Well I didn't have a clue.
May 29th 2008, 12:43 am
#91
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Joined: Feb 2008
Location: Back in the UK!
Posts: 1,097
Re: Well I didn't have a clue.
I am really loving this! I think this needs to be posted somewhere where as many people as possible have a chance to read it. I am completely hooked!
May 29th 2008, 12:53 am
#92
Sursum corda
Joined: Sep 2002
Location: Richmond Hill, GA USA
Posts: 38,860
Re: Well I didn't have a clue.
Your adventures brings to mind stories I've read of the pioneers in the settlement of this country, coming ahead from one setback and another.
Shows what good spirit and strong upbringing can manage. You and yours can be proud of all you've accomplished, I hope you prosper and can relax or a time. Well Done!
Shows what good spirit and strong upbringing can manage. You and yours can be proud of all you've accomplished, I hope you prosper and can relax or a time. Well Done!
SM, truly the greatest compliment I can think of echos Lord Knows-you and yours had the grit and desire to make it just like they did 400 years ago in the East and 150 years ago in the West.
May 29th 2008, 2:08 am
#93
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Jul 2007
Location: Cincinnati, Ohio
Posts: 8,497
Re: Well I didn't have a clue.
Here's hoping for another installment? 
May 29th 2008, 2:42 am
#94
Account Closed
Thread Starter
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 0
Re: Well I didn't have a clue.
It was the middle of the summer 1991 and I was ready for our lives to turn around and really ready to be able to have an "address" again. I had just verbally agreed to rent a house I hadn't even seen, agreed the rent that was going to be difficult to pay and had offered my husband to fix the house up inside without asking him first or even knowing the condition it was in.....I could be in a lot of trouble here
M took the news fairly well. I told him I hadn't actually signed a lease yet so if he didn't want to go ahead then it was ok. We took a drive out to where the house was and I knew as soon as he saw it he was ready to agree. It really wasn't in too bad condition either, it just looked very neglected. Actually it became instant therapy for M. He would job hunt in the mornings and work on the house in the afternoons. The Bank provided all the cleaning materials, paint and carpet cleaner and he did the labor.
Within a week we moved in. Well we didn't actually have anything to move in accept ourselves and our personal items because since our return from England we had not had anywhere to buy anything for, so back to the Garage Sales again. We had come full circle really except now I was the one working and M wasn't.
It was very hard for M to accept not being the breadwinner. He still talked about us going back and sometimes I agreed with him. School was about to start again which meant school supplies were needed. The weather was very hot so the A/C was in constant use and the utility bills were sky high! Only having the bare essentials was so frustrating. You know we all knock Walmart but they were a godsend for a while for all our kitchen bits and pieces, also the dollar days at the pharmacy, and K-Mart blue light specials really helped.
When we had been in the house a few weeks M got some casual work for a construction company. We knew it was only for a few weeks but the money was very good and we finally felt we were moving forward. The only problem was we still only had one vehicle so there were a lot of early mornings and late evenings for us figuring out pick-ups and drop-offs but it worked and we were just relieved to have some money coming in and a place to call home.
I really have to mention our kids in all this. We tried not to let on too much how dire some of our situations were, but they were smart kids and they knew when we were really worried. They did have to fend for themselves a lot in our first few years here and we were always so proud of them. When we were totally broke a weekend game of Monopoly was great family entertainment as was the ping-pong table found in the garage when we moved in. They had also made a lot of friends so being able to stay in our small town was total joy to them.
So the weeks rolled on. M now had contacts at four different companies so most weeks he was working 40 to 50 hours for one or another of them and the money worries were starting to lessen. We now had a mish mash of furniture in the house and had even found an old Nissan truck that M had managed to work on and make road worthy. The idea of going back wasn't mentioned now and it seemed like we were on our way, at last!
One of my brother's called to say his company was sending him to New Orleans for a few days in November and he would then fly into Houston to see us. I was so excited, our very first visitor. He arrived just before Thanksgiving and we were able to have four days off work to enjoy his visit. It was great, this year I cooked the Turkey and we had all the trimmings, our budget allowed it! No-one back in England had known about the last few months and now life was going so well they didn't have to. It was a wonderful visit and it was sad to see him leave. I was now determined we would finally have a fun Christmas in our new home. Life was good.
With Thanksgiving over M went back to work.......for 3 days. Everyone was laid off. No more hiring until the new year. Not again, it really wasn't fair. We had just got back on our feet and now this. It was the end of November, and M started the rounds of job hunting all over again. It was pretty clear that most companies were not hiring until the new year so it seemed like our plans for a great Christmas had just disappeared again. Depression hit M like a ton of bricks. His spirit sunk and now we were in a battle about moving back. It was me and the kids against M! We could manage on my wage, but only just. The biggest worry was health insurance, we were able to keep paying for coverage on the kids but we dropped our coverage as we just couldn't afford it anymore. Not a good position to be in.
I won the first battle. He listened when I said that going home in the winter to the UK was crazy, he would not get a construction job this close to the end of the year their either and at least one of us had a job here. I hated to see M this way and I knew he was hurting but there was one good side to him being home all day, he was now a pretty good cook! A lot of trial and error but with time on his hands he now had quite a dinner menu going. I must say it was great to come home from work to dinner on the table. The kids enjoyed having more time with him as well and as long as he could stay busy he did ok.
Christmas was good. With some careful planning and an unexpected Christmas bonus from my boss we had a great couple of days. We found a dart board on sale, got a couple of games for the kids and we had two days of silly family fun. Our special friends who had taken us under their wing made sure we had full bellies! They filled our fridge and freezer and gave the kids all kinds of goodies. This couple became our Texan family and still are to this day, sometimes you are lucky in life to find people as special as this. We have had so much support and help from them over the years that I will never be able to thank them enough or repay their kindness.
It was now January 1992, surely this year would be better. M constantly filled out job applications and followed every lead he heard about. Still nothing. January turned to February and his moral had dropped to zero. I worried he would start talking about us going back again but he seemed to realise it wouldn't work either. Then he got a call from the Texas Prison Service from an application he had submitted months before. They were interested in him and arranged an interview. I knew when he applied it was a "last choice" job for him but right now it was the only choice so he went for the interview. He was offered the job, the money wasn't great but the benefits were so he accepted, he would start in two weeks. Phew.......the pressure was off again.
Then he got called for another interview working for a local City for the Parks Department, he was offered that as well, same money and also good benefits. Two job offers in one week after no job for three months. It was too good to be true. He took the City job and on February 24th 1992 M finally became employed. Not a casual job, not a "work if the weather co-operates" job but a real job that paid a regular wage,that also paid for the whole families medical and dental and also had a pension plan...celebration time!!!!!!!!
So 1992 had now started with a bang. It was spring time and I have always loved the early months here. The weather is mild, no humidity and time to get in the garden. I had grown to love our little house, and best of all the acre of land it stood on. Sitting on the back porch swing, with the warm breeze blowing I knew we were here to stay. Texas was now our home.
In April we had a call from the bank, they needed to talk to us about the house. They wanted to sell it.............
M took the news fairly well. I told him I hadn't actually signed a lease yet so if he didn't want to go ahead then it was ok. We took a drive out to where the house was and I knew as soon as he saw it he was ready to agree. It really wasn't in too bad condition either, it just looked very neglected. Actually it became instant therapy for M. He would job hunt in the mornings and work on the house in the afternoons. The Bank provided all the cleaning materials, paint and carpet cleaner and he did the labor.
Within a week we moved in. Well we didn't actually have anything to move in accept ourselves and our personal items because since our return from England we had not had anywhere to buy anything for, so back to the Garage Sales again. We had come full circle really except now I was the one working and M wasn't.
It was very hard for M to accept not being the breadwinner. He still talked about us going back and sometimes I agreed with him. School was about to start again which meant school supplies were needed. The weather was very hot so the A/C was in constant use and the utility bills were sky high! Only having the bare essentials was so frustrating. You know we all knock Walmart but they were a godsend for a while for all our kitchen bits and pieces, also the dollar days at the pharmacy, and K-Mart blue light specials really helped.
When we had been in the house a few weeks M got some casual work for a construction company. We knew it was only for a few weeks but the money was very good and we finally felt we were moving forward. The only problem was we still only had one vehicle so there were a lot of early mornings and late evenings for us figuring out pick-ups and drop-offs but it worked and we were just relieved to have some money coming in and a place to call home.
I really have to mention our kids in all this. We tried not to let on too much how dire some of our situations were, but they were smart kids and they knew when we were really worried. They did have to fend for themselves a lot in our first few years here and we were always so proud of them. When we were totally broke a weekend game of Monopoly was great family entertainment as was the ping-pong table found in the garage when we moved in. They had also made a lot of friends so being able to stay in our small town was total joy to them.
So the weeks rolled on. M now had contacts at four different companies so most weeks he was working 40 to 50 hours for one or another of them and the money worries were starting to lessen. We now had a mish mash of furniture in the house and had even found an old Nissan truck that M had managed to work on and make road worthy. The idea of going back wasn't mentioned now and it seemed like we were on our way, at last!
One of my brother's called to say his company was sending him to New Orleans for a few days in November and he would then fly into Houston to see us. I was so excited, our very first visitor. He arrived just before Thanksgiving and we were able to have four days off work to enjoy his visit. It was great, this year I cooked the Turkey and we had all the trimmings, our budget allowed it! No-one back in England had known about the last few months and now life was going so well they didn't have to. It was a wonderful visit and it was sad to see him leave. I was now determined we would finally have a fun Christmas in our new home. Life was good.
With Thanksgiving over M went back to work.......for 3 days. Everyone was laid off. No more hiring until the new year. Not again, it really wasn't fair. We had just got back on our feet and now this. It was the end of November, and M started the rounds of job hunting all over again. It was pretty clear that most companies were not hiring until the new year so it seemed like our plans for a great Christmas had just disappeared again. Depression hit M like a ton of bricks. His spirit sunk and now we were in a battle about moving back. It was me and the kids against M! We could manage on my wage, but only just. The biggest worry was health insurance, we were able to keep paying for coverage on the kids but we dropped our coverage as we just couldn't afford it anymore. Not a good position to be in.
I won the first battle. He listened when I said that going home in the winter to the UK was crazy, he would not get a construction job this close to the end of the year their either and at least one of us had a job here. I hated to see M this way and I knew he was hurting but there was one good side to him being home all day, he was now a pretty good cook! A lot of trial and error but with time on his hands he now had quite a dinner menu going. I must say it was great to come home from work to dinner on the table. The kids enjoyed having more time with him as well and as long as he could stay busy he did ok.
Christmas was good. With some careful planning and an unexpected Christmas bonus from my boss we had a great couple of days. We found a dart board on sale, got a couple of games for the kids and we had two days of silly family fun. Our special friends who had taken us under their wing made sure we had full bellies! They filled our fridge and freezer and gave the kids all kinds of goodies. This couple became our Texan family and still are to this day, sometimes you are lucky in life to find people as special as this. We have had so much support and help from them over the years that I will never be able to thank them enough or repay their kindness.
It was now January 1992, surely this year would be better. M constantly filled out job applications and followed every lead he heard about. Still nothing. January turned to February and his moral had dropped to zero. I worried he would start talking about us going back again but he seemed to realise it wouldn't work either. Then he got a call from the Texas Prison Service from an application he had submitted months before. They were interested in him and arranged an interview. I knew when he applied it was a "last choice" job for him but right now it was the only choice so he went for the interview. He was offered the job, the money wasn't great but the benefits were so he accepted, he would start in two weeks. Phew.......the pressure was off again.
Then he got called for another interview working for a local City for the Parks Department, he was offered that as well, same money and also good benefits. Two job offers in one week after no job for three months. It was too good to be true. He took the City job and on February 24th 1992 M finally became employed. Not a casual job, not a "work if the weather co-operates" job but a real job that paid a regular wage,that also paid for the whole families medical and dental and also had a pension plan...celebration time!!!!!!!!
So 1992 had now started with a bang. It was spring time and I have always loved the early months here. The weather is mild, no humidity and time to get in the garden. I had grown to love our little house, and best of all the acre of land it stood on. Sitting on the back porch swing, with the warm breeze blowing I knew we were here to stay. Texas was now our home.
In April we had a call from the bank, they needed to talk to us about the house. They wanted to sell it.............
May 29th 2008, 2:50 am
#95
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Dec 2006
Location: Nova Scotia Canada
Posts: 27,078
Re: Well I didn't have a clue.
You do know how to frame a cliff hanger. 
sorry
May 29th 2008, 2:52 am
#97
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Dec 2006
Location: Nova Scotia Canada
Posts: 27,078
May 29th 2008, 2:53 am
#98
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Joined: Feb 2008
Location: Back in the UK!
Posts: 1,097
Re: Well I didn't have a clue.
whaaaaaaaaaattttttttttt?!?!?!?
How long until the next installment?!?!?!?!?!
How long until the next installment?!?!?!?!?!
May 29th 2008, 2:55 am
#99
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Joined: Sep 2003
Location: Grand Rapids, MI
Posts: 4,525
Re: Well I didn't have a clue.
*waiting for the next installment*
May 29th 2008, 2:55 am
#100
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Joined: Oct 2003
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Re: Well I didn't have a clue.
May 29th 2008, 2:59 am
#102
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May 29th 2008, 3:07 am
#103
Riding on silver wings
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 10,543
Re: Well I didn't have a clue.
OMG! Sugarmooma!!! You guys are modern day pioneers that hearken back o the settlers trying to make it across to west. Wow! I'm super impressed. My hats are off to you and your family.
May 29th 2008, 3:09 am
#105
SUPER MODERATOR
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 88,017
Re: Well I didn't have a clue.
Good stuff SM...keep it coming please. 