OK shopping with six kids is always fun.... if you think fun is having things thrown in your basket, losing one or two kids, meltdowns.... well then grocery shopping with kids is a blast.
Took a mere three kids with me today. Found great, great deals at Kroger. MGR markdowns on beef and poultry as well as veggies. I rarely find fresh fruit or veggies with MGR markdown but today... hit the jackpot. Got some broccoli and cauliflower. Even got some decent steaks. OK they were on sale for 4.99, then MGR markdown.... Wow I got good deals. We rarely get to eat steak on our budget. I came home with all kinds of meat for the freezer. Seriously, probably a month's supply.
Anyway, I get up to the register, and start unloading my overflowing basket. None of the kids are with me (I am one of those Mom's who send the kids running for items just to keep them busy and out of trouble. Spanky and Boo come running (I had promised them waffles as a reward and they were running back with them). Boo is soooo excited. She found a 1.00 coupon for the waffles. Someone had left it on top of the box (love the coupon mom's who leave their ready to expire coupons on top of the products). The man behind me could not believe I had trained my tiny daughter to coupon shop. He was truly impressed.
Things went downhill from there. When the cashier rang up my Mrg discounted cauliflower, it rang up 401.69 instead of .69. I instantly notified the cashier. She tried to clear it but it kept ringing up the same. Brought a manager over, who couldn't get it to enter right either. They finally do an override, but then it wouldn't delete the old one. It only wanted to delete the .69, not the 401.69. After a good 10 minutes, they get it cleared up. The man behind me waited patiently as my kids behaved in their normal, "I am sick of being in this line" manner. I am behaving in my normal "If you don't stop, the waffles will go back" manner.
And then I realize I didn't bring my Kroger card. My phone number never works. The Manager is still there so the cashier can't use her own card number (as they usually do). The Manager asks me to fill out another card form.... which I start to do... then the kind man behind me, who I am sure was exhausted by the wait... gave me his card.... which knocked a good 10.00 off my bill.
Seriously, I was in line a good 30 minutes. The poor man behind me didn't get upset at all. He had to be frustrated... but out here in the country... I don't know how to describe it.... but people stay nice.
He even reminded us to use Boo's coupon.
The kids came home screaming about the 400.00 head of cauliflower Mom bought.
I had the kids put the groceries away and Mrs. Mommy took a nap. I hope the man behind me went home and took a nap too... he deserved it.
Wondering what to cook tomorrow with my 400.00 cauliflower.....
(front to back, left to right) Boo, Teen2, Spanky, Blonde, Ducky, Teen1
Sunday, March 22, 2009
check out this blogger...
Wow she is my hero. I cannot imagine four people living on an 800/year food budget. I am still reading back thru her articles but already, my mind is whirling planning how to incorporate her achievements in my own family.
http://jane4girls800dollarannualbudget.blogspot.com/
I know most people do not have to resort to this degree, but if you can, why not? Imagine what we could save a year? And if we put that entire savings towards paying off our mortgages.... how many of us would pay our mortgages off in a few years, versus 30!!!!
We are finally recovering from Mr. Daddy's surgery. He is fine now and into March maddness. He has games going on laptops and the TV..... obviously he is doing much better.
And he was called back to work.... Of course he can't go back to work due to his surgery, but still... a praise.
Sometimes it is these small pats on my back from God that keep me smiling. It is almost as if he whispers.... "Don't worry, I am here, all will be well".
And so it will....
Meanwhile, I plan to learn some frugal behavior. I also went to www.frugaldad.com. What a great site. Seems we have been using a lot of his ideas for years... based on my cars, their years, their milage, their rust levels....
But guess what.... we have a new used car and it only has 60,000 miles on it!!!! Right now, it is parked in the garage. We will save it for trips and long drives. Honestly, our other vans, with 200,000 miles each... are all driving great. People may stare... people may wonder when the rust will break and the car disolve into nothing more than an engine and seats on the road.... but until that happens... we will drive them happily, knowing we have not had a car payment in about 8 years... maybe a bit longer. Lets see... our last new van was 1998.... financed for 4 years... paid off early... so maybe 2001 ish. Yes it looks like 8 years without a car payment. Our oldest vehicle is a 1994... and older than our youngest 4 children (as my 14 year olds point out on a regular basis). And now we have a 2006!!!! Wow we feel modern.... And no payment of course. Mr. Daddy's parents offered it to us at such a low price... we pretty much had to take it. Otherwise, we would never have bought another vehicle.
OK off to find more bargain blogs.... will keep you posted on my favorites. And once I get our budget lined up... I will post it as well.
http://jane4girls800dollarannualbudget.blogspot.com/
I know most people do not have to resort to this degree, but if you can, why not? Imagine what we could save a year? And if we put that entire savings towards paying off our mortgages.... how many of us would pay our mortgages off in a few years, versus 30!!!!
We are finally recovering from Mr. Daddy's surgery. He is fine now and into March maddness. He has games going on laptops and the TV..... obviously he is doing much better.
And he was called back to work.... Of course he can't go back to work due to his surgery, but still... a praise.
Sometimes it is these small pats on my back from God that keep me smiling. It is almost as if he whispers.... "Don't worry, I am here, all will be well".
And so it will....
Meanwhile, I plan to learn some frugal behavior. I also went to www.frugaldad.com. What a great site. Seems we have been using a lot of his ideas for years... based on my cars, their years, their milage, their rust levels....
But guess what.... we have a new used car and it only has 60,000 miles on it!!!! Right now, it is parked in the garage. We will save it for trips and long drives. Honestly, our other vans, with 200,000 miles each... are all driving great. People may stare... people may wonder when the rust will break and the car disolve into nothing more than an engine and seats on the road.... but until that happens... we will drive them happily, knowing we have not had a car payment in about 8 years... maybe a bit longer. Lets see... our last new van was 1998.... financed for 4 years... paid off early... so maybe 2001 ish. Yes it looks like 8 years without a car payment. Our oldest vehicle is a 1994... and older than our youngest 4 children (as my 14 year olds point out on a regular basis). And now we have a 2006!!!! Wow we feel modern.... And no payment of course. Mr. Daddy's parents offered it to us at such a low price... we pretty much had to take it. Otherwise, we would never have bought another vehicle.
OK off to find more bargain blogs.... will keep you posted on my favorites. And once I get our budget lined up... I will post it as well.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Who knew a Gall Bladder could cause such problems?
OK Mr. Daddy needed his gall bladder out. No problem except the only time the surgeon could fit him in was at 2:30 Tuesday. Boo had her state testing at 1:00 Tuesday. No problem, testing runs 1/2 hour, I could be back at the hospital by 2, 2:30 at the latest.
I had FIL drive hubby to the hospital so he wouldn't be alone until I got there.
Here is where it gets wierd. Husband sends FIL on errands instead of having him wait for hours before surgery even starts. That would not have been a problem except, FIL is not from this area and gets lost. FIL is not there when surgery is happening.
Boo's test... a mess... I didn't leave until 2:45 and she still was not tested. I am not even going to address this because I am still so frustrated. It is the first time I have been frustrated at the K12 program in our state. I am still frustrated two days later.
I call FIL and my eldest son (who also went along to keep FIL company) to see if Mr. Daddy is out yet. I find out they are LOST and NO ONE.... is with Mr. Daddy at the hospital. He is in surgery and no family there!!!! What is wrong with men that they don't understand things can go wrong in surgery? Remember, it was Mr. Daddy who sent them away, but FIL and Teen1 both saw no problem either.
I rush to the hospital, while telling myself to calm down, gall bladder surgery is no big deal anymore.... no big deal anymore... no big deal anymore.
I get there just as the nurse is arriving with an update.... WHAT... surgery was an hour ago... it was a ten minute surgery.... why an update this late. Well because it didn't go great, that is why. An artery was clipped during the lapro piece... and instead of three little incisions... they had to open him up and repair the damage. He is fine... absolutely fine and getting released today. Alls well that ends well.
So a huge praise that he is fine.
And a prayer request.... he will not get unemployment due to him "Not being able to work". He still qualifies for 2 weeks disability from his prior job but it ends in two weeks. So depending on how long the Dr. writes him off... we are income free. Very scary spot for a family of eight.
Thank goodness we have a decent food supply built up. But remember us please.
We could really use a job call back or new job offer. Either one of us. Please pray that God provide what we need. We are really spoiled. Neither of us has ever really been unemployed before. Not working.... is not something we are used to. We both want to work. Please pray that something happens soon.
So it has been a week filled with stress. And now it is almost over. I leave in a few minutes to pick Mr. Daddy up and bring him back home. Yeah. I have been sleeping at the hospital, rushing home in the morning to get kids homeschooling started, shower and nap (because one really can't sleep in a chair in the hospital with a husband yelling "PAIN" every six minutes).
Another praise is In-Laws who drive six hours to jump in and help out with our six kids. What a blessing they have been and always are.
I had FIL drive hubby to the hospital so he wouldn't be alone until I got there.
Here is where it gets wierd. Husband sends FIL on errands instead of having him wait for hours before surgery even starts. That would not have been a problem except, FIL is not from this area and gets lost. FIL is not there when surgery is happening.
Boo's test... a mess... I didn't leave until 2:45 and she still was not tested. I am not even going to address this because I am still so frustrated. It is the first time I have been frustrated at the K12 program in our state. I am still frustrated two days later.
I call FIL and my eldest son (who also went along to keep FIL company) to see if Mr. Daddy is out yet. I find out they are LOST and NO ONE.... is with Mr. Daddy at the hospital. He is in surgery and no family there!!!! What is wrong with men that they don't understand things can go wrong in surgery? Remember, it was Mr. Daddy who sent them away, but FIL and Teen1 both saw no problem either.
I rush to the hospital, while telling myself to calm down, gall bladder surgery is no big deal anymore.... no big deal anymore... no big deal anymore.
I get there just as the nurse is arriving with an update.... WHAT... surgery was an hour ago... it was a ten minute surgery.... why an update this late. Well because it didn't go great, that is why. An artery was clipped during the lapro piece... and instead of three little incisions... they had to open him up and repair the damage. He is fine... absolutely fine and getting released today. Alls well that ends well.
So a huge praise that he is fine.
And a prayer request.... he will not get unemployment due to him "Not being able to work". He still qualifies for 2 weeks disability from his prior job but it ends in two weeks. So depending on how long the Dr. writes him off... we are income free. Very scary spot for a family of eight.
Thank goodness we have a decent food supply built up. But remember us please.
We could really use a job call back or new job offer. Either one of us. Please pray that God provide what we need. We are really spoiled. Neither of us has ever really been unemployed before. Not working.... is not something we are used to. We both want to work. Please pray that something happens soon.
So it has been a week filled with stress. And now it is almost over. I leave in a few minutes to pick Mr. Daddy up and bring him back home. Yeah. I have been sleeping at the hospital, rushing home in the morning to get kids homeschooling started, shower and nap (because one really can't sleep in a chair in the hospital with a husband yelling "PAIN" every six minutes).
Another praise is In-Laws who drive six hours to jump in and help out with our six kids. What a blessing they have been and always are.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Don't laugh too hard because I am serious.
I have two articles to compare. I want you to remember, both these people are hired by American's and trusted with our tax dollars. I know some may think this judge in Ohio is seriously nuts, but I like this man. I think he needs to move on up to congress!!! Compare his attitude on "living within ones means" to Ms. Palosi's "Spend what Taxpayers don't have". Personally, I like the Judge better. He resides in Morrow County Ohio, probably the poorest county in Ohio. What an ethical man in regards to finance.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090314/ap_on_fe_st/odd_paperless_court_1
Compared with Nancy's.... 30,000/wk for a jet stream is nothing in the big picture.... To minimize the press's normal "overdo", I am copying the Snopes version of this article, which actually shows her potentially spending much, much, much more than 30,000/wk.
http://www.snopes.com/politics/pelosi/jet.asp
It does make one wonder... should she even be traveling this much.... when congress is in session? I mean for security, the good of the planet, and cost... wouldn't it make more sense to stay in Washington when congress is in session versus flying home every weekend? I am truly all for protecting her.... I just can't help but wonder if the "Paperless Judge" could somehow manage to knock the cost of protecting her down a few notches.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090314/ap_on_fe_st/odd_paperless_court_1
Compared with Nancy's.... 30,000/wk for a jet stream is nothing in the big picture.... To minimize the press's normal "overdo", I am copying the Snopes version of this article, which actually shows her potentially spending much, much, much more than 30,000/wk.
http://www.snopes.com/politics/pelosi/jet.asp
It does make one wonder... should she even be traveling this much.... when congress is in session? I mean for security, the good of the planet, and cost... wouldn't it make more sense to stay in Washington when congress is in session versus flying home every weekend? I am truly all for protecting her.... I just can't help but wonder if the "Paperless Judge" could somehow manage to knock the cost of protecting her down a few notches.
Saturday, March 14, 2009
And again... I hear it is such a petty amount
30,000/wk for Pelosi's private jetstream.
I am so sick of watching family after family cut back beyond the point where it hurts... and see our Government use our hard earned tax money, wastefully, then justify it as a pittance, compared to the entire budget.
That 30,000/week would pay the mortgages of 240 families like mine each month.
240 families!!!!! (500/mth mortgage X 60 = 30,000/week, 4 weeks in a month = 240 families).
I don't consider 240 families a pittance.
I don't consider my family a pittance.
We are living on 10/meal for a family of 8. Not sure what we will do when unemployment runs out. Hopefully one of us will find a miracle job before then.
Boy it sure is easy for our Congress to minimize the extravagence of their waste.... while whimpering fake sympathies for all the American families suffering.
I would believe their sympathetic, well rehersed words more if they gave up their waste and said, "For 240 families, I am giving up my private airstream jet, and giving them mortgage money for the next year".
Wow could you even imagine?
Not that it will happen....
Who wants to fly commercial when they have every right to fly private... in a jetstream none the less....
Why don't we care as voters? Why don't we care as Americans? We have fallen into this Democrat versus Republican to such a degree.... we are ignoring common sense and common decency.
We need to wake up and demand honest, ethical and decent behavior from those we hire.
And to be honest, I am not as angry as I am sad. It just saddens me to see Americans so abused by those they employ.
I am so sick of watching family after family cut back beyond the point where it hurts... and see our Government use our hard earned tax money, wastefully, then justify it as a pittance, compared to the entire budget.
That 30,000/week would pay the mortgages of 240 families like mine each month.
240 families!!!!! (500/mth mortgage X 60 = 30,000/week, 4 weeks in a month = 240 families).
I don't consider 240 families a pittance.
I don't consider my family a pittance.
We are living on 10/meal for a family of 8. Not sure what we will do when unemployment runs out. Hopefully one of us will find a miracle job before then.
Boy it sure is easy for our Congress to minimize the extravagence of their waste.... while whimpering fake sympathies for all the American families suffering.
I would believe their sympathetic, well rehersed words more if they gave up their waste and said, "For 240 families, I am giving up my private airstream jet, and giving them mortgage money for the next year".
Wow could you even imagine?
Not that it will happen....
Who wants to fly commercial when they have every right to fly private... in a jetstream none the less....
Why don't we care as voters? Why don't we care as Americans? We have fallen into this Democrat versus Republican to such a degree.... we are ignoring common sense and common decency.
We need to wake up and demand honest, ethical and decent behavior from those we hire.
And to be honest, I am not as angry as I am sad. It just saddens me to see Americans so abused by those they employ.
Friday, March 6, 2009
old business... new business
Why is it the new Admin can fix some "old business" but can't fix this new budget to remove earmarks?
Nope, that is old Bush business so the earmarks must stay.
Well what about all the other old Bush business things that the new Admin has already addressed or are in the process of addressing....
Healthcare... Dr.'s who have a moral objection to abortion and/or birth control that could be termed abortion... New admin seems to have no problem doing away with this old business.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090306/pl_nm/us_healthcare_usa_1
Gays in military.... new admin has no problem fixing what they see as old admin problem....
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090303/ap_on_go_pr_wh/military_gays_3
Tax increases on Wealthy... new admin has no problem adding taxes to those they felt the old admin pampered...
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2009/03/04/national/w073258S37.DTL&feed=rss.business
And I could go on. What makes me angry is when the new admin does not want to live up to their promises, they deflect and blame.
Pres. Obama promised no earmarks. He would go thru budgets one line at a time and force them out. But so far, he is batting a big fat zero. How long does he get to put the blame on "carry over for last year".
The fact is, the Dems want these earmarks. The stimulus was full of them. The budget is full of them.
We are not a country rolling in prosperity right now. Since Jesus day, pigs have stank. Sheep's have eaten weeds. If sheep won't eat them, goats will. Not sure I see the benefit in researching these things at this point in time, considering our financial peril.
US families are not borrowing more than ever in order to live an overly indulgent lifestyle. We are hunkering down.
Yet Congress and this new admin cannot seem to grasp the fact that we want the waste out of the budget. PERIOD.
We want Congress tightening their belts with the same urgency we are tightening our belts.
Maybe the new Admin has info we don't have. Maybe they know Jesus is returning before these debts will ever be called in for payment. Hmmm.... they should let us all in on the secret date so we can borrow irresponsibly and party along side Congress. Do you think the government will give us all a tax bailout next year and let us go a year with no taxes? I mean they can just print more money, right? Or borrow it from China.
You know it truly does make me angry when I feel guilty for buying my kids Pizza Hut.... at the same time my Government is giving billions away to insane projects like "weed eating animals" or "stinky pigs".
Nope, that is old Bush business so the earmarks must stay.
Well what about all the other old Bush business things that the new Admin has already addressed or are in the process of addressing....
Healthcare... Dr.'s who have a moral objection to abortion and/or birth control that could be termed abortion... New admin seems to have no problem doing away with this old business.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090306/pl_nm/us_healthcare_usa_1
Gays in military.... new admin has no problem fixing what they see as old admin problem....
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090303/ap_on_go_pr_wh/military_gays_3
Tax increases on Wealthy... new admin has no problem adding taxes to those they felt the old admin pampered...
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2009/03/04/national/w073258S37.DTL&feed=rss.business
And I could go on. What makes me angry is when the new admin does not want to live up to their promises, they deflect and blame.
Pres. Obama promised no earmarks. He would go thru budgets one line at a time and force them out. But so far, he is batting a big fat zero. How long does he get to put the blame on "carry over for last year".
The fact is, the Dems want these earmarks. The stimulus was full of them. The budget is full of them.
We are not a country rolling in prosperity right now. Since Jesus day, pigs have stank. Sheep's have eaten weeds. If sheep won't eat them, goats will. Not sure I see the benefit in researching these things at this point in time, considering our financial peril.
US families are not borrowing more than ever in order to live an overly indulgent lifestyle. We are hunkering down.
Yet Congress and this new admin cannot seem to grasp the fact that we want the waste out of the budget. PERIOD.
We want Congress tightening their belts with the same urgency we are tightening our belts.
Maybe the new Admin has info we don't have. Maybe they know Jesus is returning before these debts will ever be called in for payment. Hmmm.... they should let us all in on the secret date so we can borrow irresponsibly and party along side Congress. Do you think the government will give us all a tax bailout next year and let us go a year with no taxes? I mean they can just print more money, right? Or borrow it from China.
You know it truly does make me angry when I feel guilty for buying my kids Pizza Hut.... at the same time my Government is giving billions away to insane projects like "weed eating animals" or "stinky pigs".
Raising children or......
Where did the dollar go that was on the snack bar?
Not me...
Not me...
Not me...
Not me...
Not me...
Not me...
OK empty your pockets.
Empty
Empty
Empty
Empty
Dollar
Empty
Where did you get that 1.00
From #1
#1 Did you give #5 that dollar?
Yes
Where did you get that dollar?
I found it.
Where did you find it?
On the floor by the snack bar.
You heard me ask where that dollar went and you said you didn't take it.
No you asked where the dollar "ON" the snack bar went, this one was on the floor "BY" the snack bar.
You and I both know this is the same dollar.
Maybe.
Was the dollar on the floor yours?
NO.
Then you should not have taken it, correct?
Exactly, and that is why I gave it away, because it wasn't mine to spend.
OK, it wasn't yours to give away either.
But #5 needed it and it was just lying there not belonging to anyone.
OK this was a real conversation. I can't remember which kid so I just left names blank. In reality this happens all the time. Over and over I try to explain that money that is not yours.... is not yours to give away... even for a really good reason.
Yet.. as I sit here today, recovering from my flu/cold, listening to the early news.... I find how similar our government is to my children.
Tax money.... it is not really their money, but they have no guilt or remorse in giving it away for a really good cause.
I think pig odor is a good cause... once the budget is balanced and the government is living within their means. I think it would be a great thing to reduce pig odor, especially if it also made life until slaughter more humane for the pigs. But I don't think borrowing into oblivion to pay for odor reduction makes sense.
I don't mind underwater research, wool research, weed eating sheep research.... darn I meant to put in for my own, reducing carbon emissions in children earmark.... Oh well, next round I will put in for my own 1,000,000.
Or how about 1,000,000 to study the effects of moving an urban family to a completely self sustaining, off the grid, farm. Wouldn't that be so cool. I bet if congress all look around, they could find all kinds of cubby corners in the next budget to hide a million or so for me.
And if they get caught, just blame the other party. I don't really care which party is in charge... just blame the other. It is a time proven remedy.
How many of us parents have experienced that with our own kids.... one gets caught red handed breaking a rule... the first thing they do is deflect... "Well XXX snuck out last night". Then of course XXX, red faced and unbelieving of the betrayal.... says, "YYY did too, he planned the whole thing and it was his friend who picked us up to drive us to the party". YYY not to miss a beat says, "But ZZZ covered for us. Remember when you had him check to see why we were so quiet and he came back and said we were asleep with our ear plugs in again. He lied. We were gone".
Before you know it, you realize all your kids lie and cover for each other.... until caught, then deflect blame until you are so frustrated so angry.... you realize you can't discipline any of them without serious risk of breaking the law and ending up in prison yourself. I mean, who wants to be the next psycho mom who harms their beloved children... on the evening news. Not me. So I take the easy way out and blame the friends who put them up to it all in the first place. Darn friends, leading my angels down the wrong path.
I see our government doing the same thing. Deflect... Deflect... deflect.... until we voters are so frustrated, so confused, so angry, the only thing left for us to do is blame the other party.
And to think I was getting excited that two of my teens are almost ready to leave the nest... I was getting excited thinking that one day... I would be finished parenting....
Nope... our government seems to need good parents too.
Any foster parents out there willing to take in the US. Congress?
I think I will have to decline. Not sure I could do it without breaking the "no spanking foster kids", "No yelling at foster kids", and other rules..... although the time out rule could work (one minute for every year of age in silent time out... every time they speak or make noise, the clock starts over). Wow, the US might find itself in the silent ages... Most of congress is over 40 and I can't imagine any of them going silent for 40 minutes.
It is amazing.... all those combined years of education... and no common sense... no honesty... no integrity.
Not me...
Not me...
Not me...
Not me...
Not me...
Not me...
OK empty your pockets.
Empty
Empty
Empty
Empty
Dollar
Empty
Where did you get that 1.00
From #1
#1 Did you give #5 that dollar?
Yes
Where did you get that dollar?
I found it.
Where did you find it?
On the floor by the snack bar.
You heard me ask where that dollar went and you said you didn't take it.
No you asked where the dollar "ON" the snack bar went, this one was on the floor "BY" the snack bar.
You and I both know this is the same dollar.
Maybe.
Was the dollar on the floor yours?
NO.
Then you should not have taken it, correct?
Exactly, and that is why I gave it away, because it wasn't mine to spend.
OK, it wasn't yours to give away either.
But #5 needed it and it was just lying there not belonging to anyone.
OK this was a real conversation. I can't remember which kid so I just left names blank. In reality this happens all the time. Over and over I try to explain that money that is not yours.... is not yours to give away... even for a really good reason.
Yet.. as I sit here today, recovering from my flu/cold, listening to the early news.... I find how similar our government is to my children.
Tax money.... it is not really their money, but they have no guilt or remorse in giving it away for a really good cause.
I think pig odor is a good cause... once the budget is balanced and the government is living within their means. I think it would be a great thing to reduce pig odor, especially if it also made life until slaughter more humane for the pigs. But I don't think borrowing into oblivion to pay for odor reduction makes sense.
I don't mind underwater research, wool research, weed eating sheep research.... darn I meant to put in for my own, reducing carbon emissions in children earmark.... Oh well, next round I will put in for my own 1,000,000.
Or how about 1,000,000 to study the effects of moving an urban family to a completely self sustaining, off the grid, farm. Wouldn't that be so cool. I bet if congress all look around, they could find all kinds of cubby corners in the next budget to hide a million or so for me.
And if they get caught, just blame the other party. I don't really care which party is in charge... just blame the other. It is a time proven remedy.
How many of us parents have experienced that with our own kids.... one gets caught red handed breaking a rule... the first thing they do is deflect... "Well XXX snuck out last night". Then of course XXX, red faced and unbelieving of the betrayal.... says, "YYY did too, he planned the whole thing and it was his friend who picked us up to drive us to the party". YYY not to miss a beat says, "But ZZZ covered for us. Remember when you had him check to see why we were so quiet and he came back and said we were asleep with our ear plugs in again. He lied. We were gone".
Before you know it, you realize all your kids lie and cover for each other.... until caught, then deflect blame until you are so frustrated so angry.... you realize you can't discipline any of them without serious risk of breaking the law and ending up in prison yourself. I mean, who wants to be the next psycho mom who harms their beloved children... on the evening news. Not me. So I take the easy way out and blame the friends who put them up to it all in the first place. Darn friends, leading my angels down the wrong path.
I see our government doing the same thing. Deflect... Deflect... deflect.... until we voters are so frustrated, so confused, so angry, the only thing left for us to do is blame the other party.
And to think I was getting excited that two of my teens are almost ready to leave the nest... I was getting excited thinking that one day... I would be finished parenting....
Nope... our government seems to need good parents too.
Any foster parents out there willing to take in the US. Congress?
I think I will have to decline. Not sure I could do it without breaking the "no spanking foster kids", "No yelling at foster kids", and other rules..... although the time out rule could work (one minute for every year of age in silent time out... every time they speak or make noise, the clock starts over). Wow, the US might find itself in the silent ages... Most of congress is over 40 and I can't imagine any of them going silent for 40 minutes.
It is amazing.... all those combined years of education... and no common sense... no honesty... no integrity.
The quickest way to blow a budget....
Is for Mom to get sick...
We have gone sooooo long without eating out. We have done great since mid-Feb budgeting 10.00/meal for all eight of us. We are saving each month, even though both of us are on unemployment.
Then Mom got sick. I am absolutely fine... as long as I sit.... but when I try to stand to cook... I start swooning.
So we ordered out, twice!!! Even though I was very careful, it still cost 30.00 for our family (Pizza Hut) and Wendy's (25.00). For two meals, I spent more than 5 meals worth of budget.
Aggghhhhh....
It has been two weeks and my voice is back, the fever is gone, no sick stomach.... throat feels great. Still congested... and dizzy. Boo is sick too. We seem to be on the same stage with this bug.
My carpet looks disgusting. I guess no one else knows how to run a vacuum. Of course they would say I didn't specifically tell them to. Oh my. The table is cluttered. The kitchen, remarkably clean... Oh yeah... I am not cooking!!!!
Kids are sick of cereal and sandwiches. Yesterday I was going to cook something easy... TACO's.... I didn't get thru browning the meat. No way I am going to chop lettuce when I am this woozy. Somehow, this infection must have made it to my inner ear...
But sitting.... sitting works. I can key on the computer. I can help kids with homework. I could work.... if I had a job. Just can't walk yet. Maybe by Monday. If not, I will need to break the budget further and go the the Doctor. YUK.
Meanwhile, going to try to brown that meat again.... and perhaps chop the lettuce from the table instead of standing... Gotta try to restore our budget before all my savings vanish.
Blondie had her chorus concert last night. She was so cute. She is a shortie and normally in the second row and completely hidden from view. This time, she was front row. YEAH.... I could actually see her. She really loves singing. I almost didn't go due to the dizziness but made myself. I am glad I did... She didn't think I would be there. It was precious seeing her face light up when she saw me sitting with the rest of the family. Definately worth the effort. Remarkably, her brothers were attentive. I did leave after her part of the concert and went to the car to lie down. Boo, Spanky and I rested while the concert continued.
We have gone sooooo long without eating out. We have done great since mid-Feb budgeting 10.00/meal for all eight of us. We are saving each month, even though both of us are on unemployment.
Then Mom got sick. I am absolutely fine... as long as I sit.... but when I try to stand to cook... I start swooning.
So we ordered out, twice!!! Even though I was very careful, it still cost 30.00 for our family (Pizza Hut) and Wendy's (25.00). For two meals, I spent more than 5 meals worth of budget.
Aggghhhhh....
It has been two weeks and my voice is back, the fever is gone, no sick stomach.... throat feels great. Still congested... and dizzy. Boo is sick too. We seem to be on the same stage with this bug.
My carpet looks disgusting. I guess no one else knows how to run a vacuum. Of course they would say I didn't specifically tell them to. Oh my. The table is cluttered. The kitchen, remarkably clean... Oh yeah... I am not cooking!!!!
Kids are sick of cereal and sandwiches. Yesterday I was going to cook something easy... TACO's.... I didn't get thru browning the meat. No way I am going to chop lettuce when I am this woozy. Somehow, this infection must have made it to my inner ear...
But sitting.... sitting works. I can key on the computer. I can help kids with homework. I could work.... if I had a job. Just can't walk yet. Maybe by Monday. If not, I will need to break the budget further and go the the Doctor. YUK.
Meanwhile, going to try to brown that meat again.... and perhaps chop the lettuce from the table instead of standing... Gotta try to restore our budget before all my savings vanish.
Blondie had her chorus concert last night. She was so cute. She is a shortie and normally in the second row and completely hidden from view. This time, she was front row. YEAH.... I could actually see her. She really loves singing. I almost didn't go due to the dizziness but made myself. I am glad I did... She didn't think I would be there. It was precious seeing her face light up when she saw me sitting with the rest of the family. Definately worth the effort. Remarkably, her brothers were attentive. I did leave after her part of the concert and went to the car to lie down. Boo, Spanky and I rested while the concert continued.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
The stock market does have a bottom
It is zero!!!! And we are rapidly heading there it seems.
Another change I can credit to Pres. Obama...
So now I have
1. The dollars in my purse changed to change in my pockets
2. Employed changed to Unemployed
3. Tax paying changed to Tax consuming
4. Preparing for retirement changed to completely unprepared for retirement
Seems daily the changes come.... some future changes to fix things...
1. Tax Cow farts
2. Tax Farmers dirt from plows
3. Double my electric bills and force me to go back to candles and wood furnace. (I am sure these things are NOT better for the environment. But to be prepared, I am going to learn how to make my own candles. Maybe learn to work with raw wool from sheep. Buying my emergency seed supplies. Learn how to can meats since refrigerators cost so much in carbon credits. Bet I could go back to washing clothes in the creek. That is good for all the critters who drink the creek water but imagine the carbon credits I would save.)
4. Raise my gas prices. Hmmm... force us to ride bikes again versus driving cars. I mean, we don't need gas to power the cars to get us to work so we can earn money to pay for all these new debts our government has promised we would pay.
I am not sure if I liked or disliked this video, but it intrigued me enough to post it here. He seems less bewildered than me. I am surprised that MSNBC has turned on the Pres. During the election, he was their golden boy. Now they are calling him to task. Hmmmm... that has gotta hurt.
But Good news for the Pres... my relatives in Kentucky are still under the allusion he is for clean coal and will build new power plants using clean coal, thus making them secure well into the future. Bless their hearts.... the man says he is anti coal plants.... and they just don't listen. I haven't read the whole stimulus package but what I have read... hasn't mentioned clean coal in the U.S. Still there are those who gave this man their whole hearts, they whole hearted support... believing in his change. So far, all I hear is the same thing we have heart from new President after new President... it is all the old President's fault.
My challenge, stand up, be a leader.... go thru this budget... line by line as promised.... remove 100% of the pork/ear marks. Give us some hope that you really intend change. Quit blaming your signature on the Bush administration. If you sign this budget, it is your budget. Maybe I can sign a bad check for my tax debt this year... and say it was leftover from the Bush Admin... and I will do better once I am working under this Admin... just give me a year. Next year, I will be more responsible. But right now, I have to clean out all this leftover Bush stuff. Somehow, I don't think it would hold up in court... Neither does blaming anything in this budget on Bush.
Another change I can credit to Pres. Obama...
So now I have
1. The dollars in my purse changed to change in my pockets
2. Employed changed to Unemployed
3. Tax paying changed to Tax consuming
4. Preparing for retirement changed to completely unprepared for retirement
Seems daily the changes come.... some future changes to fix things...
1. Tax Cow farts
2. Tax Farmers dirt from plows
3. Double my electric bills and force me to go back to candles and wood furnace. (I am sure these things are NOT better for the environment. But to be prepared, I am going to learn how to make my own candles. Maybe learn to work with raw wool from sheep. Buying my emergency seed supplies. Learn how to can meats since refrigerators cost so much in carbon credits. Bet I could go back to washing clothes in the creek. That is good for all the critters who drink the creek water but imagine the carbon credits I would save.)
4. Raise my gas prices. Hmmm... force us to ride bikes again versus driving cars. I mean, we don't need gas to power the cars to get us to work so we can earn money to pay for all these new debts our government has promised we would pay.
I am not sure if I liked or disliked this video, but it intrigued me enough to post it here. He seems less bewildered than me. I am surprised that MSNBC has turned on the Pres. During the election, he was their golden boy. Now they are calling him to task. Hmmmm... that has gotta hurt.
But Good news for the Pres... my relatives in Kentucky are still under the allusion he is for clean coal and will build new power plants using clean coal, thus making them secure well into the future. Bless their hearts.... the man says he is anti coal plants.... and they just don't listen. I haven't read the whole stimulus package but what I have read... hasn't mentioned clean coal in the U.S. Still there are those who gave this man their whole hearts, they whole hearted support... believing in his change. So far, all I hear is the same thing we have heart from new President after new President... it is all the old President's fault.
My challenge, stand up, be a leader.... go thru this budget... line by line as promised.... remove 100% of the pork/ear marks. Give us some hope that you really intend change. Quit blaming your signature on the Bush administration. If you sign this budget, it is your budget. Maybe I can sign a bad check for my tax debt this year... and say it was leftover from the Bush Admin... and I will do better once I am working under this Admin... just give me a year. Next year, I will be more responsible. But right now, I have to clean out all this leftover Bush stuff. Somehow, I don't think it would hold up in court... Neither does blaming anything in this budget on Bush.
Monday, March 2, 2009
We don't Care....
I guess I am a birther.... according to AOL anyway. I am someone who doubts Pres. Obama's legal right to be President.
Oh I don't doubt it because of the many conspiracy theories.... I have not signed on any lists demanding proof. I have not called my congressmen. But I do wonder.... why... if he is eligible, doesn't he just release the real Birth Certificate for our perusal? Why not release his college records? When people do not release info to squelch the fires of conspiracy... it flames them... and it makes people like me wonder.... which gets us labeled things like "birthers".
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=90447
I don't blame my wondering on WND and their many articles highlighting his supposed ineligibility. I blame it on the Dems and the President himself for not providing this info and quickly extinguishing the flames.
What concerns me far more, is America's "I don't care" attitude. So what if he isn't eligible.... So what if our constitution is ignored... so what if there are 20,000,000,000 in earmarks every year... so what if we are borrowing, for one stimulus, that we couldn't repay it if we paid 1,000,000 a day, every day, since Jesus was born. For those of you who cannot add... that is 1,000,000 a day for 745,000 days. So what if our elected officials, in both parties, promise one thing at election time, then fail to deliver, blaming the other party (We heard it with Pres. Bush and now with Pres. Obama..., sorry but I am still not seeing change.... except in my pocket... where dollars once lived.)
Why don't we Americans care anymore. I remember Pres. Obama, during the debates, stating that American didn't care about a mere 20,000,000,000 in pork/earmarks. It was such a small percentage of the total yearly budget. Yet when the auto industry asked to borrow less than that... America suddenly cared. I guess it is OK to give it away without question... but loaning it out... not so OK. Then again, at least America seemed to care with the auto industry. I will cling to that at least. I may not like their decision, but they seemed to have passion.
During the election, American seemed passionate about change... but now that Pres. Obama is in office... we just don't seem to care anymore.
The Octomom... another case of American not caring. I hear people screaming for CPS to take her babies. What she did makes me ill. But after parenting five children, who came from foster care..., I am not anxious to put these 8 babies thru that loss until it is necessary. My kids love our family and we love them. But the yearning they have for their lost siblings... lost grandparents... lost cousins...., no amount of love can make up for their losses. And who is going to adopt all 14 children... and let them have access to their bio family?
Right now, lots of families would jump thru hoops to adopt those sweet babies. They are adorable. But who is going to be there when they struggle as teens... when they end up making mistakes... when the juvenile courts refuse to take into consideration that the disruptions in their early life affected them and their ability to mature in a normal fashion. I can only speak for my own family... but no one. When our kids struggled, we were on our own in uncharted territory. We thought the system that moved our kids so carelessly... would help us heal the damage. Nope, the system seemed to think the damage should vanish the instant a new, stable home was provided.
I don't want to see these 14 children put thru what my own, very, very loved children have gone thru. I don't want their adoptive mother to one day find stories/poems they have written about their despair at having unknown siblings, relatives in photos that they don't know... a history lost. My daughter wrote an incredible poem to her little sister, adopted by another family. It broke my heart. Her pain at losing her sister was far greater than we had realized. Her fears for her sister... the unknowns. At the end, she wonders how many other siblings are out there that she doesn't know about.... and worries that they are not OK, not loved, not cared for.
I don't know what I believe about foster care and adoption anymore. I know I think it needs to be a chosen path, not a government forced one, unless the child's actual life is in jeopardy. This life or well being thing is for the birds.
Looking at my kids now... it is hard to say what would have been better for them in the long run. I can only love and raise them as best I can....
I do know... I don't have to like what Octomom did to want what is truly best for those children... and staying with their siblings, unless it truly endangers their lives, seems to me to be the best thing.
We Americans are so vocally opinionated.... when we are passionate about something, like Pres. Obama getting elected, or removing Octomom's babies from her care. But where are we months or years later.... it seems once we get what we want, we don't follow thru. We just don't care. I fear Octomom will lose her kids and I wonder, who will follow thru? Who will make sure they are really cared for and loved? Who will make sure they are kept in contact with their siblings? Sadly... I don't think anyone will. After all, that would take years and years of holding people accountable. Pres. Obama has been in office less than two months, and already, we are not holding him accountable.... we just don't care.
Oh I don't doubt it because of the many conspiracy theories.... I have not signed on any lists demanding proof. I have not called my congressmen. But I do wonder.... why... if he is eligible, doesn't he just release the real Birth Certificate for our perusal? Why not release his college records? When people do not release info to squelch the fires of conspiracy... it flames them... and it makes people like me wonder.... which gets us labeled things like "birthers".
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=90447
I don't blame my wondering on WND and their many articles highlighting his supposed ineligibility. I blame it on the Dems and the President himself for not providing this info and quickly extinguishing the flames.
What concerns me far more, is America's "I don't care" attitude. So what if he isn't eligible.... So what if our constitution is ignored... so what if there are 20,000,000,000 in earmarks every year... so what if we are borrowing, for one stimulus, that we couldn't repay it if we paid 1,000,000 a day, every day, since Jesus was born. For those of you who cannot add... that is 1,000,000 a day for 745,000 days. So what if our elected officials, in both parties, promise one thing at election time, then fail to deliver, blaming the other party (We heard it with Pres. Bush and now with Pres. Obama..., sorry but I am still not seeing change.... except in my pocket... where dollars once lived.)
Why don't we Americans care anymore. I remember Pres. Obama, during the debates, stating that American didn't care about a mere 20,000,000,000 in pork/earmarks. It was such a small percentage of the total yearly budget. Yet when the auto industry asked to borrow less than that... America suddenly cared. I guess it is OK to give it away without question... but loaning it out... not so OK. Then again, at least America seemed to care with the auto industry. I will cling to that at least. I may not like their decision, but they seemed to have passion.
During the election, American seemed passionate about change... but now that Pres. Obama is in office... we just don't seem to care anymore.
The Octomom... another case of American not caring. I hear people screaming for CPS to take her babies. What she did makes me ill. But after parenting five children, who came from foster care..., I am not anxious to put these 8 babies thru that loss until it is necessary. My kids love our family and we love them. But the yearning they have for their lost siblings... lost grandparents... lost cousins...., no amount of love can make up for their losses. And who is going to adopt all 14 children... and let them have access to their bio family?
Right now, lots of families would jump thru hoops to adopt those sweet babies. They are adorable. But who is going to be there when they struggle as teens... when they end up making mistakes... when the juvenile courts refuse to take into consideration that the disruptions in their early life affected them and their ability to mature in a normal fashion. I can only speak for my own family... but no one. When our kids struggled, we were on our own in uncharted territory. We thought the system that moved our kids so carelessly... would help us heal the damage. Nope, the system seemed to think the damage should vanish the instant a new, stable home was provided.
I don't want to see these 14 children put thru what my own, very, very loved children have gone thru. I don't want their adoptive mother to one day find stories/poems they have written about their despair at having unknown siblings, relatives in photos that they don't know... a history lost. My daughter wrote an incredible poem to her little sister, adopted by another family. It broke my heart. Her pain at losing her sister was far greater than we had realized. Her fears for her sister... the unknowns. At the end, she wonders how many other siblings are out there that she doesn't know about.... and worries that they are not OK, not loved, not cared for.
I don't know what I believe about foster care and adoption anymore. I know I think it needs to be a chosen path, not a government forced one, unless the child's actual life is in jeopardy. This life or well being thing is for the birds.
Looking at my kids now... it is hard to say what would have been better for them in the long run. I can only love and raise them as best I can....
I do know... I don't have to like what Octomom did to want what is truly best for those children... and staying with their siblings, unless it truly endangers their lives, seems to me to be the best thing.
We Americans are so vocally opinionated.... when we are passionate about something, like Pres. Obama getting elected, or removing Octomom's babies from her care. But where are we months or years later.... it seems once we get what we want, we don't follow thru. We just don't care. I fear Octomom will lose her kids and I wonder, who will follow thru? Who will make sure they are really cared for and loved? Who will make sure they are kept in contact with their siblings? Sadly... I don't think anyone will. After all, that would take years and years of holding people accountable. Pres. Obama has been in office less than two months, and already, we are not holding him accountable.... we just don't care.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
I'm not sick.....
I'm not sick. All I've got is a headache and a fever and a cold.....
For years my parents told this story about my older brother. He wanted to go somewhere with friends but Momma said he was too sick. He replied, very firmly, that he was not sick, all he had was a headache and a fever and a cold. My parents loved it so much, they turned it into a little ditty.... we younger kids would run around the house singing...
"I'm not sick. All I got is a headache and a fever and a cold" every time one of us got sick but wanted to go somewhere anyway.
Today, that someone was Boo. She and I have both been suffering from some sort of flu/cold monster. (round two... we had round one two weeks ago.... cold made it's way thru all the kids and back to us much stronger and vicious.)
Tonight is skate night (kids skate for 1.00). Boo wanted to go so badly. Too bad her fever was still 102. But Boo, being Boo stated she was not sick... not at all... all she had was "A sore brain, sore hands, sore feet, sore ribs, sick belly, sore throat, cheek that hurts, and a fever." Not sick at all.... bless her heart. Even as she argued, she was drowsily falling asleep. Granted she did eat today and her toilet trips were much fewer... she didn't cough that horrid hacking cough... so she is getting better... but no where near "not sick".
As she argued her points, I could vaguely hear children chanting, "I'm not sick. All I've got is a headache and a fever and a cold".
Too bad our parents didn't have video like we do today. Instead, the chanting song stays in our minds versus us sharing with the world.
Time for Mrs. Mommy to drug herself back into a peaceful slumber.... I hate colds/flu's....
For years my parents told this story about my older brother. He wanted to go somewhere with friends but Momma said he was too sick. He replied, very firmly, that he was not sick, all he had was a headache and a fever and a cold. My parents loved it so much, they turned it into a little ditty.... we younger kids would run around the house singing...
"I'm not sick. All I got is a headache and a fever and a cold" every time one of us got sick but wanted to go somewhere anyway.
Today, that someone was Boo. She and I have both been suffering from some sort of flu/cold monster. (round two... we had round one two weeks ago.... cold made it's way thru all the kids and back to us much stronger and vicious.)
Tonight is skate night (kids skate for 1.00). Boo wanted to go so badly. Too bad her fever was still 102. But Boo, being Boo stated she was not sick... not at all... all she had was "A sore brain, sore hands, sore feet, sore ribs, sick belly, sore throat, cheek that hurts, and a fever." Not sick at all.... bless her heart. Even as she argued, she was drowsily falling asleep. Granted she did eat today and her toilet trips were much fewer... she didn't cough that horrid hacking cough... so she is getting better... but no where near "not sick".
As she argued her points, I could vaguely hear children chanting, "I'm not sick. All I've got is a headache and a fever and a cold".
Too bad our parents didn't have video like we do today. Instead, the chanting song stays in our minds versus us sharing with the world.
Time for Mrs. Mommy to drug herself back into a peaceful slumber.... I hate colds/flu's....
anyone else tired of government budgets?
I am sick of both parties. I am sick of our elected officials telling us one thing, then voting on another.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/politico/20090227/pl_politico/19411_1
Even though I didn't vote for Pres. Obama, I must admit I had a hope he would actually follow thru on his promise of change.... no instead, the Dems seem to be blaming the Reps for all the earmarks in their first spending omnibus...
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iIg34ct-JZVW_v1Nx7Yg9GhIScqwD96LEJLG0
Wouldn't it have been nice to see them stand up and say "NO when we said Change, we meant Change".
Well the only change I see is the dollars I once had in my purse have been replaced with change in my pocket.
Why are both parties allowed to do this? It was one thing in Clinton's era, when everything was roses.... but now we are in a crisis and wasteful spending needs to stop and stop fast.
You know what I want our government to do? I want them to live by the rules they have set for the auto industry. After all, they have gone many, many more decades... not years but decades... without living within their means... than the auto industry has. They have been more irresponsible with their finances, than the auto industry has.
Now the US Government has figured out all the things wrong that the auto industry has done, and has forced them to change in order to get more money.
Please note, Mr. Dad works for the auto industry... or did... now he waits for unemployment... Anyway, please note, my views may be lopsided as a result of my family depending on income from the auto industry.
Well, before the US Government continues to take my grandchildren's money... I want them to live by the wise standards they have set for the auto industry.... including but not limited to...
1. a 50% cut in staff
2. The staff that is left takes a huge cut in benefits
3. Retirement more in line with common America - no golden retirement benefits
4. Across the board salary cuts (auto industry was suggest to drop 50%)
5. No company paid for retirement (Social security is it... no more PERS)
6. More co-pay insurance (we pay 100% for Dr. visits now... not sure how much higher our co-pay could be?)
If the government wants to continue to borrow from us... I think we have every right to ask, no demand, they be fisically responsible... and use their own blueprint... the one they gave the auto industry. Here is a list of some of the things the auto industry has given up recently. It doesn't include the hundreds of thousands of jobs lost in the past decade... or the salary and insurance benefits that were given up...
http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1864085,00.html
As Earl Pitts would say....."Wake up America.... those in glass houses should not throw rocks".
Maybe the Government should fix it's own house, before it starts fixing everyone elses.
I am waiting to see if Pres. Obama will hold Congress accountable for how they spend taxpayer money... as he promised with the stimulus.... after all... this omnibus is our tax money as well... and borrowed from our grandchildren as well... Maybe this Pres will impress me and put a stop to it... one can hope... but for some reason... I am not really expecting it to happen. It is much easier to go with the flow and make it look like all the problems are someone elses. It is much easier to throw rocks... than to clean one's own house.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/politico/20090227/pl_politico/19411_1
Even though I didn't vote for Pres. Obama, I must admit I had a hope he would actually follow thru on his promise of change.... no instead, the Dems seem to be blaming the Reps for all the earmarks in their first spending omnibus...
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iIg34ct-JZVW_v1Nx7Yg9GhIScqwD96LEJLG0
Wouldn't it have been nice to see them stand up and say "NO when we said Change, we meant Change".
Well the only change I see is the dollars I once had in my purse have been replaced with change in my pocket.
Why are both parties allowed to do this? It was one thing in Clinton's era, when everything was roses.... but now we are in a crisis and wasteful spending needs to stop and stop fast.
You know what I want our government to do? I want them to live by the rules they have set for the auto industry. After all, they have gone many, many more decades... not years but decades... without living within their means... than the auto industry has. They have been more irresponsible with their finances, than the auto industry has.
Now the US Government has figured out all the things wrong that the auto industry has done, and has forced them to change in order to get more money.
Please note, Mr. Dad works for the auto industry... or did... now he waits for unemployment... Anyway, please note, my views may be lopsided as a result of my family depending on income from the auto industry.
Well, before the US Government continues to take my grandchildren's money... I want them to live by the wise standards they have set for the auto industry.... including but not limited to...
1. a 50% cut in staff
2. The staff that is left takes a huge cut in benefits
3. Retirement more in line with common America - no golden retirement benefits
4. Across the board salary cuts (auto industry was suggest to drop 50%)
5. No company paid for retirement (Social security is it... no more PERS)
6. More co-pay insurance (we pay 100% for Dr. visits now... not sure how much higher our co-pay could be?)
If the government wants to continue to borrow from us... I think we have every right to ask, no demand, they be fisically responsible... and use their own blueprint... the one they gave the auto industry. Here is a list of some of the things the auto industry has given up recently. It doesn't include the hundreds of thousands of jobs lost in the past decade... or the salary and insurance benefits that were given up...
http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1864085,00.html
As Earl Pitts would say....."Wake up America.... those in glass houses should not throw rocks".
Maybe the Government should fix it's own house, before it starts fixing everyone elses.
I am waiting to see if Pres. Obama will hold Congress accountable for how they spend taxpayer money... as he promised with the stimulus.... after all... this omnibus is our tax money as well... and borrowed from our grandchildren as well... Maybe this Pres will impress me and put a stop to it... one can hope... but for some reason... I am not really expecting it to happen. It is much easier to go with the flow and make it look like all the problems are someone elses. It is much easier to throw rocks... than to clean one's own house.
A Great Loss.....
I am always sad when Icon's die. Today I read that Paul Harvey passed away.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090301/ap_on_en_ot/obit_harvey_10
I have loved "The rest of the story" for as long as I can remember. When we were young, my brother's and I would try to figure out who he was detailing... before the famous... "And now you know, the rest of the story".
We rarely solved the riddle.
My in-laws recently bought an Edenpure... because Paul Harvey recommended it. And they love it!!! I am seriously thinking about getting my parents one for Christmas next year. My poor parents are always cold. My In-Laws swear their house is warmer than it has ever been and their electric bill dropped dramatically. Their furnace is now set at 50 degrees and the Eden Pure does the rest. Supposedly using no more electricity than a coffee pot. Wow...
http://www.edenpurestore.com/
Anyway, they would never have believed the hype had it not come from Paul Harvey!!!!
Myself, today I received a bit of the rest of the story in the first link above. Reading that he died less than a year after his beloved wife, brought back memories of my own Great Grandparents... who likewise died less than a year apart, both in their nineties. I truly believe that sometimes, great loves like theirs, cannot survive without each other. With the US at 50% divorce rates, I wonder.... what has happened to these great loves.
We watched "Fireproof" last night. (rented for 1.00 for five nights, for those of you wondering how we afford to rent movies on unemployment)
http://www.fireproofthemovie.com/
What a great video. The acting was not the greatest. You could really tell who had acting experience (Kirk Cameron) and who didn't. But the message... it was stunning. You never leave your partner behind.... especially in a fire. So many marriages die during fires. One partner runs off and leaves the other. Yet for those who stay and fight to survive the fire... well one day, their grandchildren and great grandchildren get to tell stories told about their "Great Love". It wasn't that they had a "Fire less" Marriage... rather that they fought together during the fires and made sure their marriages survived those fires.
Paul Harvey.... Thank you for many years of great stories.... and for the last story of your own "Fireproof" marriage.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090301/ap_on_en_ot/obit_harvey_10
I have loved "The rest of the story" for as long as I can remember. When we were young, my brother's and I would try to figure out who he was detailing... before the famous... "And now you know, the rest of the story".
We rarely solved the riddle.
My in-laws recently bought an Edenpure... because Paul Harvey recommended it. And they love it!!! I am seriously thinking about getting my parents one for Christmas next year. My poor parents are always cold. My In-Laws swear their house is warmer than it has ever been and their electric bill dropped dramatically. Their furnace is now set at 50 degrees and the Eden Pure does the rest. Supposedly using no more electricity than a coffee pot. Wow...
http://www.edenpurestore.com/
Anyway, they would never have believed the hype had it not come from Paul Harvey!!!!
Myself, today I received a bit of the rest of the story in the first link above. Reading that he died less than a year after his beloved wife, brought back memories of my own Great Grandparents... who likewise died less than a year apart, both in their nineties. I truly believe that sometimes, great loves like theirs, cannot survive without each other. With the US at 50% divorce rates, I wonder.... what has happened to these great loves.
We watched "Fireproof" last night. (rented for 1.00 for five nights, for those of you wondering how we afford to rent movies on unemployment)
http://www.fireproofthemovie.com/
What a great video. The acting was not the greatest. You could really tell who had acting experience (Kirk Cameron) and who didn't. But the message... it was stunning. You never leave your partner behind.... especially in a fire. So many marriages die during fires. One partner runs off and leaves the other. Yet for those who stay and fight to survive the fire... well one day, their grandchildren and great grandchildren get to tell stories told about their "Great Love". It wasn't that they had a "Fire less" Marriage... rather that they fought together during the fires and made sure their marriages survived those fires.
Paul Harvey.... Thank you for many years of great stories.... and for the last story of your own "Fireproof" marriage.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
homeschooling and cheating....
Where there are kids and school, there inevitably will be cheating....
What is it that challenges children to find ways to cheat? Seriously, if my kids spent a fraction of the effort they put into cheating, into learning the material... they would master the topic.
Plus I am one of those evil Mom's, who makes a child re-do the entire year, when she discovers cheating on one assignment. No kidding. One child, Spanky, has had to re-do pre-Algebra two times this year... and I am still not sure he has learned his lesson. He is now behind in three other topics due to my discipline method (going back to the beginning). However, he is definitely learning his pre-algebra!!!
Now one might ask, what kind of homeschooling parent, can be manipulated by a child, twice, in one school year? How did he manage to cheat at homeschooling? Good questions!!! In one case, he took my teacher's answer book and copied the solutions. I caught him red handed. The second time, about four months after the first, he discovered that once I logged him into an online test, my password was saved automatically. The next time, he could sign in as me, jot down the answers, hide them, then ask me to log him into his test. I caught on after he scored perfectly on five tests in a row. Had he missed a few problems here and there, I probably would not have caught him. Little stinker.
And is it wrong for me to secretly be proud of his skills at deception? He did not argue either time about the punishment. He knew the rules and accepted his consequences.
I am a bit proud of him for finding creative ways to cheat. I just wish he would apply that creativity to his pre-algebra assignment.
Oh wishing and wondering.... punishing while grinning with pride inside.... been there... done that....
What is it that challenges children to find ways to cheat? Seriously, if my kids spent a fraction of the effort they put into cheating, into learning the material... they would master the topic.
Plus I am one of those evil Mom's, who makes a child re-do the entire year, when she discovers cheating on one assignment. No kidding. One child, Spanky, has had to re-do pre-Algebra two times this year... and I am still not sure he has learned his lesson. He is now behind in three other topics due to my discipline method (going back to the beginning). However, he is definitely learning his pre-algebra!!!
Now one might ask, what kind of homeschooling parent, can be manipulated by a child, twice, in one school year? How did he manage to cheat at homeschooling? Good questions!!! In one case, he took my teacher's answer book and copied the solutions. I caught him red handed. The second time, about four months after the first, he discovered that once I logged him into an online test, my password was saved automatically. The next time, he could sign in as me, jot down the answers, hide them, then ask me to log him into his test. I caught on after he scored perfectly on five tests in a row. Had he missed a few problems here and there, I probably would not have caught him. Little stinker.
And is it wrong for me to secretly be proud of his skills at deception? He did not argue either time about the punishment. He knew the rules and accepted his consequences.
I am a bit proud of him for finding creative ways to cheat. I just wish he would apply that creativity to his pre-algebra assignment.
Oh wishing and wondering.... punishing while grinning with pride inside.... been there... done that....
Monday, February 23, 2009
The Toothfairy is doing her part to cut back.... and she is psychic
Boo lost her first tooth on her own (without dentist assistance), the other night. She was incredibly excited. And the new tooth is already bursting thru, YEAH.
Most of our house has a bad cold, including Mrs. Mommy and Boo.
Long story short.... Boo woke up the next morning, came running to Mrs. Mommy, very upset.... The Tooth fairy had not come!!!!
Mrs. Mommy and Mr. Daddy were at first stunned. How could this have happened? Six children and this is the first time the Tooth Fairy missed a tooth.... Oh my. Never mind the cough medicine induced coma we both had the night before, LOL, we still should have woken to greet and let the tooth fairy in the house. How to explain this to Boo and still keep her childhood dreams alive?
Then it dawned on us.... the Tooth Fairy must be cutting back to help conserve energy, reduce pollution, global warming..... hey those fluttering wings have to put off some heat, right?
OK that was our story and we were sticking to it. Everyone is doing their part to cut back and save resources, everyone, including the Tooth fairy. We told her to put it back under her pillow and we bet that tonight... the Tooth Fairy would arrive. We bet the Tooth fairy was going to a four day work week, versus seven.
She bought it.
An hour later, she runs to us excited, Tooth #2 fell out. Mr. Daddy didn't miss a beat. The Tooth Fairy must have known this would happen and intended to exchange both teeth in one visit.
Boo was sure he was right and wasn't the Tooth Fairly awesome... simply amazingly awesome. She was Psychic, just like Raven.
Of course the Tooth Fairy did her job that night and all is well in our home again.
Shaking my head and accepting my memory is not what it once was... that exhaustion leaves me almost crippled in the evening... and realizing that once my head hits the pillow, I am dead to the world until morning... not good things where the Tooth Fairy is concerned.... Been there... Done that.
Most of our house has a bad cold, including Mrs. Mommy and Boo.
Long story short.... Boo woke up the next morning, came running to Mrs. Mommy, very upset.... The Tooth fairy had not come!!!!
Mrs. Mommy and Mr. Daddy were at first stunned. How could this have happened? Six children and this is the first time the Tooth Fairy missed a tooth.... Oh my. Never mind the cough medicine induced coma we both had the night before, LOL, we still should have woken to greet and let the tooth fairy in the house. How to explain this to Boo and still keep her childhood dreams alive?
Then it dawned on us.... the Tooth Fairy must be cutting back to help conserve energy, reduce pollution, global warming..... hey those fluttering wings have to put off some heat, right?
OK that was our story and we were sticking to it. Everyone is doing their part to cut back and save resources, everyone, including the Tooth fairy. We told her to put it back under her pillow and we bet that tonight... the Tooth Fairy would arrive. We bet the Tooth fairy was going to a four day work week, versus seven.
She bought it.
An hour later, she runs to us excited, Tooth #2 fell out. Mr. Daddy didn't miss a beat. The Tooth Fairy must have known this would happen and intended to exchange both teeth in one visit.
Boo was sure he was right and wasn't the Tooth Fairly awesome... simply amazingly awesome. She was Psychic, just like Raven.
Of course the Tooth Fairy did her job that night and all is well in our home again.
Shaking my head and accepting my memory is not what it once was... that exhaustion leaves me almost crippled in the evening... and realizing that once my head hits the pillow, I am dead to the world until morning... not good things where the Tooth Fairy is concerned.... Been there... Done that.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Would you kiss my forehead tonight?
Just when I think I have heard all the cute things possible from our six kids.... Boo surprises me with a new one.
Last night, as I kissed her forehead, after putting her to bed, she asked, "Mom, would you come back and kiss me again... on my forehead... after I am asleep? I like it when I dream you are kissing my forehead. It makes me dream good dreams, not scary dreams, all night long."
Of course I headed back into her room, an hour later, and kissed her sleepy forehead and her little hand reached up, in her sleep, to twirl my hair, before she turned over on her side and sighed in her deep sleep.
This morning, I was informed that her dreams were wonderful.
Ahhhh the sweetness of children.... I hope I remember these little things in my old age... the little giggles my children gave me.... and not just the stressful teen years. Please not just the stressful teen memories.
Just returning from a second night kissing a sleeping forehead. Been there.... Done that....
Last night, as I kissed her forehead, after putting her to bed, she asked, "Mom, would you come back and kiss me again... on my forehead... after I am asleep? I like it when I dream you are kissing my forehead. It makes me dream good dreams, not scary dreams, all night long."
Of course I headed back into her room, an hour later, and kissed her sleepy forehead and her little hand reached up, in her sleep, to twirl my hair, before she turned over on her side and sighed in her deep sleep.
This morning, I was informed that her dreams were wonderful.
Ahhhh the sweetness of children.... I hope I remember these little things in my old age... the little giggles my children gave me.... and not just the stressful teen years. Please not just the stressful teen memories.
Just returning from a second night kissing a sleeping forehead. Been there.... Done that....
Monday, February 16, 2009
A good month budgeting....
OK two unemployed people, whose salaries are cut more than half (unemployment and subpay making up about half our normal bring home pay). How do we survive? We hunker down. NO kidding, not only did we make do... we saved money. I couldn't believe it when I balanced the checkbook.... there was extra... and a good amount of extra.
Granted we cancelled extras... virtually all extras... though there are still a few that will still have to go if this lasts until unemployment ends.
We did our taxes and with six children, we are getting a great amount back. Between our cut backs, our tax refund, and our modest savings, I think we are going to weather this storm. Which is good since I learned our house has lost at least 50,000 in value in the past two years... YIPPIE.... Just what a person loves to hear. Good news, local real estate is moving again, moving slowly, but moving.
And I got a few good responses to my resume. No offers since I still want to work remotely. But enough to make me feel confident that once school is out, and I am willing to drive to work again... I can still get a job in a reasonable time. God is good. I think he knew I needed to feel confident again. What will I do with my struggling kids then? I am not sure but God will get us thru once again.... of that I am 100% sure.
I have never been unemployed until this year. Not once since I started working a week after turning 16. I don't like it.
Don't get me wrong, I appreciate the unemployment check... my kids all like eating. But I would rather be earning that check.
I am grateful the stimulus.... which for the most part I am against, OK I am very against a stimulus that equals over 1,000,000,000 yes that is 1 million dollars every day, every single day, since Jesus Christ was born. Why I am grateful... because worst case, it will give me extra time should I not find a job as quickly as I am hoping.... And it will give other people who were left to deal with Congress and Wall Street knowingly allowing us to be used/abused... then left unemployed. We, the workers, for the most part, just went to work and did our jobs each day. We followed the rules. We didn't give out unqualified loans, we didn't cover up the mistakes, we didn't create new accounting methods to hide problems. No we just showed up each day and worked. Now our mortgages, which we did qualify for... and still do... are in jeopardy if we cannot find jobs. We didn't buy more than we could afford... quite the opposite. We bought well beneath what we were told we could afford, and thank goodness we did. It is the only thing saving us now... that our house payment, taxes and insurance all total less than 600/mth. Yet I am just so content it is almost scary. My parents are worried... my siblings are worried... my friends are worried.... and Mr. Dad and I..... we just aren't. We spend more time worrying about others who do not have the resources we have, who had not bought less of a house than they could afford.... and worrying about those who already lost so much. The press wants it to look like only irresponsible people are losing it all... the press is wrong. I am tired, so tired, of both parties stating their opinion as hard core fact. I can't even listen to conservative shows anymore. I am sick of them supporting executives and their high bonuses, high salaries, and in the same breathe telling factory workers they need to take a pay cut or else.... Let's face it, the factory workers are not the ones who brought all this to fruition. They just went to work each day and did the work they were assigned.
I even read one article stating people like me were to blame.... people who did not live on credit. People who paid cash and only bought what they could afford were to blame for the economy collapsing and continuing to falter. It even said that the economy would continue it's decline until people like me started charging again. Oh my. Is it any wonder I can't listen to the news or read the press.
I still feel the need to stockpile food. It is becoming a consuming need. So far I keep it under control but I am serious when I say.... I think everyone should have a one year food supply built up. No I am not Mormon but friends of mine are.... and I think they have this right. You just never know when you will lose your job... and unemployment not be available due to state's going bankrupt or even our government going bankrupt. We are not a people who like to plan ahead for bad times.... and I think we need to change. We no longer grow our own food in our backyards. We no longer harvest and can our veggies for the year... preserve our fruits.... slaughter our cows... collect our own eggs. We are sooooo dependent.
I wish I was independent. I wish I had a wind turbine and would build a small one if I owned that dream farm. I wish I grew my own food. I wish I had my own fruit trees and plants. I wish I had my own milk cows and beef cattle. I want to gather my own eggs.
I hate being dependent and I don't use hate lightly. I hate needing gasoline. I hate needing electricity. Maybe I moved too close to the Amish, but you know what... they don't look worried. I don't think they even know there is a crisis going on. They just smile and wave. Their kids play ball in their yards. Yes maybe I moved a bit too close..... or maybe.... I am not quite close enough....
Pondering.... Pondering..... my dependencies and my desire for independence..... been there... doing that.
Oh Boo is now wanting to do some webcasts... just like I-Carly..... Hmmm... maybe I will help her do a short skit and post it here. Too cute... really too cute.
Granted we cancelled extras... virtually all extras... though there are still a few that will still have to go if this lasts until unemployment ends.
We did our taxes and with six children, we are getting a great amount back. Between our cut backs, our tax refund, and our modest savings, I think we are going to weather this storm. Which is good since I learned our house has lost at least 50,000 in value in the past two years... YIPPIE.... Just what a person loves to hear. Good news, local real estate is moving again, moving slowly, but moving.
And I got a few good responses to my resume. No offers since I still want to work remotely. But enough to make me feel confident that once school is out, and I am willing to drive to work again... I can still get a job in a reasonable time. God is good. I think he knew I needed to feel confident again. What will I do with my struggling kids then? I am not sure but God will get us thru once again.... of that I am 100% sure.
I have never been unemployed until this year. Not once since I started working a week after turning 16. I don't like it.
Don't get me wrong, I appreciate the unemployment check... my kids all like eating. But I would rather be earning that check.
I am grateful the stimulus.... which for the most part I am against, OK I am very against a stimulus that equals over 1,000,000,000 yes that is 1 million dollars every day, every single day, since Jesus Christ was born. Why I am grateful... because worst case, it will give me extra time should I not find a job as quickly as I am hoping.... And it will give other people who were left to deal with Congress and Wall Street knowingly allowing us to be used/abused... then left unemployed. We, the workers, for the most part, just went to work and did our jobs each day. We followed the rules. We didn't give out unqualified loans, we didn't cover up the mistakes, we didn't create new accounting methods to hide problems. No we just showed up each day and worked. Now our mortgages, which we did qualify for... and still do... are in jeopardy if we cannot find jobs. We didn't buy more than we could afford... quite the opposite. We bought well beneath what we were told we could afford, and thank goodness we did. It is the only thing saving us now... that our house payment, taxes and insurance all total less than 600/mth. Yet I am just so content it is almost scary. My parents are worried... my siblings are worried... my friends are worried.... and Mr. Dad and I..... we just aren't. We spend more time worrying about others who do not have the resources we have, who had not bought less of a house than they could afford.... and worrying about those who already lost so much. The press wants it to look like only irresponsible people are losing it all... the press is wrong. I am tired, so tired, of both parties stating their opinion as hard core fact. I can't even listen to conservative shows anymore. I am sick of them supporting executives and their high bonuses, high salaries, and in the same breathe telling factory workers they need to take a pay cut or else.... Let's face it, the factory workers are not the ones who brought all this to fruition. They just went to work each day and did the work they were assigned.
I even read one article stating people like me were to blame.... people who did not live on credit. People who paid cash and only bought what they could afford were to blame for the economy collapsing and continuing to falter. It even said that the economy would continue it's decline until people like me started charging again. Oh my. Is it any wonder I can't listen to the news or read the press.
I still feel the need to stockpile food. It is becoming a consuming need. So far I keep it under control but I am serious when I say.... I think everyone should have a one year food supply built up. No I am not Mormon but friends of mine are.... and I think they have this right. You just never know when you will lose your job... and unemployment not be available due to state's going bankrupt or even our government going bankrupt. We are not a people who like to plan ahead for bad times.... and I think we need to change. We no longer grow our own food in our backyards. We no longer harvest and can our veggies for the year... preserve our fruits.... slaughter our cows... collect our own eggs. We are sooooo dependent.
I wish I was independent. I wish I had a wind turbine and would build a small one if I owned that dream farm. I wish I grew my own food. I wish I had my own fruit trees and plants. I wish I had my own milk cows and beef cattle. I want to gather my own eggs.
I hate being dependent and I don't use hate lightly. I hate needing gasoline. I hate needing electricity. Maybe I moved too close to the Amish, but you know what... they don't look worried. I don't think they even know there is a crisis going on. They just smile and wave. Their kids play ball in their yards. Yes maybe I moved a bit too close..... or maybe.... I am not quite close enough....
Pondering.... Pondering..... my dependencies and my desire for independence..... been there... doing that.
Oh Boo is now wanting to do some webcasts... just like I-Carly..... Hmmm... maybe I will help her do a short skit and post it here. Too cute... really too cute.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Tougher times... are they ahead or behind?
OK I know the Press is really pounding how horrid the times are. And to be honest, I have anxiety attacks as I sit here, wondering when I will work again.... looking at the six faces depending on me to provide....
But and this is a huge but....
60 years ago... My uncle was living with his brothers and mom in the woods, living off grass soup. This same Uncle is now a Pastor in New Richmond Ohio and married my husband and myself 23 years ago. I love him dearly. To hear this man talk about tough times truly makes me feel shame... that I mourn things like my little Sprint Internet card.... or buying my kids every little thing they think they must have. I am mourning my lost organic foods.... while he once lived off the soup from boiling grass and begging people for their bones so his mom could boil broth. I should be ashamed. Back four or five years ago, when I was complaining about politics and leaders... he said, "You are forgetting how great we have it today. Look at all the food left on plates in your home. Remember you had food on your plate today. Remember you had a plate to put your food on". He went on and talked about the really tough times he has endured. My tough times do not compare, at least not yet.
60 years ago.... My mother was given to relatives to feed/clothe as was her older sister. Not because they were not loved and wanted... but they were young, female... and living a homeless life was not safe. Now the relatives she was given too were also very poor. They lived in small, made by hand homes. My grandfather built the small houses himself. The entire house would fit in our family room. No electricity, no plumbing.... three small rooms. None bigger than hallways. Room for a bed and not much more. Outhouses out back... you get the idea. But there was shelter and there was food. Much more than my uncles received.
50 years ago.... My uncle held his mother, on the steps of the hospital that refused to admit the homeless woman... as she died from cancer. He and his brothers continued to live on their own... without shelter... without guardians. Two became preachers... one became an alcoholic. All were great men who survived the things that make great movies... the things that should fill our American History books. People who survive. People who persevere. People who love and appreciate.
100ish years ago... My grandmother was orphaned when her mother died and then her maternal grandmother. Even though her wealthy father was alive, he chose to allow her to go into an orphanage to live. Her name, ironically, was Annie... a real Orphan Annie. Her story is so sad. Her life was one struggle after another. Children and Grandchildren dying. Truly knowing starvation. Her children never experienced Christmas.... My Dad was one of those children.
40 years ago.... My cousin died due to food poisoning. Her parents were starving, as were their children. They had canned food over the summer.... and even though one jar didn't appear sealed perfectly, they ate it due to immense hunger. She died. I can't imagine being so hungry that I would feed my children food that might be spoiled. My poor aunt.... she died years ago. A sweet, sweet woman who survived watching her children die, one from food poison, one from cancer.
40 years ago.... My Dad was working 3 jobs to support his family. We lived in a 700 sq ft house in a poor neighborhood. We kids had no clue we were poor. We had soup beans and cornbread at least three times a week. Hamburgers were breaded to make the meat go further. Meatloaf... same thing. Fried bologna was a staple. Desserts were homemade from berries we picked ourselves. During berry season, our little arms were scratched to pieces from berry picking. Mom made jams and preserves and canned them and made incredible pies and desserts. We didn't wear shoes all summer and loved it.
35 years ago.... I lived in a house without hot water. We heated it on a stove and poured it into a bathtub for baths. We did not have a good heat source... sometimes kerosene stoves were our only source. We often had a disconnected phone. We had never had a new car and our old ones often broke down. We piled the entire family in one car... on top of each other... and sometimes a hunting dog or two.
35 years ago.... I lost my bed when my sister started college. She needed privacy. My parents were so proud that one of their children was getting a college education. So I slept in a small bed in my parents room or on the couch. There was no way they could pay for my sister to live on campus and she had to study... thus... out with the young, bratty little me. Yet I don't remember minding. Who really cared where they slept? I, like my parents, was so happy my sister was getting to go to college.
30 years ago... My mom followed my sister and went to college. She earned her nursing degree. Oh did I mention she had to get a driver's license first.... Yes sir... she had never had a driver's license. She laughs that the tester told her she flunked and flunked bad... but he was passing her because she would never learn to drive unless she had a license. WHAT?.?. But thank goodness he did. She is in her seventies and still working!!!!
27 years ago... my great grandparents moved into their first house with electricity... with running water... with air conditioning. It had a toilet and sink. It did not have a bathtub or shower. Baths were still taken in old metal tub/bins/basins. And they were never happy in this house. They watched their children and grandchildren die.... My Great Grandfather soon died. My poor sweet Grandmother cried as she told me, "It was my yearning for more, more than I needed, like this electricity, like this running water. I should have been content. As long as I was content, we were blessed. When I wanted more, when I got more... the bad times came". How many times have we heard this same thing from lottery winners? That the bad times started, when they won the money. The good times... those were there when the money wasn't. Yet I still yearn for more, like my dream farm.... one would think I would have learned from my Grandmother....
23 years ago.... I married and started my married life with a washer and dryer, microwave, TV with cable.... two new cars.... my parents still did not have a washer/dryer/microwave. Their TV had an antenna and they still jiggled the knobs to get stations in better.... Hangers attached to the back helped too. We started our marriage with more than our parents had after raising most of their children.
10 years ago.... My husband became debt wise and started paying off our debts... stopped buying new cars.... things my parents had pushed at us for years. Debt is prison... it turns you into a slave. My parents are still debt free. Other than a small mortgage.... we are too.
I don't know people..... I just can't bring myself to call this the next Great Depression. Tough times, yes.... impossible times.... God willing, we will never see the tough times my ancestors survived.
But and this is a huge but....
60 years ago... My uncle was living with his brothers and mom in the woods, living off grass soup. This same Uncle is now a Pastor in New Richmond Ohio and married my husband and myself 23 years ago. I love him dearly. To hear this man talk about tough times truly makes me feel shame... that I mourn things like my little Sprint Internet card.... or buying my kids every little thing they think they must have. I am mourning my lost organic foods.... while he once lived off the soup from boiling grass and begging people for their bones so his mom could boil broth. I should be ashamed. Back four or five years ago, when I was complaining about politics and leaders... he said, "You are forgetting how great we have it today. Look at all the food left on plates in your home. Remember you had food on your plate today. Remember you had a plate to put your food on". He went on and talked about the really tough times he has endured. My tough times do not compare, at least not yet.
60 years ago.... My mother was given to relatives to feed/clothe as was her older sister. Not because they were not loved and wanted... but they were young, female... and living a homeless life was not safe. Now the relatives she was given too were also very poor. They lived in small, made by hand homes. My grandfather built the small houses himself. The entire house would fit in our family room. No electricity, no plumbing.... three small rooms. None bigger than hallways. Room for a bed and not much more. Outhouses out back... you get the idea. But there was shelter and there was food. Much more than my uncles received.
50 years ago.... My uncle held his mother, on the steps of the hospital that refused to admit the homeless woman... as she died from cancer. He and his brothers continued to live on their own... without shelter... without guardians. Two became preachers... one became an alcoholic. All were great men who survived the things that make great movies... the things that should fill our American History books. People who survive. People who persevere. People who love and appreciate.
100ish years ago... My grandmother was orphaned when her mother died and then her maternal grandmother. Even though her wealthy father was alive, he chose to allow her to go into an orphanage to live. Her name, ironically, was Annie... a real Orphan Annie. Her story is so sad. Her life was one struggle after another. Children and Grandchildren dying. Truly knowing starvation. Her children never experienced Christmas.... My Dad was one of those children.
40 years ago.... My cousin died due to food poisoning. Her parents were starving, as were their children. They had canned food over the summer.... and even though one jar didn't appear sealed perfectly, they ate it due to immense hunger. She died. I can't imagine being so hungry that I would feed my children food that might be spoiled. My poor aunt.... she died years ago. A sweet, sweet woman who survived watching her children die, one from food poison, one from cancer.
40 years ago.... My Dad was working 3 jobs to support his family. We lived in a 700 sq ft house in a poor neighborhood. We kids had no clue we were poor. We had soup beans and cornbread at least three times a week. Hamburgers were breaded to make the meat go further. Meatloaf... same thing. Fried bologna was a staple. Desserts were homemade from berries we picked ourselves. During berry season, our little arms were scratched to pieces from berry picking. Mom made jams and preserves and canned them and made incredible pies and desserts. We didn't wear shoes all summer and loved it.
35 years ago.... I lived in a house without hot water. We heated it on a stove and poured it into a bathtub for baths. We did not have a good heat source... sometimes kerosene stoves were our only source. We often had a disconnected phone. We had never had a new car and our old ones often broke down. We piled the entire family in one car... on top of each other... and sometimes a hunting dog or two.
35 years ago.... I lost my bed when my sister started college. She needed privacy. My parents were so proud that one of their children was getting a college education. So I slept in a small bed in my parents room or on the couch. There was no way they could pay for my sister to live on campus and she had to study... thus... out with the young, bratty little me. Yet I don't remember minding. Who really cared where they slept? I, like my parents, was so happy my sister was getting to go to college.
30 years ago... My mom followed my sister and went to college. She earned her nursing degree. Oh did I mention she had to get a driver's license first.... Yes sir... she had never had a driver's license. She laughs that the tester told her she flunked and flunked bad... but he was passing her because she would never learn to drive unless she had a license. WHAT?.?. But thank goodness he did. She is in her seventies and still working!!!!
27 years ago... my great grandparents moved into their first house with electricity... with running water... with air conditioning. It had a toilet and sink. It did not have a bathtub or shower. Baths were still taken in old metal tub/bins/basins. And they were never happy in this house. They watched their children and grandchildren die.... My Great Grandfather soon died. My poor sweet Grandmother cried as she told me, "It was my yearning for more, more than I needed, like this electricity, like this running water. I should have been content. As long as I was content, we were blessed. When I wanted more, when I got more... the bad times came". How many times have we heard this same thing from lottery winners? That the bad times started, when they won the money. The good times... those were there when the money wasn't. Yet I still yearn for more, like my dream farm.... one would think I would have learned from my Grandmother....
23 years ago.... I married and started my married life with a washer and dryer, microwave, TV with cable.... two new cars.... my parents still did not have a washer/dryer/microwave. Their TV had an antenna and they still jiggled the knobs to get stations in better.... Hangers attached to the back helped too. We started our marriage with more than our parents had after raising most of their children.
10 years ago.... My husband became debt wise and started paying off our debts... stopped buying new cars.... things my parents had pushed at us for years. Debt is prison... it turns you into a slave. My parents are still debt free. Other than a small mortgage.... we are too.
Today.... My children have so much. Not as much as their friends and cousins... but so much non the less. I have so much.
Honestly, we have clothing, we have food, we have electricity.... and the above stories were not the great depression!!!! They were well after the depression. My great grandparents survived the depression and told me many stories about it. One thing I remembered is they never, ever wasted food. They cooked every organ and every piece, including the heads, of the animals they slaughtered. As a child, I thought it was gross. As an adult, I admire them for learning from their tough times. They never, ever, ever had debt.
I still have it better than my family did... better than I did as a child. My children have it better. One sits here playing his Nintendo DS... two more watching American Idol... belly's full. Dinner was roast (yes a very inexpensive cut, but still good), mashed potatoes, broccoli/caul, carrots.... it was yummy. One is doing homework, another reading a book.... one out with friends. All have warm clothing... all have their own rooms... all have their own beds. Four vehicles, all working, sit in our driveway (granted they all are 10 years old with 200,000 plus miles... but they run and that is what counts).
So even though we are in a tough time... it isn't the toughest time... it is no where close to the great depression.... at least not based on my own family history.
So today, I vow to be grateful for all God has provided and for all the things he will continue to provide. I will search for a job. I will cook hot meals. I will search for jobs again. I will homeschool my kids. I will search for jobs again.
Tough times.... YES... horrible times.... no... we are Blessed.
Praise the Lord, I have it good. Praise the Lord we have food, shelter, automobiles, health.... We have two refrigerators full of food, a freezer full of food. WE have friends and family. My Dad and Mom have both survived Cancer. They are sitting there waiting for any of their children or grandchildren to move in, should times get tougher.
I don't know people..... I just can't bring myself to call this the next Great Depression. Tough times, yes.... impossible times.... God willing, we will never see the tough times my ancestors survived.
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Times are tough
OK I vanished again.... things got tough. I was temporarily laid off all of December due to budget issues. Mr. Dad was laid off the end of December. I went back to work Jan 1.... only to get laid off permenantly Jan 31. Mr. Dad is going back to work tomorrow, but who knows how long.
Nothing like trying to feed a family of eight on unemployment benefits. OK to be honest, it isn't that bad. We have some money and we have almost no debt. We owe less than a 60,000 on our home. Our payment is less than most people's rent. We drive clunkers that have been paid for.... many years ago. As long as their rust holds.... we are good.
But we are cutting back. I did away with my work internet connection. We still have the kids school internet and I borrow it as needed. We cut our cell phones back to the basics. TV will go next. Kids activities that cost money are going. We are hunkering down.
I am re-writing the old resume.
Hoping God blesses me with some consulting work that I can do from home. I really don't care what field it is in.... as long as I can do it here. Our kids have some pretty unique special needs. They really cannot be left home alone. While they are legally old enough.... they are not mature enough. They are too old for any type of child care. And who can you hire to babysit you kids... age 13-18? It leaves us in a tough spot. We just love our kids so much and dag nabbit.... they need their parents still. Their therapist assures us they will be normal adults one day. That their brains are just behind developmentally.... due to their years in foster care... but that by 22 or so... they will be caught up enough to get by without our supervision. But right now... they need us or one of us... home when they get home from school.
Hmmmm.... wonder if their is a government program for families like ours, LOL. Somehow I doubt it.
So those of you who pray... please pray that God blesses us... that he blesses us indeed.
What is really sad is my dream house is for sale. And the price is less than what we paid for this house. It has 20 acres. It has big barns. It has fenced fields. It has a six bedroom house. It has a smaller guest house our older teens could use until they mature enough to be on their own. I could grow my own organic garden.... we could milk our own cow and stop paying for raw milk. We could raise our own grass fed beef each year. Our eldest son knows how to butcher a cow. We could raise our own free range chickens.
WE could still be organic... and survive without my income. If we could just sell this house... oh and if my husband's job doesn't end.
I have been storing food for a year now. I just feel an almost compulsion to stockpile food. I wish I had stored more.
We are eating simple food now.... including soup beans and corn bread. Lots of noodle dishes. Lots of egg dishes.
I am dieting for potential job interviews. YUK.
And I worry about those who have it worse than us... who were not out of debt.... who do not have family they can depend on... who do not have options.
We are so blessed.
Times are sad.. yet blessings abound. I want to write more about my perspective on bad times.... just need to find time.
Homeschooling is going great. One child cheated and is now doing my version of punishment.... repeating every test since day one. He is almost back to where he was when he decided to cheat. Goodness.... will my boys ever learn.
Boo is reading like a champ and only struggling in Math. I wonder if I expect too much... or the program does... She is a young first grader with a summer birthday. Money just bewilders her... as does counting backwards. Time and calendars are OK, but not if you ask tricky questions and some of the homeschooling material is very tricky. We are getting there, but it is a lot of stressful work. It will click. Reading was tough for her in the beginning too.... yet everyday, she is reading faster and even putting emphasis on words. Her questions are sounding like questions and she loves reading sentences ending in exclamation marks. It is so cute to watch.
Anyway... that is our update. Back to working on that ole resume.... Anyone out there need a good EDI Coordinator with about 15 years experience in EDI and E-Commerce? Ideally, I would love to map from home. I am a really good coder. The past 2.5 years, I have been a temp for my old employer (quit after 10 plus years due to husband's job relocating us). Unfortunately, they cut 10% of their workforce and could not justify keeping a temp, while letting full time workers go.... I agree. They have been a great company. I can't complain at all!!!!! Prior to being a temp, I worked over 10 years as their EC Coordinator using Oracle and Gentran. Prior to that job, I was an EDI Specialist for five years. I am happy mapping. I like mapping. I like making tough maps work. I like solving problems that seem unsolvable. And I like doing it from home, LOL. Truly, living this far out in the middle of nowhere.... it would be very hard to drive anywhere for a job. I can't imagine the gas bill.
OK enough worry and whine..... I put it in God's hands and I am going to do my part... getting the resume in some head hunter's hands... and seeing what happens.
Pray for us.... That we don't try to take control and mess things up.
Hunkering down for hard times... been there... done that.... doing it now.
Nothing like trying to feed a family of eight on unemployment benefits. OK to be honest, it isn't that bad. We have some money and we have almost no debt. We owe less than a 60,000 on our home. Our payment is less than most people's rent. We drive clunkers that have been paid for.... many years ago. As long as their rust holds.... we are good.
But we are cutting back. I did away with my work internet connection. We still have the kids school internet and I borrow it as needed. We cut our cell phones back to the basics. TV will go next. Kids activities that cost money are going. We are hunkering down.
I am re-writing the old resume.
Hoping God blesses me with some consulting work that I can do from home. I really don't care what field it is in.... as long as I can do it here. Our kids have some pretty unique special needs. They really cannot be left home alone. While they are legally old enough.... they are not mature enough. They are too old for any type of child care. And who can you hire to babysit you kids... age 13-18? It leaves us in a tough spot. We just love our kids so much and dag nabbit.... they need their parents still. Their therapist assures us they will be normal adults one day. That their brains are just behind developmentally.... due to their years in foster care... but that by 22 or so... they will be caught up enough to get by without our supervision. But right now... they need us or one of us... home when they get home from school.
Hmmmm.... wonder if their is a government program for families like ours, LOL. Somehow I doubt it.
So those of you who pray... please pray that God blesses us... that he blesses us indeed.
What is really sad is my dream house is for sale. And the price is less than what we paid for this house. It has 20 acres. It has big barns. It has fenced fields. It has a six bedroom house. It has a smaller guest house our older teens could use until they mature enough to be on their own. I could grow my own organic garden.... we could milk our own cow and stop paying for raw milk. We could raise our own grass fed beef each year. Our eldest son knows how to butcher a cow. We could raise our own free range chickens.
WE could still be organic... and survive without my income. If we could just sell this house... oh and if my husband's job doesn't end.
I have been storing food for a year now. I just feel an almost compulsion to stockpile food. I wish I had stored more.
We are eating simple food now.... including soup beans and corn bread. Lots of noodle dishes. Lots of egg dishes.
I am dieting for potential job interviews. YUK.
And I worry about those who have it worse than us... who were not out of debt.... who do not have family they can depend on... who do not have options.
We are so blessed.
Times are sad.. yet blessings abound. I want to write more about my perspective on bad times.... just need to find time.
Homeschooling is going great. One child cheated and is now doing my version of punishment.... repeating every test since day one. He is almost back to where he was when he decided to cheat. Goodness.... will my boys ever learn.
Boo is reading like a champ and only struggling in Math. I wonder if I expect too much... or the program does... She is a young first grader with a summer birthday. Money just bewilders her... as does counting backwards. Time and calendars are OK, but not if you ask tricky questions and some of the homeschooling material is very tricky. We are getting there, but it is a lot of stressful work. It will click. Reading was tough for her in the beginning too.... yet everyday, she is reading faster and even putting emphasis on words. Her questions are sounding like questions and she loves reading sentences ending in exclamation marks. It is so cute to watch.
Anyway... that is our update. Back to working on that ole resume.... Anyone out there need a good EDI Coordinator with about 15 years experience in EDI and E-Commerce? Ideally, I would love to map from home. I am a really good coder. The past 2.5 years, I have been a temp for my old employer (quit after 10 plus years due to husband's job relocating us). Unfortunately, they cut 10% of their workforce and could not justify keeping a temp, while letting full time workers go.... I agree. They have been a great company. I can't complain at all!!!!! Prior to being a temp, I worked over 10 years as their EC Coordinator using Oracle and Gentran. Prior to that job, I was an EDI Specialist for five years. I am happy mapping. I like mapping. I like making tough maps work. I like solving problems that seem unsolvable. And I like doing it from home, LOL. Truly, living this far out in the middle of nowhere.... it would be very hard to drive anywhere for a job. I can't imagine the gas bill.
OK enough worry and whine..... I put it in God's hands and I am going to do my part... getting the resume in some head hunter's hands... and seeing what happens.
Pray for us.... That we don't try to take control and mess things up.
Hunkering down for hard times... been there... done that.... doing it now.
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