Day 14

Today I decide to be wealthy.

I responded to an ad on Craigslist for a serving position yesterday, and got scheduled for an interview today!

I also got my the rest of my job applications for the week done this morning (Whole Foods and Ross).

My daughters took me shopping for interview clothes.  I got a black skirt.  They were so sweet, picking out beautiful sweaters for me.  The only who paid at the register gave me a dirty look--it was 40% off, so it was way below what they'd budgeted for.  So now I have a skirt for my interview.  One of the sweaters was a green version of the red one I already have, but I didn't get it, or any of the others either.  I have an outfit now for the interview.  Wish I'd had my hair cut, but I'll go do that after the interview.

I am going to miss the girls so much.  I'll miss their energy, their voices, the sounds that they make as they run water or walk around, their conversations, their beauty.  I've been very, very fortunate to have time with them while they were here.  Tomorrow is our last full day, and then they leave early Monday morning, until April, perhaps.  I'm never prepared for empty nesting; the house cries for attention.

Today I decide to be wealthy.

Day 13

Today I decide to be wealthy.

I went to Worksorce, as my iMatch account was frozen, again, and got the account unfrozen and updated my information on it.  I got a job referral while I was there, and overheard the people in the next booth.  The guy was having trouble with his unemployment claim.  I asked my assistant about mine, but she referred me to the phone line.

I saw Deb (one of the supervisors) on the way out, and told her about the affirmation and this blog.  She reminded me that the actor Jim Carrey did such a thing, and that it was a new year.  We both agreed that there were some areas of my life where I am very wealthy.

As I told her at one point in the conversation, I'm running out of tiers and tears.

Today I decide to be wealthy.

Day 12

Today I decide to be wealthy.

I went to the website for State of Oregon: Unemployment, and read:

 Filing Deadline for Emergency Unemployment Compensation Extended

 On Friday, December 23, 2011, the President signed a bill extending the Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC) extension program. The bill does not add additional funds, or tiers, to the EUC program; it extends the filing dates in which an individual can apply for EUC, or move on to the next tier.

The extension allows individuals to file a new EUC claim, or to establish a new tier of benefits, through the week ending March 3rd, 2012.


I went to check my unemployment claim:

How much time and money do I have left in my claim?
Your weekly benefit amount is:	$	228	Program: EUC
Your remaining balance is:	$	245
The above balance shows the Federal Emergency Unemployment Compensation benefits potentially payable on your claim.
Your claim expired on 07/03/2010
Extensions are additional benefits payable only when you do not qualify for regular unemployment insurance benefits in this state, or in any other state or Canada. If you do qualify, you will be required to file a new claim, even if you have a balance remaining on your extension. File a new claim. There are currently four tiers to the EUC extension program. If you qualify for an additional tier of EUC, it will be automatically added to your claim. The last week payable under the EUC program is the week ending June 9, 2012. Should you use up all EUC benefits, contact your UI Center to determine your eligibility for additional benefits. I have no idea what tier I'm on.  I'm glad that I had work, so I know I'm getting a paycheck in January. I'm feeling dread and panic as I reread this.  I'm grateful I've had work most of this year,  that I've had time to go to my daughter's graduation and have holidays with them, and I hope that next year, 2012, "unemployment" will be a line on my regular paystubs, somewhere below FICA.   Today I decide to be wealthy.

Day 11

Today I decide to be wealthy.

We visited my mom.  She works as a volunteer at the Portland Art Museum.  Adult tickets are $15 each, but mom's a volunteer, so we got in free.  Afterwards, we went to a late lunch in a hotel, and the food was very tasty.  My sister Cathy picked up the tab.  And I got to ride the MAX (light rail) and have some time with my mom in the adventure.  My mom is healthy, and my sister lives with her, and they take care of each other.  I just show up, my kids with me, and enjoy.

We went back to Salem, where yesterday my daughters went out and raked up the leaves in my mother-in-law's back yard.  (We got there late Monday night, and spent Tuesday afternoon raking and today at the museum.)  My mother-in-law cheerfully fed us and housed us, and was very happy to have us, and gave my daughter who has a car gas money, so I had an all-expense paid vacation with people and places I love.

How rich I am.

Today I decide to be wealthy

Day 10

Today I decide to be wealthy.

I read an article in the Ensign, about the Lord's Prayer, and specifically the sentence, "give us this day our daily bread."  It talked about our needs, and how during the 40 years in the wilderness, that the Children of Israel received manna, and once they were in the Promised Land, they were expected to grow their own food (with the Lord's help--they planted, toiled, harvested, and were expected to tithe and share with others,  in the Lord's way).  One of the points of the article being that we don't know from day to day in our lives what it's going to be.

When I was at my daughter's college graduation this summer, one of the speakers said, "All the money in the world belongs to God," and, after promises of prospering, he said, "Prosperity has nothing to do with money."

So I don't know where I'm going to be financially when this is all done, but I do have my health, my family, my kids are home for a few days, my extended family is doing fine, I received Christmas money enough to pay household bills (but not enough to pay the health insurance, so that's going bye-bye until I can get a job that either has it or that I can afford to pay out of pocket, or the Oregon Health Plan), and food from the church.  

I know that the Children of Israel got so used to the manna that they complained about it.

How can you complain about manna?  (I really don't want to know the answer to that.)

Today I decide to be wealthy.

Day 9

Today I decide to be wealthy.

Wow, it's been more than a week now.

Yesterday I opened the January Ensign, and read the First Presidency message. The theme was A,B,C.  Attitude, belief, courage.  So I'm working on that now.  And this morning when I read a bit in Alma, I came to this realization, which I posted on Facebook.  (I'll take it down in an hour or so.) 

I finally figure out something. I was reading about faith, repentance and good works, and I was thinking, "Faith, hope and charity..." and it dawned on me: Faith is faith; good works is charity (giving of alms, clothing poor, etc., the pure love of Christ, which is selfless giving and empathy for others), so therefore, hope must be repentance.

I am working on repentance; or rather, I am in the process of repentance, or getting my life on the strait and narrow path of financial responsibility. I just didn't think of this activity as that.  Another thing I'm concerned about it something we learned about in a psychology class, that is that sometimes observing something produces an extra influence on the subject being witnessed.  In psychology class, that's not a good thing.  But this is different, in that daily reporting reinforces the project and can help the project stay on track, so, nine days on the track, and Evans said do it for sixty, so fifty-one days left to see where I'll be. 

I don't think that I'll be doing a paper chain count-down, though it is an amusing idea.

This blog/activity is about financial responsibility, but I know from reading weight-loss stories that other things are affected too.  Got some bills paid--last month's power and garbage bill, this month's water and internet.

Today I decide to be wealthy.

 

 

Christmas Day

Today I decide to be wealthy.

It's Christmas.  I am wealthy in family matters and in having enough to pay my bills this month and chocolate.  We went together to church and had the Sacrament together, something I'd wanted as a child, and have had the blessing of over and over again as an adult.  I even got to talk to my sister today, whom I haven't talked to on the phone in ages.  (Long story.)

Tomorrow, I will work on my goals for the next part of my life, which include employment, finances, and talents (getting the books written), cleaning out the sewing room and reducing the clutter in my life (including the never-ending mess in the pantry).

I bought some New Year Cards to send to people, and those are part of the plan tomorrow, too.  Wealthy people write to other people and send tokens of remembrance.

Today I decide to be wealthy.