Horoscopes

Aries (March 21-April 19): Modes of mind can be triggered automatically before you even notice or know what’s happening. For this reason you can’t be blamed for your moods, though you’re still responsible for managing them. Taurus (April 20-May 20): There are people who are just better for you. They bring out the better side of you. They make the stresses of daily life seem like no pressure at all, because you see yourself as they see you — strong and capable. Gemini (May 21-June 21): It’s possible you’ll think more deeply than clearly, which won’t be helpful. So when you feel yourself getting very ponderous without a direction, simply stop asking questions and do something physical, such as walking. Cancer (June 22-July 22): You’ve a very upbeat attitude, and there’s nothing petty that can bother you or throw you off your game. Truly, optimism makes you immune to 80 percent of the things that bother those around you. Leo (July 23-Aug. 22): You command attention, sometimes uncomfortably so. Sometimes you’d rather deflect it or hide out than take your moments. It’s fine to feel shy, but is this a missed opportunity to channel awareness to what’s important to you? Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): You are dedicated to your chosen work and willing to apply yourself more intensely than before. In fact, the subject of your strong feelings may take over your life in the next few days. Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 23): Serenity is not some distant ideal. You already experience it many times a day. It’s just a matter of letting those moments spill into the rest of the hours. Scorpio (Oct. 24-Nov. 21): Remember the moment when you owned the room, though quite by accident, making people laugh and want to play? Well, it gave you a taste for being the center of attention, and you’ll figure out how to get back there today. Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Memory is kind. Happy ones get better over time, and sad ones fade. What happens over the course of this day will be a perfect package for nostalgia to wrap itself around in the future. Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Emotional states are infectious. Yawns, laughter, nerves and just about anything you can feel have the possibility of rubbing off on others. Associate with the happy and fortunate people and be one yourself. Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Since there will be people around you who have expertise they either don’t mind sharing or would absolutely love to share, you’ll be in a lucky position to learn — and possibly have your problem solved for you. Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20): Don’t worry about willpower. Your imagination is so vivid today that when you direct it to see and taste what your work will bring you, you won’t even need willpower to move toward that gleaming prize.

To write to Holiday Mathis, visit www.creators.com/author/holidaymathis and click “Contact.” DEAR ABBY » Two years ago, my boyfriend broke up with me by sending me a note. We had been together for 14 years. His boss had introduced him to a twice-divorced woman with three kids. What really hurts me is he started his new relationship with a lie. He told her he wasn’t involved with anyone.

He just contacted me to tell me they are engaged. I feel bad for his fiancee and her kids because he is very selfcentered. When we dated, we never went anywhere. He only wanted to watch TV. I don’t want her to end up with a broken heart like I did. Abby, does the truth ever win out?

— Brokenhearted Jersey gal

DEAR GAL » Yes, sometimes it does, but in this case, it’s not going to bring your boyfriend back. The truth is, you are still heartbroken about losing him. He and his fiancee have been together for two years. By now she knows him pretty well. I doubt there is anything you could say at this point that would break them up, so stop looking backward and start looking toward your own future. Only then will your broken heart heal.

DEAR ABBY » My husband is a wonderful man. However, over the last few years he has developed an annoying habit of telling jokes wherever we go and to whomever we interact with. Most times his jokes are offcolor.

He does it in mixed company when we are out to dinner with friends. It embarrasses me, and I feel it’s demeaning to women in general. I’m afraid he’s getting a reputation of being a dirty old man. Most of the jokes are ones he hears at the gym where he works out every day.

I have asked him to stop, but he thinks he’s being funny and no one minds, so he continues doing it. I have threatened that the next time he does it I’ll leave the table and go home. How else do I handle this?

— Losing my sense of humor

DEAR LOSING YOUR SENSE OF HUMOR » You say you are friendly with these couples. If that’s the case, discuss this with some of the other wives. Tell them how you feel, and ask them how they feel about your husband’s jokes. If they, too, find them embarrassing, you might get your message across more effectively if you — and they — tell your husband as a group that you’d like him to stop.

DEAR ABBY » I work with a woman who has turned in her retirement papers for the end of next month. However, I know from a reliable source that she’s pushing the company to allow her to come back and work part-time after she retires.

I was assigned the task of planning her retirement party and have also been invited to a surprise party being given by her daughter. Should we be having a retirement party if she isn’t really leaving the company?

— Retired in the East

DEAR RETIRED » This is a question you should be asking your supervisor or boss. Whether your co-worker will be allowed to return and work on a part-time basis is something neither of us can predict. So unless you are instructed to the contrary, you should perform your task as directed.

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.