Tradition...Tradition

The spontaneous and generous gift of a 25 pound turkey allows our Annual Labor Day Weekend Turkey Roast to continue
uninterrupted.

Downsizing: Year One

To say this past year has been tough, would be an understatement. What will happen tomorrow, next week, next month, its hard to say. Still, I am humbled, not by our circumstances, but the people in my life.

My two girls, knowing their friends are shopping for school clothes and supplies, instead, search the cabinets for folders and notebooks, pencils and markers. There is not a solitary mention of 'new' clothes from either one. Instead, they ask us to spend our TIME with them playing cards.

We have friends showing up to cook us amazing meals. A daughter who brings cardboard boxes filled with food or just cardboard boxes for moving. And a son who buys groceries ~ every single week ~ with his first ever paychecks.

We spent the summer bonding over 30 years worth of memories, as we cleaned up the house to prepare for the inevitable move, if things don't improve. 100's of resumes and dozens of job interviews, we have thinned out our clutter, but the magic 'job' to save us is still hovering somewhere over the horizon.

"Never take a person's dignity: it is worth everything to them, and nothing to you." — Frank X Barron

I have learned that while I always considered myself a generous, considerate person, I could have done much more. I have also learned that some people I considered thoughtful and generous, are not.

Mostly, I have learned people like to judge others with little regard to actual facts and that it really does not matter. The people in your life who care about you, will always be there when you need them, and the others don't matter, anyway.

· · Share · Delete

• 
  
• • 

    Joanne Otto Praying for you and your family Mary. I'm sorry you are going through difficult times, sounds like you have raised wonderful, respectful, generous children, that is worth more than any amount of money.

    16 hours ago · Reply
  • 

    Maureen A James Oh No!! I understand all this!!! I am soo Sorry!! This is the stuff I live for.. Mari in Colorado...This is the saddest stuff in the World..And this iIS what needs to change. All of it!!!

    37 minutes ago · Reply

Living through Unemployment

Forgive the topsy turvy dates of the first few posts. We are editing an old Blog and reinventing it for this adventure.

Converting site...check back SOON. This site will be filled with everything you need to help you through the most incredibly difficult time of your life.

I know this because we are living it with you. Learn how to survive from, day to day, with us.

Lost Your Job~~Now What?

Lost Your Job~~Now What?

You've just been thrown out into the wilderness without a map. The most difficult thing is knowing where to begin. With months of research and trial and error behind us, we have experience in forging the trail. Let us be your compass.

The following is a list of websites with useful information for the Job Search/Interview process, itself.

Just follow the links to the appropriate sites.

From the unemployment fairy

(from my other blog)

Get Ready to Get Out There

What Is The Longest Period Of Time That You Have Been Unemployed?

Now that you know what jobs match your skills and interests, it’s time to get out into the job market and make things happen. Our toolkit will help you prepare with proven tips that can help you perfect your resume, sharpen your interviewing skills and prepare for salary negotiations: Link

What You Should Never Put in an Introductory Email

It's never too early to make a bad impression.

A cover letter or introductory email is often the first thing a potential employer sees when reviewing a job applicant. It's the first opportunity to impress recruiters and hiring managers and, therefore, the first opportunity to disappoint them. Everything from copy mistakes to inappropriate jokes in a cover letter could derail an application. Link

Top 5 Tips for Creating Impressive Video Resumes 

In today’s highly competitive job market, creating the right video resume to accompany your traditional CV can make you stand out from the crowd. The wrong one, though, can make you a laughing stock. Link

Interviews

A collection of resources to help you ace interviews. Includes tips for successfully navigating job interviews, sample interview questions and answers, plus interview practice games that provide immediate feedback online. Link

Thank You Note Example - Follow Up With Information 

Thank you note example to use when you want to follow-up with the hiring manager and provide additional information about your candidacy that you wish you had mentioned at the interview. Link

Hot Cocoa from Alton Brown

What do you do when people drop off boxes of food with dried milk? Obviously, you search the internet for hot cocoa recipes and the kitchen for ingredients. Gourmet cocoa without a Starbucks in sight.

Hot Cocoa

Recipe courtesy Alton Brown

Show: Good EatsEpisode: Art of Darkness II: Cocoa

Rated 5 stars out of 5

Total Time:

5 min

Prep

5 min

Yield:

5 1/2 cups dry mix

Level:

Ingredients

• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 cup cocoa (Dutch-process preferred)
• 2 1/2 cups powdered milk
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper, or more to taste
• Hot water

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and incorporate evenly. In a small pot, heat 4 to 6 cups of water.

Fill your mug half full with the mixture and pour in hot water. Stir to combine. Seal the rest in an airtight container, keeps indefinitely in the pantry. This also works great with warm milk.

Between A Rock and A Hard Place

Having searched the internet for any sign of hope in amongst the despair about unemployment and its conqequenses, I have come to realize that what is needed is a place for families to turn to for information, help and perhaps, even a bit of humor. Life is not over...its just on hold. I hope. This blog will attempt to offer anything and everything about the life of the unemployed Ameerican. Mainly, that life does go on.

To be continued...

Value Meals

I have read, in many places, that in order to survive unemployment, you must give up eating out. I am fairly certain the people who say this are the same one's who say your children, who have given up going out to movies, birthday presents and new school supplies, don't deserve a simple candy bar at the grocery store.

Mean spirited~judgmental~people, who have given up NOTHING.

A value menu is a group of items on a fast food restaurant menu that are designed to be the least expensive items available. In the US, the items are usually priced between $0.99 and $1.49.

The portion size, and/or number of items included with the food, are usually but not always related to the price. Wikipedia

Our family of four has mastered the art of eating at Arby's for just over $8.00. The lift in spirits and well being, getting away from the drudgery that sometimes is our day, is worth much, much more.

Arby's

Arby's announced the launch of their value menu on April 9, 2010. Items on the value menu vary based on location, but typically include small or value size roast beef sandwiches, curly fries, milkshakes, chicken sandwiches, ham and cheddar sandwiches, and turnovers.

Burger King

Burger King added a value menu in 1998 with items priced at 99¢ (USD). In 2002 and 2006, BK revamped its value menu, adding and removing products at 99¢, and later increasing some prices to $1.39. Many of these items have since been discontinued, modified or relegated to a regional menu option.

McDonald's

After numerous attempts beginning in 1991, experimenting with a variety of menus and pricing strategies, McDonald's launched its first national value menu, the Dollar Menu, in late 2002.

Taco Bell

In 1988, Taco Bell lowered the prices of all new items and launched the first three-tiered pricing strategy and free drink refills.

Wendy's

Wendy's is generally credited with being the first fast food chain to offer a value menu in October 1989, with every item priced at $0.99.

Wikipedia