Broke

I have a broken fence, broken roof, broken child, broken windows, broken car. And I’m broke.

Image (c)Eridesign, used under Creative Commons license.

But the fence can be mended, the windows replaced, the roof patched. The leaking from the rain will stop, the glass from the windows will be cleaned up. The car still runs, though it isn’t winning any beauty contests these days. My daughter will have surgery, and she will run and jump and play. I will continue to work, as I can manage, and the Hubbles will continue to work and bring home the bacon. Uncured, corn-free* bacon, at that.

So while I’m under a lot of stress, and I’m not certain exactly how the budget is going to balance rightly in the next few months, I don’t see many reasonable options beyond just keeping on. Keep learning, keep working hard, keep stretching each dollar, and keep being grateful for the things that are good, because there is so muchgood.

I have a home, with heat, a roof over our heads, and home owner’s insurance that is covering the wind damage. A little old car that gets us where we need to go, excellent doctors and health insurance. Food on the table, dogs on the couch, and a happy little family.

*Note: I have a significant corn intolerance, and once you start reading labels it’s amazing to notice how many foods have corn in them. So many deli meats, bacon, sausage, etc, have corn products in them. Even “caramel coloring” gives me problems, which is frequently added to sliced ham and turkey. At least once you go for uncured meats it’s easier, within that limited subset, to find meat that is just meat and actual other food (like onion, garlic, and spices). Even raw meat, like chicken breast, can have additives, so when you think you’re buying a whole food, you still have to check.