To all the wonderful housewives in my family who have lived out life's lessons in the finest sense of the word. They are wonderful models for others, and many lives have been touched by their example. And so to my wife Donna, daughter Cheriee, grandmother Gina, mother Ruth, daughters-in-law Becky and Jennifer, and sisters-in-law Judy and Debbie.

Also to housewives everywhere and to their spouses who have been curious enough to want to know about how others have handled desperate situations.