When it rains, it pours...

My husband and I thought that things were starting to look up, a couple of months ago. I got a job working at Subway, close to home. We were getting caught up on bills and starting to build a savings. We were able to do more things and then the storm hit us.

Although we were getting caught up on bills, we needed a new fridge and we weren't able to eat much because of the afore mentioned bills. We received a new to us, fridge from my mother-in-law and it works wonderfully. Since then, we have gotten some help with food and can now eat more than a can of soup a day. Today, I enjoyed cold yogurt.

Minimum wage is rising, here in Michigan. That's great! Except for the idea that when minimum wage rises, hours get cut. So, instead of working close to 30 hours a week, to save the boss some money, everyone is getting cut to less than 25 hours a week. This means that even though I am getting paid more, it makes it more difficult to pay bills and I may, now, have to pick and choose which bills get paid and which ones I let go for the month.

Then, my husband and I got in a car wreck. The details are in a previous post. Although the car still runs, everything is squished against the engine and I wouldn't trust that car as far as I could throw it. That being said. We are in need of a vehicle. My husband recieved a whopping $175 fine for the accident, because technically he was at fault, even though the brakes decided to go out. Someone has to pay and it has to be us. However, I can't pay all $175, at once and we are having trouble finding a way, to that city (because we have no car) to pay half the fine. We were looking at a 2002 Ford Escape for 2,000 but we only have about 20 to our name and that is not enough for a down payment. Any loans we take out would be more than we can afford to pay back.

I just recieved a few phone calls today. The first was another bill collector that said I wasn't paying them, after locking me out of paying them, earlier this month. They, of course, want their money and I'm not sure how I can get it to them, every month. On a Subway budget.

The second call was that the money we thought we could get for the car, we can't get right now. So, instead of getting the car, this weekend, we have to wait another week or month. Yay. Even then, payments will be an issue.

And even though all of this is going on, I have many blessings that I choose to count instead. Yes, we got in a car accident, but no one was hurt, besides a few bruises. Sure, we have to pay a fine, but it is a one time fee and better than than have hospital bills added on top of it. My husband and I have health insurance now. We have a working refrigerator that stores the extra food we make and the foods we get on sale, and freeze. Our neighboors cut our lawn for us, because our mower is broken. My co-workers are amazing! In the time that I haven't had a car I have gotten rides home from one, and she took me to the bank to deposit my paycheck to pay the above mentoined bills. One co-worker, saw me walking the 4.5 miles to work and gave me a ride, the rest of the way.

I may not have a car or the best job. But I have a roof over my head, food on the table, and a husband that I come home to, every night. We are working on getting more funds, we are both looking for a job. We have family who loves us and a church that accepts us, and is willing to give us rides to the services.

This is a song that I think of every time things start to look for the worse.

 

When it rains, it pours. When it pours,we learn to dance.

Snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes...

I don't know what it is, but I have been on a, rather ambitious, crochet kick. I first started to crochet about two years ago. The process of learning was more frustrating than I would like to admit, because I had no one to show me and I am one of those 'see and do' learners. My first project was a scarf, which I gave to my husband. Then, I made a couple afghans, which I gave to my step mom and mother-in-law as gifts for Christmas.

More recently, I made a Santa pillow. I was bored. I had yarn. It was the middle of July and I was feeling a bit ambitious. I saw the pattern and decided to make it. It took me three days to make, which isn't bad for over 48 pieces for his beard alone.

Here is a picture of the finished Pillow.

I am selling it on Etsy.com because I have this terrible knack for making things and having no idea what to do with them, afterwards. I also have a ton of ruffle scarves and other things that I will be putting in my shop, soon. The moment it stops raining on a day I have off and I can get my husband to help take pictures.

My birthday just passed and I have been yearning to make something with crochet thread. Little did I realize just how difficult and frustrating the process of being able to, would be. The hooks are almost as tiny as a sewing needle and the thread is...well, thread.

Still I have been able to create a snowflake each day, for the past three days. Here are the ones I have created, so far:

 

I found the pattern for the first snowflake at the Snowcatcher Snowflake Directory.

The person who runs the directory and blog has created all of the designs for the snowflakes and has amazing stories to tell for each design. I love her snowflakes and I think I'm going to try several of her patterns.  

These last two snowflakes, I found the pattern for in the December 2010 issue of Crochet World Magazine. I love being a subscriber and trying new patterns. I am going to make a few more snowflakes and then stiffen them so they keep their shape while they are hanging on our tree. I will probably make more than our poor tree can handle, and end up selling them in my Etsy shop.

What are some ornament ideas you have?

The "Husband Interview"

Last night, my husband and had a little chat. It was more like coming to terms with the fact that we are both so busy trying to make a life for our family that we forget to make time for US. And the US is a very important thing in marriage. We don't quite seem to be on the same page anymore and we both understand that a wedding doesn't make a marriage. The people who are in the marriage (the bride and groom) do.

Love isn't a feeling or a noun, it is a verb. An action word. A word that needs another verb, communication. Which is a word that we feel we have been lacking in the bustle of life.

So, my solution? Or the start of it, was to create a "Husband Interview" while he was sleeping. I wrote down all of my questions and asked that he write or type his answers so I can read them and we might be able to talk about them.

Here are my questions:

1. What are your goals?
2. What are the top 3 things that you like about yourself?
3. What are 3 things that would change about yourself?
4. How do you feel about our marriage?
5. What can I do to be a better wife?
6. When do you feel happiest? Angriest? Most loved?

And then a quick think "A few of your favorite things"
Book
Movie
Actor
Actress
Quote
Vehicle model
Destination
Animal (domestic and wild)
Color
Flower
Board Game
Hobby/Pass time
Name (Boy and Girl)
Food/Meal
Number, why?
Season
Holiday
Memory

_____________

I also invited him to create questions for me so that I can answer them. I wanted us to write them down so that I can keep them as a refection and that way I don't mishear anything he says. I intend to give the first six questions to him, every year, at least once. Because I really do want to be a good wife and I don't think I can do that when I don't know his goals or how I can improve.

Communication doesn't always have to be by mouth. Sometimes, it is easier when it is written because you can't mishear and the words are in front of you so you can talk about it.

If you have thoughts or comments, I invite you to post them below. What do you do to keep the communication open with your spouse or significant other?