Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/569627
DILBERT ScottAdams PEARLSBEFORESWINE StephanPastis PICKLES BrianCrane BABYBLUES JerryScott&RickKirkman PHOEBEANDHERUNICORN DanaSimpson ZITS JerryScott&JimBorgman SHERMAN'SLAGOON JimToomey ARGYLESWEATER ScottHilburn BIZARRO DanPiraro DEARAMY»Mymomis strong-willed and until recently, I always saw this as a good quality in her. My oldest brother married a strong-willed woman and they recently had a baby. Mom and my sister-in-law, "Tess," do not get along. Mom calls her names and ques- tions her parenting, but she's never said any of these things to Tess' face. Tess is not really a friendly type, but my mom is being extremely sensitive and I believe she is wrong. She admits that her anger strains her relationship with my brother and that he may cut off contact with her. I've told her this will end badly for her. I've told her how it hurts me to watch this. I've told her that hearing her talk behind Tess' back makes me question what she says about my family. I've told her she needs to be the bigger person. Yet her behavior has not changed. What else can I say to show how childish she's being? I believe she's putting my brother in a no-win situation, and I want to do everything I can before she estranges herself from her son and grandchild. —SadDaughter DEAR SAD » It is very kind and loving of you to try to protect your mother from herself. You have done an admirable job of respond- ing to her honestly. And yet — nothing changes. I'm going to lay out the worst-case scenario: Everything you fear happens. And after she has run through your brother's family, your mother may decide to take you on. You should work on detaching from this. Concentrate on build- ing your own healthy relationships, but do not intervene — unless either party asks you to. You and your brother are go- ing to need one another. DEAR AMY » My father's partner of over 30 years, "Vivian," makes mean remarks to my 3-year-old son. Sh e makes fun of his speech (he cannot pro- nounce "L" and "S" yet). She will imitate him in a mean voice and laugh. She has never been mean to my older daughter, so this caught me off guard. In the moment I'm so emotional that I don't respond. Now I am angry. I don't know if I should refuse to let my children around her. My father will not get involved. Should I tell her that her behavior is unaccept- able, or let this go? — Angry Mom DEAR ANGRY » Teasing children over their speech patterns is bullying and can poison relationships in the longer term. Start by assuming that she is acting from ignorance, and during a private mo- ment give her a neutral heads up. Say, "Vivian, I want you to know that lately I see you mocking our boy over his speech issues. He really likes and trusts you, and this is confusing to him. It hurts his feelings and I don't like it, either. I'd like you to stop doing that." Woman tries to mediate between mother and in-law 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 Virgo(Aug.23-Sept.22) — Changes are in the works, but don't expect to be offered much information. Get your facts firsthand and avoid being misled. Trust your intuition. Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) — You will be bored if you have too much time on your hands. Fill your day by putting unfinished business to rest in order to feel a sense of accomplishment. Scorpio (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) — You will be less inclined to overreact if you can keep out of other people's way until you have your ducks in a row. Sagittarius (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) — Everyone will be drawn to you. Discuss your plans openly and call in favors or ask for as- sistance with the projects you are ready to pursue. Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) — Get all the facts in place before you make suggestions or plans. You will be accused of overstepping your boundar- ies if you come on too strong or meddle in other people's affairs. Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) — It's your future, so take all the time you need to feel comfort- able with how things are going. Moving too quickly will cause you to make mistakes and poor choices. Pisces (Feb. 20-March 20) — Don't limit what you can do. If you feel that a new position will be more rewarding, go after it. Your mind will stagnate if you get trapped in a boring routine. Aries (March 21-April 19) — Show others what you are made of. Taking a leadership position within your current field will give you the opportunity to highlight your special talents. Love and romance are in the air. Taurus (April 20-May 20) — Your personal life will heat up, but don't invite trouble by ne- glecting responsibilities on the homefront. Keep your promises in order to keep the peace. Gemini (May 21-June 20) — Even a short jaunt away from familiar locales will provide you with inspiration to begin a new project. You will meet someone with compatible interests if you join a club, community group or class. Cancer (June 21-July 22) — Whether you like it or not, changes are inevitable. Rather than fight or evade what's hap- pening, take a close look to see how you can turn things to your best advantage. Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) — Don't slide into cruise control thinking things will run smooth- ly without your supervision. You will be a prime contender for a promotion if you have a strong work ethic. Horoscope By Eugenia Last FRIDAY, SEPT. 11 | YOURDAILYBREAK | REDBLUFFDAILYNEWS.COM FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2015 4 B