Went to see Libera last night

"fend for yourself night" [2008-11-18]
They scream and beg for it. One eats two bowls of cereal for dinner and one eats mac and cheese.

COF night [2008-11-18]
We do a COF night - clean out the fridge - where we just warm upall theleftover from the meals during the week. Usually was something leftover from every meal or frozen in containers to just microwave as all it takes isadding a bit to the weekly meals. Everyone seems to like it and finds plenty - just get out some applesauce or fruit to add and we are good. Sometimes throw in a batch of cornmeal muffins.

DH and I went to see the new Bond movie last night... [2008-11-15]
Daniel Craig...yummy!

Sorry about the typos, been up all night and can't see straight or spell it seems. nm [2008-11-03]
nm

And Thursday night is safer than Friday night - how? [2008-10-30]
We used to live in a town that was once in the Guiness Book of World Records for number of churches per capita (which by the way was the worst place I've ever lived - discourteous, Nazi schools, etc.), and they wouldn't let us trick or treat on Sundays. Ridiculous! People can say what they want but celebrating Halloween doesn't make you a devil worshiper! Just my 2 cents!

Something nice my DD said to me last night sm [2008-10-29]
She is away at college and out of the blue, my IM flashed and this is what she said: I just wanted to tell you that I am very grateful to have a mother like you. I have heard about other mothers and read in books and none of their moms listen to them like you do for me. you try to understand me and usually do. you don't tell me what to do, you make suggestions. you don’t treat me like a child and you are just awesome. I know that when I make a mistake it is not the end of the world for you and that is so important to me. You are always there for me when i need and even when I don’t. Thank you so much for being the mother that you are. You mean so much to me and I would never trade you for anyone else. I love you mom. I IMd back: OMG I don't know what to say. You know, you bring out the best in me. She said: No mom, YOU bring out the best in ME. Thank you.

Last night Bravo had "The 100 Scariest Movies Of All Time" and number one was ...sm [2008-10-26]
Jaws!?!?! I didn The Exorcist and Audition are the scariest for me.

I made baked sweet potatoes for dinner last night [2008-10-21]
You cook them just like a baked potato. My 10 y/o daughter and I just like butter on ours. I love sweet potatoes though! I also have a really good recipe with apples and sweet potatoes in a casserole (see below). I brought it for Thanksgiving dinner last year and it was a hit! It's more tart than sweet and really delicious! Apple-Sweet Potato Bake 3 pounds sweet potatoes 4 medium tart apples, peeled 1/4 cup lemon juice 1/2 cup chopped pecans 1/2 cup butter, cubed 1/2 cup packed brown sugar 1/2 cup honey 2 tablespoons orange juice 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger 1. Scrub sweet potatoes with a veggie brush under cold water. Pierce skin in several places; place on a baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 35-45 minutes or until almost tender (I bake them a little longer cuz I like them pretty mushy). Cool slightly; peel potatoes and cut into 1/4 inch slices. 2. Cut the apples into 1/4 inch slices; toss with lemon juice. In a greased 11-in. x 7-in. x 2-in. baking dish, alternately arrang sweet potato and apple slices. Sprinkle with pecans. 3. In a small saucepan, combine the butter, brown sugar, honey, orange juice, cinnamon and ginger. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; pour over potatoes and apples. Bake, uncovered, at 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until tender. HereHeavenly Sweet Potatoes by Campbell's Soup. Vegetable cooking spray 1 can (40 oz) cut sweet potato, drained 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon 1/8 ground ginger 3/4 cup Swanson Chicken Broth 2 cups miniature marshmallows Spray a 1-1/2 quart casserole with cooking spray. Set the dish aside. Place the potatoes, cinnamon and ginger in a 3-quart bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until the potatoes are fluffy and almost smooth. Add the broth and beat until the ingredients are mixed. Spoon the potato mixture into the prepared dish. Top with the marshmallows. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until hot and marshmallows are golden brown.

Thanks guys. I talked to him last night and..... [2008-10-18]
he told me that the pictures weren He says he is too afraid of his dad. We live in a small town where everybody knows everybody and their business so he's afraid it would get back to his dad somehow. In some ways I believe him because, like I said, he doesn But in other ways I It What if I tell him I don't believe him and he really is telling the truth? Shoot! I have to go,,, I'll finish later. Thanks again for your advice.

She gets a light and the TV on all night, but... [2008-10-11]
she says it is not fair that she has to be lonely in her bed and the grownups have somebody to snuggle with.

You know it's going to be a long night [2008-10-03]
When the doctor continuously stutters OVER HIS OWN NAME!! C'mon guy.... *sigh* javascript:editor_insertHTML(

Its a semi-cooking night for me [2008-10-03]
First I have to say I love ham and beans. One of my favorite winter food. Tonight DH said he would like to snack - hooray! so its chili dip for us. Sooo easy - I can of chile (any kind you like - we always use no beans) and one 8 ounce package of cream cheese. Heat together til cream cheese is melted. mmmmmmmmmmm - I can eat the whole thing alone.

How true. Last night I was thinking SM [2008-09-30]
Wouldnand if the abusersthe animalswho suffered at their hand. I don There must be a special place for animals. I pray there is.

did you see on the news last night [2008-09-26]
with Charlie Gibson the bit about how women are the men of the house now? I can find absolutely no reason for a woman to get married anymore. Women are working, taking care of the house, taking care of the bills, doing everything and the men just seem to be there, and the men admitted that. I am married, have been for a loooong time but sometimes I look at my husband and think I would be better off on my own. He's a good husband, good father, the main bread winner but dang if he doesn't drive me nuts! If anything ever happened to my husband, I would never get married again. Don't feel the need and I don't understand women who can't seem to live without a man. Even though I'm married, I feel the same as you. I would be very content to be on my own again.

I just had this conversation with my hubby last night! [2008-09-17]
And he will only be turning 40 next month! He was complaining no one wants to be around him anymore, so, against better judgment I jumped in. He has become one of the most judgmental people I know anymore, no one can do anything right, and we are ALWAYS wrong. I don't care if you tell him the sky is blue, he'll tell you how stupid you are! And men say woman are hormonal....HA.

last night the tests were back from the "air" testing...sm [2008-08-29]
They tested the air in the trunk to see if there was really human decomposition. They didn As of last night they were still waiting on the DNA results of the hair samples from the trunk also. Apparently they can tell if it was from a dead/decomposing body and of course whether or not it was the baby Maybe those came back. Oh! The guy who posted her bond said last night that he was going to revoke it. I'll bet that's it. It was so obvious right from the beginning that she was a lying sack of sh**! First of all, what mother just looks for her missing baby for a month without calling the police? or even telling her own mother? Then, what kind of freakin Not only that but she also had a FEW boyfreinds during it all. Men would be the last thing on my mind and Imight be drinking but it sure wouldn I I wouldn Even with the lame excuse that she gave about some babysitter taking her. If that were the case, then I I I There isn That poor baby girl doesn Casey will get what she deserves in prison though, I can almost guarantee that. And I don The women in there will give her the justice she deserves! You can bet on it!

I missed it last night...what happened? [2008-08-07]
I searched the net but was unable to find any thing on last night's show....

"I Can't Live." by Harry Nilson, heard that the night, sm [2008-07-28]
my boyfriend Jack broke up with me when I was 17. He just walked into where I was working and introduced me to Barb. He broke my heart. He is now an ophthalmologist in Florida.

saw a commercial last night for ACE of Cakes [2008-07-25]
and the next episode is New Season. Don't know exactly when that episode is, last night, tomorrow, or sometime this weekend, but at least you are getting your wish.

Saw Momma Mia Saturday night and it is great! SM [2008-07-21]
The theater was packed, and even the men in the crowd were laughing and enjoying it. At the end the people in the theater broke into a loud applause!It was a light, funny movie with all thosegreat songs!

That's what we had last night - I baked up some Flounder [2008-07-15]
My 7-year-old gobbles that up like crazy!

If the daughter's friend spends the night she SM [2008-07-09]
should abide by certain rules. Being found under a blanket with a house guest is not acting appropriately. I am by no means excusing the boy she is interested in. This situation is not good by any stretch of the imagination.

Storms knocked our electricity the other night [2008-06-13]
and there was nothing else to do, so we went to see Kung Fu Panda. The whole family loved it!

Yep, David A has to be the winner. He was last night. [2008-05-21]
I like David C also, but he just sounded like he was struggling. Just did not seem like he wants to win.

why on Earth does the guy mowing his lawn at night [2008-05-18]
not sure why you live in suburbia if you can't handle it. Sounds like you need to be in the country!!

I'm in Florida and spend about $175/wk for 5 sm [2008-11-18]
I5 and 158 lbs,eats more than my husband, who is 6 and 345 lbs. FIL had to have a feeding tube put in last July, and I had to cut down meals by half because we were having so many leftovers and wasting money. Just when I thought I had it figured out, he was able to get the tube removed, so II donwe (FIL and I) will just eat a sandwich or leftovers from the fridge As far as special foods, we dona recipe, and for a while we were buying meat ata butcher shop but have had to cut that out for now. It was really good but was close to DH's work, and if he couldn't pick it up while he was in the area, it was a 45-minute drive. I cook most things from scratch, except lasagna because I hate making it. Once a month, we have a luncheon at church that I bring a dish and a dessert, and I cook Wednesday night dinner there one night per month, but I get reimbursed for the Wednesday night dinner. I do include paper products and toiletries in with my grocery budget but that's it, and I usually go to Sam's once a month for those. I have it easy compared to my parents though. My dad got paid once a month, and there were 4 kids at home all the time, 5 when my sister came up during the summer. They used to have 3 grocery carts slap full of food, and my mom figured out that it took something like 18 boxes of cereal to last a month, each one with a date marked on it so we didnWe also hada freezer to keep extra bread and other things, and my mom also used to mix in powdered milk when the gallon was half-way gone. I never knew until I was grown, so she definitely blended it well.

About $100 a week give or take [2008-11-18]
That's for four of us and I live in Upstate New York. My older daughter is a vegetarian so we do have to buy special food for her, but because she's the only one that eats it, it lasts a lot longer. We eat a lot of chicken and pork, but occasionally a good piece of steak. We're in the process of getting a small freezer so we can buy more frozen foods so we don't have to go shopping as much for certain things. My daughter's lunches are $2.00 a day also, but for the types of food they get there's no way I could feed her for less. We eat out once a week by ourselves with our good friends on Saturday night and at least once or twice on the weekends to either McDonald's, Arby's, Burger King, pizza, etc.

Well this makes me feel better [2008-11-18]
We tend to eat out quite a bit on the weekends, although we never intend to. We usually eat out on Friday night, then sometimes on Saturday for lunch and dinner, then usually cook on Sundays...if I feel like it and we've had a chance to go to the store. Anyway, it's nice to see we're not the only ones who do this...

We eat out mostly at the local pub. [2008-11-18]
We're lucky to have a real neighborhood Irish pub, and we like to meet up with friends there, listen to music, have a beer and a sandwich. It probably costs us about $30 for two of us. Since we're nearly empty-nesters, it's just DH and I who go out. Big, fancy dinners are usually just for birthdays or anniversaries. When wefend for yourself night . My sons know how to cook. DH not so much. But he can make a sandwich, and there's usually something leftover that he can make. My youngest son is a good cook, and if I ask him he'll usually make dinner for all of us when I'm just too tired to bother. Also, a Crockpot is a marvelous thing! I love it. A little planning and effort, and dinner is in the pot cooking all day and ready for dinner time.

Mine does too. She will come home for [2008-11-18]
school and ask Is this whatever I can find for dinner night? She is 14 and has just started cooking, so she absolutely loves it.

We usually eat out once a week. On the [2008-11-18]
nights I don't feel like cooking, I have frozen dinners in the freezer, soups, make grilled cheese, and I always have leftovers from the nights I do cook. My kids love pizza, so our eat out night is usually Pizza Hut or Papa Murphy's takeout.

I'm embarrassed to say this, but [2008-11-18]
we usually eat out at least 3 if not 4 nights a week. Always eat out on Fridays and Saturdays and then usually Tuesday and Thursday nights. I generally cook a large family meal on Sunday with enough leftovers to last through Monday. Tuesday night we either order in and Wednesdays we have breakfast for dinner -- my kids love that one. Thursdays we usually order in because it We usually eat out Friday nights because we go to get groceries (I don Saturday we We When it was a 15-minute drive to town, I planned our meals ahead of time and usually only ordered once a week or once every 2 weeks and we only ate out on Saturdays. We seemed to have picked up these extra 2 nights of ordering in out of convenience (a nicer word than laziness). Oh the cost -- I have 3 kids and a hubby. On the nights we order in, we spend about $25 to $30 (saving because of no drinks or appetizers). When we eat out, the bill is usually around $50. So altogether, I guess I spend about $155 a week on eating out -- WOW/YIKES! Thanks for making me realize that. I think it

COF night [2008-11-18]
We do a COF night - clean out the fridge - where we just warm upall theleftover from the meals during the week. Usually was something leftover from every meal or frozen in containers to just microwave as all it takes isadding a bit to the weekly meals. Everyone seems to like it and finds plenty - just get out some applesauce or fruit to add and we are good. Sometimes throw in a batch of cornmeal muffins.

I used to feel the same way, but [2008-11-17]
my family loves my e-cards, which I have only sent for birthdays and Mother's Day (also sent flowers to Mom). They know that I don't get out to shop much, though. I actually bought a subscription to Doozy Cards because at that time we only had one car, and with us living so far from everything and wanting to spend what time I could with my family, it seemed senseless to have to go out at night after hubby got home from work. For Christmas I would send paper cards. To OP, I do not think handing them is tacky. I've heard others say that it is, but I think it is the thought that counts.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart! [2008-11-16]
We will be leaving the space between our pillows where Fred slept each night empty in his honor. I truly appreciate the love and support you all have shown. Only those who have walked in our shoes can understand the depth of the love and the enormous loss we feel.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart! [2008-11-16]
We will be leaving the space between our pillows where Fred slept each night empty in his honor. I truly appreciate the love and support you all have shown. Only those who have walked in our shoes can understand the depth of the love and the enormous loss we feel.

Have you seen the price of Spam? sm [2008-11-15]
I don't think it is economical, especially given what is in it. I also remember when you got ham in a funny shaped can and whole chickens too. as the to reference to Spamolot, which is now a Broadway musical... I'm a lumberjack and I'm okay, I sleep all night and I work all day. Then something about on Tuedays I go to town in mummy's panties and a bra! I love Monty Python.

I still get a couple loaf pans of it every year at butchering time [2008-11-15]
DH doesn't touch it but I love it. I grew up on it too. I also grew up on Spam. Mom had a stove that had a pull out griddle above the oven and she would put spam and egss on there for a Tuesday night supper. I have 2 cans of Spam in my pantry now. The ingredients state: Pork with ham, mechanically separated chicken, water , salt, modified potato starch, sugar, hickory smoke flavoring (I have the hickory smoke flavor), and sodiu nitrite. Opps. There's that bad word-sodium nitrite.

You are definitely being taken advantage of [2008-11-15]
You You have every right to be mad. I would tell hubby that either his buddy comes and gets the dogs, and doesn It I think his friend is taking advantage of both of you and your husband is being wayyyy to nice about it. By the way, where I live the going rate of a kennel is about 25-30 dollars a night per dog. Maybe you should bill his buddy? Good luck.

I need some advice [2008-11-15]
Ok this is the story: My husband is still friends with his first girlfriends family. This does not bother me. She did a couple of things to really disgrace her family when she was dating him but after a period of time he still kept in touch with them as we live in a very small community. When we met and got engaged they were all very kind to me and the mother even did the cake and flowers for our wedding. The ex is never around much so no big deal. Well this past weekend her great grandmother passed. My husband had known this woman for sometime and the mother asked him to come to the funeral and told me I was not to feel like I shouldnI. To which the ex rolled her eyes and looked at her HUSBAND. So we walked away. To tell you the truth, we didn't really care. Well we get a phone call about an hour ago from the exum we aren Well, knowing how immature the ex and her husband are, we knew they were behind this (plus we could hear them in the background). So my husband told the boy Look, it Well a few minutes later he gets a text message from the brother saying my mom can (which obviously is not true since we saw her Wednesday night and Thursday afternoon and she was obviously not mental). So my husband sent back a message saying Look, whatever issues your sister has with me and your mom having an ADULT friendship, she needs to take those up with your mom, but quit trying to start drama. Well a few minutes later the phone rings. My husband handed me the phone. Knowing how mad he was at the moment, I answered. It was the ex. She asked if she could talk to him, and I said No. This needs to stop right now, it She said well my mom is really going crazy and she can. She went on for about five minutes and I said fine, we won I'm just so angry right now! I mean this is high school drama! What would you do? I know the mom will be absolutely heartbroken if my husband and I just stop coming to see her and talking to her (since her lovely daughter never comes home). I mean except for the funeral, we never go around if she is going to be there, and we don't sit there and talk bad about her or anything. I honestly think she knows she screwed up by messing around on him SIX YEARS AGO and is just upset that he's married and happy and it sounds like her husband is a jerk.

Been there done that [2008-11-13]
If you haven't already, read books about Adult Children of Alcoholics. My dad was a serious alcoholic who managed to hold down 2 full time jobs. He was either coming home drunk in the middle of the night and waking up everyone fighting with my mother, or when he would have a day off, he was an awesome fun Dad. He never drank at home or in front of us. So it was very confusing. Fast forward many years, at 63 he was diagnosed with cirrhosis and bleeding ulcers and had an emergency subtotal gastrectomy because he almost died. From there on, he stopped drinking because he had to, not because he wanted too. He died less than 3 years later. He lived with me for the last 2 years and I took care of him, and we became very close. It didn't erase all the bad stuff, but I was at peace when he died. I would try to make amends with your Dad now and let go of the past, because to put it bluntly you are a big girl now and you can't be angry about your childhood forever. It is not healthy.

Snapfish free gift today on Oprah [2008-11-12]
Today on Oprah she announced that anyone that went into her website Oprah.com could get a free personalized picture album - with up to 20 digital pic upload by Sunday night. Looked it over quickl and is really neat. $30 value.

Considering my circumstances I am looking - sm [2008-11-11]
forward to the holidays. I'm the one with the mega debt who confessed to her DH a month ago, etc. We will have his debts paid off in full in about 10 days. I still have quite a mess though. We sold back 2 weeks of his vacation time (lucky for us his work allows you to do this) and half of that is paying for Christmas, the rest is being banked in our savings account which needs restoking (used to have $5K in it but only $200 now). We are taking a night and going to the beach to see the lights (free hotel stay due to his travel points) and a nice dinner-- all of this is his idea too--, and he suggested I go up (with the kids of course) and spend New Years with my friends/family up in PA so I am surprised about that. He is going to try to come too for a day or two to have a late Christmas with my family as well. Things are all roses, but considering everything I am looking forward to seeing my dad and one of my brothers, the other is in England and his family is going there to spend Christmas with him in Ireland with his wife's family there. But DH is trying really hard, he even bought me a dozen roses on my birthday a couple days ago and a really nice card, I couldn't have been more surprised....normally I get nada, not even a card. Granted my daughter told him to get me flowers, but still, he went over the top. But I digress as usual....everyone just needs to stay within what they can afford, we are cutting back some of course, but I have a bit more wiggle room now that I have that vacation money coming. Do it every year and it is a lifesaver.

You all have made me feel better already [2008-11-10]
I have cried off an on since last night. Not just a whimpy cry...I mean a REAL cry. One minute I feel like I am in control, the next, I feel like a 13 year old girl whose friends all went out and didn't invite her...kinda childish, huh?

I'm a dog lover, and most dogs love me. - sm [2008-11-10]
I can be walking down the street, simply make eye contact with one and smile without saying a word, and the dog will usually rush up to me, wagging his tail like crazy and acting all silly and lovey-dovey. In the past, some of the absolute sweetest dogs I'd ever known were pits & rotties. But that was in the ྌs, before the big 'gangsta-dog' thing became popular. Then people started breeding these dogs more for a surly attitude than for good temperament, and it seems to be a dominant trait that's getting passed forward, even when unintended. So fast-forard to 2 weeks ago. I was out walking in my neighborhood, and was coming up a long flight of sidewalk stairs that go up the steep hill I live on. Halfway up, I saw a big brown pit bull standing there looking at me. I had seen him running loose on my street earlier in the day, and wondered whose he was, but then forgot about him. He had an aggressive body-language that I didn't like. But I'm not afraid of dogs, and continuned on up the steps, and talked to him nicely as I reached the top. But then the dog totally went off, and began barking, growling, and making charges at me. I knew to stand my ground, and first tried sweet-talking him. Didn't work. If I tried to slowly move away from him in any direction, he'd come around and try to come in at me from behind. There wasn't a soul around. I tried scaring him off, but that only exacerbated the problem, so I decided to just stand there and let him do his thing. 20 minutes later, he was just as aggressive as ever, maybe worse, because his charges were coming closer and closer. The only 'weapon' in my possession was a single can of cat food in a plastic bag, that I'd walked down the hill to the market to buy. Considered whacking him with it, but didn't want to be in that close to him. Turns out the owners were in an apartment right across the street. A couple finally came out and called off the dog, stating Oh, we didn (I doubt that - the dog had been out all afternoon.) Anyway, I told them I'd call the sheriff and/or animal control if I ever saw him out again. When I got home, I called animal control anyway, and filed a formal complaint, so that if he bit anyone in the future, there would already be a complaint against him, and he likely would not be released from the shelter. Animal control said they'd follow up with the owner, which hopefully they did. In the meantime, I did 2 things: I programmed the sheriff's phone numberinto my cellphone, which I now slip into my pocket whenever I go out for a walk. Good thing to do, anyway. The other thing is I went to Army-Navy Surplus, and bought a cannister of professional-grade pepper spray. Not the wimpy, .02% 'dog-repellent'. I doubt that would stop a pitbull. I got the 15% stuff that will bring a 200-pound, raging crack-addict to his knees and keep him there for more than an hour. That goes into my pocket, as well. Now I can walk & bike with peace of mind. Meanwhile, those pitbull owners should consider themselves very lucky that their dog went after someone who knows dogs, is not afraid, and didn't RUN. If a timid woman, or worse, a child, had come up those steps that afternoon, the resulting attack might have made the 6 o'clock news that night. There are probably still some gentle pits left out there, but I think their numbers are declining because of the current fashion statement of being a 'big bad gangsta, with my big, bad gansta-dog'. They want their dogs to intimidate people, and then they wonder why they can't rent an apartment or get homeowners insurance to cover dog bites. In some cities you have to post a $30,000 bond in order to keep one. It's little wonder that unwanted pits and pit-mixes are clogging up our animal shelters. I feel sorry for the animals, but if I were adopting, I wouldn't want the financial liability of owning one.

Thanks a bunch! [2008-11-09]
It was my popups. I knew it had to be something with my computer because my husband did get the popup on his last night, but it was late, he was busy on his computer, and the pics were on my computer. Thanks again, I appreciate it!

nursing home - hardest decision ever sm [2008-11-09]
I had also made those promises to my folks, Dad was kept home on hospice 14 months, he had suffered brain damage from not being found for hours and was awful to all of us but we managed with a hospital bed, hospice and nurses, however, my whole family fell apart, fighting, etc., until he fell so many times and was so sick, we called 911 one night for help and hospice literally threw us out of the program. You are supposed to call them (in my state anyway) and they will sit with you while you watch them take their last breaths. Could not go through with that. Then we had no choice but nursing home, they took every cent they could get their hands on without touching my momshow up to check on them. Sometimes theyassisted living scenario, and after they clean out the bank book, they put them in a nursing home anyway, so thatsandwich generation between what to do with the parent and if you have kids, what is best for them. Itshow up and if you don it's tough to walk that walk. Take care, hopefully you will make the right decision. In some states you can have her in a nursing home and if she qualifies, you can also have hospice go in there for special care such as you desire for her comfort. Good luck, know we are all thinking of you.

Heat Surge electric fire place [2008-11-09]
I posted a few weeks ago about an article I saw for a Heat Surge electric fireplace with a wooden mantle built by the Amish. Well I received it about 1.5 wks ago and I must say that it is absolutely beautiful! It is virtually noiseless, I seriously cannot hear it running at all. The brightness of the flame is adjustable and it has a low and a high heat setting. Best of all, it works! It does exactly what I had planned on and keeps the back of my house at a reasonable tempurature during the night so I do not have to worry about keeping the wood stove in the front going full blast all night. The kids turned it on one evening when they were playing pool and they actually ended up turning it off because it got to warm. So in my opinion, if you want something that is beautiful, well built, safe, and does provide more than enough heat for a room or two (mine is between the family room/kitchen which is all one long room) then it is absolutely worth the money.

Heat Surge electric fire place [2008-11-09]
I posted a few weeks ago about an article I saw for a Heat Surge electric fireplace with a wooden mantle built by the Amish. Well I received it about 1.5 wks ago and I must say that it is absolutely beautiful! It is virtually noiseless, I seriously cannot hear it running at all. The brightness of the flame is adjustable and it has a low and a high heat setting. Best of all, it works! It does exactly what I had planned on and keeps the back of my house at a reasonable tempurature during the night so I do not have to worry about keeping the wood stove in the front going full blast all night. The kids turned it on one evening when they were playing pool and they actually ended up turning it off because it got to warm. So in my opinion, if you want something that is beautiful, well built, safe, and does provide more than enough heat for a room or two (mine is between the family room/kitchen which is all one long room) then it is absolutely worth the money.

I have had the pleasure... [2008-11-09]
....of working in several nursing homes as a CNA and nurse before coming to medical transcription. It's hard work and usually staffing is sometimes paltry, even in the good homes, but we really do care. Really. Every place has bad eggs, the hospitals, home care, etc., but everyone usually has to have some sort of heart to work in a nursing home. First things first...I always would check for jobs with this litmus test, and I recommend anyone do this. This is a make or break kind of ordeal. You look for the state inspection report. It HAS to be placed in a prominent place in the facility. If you cannot find it readily, ask where it is. If there is anything going on with hiding these documents, you leave and never come back. The other thing is to smell for stale urine or strong air fresheners. If you smell either of those, leave. (Do not check for BM smell--the smell often radiates and may be new, for lack of a better term.) Look at the residents. Do many of them seem content? Do you see aides with gait belts around their waists? Do the nurses look terribly stressed? Please also do not judge by tones of voices in the direct care staff. Often the staff must talk very directly, succintly, and abruptly--it sometimes comes off as harsh, but it's not--for particular residents to hear and/or understand. If you go in a facility in the evening, often the place is chaotic, particularly if there are demented residents. There is a condition known as sundowning that is very, very real. The ones with dementia who are sundowning may give the impression that care is not being given due to the chaos and behaviors brought by the condition. It's not the case. Usually these residents are kept in common areas until they are calm enough to retire for the night. If you go in the nighttime, often there is one night nurse for about 65ish residents. If you are so inclined to come in at this time and do not see anyone at the nurse's station for some time, know that the nurse may be tending to a medical issue and the CNAs are tending to personal care of the residents. If you ever see nurses eating a sandwich in one hand and writing in another hand while sitting at the nurse's station, this is sometimes the only break he or she gets. It's not out of disrespect that this is done. It is so that nurse can care for the residents as best as he or she can. What you are describing in your original post, unfortunately, is quite common, from what I have seen. Two people who are married a long time will often pass not too far apart. It seems people often do decide when they will go. As a nurse, it's one of the more incredible things I've seen. When I saw it happen, I always had the sense there is an extremely strong bond between the spouses that absolutely nothing could break. I'm not trying to say anything is amiss with your mother. I'm not. It doesn't always happen that way. I hope I don't come off that way. I'm sorry you are going through this, because no one wants to send a loved one to the nursing home, yet caring for an ailing parent is one of the most stressful things anyone can experience. I have never been in your position, so I hope I don't come off as too forward, rude, or presumptuous, but I wanted to tell you a little more about what you may be getting into. If you live in Iowa, I'd recommend you to a great one that has the best nurse I've ever met working there now. He has cooked up oyster soup in our kitchen when a resident stopped eating because the resident loved oyster soup. He has taken residents fishing for the heck of it. He wears a scrub shirt with chickens on it because many of our residents were farmers and like the shirt (and because my husband has a silly sense of humor and a wife with a sewing machine). I've known CNAs who buy (with their own money) residents pop and even steak just because the resident wanted it and could have it. Shoot, lots of us do it, even when we don't have a lot of money to our names. I loved to sing with the residents that had dementia (music seems to be retained) and chat about life with the residents who had their faculties. I promise it's not all doom and gloom. Sure, nursing homes could do better, but if you find the right one, it may just work out. All my best to you and your mother.