Being homeless is inhumane

As I sit here in my chair with my coffee in my hand, I am watching a beautiful sunrise and thanking God for the sun and warmth. The United States have been cold this winter in this area of the country and I know many others have as well. We have had several snows that have made travel treacherous and everywhere I go I hear someone say, " I will be glad when winter is over". I have said it myself, but I also catch myself being thankful for the warm home that I am in.

Recently, my brother has been homeless. Yes, homeless is a scary word to myself and I am sure many of you reading this. He has yet to have to stay on the street , but he has struggled with where he will stay and how he will pay for another room at a local hotel. Some churches have helped and the United Way is currently helping him, but the county that he is in just is not very resourceful when it comes to those who are homeless.

He is willing to work, but he has had some legal trouble in his past and that haunts him. He also does not have drivers' license, which makes it hard for him to get back and forth to work. I am sure that many employers see that as a risk to them that he is not dependable. Plus, he has always done masonry work and other outside work and so he is not experienced in much other type work.

His situation has really made me think about the homeless in many places. No one should ever be without a home and utilities as long as they are willing to do something to help themselves. There are local, state, and federal parks which could use some extra help that there is not government funding for that these people could work in for some assistance in a place to live and be warm. There are so many places that I believe we could allow these people to work for basic necessities. Each county should have a place where people could stay out of the weather and each county should have a program which allows these people to work in exchange for room. I know many towns have local hotels that are no longer in an area where travelers stay a lot and these would be the perfect place for these people to stay. Maybe the towns offer some kind of payment or tax break for these hotels to hold half of there rooms for this type of situations.

We have faced temperatures that have been below zero and wind chills that have been near 40 below and I can't imagine not having a warm place to sleep in that type of weather. Homeless people are in every city and these people deserve some humane treatment. The next time you see someone standing with a sign asking for help, maybe consider stopping and handing them a warm drink or sandwich. Many would be thankful for even a dollar sandwich that was warm or if you know of a church or something that might be willing to help, offer that advice. These people might not be lazy or just asking for a handout, they might really need some help.

Anniversary

19 years ago today I married my friend and the love of my life. It was a decision that I am thankful that I made and one that I am sure stunned my friends and family. I had known this man for a few years , but we had only dated a few months. We were very different, but I just knew I wanted to marry him. Luckily after 19 years, I can say that I look forward to more with him.

Have we had problems? Yes, we are different people with different views on things in life that matter a lot, but that is part of being in a relationship and it is part of learning to handle differences. We see many things in life differently, but we have learned that it is okay. I like to travel, he doesn't. I like to attend social events, he doesn't. He likes having company at our house and I only like a few people, He loves last minute Christmas shopping, I hate the crowds. He is very mechanical inclined and I am not. I attended college and he didn't. Many difference, but that is what makes each of us special and unique.

We do have many things in common too. We both love riding horses and camping. We both like to fish, We both like the same foods for the most part. We both like country music and we like to take long drives without a destination in mind. We love Euchre and board games, although he is not a trivia fan and I am. We love living in the country and we love our farm! We enjoy auctions and flea markets as well as a good sale!We love spending time together.

I see so many couples divorcing and I wonder if they even tried to make the marriage work or if they just left when things did not go their way. Each person in a relationship has to make sacrifices at some time. I never wanted to work but our horses and all the animals I love on the farm require that I work. I am fine with that even though I would rather be home. He has leaned that he must let me travel if I want to go as I am not happy with settling in one place and never seeing other places. I have my friends and he has his and spending time with mine is more important to me than him spending time with his is to him.

We argue and disagree, but most days we just accept that we are different individuals and that we love each other and that is what truly matters. As long as we are not doing anything to intentionally harm each other or the family and we are happy it makes for a happy and healthy relationship.

Happy Anniversary to my husband!

Artic Cold

After 4 days of snow and bitter cold, we will finally get above freezing today and may finally break from this bitter cold that has griped many states in the last week. In Indiana, we are finally going to reach the freezing mark today and start a swing upward in temperatures. After the negative 14 degrees with a wind chill close to 40 below, today will feel like a heat wave.

Indiana was actually colder than Alaska and Antarctica in the past week. We are used to cold, but this bitter cold really seemed to take its' toll on everyone. We are just not used to it being so bitterly cold. My daughter loves the snow, but she did not want to be out and I would not have let her out because of the danger associated with the cold. It was even miserable to go out to feed the animals without being really bundled up. Water for them was the hardest issue because the pump outside was frozen and all the water would freeze within a few minutes of filling the containers. The rabbits were the easiest because we could constantly change containers.

Also, I think that cabin fever is settling in for some of us. However, I have enjoyed the time inside and although I did not get all of what I needed to get done, it was nice to have some time to do what I needed too that I usually don't have time for. I think that my daughter, my nephew and I will attempt to venture out to the library today. It will be a nice time for us and we can visit with our other home school friends.

Speaking of my nephew, he is here from Florida and he really picked the perfect time to visit Indiana, didn't he? Cold, snow, and blizzard like conditions = a cold Florida boy, but he says it has not been bad! He is going to stay for a month and it should be a fun time for him if the weather breaks so that we can do some fun stuff.

Closing this for now, for those who are living in these states that have been suffering through the cold, be safe and stay warm.

Bloggers Help

Help! I need my blog to make me some money. I am not great at computer technology and I need someone to help me get my blog set to make money. I am a member of adsense and I have tried to make my blog better, but it seems that I am making it worse instead of  better. I hope that someone here can help me. If you know a lot about blogging and making money with it please let me know. Thanks!

Do you work your blog so that it makes money or so that you just have a place to write? Mine is for both . I enjoy writing and I enjoy being here sharing stories with all of you, but I am also hoping to make some money here. I would like for this to make my car payment each month. I am hoping that someone can help.

Where is summer?

As I sit here with my cup of hot tea, I am wondering where summer is. I know that it is about 5 months away, but I am ready for it. As it has been below zero all day and going to be near record cold overnight tonight I am daydreaming of warm sunshine, the beach and even the humidity that we complain about so much in the summer months.

I do not hate winter as much as I have in the past and have actually enjoyed the snow that we have had this year,but these temperatures are just a little too much. I don't mind the snow as it is beautiful on the trees, but I hate driving in it. I am not enjoying this latest round of snow though and I am really tired of the cold. Our wood stove is going full force and yet, I am still cold. Usually, it is so warm in here that I am complaining about the heat, but that certainly is not the case tonight.

Being snowed in could be fun though. I am thinking tomorrow that my daughter and I will get school work done early and then we will find time to play games. I recently bought a Horseopoly game and it will be fun to play. I also found a game that we had purchased several years ago and I am looking forward to playing it. It is called Adverteasing and although I don't remember exactly what it is like I know it has to do with commercial jingles and advertising items. I wanted the game Logo Party, but I did not buy it this year at Christmas time and so I am hoping that this one will be just about as much fun.

What is the weather like where you are? Alaska is actually warmer than we are at the moment and that just does not seem fair to me. Share your winter story with me and maybe we can wish for summer together.

Life Goes On

BRR! It  is cold outside. Many parts of the United States are currently feeling the wrath of Mother Nature as there is cold and snow many places and a lot of it. Our temperatures this morning are below zero and it is just a taste of what we are going to have.

Forecasters are predicting that a few days next week our temperatures will be 15 below zero with wind chills of 45 below zero and as I see it, there is no way to stay warm on days like that. I care for elderly people and I just hate seeing temperatures like this as I know that it is hard on them. I also worry that one might attempt to get outside for something and fall, which would be deadly with temperatures like that.

The funny part of this weather is that my nephew is coming to visit for about a month from Florida. I warned him to bring warm clothes and be prepared for very cold weather, but I truly don't believe that he knows what he is in for. He won't be used to the heat we use (wood) and he sure won't be used to these types of temperatures . We are not used to it and we live here. He might just decide that he wants to go home early.

Another thing that concerns me is the way the weather will affect the animals here on the farm. The horses, chickens, ducks, goose, peacocks, rabbits, and donkey are all outside with shelters, but with this type of cold and wind chills it is going to be hard on all of them. I know my daughter has a couple of rabbits that I would sure hate for her to lose. Thankfully, the horses have a barn to be in and the hay and grain helps to produce body heat. Our dog, Bandit, is an outside dog but I sure hope that I can find plenty of stuff to put in his house to be sure that he stays warm. He is too big to bring in, but I might put him in our garage for the few nights that it is to be that cold.

My husband is always talking about he would like to live in Alaska, so I figure this is a good test of whether he truly would like it or not. I know I would love the scenery and I would enjoy the wildlife there but I know I would not like the snow and the cold. As we watch a reality show on television each week titled "Buying Alaska", I see that the majority of homes in Alaska are small cabin style homes with wood heat and many have outhouses and the families live off the grid. I am all for the being off the grid, but I certainly would not want to go out in these conditions and use the outhouse. I guess that is the city girl coming out in me, but it is almost a certain deal breaker for me.

Well, I guess we can't change the weather and we can be thankful that we don't have the amounts of snow that the residents of the northeastern United States have and we don't have blizzard conditions here. We can be thankful that we have heat, food, and electricity. We can be thankful we are not homeless. With those thoughts, I guess whatever the weather is life goes on.

A New Year

  Out with the old and in with the new is an old saying that fits the beginning of this blog post well. I have been thinking of what I want to do with this blog and whether I want to start a new one or not and I have also been thinking about changes I want to make in my life and changes here on the farm, so I hope my readers will continue to visit here so that I can share those changes with each of you.

 As I am sitting here, I am looking out the window at a beautiful blanket of snow covering the yard and trees. 
  Yes, it interferes with the plans I had for the day, but I am thankful that I am inside and warm. I am thankful that we have weather changes and I am thankful that I can look at it from that viewpoint. I dislike snow, but I know it has to happen and that it is a beautiful sight. God has given me the opportunity to see it so I must enjoy it. Life is too short to make complaints about it.

  I have decided that I am going to start another blog that will allow me to share more recipes and cooking tips as I have truly enjoyed the time I have had to cook this past year and I have began trying new recipes and I want to share them. I will share the new site once it is complete. I am excited about this new adventure and have even been thinking of some new dishes that I want to try.

  I hope to make some changes here at the farm too as I am planning some remodeling to occur and some work to be done here as soon as weather permits. I have some painting I want done, I have cabinets that need stained and some other larger projects which I will discuss later, I know that my husband hates to hear those words, but it is needed and I am impatient when I want something to be done. I have some ideas of new animal pens that are needed and sure hope we can start on them when the weather breaks.

 I have also made plans to spend more time with family that we don't see often. My nephew is visiting from Florida for a month and I am sure that will be an adventure. I am hoping we can do some fun stuff together while he is here. I would like to take him several places, but we will see what the weather and finances allow us to do. He is going to freeze as we are expecting several days next week that the temps may not be above zero. UGH! Even for us who live here all the time, that is COLD!

 Well, I better get busy and work on some of these other projects if I plan to get them done. Have a great new year and I hope to see all of you on here daily this year!