In a half - hearted attempt to knock myself off your pedestal, (If I’m not up there, kindly keep that to yourself.) I am participating in a weekly carnival: Not me! Monday at McMama’s blog.  What is it called for real?  Oh - My Charming Kids (Oh, I get it!  MCK - Mck - hehe)

NOT me!  I would never write a post on frugal living, and then toss the kid’s soiled underwear.  No, no no.  Not me.

YES.  That’s it.  I erased the novella of Not Me’s, in favor of preserving my dignity.

For a while, I was in residential treatment for my depression, and that was where I was introduced to Middle Eastern dancing.  I kid you not, in between How to Breathe classes, and Motivation to Shower, was the “dancing” group.  And, if you know me, you know that I’m the LAST person to get up and do anything in front of people, especially jiggle around.  But when the nurses are dragging you into this very soothing Arabic rhythm, and looking loonier than you are, it just does something. I remember this group being quite a breath of fresh air in all my sadness.

This morning, wondering whether it was the dancing or the drugs that were fun, I looked for belly dancing videos.  I did most of the 4 parts of this, and let me tell you, it is fun and beautiful.

Also, I need to tell you, I look just like this plus my jeans, naked toddler, pouting preschooler, and …  er… a glow.

Give it a try!  Pleeeeeeaaaaaaase.   Join the ranks of the nutty and dancing.

When it comes to paying off credit debt, we’ve learned that logical is not always the best way to go.  We are human after all, not robots.  To pay off $90,000 would simply take for e v e r. So we pay off the first debt, for example, $1,500.00.

We pay it off like this:

• We sell some maternity clothes on ebay for $200,
• we sell one of the cars - no payments ($400/ month)
• no insurance on sold car ($50/month)

This Equals = $200 (one time payment) + $450 (increased monthly cash flow), which means that first debt ($1,500) is paid off in 2 months.

Now we have one debt gone (but it had the smallest interest rate, let’s say.)  And we have our regular “small debt” payment (somewhere around) $30 + $450 = $480.  You have $480 MORE MONEY in monthly cash flow.

This is called the snowballing effect.  You take this $480, add it to your next highest debt  - let’s say its $5,000 with a minimum payment of $120.00.  Now, instead of $120 paid off per month (which only covers the interest) you can pay off $480 + $120 = $600 every MONTH.  You see where this is going???  DEBT FREE-NESS. When this is paid off you can take that $600 and add it to the minimum payment of the next debt, and so on.  With the snowballing effect you pay your debts off faster, and you also SEE RESULTS which us humans, tend to need.

Cut up the cards, is one lady`s journey to do just that.

Something caught my eye in the news coverage of the Remembrance Day ceremonies.  Did you know that attendance is UP among our generation?  And before the war in Afghanistan, it was down.  A lot.

There’s one veteran alive that fought in WW I, and remembers the armistice of 1918.  He is 108 years old.  And I love him.  There is this strange emotion that wells up inside me when I see the veterans of WWI and WWII.  They fought - hand to hand - to protect countries from invasion, and stop Hitler.  Those stories that are only movies now?  They were real 90 years ago.  I’m in awe. And I learned in elementary social sciences class that history - when it is forgotten - repeats itself.  It is usually when the memories of war have faded that another seems imminent.

When I was a child, my parents brought us to the Legion, by the crosses, and we stood still, in rain or shine, and listened to the long, ceremonial remembrance day activities.  It was boring.  But it was also reverent.  There was a somberness in the air, that not even I messed with.

Now?  I have to confess, I have not been to a Remembrance Day ceremony in my adult life.  Not even to take that one moment of silence.  I wear a poppy.  I remember.  But I show absolutely NO public support or initiative.  And now attendance is going back up among the younger generations.  Hmmm.

So apparently I’m not quick enough on my feet to be a leader in this important commemoration, but how about I just be a follower next year?

I have my baby (laptop) and my dark coffee with nonfat.  The sun is shining.  The kids are with s’tai (that’s how it sounds, and I can’t write mandarin.)  Ahhh.  It’s a good life!

One thing that stands out LOUDLY in my recovery from depression was the support group in which we were offered someone to pray for us.  Pray for me?  Great.  Can’t hurt right?  And then, after I agreed, the catch is - you have to pray for someone in return.  If you put your name into the hat to be prayed for, then you take a name out to pray for.  I was a little taken aback at first.  Someone thought I could do something for someone else no matter what my “condition”.  It was like a shot of self-confidence.  That support group had faith in me.  They believed that I could pray.

I still remember that group, that evening.  Thank you CR!

This is what we CAN do.  Yes, even you, with the depression.  You can pray.  It takes a moment.  Right now.  In your head.  It will make you feel great, I promise! (And I think God, the Universe, whatever you want to call Him, listen to us whether we call ourselves Christians or not.  But of course, you should become a christian.  That’s another sermon.. :)  )

Today I’m praying for Michael, a waiting child.

“Hi, I’m Michael. My favorite things to do are play soccer, tennis, softball and go swimming. I also like bowling. I’m not a good swimmer but love to splash around in the water. I like going to Lakes and fishing. In the winter I like sledding and drinking hot cocoa. I want to live in the city in a home where I feel wanted and there is no alcohol or drugs.”

Michael is a mild mannered boy who takes the positive approach to life. He is noted for his sense of humor. He enjoys a limited amount of time playing video games.
He likes to read and retains a great deal of information, making him good at trivia.

Michael does not like alcohol or drugs due to the extensive history of family use. He needs adoptive parents who understand and appreciate his concerns and are willing and able to help him feel safe and secure. Michael would do well in a home with lots of rooms within city limits. An older brother, in later teens, would be nice for Michael but not necessary.

Just one prayer.  Just today.  Michael, you are loved.  And covered in prayer.

We CAN do something!