Ok, enough from the media about the bad economy, people losing jobs, and the doom and gloom for the nation. What is really happening in the real world with real people? We should always be prepared for the worse, but is the media just trying to increase the use of Prozac? Since I don't think we are helpless in all this, we can always improve how and where we spend our money, maybe even saving some along the way.
One thing we are doing around our house is cutting more coupons from the newspaper, but only cutting the ones we actually need so we don't buy extra stuff. Although I am a huge BOGO (buy one get one free) shopper, I am only buying it if we need it that month. The only times I will buy ahead are if it won't go bad, it is BOGO, and I have coupon.
My sister is the queen of CVS extra care bucks. I did that for awhile but it started to be time consuming. If you want more about that, try http://www.moneysavingmom.com/money_saving_mom/2008/03/cvs-101.html .
If you are needing more coupons, this is a great place to get them:
http://www.moneysavingmom.com/money_saving_mom/coupons.html
Noticing a trend? Moneysavingmom.
One thing I need to do better on is budgeting. Mark (thanks!) has been working for a couple of months now developing a new video curriculum with Casey Graham and ReThink Money. To check out his video, go to www.markclement.com . The tools at ReThink for budgeting are nice & I need to use them soon! ( http://rethinkmoney.org/blog/?page_id=150 )
One other site I just found is http://clarkhoward.com/topics/free_and_cheap.html . I will let you know what I think, let me know if it is useful for you too.
Are you changing how you live? Are you tightening your belt and have you come up with any new or great ideas? Please post so we can learn from everyone's knowledge.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Is it too late?
Ok, it has been awhile since I have "blogged" and a lot has happened. Too much to ever put into print, but gimme a glass of red wine & ya might hear about some of it. I often say "this too shall pass" but really do we want our lives to pass by so quickly? Seems like only a few day ago I had all these great plans of things I wanted do in my life and now I am approaching a number I don't want to think about. I ask myself, what have I actually done to make these dreams happen? There are a few biggies that I wouldn't trade for anything, but else what have I done that was close to my heart? What have I done to give me a personal sense of accomplishment or leave a legacy? Did I even realize back then the longings created if I didn't make time for them? I guess after seeing others accomplish so much and watching others do the things I want to do, I am having my "mid-life crisis". I know God has always had a plan for my life, and I have tried to follow it. Am I being challenged to do something else? What is it? I need the adreneline. I love the thrill of the unknown. I want something good and need it soon!
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
King Solomon
Here is a great story. I quote this very often but here is the story behind it...
The King Solomon version references the following parable[1]:
One day Solomon decided to humble Benaiah Ben Yehoyada, his most trusted minister. He said to him, "Benaiah, there is a certain ring that I want you to bring to me. I wish to wear it for Sukkot which gives you six months to find it." "If it exists anywhere on earth, your majesty," replied Benaiah, "I will find it and bring it to you, but what makes the ring so special?" "It has magic powers," answered the king. "If a happy man looks at it, he becomes sad, and if a sad man looks at it, he becomes happy." Solomon knew that no such ring existed in the world, but he wished to give his minister a little taste of humility. Spring passed and then summer, and still Benaiah had no idea where he could find the ring. On the night before Sukkot, he decided to take a walk in one of the poorest quarters of Jerusalem. He passed by a merchant who had begun to set out the day's wares on a shabby carpet. "Have you by any chance heard of a magic ring that makes the happy wearer forget his joy and the broken-hearted wearer forget his sorrows?" asked Benaiah. He watched the grandfather take a plain gold ring from his carpet and engrave something on it. When Benaiah read the words on the ring, his face broke out in a wide smile. That night the entire city welcomed in the holiday of Sukkot with great festivity. "Well, my friend," said Solomon, "have you found what I sent you after?" All the ministers laughed and Solomon himself smiled. To everyone's surprise, Benaiah held up a small gold ring and declared, "Here it is, your majesty!" As soon as Solomon read the inscription, the smile vanished from his face. The jeweler had written three Hebrew letters on the gold band: _gimel, zayin, yud_, which began the words "_Gam zeh ya'avor_" -- "This too shall pass." At that moment Solomon realized that all his wisdom and fabulous wealth and tremendous power were but fleeting things, for one day he would be nothing but dust.
The King Solomon version references the following parable[1]:
One day Solomon decided to humble Benaiah Ben Yehoyada, his most trusted minister. He said to him, "Benaiah, there is a certain ring that I want you to bring to me. I wish to wear it for Sukkot which gives you six months to find it." "If it exists anywhere on earth, your majesty," replied Benaiah, "I will find it and bring it to you, but what makes the ring so special?" "It has magic powers," answered the king. "If a happy man looks at it, he becomes sad, and if a sad man looks at it, he becomes happy." Solomon knew that no such ring existed in the world, but he wished to give his minister a little taste of humility. Spring passed and then summer, and still Benaiah had no idea where he could find the ring. On the night before Sukkot, he decided to take a walk in one of the poorest quarters of Jerusalem. He passed by a merchant who had begun to set out the day's wares on a shabby carpet. "Have you by any chance heard of a magic ring that makes the happy wearer forget his joy and the broken-hearted wearer forget his sorrows?" asked Benaiah. He watched the grandfather take a plain gold ring from his carpet and engrave something on it. When Benaiah read the words on the ring, his face broke out in a wide smile. That night the entire city welcomed in the holiday of Sukkot with great festivity. "Well, my friend," said Solomon, "have you found what I sent you after?" All the ministers laughed and Solomon himself smiled. To everyone's surprise, Benaiah held up a small gold ring and declared, "Here it is, your majesty!" As soon as Solomon read the inscription, the smile vanished from his face. The jeweler had written three Hebrew letters on the gold band: _gimel, zayin, yud_, which began the words "_Gam zeh ya'avor_" -- "This too shall pass." At that moment Solomon realized that all his wisdom and fabulous wealth and tremendous power were but fleeting things, for one day he would be nothing but dust.
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Squeamish
Is squeamish a real word? It explains how I feel about my poor dog Buddy right now. He and his best friend Bear recently added a new "brother" Toby. Because of this new addition, and according to our trusty $$ vet, they feel the intense need to express their manliness (even though it was removed years ago) to see who is now king of the castle..ie back yard. Fortunately, Toby, weighing in at a whopping 7 pounds, has no need to express this manliness, maybe because his has not yet been taken, or maybe because he is not large enough to be an appetizer to his larger brothers.
As we are putting the dogs to bed in their kennels, we don't know exactly what happened, just that Buddy has a rather large puncture wound on his chest and think it may need stitches. After taking him to the trusty $$ vet the next day, we fill in the good $$ doctor $$ and conclude that in order to express his kinghood of the back yard, Bear thinks it is a good idea to take Buddy by the chest and shake all 80+ pounds of him. In so doing, Bear merely leaves one puncture but underneath tore all the fat and muscle away from each other, leaving a huge gap for infection. Guess how they get the infection out? They $$ cut open a hole in his chest, clean $$ it out, and leave it OPEN! ewww... so all the infection will continue to drain for the next two WEEKS! Did I forget to tell you I am squeamish? Did I tell you my husband is traveling this week so it will be up to Moi to clean it out? I am hoping for a little down time, now that school is out but instead, I have added another "child". Oh, and he can't go outside except to potty because if a fly were to land on it, it might leave eggs which make for maggots! Oh, and give him two capsules twice a day. Oh, and clean the wound twice a day... and don't let him lick it. Oh, and start training Bear that Buddy and I are superior to him, letting him watch Buddy eat first, potty first, etc. Take away most of Bear's priviledges... and retrain him.
Did I mention I am squeamish? His insides are still hanging out! Hellooooo! What happened to stitches??????
Good thing I don't have any other kids or anything else to do!
As we are putting the dogs to bed in their kennels, we don't know exactly what happened, just that Buddy has a rather large puncture wound on his chest and think it may need stitches. After taking him to the trusty $$ vet the next day, we fill in the good $$ doctor $$ and conclude that in order to express his kinghood of the back yard, Bear thinks it is a good idea to take Buddy by the chest and shake all 80+ pounds of him. In so doing, Bear merely leaves one puncture but underneath tore all the fat and muscle away from each other, leaving a huge gap for infection. Guess how they get the infection out? They $$ cut open a hole in his chest, clean $$ it out, and leave it OPEN! ewww... so all the infection will continue to drain for the next two WEEKS! Did I forget to tell you I am squeamish? Did I tell you my husband is traveling this week so it will be up to Moi to clean it out? I am hoping for a little down time, now that school is out but instead, I have added another "child". Oh, and he can't go outside except to potty because if a fly were to land on it, it might leave eggs which make for maggots! Oh, and give him two capsules twice a day. Oh, and clean the wound twice a day... and don't let him lick it. Oh, and start training Bear that Buddy and I are superior to him, letting him watch Buddy eat first, potty first, etc. Take away most of Bear's priviledges... and retrain him.
Did I mention I am squeamish? His insides are still hanging out! Hellooooo! What happened to stitches??????
Good thing I don't have any other kids or anything else to do!
Thursday, May 8, 2008
The Five W's ..sort of ...
I know I have a lot of thoughts go through my head during the day (which could be debated) and think, if I had a blog, I would write about that. Now I am here to expel my wonderful knowledge and my peanut brain is empty. When I was in school, I always heard when you are stuck writing a paper, start with the Who, What, Where, When, & Why...and sometimes How... and then it should be much easier after that.
Who I am is Terri, the woman usually to blame when things go haywire around the home.
What do I do? I am the mom to four wild, woolly, but wonderful (most of the time) boys ages 11, 9, 6, and 4. I cook the food, chauffeur, wash laundry, occasionally put it away, sometimes clean the house, teach at MDO, and anything else most mom's do. Things I really like to do are working in the yard, crafty stuff, paint, redecorate, and most of all take pictures.
Where do I live? Well, let's just say I am in the Heart of Dixie.
When was I born? Sept 2 in 19XX.
Why do I do what I do? It depends on what it is. I try to do what is right because I am a child of God and it makes Him happy. Anytime I don't do what is right, it usually bites me in the hinny and doesn't make me happy anyway. Paul had a lot to say about this.
How do I do it all? It must be the grace of God because there is not other way to get everything done that I need or want to.
Oh, and just for fun..Things I really want to do more of or have never done:
Photography, putting the actual fruits of my labor on the walls and around the house.
Travel!!! Italy is toward the top of my list..also Alaska, the Carribean, and Germany.
And one of the ultimates for me would be to go on a photo travel shoot like I see in the magazines.
Who I am is Terri, the woman usually to blame when things go haywire around the home.
What do I do? I am the mom to four wild, woolly, but wonderful (most of the time) boys ages 11, 9, 6, and 4. I cook the food, chauffeur, wash laundry, occasionally put it away, sometimes clean the house, teach at MDO, and anything else most mom's do. Things I really like to do are working in the yard, crafty stuff, paint, redecorate, and most of all take pictures.
Where do I live? Well, let's just say I am in the Heart of Dixie.
When was I born? Sept 2 in 19XX.
Why do I do what I do? It depends on what it is. I try to do what is right because I am a child of God and it makes Him happy. Anytime I don't do what is right, it usually bites me in the hinny and doesn't make me happy anyway. Paul had a lot to say about this.
How do I do it all? It must be the grace of God because there is not other way to get everything done that I need or want to.
Oh, and just for fun..Things I really want to do more of or have never done:
Photography, putting the actual fruits of my labor on the walls and around the house.
Travel!!! Italy is toward the top of my list..also Alaska, the Carribean, and Germany.
And one of the ultimates for me would be to go on a photo travel shoot like I see in the magazines.
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