Stone Soup by Jan Eliot for May 08, 2015

Instead of staying with his aunt Phil should go to Val’s house it could be a practice run before the wedding. Just wondering if the girls would share a room again or if they would Live in sin" what does anybody think of that

He’ll likely be at his Aunt’s with frequent Visitors to “Help!”

I’m calling it now…Phil would rather be with Val and the girls but Val will want to set the right example so they’ll just get married now.

So these two are “one visitor at a time.”

We here is Western Pennsylvania are mourning the loss of a police K9 lieutenant who was struck and killed head on by a drunk driver. His dog was injured but refused to leave his master’s side. The lieutenant’s wife had to be brought to the scene to coax the dog to leave. The funeral is tomorrow and is expected to be huge. http://triblive.com/news/westmoreland/8323139-74/eslary-ligonier-fink#axzz3ZXpoMyvg

Glad he is coherent, talking and doing well mentally! The physical stuff is easier to heal.

If Phil has trouble in the bathroom during the day (falls, clothing gets snagged on cast, etc) his aunt is an adult and a relative who has seen it- even if he was too young to be embarrassed- not a stepdaughter-to-be. Also the aunt is more likely to have small “age-in-place” adjustments to her house. Not everyone has more than a sink and toilet on the main floor, or an actual bed. Val can come and help when she isn’t at work and the girls can be bringing him food and drinks and the remote that fell and the book he couldn’t carry to the couch. Joan and Wally can help with dinners (cooking double batches doesn’t take too much more time) and errands (especially places where they’d be going anyway, save his Aunt a trip to the grocery store for instance).

RE Phil’s care – somebody needs to consult with him. Their arrangements may make perfect sense, but he’s an adult and gets a say.

That practice run is a bad idea. First of all Val has to make a living. A fiance does not count in Family Leave. She wouldn’t even be able to get some kind of compensation while caring for Phil — and the girls have to go to school. More than that, her job is not protected if she takes off to nurse him — good bye job, good by benefits, goodbye salary, goodbye savings and NO qualification for unemployement. Totally impractical. Where is your brain, folks who would have her stop working?

Agreed Phil.

Kids to the rescue! They’ll keep it real and on a happy, healing trajectory!! I hope….