"Analogy From The Author" "I was, a "normal average, separated single working mother" trying to raise my "children" in a less than perfect world. "I was, separated, and moving on with "my life" to build a future for "my children" after "I left, my husband for valid reasons of infidelity with a sixteen year old girl in our home, and his physical, and verbal abuse towards me, with his added alcoholism." "I worked, hard to support his career, and he became successful and forgot he had children. I worked various jobs around the schedules of my children whether it was a waitress, microfilm operator, driving cab, cleaning motel rooms, bartender, delivering balloons in costumes, whatever it took to make ends meet and give them some advantages, "I never had." "If not, I moved on to another job that would be. My children came first. "I was, not a perfect mother" and by no means they were "perfect children." There is no such manual for either one. We can never project how our "children" will turn out, all we can do is teach them right from wrong, and guide them in values. All "I ever wanted, was a better way of life for my children." "We were, a "normal family" with normal problems, and were very close until they got older and drifted apart as most often family's do. There was always the little squabbles such as. sisters fighting over the bathroom, the use of each other's clothes or. Mom, "I want to use the car. "I had, strict rules in my house, and "I never, had to use too much stern reprimand. "I would not, tolerate "drug use" or "school dropouts." They were brought up with "manners" and taught "respect" on all levels. As children they were. not lazy they worked odd jobs to get the extras; "Ifelt, they needed to earn." Whether it be babysitting, cutting grass, shoveling snow, delivering news, papers. "They were, kept off the streets and very active in sports. As a "single parent" it was, very hard to protect my "children" from the. outside world but; if a danger arose and if it could be prevented "I would, change it. As a parent you need to provide the basic things in life for your "children" and a "home" is one of those necessities. A home is an investment for the future. When "I purchased my home, "I never, dreamed "I had, a lake of raw sewage, and toxics behind it, nestled in the woods out of site; 82 feet deep and as big a "football field." "I also, never realized to correct this problem it would take thirteen years and go as high as the "President Of The United States." Never thinking the same contaminates were contaminating the soil and water recourses through out the states. When you read this book you will understand why I felt, as if my "children and I were part of a western movie that was filmed in the roaring twenties." "In my, obsession to get a deplorable situation cleaned up that we; as "Americans" are supposedly know to have a "high living standard" are in fact living in a "Third World County," and we, as "Americans" should never have to accept it In nineteen eighty one when I started to jot down notes, keep track of records and documents "I would, have never though "I had, enough information to base a book upon. My only intent was to improve a "living quality"; instead "I opened, up many cans of worms and "my eyes," as well to a "complete environmental disaster"; and when "I realized, it was Statewide, it gained my attention. All because of this "littletown" less then one square mile, and a population of 722 were completely ignored of the existence of "environmental laws" that were clearly broken The contents of this book from the beginning for me expanded over thirty two years.