I bought a Neti Pot after watching Oprah’s show and Dr. Oz’s demo but have found it painful to use -the water was about body temp. I added a pinch of sea salt. What am I doing wrong? Elaine.

What do you mean it was a let down when you found Richard Chamberland was visiting there ??? I’ve been curious about him since I saw him in “Thornbirds”. Share please. Thanks………

James, I’m worried about the banks also and spent some time Saturday on line looking at ratings. I found that the bank i have been using for the past 40 years, National City, is rated D, and also found that there are no banks in my area (Bloomington-Normal, IL) rated higher than B…… But I found a good credit unions in my area that I’m moving my funds to. I agree with you about the FDIC and it probably applies to the insurance backing credit unions. Those could probably be totally wiped out if things get too bad. I found information on banks and credit unions on bauerfinancial.com —- there is a list on the home page click on Banking or Credit Unions if you wish and go from there. I intend to move to CEFCU credit union.

Kitty: Thanks for the kind suggestions. I’ll certainly check these out. This was the kind of response I was hoping for. Best to you also.

Thanks for a great topic —— A recurring nightmare I have is loosing my purse with all my credit cards, check books, investment information and bank account numbers. No, I don’t really carry all that with me but in that dream I lost every penny I hadthat way. Whan I was a small girl I actually did loose a coin purse with $5.00 in it. It was a hard lesson and as a result I’m quite saving and careful with money. Now at 68 I’m retired and have been a widow for nearly 10 years. During my married years I didn’t take care of the finances at all and I had no control over what my husband did or didn’t do for money- we were very poor - I didn’t write checks and certainly never had a credit card. I saw utilities turned off for non payment, etc. I canned, cooked from scratch, baby sat worked out the home as soon as my youngest 6 years old. We somehow raised 4 kids and somehow got 3 of them through 4 years of college. When my husband died I was still working. He left behind as my responsibility his aged Mother - she was in a nursing home as a result of a broken hip, - my hubby was her only child. So I had to take care of her finances and my own. I had a net worth of about $50,000. but I was left a modest old home,in a valuable location that I was able to sell for a really nice profit. I have been able to put that $ into mutual funds and because of my insecurity have very little of it in stocks. it’s mostly in bonds and CDs to generate income. The fund is in my name as are bank and checking accounts BUT, because I want that money passed on to my kids, those accounts are POD accounts. I don’t know what I should about investing. Mother in Law has passed away a couple of years ago, but not before my Mother came to live in an assisted living facitity in my city….. So I took care of Mom’s and Mother in Law,s money in addition to my own for a while. Now I have only my money and my Mother’s $ to watch over. My mother has a Trust and mutual funds that I have to track and Mother in Law had investment all over the place. It took me months of corresponding with all those places they had investments. All that had to be put into my name - so I was dealing with death certificates (for father in law and hubby) and a letter from Mother in Law’s MDs saying she had dementia. That was at first totally overwhelming. I didn’t know what to do. Had stacks of papers, statements etc to sort through. It has all been so hard but I’ve learned and I’m so very thankful for what I have. Now I’m dealing with my mutual fund and my Mom’s, and have about 5 bank accounts- that’s right 5- to care for. Recently I was left some money by an uncle and have that money in a CD outside my mutual fund. That’s my story so far. Comments and suggesions please. Thanks ——————

right now I’m in the middle of “1776” by David McCullough. I’m also reading for the second time “The Secret” and for the ? time, “The Little Prince” —— I loved and could hardly put down “The Bookseller of Kabul”……. fiddlesome

The only way to change any of this is for us to get involved. We must try to be well informed. Then talk back to the legislaters, state and federal. Write them, email them - call them - And most obvious of all, promote and then vote for candidates who are really really intelligent and honest…. just education isn’t enough - (what else do they do or have they done). Someone mentioned Bill Moyers —- great show and also informative is Charley Rose also on PBS late eve—— get a copy of What’s the Matter with Kansas by Tom Frank - ——

Mary, Bless you - when I got up this AM, I started a couple hand fulls of dry beans cooking in my smallest crock pot. Later today I’ll cook a small pot of brown rice to go with the beans - —- I’m trying to eat right, exercise, and generally make sense of my life as it is now. Sunday my family will celebrate my Mom’s 97th birthday. She says she would rather skip this year and just plan on a party next year ! I want to honor her and her wishes but feel we must celebrate this year for several reasons. So we will be there - she can participate to the extent she wishes. Hope I’m right in that. Have reserved the family room at the asst. living place where she lives - the family will gather, there will be a meal, cake etc. Good discussion topic …. I enjoy WOW —— Thanks

Thoughts about Iraq right now: The state of Iraq is the result of a tragic miscalculation on the part of the U.S. government. Thousands of lives runed, lost, disrupted, billions of dollars gone. Biggest fears: Our exit there will leave that country a mass of smoltering hovels where life will be awful. The hate for the US will continue on and on. I fear nothing will been solved. The terriorist sleeper cells are in this country now . They are here hating us as they earn $ in our companies, on our soil among our people. Biggest Hopes: Really wise, good leadership for this country as the result of an honest election. Informed citizens. Reestablishment of the U.S. as respected and emulated. Peace - prosperity ———- the smartest minds in the world addressing the energy crisis and our need for efficient transportation. a s