Holiday Cheer

This year has been a trying one for my family. We have had the worst financial stress since our early years of marriage nearly 19 years now. We have cut back on many things, moved to pay less rent, and yet continuously seek more ways to make it through.

I know there are many families and many single people out there doing the same as we. It is hard especially around the holidays to keep much cheer knowing that there is not going to be things under the tree for my now almost 3 teenagers. They have become so understanding for the most part. They understand that there is a sequence on waiting in an imaginery line for their time to come to generally even one thing they would like and that the time lapse may be a couple weeks, a month, or even 3 to 4 months if not more.

My husband earlier in the week sent me an email laying out the bills (mostly medical co-pays after our insurance) that are pressing on us to take care of here in the near future. He said he hated to be the bearer of bleak news of "NO Christmas". I went into a depressed spiral state for a couple of days and started trying to figure a way to make more money come through the door. My Ebay and Etsy sales have not been very good this time of year compared to many in the past. I know it is because we are a nation all facing the same scrimping and cutting back.

After a few days of this "stressed & depressed" state of mine. I am finally calm and have watched a few videos in past several days which have themes in them of what I have been going through.

Persuasion by Jane Austen says; "While Lady Elliot lived, there had been method, moderation, and economy, which had just kept him within his income..."

You've Got Mail a scene -- "Down $1200 in sales from this time last year.. How can that be? . . . I am not going to let that get me down, I am hanging more twinkle lights!"

Miss Potter opening words; "There is something delicious in writing the first words of a story. You never know where they are going to take you and mine has taken me here."

I know my story is not over, as a matter of fact, I told my husband just last night that I have been playing with the idea of starting some college courses online to work toward a degree. This is only in the beginning stages of planning, but who knows, one day I might go from a 2 year degree I already have to something much more. So I do have some new hopes and plans brewing in my mind.

Bring on the Holiday CHEER!