLESWEATER ScottHilburn BIZARRO DanPiraro DEARAMY»Oneofmy female family members — unmarried and in her 50s — recently disclosed to our large family that she has been having an affair with a married man for 30-plus years. They met while she was in college (he worked at her university), and he has one adult daughter. He is in his 70s. Her announce- ment was prompted by the recent death of his wife. Now they are public about their relationship, attending family wed- dings, sending gifts, etc., as a couple. Shortly after their re- lationship became known openly, she announced that they were engaged. Their wedding and her bridal shower are both being planned. My family and I have already been asked to save the dates. She is an adult and is free to make her own choices; it's really none of my business. My dilemma is this: I do not want to be a part of the shower or the wedding. I feel that while the intent is for these events to be a celebration, they are a disrespectful spectacle. I don't want to take a dramatic stance in any of this. I just want to avoid it altogether. Any suggestions? —Disapproving DEAR DISAPPROVING » If you want to avoid drama, then you should also avoid harsh judgment. If it is possible for you to forgive your relative for her decades-long involve- ment in an ex tra marit al affair, you should do so. You presumably don't know the circumstances behind this affair and — spun differently — your relative seems like someone who has been profoundly patient. Would you wish to deny her the fullness of happi- ness now? It is quite easy to decline an invitation without making a state- ment designed to ramp up the drama. You simply respond politely that you will not be able to make it to the festivities. You do not need to supply a reason. DEAR AMY » Before winter break, my 12-year-old son wanted to do something nice for his teachers dur- ing the "time of giving," and he baked cookies that he made from scratch. He created decorative bags, handmade name tags and had them placed in his teachers' mailbox area. I was amazed that only one out of the eight wrote him a thank-you note. He was touched by the one teacher's kindness. This incident made me notice that we are becom- ing a very wanting but truly thankless society, and I find it sad. Am I old-fashioned? — Thankful DEAR THANKFUL » I agree that a written thank-you warms the heart and also inspires greater generos- ity, but a verbal expres- sion of thanks is accept- able too. Did any of these other teachers seek out your son to thank him for his extreme thoughtful- ness? I hope so. Your son is both kind and clever and I hope you continue to encourage him to ex- press himself. Relative thinks 30-year affair turned marriage is distasteful 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) — You will get along much bet- ter with your friends than you will with your family. Try to get your household duties out of the way before you take off. Pisces (Feb. 20-March 20) — You will have the discipline to get odd jobs completed. You may have difficulties if you make unreasonable promises. Aries (March 21-April 19) — Your tendency to overindulge will result in weight gain or minor illness. You will have to be careful not to emotionally over- react with your mate. Taurus (April 20-May 20) — Your secretive nature will cause problems if you won't share your thoughts with someone. Be careful not to neglect yourself. Adequate rest will be a must. Gemini (May 21-June 20) — Your romantic relationships will suffer if you try to address important issues that are driving you crazy. Your partner will take offense and you'll spend the day alone. Cancer (June 21-July 22) — Don't be too eager to talk about your feelings today. You need to discover what others are think- ing before you put your own beliefs on the line. Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) — Travel will open up new avenues that will enhance your knowl- edge and spur important friend- ships. You should be thinking about signing up for a course or seminar. Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) — Extravagance and overindul- gence will be tempting. Be care- ful not to place unreasonable demands on others. Don't follow the crowd. You need to make up your own mind. Avoid getting involved in joint ventures. Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) — Difficulties will surface if you haven't paid enough attention to your partner. Financial limita- tions may frustrate your ability to achieve your goals. Scorpio (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) — Be careful not to divulge secret information. You will have to trust your own instincts. Expect friends to exaggerate and overreact to situations. Keep your thoughts to yourself. Sagittarius (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) — You will have ample en- ergy to get involved in interest- ing, competitive activities. Your creative talent and ability to work with youngsters will come in handy. Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) — You can expect opposition from those you live with. Don't argue; just make your own plans to do things with friends. Don't make changes to your living quarters unless everyone is in favor of your ideas. Horoscope By Eugenia Last TUESDAY, JAN. 27 TUESDAY,JANUARY27,2015 REDBLUFFDAILYNEWS.COM |YOURDAILYBREAK | 5 B