Now, I love this house I am so fortunate to live in. I love this house so much I bought it TWICE...once with my ex-husband and then from my ex-husband.

It represents the fruits of 41 years on Daytime TV... It's the only place I've ever lived in for more than 3 years...I've now lived here for almost 30 years (except when it was rented out while I was living in Los Angeles)...and I couldn't afford to buy it NOW, at it's current market value.

The child of struggling artists (two step-fathers were very gifted artists, one a photographer, the other a painter). We lived in many a seedy area in NYC, in an attempt to have adequate living and work space combined. Areas that are now so expensive, that succeeding generations of artists (and others) have fled to Brooklyn, Queens, and elsewhere to find affordable housing.

My first marriage, and let me stop just calling him the ex and acknowledge the very talented actor/writer Laurence Luckinbill... netted me the HUGE blessing of two wonderful sons, now grown men.

However, I was a totally different person in, and during, that marriage. I would not recognize that woman today, I'm not sure I'd know what to talk to her about if she were seated next to me at a dinner table. Oh, I was very passionate about my work, but I think I was a very bland, and boring person...quite "shut-down"...and firmly in denial or ignorance that I had definitely made the wrong match.

Enough of that...for now. Back to the house. When we finally separated...the ex knew exactly how much he wanted for his share of the house. You see, years later I heard from at least 3 realtors, that he had shown them the house prior to our break-up...Are you tracking this? We were in marriage counseling, seeing a therapist (separately and together) and apparently, when I was at work, he was having BROKERS in to tell him how much it would sell for...come on, let's not shrink back from this now, I promised dirt...and this was a mighty dirty trick...or it was thorough due diligence on his part?

But like everything that was wrong in that relationship, it was unknown to me...until...I did know...and then in the light of truth I could take action.

The most toxic stuff in families is secrets...and this is the first time I've discussed this with anyone except my kin and best friends. The truth is not intended to hurt, but make us free...and yes, to raise dough for charity.

I'm sure he thinks I pulled some dirty tricks of my own...and actually I am prepared to tell you the naughtiest...well...maybe not...maybe I better hold it back until I get an offer to do an actual AUTOBIOGRAPHY. More will be revealed just not what I thought I'd be revealing (above...sorry).

Have I begun to be a BLOG HOG?

So, now I know how much the ex wants for his share of the house...where am I going to get it? Listen up: do not have everything in your mate's name and make sure you have your OWN credit rating and where possible maintain your own separate financial status. I really mean this, don't make me say it twice. In good times, your are a strong and helpful partner, and in bad, you'll be glad you created your own foundation to re-build from.

Add, to the above that our retirement fund was vested 15 per cent to me, and 85 per cent to him...and ya know, the lawyer who set this up was Jane Fonda's lawyer...I falsely assumed he had to be egalitarian...wrong!

More un-asked for advice: don't hire someone just because they worked for a celebrity...I'll tell you someday about the time I hired Susan Lucci's contractor--but later with that nightmare story.

Back to this one--no savings of my own after working non-stop during our 11 year marriage, and of course the bad news goes exponential when I learn that the mortgage interest rates are at 11 per cent, with 3.5 closing fees--IF you can get a bank to lend a divorcee, and actress with no credit rating or savings some dough.

Cut to the office of then OLTL Executive Producer Joe Stuart. I try to explain to him about the divorce and how much I want to be able to buy the ex's share. I tell him the ex is being very aggressive in his claim to his share of the assets, I'm worried he may consider my current salary part of those assets, and that I have no idea where I can get enough money to put up the down payment the bank I finally found required. Important note: we were already legally separated, so no such claim would have been valid...but I was at this point paranoid, and fighting to hold onto my home.

I wanted to stay cool, but I just melted down into a sobbing mess. Joe quietly picked up the phone, and said to someone "Hold back Robin Strasser's paychecks, even vacation pay, until further notice!"

I'm starting to cry even as I read this, because this was so monumental, this was so personally powerful for him to do for me. He had a reputation for toughness, brooking no fools, and being aloof from his cast. This man saved my home, and in some sense my life. Because in this case, I was ready to have everything crash and burn, but not ready or prepared to loose the only real home I had ever had.

OHMIGOSH...I have to take a break --my heart is beating so fast it's making me dizzy...so much for digging up old emotional stuff...even the profound gratitude I owe this great man, is opening up a dam of emotions...damn! ain't life interesting?

Break and mini-breakdown over...

So, I go back home, and have a great conversation with the house...yup, I talk to houses...especially this one...to this day I thank the house and the dear Lord for the privilege of being allowed to stay in it.

Here's what I say to the house:
"Hello, I'm home and I'm staying home...I'm not letting you get sold to anyone else...(here I blush to continue but...here goes) House, I'm keeping you even if I have to run a WHORE HOUSE TO DO IT".

Really, that's what I said, and I meant it...at the time.

Thanking the good Lord, again, I was saved from becoming a segment on Jerry Springer or the Maury Show...and thanks to "Dorian" and One Life to Live, the huge support of my fans and prudent investments in real estate...I'M STILL HERE--in my home which I still love so much...it has such a cherished and blessed place in my heart.

What if a hurricane hit? What if wind and water washed away not just the house but all of it contents? What if an act of Nature, unpredicted in such magnitude and unpredictable in its outcome had struck me? If I lived in a one room studio or shack in the woods--I would be grateful for the safety of my family and a roof over my head. So, how can we lay our communal heads upon our pillows and rest while so many are bravely doing without?

So here's a fundraiser idea I came up with that involves a very generous donor and 7 of their friends coming over to my house for a home cooked meal...cooked and served by me:

Details Here