Staying positive in the mist of a barrage of bad news is no easy task.  I have learned to spend less time thinking about bad news and more time focusing on the good.  Small things like "Hey!  I woke up this morning!  And my feet were above the ground!"  Or jumping on the scale and realizing I lost two ounces.  Sometimes making a dinner that everyone liked.  (This I want to mark on the calendar with a big star!)  Too many of us dwell on the the bad stuff around us and forget about the small things that make our life bearable or, dare I say, happy!

This week, two of my friends got jobs after being unemployed for several months.  They are happy with their new position in life, and this makes me happy.  Two other friends, lost important people in their lives, which makes me sad. But, death is part of life.  We need to deal with it because we are all coming to it eventually.  We will be sad, but life continues.  One of my friends had her first two grandchildren within two weeks of each other.  Life and death.  Joy and sorrow. The ying-yang of life.

Now, am I jealous of my younger friend that now has two grandchildren?  You betcha!!  Am I even close to being a grandmother?  Nope.  But, I find joy in the knowledge that maybe some day I may be lucky enough to experience that joy.  It gives me hope.  Looking forward to a special event, visible, such as an impending marriage, or not yet visible, like grandchildren, is the essence of life.  It is not traveling, or winning the Pulitzer, or winning the lottery that defines us.  It's the every day events that make us smile and give our life meaning.

I have a bucket list which I believed I needed to have completed before I die.  I found myself striving to check off the list and becoming frustrated because the bulk of the list I don't think I can ever accomplish.  Traveling is just not feasible when you're broke!  But, when we die, who cares?  I have had a marriage for almost 36 years.  I have raised two children who appear stable and well-adjusted.  (well, one out of two maybe) I have seen my parents and grandparents live long healthy lives.  I have a big extended family who are loving, caring and always around when they're needed.  My only hope is that I will be remembered as loving and caring as well.  A good mother, wife, sister, cousin, aunt, daughter and friend.  Feel free to put all of that on my tombstone!  I have never seen anything about people's other accomplishments at the grave site.

I guess what I'm trying to say is, we need to be happy with all the blessings we have that we tend to forget about, or not notice at all.  Just the fact that we have food every day and heat and a bed.  We can see and smell and feel and hear life all around us. How special is that?  Again, if we think about it, we are all blessed and we are all the same!

Dinner.  The most dreaded word in the human language; especially if you are the one that has the responsibility every night of deciding and answering the question of, "What's for dinner?" I would be happy with wine and chocolate every night. I don't understand why no one else would!

Chocolate can come in different colors, and wine comes in red and white. And wine is made from grapes which counts as fruit.  There are many levels to the food group pyramid that include fruits and vegetables, meat and protein, dairy, etc.  Why can't there be a colorful food group?  We can put the candy right in that group, which includes chocolate.  Wine is often paired with chocolate.  There are books written about them, as well as wine tastings that include samples of the correct chocolate to enhance the essence of a particular wine.

Of course, dark chocolate is considered better for us than milk chocolate, and I prefer milk. Red wine is considered better than white for our blood, and I prefer white.  Milk chocolate, I would assume has milk in it, so perhaps that could go in the dairy group. Another level of the pyramid would be conquered!  So dairy and fruit is covered in one meal!  I think we've got dinner!

Then, I would have the daunting task of deciding which chocolate goes with which wine! Can I use a handful of M&M's with a rose colored wine? Would Snickers go with a chardonnay? Baby Ruth with a Pinot Noir? Now, I'm getting nervous again.  This is almost as bad as deciding what's for dinner.

Another alternative I have used sometimes is making one meal for the entire week.  That would require only deciding four meals a month.  This idea is not too hard to swallow, no pun intended.  (Well, maybe a little intended.)  So, we would only have to decide 52 meals a year!  Oh, dear, let's go back to one meal a week. I need to do this one step at a time.

So, this week I made a turkey with all the trimmings.  The only thing I may have to do the rest of the week is make a new vegetable.  By Friday I will hear, "But we've had this five days in a row!"  I will reply, "No, the vegetables have been different every night!  And soon, I'm making something new that you can have six days in a row!  Maybe a giant meatloaf!"

I love this job! It's hard to believe I've been doing this for 35 years. When can I stop?  I think most women feel the same way.  We're really not that different! 

On "Throwback Thursday" I become very melancholy.  I enjoy looking at the old pictures people post and I think about the good old days.  I remember some events from my young days, but not much. I do know, they were really the best times because jobs were easier to find, houses were easier to buy, and toys for kids were simple and affordable.  Children were more in tune to their youth and definitely played more outside and didn't have a thousand scheduled extra activities.  The only extra activity I had was the Girl Scouts. During that time, we actually had to earn the badge. I learned so much from this organization during a time when life was much more laid back and mothers were home all day.

Unfortunately, the dangers that existed all around us were not emphasized as they are today.  We actually went door-to-door selling our cookies, without an adult accompanying us. I encountered an experience at one house that forced my parents to forbid me to go around by myself any more. A young man exposed himself to me, but I couldn't remember which house it was!  It could have ended much worse, and I was fortunate.  Because my parents were uncomfortable asking people to buy girl scout cookies, I was never able to reach my "quota" after that.  I also remember the boxes being around 25 cents, which is a far cry from $4 a box containing only about ten cookies!

I also remember bangs.  Young girls all had bangs about one inch long that were never cut straight and were usually longer on one side.  Most of our mothers cut our bangs, and usually right before school pictures.  Because my forehead is gigantic, and the bangs were so short, my huge forehead became the focal point of all the pictures.  Also, my eyes were already big and looked even bigger.  This earned me the nickname "headlights".  Between the call of "headlights" and the rhyming nickname, "Benedetti Spaghetti",  I was not a happy child with those silly bangs!

But, I grew up anyway and I was not psychologically marred for life.  The uncomfortable embarrassments of our childhood, and some unfortunate situations, are all part of becoming responsible adults.  My parents never fought my battles for me, and I never expected them to do that.  Of course, I am not talking about serious situations that do require parent intervention. It seems parents today are so ready to jump in at the least infraction toward their children, especially when it comes to their teachers.  I had some terrible teachers, but I knew I had to plug through and do the best I could.  And my word over the teachers?  Forget it.  The teacher was always right and I was in trouble. Bullies?  I was bullied in Kindergarten.  The teachers watched out for me and I got through it.  I know I was only five, but it was serious and involved torn dresses and my head pushed into a tree.  I think because I was so naive, and definitely blonde, that I disregarded the whole thing and had no trouble in my later years.  No deep depression, and no brain damage from being hit by a tree. (Well, the verdict is still out on that one!!)

I know nothing stays the same and life is constantly changing.  We all long to go back to a simpler time.  The only way to get through it is to accept the changes and try to go ahead with them. When one plan doesn't work, "make a new plan, Stan."  I'm still working on a new plan, but my problem is I'm lazy and lack the self-confidence to move ahead.  Once we conquer our fear of failure, keep getting up when we just want to stay down, and look life in the eye and spit at it, we can put the plan into action. That's life!

     I'm not sure if anyone is reading this blog, but I continue to write because I enjoy talking about life.  The more people I talk to and the older I get, the more I realize the sameness of everyone.  We have similar thoughts, secrets, and silly things we do and say. I just happen to like to write about it and every other random thought that enters my head!

     As I mentioned in an earlier blog, I am unemployed and have been for over a year.  This is on my mind every day because now I have no income other than my husband's social security.  Yesterday I had another interview 26 miles away.  It took me over an hour to get there and all I thought about was how long it would take me to get there when it snowed.  Last night, I plotted several other routes for me to travel which would take about 45 minutes.  At this time in my life, I want a job around the corner, doesn't require much thought, and most of our time is spent standing around and talking while drinking coffee.  That's what it looks like on TV.  I guess I'm confusing reality TV with reality.  Reality is, I'm getting very good at interviews.  I've had seven phone interviews, a few which led to face-to-face, and over 20 other interviews in the last 12 months.  Several of these interviews were with the same company.  I have had a couple of offers, but two were for under $10 and hour, and one I'm still kicking myself for not accepting, even though the offer wasn't quite what I needed financially.

   I have been asking myself what is wrong with me?  I feel I can do any job I've applied to with a little training.  I am not too confident with Excel and all the nuances of Word and Outlook, but I'm sure working with them every day would become easier.  My son says he can hear the lack of confidence in my voice.  Is that the problem?  I don't appear confident?  Or could it be my age?  I could retire in five years, but I didn't plan to do that. Maybe an older woman is intimidating and considered a bad investment.  I just wish I could get feedback, or even a letter of rejection once in a while.  Why do companies not let you know when the position has been filled, and you were not selected?  The wait would not be such torture if we were notified one way or the other.

     I find I complain about this an awful lot.  Since I don't like to be "that person", I plan to complain only to the people who want to complain with me.  So now I will go take a shower with the power head turned to high, open my mouth and let my teeth be water picked.  I may brush them later too. People who spend too much time at home find fun things like this to do!  Yep, we're really all the same!

     For some reason, I could not sleep past 5am today.  I guess my son yelling downstairs to ask my mother-in-law why she was up so early and did she know it was only 5am, was the reason I woke up in the first place.  Apparently, she did not know it was that early and I can hear her snoring away two hours later. As for me, I decided to get up and get a chance to see yet another snowstorm before it ended early enough to be missed by normal people sleeping normal hours.

     So, for the past two hours, I have eaten breakfast, folded clothes, and sewn a hem in a pair of pants while watching "I Love Lucy" reruns.  Although I used to love this show, I felt very uncomfortable watching it again for the first time after all these years.  The dynamics between men and women 50 years ago was hard to watch.  I saw Lucy making breakfast, lunch, and dinner, ironing, cleaning, and obeying every command Ricky made.  He came home from work and napped before dinner. He handled all the money and she had to account for the amount she asked for and what she spent.  Some of their arguments were painful because it was obvious there was not a partnership because Ricky always had the final say.  Her little attempts at defiance were meant to be funny, but the important things in their lives were always decided by the "man of the house."

     My dad never wanted my mom to learn to drive, so she did it on her own.  He was not happy.  He did not want her to get a job.  She did it anyway, and loved it.  She worked part time in the evening after dad got home.  He was not happy. She still cooked, cleaned, ironed, and took care of four children, but her life was enriched by getting out to work with people her own age and having her own money.  She was a better mother because of it.

     It amazes me how far men and women have come through the years.  Most men definitely participate more in household chores and are more involved with their children.  Of course, this may have something to do with the fact that most women work outside of the home today and are not willing to do everything else that needs to be done to maintain a home. This was always a bone of contention between my husband and me. I worked and still had to do everything around the house.  He never wanted to help with chores. I believe he didn't know how he was supposed to behave or how to help, although I told him many times.  I was so angry all the time.

    Unfortunately, we are what we see.  He was raised by a mother who took orders from her husband and her two sons.  She never worked and all her time was spent keeping a perfect house.  She never had an outside interest, had no desire to travel, and never participated in anything involving school or community.  He assumed all women were like this and had a bit of a rude awakening when he married me and asked me to get up to get him a glass of milk soon after we were married.  I don't remember my exact response, but I know it was one he will never forget.  Then my mother-in-law told me I was his wife and a very cold person, and proceeded to get him what he asked for.  I must mention we lived with my in-laws for a couple of years while we saved money for a house. His mother continued to wait on him because I refused.  I refused and he was very confused because I was defusing his notion about women.

     I'm sure many women would love to be able to stay home just because it's nice to be able to do what we want, whenever we want, and it's easier to take care of children and the home if we have all day.  In the world we live in today, it is not often possible.  I don't know many women who have the luxury of keeping the money they make if they work at a job that pays them.  At least some of it goes toward the bills, or groceries, or something for the children. In today's world, most families require two incomes.  Of course, I've often told my husband we don't need two cars, or 800 channels, or heat and air conditioning.  He disagrees, and I let him win on this one.  I do pick my battles, but I don't see how people got away with one car years ago, and every person that drives in the family today needs a car.  He doesn't work anymore, why does he need a car?  Can't we be a little inconvenienced and drive each other where we need to go, or schedule our time around the use of the car?  He tells me I'm cheap and unreasonable.  Maybe.  But, when there is a shortage of money, compromises are necessary.  We will never agree on this one.  Life is difficult sometimes and rarely fair.  I think we can all agree on that!

     Since my mother passed away last month, I've started going back to church.  Our religion was very important to her, and I believe I am honoring her, and myself, by giving church another try.  The Gospel today talked about sins.  I always thought I was pretty good at not sinning, but it turns out there are other sins I forgot about that I may have committed.  I have never coveted my neighbors husband, although he is very handsome.  I've never stolen their beautiful car, even though it is much newer and nicer than mine.  I've never lied to them about wanting to steal their car.  But, if I feel it in my heart, and never told them, apparently it is a lie of omission.  In truth, I have stolen money from my husband, then lied about it.  I have secretly wanted to make love to George Clooney, so I have committed adultery in my heart. I think the only big commandment I have not actually committed is murder.  Although, I have wanted to murder certain people.  I guess the intent is there, so I think I'm toast when it comes to getting into heaven.

     As I said,  there are other less serious sins.  These are the ones I forgot about. The minister said that men commit lust more than women, no surprise here,  and women commit the sin of pride more than men.  Gluttony is my problem.  I love to eat, and never want to stop.  Even when I'm full, I continue to look for food to eat. Last night, I had just gotten back from eating a wonderful dinner, found some macaroni and cheese in the fridge that my son had brought home from his night out, and ate it! I didn't even ask him.  When he went to look for it later, I wanted to lie, but couldn't really blame anyone but the cat, and he didn't believe me when I tried to do that once before. He was pretty angry, and I don't blame him. I think I would have committed the sin of murder if someone had taken my food that I was looking forwarding to eating.

     I'm not sure why I want to eat all the time.  Fortunately, I'm only about 15 pounds overweight, but I could very easily become obese if I totally ignored what I put in my mouth.  I try to be careful, but I get out of control sometimes.  I also enjoy snacks more than real food.  Not that that's makes a difference, because too much of any food, good or bad,  can be trouble.  I love all things white, or made with white flour.  Bread, potatoes, cake, cookies, muffins, pie, pancakes, waffles, etc.  Also, things of other colors such as brownies, ice cream, fudge and candy, especially chocolate.  This makes it very difficult to be reasonable when it comes to eating properly.  It is easier to choose evil over good. Anything that tastes good, is bad.

     So, I have a daunting task ahead of me.  I have to control my mind.  I can't think how envious I am of people who are working, enjoy their job, and have no problem going out and buying groceries without having to use their credit card.  I can't begrudge the person who can eat whatever they want, and never gain an ounce. I can't wish I had something I can't have.  I'm sure there is a sin there somewhere for wishing we had something we can't have.  And I can't think about how cute George Clooney is and how different my life would be if we were married!  How can we control our minds?  We are all sinners.  But, we are also inwardly good people who want to be better.  I have seen so many random acts of kindness from so many different types of people that it is difficult to believe most of us are not going to heaven.  I believe we are going to heaven.  We are human.  We are flawed.  And, basically, we are really not that much different.

So the "lover's holiday" is over.  Because I'm unemployed, rarely leave the house, and have had no income for almost two months, I decided to make a heart-shaped chocolate cake, a cherry pie with hearts carved into the crust, and a home made card.  It was kind of fun designing the card and baking desserts instead of spending money and time in a store just buying these things.  My husband made dinner, and we ate by candlelight, with my mother-in-law.  Then no one wanted dessert and discussed how they needed to watch their weight.  How romantic it all was watching my mother-in-law try to slice her pork chop and complain how tough it was. Then, hearing my husband say, "Can't we turn a light on?  It's dark in here."  So romantic.
I asked my husband if he liked his card, and he said it was OK.  He, of course, got me a pretty bouquet and a beautiful store bought card.  The verse was loving and touched my heart. I know I spent more time designing and writing the verse for his card, and I had hoped he would get more excited over the effort, but this did not happen.  We spent the rest of the evening watching TV.  He watched the Olympics downstairs, and I watched "The Notebook" upstairs. (I grabbed a shot, or two, of vodka sometime during this)  Such a romantic evening!
This morning, we woke up together for the first time in a long time.  He told me to be ready by 4:15 today cause he was taking me out.  It's a big secret, but apparently it's some place I like.  I hope it's Florida so I can escape the snow that is coming AGAIN for the third time this week!  Since we have no extra money, I know it's not Florida, and not a Bed and Breakfast, or dinner because it's too early, so it might be a movie.  But, not just any movie!  A movie in a theater that has reclining seats!  Seats that are leather and soft and are just like a recliner in your house and go all the way back!  Only these seats are better because there is a giant screen in front of you and popcorn  from a popcorn popping machine! I don't even care what movie is on the screen!  Just to be able to sit back, and not be interrupted by anyone and no phones to answer, would be heaven. It really doesn't take much to get me excited!
Valentine's day is not just for lovers, but people who are in love.  People who are in love with their children, parents, grandchildren, and friends. It is a day to be reminded of this love.  Unfortunately, single people feel alone on this day proclaimed "for lovers."  This is a day to spend with family and recognizing the love all around us.  This should be done every day, but life gets in the way.  So, Valentine's Day reminds us to look for the love and recognize it in every form. In smiles, and hugs, or a card from our niece or nephew.  This is love and blessings.  Single people of the world should rejoice!  They don't have any pressure on this day to worry about what to buy, or how to they should spend their time.  It's just another day to show the people around you how much you love them.

Valentines Day is coming and our thoughts turn to love and romance.  I think about all the times my husband does things for me without an excuse.  He is definitely the more romantic one, although I like to think I taught him to be more sensitive.  Early in our relationship, we've been together for 45 years and married for 35 years, I was the one who planned the romantic dinners at home, sent cards for no occasion, and booked overnights when celebrating something special.  I wrote poetry and made cards as well.
He came from a pretty dysfunctional family where his mother's life revolved around cooking and cleaning for the family.  That's all she ever did.  And nagged her husband. Incessantly nagged him.  He died at 56.  I think he was nagged to death!  There was never a kind word spoken between them.  No celebration of birthdays or anniversaries. No special cards. No words of love ever between each other, and no hugs.
My family was very Italian.  We hug strangers.  My parents held hands, and always gave each other cards.  They kissed each other hello and goodbye and were married for 59 years.  We were close to aunts, uncles, and cousins.
When I met my husband, I asked him if he ever told his parents he loved them.  He said they knew it, and didn't have to say it.  I asked his dad if he ever told his children he loved them.  He said they knew it, and didn't have to say it. At least they were on the same page.
I was appalled when he told me holidays were no big deal and meant nothing to him.  In contrast, my mother always made a big deal on the holidays.  Because my husband's mother hated to cook, if her children were going somewhere, she didn't bother to make Thanksgiving, Christmas or Easter dinner.  Before we were married, my mom always insisted I invite the parents to dinner so my father-in-law would have a good meal on the holiday.  After we were married, the in-laws came to our house, my brother-in-law's, or we went out to dinner.  She has never cooked a holiday meal!
Of course, after we were together for several years, my husband became very involved with holidays and special occasions. He now plans and makes a bigger deal than I do!  He loves to be with our family, even when it may be difficult for everyone to be together.  There is no way he will substitute another day for the actual holiday!  The holiday is the holiday!
So even though we have not grown to look alike, as they say people do who have been together for years, our sensitivity and beliefs tend to be assimilated into each other.  Sometimes his romance overwhelms me.  Like the five love CD's he made for me, or the special Christmas CD's, or his insistence that we spend more time together by going to the movies, or retiring to bed early.  Most of the time, all I want to do is sit by myself watching a movie while sipping wine, or just reading a good book.  I guess I should appreciate the attention, but after so many years, I just want my time.  Sounds selfish, I know, and I'm working on being more in tune to his needs.  But, I really like my alone time! Happy Valentine's Day!!!

Today is a great day! Job interview this afternoon thanks to a recommendation by a good friend.  Two other possible jobs recommended by two other friends.  Good news for someone who has been unemployed for over a year and has had no income for seven weeks.
Unfortunately, the diet is not going as well.  Apparently, I like colorful foods like Swedish Fish, Tostitos and salsa, and peanut M & M's.  I've tried to pretend these are part of the "colorful" food group, but others have informed me this group is not part of the food pyramid. But, they look so pretty altogether in dishes!
Each morning I wake up with a plan.  Today is the day I eat only healthy food, and I will take a 45 minute walk. I will take all my vitamins, brush my teeth two times today, floss, and maybe even shower.  When there is no where to be at any given time, this sounds like a good plan that can be stretched out over the day.  I did not add chores to the list because that would be too much to expect any person to do in one day!
So, I get up, have a cup of coffee, eat oatmeal with fruit, and feel very proud of myself.  Then I need a snack as a reward. So, peanut butter and bananas is next.  Healthy, right?  Well, there is only one donut left and it's only the hole, so I should eat that so it doesn't go to waste. Now, it is lunch time.  Great!! There is some French bread left over from last night. I'll just have a couple pieces of that because it's lunch time so I'm good.  Hate to see this bread having to be thrown away.  I should probably have something else with the bread.  Left over mashed potatoes sound good.  It would probably get thrown away if I didn't eat it.  I need something crunchy.  Who left the Tostitos out?  This is bad, I better put them away, as I shove a couple of handfuls in my mouth.  It's crunchy.  What??  Only a little kettle popcorn left in this bag.  That's not good.  I better finish it off.  How bad can it be if it has corn in it?
I hope it's supper time now, because I have gone a little off the diet.  I should probably not eat supper.  But, I do.  And later, I grab some Swedish Fish.  I see why the diet is not going well.  I have no will power!!! And, I love junk food!  What happened to my walk?  Did I run out of day light trying to figure out what I could eat next??
Alternately, my husband started smoking this year.  He is 61.  Who does this???  He has always been thin and has never had to diet.  He eats whatever he wants, but he does not overdo the snacks.  It's still annoying that we can eat the same food in a day, and he will maintain and I will gain.  I am upset that he is smoking and I can't stand to watch him.  So I close the curtains.  But, I am considering starting to smoke because I hear it kills your appetite.  So instead of dying from high blood pressure or diabetes, I will probably get something else.  But, I will look nice and thin before that.  That's a bit warped, but I'm trying to motivate myself to start eating properly.  I think I just need a job.  Being busy keeps me more in control.  Too much time just makes me wonder what I can eat next.
I suspect we're really all the same when it comes to dieting.

Today would have been another "all day in pajamas", but I actually have somewhere to go.  So that means getting dressed, unless I'm going to WalMart.  We do not need to dress for WalMart.  Since I'm not headed to WalMart because one actually goes there to buy something, and I haven't had any income for over 6 weeks to allow me that luxury, I really need to get dressed.  WalMart is not a place people go to window shop, by the way.
So, today is the day I get to pick up my "Manufacturing" certificate.  I actually am now a certified "Production Technician."  I took this class because it was offered as a free course through unemployment and we were all promised offers of jobs at the end.  I did not want to work in a factory, but hoped I could get a job in the office of a factory because I would have the knowledge of production and safety rules, along with office skills. As usual, this plan did not work.  And, as far as I know, no one has a job of the ten people completing the course.  One firm interviewed me five times for two different office jobs, and I have not heard from them.  As far as I know, I was not interviewing to be President of the company...just someone who answers phones and has basic office skills.  Seriously...five times?
Normally, if I have no where to go, I don't bother to dress or comb my hair, or much of anything.  My bones actually ache from sitting and doing nothing.  This is very bad, so for the past few days I have been forcing myself to make plans so I am motivated to move.  I even had company one day which gave me incentive to clean and wipe things that hadn't seen a wet rag in months!  I never get company because I live in the woods and people tell me they can't find my house. Yea, right.  But, I am off the beaten path, so it's really not convenient to visit without a purpose.  I would think my face would be a purpose, but it is apparently not something people are interested in seeing.  Can't say I blame them.  I don't even like seeing my face!! And if I forget to use my "beauty cream"...forget it!  The whole face falls down!
As I said many times, we're really all the same.  When I surprise visited one of my friends one afternoon recently, she and her daughter were still in their pj's!  I'm sure most people do the same thing when they have no where to go. Unfortunately, five days in your pj's is unacceptable. I will work on that!

Life. We're really not that different!: Still trying to get the hang of this... Will this ...

Life. We're really not that different! 

This is getting ridiculous, I cannot figure out how to do a new post.  I've done two so far, but each time I struggle to figure out how to do the next one.

Today was a good day.  Church with friends, breakfast after, visited a friend who has seven chickens who live in a house nicer than mine (the chickens that is), got some fresh eggs, then visited another friend who is struggling with accepting the fact that her husband has brain cancer.  I gave her the eggs and told her they were fresh from chickens. Of course I forgot all eggs we eat are from chickens.  I got a funny look after that statement, so I clarified, "I mean they are fresh from real chickens."  Of course, are there fake chickens?  "I mean they were just laid and collected by my friend who has seven chickens living in a house in her back yard."  No they were not laid by my friend, they were laid by the chickens.  And the chickens live in a beautiful house in her back yard.  No, not a people house, a chicken house.  A beautiful chicken house that was built for the chickens.  I give up!  Just eat the eggs!  In return,  I got to take home some homemade pepperoni bread.  Yes, bread made at home by her wonderful husband who is feeling great.  He loaded the bread with prosciutto, pepperoni, and roasted red peppers. I may have gained a few pounds after today! So far the diet thing is not going so well, but I will continue to visit my friends till they tell me not to! After all, I have not been out of the house, or my pajamas, for several days.  I'll leave the reason for this for another time. Don't let your minds run wild.  Or, you can.  But remember, we're really not that different, so the reason is simple.

Still trying to get the hang of this... Will this appear on my blog? I have so much to say because I'm a frustrated, unemployed person with too much time on my hands. I have many coworkers in my boat. Congress did not pass the unemployment extension we all need to get us through and it amazes me how insensitive some of our leaders are to the plight of the unemployed. I will have to work 3 part time jobs at a rate of no more than $10 an hour in order to pay my bills. Few places offer full time, or they start off as a temp job, then decide not to hire after 3 months so benefits do not kick in. I was on unemployment for a year, but worked part time during the summer, which extended my benefits slightly. I was barely into my second extension when Congress decided to drop all extensions. I have had no income for 6 weeks. I have applied to over 70 businesses, have enrolled in 4 employment agencies, and have been to seminars at unemployment for resume writing, interviewing, and networking. I have taken classes in Microsoft Office and Manufacturing. I have a college degree and 26 years experience in retail. I do not want to go back into retail, which is why I decided to learn Microsoft Office. I have had many interviews, but only 3 offers. Two of these were in retail part time for $8 and $9. One was a great one near home, but when I asked if we could negotiate the salary they "decided to go in a different direction" which was not hire me. My point is, I hear so many people say that those on unemployment do not want to work and are lazy. Obviously, I don't believe this is true and most people need a job to survive. Unemployed people are not happy and would rather be working. The competition is unbelievable. One person was hired over me because he spoke Chinese! Seriously? I did not know this was necessary skill! I'm really not sure if it's me or the fact that I am 61. I don't look too bad do I? I'm healthy, energetic, and love working. I plan to work as long as I can so a company can get at least 5 years out of me! How many people stay at a job this long these days? Done complaining! Let's see if this post works. Love to hear some opinions about this. Be gentle!!