My simple existence

 I recently have come to know a woman who has led a vastly different life than my own and has a wildly different perspective than the one I have. She was born and raised in a major city by a family of wealth. Married into money and continued to live the high life. The standard two children, boarding schools, summer camps, summer home on the coast, the best of everything. She is currently living differently following her divorce. She is the only friend in her circle who holds down a job (she works multiple part time jobs to supplement her generous alimony), no longer has the summer home, lives rent free in a 'family' home for which she only pays utilities, drives a late model SUV, and claims to no longer be able afford the latest fashions etc. And yet she is still seeing life from the other side of the fence, recommending boarding schools and camps for children, talking about vacation resorts, and fancy trips. The very things I think of as high priced she sees as necessities (for example grocery shopping...she regularly shops the most expensive markets in the city and says what a bargain they are). She is a very nice person who appears content with her new life and yet  I find myself feeling a bit sorry for her. She sees one of her children only at the Christmas holiday and the other one for about two weeks a year. She has friends but doesn't spend much time with any of them. And she seems totally bewildered by someone (myself) who is enthusiastic about growing my own vegetables, reading, crocheting and spending time with family and friends. I get the feeling she feels just a bit sorry for me. LOL. But despite my financial struggles I am so blessed in all the things money cannot buy and I am happy in my simple little life.  Two sides of the fence with two different views and yet we feel the same about each other.

Where has the time gone?

  I cannot believe that it has been over two months since I last sat down to share on this blog. I have no excuse except that life has gotten in the way of blogging about life. And as I have complained before I am just totally exhausted after working an 11 hour day and by the time I make dinner and clean up I am done for.  No major changes have gone on around the home front in the last two months though. My DIL's mom and I threw a baby shower for her and my son, I attended another baby shower for the girlfriend of one of my nephews, the GF and I spent a wonderful weekend celebrating his birthday at a bed and breakfast in the Amish area of Ohio called Berlin at a B & B called the Lamplight Inn. I highly recommend it.
Easter came and went and we had a wonderful holiday with extended family. Spring break also flew by and my middle son J and I made one major purchase for our home: new furniture for our living room. We didn't go insane, we actually found these pieces at Big Lots. They are name brand and very well made. We chose a black leather couch with matching loveseat and recliner. I didn't want anything upholstered since our pug has taken to relieving  himself inside on anything he can reach that is fabric. He is a bad little doggie. Since this purchase not only does the living room look snazzy, it smells about a thousand percent better.  During break a few minor jobs that had piled up got accomplished and I have a nice list all ready to go for the summer months. Summer job hunting did not go well for me and I have been unable to find anything. I will continue to work my twice a month cleaning gig all through the summer, and I have saved up what I hope will be enough to get us through as far as bills go. Adult son who lives at home has volunteered to help out with groceries but I am stockpiling the freezer and the pantry and hoping to keep this cost to a minimum purchase of fresh produce and dairy. There are two major events coming up in the next few months, the birth of my newest grandchild due in just a few short weeks and my youngest son's high school graduation party in July. I planned ahead and saved all the decorations I used last year for youngest daughter so those are good to go. I will have this at the local metro parks in the free shelter area like I did for daughter so no expense there. And family has already offered to pitch in and bring something so that is good.  I still have the rest of this week, a four day week next week, a full week after that and then two additional days of work left. Every single penny that I can save will be used for summer expenses from the three paychecks I have left for the year.  I was surprised and delighted to see I am receiving a small raise (25¢ an hour) for next year in my contract so that is good news.
I am promising myself to do better here with keeping up the blogging (and reading my favorite blogs which I am so behind on) from now on. June menus are under construction so that will be coming up here shortly.
It is good to be back.