This is difficult for both Elizabeth Edwards and Rielle Hunter. Both women were manipulated for his pleasure.

Cash for clunkers is supposed to help working Americans trade up to a more fuel efficient vehicle. However, some of the working poor do not have the capital to buy new even with the stimulus. This program was implemented during a time of high unemployment when many who might have benefited have no extra money. Those who can take advantage of it should not be restricted to certain vehicles. Like many other WOW posters I drive a foreign car that was made in the US providing jobs for Americans.

They old boy network is alive and thriving because women are not taught to compete in the workforce from the cradle. I hope that will change with today’s young women. If women were taught to value themselves as well as their contributions to society they would be active players. They could have their own network.

In many cases the supervisors, both male and female, claim the work and successes of subordinate female employees by reminding them that they are lucky to have a paycheck at all. They should have been taught to record their ideas and how they implemented them before handing them over. They need to record the running timeline to prove that the idea originated with them. Some of the better companies have employee development offices to grant them credit for their intellectual property.

My mother had breast cancer but never had reconstruction because the option was not offered to her. Her doctor told her that she was an older widow so there was no need for her to have it done. She was never consulted about options. It should have been strictly her decision not that of her doctor to decide if this would giver her life more quality. It certainly would have given her more confidence in buying and wearing clothes because the prosthetic was never quite right. Eight years later she was diagnosed with the lung cancer that ultimately took her life.

My prayers are with all the families involved.

Jenny Sanford is the First Lady of my adopted state. She has always put her family and children first. The fact that she has moved out of the Governor’s mansion shows that she is very much her own person. She has never relied on her husband to make critical decisions for her and that made her an asset to South Carolina. I have always admired the fact that she knew and spoke her own mind. At this point it would be far too early to predict if that future will include Mark Sanford. I admire her for not standing up for her man in this time of turmoil.

Jenny Sanford needs time out of the public spotlight to explore her options without undue influence. She is the only person who is able to weigh the advantages or disadvantages of staying married to her present husband. 

In my late teens an older man who said he liked parties and young people in his life offered me a series of "free" trips. He explained that there was no catch. Coming home he would like us to bring a few things through customs for his dear mother. I suspected drugs and declined. I heard later that a few of the kids who took up his offer were detained in jail. Samantha Orobator had to know she was a drug mule and what the consequences might be. Certainly she knew that pregnancy would prevent her death. I am glad that her family managed to get her back to the UK but I don’t think she should be able to walk free. She needs time to realize that her actions caused grief not just to her but also to her family and child-to-be.

I understand the quest to cover a story by Laura Ling and Euna Lee. If they really never intended to cross the border they should not have been so close to it. As an Army brat I lived overseas for three different tours of duty. We were told there were no exceptions if we managed to get ourselves in trouble. We would be subject to the laws of the country we were visiting. As journalists Lee and Ling had to have known the same thing. In crossing to North Korea they became more than political prisoners they became economic pawns. While I applaud their efforts in trying to get their story they should have looked at the big picture before the initial crossing.

When the student is ready the teacher appears is an axiom that has been consistent in my life. Every time that I had a major change a mentor seemed to just appear. These people didn’t make choices for me they simply showed me what options were available and how each might shape my future. Some of these mentors were teachers, neighbors and employers. I do believe that angels or spiritual guides often appear in human form.

I learned to speak up early in adulthood because I was tired of people walking on me. At first my husband hated it because it made me look pushy. It started when I bought two new tires. They felt funny when I started to drive off and I said so. The mechanic brushed me off. Two miles down the road another driver yelled at me to pull over because my wheels were wobbly. I did and he promptly tightened the lug nuts. I returned to the tire center and demanded to see the manager who denied that they had even sold me tires that day. He wanted my receipt. I refused and went home called around to find out where the company headquarters were and wrote to them with a copy of my tire receipt.

My husband’s career moved us throughout the Southeast so I negotiated for our houses and cars. I comparison shopped to know what homes should cost in a given area not to be railroaded into a particular neighborhood or house. I studied consumer and car magazines to learn what the different makes and models should cost so that I could speak reasonably to a sales person.

Learning to speak up gave me a voice in all areas of our life. I think that negotiating is a skill that ought to be taught in school. There is no shame in speaking up for rights that ought to be yours. You don’t have to be nasty or aggressive just reasonable and firm.

Jeannot, If your husband served during any war he may be elgible for state benefits you are not aware of. Have you tried the North Carolina VA offices? My father-in-law is in a state veteran’s facility. I will try to find out more for you coming up. Tomorrow I will be taking my father-in-law to an appointment in  Mt. Pleasant to see a specialist then to the VA Medical Center in Charleston. I will ask around to find out who might give you some straight information. I wish there were a way to give you my e-mail so I could pass on the contacts I have here.

I helped care for my mother when she was dying of lung cancer. I took care of a father-in-law with dementia until he recently entered a state Veteran’s Home. Putting him there was a difficult decision but we had no choice because he never slept though the night and forgot basic functions. For the last two years we had him we could never turn our backs because he routinely did things such as plugging in applicances and turning them on. He tried to take any medication he could get his hands on. He stopped up the commode at least every other day. The only time we slept through the night were the occasions we paid for respite care.

Caregiving was definitely the most difficult job I ever faced and still is because I hold the medical and durable power of attorney for my father-in-law. Tomorrow I will be taking him to the closest VA hosital to him for an appointment. It is a three hour drive from our house. I do not mind doing for him because he is family. I visit him about every five days to take him out to eat even though it is a two hour ride each way. Being elderly doesn’t mean that he has no feelings. He still knows who we are and looks forward to seeing us. I surprise him with homemade cookies from time to time. I recently joined the family council at the Veteran’s Home so that I know what is going on and be part of the solution should something come up rather than part of the problem because of ignorance.

Aging isn’t a disease it is a fact of life. I’d rather be the age I am with the knowledge that I have now than go back to my younger years. Friends in my age group accept me as I am. We are comfortable in our own skins so we can focus on what is going on at hand not how we look or might be perceived. We recognize that the word "senior" isn’t a dirty word. The AARP or senior discounts are a welcome bonus.

I’ve never minded getting older because I can draw on the wisdom and experienced I’ve gained through the years. Body image is in the mind.

Thanks for the titles I am always open to new suggestions. One way to keep my husband from craving foods he shouldn’t be eating is keeping a variety of local fresh foods. I know every farm stand in my area and shop there from the time they open until they close for the summer. I go to our state farmer’s market in the fall and winter. The upside of using fresh foods is that they keep longer and allow you to share with friends and family.

Thanks for the titles. I am always open to new suggestions.