Sue, that is a very valid point and I agree completely that it is extremely important for a woman to have the means to provide for herself should something happen, whether it be divorce, death, incapacitation, or something else. As everyone knows, there simply is no way to guarantee everything, so you can never completely protect yourself from all contingencies, but it is very unwise to simply trust in the fates (or whatever) to see you through. It is imperative to have some sort of plan in mind for securing an income should something happen. My parents were adamant about all of us kids getting an education, regardless of career plans. I'm very glad about that. I had a degree when I was married to my first husband but didn't use it. I worked part-time managing a clothing store, a fun but low-paying job. When it became apparent that I had to get out of my marriage, I realized that my husband would make it extremely difficult, would do whatever he could to avoid paying anything, and that my job would never provide for my family. So, I stayed married an extra year and a half while I got another degree with better income potential and a teaching credential. It was somewhat underhanded but it was literally my life and the well being of my children at stake. I had a good job when I was finally able to get out of my marriage. It was still very tough. When I remarried (stayed single for 15 years by choice), I wished to retain my own accounts and my name. I have good insurance should anything happen to dh, a good prenup that sees to my needs and those of my children from my first marriage, and also protects dh's property for him and our children together. Sure, no one thinks divorce will happen to them, but it CAN happen. Even if your feelings never change, you cannot guarantee your partner's feelings. It also is not a sign that you don't trust the person to simply get a legal definition of what belongs to whom and protect it. I have a lot of autonomy with financial matters as I kept my own accounts, separate from dh. We have a system for paying bills that works well for us and provides me some security with how the money is disbursed. There is a whole area of finances that I have no clue about, but it is dh's trust fund and not my money unless he puts it into joint tenancy areas, such as the house, family purchases, etc. The same is true for me. I put the money from the sale of my house into an account that has nothing to do with dh, and he does not feel he needs to know what I do or don't do with it. I have insurance to cover death or disability so I wouldn't be compelled to sell the house or immediately find a job. I have a nest egg to see me through as well. When we married, I chose to take my dh's name because I liked our family all having the same last name. However, I studied the options carefully and found that if I added my own last name as a second middle name, it gave me the flexibility of using that sometimes, too. There is no legal way to have both last names as last names without using both, if you know what I mean. If you're Cheri Jones Smith, you can't sometimes go by Jones and sometimes Smith, you always have to be Jones Smith. I wanted to be able to use one for some things and one for another. For instance, I liked using my "own" last name for work and on my credit cards. I didn't want a hyphenated name nor did I want a double last name, so using my own last name as a second middle name suited me well. On documents, including my ID, it looks like two last names, which allows me to use my maiden name when I choose, but also gives me my husband's name as my legal last name so when you look me up somewhere, you can find me. Do you know what I mean? Say my maiden name was Jones and my married name was Smith. I am Cheri Ann Jones Smith on my ID. My first name is Cheri, my middle name is Ann Jones, and my last name is Smith. If my legal last name was Jones Smith, you would have to look me up under Jones and I would have to use both when signing checks, etc. I don't know that keeping my credit cards in my maiden name is exactly legal, but no one has ever questioned it. They simply look at my ID and say ok. Sorry for that long ramble! But yes, it's very important to have backup plans in anything you do. You just never know. I have the advantage of age and experience; a young woman would likely have much less protection than I, and I would urge that she get a good education or job certification in a field that would allow her to find a job if the need arose.

Tara- Personally, I think my son really needs the interaction with other kids.(and I need the interaction with other grown ups!) There are plenty of free ways to do this, though. Network with the moms at gymnastics, start getting together for a play date every once and awhile- it's a good experience for your daughter to learn important things like sharing, as well as the joy of making friends. DS has a few close friends, and I can't tell you how much joy they bring him, even at 3 yrs old. The park is another great place to meet moms and kids. In our town, there is also the Parks and Recreation guide that generally has a few 'mommy n me' type classes. less expensive than daycare but a good way to make friends for her. I'm a SAHM and DS is in a home based daycare a few hours a week. My husband works long hours, and I do not have any family members close by that can help to relieve the monotony of SAHM-ness. For us, I know it's better that I get a small break a few hours a week than sit at home being unhappy with the same-ness of it all. I know it's not like that for everyone, but I really need a break now and then. DS loves his daycare provider, who is now like family to us. I get a much needed break, and DS gets an opportunity to play, sing, dance and have fun with other kids. It's perfect for both of us. There are also co-op preschools that are MUCH less expensive, do require a few days per month of work, but would offer your daughter the stimulation she might enjoy. You might consider taking her to observe a preschool you are interested in and could afford. If she responds enthusiastically and really enjoys herself, maybe she is ready for more stimulation than she's getting at home. Since all kids are different, only you can really determine what she needs. Good luck! :)

My MIL decided to enter a nursing home when her RA became so advanced that she needed assistance just to turn in bed. She improved within weeks, largely because she was no longer isolated in her apartment. I don't think she even realized she'd been prescribed a mild antidepressant, but that helped too. (We were ALL helped by the change.)

I've been walking. I also have been doing my normal gym floor work and stretching in the living room. Body weight squats and lunges. Push-ups. Kettlebell swings (with a dumbbell, because I don't actually own a kettlebell). And I broke out my stepladder to do step-ups. I have some resistance bands that I haven't broken out yet but was thinking this morning that I should for rows and the like. But I haven't been working out as often as I should (that was also a problem when I was going to the gym...). I always intend to take a walk every day, but I'm fortunate enough to still have a full-time job working from home, and cooking and cleaning are taking up way more of my time than normal. So the days have been getting away from me. I need the structure, though, and the exercise, and the change of scenery.