I found a link to Satch & Sol at Angry Chicken, one of my favorite craft blogs.  They're just so post-worthy, especially since they are handmade in Mongolia by a Fair Trade Cooperative.  So check them out.  Perfect Christmas gifts for the smalls on your list.  http://www.satchsol.com/ --Melanie Feltman

Dear Nikki,

“Bob” and I are engaged.  We are both in our early forties and this will be the second marriage for both of us.  Bob's wife passed away over a year ago.  I did not know Bob and his wife as a couple before and our courtship has been short.  Bob's daughter “Leah” (22 years old and married) has taken me on a tour of Bob's home to name what belongs to her and to her 11-year-old brother.  The only thing that she considers Bob's is his lounge chair.  She also claims the right to keep a key to the house.  Is she out of line?

 
Greediness in Rural Georgia

Greediness,

Congrats on the engagement.   Losing one's mother is difficult at any age, but Leah is still quite young to be dealing with this.  She seems to see you as a threat.  She doesn’t want you to have any of her mother’s belongings.  Bob should assume his role as the patriarch of the family and tell Leah that nothing in the house belongs to her until his passing. When one parent dies, there is no “estate” to ramble through because it is still the surviving parent's home and belongings. Bob may want to gather a few things that he knows would be meaningful to Leah and give them to her.  She will one day learn a tough lesson: her mother's things are not enough to fill the emptiness she is feeling right now.  And hopefully, in time she will become more reasonable. 

Taking the high road here is the best thing for you to do.  Take comfort in knowing you are marrying a wonderful man (who comes with a great lounge chair, what a deal!).