She didn't try to shame you in any way. She offered you good, sincere, non- judgemental, experience-based advice regardless of whether or not you use it.

That's good advice.

You're mom is much higher class than mine. Williams Sonoma?! I guess there are first-class hoarders ��

My tables and counters are kept clean and bare. I love beautiful granite and big spaces. I don't put anything in my house that isn't functional. It makes me feel safe if that makes sense. My world falls apart when I have to enter her home. Not the annual christmas party, that's just a big weird facade anyway.

Oh I know. It embarrasses me to take anyone there except for her Christmas party when they throw everything in the other rooms and LOCK the doors to bedrooms and office, other bathrooms, etc. Your 2 car garage is the 2 rooms my mother had built onto her home about 4 yrs ago. The intention was for her home nurse to…

Your story is y-o-u-r story. My mother is a hoarder, and for you to label anyone who deals with a relative hoarding as being judgemental...that makes you a genuine dick.

Ugh are we related? Children of hoarders should have support groups. It is so far beyond embarrassing that it's stressful to even think about Christmas at any time of year.

I agree.

Sounds like a great day. We enjoy our own company, too.

I have nothing to say except thank you for typing all that and sharing. My own nutty family is conservative nutball religious kooks, but they do love me. They actually study me like I'm a science experiment gone wrong. I'm patiently, secretly waiting for my switched-at-birth parents to find me.
Please reach out to some…

"Giftmas" is my new word. Thank you for sharing that! Merry Giftmas!

It's a former Boy Scout leader.

Well we haven't actually heard from the Boy Scouts on this. We only know that a few older scouts or leaders donned uniforms and rainbow scarves to wear while supporting "the gays". Brought tears to my eyes.

Online learning is the wave of the future.

Not most. I've worked in 3 school districts and backpacks are daily student attire.

Some unions represent teachers and principals, some don't.

This teacher union myth needs to stop. Teacher Unions do NOT save teachers / admin from getting fired. They just guarantee fair representation and represent you. Very few teachers could afford a lawyer, but the union will represent you if you've paid $15 month. If a school board wants to fire a teacher, "the gay…

I don't get the hate? Many magazines market various products to wealthy clients. That's their market.

You are 100% American. You improve your country by being so different from the idiots that you're recognized for it. Thank you.

My bf from college 25 yrs ago...just like a brother. His kids and my step-sons are being raised as cousins (vacations and holidays, but no aunt/uncle tags.). All related cousins are already grown and gone, and it works for us.