I just made homemade chips and salsa. I love chips and salsa with a passion that should be reserved for butterfly kisses and crying at weddings. Seriously, It could be an illness. There is something so completely comforting about being able to make and provide a simple thing that brings joy to my family. Yum.

Today I was called a psuedo intellectual.

What a change from my usual moniker.. intellectual elitist.

Tomorrow I will go for quasi intellectual.

I don't want to jinx it, but I really love my job lately.

I'm in love. I've been in seriously love for at least six months now. It's miraculous and amazing. We are going on month ten of our relationship and life is pretty darn near normal. Sunday's are relaxing, cooking and love and laughs. We laugh more as a family than anyone I know. We love, and the kids are doing well for it. Everyone can see our happy silly glow.

He cooks, he creates music. We are like peas and carrots, the Red Baron and me.

How is everyone else doing?

I check this blog almost every day, and I wait for the urge to write here to come. I think that I tell myself, well perhaps tomorrow, maybe when this is resolved, and then I think well perhaps I should shut it down or go private again or something. This morning I decided to just write, whether I feel it's of substance or not.

We had the sentencing hearing. It went well in that I read a statement, Bear read her statement, my mother read a statement and the judge admonished the felon in custody. His public defender attempted to quibble over moneys owed but when it was brought up that I was still going to have to raise a child with no financial support he stopped. We have at least 3.9 years before we have to think about him getting out and even then I can show up at the parole hearing and ask he serve his full time. (which is five years)

Work is work, business is slow but the economy is crap for everyone. I'm just trying to stay employed.

Life, has taken a turn for the interesting. Our lives are settling into this "hold our breath and wait for a moment to catch up" sort of calm. We are putting off bill collectors and utilities and such to try and get through until the moment I can file my tax return because there should be a little relief then.

I had to ask the manchild to go on homestudy so he can be my childcare provider. He is now employed and the savings should help us make it through. I hope.

I am dating, but all those details are going to be put in another blog, of more acceptable format. I'm just not comfortable with everyone knowing everything here. It should be enough to say that HK is a little more well known with her online presence lol.

I have been blessed a few times with gifts from people, and caring from strangers and I can see that the big picture is to get us through. It has been hard, and I'm sure not all the hard spots are lived through yet, but we are making it and I think, I believe we are going to be alright, maybe even better off in the long run. That is my hope at least.

I hope everyone had a pleasant holiday, and to those who are still battling their demons, know that I'm rooting for you and am proud you are sticking to your beliefs. Happy New Year everyone!

 I imagine everything will be this way for a while, little ups, little downs, big ups and bigger downs. On the whole however we are coping. I can't say that we are well, for it will almost bring about the bad I think and I am superstious. Financial aspects will always be tenuous, at least for the immediate future, but I have hope for miracles there.

I watched the Bear run today. I'm ever so proud she's active in something.

We picked pumpkins.

There was some fun had.