What a delightful family you have, Pam! Imagine a 14-yr old who gives spontaneous hugs. Autism is a major challenge as are the teen yrs; sounds like you're a great mom & I send both applause & lots of prayers for you & Jackie.

Turtlini! Oh, wow, my mouth & with sheer pleasure just saying that name. What fun! I'm a big fan of reptiles in general, especially lizards. Snakes enchant me. Yeah, I'm weird as well as bipolar .

I got myself in hospital & was on mood stabilizing meds for nearly a month. They really helped, more than all the anti-depressants I'd swallowed over the decades. It was only after I went to a pdoc as followup after release from hospital that anyone mentioned bipolar. I was stunned, but the meds were working so well that I was just so relieved to feel the way I did that I didn't care what label they used. I started reading, asking questions--& I was lucky to have a psychiatrist willing to talk & answer questions until I was satisfied with the answers. He was the one who sent me here.

Thanks for filling me in about you. I'm so glad you're a fighter! I had a friend in college badly injured in a motorcycle accident. He fought valiantly thru rehab but when it came to day2day living he just gave up. Whatever inner secret you've got, I pray you always have it.

You're a writer! Me too. My...umm...3rd career. Took it up while caring for my dad & was homebound. Discovered early on I loved the writing part & was very good at it; conversely, hated marketing & was abysmally dreadful at it. Was offered a chance to do ghostwriting & seized it. Still do a little, but memory problems make writing difficult now.

This has been such fun. Take care.