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Showing posts with label jobless. Show all posts
Showing posts with label jobless. Show all posts

Friday, March 2, 2012

Odd Times

Such an odd and perplexing day. I am thankful for our new puppy Layla, she is bringing some giggles and entertainment in a tense time. Here is what I did today:

Kept the dog and the music down low as Hubs was on the phone with 6 different people in offices asking him detailed questions about our work history, current expenses, life style and bank accounts. We are 2 months away from being out of savings to pay our house payment. He makes exactly $300 more a month than our house pmt. We've survived so far by slowly pulling from savings but it will be gone in March. Crazy times.

Here's the crazy part.....The agencies could help, but only when we have missed at least 2 house payments! Hubs has been an uber responsible and honest to a fault man all his life. Especially regarding money and never missing or being late on paying what he owes. To wait until we default on our house pmt simply does not fit in his brain or character.

But that does not count in his favor at all.

We are thankful that we have no debt or credit card bills. Like I said, we are careful, and living on ministry income makes you want to do the right thing with every penny. We have. But we also did not set up a retirement plan at all. Don't know what we were thinking. Naive and sure that we would be happily ministering to people for all of our days until death. But ministry does not equal $$. Like I said, we were not thinking.

One agency suggested we refinance our home. Another call was made, this time a conference call between agency man and house loan people. Ironically we do not qualify for a refi because we do not make enough $$.

Aargh!

Sorry for dumping this on you kind readers. There is nothing you can or should do, but you already have. You have been a place I could talk about my day. My very strange and perplexing day.

Thank you.

Thursday, October 6, 2011

One Conversation

One conversation can bring healing to the hurting heart.
Speaking words aloud that have been swirling in our heads for months.
My stomach was turning flip-flops as we drove to the little Tai restaurant.
If it was going to be all small-talk I was determined to move it to big talk!
It is way overdue. No one's fault.
Everyone's fault.

One hour moved into more than two hours.
With eyes brimming they said that no harm was meant,
and told us of the behind-the-scenes happenings
that were happening.

With eyes equally full we said that we knew that.
We had never stopped 'believing the best' about them.
Underneath the surface junk, we knew the hearts and
we never doubted.

Well, yes, we did doubt and we did stick our
little toes into the tempting pool of
bitterness.
But we hated how it felt and quickly
stepped away.

But oh, the freedom to look across that little
shiny black table and smile into loving eyes.
To give forgiveness and accept forgiveness.
So sweet, take a deep breath and let the shoulders fall.

One talk, one conversation.
So powerful and so releasing.
Thank you Father.


Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Fun Done, Work Begun

Hi Gang, I'm back from my fun 3 days at the beach with close girlfriends and have lots of pics and giggles to share, but not today. Hubs told me this morning that even with his two jobs, if I do not find a way to being in $$ with my writing, I will need to get "get back out there" and get a normal job!! Not the best motivation for creativity but it will have to do for now.

So after this note to you I am heading back to my writing room to continue working on my "Dream Job" package that is my latest project. As I've said before I would love to write a weekly (or more) column for a newspaper. My only field of expertise is really just my faith, so it would need to be an "Inspirational" column.

My local paper goes out to a pretty large number of adjoining cities. They have a page on saturdays called "Faith & Ethics".  I have been working on a letter that sells my self to them. It will include my writing experience, my blog subscriber numbers, my blog addresses so they can check me out, etc. I have also asked a few friends to write a 2or 3 line testimonial or recommendation about my writing and what it means to them. I will include those in the letter, along with past writing samples and several new sample columns that would fit their need. (If you are so inclined, a one liner from any of you would be lovely. Thanx!)

Can you think of anything I am missing that would help me get this job? They are not advertising for it at all, it is just what I want to do and so I am "cold-calling" to convince them they need me. Not exactly my normal behavior!! Very new territory!!

Thanx for being here in my laptop Friends! I appreciate you more than you know,

Saturday, July 16, 2011

Riding and Writing....


I have to say that this leisurely life is really a great way to live! Lately I have lost track of what day of the week it is and sleeping in every single day. I could get used to this. We are getting chores and projects done around the house and yard. Things are looking nice and clean and organized. I even cleaned out that scary nasty dark place under our bed! Why did I save years of magazines under there? No clue. But getting all this done feels great! This is the life.

If it just wasn't for that pesky little fact that we are unemployed and have zero moola coming in. 

Oh yeah, that.

I doubt that it ever slips Hub's mind though. How long will we have this house? How many more weeks can we stretch out of our savings? Leftovers and our garden are looking pretty yummy these days. When we had jobs we ate lunch out every single day and then just snacked at dinner time. As of today we have not eaten in a restaurant of any kind, even fast food, in two months. 

We are looking better though! Must be the healthy vegies from the garden we are making full meals out of. I even cut my own hair 2 weeks ago and saved us my usual $30 salon cut. And it looks great! 

But the not working has also made us a bit stir-crazy. I love to write and have spent hours each day doing so. Sending stuff to magazines and online job offers. But oh man, you can only do so many chores around the house and we are so very thankful for our bike that allows us some free entertainment that feeds our spirits and rejuvenates our minds.

Every time we ride I get writing ideas! It's amazing. Must be something about the fresh air and inspiration of nature. I always come back to the house with blog and article plans buzzing in my head. My two favorite activities lately work together really well....riding and writing!




All the luggage we took on a recent overnight trip with a  B&B Gift Certificate!

Saturday, July 9, 2011

Checks In The Mail? Yes, Please!


Hubs walked back into the house with our mail in his hands and a frown on his face. Oh great, what now?!
It was a letter from his former employers, the much hated and maligned, big-box store, W-Mart. He worked there for a year during our last episode of being between ministry jobs, about 11 years ago. 

He read it a loud and my cynical side kicked in as he read the words,

"A lawsuit against the store during your time of employment
has required us to send you this check for _________."

I said it was probably a check for $1.43.

Nope. He handed me the check.... it was for $389 !!!

Nice!!

Hubs got the bills out and the money was soon bye-bye, but what a fun surprise in the mail today!!
God (and W-Mart) has not forgotten us!