I am more and more convinced that the medicine for healing Wall Street is worse than the disease.

I have read numerous letters to the editor about our new President. What they fail to mention is the bail out was already underway (with very few checks and balances) when President Obama took office. In fact all the players were poised for the second serving of bail out money. That might not have been a bad place for a change of direction. We would be out 350 billion dollars, but that is a drop in the bucket compared to where we are headed. Many letter writers contend that with all the happenings they will have less disposable income plus higher taxes, meaning they would have to terminate domestic help and services. I would think they would rather do with less rather than lose all (or substantial portions of) their investments due to impropriety of Wall Street executives.

My biggest concern is how they are trying to turn the economy around. I think when you pour it in at the top and expect it to trickle down, you are going to have a long wait. I think it would work through the system much more rapidly if you worked from the bottom. Too many of the banks and investment firms are hoarding the bailout money, possibly for future losses, instead of freeing up credit and circulating the money in "good" investments.

That's all I gotta say 'bout that. (Today).

The majority of my Thursday afternoon was spent on hold, waiting for the next available person at the state comptrollers office. The January sales tax report is the first parts store sales tax report that is required to be filed on-line. Pat had gone in and set up the Texnet account for paying the taxes. Sylvia, one of the parts store employees, had the computer report for total sales, and taxable sales. She just wanted me to do the first filing. So we got on line, using Pat's instructions and sign on information. It was very quick and very painless (The money would be transferred directly from the business account. Chris wouldn't feel a thing!). In a very brief time, we were in and out of the state on-line pay system. I had not ever filed a paper copy of the report, but I have enough reporting experience to know we weren't through. I kept reading and looking through the paper copy and I told Sylvia, "I don't think we are through." I logged on at another Texas window and sure enough I found where we needed to transfer all the information from the hard copy to the on-line site. We put the cart before the cart. We paid before we had filed. Everything was good until we reached the submit report time because it put us back into a screen to select a pay preference. I was afraid after we chose Texnet, since we had already been on that site and paid, that we would double pay. We were on hold for 62 minutes before we finally talked with a girl named Arthur (yep, she said instead of King Arthur, she was Queen Arthur.) and she assured us that if we clicked on the "submit" button, it wouldn't automatically charge the account again, it would only direct us to the Texnet account where we could escape.

Better safe than sorry!

I have been thinking a lot about how fortunate I am to have family close by Memama and Pepa's. Particularly Pat and Jake (and Jason before he returned to Florida).

Pat is wise beyond her years. She has experienced so much with her personal experiences as a nurse, and as a mother of children with special needs. She could probably pass the state bar and become a "trust" attorney. She is not afraid of jumping in the middle of something and working through it. I can remember many years ago when I still lived in Roscoe, she came by the house and picked me up. She was having a hard day, and dealing with a lot of anger. She had a lot of questions of "why". Of course I had no hard answers. She told me she just wanted to be a mother and for her children to be normal and healthy. She pointed out that Steph had arthritis in her knee, Chris had been burned, and Kyle had learning disabilities. I told her I couldn't tell her the why, but I did tell her I thought it was a God send that by her choosing the nursing vocation, she had been equipped to deal with all of these. I continued by telling her that I could probably learn the daily routine and function, but I was not equipped to do it with the ease and assurance she displayed daily and of course the children would suffer from my lack of expertise. I don't think my reassurance did much for her that day, but the more I watch in amazement, I know she was led to nursing. (But I know too she could have been a doctor).

It hasn't been a cake walk, but I have to believe when Pat reflects, after some particularly rewarding step by one of the kids, she has a really warm fuzzy feeling.

Of course Pat is the family medical revue officer and responds above and beyond the call, checking on Memama and Pepa and going with them to doctor appointments.

This entire week she has been preparing their own farm budget to submit to the bank. I don't know that Hag knows how fortunate he is for her to be this involved.

Jake has grown in to quite a young man. Fred would be proud. Jake is working as a juvenile probation officer in Sweetwater, but he usually has lunch with Memama and Pepa, and checks on them regularly as well. Currently Jake is helping Pepa plow the cotton land, "after hours". If anything requires physical labor, Jake is stout as an ox!

Jake does an excellent job maintaining contact with cousins and other family members. If you have questions about a family member, chances are Jake has talked to them.

I know that a while back Memama was having an episode at lunch and Jake had Lindsey check on her when Lindsey was on her way home from school, and then Jake stopped in on his way home.

When Jason was home he had a daily ritual where he spent some time with Memama and Pepa.

Kudos to Pat, Jake, and Jason.

I'm off from the parts store. Today I get to try to do thing I need to do. I have a driver returning a lease trailer and then putting the truck in the shop. I have to pick him up and return him to his home. Then I have two drivers working in the shop. We are pulling the transmission in a truck to see why it is beginning to make some noise. I am hoping it is preventative maintenance. If any of you have thirteen speed expertise give me a call.

Well, I am already behind in my day! I need to catch up. I don't want my weekend to be late!

Have a day!

FATHER, thank YOU for Pat and Jake and Jason. For their endless giving of time in caring for and helping Memama and Pepa. Bless them and their efforts. FATHER, bless this day. May it be productive and fun. All hail YOUR power!