This morning when I awoke I decided to take care of Yolanda. I had $15 to my name. I put $7 in the gas tank (I now have half a tank of gas.) and I bought a diet Pepsi. In all I spent $8.50. The remainder of the money went on doing two loads of laundry at the laundry mat. I spent a lot of time working in the new Al-Anon book "Discovering Choices".

When I came home I discovered that the cooling system in the refrigerator had gone completely out. I remembered that there was a refrigerator at Mom's old house. I've got to get the house ready for auction and Mom had told me that I could have the refrigerator when we were moving Barry's things. I called a moving company. I'm going to go ahead and get the stove that is there, too (I discovered that the stove wasn't working well either). It will only cost me $30.

Vicki has a TV for Mom and I've got an old VCR. If I can get the dresser and ottoman moved out of the house I can get all of these things move for her on Jan. 19. Deacon Mike has graciously offered to fix her bed frame. She'll be all set. I just have to work out something to get her back on track financially with the assisted living facility.

The problems I have are not because of my mother. She's actually become her old self since so much responsibility has been lifted from her shoulders. Barry is the problem. I can't change him. I can't make him become more independent. I can't force him to make better decisions but I can stop enabling him.

The question is where do you draw the line when it comes to a disabled person? My brother's autistic. A lot of the things going on are a part of his disability but not all of them. So I spent some time in my new Al-Anon book. The following passages are what I came up with to mull over.