Saturday, January 31, 2009

No road trips today..got up with a head cold.....day to relax, snuggle with some tea and read. The headlines in our paper weren't encouraging... " Economic 'disaster' digs in"....President warns that working families are being battered as goods pile up and consumption crashes......
I think, for too long, families have been rather spoiled....buying ever latest new item or gadget, a TV in every room, huge 5-6 bedroom homes, huge SUV's, bigger is better. For some reason, we thought that having more things would make us happy...if we only got that new car, that spa, that new sofa, that game system, that ride on mower, everything would be so much better....

My grandma was a wise woman....she lived through the Big Depression....and knew how to squeeze every drop of value out of every dime...she always said"Love people, like things"....for too long, Americans have had it backwards.."Love things and like people"....we have been a little arrogant about it too....

We are being forced, kicking and screaming, back to a time when people actually talked to each other, families gathered around a table to play board games, gardens were made, food was cooked, family dinners were a daily occurrence, gifts were many times handmade or chosen with needs in mind, not wants...credit cards were looked on as evil...adults and children saved up if you wanted something....a lot of times, I remember, I found out that thing I wanted wasn't too important by the time I got the money saved...
In doing these things, in actually talking with each other, enjoying one another, we are finding joy.
this is a good thing....we will find out that having more and more is an empty promise.....Less is more.....

Bartering and trading are good things...I am trading with a fellow blogger friend...she liked my prim mice and I liked her raggedy items so we are trading....and if you see anything in either of my stores you like..do you have something to trade?

Please listen to today's scripture reading, Psalm 86...on the left, just click on the tiny speaker...that reading is so appropriate for us right now

If you would like to email your senators about the stimulus bill that will be dealt with this next week......here is the link...I have emailed quite a few conservative senators asking them to stand up for common sense and get rid of all the earmarks in this bill.....I do not think money spent on bees, and sod will create many jobs, or help the housing crisis, do you? anyway, here is the link if you want to do something, http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
I tried to email our Californian senators but mysteriously their email service isn't working.....maybe from too much traffic????

2 comments:

  1. I do agree with you! It seems like America has just gone crazy about material things. Now, we live a comfortable life, but we don't have the material things -- houses, cars, toys, that some of our friends have.

    We are at retirement age and it is a scarey time to be retiring. Do we do it -- stepping out on faith, or do we wait, to see if "things" get better. I don't have an answer.

    I think all of these bail-out programs do nothing but reward bad business practices. I don't see them helping at all.

    This situation we are in has been a long time coming. Years ago, when we bought this house, we were told we qualified for one 2 1/2 time more expensive. Were they crazy? But, they would have cheerfully given us a loan for a house at that price and then they would have taken it away from us when we couldn't pay for it. Didn't make sense to me. Perhaps everyone in America isn't meant to have their own house. If they can't afford it, then they shouldn't have it.

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  2. I love the little "the kettle is on" sign Dani!! Where did you find that?
    I so agree- Hubby and I have talked at great length about the economy... our country is in this crisis because of careless spending and arrogant attitudes toward money- no two ways about it. I'm praying for a better day, but I know it won't happen overnight!

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