My father was a WW2 veteran, could have gone to college on the GI Bill, but didn't like studying, so he went to work for Sylvania Electric as a draftsman, a white collar job, working for engineers who designed electronics(radios,TVs) and machine parts. He made enough money to support a family of 6 (himself, wife and 4 kids)for 30 years, and buy a nice house in the "suburbs". The Sylvania name is still around but the factories are now in China. Surprise, surprise. Dad had a terrific work ethic, never took a sick day except for several hospitalizations (ulcer and gall bladder operations). He was "laid off" in the 60's when the local plant closed. Through a relative, he found work as a janitor, later went to a trade school and learned "stationary engineering", meaning he learned how to fix and maintain heating and cooling systems. He loved this job-he worked for many years, for a while in a big concert hall, also at a Catholic school. He always said he liked this job, he was treated well, allowed to work on his own without supervision. I've since met several stationary engineers who said the same thing. I'm retired after 31 years for the federal government, but I know govt is not hiring these days. So I don't recommend anyone do what I did. But my father found a good path.

I am also the mother of three, with only the youngest (20 yo son) at home. I talk to my oldest son about once a week; he works at night so we usually talk on the weekend. We have always had a very close relationship and he lives about 10 miles from us. My second child is a girl and she lives about two hours away. Her work hours are from 10 am - 7 pm which I know she doesn't like but has to put up with for now. She e-mails irregularly, usually very late at night. She lives on a farm with her boyfriend so at this time of year they are extremely busy. I love her and miss her but realize this is a time when I'm not as important right now. She has always been fiercly independant, and I admire that about her. My youngest is on the autism spectrum, a fella of very few words. He was almost three before he started talking. His grandfather lives far away and just visited a week ago. He was surprised to get in a few conversations, he said that's the most he's ever talked to DS! But I know how the OP feels, I will feel lonely if and when he moves out. Luckily I have lots of friends who have no lack of conversational skills!

It seems to me that Hollywood only makes three movies these days: The movie about running real fast and engaging in physically impossible acrobatics while things blow up all around. The fart joke movie. The dysfunctional relationships movie, which has two variants: pseudo-inspirational and frankly depressing. Of course, these can be combined, as for instance, in the upcoming remake of Murder on the Orient Express which seems to combine Hercule Poirot, superhero, with the most dreary-looking trainload of miserable people you ever saw. So I just don't go. The suggestion to go to an art house is clearly made by people who live in very major metro areas. I live just north of a major metro area, but still about 90% of the movies I might possibly wish to see do not play within 150 miles of where I live. I see about one movie a year in the theater. Unfortunately, I do keep up with what's current when visiting my brother who has every known streaming service. I'm astounded at how fatiguing it is to try to be entertained.

Bill, really nice dendrobium there. I feel truly the laziest person on this thread. I just bring them in! I don't have too many succulents, cacti , hoya or citrus so I guess it is a bit different. It is too early to think of the great move indoors around these parts luckily and I am bummed y'all have to start doing it already. I had a bad experience spraying soap on a nicely blooming dipladenia vine that I sprayed throughly and moved indoors. It promptly died on me. I guess I may have been a little too enthusiastic. I do have some outbreaks of aphids or an occasional thrips infestation(only on a dipladenia I have now had for almost 3 years, it took me a while to figure out it were thrips that were largely preventing blooms). Soap appears to do little for aphids. Eventually it bayer 3 in 1 or just live with it. I am lucky to not have too many mite issues, currently they just bleach the leaves on a nobile orchid. I bring in several jasmines, chrysanthemums, an avocado, some peppers and chillies, mint, pentas, snapdragons, verbena, penstemons, rozanne (perhaps I should leave the last two outdoors), kalanchoe, thanksgiving cactii, butterfly pea and my favorite purslane (they are excellent workhorses and overwinter nicely and even bloom most of the time. I have kept my orchids indoors except miltoniposis (which like it too cool for summer indoors) after some diastrous losses to bacterial and fungal infections this and previous summers.