A12 | Wednesday, February 13, 2019 | Peninsula Clarion
Crossword
May-december romance trips on question of having kids DEAR ABBY: Our friend recently got engaged to someone who is, well, terrible! This is her first real relationship. They moved in together and got a dog within six months. He’s a lot older than she is, emotionally manipulative and abusive. Before they got together -- a Abigail Van Buren couple of months after his previous fiancee broke their engagement -- she talked constantly about how desperate she was for a boyfriend. Long story short, she was looking for love, and he appeared. We’re not the only ones worried for her. We have spoken with several mutual friends. We all have the same concerns but are afraid to approach her about them. He has damaged her professional and personal relationships and essentially clipped her wings. She was a bright, kind and ambitious person with wonderful dreams before she settled for him. She has lost herself in this relationship, and we don’t know what to say to her, if we should say anything at all. Help! -- NERVOUS IN THE NORTHWEST
DEAR NERVOUS: While it may be tempting, resist the urge to drift away from her because of him. Rather than remain silent, you and the others should point out the impact her fiance has had on her professional relationships. If he is as you describe, she may eventually learn for herself why his previous fiancee didn’t marry him. And when that happens, she may need all the support you all can give her. DEAR ABBY: Five years ago, my 26-year marriage ended in divorce. I am now in a wonderful new relationship. Do I have an obligation to inform my ex of my new status? -- DEBBIE IN THE EAST DEAR DEBBIE: Heck no! Let your children do it for you. Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Contact Dear Abby at www.DearAbby.com or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069. To receive a collection of Abby’s most memorable -- and most frequently requested -- poems and essays, send your name and mailing address, plus check or money order for $8 (U.S. funds) to: Dear Abby -- Keepers Booklet, P.O. Box 447, Mount Morris, IL 61054-0447. Shipping and handling are included in the price. Hints from Heloise
HAPPY BIRTHDAY for Wednesday, Feb. 13, 2019: This year, you often experience wild, unexpected happenings. Learn to flow with them. Your creativity grows with all of this energy. You have a charming manner that draws in the opposite sex. Take your time dating. If attached, the unexpected adds to the excitement of your bond. Be willing to let go of misunderstandings. GEMINI adds to the quality of your life. The Stars Show the Kind of Day You’ll Have: 5-Dynamic; 4-Positive; 3-Average; 2-So-so; 1-Difficult ARIES (March 21-April 19) HHH Speak your mind rather than act out. You will create a better understanding if you talk rather than react. You could waffle from one type of behavior to another. Look to effective communication, and you will not go wrong. Tonight: Join a buddy for munchies. TAURUS (April 20-May 20) HHH You might feel the need to go over certain points and facts. Do nothing halfway, especially if eyeing a financial decision. What you hear might confuse you, which indicates that you need to learn more and ask more questions. You could be weighing this feedback for a while. Tonight: Relax. GEMINI (May 21-June 20) HHHH Your personality is ablaze. Others cannot get enough of you. You easily could be delighted by all the attention, but you might not have time to seriously respond to each person. A message could get lost on your active admirers. Tonight: Catch up on what you missed. CANCER (June 21-July 22) HHH You get a demonstration of how angry another person could become. Give some thought to how you would deal with this type of rage if directed at you. Confusion can easily ensue. Listen carefully to what is being shared. Tonight: Do not take anything for granted. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) HHHH Your personality draws in others. The reactions you receive could be difficult to understand. Look positively at what you hear and see. What sounds like a grumpy comment might simply be meant as teasing. You could be confused. Do not worry. Tonight: Where the crowds are. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) HHH You experience a change in your work or your community. Several people
Rubes
By Leigh Rubin
spot you while out and about. Some want advice. Another person might ask you to take charge of a project where you had maintained a low profile. Recognize what is possible with your schedule. Tonight: Think before you leap. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) HHHH You might be challenged by someone who thinks differently and presents situations in a new light. Sometimes, you might have difficulty understanding the basis of this person’s thinking. Try to identify with where he or she is coming from. Tonight: Read between the lines. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) HHH You view an interaction, relationship and/or agreement through very different eyes than the majority of people. Someone might not be as authentic as you would like. Ask questions and test out ideas to see where this person is coming from. Tonight: Change interests and topics. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) HHHH Try to keep an even response to someone who tests your ideas, limits and choices. The more careful you are, the less confident the other party becomes. Steer away from a misunderstanding. Tonight: Change gears. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) HHH Your willingness to put in extra hours to understand where another person comes from guides you to success. You might not be sure of what you are hearing. Confirm statements, if need be. You still might not be sure after confirming what has been said! Tonight: Call it an early night. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) HHHH You might see a situation as humorous whereas others see it as very serious. Try a more appropriate attitude when dealing with these people. Otherwise, you will not make headway. Ask questions when needed. Tonight: Wear your playful attitude out. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20) HHH Your sense of priorities surrounds the completion of a matter involving your home or those you share your home with. You need to feel together or centered about this area of your life in order to flow elsewhere. Tonight: Order in and relax. BORN TODAY Singer Peter Gabriel (1950), celebrity Michael Joseph “Prince” Jackson Jr. (1997), actress Kim Novak (1933)
Ziggy
COUPONS Dear Heloise: Before I head to the grocery store, I go through my box where I store my coupons and get out the ones for products I plan to purchase. This saves time, instead of trying to find the ones I need at the checkout. Here are a few ideas where you can use coupons, besides the grocery store: * Tuck a few coupons in a baby gift for things like diapers, baby food, etc. * Take coupons to work and share with coworkers. * Give some to a family or friend in need of help with their food budget. -- Agnes R., Ashland, Mass. SMELLY MICROWAVE Dear Heloise: What can be used to eliminate a smell in the microwave after you warm something up? -- A Reader in Finger Lakes, N.Y. If your microwave needs some cleaning and freshening, put 2 tablespoons of either lemon juice or baking soda and 1 cup of water in a microwave-safe bowl. Let the mixture boil in the microwave for about five minutes so that the steam condenses on the inside walls. Then wipe off the walls and the inside of the door. This should cut any lingering odors in your microwave. -- Heloise BUFFALO MEAT Dear Heloise: I read in a magazine about making hamburgers with buffalo meat. Why buffalo meat? -- Sandra Z., Waterbury, Conn. Sandra, buffalo (sometimes called bison) meat is lower in fat than regular hamburger meat. It also has more vitamins, minerals and iron, and is said to be sweeter in taste. So, be adventurous and give buffalo hamburgers a try. -- Heloise
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SUDOKU Solution
5 4 7 6 8 2 1 3 9
8 3 1 9 5 4 2 7 6
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3 2 4 8 6 9 7 5 1
7 1 8 5 2 3 6 9 4
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4 8 9 3 7 6 5 1 2
6 5 3 2 1 8 9 4 7
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2/12
Difficulty Level
9 6 8 2 7 5 3 5 8 2 4 6 5 7 8 4 7 6 8 9 1 4 2 3 Difficulty Level
2/13
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DEAR ABBY: I’m a 67-year-old single white man. My girlfriend is 21 and African-American. We have been together a year and a half and are deeply in love. We have lots of fun together and go out and do things. When we are out together, people often stare at us. She’s very attractive and turns heads. I tell her everyone is looking at her because she is so beautiful, but that’s probably not totally true. We want to be together, but I’m reluctant. The love feels good and true, but the rest is scary. We would like to have children, but she wonders if there is any risk in having a child with me. We have tried to break up, but we missed each other so much we got back together. We have a very active sex life. Do you have any advice? -- UNCERTAIN IN OHIO DEAR UNCERTAIN: People may stare because of the large discrepancy in your ages or because they aren’t used to seeing interracial couples. Because you are concerned about how things will play out if the two of you decide to start a family, it would be wise to get genetic counseling because of your age. While 67 isn’t over the hill, the decision to embark on starting a family at that age may depend upon your overall health and the life expectancy in your family.
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