Hey, Brenda. Thank you and thank your dad. That does make sense to me. I remember when so many things were not shielded properly, electonic things would go strange when certain appliances or devices went on. I'm not a CB or Ham Radio operator but I know they have to be within certain limits on antenna height, signal strength and a bunch of other things because the US government frowns on their signal interferring with other signals. We are not near an airport but there is a Fire Station very near and it's even in line of sight. I think I'll take a stroll over there and see if the timing rings a bell or two. If not, I'll check for other big antennas. Thanks again. Maybe I'm not totally crazy after all. Sandy

10 rats and counting! Amazing how little damage and how little 'evidence' so many rats left. I thought the first one or two were isolated cases but the number is staggering. To look at my growing area and realize that only 2 weeks ago there were 10 more rats living there than are present now is sobering. The rat poison I put out is left untouched by them but the trap baited with dog food (dry) seems to work best. Obviously a pair of rats successfully raised a litter so there probably are more. I'll just keep putting out the trap until there are no more takers and the food is left untouched. On critters: 2 legged are the worst 4 legged next on the list of villans 0 legs very annoying (Bush snails the worst) 6, 8 legs, no problem many legs also no problem My grand children got annoyed with me because I chased and killed a butterfly until I was able to explain to them that butterflies come from caterpillars who love to munch on plants. In the long run there is room for every one and some kind of balance is always achieved. Nick

People didn't generally allow fear of what might happen to control their lives. Kids carried pocket knives, teens carried rifles, illness was something you avoided best you could and accepted as part of living. Neighbors resolved issues of bad behavior without calling the police, men protected their families and neighborhoods, everyone's parent became YOUR parent if you misbehaved and, get this, you actually had to win to get a trophy, There were inside voices and outside voices. There were places for adults and places for children. In between places were stores, family restaurants and movies. But any screaming or misbehaving child would immediately be removed. We learned to swim in creeks, lakes and rivers, not pools. At the bakery a child would get a free cookie, at the butcher's or meat dept. a child would be given a hot dog or a thick slice of bologna.

Katie, As a mother with a child who is being mistreated by his stepfather I can relate to how awful it can feel to have someone so difficult in your life. Being rejected consistently for a long period of time hurts, especially when the same person can treat your sibling so much better. This is the case with my own husband; treating my son like he's the worst, always assuming his intentions are bad, etc. Yet my daughter is a princess who can do no wrong; she can backtalk and misbehave but it is "cute" when she does it. My son isn't the only thing we fight about, but it's the biggest thing, and even without my son being "the problem" there would still be issues. I have taken measures to protect my son as best I can, but it is still disappointing and sad that my husband acts this way. The biggest thing to face (for myself and probably your mom) is that breaking up a marriage is a very serious decision and the consequences of that can be worse than what is going on now. Especially since your SD sounds like my DH in his abusive/controlling ways. Many times things can get worse when one spouse tries to leave the abusive spouse. I'm giving you my perspective because it sounds like your mom is doing what she can and taking everything into consideration. Ultimately it is up to your mom to decide if she wants to get away from this guy but for you, you are old enough to get out of that situation and carve out your own existence. It is true that with most people being kind goes a long way. It is also true that someone with abusive values is not going to change easily or even willingly. That is out of your hands. I do think therapy would help you process your feelings and build more resilience in you so that you can mature into a strong, confident person. Try to get out of there and as hard as it may be you might have to consider getting rid of your animals or making arrangements for someone else to take care of them. There is a lot of good advice given to you by several people here. Please look for the common themes in these responses and listen to your gut. There are some books you may like to read: Why does he DO that? by Lundy Bancroft would be a good one, and others on the subject of emotional abuse. This is not meant to vicitmize you or give you reason to feel like a victim, but there is good information which can give you insight and help you gain the inner strength that you are looking for.