So since I've moved into this house, my least favorite thing (by far) has been the shower. No matter how much draino, baking soda/vinegar combos, plunger skills, mesh drain filters, etc.. I use, I still end up standing in my shower water. Which is mildly annoying. But then on top of THAT, the shower head was infuriating. It looked brand new, but only dribbled water (and I'm being generous)-- no pressure whatsoever. But I just figured the water pressure in the bathroom was lame and/or the pipes were small and old. Totally possible.
Yet yesterday I was clearing out and organizing my bathroom closet when I saw one of those shower hoser things laying on the floor. It's been laying there since I moved in March, and before that it was shoved in the basement of our old house. So really it hasn't been used since last July. The whole purpose of the shower hoser thingie was to bathe Bella in the tub rather than take her to the groomer (which can cost upwards of $70!!!!!)-- we kept it in our guest bathroom, so to be honest, I've never used it personally. Since I'm back in this payoffdebt mode, I figured I might as well go ahead and reinstall it in our one and only bathroom because 1. it's more frugal to bathe Bella at home and 2. the other shower head sucked anyway, so how much worse could it get?
The whole process took less than a minute. Just to make sure I installed it properly, I turned on the shower to see how it went. Oh...my...goodness. I stood with my jaw dropped open as I watched in wide eyed wonder what was happening. Out of that shower hoser head thing came water. lots of it. In a spray form. I put my hand under it, and felt PRESSURE!!
Do you have any idea how glorious it is to feel water pressure from a shower you thought had none with a contraption that you had randomly in the closet? GLORIOUS. Even better, I'm not sure I've taken a shower with better water pressure before. Can't believe it!
I think life's funny like that sometimes. You get used to something being kind of crappy and assume that's the only way it CAN be, because that's the only way you know it to be. But then something happens and you take a step to change it (small or large), and suddenly what once was crappy is awesome. And you can't believe you spent so long taking crappy showers when it could have been the best showers the whole time had you just considered the option that it COULD BE BETTER/DIFFERENT/ETC.
I still have a pool of water surrounding my feet by the end of my shower, but I guess that's where I just gotta grin and bear it (because I HAVE tried to fix that in a kajillion ways-- I don't think it's a clog!)>> because when things can't change, I believe attitudes can, and it makes a big difference too.
So there's some shower philosophy for you. Cheers! :)
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
energy
So I'm reading this book called The Happiness Project. So far it's okay. Kind of boring, to be honest, but okay. I like the idea of it. Even if a person is happy, can he or she be MORE happy? If so, what must he or she do to accomplish that? That's basically the essence of the book. She's happy, but she knows she can be more irritable than she should be at times, and she wants to be more grateful, more peaceful. I think that relates to a lot of folks these days (on the other hand, a lot of people just tend to hate life and want to rain on every parade they can).
She starts the book by saying what she's doing is not necessarily what everyone else should be doing, but she's aiming to make happiness work for HER. When I started reading I had no intention of starting any happiness project of my own; the book just looked interesting (again, it's actually kind of boring so far. I hope it gets more entertaining-- but the concept is fascinating).
Her first month is dedicated to finding more energy...and to do that, among other things, she felt she needed to clear clutter-- mental and physical. For some reason I woke up at 5am yesterday. And after laying in bed for an hour trying to go back to sleep, I decided to get up and just do something. So I did some laundry..and the dishes...and cleaned out my car...organized my kitchen...swept and mopped the downstairs...and dusted. All before 7:30. I thought I would be konked out by 8am (when I actually need my energy because that's when my sidekick starts to stir), but I wasn't!!! I actually had energy allllll day yesterday!! Could be a total fluke, but I think she was on to something when she talked about clearing out clutter. I can get really down when I know I have a lot to do and don't really know where to start. Amazing how just doing SOMETHING can energize me. And when all of those somethings are done? It's a beautiful feeling! cheers! :)
She starts the book by saying what she's doing is not necessarily what everyone else should be doing, but she's aiming to make happiness work for HER. When I started reading I had no intention of starting any happiness project of my own; the book just looked interesting (again, it's actually kind of boring so far. I hope it gets more entertaining-- but the concept is fascinating).
Her first month is dedicated to finding more energy...and to do that, among other things, she felt she needed to clear clutter-- mental and physical. For some reason I woke up at 5am yesterday. And after laying in bed for an hour trying to go back to sleep, I decided to get up and just do something. So I did some laundry..and the dishes...and cleaned out my car...organized my kitchen...swept and mopped the downstairs...and dusted. All before 7:30. I thought I would be konked out by 8am (when I actually need my energy because that's when my sidekick starts to stir), but I wasn't!!! I actually had energy allllll day yesterday!! Could be a total fluke, but I think she was on to something when she talked about clearing out clutter. I can get really down when I know I have a lot to do and don't really know where to start. Amazing how just doing SOMETHING can energize me. And when all of those somethings are done? It's a beautiful feeling! cheers! :)
Thursday, June 23, 2011
July Budget SET!
I love budgets. love, love, love, love, LOVE them. I seriously make one every month (down to about the dollar), and get giddy as I fill it in/check it off/see I'm underspending over the month (or frustrated if I overspend in a certain category). Like I said earlier, I was misjudging the amount I was actually bringing in by a couple hundred dollars, which tightens things up REALQUICK when you're not paying attention. Now that I've got my ducks in a row, I've readjusted a few things accordingly, but overall am really satisfied with how things are looking....
And obviously, with my commitment to get out of credit card debt by December, I needed to rearrange my budget to suit THAT goal.
But first things first. I made a point to check into what exactly I have to pay off and therefore have been able to give myself a more realistic picture of what's up. I said 3k in credit card debt and 15k in car debt + 2.5k in lawyer fees...
Here's the reality:
credit card: 2,933.77
car: 14,183.00
lawyer: 2,500.00
school loans: 14,000 and counting (I have another 18 months to go on my degree...)
oh, and I also agreed to pay my last month's rent when I signed my lease, but my landlord said he'd give me time to do that...so I have 300 more to go on that (and for ease, I'm going to count it as a debt, even though it will be credited to me whenever I have my last month of rent...)
Here's the order I'm paying off the debt, then::
Rent (because it's the lowest 'debt' and will just feel good to get it taken care of!)
Credit Card (because while it has 0% APR right now, that's not forever...)
Lawyer (because it's my next smallest debt and DOES have 0% forever)
Car (my larger debt with 0%)
School loans (because it will be my largest debt, but I don't expect to be paying on these for a couple of years, and I should receive forgiveness on about half of them if I go to teach at a Title 1 school, etc. etc..)
BOOM (and ay yai yai....)
So I obviously needed to change my budget on that basis as well (in addition to the fact that I was not earning as much as I was spending!). I looked at it and realized there are certain things that cannot be changed (rent, car insurance, health insurance, etc...), but there were definitely a few extras in there that needed to be cut out...
For instance, I got rid of the data plan on my phone, taking my payment each month from 70$ (+ taxes/fees) to 50$ (+ taxes and fees)-- I have a ghettofabulous phone as it is, so all I really can do on it easily anyway is call and text. So that's what's happening. I even had data blocked completely so there can be no accidental access to internet (Seth loves playing with my phone, and goes exploring...)
I also made the bummer decision to cut out guitar lessons. I wasn't putting in the practice time I needed to in order to get better faster, so it seemed a poor choice for me financially, plus a huge waste of my guitar teacher's time. So I cut it out for July and will be using that to go toward debt. Ultimately, I plan on starting to work again on Wednesdays, which will give me even more money to pay down that stupid debt.
So that's what I cut OUT. I also cut BACK.
Groceries (and all household needs such as pet food, toiletries, diapers, etc.) in June were budgeted at $380. I cut that back to $300, which gives me $80 to put elsewhere. It also means not as much organic food (booo, but I figure it's a short term sacrifice I'm willing to make) or as much excess food (which is super tough when you're shopping hungry!!). We'll see. I'm a big fan of budgeting challenges, and feeding me and Seth (HEALTHY) + taking care of our pets and house on that much money will certainly be a challenge (for me, anyway).
I did have to budget in for Seth's birthday, but this is the year of $30 birthdays, I tell ya. From beginning to end (including cake, presents and decorations). I'll have fun blogging about that one FOR SURE (I've already got some great tricks for making it awesome and "wow, really, only $30!?!" worthy...). And don't worry, I'm holding it to myself as well....
Everything else is pretty much set for the month, but I'm expecting some changes as fall rolls around (Seth will be in pre-k so his daycare expenses will drop DRAMATICALLY). And I'm really excited to keep you guys in the loop for how it's coming with my little debt snowball!!
For the month of July, I am paying minimum on my credit card (30$) and paying the agreed amount on my car ($300, which was a comfortable amount for me to agree to paying). Skipping the student loans since nothing is due on them yet, and putting all of my 'extra' money toward fixing that last month's rent.
That extra money actually amounts to $130, and I plan to pay the remainder of that 'debt' in August. So here's the bottom line:: I adjusted my budget to live on $200+ LESS than what I have been the past few months, yet still found over $100 that I could put toward paying down some debt next month. woot woot!! that makes me stinkin' EXCITED!!!!!
And obviously, with my commitment to get out of credit card debt by December, I needed to rearrange my budget to suit THAT goal.
But first things first. I made a point to check into what exactly I have to pay off and therefore have been able to give myself a more realistic picture of what's up. I said 3k in credit card debt and 15k in car debt + 2.5k in lawyer fees...
Here's the reality:
credit card: 2,933.77
car: 14,183.00
lawyer: 2,500.00
school loans: 14,000 and counting (I have another 18 months to go on my degree...)
oh, and I also agreed to pay my last month's rent when I signed my lease, but my landlord said he'd give me time to do that...so I have 300 more to go on that (and for ease, I'm going to count it as a debt, even though it will be credited to me whenever I have my last month of rent...)
Here's the order I'm paying off the debt, then::
Rent (because it's the lowest 'debt' and will just feel good to get it taken care of!)
Credit Card (because while it has 0% APR right now, that's not forever...)
Lawyer (because it's my next smallest debt and DOES have 0% forever)
Car (my larger debt with 0%)
School loans (because it will be my largest debt, but I don't expect to be paying on these for a couple of years, and I should receive forgiveness on about half of them if I go to teach at a Title 1 school, etc. etc..)
BOOM (and ay yai yai....)
So I obviously needed to change my budget on that basis as well (in addition to the fact that I was not earning as much as I was spending!). I looked at it and realized there are certain things that cannot be changed (rent, car insurance, health insurance, etc...), but there were definitely a few extras in there that needed to be cut out...
For instance, I got rid of the data plan on my phone, taking my payment each month from 70$ (+ taxes/fees) to 50$ (+ taxes and fees)-- I have a ghettofabulous phone as it is, so all I really can do on it easily anyway is call and text. So that's what's happening. I even had data blocked completely so there can be no accidental access to internet (Seth loves playing with my phone, and goes exploring...)
I also made the bummer decision to cut out guitar lessons. I wasn't putting in the practice time I needed to in order to get better faster, so it seemed a poor choice for me financially, plus a huge waste of my guitar teacher's time. So I cut it out for July and will be using that to go toward debt. Ultimately, I plan on starting to work again on Wednesdays, which will give me even more money to pay down that stupid debt.
So that's what I cut OUT. I also cut BACK.
Groceries (and all household needs such as pet food, toiletries, diapers, etc.) in June were budgeted at $380. I cut that back to $300, which gives me $80 to put elsewhere. It also means not as much organic food (booo, but I figure it's a short term sacrifice I'm willing to make) or as much excess food (which is super tough when you're shopping hungry!!). We'll see. I'm a big fan of budgeting challenges, and feeding me and Seth (HEALTHY) + taking care of our pets and house on that much money will certainly be a challenge (for me, anyway).
I did have to budget in for Seth's birthday, but this is the year of $30 birthdays, I tell ya. From beginning to end (including cake, presents and decorations). I'll have fun blogging about that one FOR SURE (I've already got some great tricks for making it awesome and "wow, really, only $30!?!" worthy...). And don't worry, I'm holding it to myself as well....
Everything else is pretty much set for the month, but I'm expecting some changes as fall rolls around (Seth will be in pre-k so his daycare expenses will drop DRAMATICALLY). And I'm really excited to keep you guys in the loop for how it's coming with my little debt snowball!!
For the month of July, I am paying minimum on my credit card (30$) and paying the agreed amount on my car ($300, which was a comfortable amount for me to agree to paying). Skipping the student loans since nothing is due on them yet, and putting all of my 'extra' money toward fixing that last month's rent.
That extra money actually amounts to $130, and I plan to pay the remainder of that 'debt' in August. So here's the bottom line:: I adjusted my budget to live on $200+ LESS than what I have been the past few months, yet still found over $100 that I could put toward paying down some debt next month. woot woot!! that makes me stinkin' EXCITED!!!!!
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Financial Peace- the Picture.
There are a few books that when I read them, I get fired up. One such book is Financial Peace (Dave Ramsey). I recommend it to anyone who has money frustrations. This book has the potential to be life changing. I've read it before, loved it, lived it, forgot about it, and now am reading it again, loving it again, and living it again (hopefully not forgetting it again!!!!):
Now, Dave's main thing is promoting Seven (baby) Steps to Financial Peace. Here they are, along with how they relate to MY life currently:
1. Get $1000 in your emergency fund to take care of unforeseen and costly events (done, kindofish. I have student loans in savings for when i student teach and can't work at the Cheese, but can use this for emergencies when/if they arise as well...)
2. Pay off all debt using the debt snowball (smallest debt first, gogogogoogo- once that's paid off, use that money to go toward the next debt..the money you're using to pay off debt should get bigger and bigger- like a snowball-- until you're debt freeish) (where I'm at...humbled...but I'm letting you into my financial world, warts and all, so it's listed below)
3. 3-6 months in savings (just in case...) (ummm, I am a student. I hope to tackle this as soon as I snag a real job, though!)
4. Invest 15% in Roth IRAS, etc.. (In some ways I want to do this instead of #3 first, but Dave's steps hold water...so I'll stick to the plan, Jan!)
5. College Funding for Children (here's a funny story. My Mimi actually set up a college fund for me, but my parents said if I got a tat before I was 25 they would take away my college money. Long story short: I did, they did. But I got grants and graduated without student loan debt [[that time]], while the Mimi money actually just hung out investing in itself until I had Seth...and my parents transferred it to him. So Seth actually already has his college paid for. Thanks, Jesus fish tattoo. :) )
6. Pay off house early (I rent..)
7. Build wealth and GIVE!!! (woot woot!)
So, here's the thing. I'm in debt and I hate it. I HATE IT.
My financial picture looks like this::
The way the divorce shook out, I took my car-- and along with it, a lot of car debt (about 15k). Plus I owe money for that divorce lawyer ($2500). Then as things were rearranging, I got credit card happy and racked up almost $3000 in credit card debt (I have no excuses here- this was just poor judgement on my part). Oh, and I'm in school now and paying for that with student loans (14k and counting..)
MOST of this stuff I can (somewhat?) justify- student loans are helping me pay for school, which will ultimately help me set up a new life for me and Seth. The car payment was something Luke and I had while we were married, and the divorce lawyer was (I felt) necessary for me to get a divorce. The credit card pisses me off though. I am really annoyed at myself over that.
So it seems sort of dismal...but it's not... because there IS good stuff in my financial picture too:
My credit score is phenomenal -- almost 800. I can make and have made every single payment on time, and often pay more than required. And my credit card currently carries a 0% APR, which means everything I pay toward it goes to paying off the principal balance. My car situation was a huge headache as I had to get it refinanced out of Luke's name (divorce decree requirement)-- but here's a funny thing: NOBODY WANTS TO REFINANCE SOMEONE WHO IS A FULL-TIME STUDENT. Not even at 8, 9, 10%!!! Boo. I had contacted every major finance company I could think off, but natta. Finally, when it looked like I was just going to have to sell my car, God provided a way not only for me to keep it, but keep it at a 0% interest rate. I tell you no lie when I say I cried over that one- forever it will humble me. So now any money that goes toward THAT is straight principal. And my lawyer fees. That's 0% too. My student loans should shift a bit this year since I'm using 2010 tax returns for my FAFSA instead of the 2009 (which were based on Luke's salary too...)-- so I should have much more in the subsidized category.
On top of all that, Seth and I are living well within our means, according to suggested income percentages. We are never in need (or want, really...), we give money to our church and causes we care about, we have money for recreation, plus I pay almost $500/month toward paying off those debts (again, I pay over the minimum each month, so it's not THAT scary...)
With that said, I want to stress again that I don't like my debt. So here's what's up. I'm planning on getting out of it. Fastish. I actually already have my emergency fund set up (well, as explained earlier). So onward to my debt snowball. I've totally rearranged my budget for July (mainly groceries, which were crazy...but another post on that later...). Here's my debt breakdown:
3000- Credit card
17500- Car + lawyer fees (15000 + 2500)
The student loans don't count yet because they're just going to keep on coming for about another year and a bit.... but when all is said and done, it'll probably look like 30k?? First things first!
My goal is to pay off my credit card debt by December. That's 6 months. It's a bit daunting, but I think entirely doable. I'll let you know a little later on how I rearrange my budget and whatnot to pay more toward the debt while still being able to give, live, and continue paying the minimums on the other debt. cheers!
Now, Dave's main thing is promoting Seven (baby) Steps to Financial Peace. Here they are, along with how they relate to MY life currently:
1. Get $1000 in your emergency fund to take care of unforeseen and costly events (done, kindofish. I have student loans in savings for when i student teach and can't work at the Cheese, but can use this for emergencies when/if they arise as well...)
2. Pay off all debt using the debt snowball (smallest debt first, gogogogoogo- once that's paid off, use that money to go toward the next debt..the money you're using to pay off debt should get bigger and bigger- like a snowball-- until you're debt freeish) (where I'm at...humbled...but I'm letting you into my financial world, warts and all, so it's listed below)
3. 3-6 months in savings (just in case...) (ummm, I am a student. I hope to tackle this as soon as I snag a real job, though!)
4. Invest 15% in Roth IRAS, etc.. (In some ways I want to do this instead of #3 first, but Dave's steps hold water...so I'll stick to the plan, Jan!)
5. College Funding for Children (here's a funny story. My Mimi actually set up a college fund for me, but my parents said if I got a tat before I was 25 they would take away my college money. Long story short: I did, they did. But I got grants and graduated without student loan debt [[that time]], while the Mimi money actually just hung out investing in itself until I had Seth...and my parents transferred it to him. So Seth actually already has his college paid for. Thanks, Jesus fish tattoo. :) )
6. Pay off house early (I rent..)
7. Build wealth and GIVE!!! (woot woot!)
So, here's the thing. I'm in debt and I hate it. I HATE IT.
My financial picture looks like this::
The way the divorce shook out, I took my car-- and along with it, a lot of car debt (about 15k). Plus I owe money for that divorce lawyer ($2500). Then as things were rearranging, I got credit card happy and racked up almost $3000 in credit card debt (I have no excuses here- this was just poor judgement on my part). Oh, and I'm in school now and paying for that with student loans (14k and counting..)
MOST of this stuff I can (somewhat?) justify- student loans are helping me pay for school, which will ultimately help me set up a new life for me and Seth. The car payment was something Luke and I had while we were married, and the divorce lawyer was (I felt) necessary for me to get a divorce. The credit card pisses me off though. I am really annoyed at myself over that.
So it seems sort of dismal...but it's not... because there IS good stuff in my financial picture too:
My credit score is phenomenal -- almost 800. I can make and have made every single payment on time, and often pay more than required. And my credit card currently carries a 0% APR, which means everything I pay toward it goes to paying off the principal balance. My car situation was a huge headache as I had to get it refinanced out of Luke's name (divorce decree requirement)-- but here's a funny thing: NOBODY WANTS TO REFINANCE SOMEONE WHO IS A FULL-TIME STUDENT. Not even at 8, 9, 10%!!! Boo. I had contacted every major finance company I could think off, but natta. Finally, when it looked like I was just going to have to sell my car, God provided a way not only for me to keep it, but keep it at a 0% interest rate. I tell you no lie when I say I cried over that one- forever it will humble me. So now any money that goes toward THAT is straight principal. And my lawyer fees. That's 0% too. My student loans should shift a bit this year since I'm using 2010 tax returns for my FAFSA instead of the 2009 (which were based on Luke's salary too...)-- so I should have much more in the subsidized category.
On top of all that, Seth and I are living well within our means, according to suggested income percentages. We are never in need (or want, really...), we give money to our church and causes we care about, we have money for recreation, plus I pay almost $500/month toward paying off those debts (again, I pay over the minimum each month, so it's not THAT scary...)
With that said, I want to stress again that I don't like my debt. So here's what's up. I'm planning on getting out of it. Fastish. I actually already have my emergency fund set up (well, as explained earlier). So onward to my debt snowball. I've totally rearranged my budget for July (mainly groceries, which were crazy...but another post on that later...). Here's my debt breakdown:
3000- Credit card
17500- Car + lawyer fees (15000 + 2500)
The student loans don't count yet because they're just going to keep on coming for about another year and a bit.... but when all is said and done, it'll probably look like 30k?? First things first!
My goal is to pay off my credit card debt by December. That's 6 months. It's a bit daunting, but I think entirely doable. I'll let you know a little later on how I rearrange my budget and whatnot to pay more toward the debt while still being able to give, live, and continue paying the minimums on the other debt. cheers!
Friday, June 3, 2011
Poor Man's Sangria
Sangria is delicious. Not only that, it's a PERFECT summer beverage for picnics, BBQs, celebrations, or just sitting on your front porch watching the world go by.
The thing is, it can be expensive and time consuming. A typical recipe calls for red wine + brandy, orange liqueur, fresh lime juice, fresh orange juice, sugar, orange/apple/lemon wedges/slices, and sparkling water. WHHHHAAAAATTT??!?! It's like the tiramasu of beverages!!!
But wait!!!!!!!!!! There IS a cheap and easy way to create this stuff, and the best part? NO ONE CAN TELL THE DIFFERENCE!
Ready?
Red table wine (Carlo Rossi comes in giant jugs and is PERFECT for this--- way affordable and sweet)
Orange Fanta
Mix it half and half. Add some fruit for effect if you want.... boom. done!
We drank this at our Memorial Day BBQ the other day, and everyone seemed to love it! Enjoy! :)
The thing is, it can be expensive and time consuming. A typical recipe calls for red wine + brandy, orange liqueur, fresh lime juice, fresh orange juice, sugar, orange/apple/lemon wedges/slices, and sparkling water. WHHHHAAAAATTT??!?! It's like the tiramasu of beverages!!!
But wait!!!!!!!!!! There IS a cheap and easy way to create this stuff, and the best part? NO ONE CAN TELL THE DIFFERENCE!
Ready?
Red table wine (Carlo Rossi comes in giant jugs and is PERFECT for this--- way affordable and sweet)
Orange Fanta
Mix it half and half. Add some fruit for effect if you want.... boom. done!
We drank this at our Memorial Day BBQ the other day, and everyone seemed to love it! Enjoy! :)
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Ten Year Plan...from Ten Years Ago!!!
I just stumbled on my autobiography from my senior year at UHS. It's been 10 years since I put this thing together (as was required by all 12th grade English students), and WOW!!! Wanna reminisce with me a bit?? Great!
So, the autobiography had to follow a format. The final chapter was titled "The Future" and asked several questions about where you thought you would be in ten years time, with fill in the blank responses. Well, my friends, that time has arrived...and admittedly my then-future and my now-present aren't really on the same page:
Ten years from now....(remember, this was 2001!)
I will be married (....ummm, and divorced?)
I will have one child (check! And I scored a jackpot with him-- he's the best!)
My occupation will be a journalist (I was pre-journalism my freshman year at WVU...changed to Psychology, which I LOVED-- but as you know am now pursuing my Master's in Education so I can assign senior English students things like this...)
My home will be in a safe community (I really didn't think I'd be in Morgantown, but I am actually quite glad to be here now-- and I really love my neighborhood and neighbors, so I would consider this a check!)
I'll earn enough money to be financially stable (I don't remember what I thought financially stable meant back then...right now I consider it to be having enough money to pay my bills, give some away, have some to save and have some to play. check!)
My most prized possession will be my faith in God (I remember this one being really tough for me-- there's nothing I valued then that I felt would be my most prized possession...any thing I had (and have) I want(ed) to be able to be willing to give it away. My faith in God was the one thing I wasn't willing to give away. And that's still very true today.
I'll spend my free time with my family (I'm so blessed-- not only do I have my kiddo as my sidekick, I also have my immediate family, extended family, and dear friends who have been through the muck with me so deep that I now consider them family--- and most people who know me could tell you that spending time with others is how I love to spend my free time. It makes my heart smile!)
I'll vacation in places I can barely pronounce (maybe one day ;) )
My summer home will be in the exact same location as my fall/winter/spring home (check!)
I'll spend most of my money on my family's needs (check!)
OK, so it didn't line up in some aspects. And some of it is kind of whatever (for example, I'm not really keen to spend tons of money to go on vacation-- I'm a thrifty girl by nature, so heading down to Myrtle Beach where I can stay with my sister is plenty vacation for me!... although I WOULD like to travel more eventually, I'm not at all sad about this one)
I think the biggest kicker is that I never (never never) thought I would be divorced at 28. And I think when things like that happen, at least when it happened to me -- I had to step back and admit that life can be messy. People are messy. I am messy. And when you're rolling on this kick like everybody's got their stuff together, it can take the wind out of your sails.
And it definitely took the wind out of my sails for a minute. But I think that's where I had to make a choice. I could choose to look at the crap, or I could choose to look at the beautiful. Life is full of both. And I think I've learned that what I plan for the future (either as a 12th grade English student or as an adult) sometimes has nothing to do with what the future has planned for me. And that can be intimidating/frustrating.
But I've also learned that it has been through the crap (or even just the unexpected) that my faith has been exercised the hardest, I have grown the most, and my joy has been increased in abundance.
So even though my future plans didn't pan out verbatim, I legitimately love my life right now. It is crazy; it is gogogogogogogogo; it is exhausting! But God has led me to a place where it is simultaneously beautiful, hilarious, and fulfilling. And that is an awesome thing!
As for the next ten years? Who knows?? I'm excited to see where God takes me! I'll just say this (from the quote on the front of my assignment): "I do not fear tomorrow, for I have already seen yesterday, and I love today."
Cheers!
So, the autobiography had to follow a format. The final chapter was titled "The Future" and asked several questions about where you thought you would be in ten years time, with fill in the blank responses. Well, my friends, that time has arrived...and admittedly my then-future and my now-present aren't really on the same page:
Ten years from now....(remember, this was 2001!)
I will be married (....ummm, and divorced?)
I will have one child (check! And I scored a jackpot with him-- he's the best!)
My occupation will be a journalist (I was pre-journalism my freshman year at WVU...changed to Psychology, which I LOVED-- but as you know am now pursuing my Master's in Education so I can assign senior English students things like this...)
My home will be in a safe community (I really didn't think I'd be in Morgantown, but I am actually quite glad to be here now-- and I really love my neighborhood and neighbors, so I would consider this a check!)
I'll earn enough money to be financially stable (I don't remember what I thought financially stable meant back then...right now I consider it to be having enough money to pay my bills, give some away, have some to save and have some to play. check!)
My most prized possession will be my faith in God (I remember this one being really tough for me-- there's nothing I valued then that I felt would be my most prized possession...any thing I had (and have) I want(ed) to be able to be willing to give it away. My faith in God was the one thing I wasn't willing to give away. And that's still very true today.
I'll spend my free time with my family (I'm so blessed-- not only do I have my kiddo as my sidekick, I also have my immediate family, extended family, and dear friends who have been through the muck with me so deep that I now consider them family--- and most people who know me could tell you that spending time with others is how I love to spend my free time. It makes my heart smile!)
I'll vacation in places I can barely pronounce (maybe one day ;) )
My summer home will be in the exact same location as my fall/winter/spring home (check!)
I'll spend most of my money on my family's needs (check!)
OK, so it didn't line up in some aspects. And some of it is kind of whatever (for example, I'm not really keen to spend tons of money to go on vacation-- I'm a thrifty girl by nature, so heading down to Myrtle Beach where I can stay with my sister is plenty vacation for me!... although I WOULD like to travel more eventually, I'm not at all sad about this one)
I think the biggest kicker is that I never (never never) thought I would be divorced at 28. And I think when things like that happen, at least when it happened to me -- I had to step back and admit that life can be messy. People are messy. I am messy. And when you're rolling on this kick like everybody's got their stuff together, it can take the wind out of your sails.
And it definitely took the wind out of my sails for a minute. But I think that's where I had to make a choice. I could choose to look at the crap, or I could choose to look at the beautiful. Life is full of both. And I think I've learned that what I plan for the future (either as a 12th grade English student or as an adult) sometimes has nothing to do with what the future has planned for me. And that can be intimidating/frustrating.
But I've also learned that it has been through the crap (or even just the unexpected) that my faith has been exercised the hardest, I have grown the most, and my joy has been increased in abundance.
So even though my future plans didn't pan out verbatim, I legitimately love my life right now. It is crazy; it is gogogogogogogogo; it is exhausting! But God has led me to a place where it is simultaneously beautiful, hilarious, and fulfilling. And that is an awesome thing!
As for the next ten years? Who knows?? I'm excited to see where God takes me! I'll just say this (from the quote on the front of my assignment): "I do not fear tomorrow, for I have already seen yesterday, and I love today."
Cheers!
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Gettin' Green!
So in theory I love the hippie lifestyle. I think recycling is great, reuseable bags are genius, and people who do green things are more admirable than people who don't (yup, I just said that...). The thing is, I am a huge hypocrite when it comes to being green. Embarrassing.
FACT: I've lived here for 2 months, and up until last week I didn't recycle. boooo, hissss Ash!
FACT: Things have changed!
Now I'm not as gung ho as THIS girl (big props + love her!, but I'm not there yet...), but there were some things that needed adjusting in my house.
First of all, paper towels. I still have a couple of rolls around the house (and admit to using them more than I'd like), but for cleaning, I have switched to rags. I have a small laundry basket that I toss them into when I'm done and every week or two I throw all of them in the wash. I normally let them air dry, then put them back into the wicker basket in my kitchen to use over and over again! They're super convenient and make me feel better than using 400 paper towels to clean my kitchen counter! Next up, cloth napkins-- but I haven't made the jump yet.
Secondly, recycling. Easy, breezy. Done and done. I scrubbed out the recycling container that was left here by the previous tennants (it was grrrroooosss), and now am a happy Allied Waste recycler. They pick up the bin every 2 weeks, but it fills up quickly (!!)...and they accept clear glass bottles, but not colored glass ones (red wine?); they accept paper, but not cardboard (cereal boxes?). So of course I'll have to make a trip or two a month to drop off those things, but it's totally worth it not to feel so guilty about being such a lame-o when it comes to my carbon footprint. Wa-tothe-hoo!
Thirdly, composting!! I DIYed a compost bin using these easy (cheap!) instructions- Seriously, so simple. Seth helped me tear up the newspaper and he LOVES adding stuff to the bucket. We keep an airtight container under the sink for food scraps, then transfer it out to the bin every few days. Hopefully I'll have enough amazing soil to start an organic veggie garden next year :)
So that's how we're getting green around here these days.. what do YOU do to get green? :) cheers!
FACT: I've lived here for 2 months, and up until last week I didn't recycle. boooo, hissss Ash!
FACT: Things have changed!
Now I'm not as gung ho as THIS girl (big props + love her!, but I'm not there yet...), but there were some things that needed adjusting in my house.
First of all, paper towels. I still have a couple of rolls around the house (and admit to using them more than I'd like), but for cleaning, I have switched to rags. I have a small laundry basket that I toss them into when I'm done and every week or two I throw all of them in the wash. I normally let them air dry, then put them back into the wicker basket in my kitchen to use over and over again! They're super convenient and make me feel better than using 400 paper towels to clean my kitchen counter! Next up, cloth napkins-- but I haven't made the jump yet.
Secondly, recycling. Easy, breezy. Done and done. I scrubbed out the recycling container that was left here by the previous tennants (it was grrrroooosss), and now am a happy Allied Waste recycler. They pick up the bin every 2 weeks, but it fills up quickly (!!)...and they accept clear glass bottles, but not colored glass ones (red wine?); they accept paper, but not cardboard (cereal boxes?). So of course I'll have to make a trip or two a month to drop off those things, but it's totally worth it not to feel so guilty about being such a lame-o when it comes to my carbon footprint. Wa-tothe-hoo!
Thirdly, composting!! I DIYed a compost bin using these easy (cheap!) instructions- Seriously, so simple. Seth helped me tear up the newspaper and he LOVES adding stuff to the bucket. We keep an airtight container under the sink for food scraps, then transfer it out to the bin every few days. Hopefully I'll have enough amazing soil to start an organic veggie garden next year :)
So that's how we're getting green around here these days.. what do YOU do to get green? :) cheers!
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