Entering 2011 (a baby step closer to) Debt Free

Pete and I had the goal of paying off all medical debt in 2010 - and by the skin of our teeth, we just made it!  We started off the year with five medical bills we weren't sure how to pay, and as small claims court or wage garnishment were not options we were willing to consider, we decided that drastic times called for drastic measures. So it has been an exciting year of choosing fresh food at home over overpriced artery clogging fastfood, learning lots of new recipes that involve the legume family, and perfecting my skills as a seamstress (i.e. learning how to mend). But then several emergencies came up last minute, and we thought we would have to wait until next year to finish. A tad bit disappointing considering I had learned 50 different ways to make beans and rice this year (just kidding). Yet with these economic times we were just feeling blessed to know how all our bills would get paid and to have a roof over our head and electricity. Then yesterday afternoon, when we realized Pete got paid more than we had budgeted for one of his classes, we were able to send in the remaining balance on the last remaining bill.  God is so gracious in blessing us by allowing us to make this goal - He is so thoughtful!

What goals have you accomplished this year? Financial or otherwise?

16th and Island - Peanut Butter Contempt, Part 1

(These posts may be shocking but they are honest).

      It was Wednesday, December 1st. Only 24 days more until Christmas. This will be the best Christmas we have had in a while. First time in years we can afford to send Christmas presents to all 20 kids in our families. Thanks God, I thought. All the presents were ordered online. We could even afford to mail them early this year, once they came! Plus the Christmas party for Pete's Biblical Discipleship class was coming up next week. I was planning on making lots of spaghetti -spaghetti with meatballs, spaghetti with Italian sausage, vegetable spaghetti, and gluten free spaghetti. We'd even already bought our Christmas tree from the boy scout lot; we just needed to decorate it. Last year we bought our tree a week before Christmas, after a fight about how we would pay the rent. 
         "The only thing bad about this month, babe," I told Pete as we sat making peanut butter sandwiches to pass out to the homeless with our churches youth group the following night, "is I have so many parties to go to. I like throwing parties, but I hate going to them! How can I stay on my diet if I am surrounded by constant temptation? And so many of them are almost mandatory. I hate mandatory parties!" I complained as I tried not to taste my homemade marmalade leftover from Thanksgiving that we were spreading on the sandwiches.
   "I hate mandatory parties too! And I hate all the craziness at Starbucks right now. In fact," Pete teased, "I hate people!"
         "Why are you getting online right now? We have a lot more sandwiches to make!", I whined, smearing off-brand peanut butter onto Texas Toast bought at the 99 cent store.
    "Listen to this babe. This will get you into the Christmas Spirit." Pete played "I Hate People" from Albert Finney's "Scrooge". Pete began singing along,
 "Perpetrating evil as they roam the earth in hoardes,
Feeding on their fellow men, reaping rich rewards,
Contaminating everything they see,
Corrupting honest men like me! I hate people, I HATE people!"
     I started laughing. "But what about the homeless? Do don't hate them do you?"
     "I despise them, I abhor them," Pete croned, quoting more Finney.
             "Pete!!" I chastised, "stop! That's not funny!" I couldn't stop laughing.
     Pete's response was to give me his, "I know I am obnoxious, but you have to admit I am hilarious" look. Then he wrote the word "Contempt" on the peanut butter he was spreading.
          "Pete, you are so horrible!" I protested, tears coming into my eyes from laughing so hard.
    "But at least I can still make you laugh," was his wicked grinning response.

My First Blog

I am surprised to be writing a blog actually. Never thought I would because I made a vow to myself to not write unless I had something to say.

But now it is time. Much has happened over this last month, and I must put it all into words. Not tonight, however. It is 11:30 pm.

Stay tuned to read "Peanut Butter Contempt", chapter one of "16th and Island", a true story about a homeless mother and child.