Have not read entire thread so forgive me if I am suggesting/asking stuff already covered. Not sure what area you are in but do you have good cell coverage? Could you do without a landline? Can you get internet thru satellite or cable? When I had small kids I would not give up landline in case of 911 emergencies. When they got to where I thought they could accurately report address I dropped landline and we all have cells as well as an emergency cell that is pay as you go. It is charged and sits in kitchen. Also a couple years ago our area allowed us to voluntarily register our cell numbers with our address. I have since made 911 calls and they asked are you calling from home and able to then connect us to our address. I know that I really like the savings! Best of luck in your new home. Again, if you have small kids the cheapest landline might be a good idea. Maybe this really isn't about what you are asking but just my thoughts.

Ima! You gotta get busy, girl! Introspection is not an occupation for sad times; it'll get you bogged down every time, & that's when we make disastrous mistakes. *Obligate* yourself to do something; it's too easy to dwell on sad feelings & become immobilized if you don't "have to" do...whatever it is. When I went through a break-up many years ago, I decided to take Jazzercise. It worked great! as long as I wasn't moping when it was time for me to drive to the rec center. The only way I could make myself participate when I felt mopey (which is when we *most* need physical activity & other people) was to sign up to lead a Jazzercise class at church. I knew all those women were depending on me, & I went to every class. Please don't focus too much on your grandson's seeming lack of interest; he's very very young, & the young can move on much faster than we can. They have to, just to keep up with themselves, because they themselves are changing every day. Remember when you were a little girl & "back-to-school" shopping every September meant new dresses & shoes & a winter coat because the old ones were too little? I remember feeling sorry for my aunts & my mother because they stayed the same & never got a new dress or a new coat. Children shoot through time at warp speed, changing & adapting & getting "new clothes" as a matter of course, & we...keep climbing into the same clothes for a much longer time. & be careful that you don't talk to him because *you* need to talk. Talk to anybody else. Talk to everybody else. Talk here. Talk to the moon: a woman told me that she was broken-hearted when her adolescent son went to live with his father; she said she climbed onto the backyard trampoline the night her son left & "squalled & bawled & snotted & hollered", & nobody but the moon saw or heard her. *but* this is my free advice (& worth every penny, but I've had a bit of experience & I've been through some experiences with friends): Stay away from that man. Stay away from thoughts that you "need" that man, that he would be any answer to any problem at all, that he would be helpful in any way. Write yourself 3 lists: a list of instances in which he's responded callously to your needs, instances of how he's been a stinker, played mind games, put anybody/everybody ahead of you, treated you high-handedly, etc, & look at those pages any time you want to pick up the phone. a list of how many times & to what extent you went all-out to make his life easier or happier, & look at those pages any time you want to pick up the phone. a list of how many times & to what extent he went all-out to make your life easier or happier, & look at that blank piece of paper any time you want to pick up the phone. I once had to get the oil changed in my car on a cold evening when I was exhausted & not feeling good, & I found myself thinking, "I wish I had a husband to do this for me". & then I remembered: I had had a husband, & he *never* had the oil changed for me!

Finally caught up with my DGD. The cake purse was a "little smaller than the real purse." Yes, there was a discussion about price when the request was made. She told the customer she had no idea how to price it, since she had never done one like that, but told her it would be about $100.00. Remember, she works at home, therefore doesn't have all the expenses that a shop would have. So when it was finished that is what she charged her, $100.00. She said if she ever did a similar one, it would be more. It was a challenge to her, and she likes a challenge, and it was a learning, fun, experience, I thank you for all the nice comments. I sent her the URL for this site, so she can read them herself. Some of you have said you would like to see some more of her work, which is mostly cupcakes, plus a few other things. Sue Here is a link that might be useful: Cupcakes

Dogs don’t just pee “anyway”. That is nothing more than the excuse of a lazy owner. Dogs pee when they signal that they need to go and are ignored or when they are physically unable to hold it. I hope they aren’t just drawing the conclusion that it’s because she’s old as well. There are lots of reasons as to why a female dog might be incontinent, like a bladder infection or a problem stemming from when she was spayed. Heck, our dog had a problem with incontinence an it ended up being because of the cr*ppy prescription food the Vet wanted her on. It started shortly after we started feeding it to her for some tummy problems and it stopped immediately when I chose to stop feeding it to her. These owners need to step up to the plate and take care of the old girl the way she deserves to be cared for. Scenarios like this always baffle me. I mean, why have an animal if you don’t value it’s companionship and/or enjoy taking care of it? Nicole, I hope you don’t step back and let the owners care for their dog. She obviously needs a compassionate advocate who can speak for her and gently encourage the owners to do better.