Well today was THE day .. my mother had her surgery and came out of it well. The had to remove the one lobe as the growth was cancerous so now we will all have to wait to see what the other tests show if it has spread to her lymph nodes. I dont know why they just didnt remove them at the same time .. oh well I will have to wait to talk with my brother. I am guessing that she will have to have chemo to ensure that the cells are all destroyed. Right now she is in the Critical care unit so the only person who can see her is my dad. I still fell like a poop not being able to be there .. both my bother and I have come to the conclusion that my mom just does not want to inconvenience anyone. But I will be there soon enough. I will leave to go to Sudbury on the 6th .. maybe sooner. I am glad that I didnt go up for Christmas as I came down with the flu a few days ago and just got out of bed today. That wouldnt have been good for my mom. Thank you to everyone for their warm thoughts and prayers. It means alot. Laura

What a pretty puppy. Good luck with her and please be patient. Training a puppy is not easy, but it is rewarding. An 18 week puppy is still a tiny baby, and one who was separated from her mom at 7 weeks if I read your post correctly. That is a bit earlier than most would recommend. 18 week old pups are still babies so potty 101 is ongoing. She may not be fully reliable for several more weeks if not months. Physically she really may not be able to hold it as long as you would like. She is still a baby with a tiny bladder. Potty 101 requires taking the pup out every 2 hours minimally, and certainly immediately after every meal and whenever she wakes after a nap. It is best to have her on leash for potty training. Walk her until she performs. Give her a verbal cue to potty and give her huge praise when she does so. You will soon have her going on command. I agree with the potty before play recommendation above. Never scold for accidents indoors, just clean them up thoroughly with an enzyme cleaner. Why? Because the accident was not her mistake. It is yours. You have not anticipated her needs. Scolding her will likely have her not wanting to potty in front of you anywhere and hiding out of your sight to go potty indoors. You don't want that. Really. The smaller the crate environment the less likely the pup will soil it, but she should still be going out every couple of hours during the day. Tethering to you also works. Rush her outdoors if she even seems about to squat. Always praise for pottying outside.

Hi Iris (duz the "S" stand for "sucker"?), It seems to me that a good variety of useful and friendly advice has been offered. Question 1. Has your husband been an active participant in carrying out these chores related to his family? Or mainly a passive participant as he listens/ed to your squawking? Or did you feel uncomfortable in asking even that participation? Question 2. If these issues were resolved in a manner which left you feeling appreciated, vindicated and fully comfortable, would you be willing to continue to participate? These chores, fertilized by some concern, grew to some frustration in your heart, which grew into anger with all of this unappreciated load of choring care, following the birth. What level of awareness do the perpetrators have of your feelings regarding this unappreciated new addition to the family/ies? (Also, your husband?). How would you relate to a suggestion that you think for a while on the history of this increasing frustration, writing the detailed history down from time to time? Give some thought to it, regarding which issues are essential and which incidental. What parts/proportions of it do you feel comfortable with sharing with hubby ... probably from time to time - and probably orally, rather than having him aware of the treatise with all of its details on one potentially confrontational occasion. Sort through which issues that you feel that you must deal with with the pet owners, which ones have priority, which one would appear to need to be dealt with first, etc. ... and whether better to deal with them all on one occasion, or spread out over a period. One way or another, if you don't get them dealt with to a level with which you can feel comfortable, it would almost certainly lead to further frustration for you if you agree to continue. Even if you don't, I think you need to get at least part of this rather serious issue at least partly dealt with, in the interest of building an ongoing good relationship among the family members, long term. Good wishes as you work through this part of life's journey. I hope and pray that you can get it accomplished with a good spirit on everyone's part throughout. ole joyful

Moses my thoughts and prayers are with you for continued management of the cancer issues. I'm glad that you've been able to get past radiation and feel better and every day is a victory gained. You have a gift for sharing joy with all of us so I hope you give yourself the same gift as often as you are able. Please accept our gratitude for the joy you bring us on this forum. It's good to hear your roses are a source of joy for you and the turtles. Turtles like having their shells scratched? I didn't realize they have sensation in their shells! I would have thought behind the ear or neck scratches would be more preferred, so I've learned something! As for watering, if I had to rely on underground technology I might not grow roses. LilyFinch's input sends shivers of horror down my spine at trying to interpret mysterious technology glitches in watering systems. I have about an acre or so in my suburban yard, planted with roses wherever I can squeeze them in. I use old fashioned overhead sprinklers with the biggest path Ace Hardware sells, and I can water all the beds, pots, and lawns in three passes (one sprinkler each for back beds vs. side/front beds). I've got a system for placement that has almost no runoff on sidewalks etc. If it hasn't rained substantially I do an hour per pass in a week, but this spring I've only had to water periodically when the temperature has stayed over 90F. I may do a little spot watering for roses that tell me they're suffering but that's most of it. Watching the gardens of friends I am convinced that ample water makes a huge difference in bloom volume and may be why my spring flush had been "meh" for years before Rosemageddon two years ago. Now that roses are returning to my garden, I'm judiciously trying to balance watering with being a good steward of resources (water and bills). We'll see. Cynthia