Thanks again for all your kind words. It means a lot. We had a busy day. The home health nurse and physical therapist both visited, and I spent quite a bit of time on the phone. My mom has had a lot of pain and has been very confused (and challenging) today. I had a productive day on the phone. The social worker from home health called me back. She advised me to apply for Medicaid again and gave me info about a respite care service. The fee is $16.50 an hour so that isn't an option for us. She also gave me some info about a local church that will make home repairs and modifications for seniors for a nominal cost. She was digging through her resources and said that she will call me back next week with more info. I spoke with the Alzheimer's Association and the local Council on Aging. The Alzheimer's Association hooked me up with a caregiving resource center for brain-impaired adults. I'll call them on Monday. The Agency on Aging gave me info about homemaking services and senior legal services. I got some good info, but my primary concern right now is getting help for my depression. I've got to get myself qualified for Medicaid and finish the financial planning to get my mom qualified also. I have a lot of work to do, but I know that it's got to be done. I'm pooped, but it feels good to know that I've made a little bit of progress. Nora, I'm going to take your advice tomorrow and set a timer for 30 minutes of cleaning. If I did that twice a day, I could start to make a dent in my BIG MESS. HA! Thanks once again to everyone for your kind words. Aunnie

Mizann, I do not have the answer but to me a compromise would be to not allow any guns that are not single fire. Hunting does not require full or semi automatic fire. For those who carry or have guns for self/ home protection they should maybe not go so far as to have full or semi multiple fire guns and be limited to single shot before re-load. Not owning a gun myself I do not know how the laws work in each state but perhaps a longer than already in place waiting time to own a gun. In some states that have a three day wait, well maybe a hothead will not have cooled off enough by then. Of course the bad guys will still be able to come by the full and semi automatic fire on the black market. It would take time to eventually confiscate these gun types and then you would only get a percentage. I think over time it would help though with the availability of full and semi automatic fire guns falling into the hands of those who commit these horrendous shootings like the latest. Annie, I would respectfully like to hear your take. I really would, so please do not go. It would be interesting to hear your thoughts on a compromise. Or if you think there should not be one. Nancybee, I am also an agnostic! See we do have something in common even though we did not vote the same way. It is a MYTH that everyone on a particular "side" is Christian. My family is Christian though and voted your party. See, this is what I'm talking about when asking people not to lump people together by party. This post was edited by jterrilynn on Sun, Dec 16, 12 at 12:32

Two days before Newtown, we had a shooter at one of our local malls. Everyone I talk to is nervous to go out to the malls right now. I work for the State, and I worry about nuts coming into our building and firing off shots. There is a young man who claims to have a CCW and he allegedly drew a bead on the mall shooter, claims to have made eye contact but he didn't shoot because there were other people near by. Then the story goes on to say that after that the shooter killed himself. I say this is 'allegedly' because law enforcement has given some conflicting reports. Regardless, if he did or didn't, the mall is posted as a Gun Free Zone...so that didn't stop a CCW carrier. I don't think these assassins chose gun free zones for that reason, they go where they KNOW they're going to be able to cause mass casualties. Another thing I try to point out is that very, very few people posess the absolute control that a tactically trained person has. All these shooters wear body armor, therefore it'd require a sniper kill shot to the head to take them out. Good luck getting some weekend paper target shooter to make a shot like that, much less someone who rarely, if ever draws a weapon. We all like to think we will be in command if an emergency crisis occurs, but it's just not in our nature! Having to kill someone is not something the majority of citizens has ever had to comprehend in real time. And to have the ability to identify a danger and act? Yeah right. My very first instinct would be to take cover and run, get to a safe place and then, and only then, take offensive measures. I think everyone who thinks they should walk around with a gun on their person try this experiment. Go into a public place with a friend, one that is well populated. Instead of your gun, have a rubber band shooter or some other non-lethal 'gun'. Have your friend shout out KITTY CAT! and turn to point to a 3rd person who is wearing a clown wig and has a similar 'gun'. That person is a shooter. Now, whip out your 'gun' and 'shoot' the shooter. Of course, it's going to be at a random point in time, you're in on this...but you don't know when or where it'll happen. Now, lets time your reaction and see if you actually hit the target and/or were YOU or someone else hit. A non-lethal exercise to gauge just what a Dirty Harry you are. I hate that people need to have a gun in the home for protection, but in some cases it is needed, if you live in a rural area where law enforcement is far away. In that case, I'd certainly hope you have a couple of big, loud dogs as an early warning system. But if you have a gun in the home, why does it have to be a weapon capable of shooting more than 6 bullets at a time? Really, if you're in a situation where an intruder has a semi-auto-chances are you're already going to kiss your hind end goodbye.

Posted by barnmom (My Page) on Wed, Jul 26, 06 at 18:05 Hmmm. My teens are great (not perfect!), I tell them so all the time. They seem to make an effort to live up to my positive expectations. Posted by western_pa_luann (My Page) on Fri, Jul 28, 06 at 11:44 ".I just get really frustrated when you cook, clean and run them around, hand out $10 bills like lollipops and when you ask for some small courtesy such as keeping strangers out of your house when you are at work..." You taught them how to treat you and what to expect from you. Why clean if mom will do it.... Why worry about anything when mom will do it... Why work for money or even be frugal when mom will dole out cash... You have raised them that way, and it will take a lot of group therapy to reverse all they have been raised with! It will not happen easily or quickly, though. It will take hard work and committment from all parties. Posted by lindac (My Page) on Fri, Jul 28, 06 at 15:27 If you carry the attitude that your kids are miserable whiney, ungrateful human beings and not good for anything at all and the whole issue of being a parent is just too disappointing and miserable for words.....why then it's no small wonder your kids avoid you and don't call. Kids pretty much behave in the way you expect them to and the way you have shown by example. I know many many people with kind, polite successful independant kids. But then again they never expected them to be anything but that way. Sounds to me like there is more than a little resentment with the step kids here. Linda C Chloemichelle: Thank you for coming to my defense. I took all that you said along with stephanie from ga and seeker-returns. I know good, sound advice when I hear it and thank you. Please don't go round and round with the posters who wrote such horrible, judgemental comments as I have cut and pasted to remind you. Let it go. You guys reminded me that the children that I have guided really are great kids. They sometimes get me overwhelmed since three of them are in their late teens and really know how to get my goat as you said ;O). The fact remains that although it seems on some days that they are going to turn out bad... in actuality....they are good kids even great in my eyes. I need to remember that ....like one of you said they are a work in progress. I am constantly hearing how great the two at home are and I sometimes lose site of that because I work full-time, take care of my parents on both sides and when the day is done...they really know how to be living in their own world and seem to me as ungrateful. The oldest one really did make us nuts but that is not the fault of the other two teenagers. BUt often times my DH and I are shell-shocked and think "aw man, here we go again". But in actuality, there really are no comparisons. The oldest was a tough kid to raise when she was 8 let alone a teenager. The other three are not at all. I think you three are great people and I am glad that we got to air things out. No sense having a battle of wits when there is no challenge. I took what I needed from this thread and ignored the rest so you guys should do the same. We will meet again in another thread. Take care and again thank you for your support. My son gave me a card that simply said..."thanks for always believing in me" and my daughter followed my request and did not invite her friend inside the house when I was not home...So for today, I feel good. ALthough my posts do not seem poignant because I work in computers and I am sick of them by the time I get home ;O), I want to be perfectly clear in the fact that I sincerely appreciate you for being supportive and helpful when I needed it most. I do believe that my home is a great place..(:O) we eat dinner together..:O)..in between all of our jobs, football, dance, baseball and visits to grandma's. But sometimes, I stress sometimes, we can have an Osbourne moment or two. LOL. I am a better person for meeting you guys. As for the rest of you, ... thanks anyways.