((((((Barbara)))))),

Yeah, you are -->> a heart of gold and a wonderful friend

When I had my Mom at home in hospice, we had some real winners. Luckily, my son (who was 11 at the time) made a real good spy

One of them was SPECIFICALLY TOLD not to move the bed because it was broken and we were waiting for a part to come in to fix it. Don't you know, she moved the bed to put clean sheets on it -- why?? I have no idea because the headboard was against the wall and both sides and the foot of the bed were RIGHT THERE. No reason to move the bed. Especially, with my Mom in it. Dumped my Mom on the floor and then she calls me at work all upset.

Krikeys

Had to arrange for a new bed (rental) and the police department and the fire department to come and transfer my Mom on top of the mattress onto the new bed.

Needless to say, "stupid" did not come back after dumping my Mom on the floor.

The other one -- a kid (late teens) was on the phone (my phone) for 4 straight hours to the Cape (Cape Cod) to her boyfriend. My son told me this one. Needless to say, she was also gone but not until she reimbursed me for the phone calls.

These were professional, certified people from the Visiting Nurses Association. I'm a certified home health aide so I know the training involved. But, just because you're trained and certified doesn't mean you've plugged your brain in today.

The woman that I finally got was an absolute blessing. An angel walking on the Earth. She was a nurse in France and married an American doctor. She wanted more hands-on with the cancer patients so she gave up the nursing and became a home health aide. She even came the day after my Mom passed and helped me clean up the house and sort out the medical supplies that hadn't been used so I could take them back to the pharmacy.

There are people like her out there and we want to make sure that those are the people that have the responsibility of taking care of our loved ones. The stupid or incompetent ones -- the ones that don't CARE -- can find some other line of work that doesn't have someone's life in their hands.

I'm glad Doug's more comfortable.

You sure got yourself into the middle of a lot of stuff when you got to "know your neighbors, huh"!! This is a real good example of The Universe guiding your steps to where you're needed.

I know it seems like a lot of things are in a muddle around you. Looks like The Universe has put you in place to FIX a lot of things. That should do a lot for your self-confidence to think that The Universe thinks that you can handle all this.

Make sure you take time for yourself -- even if it's only to have tea in a pretty cup or stop at the local coffee shop and sit down for one cup of coffee or buy yourself a pretty flower every day.

You probably don't see it, Barbara, because of all the stress that you've got going on in your life day-after-day. But, you've come out of your shell and you stand up for yourself and you take time to do things for yourself. BIG CHANGES from what you were like at the end of the marriage. Nice changes

Even if you feel the need to sit in the corner and cry, just remember we're there sitting right next to you, holding your hands. You are not alone. And you don't have to face any of this alone.

BIG HUGS (and love).

Barb