Thanks for all your hard work Karen! Can't wait to read it in its entirety. Jodi-

Thank you everyone - AGAIN. What an emotional roller coaster. I let my emotions run rampant (life long challenge). I've thought about things and feel I was being a little harsh. Some days my life skills take a nose dive. I'm not a working Mom raising teenagers so I don't truly appreciate my sisters homelife. She's doing the best she can and making adjustments. I called my Mom today and told her I would like to visit with her tomorrow afternoon, bring her mail, fill out change of address forms on her pensions and such and I will call to set up her home lab work with her tomorrow. I have decided when I visit my Mom I will check in advance to see what things I can do to help. My Mom is also 'working' on my sister to get a maid in since my Mom can get home help. Apparently no one could find my sister last night - she had a full laundry basket and was asleep on her son's bed - out cold. Thank you for taking the time to post your comments - they are a great help to me making this transition. I love my Mom and would like to do what I can. I just got so fed up being a door mat I felt like locking the door and changing my phone to escape. I've started sleeping again, with the doctor's help, which is helping things go back into perspective. I'm going to be rereading this post for the next couple of days and thinking about adjusting to the new routine. I'm still purgine this house and working towards painting...and I am seriously thinking of working for my temp agency again on short term contracts before I lose my mind. I don't know how not to be busy. It's just not me. (((((((((((((((((((to all my KTer friends))))))))))))))))))) You mean so much to me. LOL Peggy

kroer2016 I'm thinking that the furniture and accessories is available for purchase by the homeowners, but it really is just for staging. I agree about the budget. It always ends up that they misquote because they conveniently find something major wrong. I would never agree to such a purchase without a home inspection and knowing ALL the details possible up front. ******************************************************** Yes, the finished hse is staged for the show and HO's can purchase the items if they chose. If Jo commissions something from a vendor like Clint, that is a gift from FU Curious, other than a piece of furniture, does anybody know what the HO's appearing on the show get financially? On HH Reno, they get $25,000 towards the reno. I'll bet dollars to donuts the home has been inspected and any issues that come up are reality show drama. As an aside - do you notice how often they say 'You know'?

Roarah, I haven't read all of the comments that show distaste for the wedding, but yours caught my eye. I have been fascinated by the Travellers and Roma cultures and want to have a better understanding of their lives vs. what is presented on TV. I have had this book on my shelf for a long time and have only read some of it: I need to finish it. When I've watched the TLC shows, I try to see (even though we all know that reality TV is pure fantasy) what they like about their culture through their eyes. In other words, what works? Why do they have certain traditions? When I first saw the enormous dresses and such, they floored me-- but I figured that everyone has different opinions of beauty. I am certain they would find my wedding dress with nary a sequin to be dull and uninspired. As for the girls who are married at the age of 14-- it is hard to think about that, for sure. I think it is wrong and hope there are activists who are helping them see this and end it. I wonder if it is a case of a culture that has remained very isolated and therefore a throwback to a time where people just didn't live as long . . .so things like marriage and family were done at a much younger age. We see rape and they see tradition. I think it is hard, in general, too, when we are introduced to only certain aspects of a culture or religion that greatly conflict with our own values and traditions. It is difficult to find a balance of respecting others while finding some of what they do to be immoral. What I do is to remind myself of how much I don't know . . .to understand that I am only seeing one tiny piece (and it's from an ethnocentric perspective anyway). But it can still be a challenge!