dearest Florence.... I am so very sorry for the anguish you and your daughter are going through. I wish a word could wipe away all the tears and the pain. I don't know how else to get through the great heartaches of life any other way than to let the feelings out, grieve, then pick up the pieces and go on with life with each other's support. Even though you are a few hours away, she has a terrific mother & stepfather who will make her feel loved & supported at a time when she feels so low and rejected. I have been in her shoes myself 11 yrs. ago (with 3 little kids) and I had to go through all the stages of shock, grief, anger, betrayal, utter desperation, and loneliness. It all felt so hopeless back then that I remember not wanting to live, but my kids needed me so I had to stop wallowing in self-pity. It seemed as if it would never get better, but in time it did. Somehow we find the strength within ourselves to move past the hurt and one day it doesn't hurt so much anymore. It will take time, and 2 months later it is still raw and fresh to her. Even to this day I have spells where I feel anger towards my ex for walking out of his children's lives like he did....they were so young and had to be raised without a father. I never considered myself a strong person before that happened and didn't see myself ever having the strength to go on, and raise those kids alone. But I did...and my children reinforce all the time that I was an excellent mother and father to them. Please tell your dear Robyn that so many of us do understand what she is feeling, and that she too will survive this....we are all praying for her. I have had quite a difficult week myself and this Thanksgiving Day I find myself without my beloved daughter Grace. That lying, deceitful boyfriend convinced (brainwashed) Gracie to drive all the way to the southern part of Florida by herself 1,600 miles....she left yesterday and drove all day and night and into today...I just got a call from her this evening that she had made it there safely. My heart is broken. I haven't stopped crying. You will recall my long post about how I desperately tried to save her from this con-artist and how she had broken it off with him....or so it seemed. But he convinced her to quit her job and leave the family & friends who love her to move to FL...this was my greatest fear and now it has come true. So here we are, two loving mothers, worried sick about our daughters on Thanksgiving Day. If I could reach across the miles and give you a hug, I most certainly would. I pray for both our girls, and please know that my heart is with you as well. I understand what it feels like to want to make everything right for our daughters, and of the frustration at not being able to do so. Lots of love.... Celeste

It DOES stink to have to even think that people would make off with your plants, nothing has happened - yet. I only thought of it because this potted Intrigue was blooming and I knew around Mother's Day is high plant theft time. All my other "good" roses are in my tiny townhouse garden in back, it amuses me to think of someone trying to come over the fence in the dark - I have run lateral climbers along the top of the fence and I really hope any burglar will run smack into the thoroughly vicious Englantyne, with her thorny octopus canes (: That said, I dream of the day I retire to some small town out in the country where I can line my lot with the thorniest rugosas I can find - and get all those hips in the fall....and get some big dogs too. Where I work, we have even had plants from the office vanish!

bnicebkind--There isn't enough space on here for me to tell it all. Suffice it to say that she undermined, interfered, and manipulated everyone around her. We just caught the brunt of it because we lived closer and were more available to her. I bit my tongue constantly, tolerated it for 9 years and let it roll off of me. Finally had enough and when I tried to talk to her about it, she didn't like it. Luckily my husband stood with me, or I guess we would be divorced by now. She is just an evil person and after 5 years of being totally away from the entire family, we have peace. The stress of it was creating health problems for me, although at the time I didn't recognize it. Afterwards, all the health problems quickly disappeared. That is what made me realize how bad stress can be. We have all the normal stresses in life, but we don't have outsiders contributing to the stress. I have healed from it, but I will never forget it. Even after this much time, none of it has lessened in my mind. Occassionally someone tries to "pop in" on our lives, but we have managed to quickly knock them back in their holes. In fact, just recently SIL tried to contact us, but I quickly stopped that one and let her know in no uncertain terms were any of them welcome. I refuse to allow them the opportunity to create that kind of havoc in our lives again. When people make your life miserable, then you need to remove them from your life. It doesn't matter who it is and I don't believe in "blood is thicker than water". We have no regrets other than I regret I took it for so long. I do occassionally wonder who her vicitm is now, because I know she has one, but I am thankful it isn't me anymore.

Congratulations on your pregnancy! Having a baby is a wonderful thing and there is something special about having your first. I thought I had posted but I don't see my post and I wanted to share my thoughts with you. I have 5 children. If you can live with what you have, I REALLY don't think you should replace it, especially if you allow eating outside the kitchen, but even if you don't, kids are just plain hard on carpet. They ruin it with their art supplies, running in and out, spitting up, and in all kinds of other ways you probably can't imagine until it happens. Personally, I would clean it, maybe even invest in a steam cleaner, and keep it for as long as you can stand it. As far as having a young baby on the carpet itself, I don't think that's a good idea if it's new or old. Even when carpet looks clean it's usually not. If you could see underneath it, you'd be shocked at how much dirt, etc. is under there. Our pediatrician actually suggested we take up ours due to my son's asthma. When we took ours up and put down wood and tile his asthma improved, as did his allergies. Plus little ones can pull off fuzz, fibers, debris, etc. and put it in their mouths- and believe me, anything that within their reach that can fit in their mouths will end up there at some point! ;) You could use a blanket or what I did for my twins (they're 7 months now) might work for you. I bought interlocking foam tiles- not the kind w/ letters because babies will take them out and chew on them and because they stretch and start to come out easily and then you'll have to keep putting them back. Later when they're a little more mobile you can get a play yard if you want. I like my play yard because it keeps the babies from getting into things they shouldn't and because I know the area the boys in is always clean since nobody walks on it. The foam tiles are easily sanitized w/ 409 and a rag or a steam mop if you have one. I agree w/ the poster that said if you teach them to eat only in the kitchen you'll save yourself lots of headache in the long run by the way. And one more idea: Have you considered a tile that isn't slick? A slightly textured tile work for your dog and they're just as easy to clean. Congrats again on your upcoming addition.