Yes, I've been pretty lazy with keeping my page updated here, so here goes a whirl-wind update...
I got laid off from my job right before New Year. Oh Joy! I've applied to a few places that looked promising, and have a job interview on Monday. I've been using the time to work on the shelter project that I mentioned in a previous post. We're moving right along with that - we're just about ready to start fund-raising as soon as we get a few little details nailed down.
My huband's job future isn't looking too secure, either. The place he works has been bought out by a Canadian-based competitor, who is slowly shutting all of the US plants down. His plant was shut down for 2 weeks in December (which is just about unheard of) and is scheduled to shut down for another 2 weeks, starting this upcoming Tuesday. Rumor is that it won't start back up again, but, at the same time, the company is investing quite a bit of money in some upgrades during the shut down, so you just don't know what to expect. Common sense says that they wouldn't be pumping money into a place that they're getting ready to shut down, so we'll just have to see what happens. Still, it makes it a pretty grim place to be right now.
Since we're just not sure about the financial future, we're making cuts where we can - getting an antenna for the TV so we can drop the satellite, dropping an ISP that we don't use anymore but kept anyway because it was convenient, forgoing the vacation that we wanted to take this winter in favor of staying home and saving some money, that kind of thing. I'm glad we have a side of beef in the freezer, and some chicken. Might be that and Ramen noodles for awhile...
I'm thankful for what we do have - we have our health, and we both have the skills and ability to find other jobs, even in a down economy. Neither of us are too proud to do whatever it takes to get through the rough patches. I'll go work at the fast-food joint in town if I have to.
Jack's daughter and her family are buying a house not too far from here. they both work for the board of education, and there's always a need for teachers and teacher aides. They decided that the little house behind us was too small, especially with a baby on the way. They're having a boy this time, so they'll have one of each. The house that they found is very nice - 4 bedroom with a couple acres in the country, on a road that never gets extra traffic. The back yeard ia about a half acre fenced, so they'll be able to let the grandbabies run loose and not worry about them. The price is very good, and the interest rates are incredibly low right now - it is most definately a buyer's market.
My son is taking his role as a father very seriously. He wants to be a positive force in his daughter's life, and I'm very proud of him for that. Lots of guys his age and in his position wouldn't give a flip. He's thinking about joining the National Guard as a way to get some training and income without some of the travel that is involved in joining the military. He wants to get training as an electrician, which I think he'd like a lot.
A couple obligatory pics of the grandkids:
