Hi fraternal member of the zoo, I'm sure that you'll be able to arrange an alternative, or successor, or "fall-back" Power of Attorney, and it'll be necessary to have each of the various alternatives (who gets incapacitated, dies, etc. first) provided for ... though with your Mom being deeply into Alzheimers, there's no way that she can be POA for Dad. You need both the financial situation, and the medical issues dealt with. I like the idea of having all/most of you have a meeting with lawyer and Dad. In fact, if Dad's lawyer isn't pretty well aware of the various ramifications at the moment, it might be a good idea for some of you to meet with him/her prior to your and her/his meeting with Dad, to get him/her up to speed. I wouldn't be at all surprised if he'll likely be able to convince your Dad of some stuff that you can't/haven't been able to, up till now. A while ago one of the posters around here, in the finance forum, told of talking till she was blue in the face with her husband about some financial situations that she, who is fairly literate financially, thought that they should do, to be met with world-class foot-dragging. When the financial planner, that they've been with for years and respect deeply, suggested pretty well the same thing(s), he agreed to pretty well everything like a little lamb. Well, not exactly that docile, I guess ... but sort of close. Whether her grinding had worn him down somewhat and the meeting with the planner pretty well was the tipping point, or whether he'd have gone along meekly if he hadn't heard such proposals earlier, I can't say, of course. But quite a few of us will go along with something proposed by a professional, when we wouldn't hear of it from someone else ... even a spouse (especially a spouse, perhaps?). I rather like the idea of them going into a facility in the place where two of the siblings live, if they can be together, would welcome/accept that idea and you feel that the siblings are willing and able to provide a great deal of the care that he needs (and will need increasingly, no doubt). And would actually come through, if that arrangement were to be set up. Has your Dad enjoyed a substantial amount of direct interaction with the folks who were his buddies through the years of his life, especially in recent years? Would he be able to phone them were he to move to the other city? Would he find that satisfactory? That seems to be about all that I have to suggest, at the moment. Good wishes to you all as you go about making the necessary decisions and putting them into effect. I send some good thoughts and hopes to you, with a prayer that you all may choose well and all be pleased with those choices after a period has elapsed. ole joyful

My cat's nails used to snag the sofa when she walked on it, though she never intentionally clawed the furniture. Next time you go to the vet, ask to have them show you how closely you clip the claws. It's possible you aren't clipping close enough. Also you might want to use a regular cat claw clipper instead of a human style clipper. Maybe then the claws will have fewer snags. You could also get a pretty throw and put it across the loveseat for now. I know he uses his clawing post, but another thing our cat loves is the cardboard clawing box, the one that sits flat on the floor, you put a little catnip in it to pique the kitty's interest. Just a Christmas idea for His Majesty. Get the velour seat; leather is too cold. Aerobeds are pretty tough, so I don't think you need to worry about that. If he did puncture it, it would just deflate. Don't get kitty declawed.

Can you return it and get a smaller one? (I admit I think your fireplace wall is lovely and I personally wouldn't ruin it with a television. But I am a tiny minority who has lived without television for almost 30 years.) Is there another room in which to put it, or do you prefer to use this room for watching it?

Sarah, That layout was just a starting point for your room. There is lots of room to entertain different concepts for your room. Here's another possible layout for you to consider. This one has two sofas with 'cuddle' sections at each end facing the TV. I added an upright piano to the plan. Is this something you own or are you considering a baby grand for the room? Not sure this is the right room for a standard wall bookcase to store books. I'm sure you have an office in this house that might be scaled better to receive a standard 84" tall bookcase. Instead, you might want to consider sectionals that have matching bookcases that border the sectional like this example below. The bookcases act as book storage, display space, and console tables all at the same time. That long wall for the TV is 14ft. This photo below illustrates a cleaver use of a long wall that incorporates a TV and some display shelving if that is what you meant by bookcases for the room. Here are a variety of long walls with large TVs mounted on the walls and ways to address all the wall space that comes with this. I'd suggest you start with a rug that at a minimum is 10x14. It can be larger, as you have the room. Rugs this size can be pricey and limited in designs. Also, it's like hauling 2 dead bodies to move them so you'll not want to do that more than once. The plan also shows a long credenza or sideboard with art mounted above on the wall behind the two sectionals. This might be a great spot for placing a food spread if you entertain. Just keep in mind how large the room is and small items will get lost in this room. Also for you ceiling, don't even consider a 54 or 60" size. Start looking at the big fans if you expect any air movement.