Upside Down Cats

Deciding to have a baby is a monumental affair! Adding a baby to the mix changes the dynamics of established relationships within the family, routines and schedules. As the arrival of a baby is anticipated, mental and physical preparations are made so that when the little one arrives, everything and everyone is ready to accept the joys - and responsibilities - that go along with him or her...

I know this is not news to anyone who has a family...

Continue reading "I'm Expecting A ... »

It's the 24th day of NaBloPoMo, so, as I've done each day of November, I'm going to write about things for which I am thankful. I am thankful that Thanksgiving is on Thursday and that I gave myself Friday off, resulting in a four-day weekend! Now that both of us are self-employed, vacations - and even long weekends - are difficult to justify, so it's been a long time since I could claim the luxury of four, not-working-at-my-job days at home.

Continue reading "Home Is Where My Heart Is" »

We live 2000 miles away from the California wildfires that have been burning seemingly forever. Until this week, hearing about them affected me the way far-off disasters always do...with a lump in the pit of my stomach for the horror I imagine the victims are experiencing. I am fortunate that I have never experienced a tremendous loss like so many in California. I cannot even comprehend all that they are surely going through. My heart goes out to all those who lost loved ones or possessions...it doesn't seem fair that things like that happen...

Until this week, we never even knew anyone personally who was affected by a disaster to the point of being evacuated. Scott's mom in Florida has sustained some property damage in a couple hurricanes, but fortunately she never had to evacuate and was never in imminent physical danger.

We, safe and sound here in the Midwest, were unexpectedly affected by the wildfires this week...A client of Scott's was evacuated from her home and, at least temporarily, is out of business until life returns to normal out there. As a result, she cannot pay him the next installment for the project on which he is working with her.

It is one of those situations where I am upset, but I feel even more guilty for being upset. Sure, this creates a financial disaster for us, but on the "disaster scale," I think it comes in at a measly 3 or 4 as opposed to the legitimate 8 or 9 of being evacuated from your home, and being subjected to the fear that you have lost everything you own, and your business to boot. It comes right down to one of those (extremely hard for me to accept) situations in life over which we have no control.

There will be no disaster relief coming to help us out of the jam this creates for us...chalk it up to the cost being self-employed. It is difficult to not be freaked out, but I have to find the fortitude to do the righteous thing, which is to count my blessings...for the things that are not falling apart in my world today.

This experience reminds me that - for better or worse - we are all connected...that no matter how far-flung we are from one another, what happens to one affects us all.