Things haven't changed much from Medieval times, have they? Women in trouble still look to a man as the answer because the man has $ and also promises emotional support. Well, it's still true. Section 8 housing waitlists can be years long, welfare is too little and too sporadic and that nursing job is way off on the horizon. Unless Prince Charming is within view, she is kinda screwed. The only other option is to be really relentless about finding good free counseling that can hook her up with some funding sources which are, sadly, few and far between these days. I would start at the financial aid office of the nursing school and the Career Center. They will try to blow you off but keep coming back until they help you.

Mazer, Cody is white. He follows his "Dad" to the garage, to the garden, he rolls in worms and other yucky things. He's a Maltese and it suggestedd that he bathed once a week. He's never been told he's a pedigree even though he has papers. We keep him in a puppy cut because he is all boy. My Maltese would have had long flowing hair and bows but since he took a shine to dad over me he's sporting a crew cut. Moms dog but Dad is more fun. I think he's okay now that the matts are gone. I haven't seen him chewing his tail at all. And I do use a mild shampoo on him. I once switched shampoos and tried it on my own hair. It was so drying so I went back to Johnsons. Yes, i tried it on mine. If I get bad results, I sure don't want to use it on the Cooterbug. Thank you for your input.

Rosie: When I was growing up, my mother made me clean my room, help with the cooking, clean the kitchen after dinner and other miscellaneous chores (my mother didn't work). I did not however, mow the grass, scrub the floors, do the grocery shopping, wash the families (6 of us) laundry, help the others with their homework, pay the bills, plant the garden (although I did help weed and pick the vegetables), maintanin the cars and other household appliances. My mother worked very hard at home raising 4 kids while my father worked 12 hours, 7 days a week at Fords to provide for the family. I also went to school and got very good grades, participated in the band and played softball in the summer. At the time, I thought she was the meanest mother in the world, but when I got married at 20, I found out that I had no problem keeping a house, working full time, going to school at night and eventually having children. I was capable of doing all this because my mother prepared me for adulthood. I am very gratefully for that now. Take my stepdaughter for example. I entered her life when she was 15 (she is now 18). She lived with her mother for a few months in the beginning, but decided she preferred to live with her dad and I (and my boys)full time. She did not assist me in any way with anything to do with the house, but was very demanding about being driven here and there and asking for money as if it grew on trees. I asked for her help ie: taking her own dishes off the table and putting them in the dishwasher, etc, and she said she shouldn't have to do that because her mother made her do those things when she was 4 years old. This seemed to be a common excuse which her father and grandmother (who lived with them for 4 years) says did not happen. I didn't want to be a b**chy stepmother , so I didn't press the issue. She was getting good grades in school and was a cheerleader so I figured her time was better spent on those activities. Big mistake!!! She is now 18 and can't even make it out of bed for a 10:00 class at college. She has been late for work many times because she "just slept in" (I can't believe they haven't fired her). Her claim now is that she is 18 and is legally an adult and we cannot ask her to do anything. She began college in September and has now dropped out because she cannot balance, work (20 hrs wk), school 4 classes and socializing with her friends. She demands to be treated like an adult,but was never made to accept any responsibility, so she doesn't know how to act like an adult. I firmly believe that if she had been made to be a part of the family and take responsibility for helping in the running of the household, she would be better prepared for "adulthood". So now we have a disrespectful, inconsiderate, lazy 18 year old in our house that causes a terrible disruption to the rest of the family. How am I supposed to teach my boys how to be proper, respectful, considerate young men when they have an example just the opposite in the household? We have now thrown away $2500.00 in college tuition (which we can't afford) and she has forfeited a $2500.00 MEAP scholarship. What a waste!!! But let's not forget, she has lots of time to socialize with her friends now!!!!! That is really going to get her far in life. Kids need to know that life is not easy and having them help around the house is not going to cause them any harm.

WOW look at what he's accomplished in such a short time. Fantastic Mr. Frog! Has he given any thought about running for office, perhaps the Green party?