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Sundty, OdoUf 18.3003    Uńt\ Fafli, Idaho E-3

•'    Family Life

Dad wants acceptance for child

DEAR ABBY: I ;un a succcSS-ful man witli a grc;« marriagc. four icrriflc childrcn — uli grown willi profcssional careers

—    and beauiiful gramichildrcn. I am vcry dosc io all of ihcm.

Before 1 married my włfe — whllc StUlin college 30 ycars ago

—    I had u short afTulr. willi a young woman ai school. I rc-ceniły ran inio hcr. and she infonned me Utai 1 havc anoth-er child — a grown daughter 1 11 cali "Eden." li was Uic firsi I‘d heard of it. She never contacicd me. 1 saw Eden. and she Is the spiltlng Image of my moiher. I spoiw lo her. but I was stlll In shock and didni know whai to say. I ler inother Iniroduccd me as "an old boyfriend.” .

I have been In contact wiih the moiher sińce ihen. Al-lhough she doesn‘i wam me to dlwilgc "our sec rei," she did ask if I would glve Eden a large ninnunt of money. Our daugh-ler is beauiiful. has a doctorale and Is dnlng well in her field.

l in wry sad. I Iow my family and all of my chlldren. Of course. I toki tliem ahoui ihis.

Tltcy arc cagcr to mcci their half-sistcr and would Iow her os wcll. What would be best for all conccmed herc? ‘

— SAD DAD

DEAR SAD DAD: A seeret is no longer a sccret when morę dian iwo pcoplc know ii — and rigłit now the number Is up to sewn. If Eden Is doing\wll. wity docs she need your moncy? Could it be her motlicr is after it? Who has Eden been led to bel lew was her father all of these years? Slie should be told the trutlt. if only so slie will ha w an accuntlc family medical bisiory.

As I sec it. lidcn is maturę, ed-ucatcd, and can handle the trutlt. I lowcwr. Iicforc writing

sccnario with your lawyer.

DEAR ABBY: I rcccntly at-tended a family funcral at * whlch one of my rclatlvcs broughl his dog. It wosnt a serv-icc dog. Abby, just a regular liouse dog. It was cvcrywherc tlić family was — the funcral homc. the scrvice. cven at die church dlnncr.

This rclatlve Uves ln tłtc same town wlicrc the funcral was hcld. so It wasnt an ls$uc of leaving the dog at homc for an cxtcnued period of linie. 1 un-dersiand that somc pcoplc treat their dogs like pcoplc. hut 1 tliink taking a pet to a funcral pushestheUmits.

— DOGGONEUPSET IN KANSAS

DEAR UPSET: 1 agrre. How-ewr. if the person who ofllciatcd at the funcral didnt ohjco to the putcntial disrup-tlon. then who am I to cast ihc first bonę?

DEAR ABBY: I have been rcading your column for many years. hut I haw newr Iicforc Ik*cii tempted to wrile to you

any chccks — large or smali — l

urge ynu to discuss this entire ' umil now. /Miout a year ago we

mowd lilio a new homc in a nice ncighhorhuod. One of tlić lost homes sold happens to t>e on our Street.

Yesierday. a flicr was stuck in our mailbojc I don’( know how many of them wcrc disirlbutcd. hut tlicre are 200 homes in aur subdMsion. Tbc flicr an* nounced nn open housc. It listed all Ule usual stuff — tlmc and place — witli die following statemenf: "If you would Uke to blcss us with a gift. wc would gready appreelate' a glft card from one of the following Stores: Home Depot. Wal-Mart. Lowcs, Best Uuy. Sears or JCPenncy."

We wcrc Ibhhergasted to get such an"lnvitaiion" from somc* one we dont cven know. What do you Uilnk about it. and how would you hantlle thls7

— FLABBERGASTED IN SEFFNER. FLA.

DEAR FLABBERGASTED: I think your new nclghbors have elevaled the “gimmes" to a wliole new lewi. And I would treat it exactły the samic way l’d treat any other unwcłcoinc solicKatkm.

Taurus: Old habits may come into play

IFOCT. 16 IS YOUR BIHTH*

DAY: You hau* the stainiiia and resourrefulness to sec impor-tani plans through to compleiion in ihcyear altcud. If you are himgry for business success.*lhk js ilu* year to work bard and kup your nosc to the grlmlstone — only tmflagging elTorl will niakedreamsa reality. liclwcen now nnd January, you may achiew pulilic recognitiou of your lalenis and make im-ponant cnimectkms ihai can help you nchicve your aims-Rest ou your laurels and entoy sonie of lite gootl ihings ln life nexi August and Sepiember.

ARIES (March 21-April 19J: Somcone dose may be in searcltnf utier pcrfection. Dont mislake someones shyness for a cold slioulder. iliis ls a |ioor linie to gju In to a romamie whiin if iłiere is work to be done.

TAURUS OApril 20-May 20): A hirtl ln band btworth two in the

Horoscopi-:

Jeraldine Saunders

hush. Old habits and past rela-tiomhlps may come into play. An invis!b!c no-trcspasslng slgn kee|is new acouuintances from exceeding the iKiunds.

GEM INI (May 2l-]unc 20): Mind and einntions are in com-płete agreement today when shrewd planning is nceded. lMrtners inay upset your emo-tional anplecart willi sudden fligliisof fancy. hut dont let tlial dćter you.

CANCER (lunę 21-July 22): Pcrfect hulance will help you walk a tighiropc that rcquires common scnsc. You know just when tu spcaC and wlien to lic discrcci. Avold wild speeulatinn and employ economy.

LEO Uuly 23-Aug. 22): Utill-doze your way past ołisiacles. If

suliłlety doesn'i work. try tłiruwing out a nionkcy wrencli to get your point across. (iiving in ln roitumłc włtims may not achieu the desired rcsulls.

MRCO (Aue. 23-Scpt. 22): lix-ercise disclpline and conlrol our your iiank account and your persona! life. Stop smoking or stan a new diet and you will fińd the willpuwcr lo curry plans through to compleiion.

LIBRA (Scpt. 23-Oct. 22): Mm aml proper inanners will do the most lo mnintain a calm and sercne fl«w of social dis-course. Itcfusc to make new commitments. but be surę io honor old ones for the Ik*si rc-sulls.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Your stimglli ;uid iUiility to win comes from refusing to beat around that provcrhial husfi cw rynno talks about. Older peo-ple and reiaiionsliips from lite past coukl figurę promincnUy.

SAGfTTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dcc.

21): Ignore wild restless urges and indulgenu-s today. 'Ilu* hest results eonie from sticking io routines and excrcislng ihrifl. Stan a diet or eaercise plan lo get rliinpi Juck imdcra/nuul.

CAPRICORN (Dcc. 22-Jan. 19): Social niccties and good mannefs win respcct and extra apprecialion. Ilie tendency to he a Professional and busi-nesslike in all situatinns kecp persona! houmluries posted wali new people.

AQUARIUS (lun. 20-Fcb. 10): Barguin hunter* itiigltt fmd a good deal. Fricmls from the past or desires you tliought were long buried may reappear. Set new resoUitions as you can follow tbem througli to tlić cnd.

PISCES (Fcb. 19-March 20): You could lakę a wrong tum that rcflccts hadłyou your repu-imion if you giu in to a desire for fl.imboyum behavior. Stick to the straighl and narrow and exercise self control today.

Early bird eelipse will take place on Monday

Its eelipse season. 'l\vo wwks ago toniorruw. tlie niuans shad-i»v rmisctl from Sjwin to the soullieni Indian Ocean, giving most of Africa and Europę a chance tu scc the sun kio king like the cookie monsiers latesi wctiin.

Nlnv. half a lunar orbit later. its ilu* liari Its tum to sliadow the nicKin. llecausc tlić Oct. 3 rai eelinsi i-uring In of the suiis illsk at mid-eclipse). lomorrows lunar eelipse will be a near miss. lliat s hccausc in the Interstiiing iwo wceks the miHins orhii has coulinued the slow wohbk* that only produecs iwo eelipse seasons a year.

Su althmigh Mnmlay moru-ings eelipse woni knock your socksoff. make an effon to sec it anyway. Iivin ihougli an eelipse hap|ieiis somewherc every slx montlis. the cosmic eloekworks

was a centra) eelinse (wlth the moon appe.uing In the center

Sky

W,yit:h

Chris

Anderson

sometimes conspirc to produce gaps of \evcral years in any given location. Southern Idahos łast lunar eelipse was Ust Octn-her; our uext won'l he umil August 2tX)7. Aml last >var‘s was clouded out.

Monday marnings eelipse hegins at 3:.^r»l a.m. as Ute moon hegins to slip into Earilts p.irtLil sliadow. But dotli cxpect to sec anything dilfereni about the moon until 4:45 a.m. or so. By then. the moon will be deep enougli in the pemmihral słiad-

Sky calendar through Saturday

•    Planet*:

One nou/ ec/o/c sun/ise:

Saturn: SE. high Mars: W. mid sky One hour oher sunset:

Venus: SW. vcry Iow

•    Moon: Fuli moon Monday. 6:14 a.m. (the Hunter'S Moon) Pjitial lunar eelipse Monday. 5:34 a.m. to 6:32 a.m. Mid-eelipse 6.03 a.m

•    0th*r dat*: Ononid meteor shower pcok Riday. 3 a.m. (20 meteors per łiour). but bnght moonlight interfeics.

ow to liegin lookingsuhtly dark er along its left edge.

The a*al show negins at 5:3-)

am.. as tlie moon enters the fuli sliadow. Agiiin. it woill lie imme-diately olnious whais happening, hut withill a fcw niinuies a snvdl bite will apjK-ar .dong Ihe left limti. By tlut linie, die entia* moon will be ln sliad-ow. iooking conslderaMy darker ' th:ut a nonnaj fuli moon (morę so along the left limb). Mid* ' ecli|ise Ls at (kU3 am.. and the moon uxiLs łlu* umbr.i at 632 am.

After that the monit will hrighten until il escapes the |>enumlir;tl sliadow as it sels just after R a.m.

Nvxt uwLMurs nr its

Chris Anderson is the produc-non sfhTiulist nnd obwruatory nunuigerat the Fnulbter.PUine-tariuni ni the Iłemit Center for Ans and Science at the College of Southern Idaho in Tiińn Fant

Restaurant rules for adults should hołd for kids

Tlie childrcn. threc of them ranging in estlmaied age from 6 to 11. wcrc up and densm from die tobie, runnlng Ioudły to ona fro in the restaurant wnilc tlie parents sat calmly and sccm-Ingly oblivious to the dlsmption. After hc had fin-islied his mca). the oldest. a boy. did somciliłng to his shoes and

•    began rollcr-skating (1 havc learned lliot somc brands of

*    sneakers havc rctractable wliecls in the solesf) around the¹ ublc at ubieli his family sat. holding on to the bocks of other customcrs’ clialts for balance. At diis point l looked somewhat Implonngły at the father. who olwiousły dklift get it. bccausc lic just stńilcd as if to say. ”Isn‘t it grcat tlial my kids are having such a good tlmc?"

This chaos wouldnt havc merited much noticc had the restaurant been a cliild-orieni-ed establishment Uke Chuck E Cheese. But tliis was a four-star restaurant in Atlanta wherc a thicc-coursc meąl and a gjass of winc runs in the neighborhood of$75pcr person. Including lip. My wite, sitting across from me. whlspcrcd. "Yourc staring."

Since one discourtesy docs not deservc onodicr. I tumed sllgjitly sideways ln my chair so as to shift my linc of sight. but

wlien I did so, my v\ifes cycs opened wide and she blurtcd. but quletly. "I dont bclievc it!* I quickly tumed to sec what slie was looklng at and Uicrc. at the next labie, sal a family of threc. one of whom. a linie girl. was watching a movic on a portable DVD unit set before hcr. Thank-fully. she was wearing hcadpliones. *

That was but one night's expc-rience. From what I gather in talking to waltpcrsons and restaurant monagers across the United States, cvbt morę parents are bringlng young chlldren Into upscalc rcstaurants and cver morę of Uiosc childrcn olnious-ty haueyct lo bc tnugjii the basie rudimcnLs of public bchavtor. My amerienoc is ccnalnły bcar-IngiłiisouL

I ask: If wliUe I am n customer in a nlcfc restaurant — not ncc-essarily upscaJc cven, hut one

that was at least a step above run-of-lhc-mlU — I begin run;

nlng around the dinlng room witooping and giggling. would-ni you think diat strange? If 1 began rollcr-skating throudi the establishment, grabbing the backs of other customcrs' chairs, wouldnt you consider asking the nianagcmcni to speak to me and cven ask me to leave If 1 would not ratchct It down to at least a duli roar? And if i opened a DVD player at the tablo and began watching a movlc. would you not wonder why l'd bolhercd golng out to cat ln the first place? Eli wager that you answered all three ques(lons ln the afTirmatlec. and on the slim chan cc that you did not, you arc cxcused. or rather banished. to Chuck E Cheese. 0\nd by the way. no criiicism of that cstalilisluncnt is Intcndcd. In fact. 1 think Its mlssion is laudable and the cx-pcricncc is fun.)

I would like to submlt the fol-luwing 'seemingly radicaj proposition: If it ls (napnropri-ale for an adult to display the ahovc behaviors in a nice. restaurant. dicn it is Inappropri-ate for childrcn to display them. whlch mcaas parents should disallow tliem or rcfraln from bringing their kids (o such

Elaccs. If the restaurant ls nuwn os a place of frtvolhy.

Fme. If somcone chooses to pa-troni/e st*ch an establishment, then hc lias no causc for com-lalnt if liie frivolity disturbs im. Buf if the restaurant ls a fme dining establishment, or elose to it. du-n parents liave an obligation to their peers to teach dieir childrcn tłtc ins and outs of (irojrer nice restaurant bchavior before tisking tłiclr childrcns presence in such a place.

Furtlicrmore. If managcmcm would ask an adult to lcavc if hc was dlsturbing the pcacc of other diners, then management should quicdy and wilii grcat councsy ask tnc parents ofdis-ruptivc urchlns to take their business and their hunger elsc* where. Unfortunately. that would probably causc an cven ' grealer dlsruption. Ik-cuusc many parents of disruptivc chll-dren sccm oblivious to tlie scnsli!vitics of othćrs. So. man-agement usually and wisely chooscs tlie lesser of two evUs. Knowing titis. my wifc and I spend less and less limę and money in nlcc rcstaurants tliesc days. Chuck E Cheese. anyone?

John Rosemond ls a family psychologist. Qucstions may bc seat to liim at his Web sile. unmn.roscmond.com/.

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The Great Cat Watch:

Looking for sigńs of sickness in felines

Ib most, cats appear to lie uinongnaturcs most Indcjiend-ent creaturcs. Yet Uicyrclyon us in ways wc diin‘1 always apprc-ciate. Tlie rcason? Eeolutlon has madę our fcllnc friends ex-tremcly adept at hlding illncss.

We know that cats cvuhcd as

Ercdators and liunt smali prcy. ut liccausc of their smali sbc. they wcrc also prcy for larger predators. '"nic problem willi cats ls diat they're designed by naturę to masie any skkness." says Dr. James Ricbards, a spokesman for the American Association of Fcllnc l*n»ctiiion-ers (AAFP). “In the wild. if they someluiw broadcast t)iat UiCy migju be an easy calch. tlien olieiously tltat is dctrimcntal to thetn. So tlicy’rc going to trc tu lilde illncss fur as long as iliey can."

As a wierinarian. I can t tefl you how many limes a cat owner brouglit in a cat — tllink-ing ii miglit be a iittlc under tlie weather — only tu fiml out, after a physicai cxaminati<Mi aml lab-oratory tesling, that the cat was ou its eigluh life, aliout to draw-iislast hrcatli.

()ne limę cat owners lirougłu their helovcd luny into mylWiu FaBs praciice bccausc they no-ticed it had mi.ssed liaakfaM.

I lowwer. wIkii we weiglietl tlie caL ii was a fur-ccimal skele-inn, liaeing lost almost •)<)

|K-rccn( of its liody wcight from a kitlney problem.

"Willi e«n\ its not umisiial for healtli prnhlems to he occur-ring that owners arc tiot aware of." says Kichards. "/Mul liy the timc they do notice morę dra-maile signs of illncss and gei tlie pet to tlie clinlc. tllose illnesses can be (jiiite adeanced and much morę dilficult to deal with succcssfuMy."

lite nusircilch betwwn tlie perception of a "minor illncss" versus the rcality of a "major medical problem" hivł tlial the owner doesru cnre. or doesii) want to spend tlie momy to get the cal well. The problem typi-cally ls ihe r»*sult of the cal owner not knowing the subtlc signs that the cat was sick. in pain or diNOimion until it was too lale to preveni unneccssary palu. expcnsc or worse.

Tłials why i>et Dwners ha\x* a Mieci.il cltaNenge lo watch for tlie subt le signs of illnes»in cats.

To help educalc owners abuut just wliat liiose signs arc. tłie AAFI’ lias Liunched a milion* wide campaign culled "Tbc (ircat Git Watch. for Wellness Sake."

'Ute (ircat Ciii Watch draws its Iiwpiration from Uic hiine He-liavior (iuldelines. a 42-pagc,

AAI^;I* liooklct that oflers a coin-prcbeusiw guide to nornutl and abnomud feline liehasiors. Ihe guldeliiies. whlch are aeailable on AAWs Web site. www.aaf-lionline.oig/resources/practice —guidelincs.litin. were com* pded by a jiancl of experts from Information presented in mon*

tlian 300 artlcłcs and numerom tiooks on feline bdiaslor.

So witał are signs of illncss in a cai?'I7icy can vary depending on* Ihe cat s age and lifcstyle. In generał, they include:

•    Changcs in social Intemc-ilons

•    Inappropriotc elimination liehavior •

•    Changcs in ac(ivity

•    Changcs iii groomlog

•    Uncxplaincd wcight changcs

•Signs ofstrcss

•    Bad hrcatli

•    Changcs in viic:ilbuillon

•    Changcs in lotni and walor cnnsuinptioti

•    Changcs in slcep habiis

'Ilie AAI-i' is atso cnipliasizing

the iuijKinaitce of laking cats to the vctcrinari.in for twice-yearly wx*llness vLsits. Ihe campaign is heing underwrilten by Fon DodgeAnimal lleaKh.

. Americas cats can ccnainly tiencOi from morę regular vet-criiiariuii visits.

Iv\rn tliougłi (he 90 inillmn cats owned nationwide out* nunilier dogs hy 20 penem, they sec ilu* wrlerinarian cmly h;iłf us often.    _

"When you think about tlie life spali of a cat. which is about 15 to 20 years. its prcity słion compared to ours. Sn a su-inontli (leriod of limę in a cats life is a signiljcant amnunt of timc. physiolngic;il)y." Kichards Miys. "IVsicc u year wellness vis-its also provide n pcrfect opponuuiiy for vx*ierinarians to help cducate owners alMiut l»e-havior cluev"

Along willi helping pet ossii-ers idenlify putcntial healtli prohlems. regular vclcrinary visits and a solid uiidersianding of normal feline hehanor can reducc undeslmble feline Iraits. such as eliminating oniside of the lider i > *. or damagiug fumi-lurc. It is imponant io rccopiize these signs. sińce bchaeior prohlems remain the most common causc of cuihanasia iii pet cats.

Ricbards says theres anodicr plus io psying doscr atiention to your cat s hehaeior.

“You get to know tbc animal bciter and get niorc out of tlie friendship." lie says. “lt's like any rclaiionship: The morc )*ou in-vcsl. the slronger it hecomcs."

So join the (ircat Cat Watch and scc if it doesnl cnrich your life*. along willi tliat of >-our feline friend.

Farmer IMn liills teicrinari-an Marty Ikr ker hosts 'Top Vets Talk l^,cts~ on wine.heallhra-dionetwork.com.

Letter writers. write to us

The Tlmee-News

TWIN FALLS — Do >im stiU sit down to write a Id ter hy band? Is that 1kix of liandwril-ten Iciters a ireasure or trasli? Are your kids going io ireasure your c-mails the way you savor your grandmoilier s notes?

Times-News wTitcr Karma Fil/gcrald is working on a story . about the lost art of letter writ-ing. If you coniniunicale via U.S. mail instead of e-mail. slie wants to hor from you.

1’leasc contact hcr at 735-3238 or kiit/gcraldCrinagic-wdlcy.com.

College cuisine

Who says you‘ll miss your parents' cooking? Wednesday in Food & Home

	"Real Estate Corncr ”
	IS REFINANCING FOR YOU?
? a A X if^5 J	^ Laura Fitzgerąld Rc/Max American Dream Re alty

If interes! raics arc falling and ihc ratę of your mortgage is sitting at a high lcvcl,' how do you dccidc when the cost of refinancingyour mort-gage is warronted?

The ruJe of thumb says two percent. If your mortgage is at 12 pcrccnt and you hnvc the oppor-tunity to lowcr it to 10 pcrccnt and you intend to

livc at least another two ycars in your homc. do it. You will rccoup the cost of the rcfinancing (points, fees. etc.) in approximately one and a half or two ycars. On a S100.000 mortgage, as an cxamplc. you will savc S151 a month. fn 20 months you'll make up the avcragc cost of refi-nancing. C__

WMY*.

Hf 222 Shoshone East, Tu In Falls [phone] i South Lincoln, Jerome [phone]

i,