You know, in the 90′s, when we were in a recession–I don’t really remember feeling stressed or strapped. This time around, though, things seem so much worse. Two of our family friends have filed bankruptcy and are (or have already) giving up their homes and moving out of town. One has already moved–where there was a job available. The other couple is moving when school gets out–closer to their families.
We are still struggling along with our mortgage company, who seems to lose our paperwork on a regular basis, so we have to keep sending in new paperwork. We have been trying to workout our payments with them, since my dear husband worked reduced hours for 9 months out of the last 12. He is working full time right now (thank goodness!), but we got behind on all of our payments in that time.
We had our Christmas Cookie Swap this past weekend. It was kind of bittersweet because it seems like time together with these friends is coming to an end. And of course, we missed the ones that have already moved away.
I don’t know what is going to happen. I am plugging along with my writing, which helps, but is (so far) not consistent in its money-making qualities. The Christmas season is upon us, and I am feeling–not sad, exactly–more like melancholy. We are lucky in that several years ago we sat down as a family and “reworked” Christmas. One gift per person (from each person). Not loads of gifts. Sometimes that has been hard–but this year I am thankful for it. Money-wise it has taken some stress off of the lack of dollars in our home this year.
I guess I’m just rambling. I am already missing my friends, and they haven’t even gone yet.
