My daddy passed on earlier today.
I'm thankful for the time we had with him after the cancer diagnosis...and will miss him terribly.
Tuesday, August 13, 2013
Wednesday, July 24, 2013
Interesting....
Tanker surprised me the other day by saying he was happy that I was happy about the move. I asked him why....
T~ "Because I was worried you'd be sad to leave."
Me~ "Missouri? Why would you think that?"
T~ "This is your home."
Me~ "Um, babe...we moved to KY when I was 4. I was gone from MO for 23 years...it's where we visited. Not where we lived."
T~ "I still thought you'd be sad."
Me~ "Not really. It'll still be here. Growing rocks and all."
To be honest, though we've tried to settle in and make it a place to live, we haven't. We've not tried hard to make it home...probably because somewhere, deep down, we knew that we'd go back to KY someday.
Thankfully the screamers take after me and have very few issues settling in somewhere and making friends (though there is an initial shy period in both...a gift from their father). They get the 'take me as I am' part from me which does tend to make them a little strange to other kiddos at first but they get along alright in the end.
Tanker has psyched himself up for school, which is good...he's tired of not being able to work. It's a different kind of drag from not being able to FIND a job, this whole being told he CAN'T have a job because he doesn't have training in a field that is not incredibly physical. Hence the going back to school part. Don't get me wrong...he'd LOVE to have a physical job; his body doesn't particularly care for the idea. And since he's already been told by the VA here that they won't do anything for his back until he's at least 50 (he's apparently too young...whatevs; like it's going to get any better on it's own over the next 13 years he'd be waiting) he's hoping that the VA down there will be more, um, helpful.
Me, I'm going to attempt to find something work-wise and then go back to school next spring. Hopping into the medical field that my family so loves and I've avoided as much as possible. Inevitable. But it's okay...I've found a field of study that I'm interested in. Unfortunately, it's expensive...so first a less expensive bit of training that will let me work at least. All goes well and I'll be done with the first bit in a year.
As it is now, we are living life in boxes (literally) and are eagerly awaiting next Wednesday morning (as early as possible) when we begin the trek back to the Bluegrass State. I don't relish the drive trapped in a Durango with 2 boys, 2 cats, 2 rabbits (gifts), an English Cocker with separation anxiety and a Boxer....but I'll manage. Though Tanker may end up with an animal or two joining him in the moving truck.
T~ "Because I was worried you'd be sad to leave."
Me~ "Missouri? Why would you think that?"
T~ "This is your home."
Me~ "Um, babe...we moved to KY when I was 4. I was gone from MO for 23 years...it's where we visited. Not where we lived."
T~ "I still thought you'd be sad."
Me~ "Not really. It'll still be here. Growing rocks and all."
To be honest, though we've tried to settle in and make it a place to live, we haven't. We've not tried hard to make it home...probably because somewhere, deep down, we knew that we'd go back to KY someday.
Thankfully the screamers take after me and have very few issues settling in somewhere and making friends (though there is an initial shy period in both...a gift from their father). They get the 'take me as I am' part from me which does tend to make them a little strange to other kiddos at first but they get along alright in the end.
Tanker has psyched himself up for school, which is good...he's tired of not being able to work. It's a different kind of drag from not being able to FIND a job, this whole being told he CAN'T have a job because he doesn't have training in a field that is not incredibly physical. Hence the going back to school part. Don't get me wrong...he'd LOVE to have a physical job; his body doesn't particularly care for the idea. And since he's already been told by the VA here that they won't do anything for his back until he's at least 50 (he's apparently too young...whatevs; like it's going to get any better on it's own over the next 13 years he'd be waiting) he's hoping that the VA down there will be more, um, helpful.
Me, I'm going to attempt to find something work-wise and then go back to school next spring. Hopping into the medical field that my family so loves and I've avoided as much as possible. Inevitable. But it's okay...I've found a field of study that I'm interested in. Unfortunately, it's expensive...so first a less expensive bit of training that will let me work at least. All goes well and I'll be done with the first bit in a year.
As it is now, we are living life in boxes (literally) and are eagerly awaiting next Wednesday morning (as early as possible) when we begin the trek back to the Bluegrass State. I don't relish the drive trapped in a Durango with 2 boys, 2 cats, 2 rabbits (gifts), an English Cocker with separation anxiety and a Boxer....but I'll manage. Though Tanker may end up with an animal or two joining him in the moving truck.
Thursday, July 18, 2013
Saaaaa-Weeeetttt!
Tons of goodness today.
Got the go ahead to pick up the keys to the house a day early! Had a decent bit of rain hit (of course, I had watered the garden early this morning). Made some killer salsa with all the goodies from the garden. The pinto, white and black beans are already starting to 'brown out' as we call it, so we MIGHT get the benefit of those plantings before we leave. The black-eyed peas are doing the same. All the plants I've transplanted from garden to pot are thriving which means we get to take at least some of the garden with us.
And finally....we've sold EVERYTHING we were wanting to sell except the trailer. No biggie on the trailer...it'll sell; either here or there.
The moving countdown is officially under the two week mark and boy are we ever ready to go.
In other news, started the $5 jar and paying via cash only on Tuesday...there's already 1/10th of our goal in there. Tanker commented on how he disliked the rapid decline of total cash in his billfold when he dumped the fivers but he likes that the balance in the jar is growing. Give and take, Tanker, give and take.
And so, I leave you with a picture of what caused the screamers to squeal like teenage girls at a boy band concert....they insisted we look for the end so they could have the pot o' gold. Unfortunately, the operator of the camera didn't double check the settings, so the picture just doesn't do this one justice.
Got the go ahead to pick up the keys to the house a day early! Had a decent bit of rain hit (of course, I had watered the garden early this morning). Made some killer salsa with all the goodies from the garden. The pinto, white and black beans are already starting to 'brown out' as we call it, so we MIGHT get the benefit of those plantings before we leave. The black-eyed peas are doing the same. All the plants I've transplanted from garden to pot are thriving which means we get to take at least some of the garden with us.
And finally....we've sold EVERYTHING we were wanting to sell except the trailer. No biggie on the trailer...it'll sell; either here or there.
The moving countdown is officially under the two week mark and boy are we ever ready to go.
In other news, started the $5 jar and paying via cash only on Tuesday...there's already 1/10th of our goal in there. Tanker commented on how he disliked the rapid decline of total cash in his billfold when he dumped the fivers but he likes that the balance in the jar is growing. Give and take, Tanker, give and take.
And so, I leave you with a picture of what caused the screamers to squeal like teenage girls at a boy band concert....they insisted we look for the end so they could have the pot o' gold. Unfortunately, the operator of the camera didn't double check the settings, so the picture just doesn't do this one justice.
Sunday, July 14, 2013
$5 and a Big Pickle Jar...
So we have a few of those industrial size pickle jars (don't judge our love of pickles) and I read somewhere (probably Pinterest) about a lady that takes every $5 bill she get and puts it back. In something like 7 years, she amassed over $20k...just sticking back every $5.
Pickle jar...you are about to become an experiment. Starting sometime next month, the pickle jar will become the $5 jar. A second one will become loose change jar. (Note: I should probably put one in my car as there is currently at least $4 worth of change hanging out in just the door pocket thingy right now.)
Since we will be transitioning from using debit for everything BACK to cash (with the exception of bills that are already set to be paid through ACH/Debit) only, we're sure to land on a Fiver now and again. And change, oh boy...that will always be a given. Tanker is down with the plan. We both have noticed that we spend considerably more money paying via debit...so cash only and saving every little cent it is (literally).
Call it an experiment in curiosity more than anything. We know what we spend via debit (it's there for me to see, download and pour over anytime I want). Now we want to see how we'll do via cash only.
Confession...we aren't used to having the income we have now. We're used to living on half the amount. We went through a period of not knowing what to do with ourselves and wasting money. It became easy to see it, want it, buy it. And we found the screamers coming down with serious cases of the 'gimme' disease. No more.
Spending like that didn't make us happy or make us better people. It just gave us more crap to pack up and move or sell. A flippin' headache.
Now, we're pretending that we're bringing in what we're accustomed to. I don't check the balance after all the bills are paid and we have a set amount each pay period budgeted for groceries, gas and entertainment. You know what, this month has been a good month for us. Hopefully it's a preview of the new norm.
Pickle jar...you are about to become an experiment. Starting sometime next month, the pickle jar will become the $5 jar. A second one will become loose change jar. (Note: I should probably put one in my car as there is currently at least $4 worth of change hanging out in just the door pocket thingy right now.)
Since we will be transitioning from using debit for everything BACK to cash (with the exception of bills that are already set to be paid through ACH/Debit) only, we're sure to land on a Fiver now and again. And change, oh boy...that will always be a given. Tanker is down with the plan. We both have noticed that we spend considerably more money paying via debit...so cash only and saving every little cent it is (literally).
Call it an experiment in curiosity more than anything. We know what we spend via debit (it's there for me to see, download and pour over anytime I want). Now we want to see how we'll do via cash only.
Confession...we aren't used to having the income we have now. We're used to living on half the amount. We went through a period of not knowing what to do with ourselves and wasting money. It became easy to see it, want it, buy it. And we found the screamers coming down with serious cases of the 'gimme' disease. No more.
Spending like that didn't make us happy or make us better people. It just gave us more crap to pack up and move or sell. A flippin' headache.
Now, we're pretending that we're bringing in what we're accustomed to. I don't check the balance after all the bills are paid and we have a set amount each pay period budgeted for groceries, gas and entertainment. You know what, this month has been a good month for us. Hopefully it's a preview of the new norm.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
