The Sucky, the Bad, the Sad...

Just found out tonight that Jasons' boss is 'closing' the business and the guys are out of jobs as of June 30th.

Apparently his boss didn't want to meet the demands of the air freight company to get better, more reliable trucks for the drivers, so instead let the contract get sold off to the other contract company. The owner of that outfit is giving interviews to Jason and his coworkers next week. The good part is he is offering insurance, savings/retirement plans, and generally better benefits. The downside is that they will more than likely take a pay cut. That is something we can't afford to do, unless we sell our home, which would probably not sell for what we owe + closing costs anyhow. Also, he would still have his 45 mile commute. I am hoping he finds a job much closer to home.

I will probably let the etsy shop fade out as I won't be able to justify restocking when we might not even be able to stay in our home. I'm going to try not to stress about this, Jason will do enough of that on his own. I need to just be here for him.. and try to keep our spending to a minimum. Hopfully it won't come to me having to destash my knitting/spinning suplies to pay bills. God, how selfish of me!

:(

happy holidays?

I was planning on writing a great, end of the year/ Happy Holidays post. However, I am not in a good mood, and this holiday season has hit us hard. Both financially and emotionally.

My dad is sick. He'll be ok, but he is in pain, and probably will be until the end of the month.
Our house is freezing. We have old (most not working) baseboard heaters. Only a few are still working, but they are woefully in-efficient. We also have a wood stove, but not enough wood. It also only heats up the back living room and my parents room, even if we have a fan blowing heat to the front of the house. So here I sit, with wool slippers, jeans, a sweater and a fleece blanket, on the couch, still freezing.
My grandma is in the hospital. She has COPD, diabetes, pneumonia, has been given a breathing tube down her throat, and (I am not sure on the number of) large blood transfusion (4 pints). My mom had went to visit recently, and shared photos. This was before the hospitalization. She looked terrible, bloated, not mobile AT ALL. Fast forward to (?) Friday. My asshole uncles - who all still live at home, but do nothing to help their mother- get into a fight, which stresses my grandma enough that she has chest pains and asks to go to the hospital. It was all down hill from there. I don't think she has much longer to live. Part of it has been her COPD, making it difficult for her to be active in the begining (almost a year ago), but mostly her untreated depression. She hasn't WANTED to be active or healthy. Now I just wish I had a car, so I could drive my mom to see her and visit one last time. And I am angry at my uncles for being so fucking selfish that they couldn't help their own mother, but instead harass my two aunts who have been taking care of her. They also have decided it was more important to spend any money they do have on booze, rather than food, and get into fights like teenagers (they are all in there late 40s, early 50s). FUCK. I just want to see her one last time, kiss her, and tell her I love her again. It doesn't help that I can't get any accurate info on her condition because my aunts (who care, but aren't the best at details) can't pass on info to my mom, who even if they did, would still probably not pass on exact info either. Last night, it was "She is going to die, probably a matter of hours", today, who knows? I love her, but just want her to pass on peacefully. Then she won't be in any pain anymore, or depressed, and my uncles will then have to deal with finding and affording a place to stay as well as food (all which my grandma currently provides). Personally, I think all but one will end up homeless or in a shelter.
As for gift giving. well. I love Christmas. My family has never celegrated it religiously, always secularly. For us, it is a time for gift giving and good food. I don't even know what we are going to get our daughter for christmas. The adults in my immediate family (sisters, the spouses, parents and one uncle- dads brother, not the previously mentioned uncles) all draw a name for a 'secret' santa gift giving. Jasons family gets together Christmas Eve, and eat, do a gift game (I have no clue what it is called) for the adults. Kids get to open some gifts, and everyone then gets to have christmas morning at home, with no running around. :) It's all fun, but being broke makes it harder to find gifts I WANT to give. I was able to get some pretty fiber batts for giving to a few friends, and spun up some for two other friends. I just really want the holidays to be over.

An ongoing stressor for me has been living with my parents. They are not bad roomies. Quite the opposite. The problem has to do with perspectives. My mom does the majority of the house work (not by design). This happens because she and I have very different priorities. I would rather be spending time with my daughter, knitting, spinning, or reading than doing housework. My mom though, has no hobbies. So it is usually she who can't let the dishes sit, or mop and sweep constantly (it never looks like it was done, since the dogs all run in and out as they please, leaving paw prints and doggie hair every where). She also gets passive-agressive about messy toys, or my fibers, yarns or projects sitting out. Since she doesn't have any hobbies, I don't think she understands why it is out, and not all crammed into closets or always out of sight.
I keep wanting to sell our house, and move into an apartment close to Jasons work. I keep wanting to say "fuck it" about waiting for the house to gain some equity before we sell. I just want out. I didn't like the house when we bought it ( mostly to save my dad from forclosure ) and it is not ideal, has shitty heating, poor layout, and I just don't like living with other people. But also, giving up homeownership, and the security and future financial needs (college for Peanut) is scarey. I did not grow up in a family who had that sort of financial responsibilty. The home my grandma has lived in for 40 years? A rental. At the end of her life, she has nothing to show for it but photos and momentos. No security for her needed care or as a legacy to any of her heirs. I DON'T want that for us.

Well. Hasn't this been a chipper post? I did start taking St. Johns Wort, to help even out my moods, maybe I won't feel so overwhelmed in a week or two when my body has adjusted. All I know, is I want to stop crying and being so pissed all the time.

not happy

I love dyeing, and I love when people buy what I have dyed. (not because they bought it, but because that means they love it too, and then I get to see what other people do with my yarns)

I am sad though, because my DH doesn't understand. He doesn't get why I dye, but he's happy when I sell (he says that way I am least making money with yarn, instead of spending -sigh) However, he doesn't understand the need to buy more yarn to dye/sell. So, regardless of my previous post... I don't think I will be buying more blanks/base yarn to dye and sell.

So what is available in my etsy shop is it. I won't "officially" shut my shop down (as I hope one day to be able to dye and sell again...)

shop here