The rewards of staying employed and sticking it out through the rough times.

     Tomorrow will be the anniversary of my first day at this plant, 13 years ago.  I have it off as a paid vacation day, and will hopefully be getting some things done here at home.  I am still working on this old house that I bought/financed in July 2004, it now has a solid foundation and a good metal roof, a dormer addition and that unused area below the roof and above the 9+ foot ceilings has become living space, still a work in progress but the north end has the Sheetrock finished and painted and I have a great sewing area that I am still working on setting up and settling in with.

   The south end is the retreat, where I am currently sleeping, and I am getting ready to finish drywall work in that area, but have no idea when that small space between the 2 will go from a storage area into a small but very handy 2nd bathroom.

     I survived the problems of marriage to an illegal who was still legally married in Mexico, he returned, I got a divorce, and picked up the pieces.  I won't say I moved on, but I will say I have worked to make my life what I want and what I need.

     I survived a wicked car accident, the fault of the other driver, and I got through the insurance issues with that, a very dishonest contractor, the bills for that, the very long 8 months and 17 days off work and I got through the involvement with a man from the far past, whose honesty about finances was very lacking.  

     My credit rating has gone down, and up and down some and up again, but I am reasonably stable, I still am working full time, have benefits that come with that working and can afford luxuries in my life.  Yarns, fabrics, dolls and to replace my very aged iPad 3 with the newest iPad Pro 9.7, and the goodies that are made for it.  It is in shipping now and expected here Friday, the pencil is here now and the keyboard case comes tomorrow.  

     Tonight I have been working on stuff for a mattress to fit the little antique 'servant's' bed I picked up from a moving sale.  I made a covered mattress board this past weekend and after work picked up a foam mattress topper which I will use to make the mattress.  I have my cording for the edges made now and batting to wrap the foam in before putting on the muslin cover I will be making for it.  Then it will need custom sheets, mattress pad and in time, it will want quilts made to fit right. The bed is full length but all of 27 inches wide, from frame side to frame side and head and footboard are the same and almost 27 inches high.

     I would not have this house, or all the stuff inside this house, the truck and the car, and the little shop building that is not yet moved here, or be able to get that new iPad and the goodies IF I had not stuck it out, through the hard days, the pain, the hassles and harrassments, and all the other 'stuff' life has had.  

     It has not been an easy walk, but it is my walk and I am the one who had made it work, and I am the one who has paid the bills, made the decisions and will continue to do so.  I like feeling I own my own life, I did not feel that ownership with my marriages, or dating relationships, but single, not dating, I own my life, my time and my choices.

     And I know I will be watching finances closely to pay the debt load down once again but I do not regret the dolls I bought on 'plastic' money or the coming new iPad. But, again, my life and my choices and I make them work for me.