The kids and I are headed off for a week at the WOTFA workshops and classes, in Ellensburg, WA. We'll have a great time and also relax a bit. Along with music playing, there will also square dancing, jamming, etc. We'll be camping out for the week in the hot sun, thank goodness the classrooms we'll be in are air conditioned.
The hubby will be holding down the farm for the week.
Pics in a week or so!
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Friday, July 30, 2010
The government is hurting the American Society
I'm so frustrated right now I could explode. For some reason I've been extremely irritable as of lately. I have a fairly calm demeanor, so I think something is out of whack. And no, I'm not pregnant, I checked, but that's how out of whack I feel my hormones are.
But what I really wanted to vent about is our government. Our government supports and encourages women to not get married and to not make money and to have a lot of children. Now I agree that we should have children and stay home and be the best mother possible, but it's not the same way the government sees it.
My frustration comes from the fact that I work in the social field with low income clients.
Here are some comparisons that run through my head and make my blood boil.............
Many of my clients work at low income jobs with no education, then they are eligible for housing grants and also for enrolment in the federal HUD program. Where the less you make, the more they give you. I do home inspections on large, beautiful, new, homes that my clients rent for $300 a month, the boyfriend works at McDonald's. The mother of course won't ever marry this man she has two children with, because then she would loose her DSHS cash help of $350 per month, her food benefits of at least $550 a month (she only has a toddler and a baby, they don't need that much food), and her HUD help which covers about 700-800 dollars in rent a month. And lets not forget the FREE Medicare health benefits. And mom's only real income is social security for her daughter because she has fetal alcohol syndrome, hmmmm, guess how she got that? Staying home and taking care of her own children is not a high priority.
Here's the contrast...........
We are an average family, both college educated, with school loans to pay off, living on one income and a half (I work part time). We struggle to keep our food budget in close check every month, and it's set for $400 a month. I home school our two children even though I have to work part time, in order for them to receive a better education then the one offered in our public schools, and to grow up knowing God's love and grace. I yearn for more time with my family, they still only get part of me when I'm not focused on doing my part time job that I have to fit in here and there when I get a spare moment! We live in a half finished, old, falling apart house, because we can't afford anything nicer. We just got married and plan to have more children, which means a drop in income for me. So now we have to struggle a bit more to make all the ends meet and to stick to our budget.
Four or five years ago, when I was a single mom and working three different jobs, I received food benefits from the government. At one point I made three dollars to much that month and they took away $100 of food. The social worker at the time said I should work less, then I won't loose my food benefits. That's when I lost it and said I would never use the government's help again.
The people who make the choice not to get help from the government take the hard route. And our reasoning? Independence, stubbornness, sweat equity, loyalty, honesty, integrity.............
The programs available are supposed to help you get on your feet in a time of need, not to make a comfortable lifestyle for you.
If I choose to not get married, to quit my part time job and live on child support alone, the government would be there to help me. I'd probably have a nice home, a fat belly from eating good food the government has bought for me, because of course I'd be able to increase my food budget. Is that a good thing? Look what kind of a society it has created!! Heck, I could even still stay with my partner, have more kids, and then the government would give me even more money! I want to scream, "But what about our families?!!!!!!"
The government is to blame for our needy, slothful, take-take American society!! And our government is to blame of our lack of strong families in our American society.
Why has our government created this?
Where's the support for the hard workers who work an honest living and pay tons of money in health insurance (it's required now of course, or we get fined) just to try to have a good life for his/her family? All they get in return is higher taxes, less support, and they become a slave to their job, all for the government and schools to corrupt their children and pull them down into the spiral of government help. Subsidize this and that. It's easy to to slide down there, it's comfy after all and then I could spend time with the kids more if I lived off the government, no more medical insurance to pay for, no more medical bills, better and cheaper housing, more food money to spend.
Where do you go if you want to be encouraged to work less, save nothing, and buy more food? the good 'ol US of A!!
So what's one to do when they sit on the fence and stare down the slippery slope of government help? I'm an extreme thinker, so here are two extremes....
More away to another country where they don't support laziness, or move off the grid into the woods and stay as far away from society and the government as possible.
Or ride the wave down; quit your job, apply for benefits, apply for subsidized housing from the government, get lots of food stamps to spend, be on the constant look out for grants available, and special help for those in need.
In the meantime for the people stuck in the middle....stay sane, enjoy your family, plant a big garden, be as self sufficient as you can (because some is better then none), make on honest living, and above all........be content where you are in life and with what you have. If you're on the edge and don't want to slide down, first thing is to stop looking around at what everyone else has whether it's the ultimate American dream, or the others living the high life off the government (our hard earned money). Keep your eyes on the Almighty!
For parents..........time with your family/kids is more important then money, any day.
As a side note: I know that are many people out there that truly have disabilities that don't allow them to fully live life, the problem is, there really isn't that much government help for those that are really in need. And receiving benefits can temporarily help out a family going through a rough patch of life, just don't make it the rest of your life.
But what I really wanted to vent about is our government. Our government supports and encourages women to not get married and to not make money and to have a lot of children. Now I agree that we should have children and stay home and be the best mother possible, but it's not the same way the government sees it.
My frustration comes from the fact that I work in the social field with low income clients.
Here are some comparisons that run through my head and make my blood boil.............
Many of my clients work at low income jobs with no education, then they are eligible for housing grants and also for enrolment in the federal HUD program. Where the less you make, the more they give you. I do home inspections on large, beautiful, new, homes that my clients rent for $300 a month, the boyfriend works at McDonald's. The mother of course won't ever marry this man she has two children with, because then she would loose her DSHS cash help of $350 per month, her food benefits of at least $550 a month (she only has a toddler and a baby, they don't need that much food), and her HUD help which covers about 700-800 dollars in rent a month. And lets not forget the FREE Medicare health benefits. And mom's only real income is social security for her daughter because she has fetal alcohol syndrome, hmmmm, guess how she got that? Staying home and taking care of her own children is not a high priority.
Here's the contrast...........
We are an average family, both college educated, with school loans to pay off, living on one income and a half (I work part time). We struggle to keep our food budget in close check every month, and it's set for $400 a month. I home school our two children even though I have to work part time, in order for them to receive a better education then the one offered in our public schools, and to grow up knowing God's love and grace. I yearn for more time with my family, they still only get part of me when I'm not focused on doing my part time job that I have to fit in here and there when I get a spare moment! We live in a half finished, old, falling apart house, because we can't afford anything nicer. We just got married and plan to have more children, which means a drop in income for me. So now we have to struggle a bit more to make all the ends meet and to stick to our budget.
Four or five years ago, when I was a single mom and working three different jobs, I received food benefits from the government. At one point I made three dollars to much that month and they took away $100 of food. The social worker at the time said I should work less, then I won't loose my food benefits. That's when I lost it and said I would never use the government's help again.
The people who make the choice not to get help from the government take the hard route. And our reasoning? Independence, stubbornness, sweat equity, loyalty, honesty, integrity.............
The programs available are supposed to help you get on your feet in a time of need, not to make a comfortable lifestyle for you.
If I choose to not get married, to quit my part time job and live on child support alone, the government would be there to help me. I'd probably have a nice home, a fat belly from eating good food the government has bought for me, because of course I'd be able to increase my food budget. Is that a good thing? Look what kind of a society it has created!! Heck, I could even still stay with my partner, have more kids, and then the government would give me even more money! I want to scream, "But what about our families?!!!!!!"
The government is to blame for our needy, slothful, take-take American society!! And our government is to blame of our lack of strong families in our American society.
Why has our government created this?
Where's the support for the hard workers who work an honest living and pay tons of money in health insurance (it's required now of course, or we get fined) just to try to have a good life for his/her family? All they get in return is higher taxes, less support, and they become a slave to their job, all for the government and schools to corrupt their children and pull them down into the spiral of government help. Subsidize this and that. It's easy to to slide down there, it's comfy after all and then I could spend time with the kids more if I lived off the government, no more medical insurance to pay for, no more medical bills, better and cheaper housing, more food money to spend.
Where do you go if you want to be encouraged to work less, save nothing, and buy more food? the good 'ol US of A!!
So what's one to do when they sit on the fence and stare down the slippery slope of government help? I'm an extreme thinker, so here are two extremes....
More away to another country where they don't support laziness, or move off the grid into the woods and stay as far away from society and the government as possible.
Or ride the wave down; quit your job, apply for benefits, apply for subsidized housing from the government, get lots of food stamps to spend, be on the constant look out for grants available, and special help for those in need.
In the meantime for the people stuck in the middle....stay sane, enjoy your family, plant a big garden, be as self sufficient as you can (because some is better then none), make on honest living, and above all........be content where you are in life and with what you have. If you're on the edge and don't want to slide down, first thing is to stop looking around at what everyone else has whether it's the ultimate American dream, or the others living the high life off the government (our hard earned money). Keep your eyes on the Almighty!
For parents..........time with your family/kids is more important then money, any day.
As a side note: I know that are many people out there that truly have disabilities that don't allow them to fully live life, the problem is, there really isn't that much government help for those that are really in need. And receiving benefits can temporarily help out a family going through a rough patch of life, just don't make it the rest of your life.
Thursday, July 22, 2010
The twins feeding the twins!
We're helping out some friends by temporarily babysitting their baby goats until they can sell them. The kids are having fun bottle feeding them three times a day. We've had them for about a week now and they're about 6 weeks old. It's funny because they are also boy/girl twins.
Romeo and Sugar and purebred lamanche goats. It's also nice having some very tame goats around our goats who are still a bit skittish, although they're coming around to us with many bribes. And our goats get to teach the little ones how to eat grass. It's time to start weaning them off the bottle now.
Romeo and Sugar and purebred lamanche goats. It's also nice having some very tame goats around our goats who are still a bit skittish, although they're coming around to us with many bribes. And our goats get to teach the little ones how to eat grass. It's time to start weaning them off the bottle now.
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Inspiration !!!!
So I've been so inspired as of lately to talk to people about the importance of creating their own "paradise" so to speak for their family.
I think I want to start a movement called "Back to the Garden". I'm sure there's already one out there, but oh well.
Think of it......living like God intended us to live.....in nature, surrounded by plants and our family. What's more important at the end of our lives then that? And think if everyone started planting a garden, putting in fruit trees, berry bushes, etc, to feed their family. Think about how connected the family would be through all the working together, and the memories they would make planting, tending, watering, playing together, etc.
One important step of course would be for the parents goal to be to leave the property/home in the family always. Even if that meant having multiple generations living on the same property or in the same home. And the other part would be for the adult children to not sell the home when the parents pass away, etc. That would have to take a large shift in our society to not be so selfish, but it's possible.
If we all had our little "paradise" in our backyard, whether is was a tenth of an acre, an acre, ten acres, or 360 acres, the entire family would benefit. They would benefit nutritionally, emotionally, physically, and socially. And we would have a better connection to God, who created all the wonderful things the earth has to offer, the earth itself, and also to our family and community.
So why isn't this happening in and around our world more often? I often ponder questions like this. Sometime we as humans make life so difficult for ourselves. It should really be quite simple.
I wish I grew up with that type of connection, all I can do now is create a paradise with and for my family, so I can leave a legacy for my children and their future children.
More to come I'm sure...................................................................
I think I want to start a movement called "Back to the Garden". I'm sure there's already one out there, but oh well.
Think of it......living like God intended us to live.....in nature, surrounded by plants and our family. What's more important at the end of our lives then that? And think if everyone started planting a garden, putting in fruit trees, berry bushes, etc, to feed their family. Think about how connected the family would be through all the working together, and the memories they would make planting, tending, watering, playing together, etc.
One important step of course would be for the parents goal to be to leave the property/home in the family always. Even if that meant having multiple generations living on the same property or in the same home. And the other part would be for the adult children to not sell the home when the parents pass away, etc. That would have to take a large shift in our society to not be so selfish, but it's possible.
If we all had our little "paradise" in our backyard, whether is was a tenth of an acre, an acre, ten acres, or 360 acres, the entire family would benefit. They would benefit nutritionally, emotionally, physically, and socially. And we would have a better connection to God, who created all the wonderful things the earth has to offer, the earth itself, and also to our family and community.
So why isn't this happening in and around our world more often? I often ponder questions like this. Sometime we as humans make life so difficult for ourselves. It should really be quite simple.
I wish I grew up with that type of connection, all I can do now is create a paradise with and for my family, so I can leave a legacy for my children and their future children.
More to come I'm sure...................................................................
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Our trip to the Grist Mill in Woodland, WA
Ever since we took our engagement pictures at this mill, we've been wanting to go back and bring the kids. We also went with our cousins, aunt and uncle, from Portland.
The covered bridge next to the mill
My sweet husband
The river powering the mill.
Spillway from the Mill
The kids with their cousin Naomi, wiht the mill in the background
Fresh ground flour to make yummy recipies. We came home with two types of wheat flour and also fresh ground corn meal.
The water powered grist mill, very cool to watch it in action.
Mt. Hood, from a moving car on the way to Portland
The covered bridge next to the mill
My sweet husband
The river powering the mill.
Spillway from the Mill
The kids with their cousin Naomi, wiht the mill in the background
Fresh ground flour to make yummy recipies. We came home with two types of wheat flour and also fresh ground corn meal. 
The water powered grist mill, very cool to watch it in action.
Mt. Hood, from a moving car on the way to Portland
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)