Thanks for your kind words, nytrinigemini, I sent you an email via the site here. I had the most wonderful news delivered to me today as I talked with the social worker at the rehab center. She told me that DCF closed their case and said there were never any real grounds to have opened one. The social worker said when it comes time for Lee to come home she, I, and the physical therapist will make all the decisions along with Lee. She stated that Lee had informed her that he intends to come home to me. He is improving daily and they hope to have him standing and taking a few steps next week. The therapist is impressed when I come in and coach im during his treatment. They say I really make him work and when I am there they see tremendous improvement in him. I woke up Friday morning feeling good for the first time in a long while. I have occassional pain in my kidney area but that is to be expected until such time as the infection is totally cleared up. I am doing better financially as some my Disney friends got together and took up a collection for me. It helped pay some of my bills and get them current and it allowed me to get all my medication. God always looks out for me and provides. Things are not getting better with the children and they have truly stepped over the line this time. Karen did research and finally located the owner of our home and the person who is our landlord here. She and several of Lee's other children contacted both Lauren and Greg and demanded that they evict me from our home. They asked them both if they had seen the inside of the house. Greg stated that he had and he knew from the beginning that Lee would scar up the wall with his wheelchair and he had no concerns and that he was going to enlarge some of the doors. The children told him that they wanted me away from their father and that they wanted me never to have contact with him again. Greg said that one of the emails he recieved from Lee III was extremely violent and contained a death threat against me. Greg is filing harrassment charges and invasion of privacy against all who emailed and called him as in Lauren in CA. Greg is sending a copy of the threatening email to law enforcement. Greg told the children that I was the best thing that has ever happened to Lee and that they were behind us 100%. He said the children were far worse than I had told him and that they were evil people and that Lee and I should have no further contact with them. Lee and I are considering moving to get away from them. He said he will miss them but that I come first. The center where Lee is staying has asked me to help them out by taking photos around the place and they are going to allow me to offer photo sessions on mother's day and father's day. We will see what happens and they are passing out business cards for me. Things are definitely looking up. Thanks for all the prayers and offers and suggestions. By the way my neighbor got all over me for not waking her up to take me to the ER and the neighbors on the other side of me said I could have called them and they would have come and picked me up to bring me home. I now have their phone numbers in my cell phone. I am getting sleepy finally and heading off to be as it is now 5:15 in the morning. Happy gardening today and I love each of you wonderful people. Linda

Hi Jamie, I agree that this forum is great with some wonderful, caring people. I can't help you with recipes for canning but CAN encourage you to branch out to gardening;) The best garden I ever had was also the smallest so definitely start small. A raised bed can fit in plants by the square foot, so very productive for the space. Nothing beats a homegrown tomato or fresh lettuce straight from the garden. Lori

Hello, I am new to the forum and gardening and have been reading all of the different posts for how to work and have a bountiful harvest. This is my first year and I am growing flowers and vegetables. Right now I have corn, watermelon, cantaloupe, bush beans, pole beans, black-eye peas, sweet peas, Lima beans, wax beans, cucumbers, green peppers, spaghetti squash, bush squash, tomatoes, two banana trees, collards, turnips, lettuce, spinach, carrots, sweet potatoes, Irish potatoes, onions, and broccoli. I tried to grow a little of everything to see what will do well and so far everyone's tips and methods is making me see some form of progress. I just wanted to say thank you to everyone for being so nice and sharing your gardening experience it has really given me inspiration and hope.

I agree with having to use the Shark steam mop a few times before the pads don't come out black! I just mopped the floor this evening after preparing for Thanksgiving. With all of the dripping today and splashes onto the floor, i was amazed that the pads were blacker! One thing I struggle with are streak marks. I have travertine throughout the kitchen, hall and foyer, bathroom and laundry room. It is sealed but I don't think sealants last all that long; we had it resealed a year ago and my friends who have this mop and use it on ceramic tile, never have streaks. Anyone have problems with streaking? I mop in a forward/backward motion, just like I would if I had to vacuum. The rest of the floors in the house, except the bathrooms, are all hardwood..dark maple, Virginia Vintage. i can't bring myself to use it on the wood even though the product says it's ok!