Category: Gene

Shaky Economic Times part 1

.Reading time 4 minutes.

So how is everyone dealing with the “shaky economic times” these days?  It’s hard to write about.  For obvious reasons no one is going to write: “Well we’re three months behind on rent, and the electricity got shut of yesterday, so I’m posting from the library.” 

One big give-away that people are feeling the pinch though, is the explosion of “frugal living” blogs.  There are tons of them out there.  I love them and I go to moneysavingmom most Sunday afternoons to see what the deals are for the coming week.

 It’s just a little unsettling when your husband mentions different drywall companies that have gone under and small farmers that have sold out.  Hmmm…

So work has been a little scarce for him lately, and I was praying that he would find some jobs.  What do you know, he came home all excited, and Yay! He Had! Work!  Lots of Drywall to Hang! For Several Weeks!

 We had a little dance and jig and praised the Lord that night.  He always provides doesn’t he?
It was short lived (the celebration, not the Lord’s provision) because:

Several hours later, what do you know, he came inside, less excited.  The contractor called and said they can’t afford to sub it out. He’s going to hang the drywall himself.

This just confirmed to me that a little higher up in the food chain, people are doing what they have to do to get by.  Small businesses are feeling it.  Large businesses are feeling it.  Rich people are even feeling it.  I read a report about a Beverly Hills Lady who has not gotten her lips plumped in two months.  I know, wow.

 Really, I’m not a doomsday preacher.  Generally, I’m a realist.  I think the next couple of years are going to stretch us tighter than we’ve ever been stretched before.  When I say we I mean my little family.  I also mean my generation, who so far has had pie in the sky.  And I mean us, as a nation, many of us whom habitually spend more than we make.

Just writing this almost makes me excited.  Almost.   We may be on for a wild ride.  And when this cycle has run its course, (it will eventually) we will be wiser and just better than before.  That’s realistic.

 

*****Ok here are the disclaimers.  I’m not an economist by any stretch.  So all of this “it’s going to get worse before it gets better” is just my own little opinion, and I have not so much as an article to back it up.  I also thought Hillary would win the Democratic nomination, and you know how that turned out.

Here’s what I’m basing it on:  Some guy in the Drywall Industry told Gene that the manufactor told him that it looks like 2010, is going to be the hardest year.  

I mean, that’s almost like Alan Greenspan right?

Yikes! July 5th…

.Reading time 3 minutes.

Thursday is Gene’s Birthday.  Usually men complain about not knowing what to buy their wives for their birthday, but this time it’s the women. I have no idea.  Actually I have plenty of ideas, but nothing that grabs me and says “Pick me, pick me”.

Clothes mean nothing to him.  I mean nothing.  I wish they would mean more to him, and that he would develop his own sense of style and likes and dislikes instead of clothes that say, “Hey my wife found this for 50% off at Sears.”  I buy him clothes anyway, so that’s an automatic no.

I thought of getting tickets to a Casting Crowns concert, because he really likes Casting Crowns.  But that seems like I’m cheating, because I really like them too, and it would be like a little present to myself.  So I put that idea hold.

For Valentines day I had this dilemma too, so I decided to be all frugal and gave him a book of hand made coupons with little acts of service on them.  Like:  “I will sweep and clean your work truck until it shines.”.  He has never redeemed a single coupon yet.  I think the bottom line is he pities me to badly to make me do the stuff I said I would do.

What does he want?  These are the items he’s mentioned when we talked about birthday gifts.  “You can buy me a tractor.”  (Loud Laughter)   “I need a welder” (Ok I have no idea how I would pick out a welder for him, and what’s a welder anyway?)  “When you need to buy me a birthday gift, get me a milker.  In September I’m going to need it.” (Oh, that should be fun, the birthday gift dreams are made of, and, like the above, how in the hairy to I pick out a milker?  Where do you go to buy one?  Should I install a small parlor too?)

So I’m taking all suggestions.  What should I buy for Gene? He loves farming, loves people, loves traveling, enjoys an occasional golf game, he’s not a reader, he’s fashion illiterate, and a hard worker, and really deserves a good gift because he’s a really great guy.