I have left my purse in the trunk sometimes but I never put it in at my destination - always before I arrive. It does still make me nervous as I've been with people twice who came out to find their entire car stolen!! Here's another one I just heard about where I live. You know how people leave their purse in their grocery cart? They keep a close eye on it but may look away for a few seconds to grab something? A woman on the radio described how she did this - even kept her grocery ad over her purse so it wasn't visible. While she was quick looking away, someone asked her for help finding something while the other party reached under the paper into her purse and took her wallet. I usually don't let my purse out of my sight at all but I used to always keep it in the cart. No more - I keep it on the shoulder at all times.

Glad to hear your mom is hanging in there, Clare. Those old gals are tough, aren't they?? My mom is 88 and two years after open heart surgery, she is still on her own in the home I grew up in. This is such a rude question, but do you have any brothers or sisters who are fairly well off and who might consider buying you a ticket to fly out to see your mom? Sure would do you a world of good right now, but I'm not sure how you could ask, unless you get another sibling to broach the subject. I don't know how close you all are-- it sounded like you might be from your previous posts. We are so lucky that my dh found another job just before the big downturn, but are always holding our collective breath. Is your dh still driving you nuts or have you all settled into a routine? Because mine was still recovering from the surgery I mentioned before, he wasn't as agitated as he might have been and I learned to do errands out at certain times. I know the pickings are slim right now and we can only hope things will improve soon. I hope you can get even a day away from home to rest and recharge. Now that the sunshine has reappeared, you can at least find a little solace in the garden!

Following the uphill with engine running ... and downhill with it not ... made it home without further incident. I'd had further trouble, in that the warning lights on the dash that turn on when one turns the key on but go off when the car starts ... had been staying one. And the engine was running much too fast when it was sitting, idling. On Monday morning, checked oil - O.K., down a little, added some. Checked coolant, down a little, added some. Had moved car from garage to by the house ... then it didn't want to start ... after sitting for about an hour, it did. Stopped at the end of the lane to get the mail, turned engine off - wouldn't start. Pushed it back up a slight rise in the lane, pushed it down to get started, but not enough speed to start. Let it sit for a half hour - wouldn't start. Called CAA ... they said it's be about 45 min, later auto meesage said about an hour, but the tow truck arrived in about 45 min., asked what was wrong, I said starter wouldn't turn engine over. He asked about tapping the starter with a hammer ... but couldn't find it, told me to try to start, I said he should, that I'd tried ... ... so he did ... and it started! After some colourful language on my part, I told him that I'd be O.K ... and took off immediately, before the engine heated. I thought after I was on the road that I should have asked him whether he'd come from the city, in which case he could follow me down the road that I was going on for about 6 mi., till I turned away from the city, about a half mile from the garage. More of the operating uphill, not downhill for about 5 miles, till engine began missing some as I was climbing an overpass over a freeway. So, over the top, I stopped at the side of the road for some recuperative/cooling time - though I hadn't seen the heat gauge rise high, but it rises slowly and I'd been running the engine in short bursts. Too impatient, I guess (not wanting to sit, doing nothing? maybe should have brought a book?) ... ... after 10 - 15 min., pushed it a bit, it started rolling down the hill, the engine started ... ... but it was still missing ... and after a few hundred feet of travel .. stopped, so I coasted to the side of the road. Within a mile of the garage, I walked there, they pushed the car in. It seems that the belt driving the alternator had broken, that produces electricity to replenish the battery's charge. Though it seems that the belts running the water pump, power steering pump, etc. were intact, for some reason the water pump wasn't working ... so, with very little water circulating through the radiator to cool it, the water in the motor heated rapidly. Power brakes and power steering were operating O.K. Fortunately, they'd replaced my battery last month, so I'd been running on that one battery charge for all of that time. If I'd known of the need, I could have recharged the battery Sat. overnight, at home. This library closes at 4, so no dice here on Monday, after the garage... and only the downtown London library opens on Monday ... but parking meters near it are rather expensive ... so sometimes I park half a mile away, then walk ... but didn't, yesterday. However ... I'd made a special call to son on Sat. night, saying that I had pizza ... and would bring it on Sunday ... ... but had forgotten, and had supper with son on Sunday. So I took the pizza in on Monday and we had pizza for supper; forgetful Dads can be something of a pain. I'd thought to go to the city library after, but went home instead. So - it looks as though things are back to normal. I'm thankful that, most of the time, when I'm in the car ... it's as full of hot air as necessary ... again! ole joyful

When I was a young girl working i a large office I loved it when the women walked by and i could sense the special perfume that they wore. Of course a fragrance may be too much for some because smell is the most primitive and intense sense we have. For awhile I had the most boring job in the world, coding page after page of gas meter reading books. I'd fall asleep and the only thing that helped was a splash of water in the face and to reapply some perfume. I never overdid the perfume thing, I am sure. When my husband said he didn't like perfume I gave it up. Imagine this -- about twenty years later he commented on a lovely perfume a friend was wearing!!! This was no attraction, no romance. I wasn't a bit jealous. But at that moment I felt that I had cheated myself out of the pleasure of scent -- for myself!