European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 12, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 10 7 a amp amp a my we a Kat Pritim Lri Sirni Ngwu it Wii Iii Ilahi if Quot Iff unit we need that housing to store doom Chickies Cindy Chambers a columnist As americans Rush Hack to the land of the round Doorknob in an at tempi to Quot build Down a a we leave More behind us than just a Trail of Kentucky Fried Chicken buckets stretching from sea to shining sea. We leave american housing too a and land Worth up to $2 million an acre. At those prices the department of defense could throw us All one Heck of a going away party. Of course the last thing the Pentagon czars will do is sell our abandoned quarters to the German government at a profit. If they did the United states could quickly make up its $300 billion a year budget deficit. Its just too darn easy. So 1 propose that the american government Issue an extra set of quarters to every military family remaining overseas. Quot the purpose storage. Storage needs have Long loomed Large in the lives of military families living abroad. No Only do most of us arrive in country with enough junk to furnish eight or nine apartments but we usually manage to pick up enough european bargains to single hand edly fill a a Frank a stateside House of Shanks Quot upon our return.  room in the extra set of quarters could be designated for a specific storage requirement such As a a the extra curtain room a for All the the Peries and rods we have that will never in a zillion years lit another window anywhere in the free world.  Manger room Quot a for the  extra hangers we re forced to buy while we wait for our household goods including the extra hangers we bought during our last move to show a _ a v a a a a i he virtually worthless foreign currency room a to House the spare change we bring a Home after each vacation. Having All that Money in one room will give us a Chance to ruminate on the question Why do the people pictured ii  Bills always look As if they re passing kidney stones the address Label and Check room a for All the personalized Cheeks and gummed labels we never have time to use. A a the dammit room a to store our Quot dam mits a those Little doom Chickies that fasten things onto uniforms. Everybody Quot has millions of these but the Only Way to find one is to step on it with Bare feet a hence the name. A and finally. A the Hail and Farewell lifts Rix it my for All the Beer steins Coffee mugs. Plaques and awards that Are a battalions Way of saying a a in la bet void w ish we d paid you  Cindy Chambers is a military family member living in Schweinfurt Germany a a miss manners Judith Martin United features Syndicate car miss manners my Fiance who is h very aware of proper table manners i i has a family that could not possibly have raised him. Flis parents and other relatives All  habit of. Passing food to one  their hands. Not  they handle my food but they Export me to handle theirs also. I am not Only speaking of breads and fruits but pieces of fish and meat this thoroughly disgusts me and succeeds in destroying my appetite. While i appreciate the diet Aid i object to their laughter when i refuse to serve their food with my hands mind you i never say a Hugh please do not touch my  i simply do not eat what they pass with their hands and when they request something from a plate in my Vicinity i pass the entire plate. Of course they noticed this eventually. Flow might i Stop these people from handling their food this Way they just laugh at my Quot fastidious Quot nature and think me a snob and a  explain that they became this Way by growing up in a Large family. Miss manners my Mother grew up in a family of 12, and she would be shocked by this behaviour. Why the other Day a soon to be Uncle took food right off my plate to feed a dog. I love dogs and have two of my own but they never eat at my table and certainly never from a guests plate. Please help. I am desperate. Gentle Reader is this a test miss manners is hoping against Hope that these people have constructed an elaborate family joke in order to initiate you into the family but probably not. The idea of completely discarding Basic etiquette and sanitary measures of society is so revolting to civilized people that it is hard to imagine anyone shaving the stomach to do it As a joke. A. You have two questions Here i. Do you have to abandon your manners to meet the family a Standard or rather Lack of it 2. Can you raise their standards. The answer to both is no. Miss manners advises you simply to continue your present tactic of neither joining nor condemning their bizarre behaviour until they get tired of teasing you about it. Two things should come of this 1. You will As you Point out lose weight. 2. You should Cam your future husbands undying gratitude. Dear miss manners Why docs it seem to be acceptable to ask a woman one docs not know about her pregnancy More than once i have received questions such As a when arc you due a or comments like a i Sec you re eating for two  i would not be so offended if i were pregnant. However i am not. I just have a physical build that apparently can give that impression. Flow am i to respond to such comments that Are embarrassing to both parties gentle Reader there is nothing acceptable about asking strangers highly personal questions. As a matter of fact relatives and friends Arentt so crazy about them either. Perhaps your Story might show them How dangerous this is. There is no Way you can spare embarrassment to a person who has made such a Blunder Short of pretending that you arc not Only pregnant but pleased to be allowed to talk your state Over with passers by. This would be an excess of consideration that miss manners docs not recommend. Miss manners suggests you merely say Quot you seem to have made a mistake Quot without further explanation then quickly accept any apologies that May be offered and end the  for the week of May 13 to May 19 Aries March 21-april 19 look for strength from within. Belief systems Are challenged. Help co workers with problems. Discuss relationships with friends. Taurus april 20-May 20 do something new. Mental self Reliance is a plus. Obtain emotional satisfaction from work. Welcome out of town visitors. A 1 gemini May 21-june. 20 done to sacrifice personal Freedom. Dependent relationships get the a. Skip mental anguish. Rely on the visceral for decisions. Cancer june 21-july 22 use emotion like Salt sparingly. Done to assume others responsibilities. Set a deliberate Pace. Domestic adjustments loom. Leo july 23-aug. 22 put creative machine in motion. Enhance endurance through exercise. Don t downplay accomplishments avoid envy and jealousy. Virgo aug 23-sept 22 practical concerns demand attention love life needs balancing think with heart Over head. Be careful about what you wish for. A Libra sept. 23-oct 22 Confidence begets action. Make a decision. Friends will cooperate financial picture brightens. Scorpio oct. 23-nov. 21 feeling More attractive than Ever you re noticed. Extend a helping hand. Work and pleasure mix Well Sagittarius nov. 22-dec. 20 superiors expect a lot. You deliver. Trust instincts in love simplify every aspect of your life Capricorn dec. 21-Jan. 19 replace gloom doom with poise self Confidence. Stick to new health plan. Attend to Legal affairs. Take nothing for  Jan. 20-feb. 18 be a can do person. Develop creative urges stay away from a daily rut. Unusual people attract you Pisces feb. 19-March 20 expect the unexpected. Break the rules once in a while. Finish old business think about a sidelight to career Cordley news service a sunday May 12. 1991