awww, they're both so cute. Joe will get used to the kitten so don't worry too much. Cats will put up with dogs to varying degrees, so they will work out the relationship in time, but I've found the cat usually has the upper hand and will let a dog know when they need to be put in their place with those dastardly claws :) They may never be the best of friends, but they will live side by side no problem as they learn to respect each other's boundaries (um, by that I mean joe will likely be the one respecting boundaries here). my rule is that nobody gets hurt, so if the cat gets too intimidating they get removed, if the dog becomes too pestering, they get pulled up on it, but for the most part they work it out themselves, usually with only some minimal intervention if one or the other is causing a problem, or if things look like they're getting serious.

I find the disconnect in people's minds between Wall St. and Main St. to be quite interesting. The two are inextricably intertwined, yet most consumers don't see the cause/effect. Sales are down because people can't get mortgages easily. Banks are reluctant to extend credit because every loan requires cash reserves to be set aside. Cash reserves must be held in liquid instruments, the safety of which is growing increasingly precarious as the bond market is buffeted by global economic upheaval. Thus, fewer loans are offered. Credit tightens for everyone as margins fall. The largest sources of income for banks, which are fees, have become constricted by the Dodd-Frank legislation (a poorly written monster at best) which Main St. demanded. Poor earnings = weak stock prices = less ability to make loans of any sort except to the highest-rated credit prospects and/or limited amounts. Every time a lawsuit is filed against a bank to stop a foreclosure, other banks slow down their own past due pipeline because without legal clarity as to what their liability might be, they can't accurately forecast losses and earnings, for which Wall St. punishes their stock price. I'm not assigning blame to anyone...just pointing out the way the whole process works. Banks fear regulators more than consumers fear the IRS. I worked in a bank and we got our loans audited four times a year - EVERY YEAR. Not for loan soundness - that's the responsibility of a bank's loan review committee - but for accuracy of paperwork. It was a file clerk's nightmare; in thirty-five years of admin/ops work in several different industries, I've never encountered a more complex and tedious filing system, with literally hundreds and thousands of sheets of paper for every loan. Foreclosures/short sales and new home loans will continue to move through the pipeline, but at a very slow pace until the whole liability issue is fully settled. The shaky futures of Fannie/Freddie are also a huge drag on the mortgage market. You want government out of mortgage loans so we can shrink Washington DC? Sure, you can do it, but there will be higher credit costs and fewer mortgages as a result. It's the way the system works, and unless you want to establish a tyranny and privatize the entire US financial system to overhaul it from the ground up, no amount of Congressional tinkering is going to change things. Hitler did it and it worked. But I don't think I want to live under that, and probably none of the people on this forum want to either.

It's not easy going through these renos especially when you are feeling abandoned by your GC. Is there anyone you can go to to help move things along? I feel for you sweet one. It's not easy being at the mercy of these less than dependable people. â¦.I just did a Bible study that was so helpful, it said to just start thanking God even in the bad times and to look at where you can see Him in any of this. Ask God to help you get through this and then thank Him each time something does or even when it doesn't go right. It helped me a lot, not sure if that would interest you but it helps me almost immediately to be calmer and more peaceful about the situations that come with life. The study that I did is called "One Thousand Gifts" by Ann Voss. Her voice is so soothing (see link). All the best to you and may you have a peaceful day and much progress be made! I'll be thinking of you today and lifting you up, you are not alone. Here is a link that might be useful: One Thousand Gifts

Thank you all for listening! For those who don't know my DH (Matt), some months back he decided to get a job through Dyncorp. He is a police Officer and thought teaching Afphganistan Police would be a wonderful experience for him. He would work a year then get back on with the Police Force but instead he reinlisted in the Army because he felt he always had the Military in his blood. I suppose he will now retire from this career. I support him 100% but also have been through this before and know what is involved. He will be back at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri August 18th. But can't come (our) home to NC until Oct.9th. I am hoping I can drive (long distance drives, scare me) up there with my two sons to see him when he is back. It seems the closer to this date the more he would feel better but he seems to think the days are getting longer and it will never come. His morale is very low right now. He is also worried because we WERE going to be stationed in Texas so I was preparing to sell the house but found out last month that we would not know for sure until the end of Sept. Now we are stuck waiting and wondering what to do. He could be stationed here at Ft Bragg and we wouldnt have to move, which would be great since we live about 30 minutes from the base. We just don't know yet. I am already tired of the Army motto "Hurry up and wait". If I may ask anyone that has been through this, how do you go about moving in a short amount of time having owning a home. The first time around we didn't own a house. I know we can't sell our home in a month ( if we have to move). Homes are not selling at all around here. And we cannot afford to keep paying payments here in NC while living somewhere else. Susan