I live in a small house that is 800 square feet. I have lived in this house for 30 years and have raised 2 kids, and am still raising 2 kids. With 2 kids living at home along with 2 birds, a cat, a dog, and 8 puppies, oh yes we have one goldfish. Now it's not bad enough that the birds throw bird seed all over the living room floor and I have to vaccum up the mess twice a day. The cat has a paralyzed tail that she drags through the mud, water and anything else she can find to drag it through and washes the floors and furniture with whatever her tail has soaked up. Now I have 8 puppies with a mommy dog that is not the least bit interested in being a mother of her 4 week old pups who are now pooping and peeing everywhere and chewing the plywood escaping the kitchen. As we tip toe through the many messes of the animals, I watch my granddaughter of 5 and my son's live in's boy of 6 and 7. Now I am being told that I am neglecting the boys when they are over here! How do you figure I have time to neglect the boys when I am so busy cleaning up after 12 animals, my own 2 kids and working part-time. Something just doesn't sound right!
You have to find some humor in this, though I think that I am the crazy one. I thought I would have time to find a male friend to spend some time with! Who am I kidding? Maybe I should find someone who just whats to kidnap me. Calgone take me away!!!
Friday, January 29, 2010
Monday, January 25, 2010
Depression and Miracles that help
I have had my bouts with depression. Sometimes sever, other times still able to function. I have been told it was caused by menopause, post traumatic stress syndrome, I just think it is part of the ups and downs of life. In the last 10 years I have been able to recognize my depression as I am coming into the black hole that takes forever to emerge to become a somewhat "normal" person.
I am a single mother of four, two still at home. The place I worked for 13 years went out of business at the same time my second divorce became final and I am in my fifties. Finding a full-time position has been next to impossible and when I do interview I get the feeling that I am too old for the position, and I live in Michigan 1000 people for each job available. So on a daily basis I fight the sinking feeling of depression.
I have found that finding things to change my thinking patterns work, if I don't fall so far that I need professional help. There are three things that I have found to help coach me through the dark feelings of my life. The first thing is the DVD "The Secret". I purchased the DVD when it became an instant best seller after being on TV and find that if I watch it daily, it is my continual coach to think positive. The second is to reread the book "Your Best Life Now" by Joel Osteen this helps me to remember that I am in Gods favor and that everyday could be my day for my miracle. The third thing is to randomly find a passage in the "Course of Miracles". All these things help remind me that I am in control of my life and the Universe will provide for me.
For the past two years I have had to ask for hardship exemptions for my property taxes. This doesn't make them go completely away but reduces them significantly to (in most cases) something that is affordable. Then I have to go to the County Tax Office to ask for an extension on foreclosure on my house that I have lived in for 30 years.
When I made my appointment with the County this year I was told I had to have $4,200.00 by March 31st. Needless to say my depression deepened and I let it get to the point that I almost fell into the "black hole". My appointment was today and I started last Monday reading and watching. Everyday I told myself that "money comes easily and frequently", "I am in Gods favor", "only right things happen" and that "today could be my day for my miracle".
Today my miracle happened all my taxes were postponed for another year. Not that my employment changed or that my money situation changed, but it gives me one more year of positive thinking and of finding my place.
I am a single mother of four, two still at home. The place I worked for 13 years went out of business at the same time my second divorce became final and I am in my fifties. Finding a full-time position has been next to impossible and when I do interview I get the feeling that I am too old for the position, and I live in Michigan 1000 people for each job available. So on a daily basis I fight the sinking feeling of depression.
I have found that finding things to change my thinking patterns work, if I don't fall so far that I need professional help. There are three things that I have found to help coach me through the dark feelings of my life. The first thing is the DVD "The Secret". I purchased the DVD when it became an instant best seller after being on TV and find that if I watch it daily, it is my continual coach to think positive. The second is to reread the book "Your Best Life Now" by Joel Osteen this helps me to remember that I am in Gods favor and that everyday could be my day for my miracle. The third thing is to randomly find a passage in the "Course of Miracles". All these things help remind me that I am in control of my life and the Universe will provide for me.
For the past two years I have had to ask for hardship exemptions for my property taxes. This doesn't make them go completely away but reduces them significantly to (in most cases) something that is affordable. Then I have to go to the County Tax Office to ask for an extension on foreclosure on my house that I have lived in for 30 years.
When I made my appointment with the County this year I was told I had to have $4,200.00 by March 31st. Needless to say my depression deepened and I let it get to the point that I almost fell into the "black hole". My appointment was today and I started last Monday reading and watching. Everyday I told myself that "money comes easily and frequently", "I am in Gods favor", "only right things happen" and that "today could be my day for my miracle".
Today my miracle happened all my taxes were postponed for another year. Not that my employment changed or that my money situation changed, but it gives me one more year of positive thinking and of finding my place.
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Raising Grandchildren
It's been 7 years since I made the decision to raise my Granddaughter. A decision that I will never regret but not without challenges. I made the decision without consulting any of my family members or my spouse at the time. I became aware that my son and daughter-in-law were crack addicts and were selling my granddaughter to the highest bidder for the night to afford crack. I paid $150.00 to my son and removed my granddaughter of 18 months old out of a house that had no electricity, no heat, the basement floor to ceiling with dirty clothes, dirty dishes and garbage everywhere you looked. This poor baby exposed to more in her short 18 months than I had been exposed to in a life time. I filed a complaint with Protective Services and took my granddaughter home.
She was placed in my care as a foster child. This is not legal advise by any means, but hind sight is 50/50. From foster care I immediately became her limited guardian, which looking back at it I should have gone to the classes and stayed her foster parent. The time limit on a child in foster care is much short for the permanent placement and the state pays all the costs. As a limited guardian I was required to take my granddaughter to a state facility every week for an hour to visit with her parents that showed up less than half the time and we did this for two and a half years.
As a limited guardian I was only allowed to file for custody of my granddaughter and though she is in my custody until she is eighteen years of age parental right were never terminated. Had I been a foster parent parental rights would have been terminated and I would have been able to adopt her.
We still have our challenges to start with I am 54 and she is 10, she still has anger issues with her parents that they chose drugs over her and I am sure in a short time when the teenage years arrive we will be dealing with what happened to her in her early years and I am sure she will give me a run for her money.
She has been a huge blessing in my life and if anyone calls me her Grandmother she quickly corrects them and tells them, “That's my Mom and it's the only Mom I know.”
A great website is www.raisingyourgrandchildren.com there is also a website sponsored by AARP that has some good information.
She was placed in my care as a foster child. This is not legal advise by any means, but hind sight is 50/50. From foster care I immediately became her limited guardian, which looking back at it I should have gone to the classes and stayed her foster parent. The time limit on a child in foster care is much short for the permanent placement and the state pays all the costs. As a limited guardian I was required to take my granddaughter to a state facility every week for an hour to visit with her parents that showed up less than half the time and we did this for two and a half years.
As a limited guardian I was only allowed to file for custody of my granddaughter and though she is in my custody until she is eighteen years of age parental right were never terminated. Had I been a foster parent parental rights would have been terminated and I would have been able to adopt her.
We still have our challenges to start with I am 54 and she is 10, she still has anger issues with her parents that they chose drugs over her and I am sure in a short time when the teenage years arrive we will be dealing with what happened to her in her early years and I am sure she will give me a run for her money.
She has been a huge blessing in my life and if anyone calls me her Grandmother she quickly corrects them and tells them, “That's my Mom and it's the only Mom I know.”
A great website is www.raisingyourgrandchildren.com there is also a website sponsored by AARP that has some good information.
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