Holy moly, ACGAS. I thought my mother was hard to deal with, but yours has mine beat! Fortunately mine was able to take care of herself financially and had a husband who was a saint.

Wish I could give you some advice about how to deal with your situation, like not to accept the guilt she is trying to dish out, but I know that is easier said than done.

Right now my husband and I are heading toward the golden years ourselves and trying to prepare for what's ahead. I have no children and my husband's daughter has enough dealing with her own issues, so if anyone wants to *adopt* a dog loving Mom and Pop, let me know.