| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| corabela |
Posted - Nov 07 2009 : 2:55:00 PM
Resourcefulness. What can be said about it? It's what Saturday is supposed to be all about, on my blog. Saturday's theme is resourcefulness. It's what the past nine months of my life have been all about, really. While I don't have a nice, neat little story to relate and then wrap up with a nice sentimental "moral of the story", I do have some things to say about how I've come to understand resourcefulness.
After high school, I jumped right into a guaranteed paycheck and yearly raise with military service. I stuck with that gig for six years, during which I frivolously frittered away the bucket loads of money I was making. Towards the end I made a serious mistake. I enrolled in college, got hooked up with student loans, and saved all the tuition assistance I received from the GI Bill, with plans to use it to pay the loans after graduation. Well, I was honorably discharged in July and dreadfully unemployed until December, right after I graduated. Those six months of unemployment drained every bit of savings from that GI Bill and now my unpaid student loans have gathered $3000 of interest that's been tacked on. That's right...I haven't been able to pay on them regularly for about five years now. That bachelors degree isn't worth a pile of beans. In my last job, it provided me with a whole .02 per hour more than my unschooled coworkers.
Every now and then, usually after I've just renewed my forebearance, I think to myself "I really wish I would've lived more cheaply and wisely during that unemployed six months. I wish I would have been able to use that money to pay the loans off". I could have avoided the cascading financial mess.
The next time I found myself unemployed, I was unable to pay my mortgage on my newly purchased house so I moved out and a renter moved in. That was in 2007 and now he can no longer afford to live there either. In a desperate attempt to preserve my credit, I contacted a Realtor only to find I'm seriously upside down on the house and have to do something called a "short sale" which leaves me at the mercy of a mortgage company and puts me in a generally unpleasant, stressful situation. Now I just need to find a buyer and we can commence negotiations. What will come of that is still up in the air.
The most recent bout of unemployment saw me canceling the cable, canceling Netflix, and unplugging the dryer in favor of a good old clothesline. I sold my car to get out of payments and ceased all purchasing of anything other than food, soapmaking supplies, and spare linens at $1 a piece at Goodwill for my aprons. Meanwhile, my husband is paying all the bills and grabbing parts here and there for the Diesel VW Golf he's rebuilding for me. Obviously, money was very, very tight. And still no employment. Soon after, FEMA rezoned the property my rental house was on and demanded flood insurance...a year's worth right up front.
Then, in a horrible train wreck of a disaster, the unemployment agency informed me that they'd accidentally paid me $5500 in benefits that needed to be repaid within 45 days or else... a threat of jail time. That unemployment check was groceries. Now that was gone. My mother-in-law saved my precious sanity by loaning me the money to repay the unemployment agency...my saving grace. I'd rather not owe that much to anyone at all, but I'd rather owe it to someone I love, and someone who loves me, rather than the government. Plus, I didn't want to go to jail.
So what did I do then? In addition to the dryer, I unplugged EVERYTHING while not in use. I started buying flour and rice in 50 pound bags, and beans in 10 pound bags. No more soda or juice...just bulk tea bags and lots of iced tea or water. We canned the tomatoes from our garden and the corn a friend gave us from his garden. We dried everything else we could in a borrowed food dehydrator and stopped buying our weekly treats of imported beer and ice cream once a week. I made cookies instead. We wasted nothing. Every scrap of leftover was eaten, always. (We've eaten A LOT of soup and bread!) All our meat comes from a local organic farm (Fox Hollow Farm) at extremely reasonable prices. The farm offers everything from Filet Mignon to Lamb Kabob meat but I stick with cheapest...ground beef, whole chickens, and eggs. I learned how to use every single piece of meat on a whole chicken. I learned how to plan a menu of 21 meals, using all leftover ingredients for other meals. My shopping lists include only what I need for those 21 meals and that's it. I don't buy convenience foods. I make them. Crackers, cookies, breakfast bars, ketchup, salad dressings, soup stocks, breads...you name it, I have a recipe for it.
We haven't bought shampoo or conditioner in months. Our back-stock of borax and vinegar took their place. (Really, it's not as bad as it sounds. Seems to work better, anyway.) Same thing with cleaning products. I make all of them with these ingredients: vinegar, borax, baking soda, lemons, essential oils. (EXCEPT, I still buy Barkeepers Friend, the BEST cleaning product ever invented, at less than $1). When my year's supply of contact lenses ran out, I started wearing glasses for the first time in fifteen years. And I started taking every odd job that anyone offered. I've packed moving boxes, cleaned houses, watched cats, bathed dogs, and at the moment I have two custom soap orders, 5 custom apron orders, and one outsourced felted pumpkin project. More cleaning and possibly bread-making projects are also in the works.
It has been overwhelming, exhausting, and stressful to say the least. Nearly a year of this nonsense has proved to be an absurd life situation but at the same time, cannot be dismissed as useless. It seems all throughout the years of tough financial times, I've been being nudged closer and closer to learning the real meaning of resourcefulness. Of course it means sacrificing cable television and that Western convenience we call entertainment. It means sacrificing a lot, if need be. It means tossing out the American consumer mania mentality and making do with what you have. And it means using what you have wisely. But it's more than that. If the definition stopped there, we may as well make poverty a synonym. But resourcefulness also means innovation, ingenuity, and above all, gratitude and joy. Without those key ingredients, we could never reach the state of mind necessary for contentment and growth.
Nine months have passed since everything started going downhill, but the dust has finally settled enough for me to see a new perspective. The reason I started this blog, and the reason I started selling aprons and soap on my etsy shop, is not just for money. Learning the meaning of resourcefulness...learning to create the innovation and the gratitude... has led me toward what I really want to do with my life. I want a cozy, handmade life and a loving family. I want to make handmade beautiful and useful things for others; and I want to inspire others to recognize the true value of home.
How simple. Part of me thinks...if only I'd known what I wanted from life from the very beginning. But then I think...nah. I would have missed all this....
~Corabela
Please stop by my blog and my etsy site...let me know what you think. : )
www.corabela.blogspot.com
www.corabela.etsy.com |
| 25 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| AliciaNak |
Posted - Apr 20 2010 : 07:27:36 AM
Hooray Angela! Chickens are so fun, and addictive! Sounds like you are getting big girls? Or at least not day old chicks? You'll have eggs in no time. With 6 of my girls in lay right now I get 5-6 eggs a day. I think on the days that I don't have 6 in the hay or nest boxes that the one hen (not sure who she is yet) is laughing. "Haha! Find it today lady!" lol
They really do make good pets too. Spend enough time with em and they'll be hanging out with you in no time. My girls love to join us on the deck for a little snack and "chat".
Honestly, with the cost of feed alone, you won't be saving money on eggs. But you sure can't beat the quality! You'll never want to go back to store bought eggs again!
And a good place to go for any question related to chickens (or other barnyard fowl) is backyardchickens.com. Lots of very knowledgeable people when it comes to birds. They helped me as a newbie immensely.
Good Luck!
Alicia
Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.~Ralph Waldo Emmerson
www.blondenak.blogspot.com
www.artfire.com/users/BlondeNakCreations |
| natesgirl |
Posted - Apr 19 2010 : 09:55:38 AM
We are trying to scrounge up the fencing for the coop. It's a little slower going than the wood was. We had a friend offer us three chickens that his daughter had and doesn't want anymore. They are giving us the little pen they used for them to use until we get ours done. My DH told them it could be this winter and they said it didn't matter. Yea!!!! Chickens!!!!
God - Gardening - Family - Is anything else important? |
| graciegreeneyes |
Posted - Apr 09 2010 : 6:28:21 PM
Cool Angela - you will love chickens!! And people are sooo into handmade right now, it's the perfect time to do it.
Good luck with the house situation Laura, and thank the lord for reliable vehicles!!
My husband is finally back to work and on the same page as me as far as getting the debts paid and using any extra money to do things for the house - this is a first so I am very excited. It will take a bit to get caught up but then nothing will stand in my way.
Farmgirl #224
"use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without"
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| corabela |
Posted - Apr 09 2010 : 1:49:13 PM
Yay! Chickens! I'm so happy for you (and jealous), Angela. I've been wanting some for a good long while now.
You know, there's a whole craft movement devoted to upcycling things. For example, you could take items you no longer need (bottle caps, old linens, etc) and make them into something crafty. I'm not exactly the craftiest girl in the world but I do buy old linens and mens shirts from our local goodwill when they have sales, and then make aprons from them. Looking on etsy can maybe provide some inspiration. Make treasure from trash. : )
~Laura
Please stop by my blog and my etsy site and say hello : )
www.corabela.blogspot.com
www.corabela.etsy.com |
| natesgirl |
Posted - Apr 08 2010 : 11:52:51 PM
I am going to post a note in the church bulletin and ask my friend to ppost one in hers as well. It's a great idea! I think I could sell some of my jellies maybe and a little produce as well. I am going to see about bulk items at the sam's club we shop at. I have a membership there and it gets renewed every year. It's an ongoing gift from my mom. I'm not sure if I can make anything else to sell. I love doing beadwork and used to sell it as a teenager at the muzzleloader shoot and fleamarket every year. I bet I still could do that. Maybe I could sell some online as well. I told my hubby that my math worked out to where we could feed the chickens and get the eggs we need and break even on the feed at 12 chickens. We could sell eggs and have fryers to come out ahead with 18 he said he would start on the coop this weekend if the garden was all put out. I get chickens! Yea!
God - Gardening - Family - Is anything else important? |
| corabela |
Posted - Apr 08 2010 : 7:16:50 PM
Diane, you sound like you're just as happy as can be. : ) It's so good to hear you were able to quit your stressful job. And it's funny, isn't it? How much more you spend on convenience items when you're not at home to make them yourself? Having a job can be expensive...especially if you're a mother of little ones who need daycare. And congratulations on being so close to debt free! That is fantastic!
Judy, both of the cars are working for the moment! : ) In fact, my good little car helped me narrowly escape a head on collision the other day. It was quite frightening and I was pretty shaken up but it was like something took over and got me out of the way. (Thank you God, thank you car, thank you universe!) I'm still researching what to do with the house situation at the end of them month and I'm considering dropping the price by $25k just to get rid of it, as long as I can coerce the banks to do such a short sale. It seems that would be the best option for me so far. Other options are bankruptcy, foreclosure, deed-in-lieu-of-foreclosure, etc. All of those involve a lot of complicated nonsense. Well...it all does really. But the short sale would resolve the matter more quickly and finally. I'm going to work on visualizing it working out perfectly. : ) How are you doing Judy? Enjoying the beautiful springtime?
~Laura
Please stop by my blog and my etsy site and say hello : )
www.corabela.blogspot.com
www.corabela.etsy.com |
| graciegreeneyes |
Posted - Apr 08 2010 : 5:39:05 PM
Angela - we are getting about 7 eggs a day with 9 chickens - we only have 3/4 of an acre and they are in a coop so if you have more room you could definitely do more chickens.
Laura - you have such good ideas!! I buy my flour, sugar and rice in bulk too - lasts forever and iced tea is definitely the cheapest drink out there. I work at an organic food store and twice a year the bulk food section does a one-day sale where everything is 25% off so I stock up then.
Also - I got a lot of canning jars for free from a lady at my mom's church who was selling her house so church networking is always good. I actually have more than I will probably ever use, if it was not so expensive I would mail some to you:)
Amy Grace
Farmgirl #224
"use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without"
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| corabela |
Posted - Apr 08 2010 : 3:14:57 PM
Angela, I've been thinking about writing a book to help out people in your situation by sharing what I've learned. Of course the majority of it has been centered around food but I guess I have a few simple ideas for lowering utility bills.
Line dry inside or outside, year-round. With old electric dryers, this ALONE can slash up to $60 off the monthly electricity bill. Unplug ALL appliances when not in use (tv's, computers, microwaves, etc). Make the most of water. If you ran it to rinse out a bowl and have a bowl full of water, water a plant or rinse something else with that water. If you have a dehumidifier, empty the water into a bucket and water the garden with it. Keep the lights off in the rooms you're not in. I know these are pretty simple, but making them habits are key to saving money. If doing these things makes you feel poor, it's not working.
As for food...check out www.hillbillyhousewife.com Lots of great suggestions for eating on just a tiny budget. The big thing - don't waste anything. And when you do buy food, don't buy processed food because it's cheap. You can get MUCH more out of good quality non-boxed food, especially if you buy bulk. Bulk, of course, requires a substantially bigger investment at first but the product will last a long time. For example, I buy a #25 bag of organic flour that lasts about 5 months for my family of 2. I bake all our bread, cookies, and crackers with it. I don't buy those things. I also buy bulk dried beans, bulk rice, and bulk tea. I've found iced tea is the cheapest drink if made from bulk tea. I've been working on the same bag of rice for a year now. If you and your family likes chicken, buying whole chickens can really reduce your grocery bill. Of course, you'll have to cut it up but you can get good broth from the carcass that's left after cutting all the parts off. Every time you chop vegetables, save the trimmings and ends in a container in the freezer and when you drop the chicken carcass in the pot to make broth, drop the veggie trimmings in too. After the broth is done, pick as much meat off the bone as you can and make a cold chicken salad with it. Of course, with 3 girls, you may want to use 2 chickens. Also, since spring is here, take advantage of the wild edibles and go foraging for wild leeks and ramps and if morels are in your area, those are a fantastic wild edible to bring home and fry up. Collect wild violets and make wild violet jelly. When you get chickens, make frittatas. And look up the easy 5 minutes-a-day bread recipe from mother earth news. http://www.motherearthnews.com/Real-Food/Artisan-Bread-In-Five-Minutes-A-Day.aspx Cheap with only 4 ingredients...water, flour, salt, and yeast. You can also make your own butter, cheese, yogurt, beer, and pretty much anything once you get your kitchen supplies set up for it. And hey...it's gardening season! Try freecycle or craigslist for canning jars. Also, you could try hosting some community swap meets, plant swaps, or clothing exchanges.
As for making money close to or at home...I have several suggestions. Make things and sell them at craft fairs, on etsy, or local markets. If you have plants or jelly or ANYTHING extra, try and sell it at your local farmers market. Most rural markets usually don't charge for booth space. Also, if you have a skill, try freelancing. Look up freelance websites where you can offer your services and be paid. Maybe write how-to articles for one of those websites like about.com. Unfortunately, I haven't found any easy solutions yet. But I think that's because there aren't any. I think all of those things require time, money, and lots of work. Probably more work than getting a 9 to 5 job. But at least you don't have to leave home. And one word of advice...never pay to work. Once you start looking for 'work at home' schemes, you'll run into plenty that want you to pay. You should never have to pay to work. It's bad ethics. Since I work for H&R Block, I could suggest working for them during tax season as a receptionist, part-time. It's seasonal, which means you get the growing season off.
Ultimately, I think the joy found in the small moments of life, no matter what the circumstance, is what will get you, me, and everyone else out of the financial messes we're all in. It's so easy to sink. And it's it's so easy to just stay down there and worry. But it's that soft and bright feeling of love we feel when we catch our loved ones doing something adorable or sweet that flags down all the light and love of God and the universe and directs it right towards us.
I know there's probably more I could suggest, but I can't think of anything right now Angela. If I do think of something, I'll let you know. Good luck and keep us updated. : ) I'm sure some other sisters will have some good suggestions to.
~Laura
Please stop by my blog and my etsy site and say hello : )
www.corabela.blogspot.com
www.corabela.etsy.com |
| patchworkpeace |
Posted - Apr 08 2010 : 06:04:46 AM
Laura,
What's new with your situation? Any luck with a second car? Just thinking about you guys and hoping things are looking up.
Judy
farm sister 932
Success is measured not by the position one reaches but by the obstacles one has to overcome to reach it. Booker T. Washington |
| patchworkpeace |
Posted - Apr 08 2010 : 06:01:56 AM
Angela - We got several dozen canning jars for next to nothing at a couple of thrift stores. They often need to be scrubbed up real good, but much, much cheaper than buying new. You might need to let someone at the store know you are interested in any if they get them in or check back often, because they go fast. My mom also had an elderly friend who had to quit canning because of her age -- maybe you know someone like that who could give you some?
I'm looking for a part-time job, too, without much luck. I'd prefer to do something from home to make a little extra money. It's frustrating but I found that even though I haven't found ways to bring in extra money I've been able to save a lot by canning, line drying our clothes, making our own household cleaners (save big bucks and healthier), not buying snack foods, gardening and going to the library rather than buying books. We also have started renting DVDs from the library rather than the chain places. Two for a dollar rather than $3.99 each. I'm also learning to make some of my own clothes.
Just a few ideas that have helped us out, they may or may not be practical for you. Good luck in your endeavors.
Judy
farm girl #932
Success is measured not by the position one reaches but by the obstacles one has to overcome to reach it. Booker T. Washington |
| Fiddlehead Farm |
Posted - Apr 08 2010 : 05:44:06 AM
Sometimes it's the hard that makes it great. I raised my children as a single mom and always felt bad that I could not "give" them the stuff their classmates had, but when they look back on their childhood, they remember the free fun stuff we did more than what they had. They are grown now and have lives of their own and are both doing really well. Last year I quit my stressful 50 plus hour per week job because I didn't believe in the company's new business practices and because DH and I decided to become more self-sufficient. I grew a huge vegetable garden and canned, froze and dehydrated everything that I could. I make all our bread, condiments and pasta. We are trying to get our ordinance changed to allow chickens, so far a no go. My DH is in the air force and retires in 2012. By then we will be debt free due to help from Dave Ramsey's class "Financial Peace" which the air force payed for. I make all natural dog treats that I sell at our local Co-op and also crochet sun hats that I sell there also. I will also be selling these items at our local farmer's market this year. I recently started working two days a week for a past business aquaintance (for cash, shhh). It is funny, when I was working full-time we had more money, but we spent more too. It is amazing what you can do without and still live well. These are great lessons to teach our children. Prayers and hugs out to all of my sisters who are going through a hard time right now. Hopefully we can all learn from these trying times.
Why not go out on a limb, that's where all the fruit is! "Mark Twain"
http://studiodiphotosite.shutterfly.com/
farmgirl sister #922 |
| natesgirl |
Posted - Apr 07 2010 : 9:10:29 PM
I never thought to check the local paper! My mom gets it so I'll have her keep it for me. She drives right passed my house 4 times a week for work. Free paper. Free delivery. I wouldn't be able to sell the eggs unless we have enough chickens for more than 3 dozen a week. How many would I need for three dozen a week? My family loves egg sandwiches for lunch and scrambled eggs for a snack. I'm glad they use so little oil to fry them in.
God - Gardening - Family - Is anything else important? |
| graciegreeneyes |
Posted - Apr 07 2010 : 7:41:59 PM
Laura (cwinicole) - congratulations on almost having your mortgage paid off!! I can't wait till I am close to paying even one bill off.
Laura (Corabela) - that is such an interesting perspective from your boss, yes it is all about perceptions.
And Natesgirl - I am finding chickens cost effective - if you have space and free lumber especially, maybe you could sell eggs?? At any rate eggs make good meals. Do you have a local "free" column in your paper - I have noticed a lot of canning jars there.
Amy Grace
Farmgirl #224
"use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without"
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| natesgirl |
Posted - Apr 07 2010 : 6:15:16 PM
All right. I've been reading through some of this. My husband is on unemployment and we are sinking with three kids in the house. I am unable to work due to takin care of the kids and my husband is trying to find work but has so far not found anything that pays as much as unemployment. He could go back over the road if need be for a while. The only problem with that is the expense of living on the road makes the pay not really worth it. I am not the handiest person but I can get by on some things. I like to cook and make jelly things like that. I am willing to do nearly anything, so long as I can be here with my girls. I have nearly lost all three of them to health issues and they need special attention to diet and health. I am asking for suggestions on ways to make money from home or that wouldn't require a lot of away time. We are putting out a good sized garden and are trying to pull a few strings to get some produce from a friend of a friend that runs a very large farm with a good deal of wasted produce. I am having a horrible time locating canning jars, but I buy a few each week new and try to locate used ones anywhere I can. We do have one huge thing in our favor. One huge blessing. Our house is paid for. The utilities are horrible though. I think we are gonna try learning what we can about wells and try to get ours goin agian. I am also seeking other suggestions of how to save on utilities and any other thing I can. We are discussing gettin rid of a vehicle. I am trying to hold on to our pontoon cause we all love it so much and things will get better and allow us the $100 it cost for plates, sticker, and insurance. The boat is paid for and not costing anything sittin behind the barn. I don't raise animals for meat yet, but we were given a lot of used lumber, barely used, that we thought of usin for a chicken coop. I don't know how cost effective that is. Am I wastin my money or does it pay off? I have so many questions. If anyone out there has the time to help me I'd appriciate it. You can answer them here or email me if you'd like.
God - Gardening - Family - Is anything else important? |
| corabela |
Posted - Apr 07 2010 : 4:04:12 PM
Amy, sometimes I feel a bit slow. Sometimes I don't learn from my life experiences because I'm too busy trying to put them behind me and forget about how awful they were. So I can relate. It all happens as it should I guess and I absolutely LOVE that your son thinks on those times with fondness. It says so much not only about your strength in those times, but also the value of simplicity.
I was talking with my boss today about my situation he relayed a personal story to me. He was in Korea in the late fall and had come from Thailand, believing it would be warm, as it was in Thailand that time of year, and so he came unprepared with only warm weather clothing. He was wandering around...cold, hungry, and tired and lamenting about being cold, hungry, and tired. He said as he was thinking about his situation he came to the conclusion that he was suffering for 4 reasons. Because he was cold, hungry, and tired, and because everything in his life had taught him to perceive cold, hungry, and tired as suffering.
So yeah...perception, apparently, is everything. : )
And Laura, I can't wait to get back to simplicity as well. I can't wait to be rid of the complications of this mortgage. I can't wait to gave my days back...baking, cooking, crafting. It's so good that you can see a very near ending to your debt! I'm so happy for you and the freedom you'll enjoy! I think it's very altruistic of you to be helping others with the money you've saved living a simpler life. You seem like a very kind soul and I truly wish that either your job becomes less stressful or your need for a job disappears. : )
~Laura
Please stop by my blog and my etsy site and say hello : )
www.corabela.blogspot.com
www.corabela.etsy.com |
| cwinicole |
Posted - Apr 06 2010 : 9:32:37 PM
Laura, you have been through so much and yet have learned so much. All great information to share with the rest of us. Funny thing is I'm chomping at the bit to live like that. I still have my job, and it's gotten more stressful with a competitive marketplace. But simplifying has allowed my husband and I to be nearly out of debt (four more months) and be able to give my father who has had two strokes and cancer and now lives on social security. We are also able to help an uncle that also lives on social security by helping him with his home and replace a few things he has that are not working or nearly not working. We are blessed, and you have been truly blessed with the opportunity to get back to earth, handmaking things for others with the love and passion of an artist. I so admire that! Way to go. Laura from Sweetwater, Sister 1320
Live Simply |
| graciegreeneyes |
Posted - Apr 06 2010 : 5:01:51 PM
I had a similar thing happen with my son recently. 7 years ago (this is after my "real" hard times) my husband was laid off for about 8 months and, because of child support, was only getting about $110 per week on unemployment which had to pay for all of our gas, groceries, birthday gifts, new shoes, glasses, etc. We were soooo broke, and it seemed like it would never end. it lasted almost the whole time we lived in Portland, OR, we moved back and DH hasn't had a layoff since, till this fall. Anyway - we were visiting Portland in September and my son said something about how fun it had been to live here, to which I responded "yeah, if only we hadn't been poor" or something similar. Randy had absolutely no idea what I was talking about - here he is now 17 and all his memories of that time are good, and because of that I look back and remember the good times too. At the time though I remember literally almost cracking mentally because I didn't know what we were going to do.
I hate to say it but I am just now learning for real all the lessons I had opportunity to learn through those experiences - such as not being in debt, or living beyond your means. I guess it just takes some of us longer.
Amy Grace
Farmgirl #224
"use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without"
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| corabela |
Posted - Apr 06 2010 : 1:09:08 PM
It really is good to hear your tale Alicia. I know it will all be over soon and it really seems to help to be looking at it from that perspective. Thank you so much for the encouragement!
I want nothing to do with the Jones' either! Just some peace of mind.
~Laura
Please stop by my blog and my etsy site and say hello : )
www.corabela.blogspot.com
www.corabela.etsy.com |
| AliciaNak |
Posted - Apr 06 2010 : 09:34:34 AM
Laura~
Big hugs from me as well. I have dealt with some issues that sound very similar to yours, especially with the house and car troubles.
DH (yes, it does stand for Dear Husband) and I were young, naive, and ready to jump in and take on the world. Well, the world knocked us back on our behinds! At the time I would stay up nights crying about the whole situation, bills, foreclosure, etc. I just watched my almost 9 year old son walk by, and had a flashback. He was only a baby when all this was happening, staying with babysitters for long hours while I worked at whatever job I could find, trying to help get us back on our feet. I felt like it would never be over, never end. And here we are 8 years later, it's all a memory, a lesson to keep in the back of your mind.
You will make it hun. Keep smiling. Good for you, for getting back to the basics. I say, Forget the Jones', I don't want to be stressed like them! lol
Alicia
Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.~Ralph Waldo Emmerson
www.blondenak.blogspot.com
www.artfire.com/users/BlondeNakCreations |
| corabela |
Posted - Apr 04 2010 : 07:22:59 AM
I'll check that Amy. I don't think we have any local law schools but there may be some a little farther away. It's good to hear tales of your survival through something similar. It's hard to get that kind of perspective in the middle of it. Judy's comment up there about how I must feel like I could live through anything really got me thinking yesterday. I was imagining myself telling grandchildren about all the things I'd survived. Imagining this ordeal in the distant past is hard, but makes me feel so much better. : )
~Laura
Please stop by my blog and my etsy site and say hello : )
www.corabela.blogspot.com
www.corabela.etsy.com |
| graciegreeneyes |
Posted - Apr 03 2010 : 8:14:46 PM
Laura - rest assured that some day you will look back on this as a distant memory. I had a whole huge run of bad luck/bad decisions years ago, and I look back on them now and not only don't regret anything but I know that those experiences made me stronger, of course when I had creditors calling constantly it was devastating.
I declared bankruptcy in 1997 and I was able to get a pro bono lawyer, it wasn't through the local law school but I think they helped me find one or gave me a number to call - try that. I think it cost me $150, and even adjusted for inflation that is a lot less than $4000. You will continue to be in my thoughts and prayers!! You are strong and you will make it.
amy Grace
Farmgirl #224
"use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without"
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| corabela |
Posted - Apr 03 2010 : 12:47:02 PM
I feel hugged Judy. : ) Thank you! And I feel a whole lot better already. It's nice to have all these sisters! : )
~Laura
Please stop by my blog and my etsy site and say hello : )
www.corabela.blogspot.com
www.corabela.etsy.com |
| patchworkpeace |
Posted - Apr 03 2010 : 11:57:38 AM
Laura,
I'm saying a prayer for you and your family as I wipe the tears from my eyes. We're your sisters on this board and are here for you when you need someone to listen. I'm so sorry things are so difficult for you right now.
Consider yourself hugged!
Judy
Farm Sister #932
Success is measured not by the position one reaches but by the obstacles one has to overcome to reach it. Booker T. Washington |
| corabela |
Posted - Apr 03 2010 : 09:55:23 AM
Judy, that was really eye opening to read your last thought. My husband's car JUST broke down and something technical in the sway-bar-something-or-other-mounted-to-the-frame broke in such a way that it seems unfixable and undriveable, which means of course, I'll have to quit my job and give him my car to drive to work. He is the main breadwinner. It has been month after month of car trouble for us, and so many times I've been biting my lip, wondering if I'd have to quit my job because I wouldn't be able to get to work because of the cars. It was after I wrote the last post that the car broke down and I just sat in the bathroom and cried feeling helpless and frustrated, praying for strength. Then I dried my tears, went into the kitchen, tied on my apron, and made my husband lunch.
I guess my point is, I never looked at it the way you did. I guess instead of feeling like I could live through anything, I felt like I had bad luck that never ends. I didn't used to be like that though. I got shot in the back with a .22 rifle when I was 16 and felt lucky when I was fine. The F-5 tornado of '99 disappeared one block before reaching me and I felt lucky. It wasn't until the past 2 years that I've begun to feel unlucky when all along, I was looking at it from the wrong perspective. Thank you, thank you, thank you Judy. That is exactly what I was praying for. : )
~Laura
Please stop by my blog and my etsy site and say hello : )
www.corabela.blogspot.com
www.corabela.etsy.com |
| patchworkpeace |
Posted - Apr 03 2010 : 09:06:02 AM
Wow! Laura thanks for sharing. We're going through a hard time financially because I haven't been able to find a job. We haven't experienced anything compared to what you have though. Your resourcefulness and courage is inspiring.
You have to feel like you can live through anything and face anything with everything you've gone through. God bless you!
Judy
Farm Sister #932
Success is measured not by the position one reaches but by the obstacles one has to overcome to reach it. Booker T. Washington |
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