Homestead mailing list

[<eureka AT hctc.net>]

Lynda wrote:

Those who are disabled would not get spousal support if 
the spouse was capable of earning a living.

In our small town of 49 people, we socialize with two 
delightful couples our age. We are all middle class, 
getting the squeeze from the economy. In both cases the 
husbands are disabled; one, a former draftsman, has 
glaucoma and epilepsy (and more recently, cancer) so bad 
he cannot drive and the other, a former social worker, 
Parkinson's and a stroke where he cannot drive (or 
sometimes even walk). These men do as much as they are 
capable of doing around their homsteads and manage to keep 
their spirits up. Both wives (a former flight attendant 
and an early childhood specialist) are capable of working 
but have had to seek part-time local employment (minimum 
wage) in order to have the time to drive their spouses to 
numerous out of town doctor's visits. Like many of us, 
their kids live in other states. These women also have to 
take care of ailing parents or in-laws (physically and 
financially) and most of the homestead chores. They are 
just "getting by" and the women are exhausted.

All of us moved here for a better quality of life, can no 
longer afford big city real estate, or the gasoline to 
commute us to higher paying jobs (many that prefer a 
younger or more technically savvy workforce). I am 
fortunate enough to be able to do my work through an 
Internet connection and that my husband is not disabled. 
I'm not sure what would become of our friends under 
Lynda's presidency.

--Sage
Way Out in Texas