Another semester done

Yesterday was my last day for this semester. Time is flying. OF course, the summer may seem to drag out beings that I don't have school to keep me extra busy. But, Makenneh will be out for the summer soon and I'm sure the two of them will manage to find ways to keep my busy. We also have to work on planning my cousin's wedding and being as creative/money saving as possible. She set her date so that they had a bit over a year to plan. Eight months before her wedding date (and after her dress has been bought, venue booked, deposits placed on most things), her dad's shop went out on strike. Her parents are struggling to keep their house and vehicles and heat/electricity turned on. This strike is crazy. I know it's easy for people who aren't effected by it to sit and say, "they should just take the pay cut" but the reality is, these people have been making $28 and up an hour. Their lifestyle (their home, vehicles, etc) are set at that standard of living. To take a cut to $15 an hour is huge. Most of those people would lose their homes. Anyway, while out on strike, they receive a whopping $200/week. $60 or so of that is eaten up by driving down there to strike. Needless to say, there are no funds for a wedding. And as the October wedding date approaches, there is no end in sight for the strike. My cousin spends many nights unable to sleep. She is so upset. She and her fiance are trying to pay for what they can, but they had recently bought a house, so it's not like they have a lot of extra money either. I wish I had the means to just pay for it, so she didn't have to worry and stress over it. Her soon to be inlaws said they would help with what they can, but they don't have a lot themselves. My mom bought the flowers, because my sister in law's (brother's gf, actually) sister just got married a year or so ago in the fall and had all kinds of flowers she sold to us for $20. It was a whole garbage bag full and they will be enough to do my cousin's wedding. So, that was a blessing. The bigger chunks of money are the balances on the hall, disc jockey, photographer, etc. The whole things just makes me sad. And to know that many people, who had darn good jobs, making darn good money, are now having to turn to food banks, welfare, etc to keep a roof over their heads and food on the table...well, it's damn scary. It's the fall of our economy. The more i see/hear, the more sure I am that Jeremy and I may just be riding this whole economic disaster out right here at my parents'. They are talking about rations on foods like rice and flour, jobs are being loss everywhere..Home Depot is closing 15 stores I think because housing sales are down so low, the Feds just cut the interest rate another quarter percent, foreclosures are up 25%, 120%(i think) from last year, i mean the list goes on. I hate to think about it, because it's really a drag. But, the reality is, we all need to be making plans for a possible depression. My parents are looking at getting some chickens and they are putting in and even larger garden this year. Mom is going to do mass canning come fall. Things may just get interesting.

On another drab note, the transmission is going in our car. I have to be very careful driving it, as the RPMs just continue to climb, bc the transmission is not shifting. This causing overheating, so I have to watch that as well. If I am thankful for one thing, it is the "attitude adjustment" i have taken on over the past year. I don't feel overwhelmed and helpless. I don't feel stressed to the max. I just sigh and say, "it will all work out." Of course, convincing Jeremy of the same is near impossible. We are probably going to have to get a different car. It sucks, because it means that most of my student loan is going to be eaten up on a car, but it's a blessing that we have the student loan to get something different. It could be worse. If there were no loan, we would just be "up a creek" without a paddle no doubt.

He still hasn't had any luck with a job. Something will come along, it's just a matter of time. In the meantime, our needs are being met and that's enough to be thankful for. We are lucky to have a family support system. There are people who don't even have that.

My sister is planning on having Makenneh for the weekend and they will spend time with the horses, playing their guitars and all that stuff that Makenneh just loves. I have often said that Makenneh should have been Carrie's daughter. Makenneh loves the same things that Carrie does. I don't get into the farm thing and I can't strum a chord on a guitar to save my soul. (Thankfully that's not required for salvation, huh). Sebastian is being such a stinker that I would love for someone to keep him for a weekend. LOL. My goodness, he is into stomping his foot when he tries to get his demands across.

Well, hope everyone has a great weekend. I am going to lay down for a bit and relax. After I find the kitty so Sebastian can give her some treats.