Housekeepers Alert: Be Good to those Furry Critters!

Gail Posner who died at the age of 67 in March of this year was an heiress, and quite extravagant during her years alive and certainly thereafter. She has left 8 million pounds of her assets in the name of her dearly loved pet canines. Upon dying, she arranged that her Chihuahua, "CONCHITA" (who happens to have a Cartier necklace worth 10,000 pounds) and two other dogs be left a trust fund of 2 million along with a 6 million beach-front manor in Miami. The will also states that her "defenders" and "HOUSEKEEPERS" will receive a massive 17 million pounds and the right to reside without rent in Gail Posner's property while they nurture the animals. Of course, her son is initiating a lawsuit to invalidate his mother's wishes.

Yes, it is important that Housekeepers love those furry critters and know how to care for them because a "pet" can be far more important than a relative.

DAY CARE CENTERS PACKED

Sue Shellenbarger of the WSJ writes about the "Day Care Waiting List" dilemma. Parents are begging for admission and putting their unborn children on the waiting list. This essentially means that children are on a day-care waiting list for approximately 2 years. Women, more than ever are in the work force and 11,000 day care centers nationally are full to capacity. It is on a come-first basis, but infants usually have the longest wait lists. As always, siblings of children already enrolled typically get first dibs on openings. The best advice she offers is to 1) register for child care at least one year before you need it, 2) visit several centers and get your name on more than one wait list, 3) enroll all your children at the same place to get sibling priority, 4) call the center monthly to make sure your status is current, 5) leave contact information anytime you leave travel, 6) plan to enroll in summer when more slots are open, 7) be flexible and take any slot that comes available, and 8) stay on your first choice center even if you are enrolled elsewhere.