I just finished watching her final show, I found it not boring at all; it was a recap of what her 25 years have been and it was like reading a book of lessons in life, I've read my fair share of spiritual and self help books and even at 59, I struggle with certain issues and wonder when I'll ever really "get" it. She gives me hope to keep at it and be what I can be, to find my meaning in life. Oprah said it all, in a humble and loving way, I personally do not doubt her sincerety. She's no different than she was 25 years ago, down to earth and wiser than she was then, and certainly richer ( good for her) but she gives credit to everyone she's learned from, it's the essence of what shaped her. She's a true succcess story in my book, one of a kind.

I saw the earlier episode, with the married couple whose house was full to the ceiling in most of the rooms, and this episode, too. I agree with greywings (and others) that dumping all the kitchen utensils into the trash was not the way to go. How about carefully sorting, keeping only the tools that actually get used and are indispensable? Pare down, instead of starting all over from scratch. Perhaps they did exactly that, and it got edited out. After all, they kept her red bowls. They must have done the same with other kitchen implements, but it doesn't seem like that in the final version of the show. I always wonder what happens after those home makeovers. Are the people who have gotten themselves into such a disorganized state suddenly able to change every single tiny daily habit in order to preserve the order imposed on them by the reorganization? All the pretty containers in the world cannot make up for the lack of established routines. Routines do not spring up overnight. They have to be established a little bit at a time. I made long lists of all the things that ought to be done, and noted to myself when I hadn't done the list perfectly. I was constantly not living up to my high standards. And you know what? I was not giving myself credit for the things that I HAD accomplished. Then I discovered FlyLady, who wants us to start with just ONE new habit at a time. That has worked for me. And when I backslide, I just start over again, and don't try to make myself feel guilty. Instead, I try to make myself HAPPY by caring for myself and my family and my home. Sorry to ramble on and on, but I don't think a quick rescue will work in the long run, even though everybody involved has the best of intentions. Of course, a little outside help might be all that family needed to get back on the path to a happier home. Good luck to them!

From what I have read, the clients on the Olsen show pay for everything but have no input on what is going to be done. The client and the designer do not work as a team. The outcome of the project is the surprise. On Oprah's shows doesn't she always pay for everything? She is known for selecting "needy" persons and coming to the rescue. This was one of the things that was bugging me about this Oprah episode. The single working girl, who got her apartment redone, just really needed a mop and a bucket, and a little ambition. I noticed that they refused to clean out her stinking refrigerator and admonished her to learn to make her bed in the morning. The problem with these cleaning and decluttering shows is that they do not get to the core of the problem and teach the person to make changes in their life and way of thinking that got them into the mess in the first place. Remember the 'Queer Eye For The Straight Guy' shows? Did you catch the reunion update show? They caught one couple who had scurried to clean when they heard the guys wer coming back and piled everything to the ceiling in the tub and pulled the curtain. Some of the guys they did not even put on the update show because when they went back a year later they were living like pigs and had ruined all the new furniture and clothing they were given.

I was sitting in a waiting room and saw most of the show. It was very interesting. One item that I did object to was the emphasis on preparing every high school student for college. One school in particular - the Aspire public school - has as it's goal that every graduate will attend college. While that is a noble ideal college is certainly not for everyone. I've seen first hand the unfair pressure that can be put on a child who simply isn't interested, qualified or destined for a college degree. I believe that one of the problems with our school system is the fact that many of the non-academic programs have been dropped. Instead of stating that college is the goal for every student I think schools should prepare students for a future that's suited to their particular talents and interests and that could be technical training, trade school, apprentice programs, military careers etc. It was wonderful to see how enthused Bill Gates is about his educational initiatives and his willingness to utilize his fortune to achieve that goal.