Ah, the sun is shining, the day is agreeably warm and the kids are back in school! I’ve regained some space and peace and quiet and I swear I can feel my blood pressure dropping! Now I can get back to work on my neglected workshop proposal for the children’s museum. Some uninterrupted time to focus and space to spread out my notes – just what I need.
The economic news is almost as sunny as the day – the latest job numbers, released today, show that private employers added 297,000 new jobs in December, nearly three times the number forecasted. And at the same time job cuts plunged 34% in December to 32,000 from nearly 49,000 the month before. So while I didn’t win the Mega Millions Lottery (2 people are sharing that 380 million dollar prize), I am feeling somewhat more optimistic. The jobs report does caution that the numbers might be inflated by seasonal hiring (thanks to all the holiday shoppers) but it also mentioned that the shedding of jobs in the construction industry has slowed. If construction picks up – perhaps in the spring – environmental permitting work might pick up as well.
On the homefront we are getting off to a good start in the new year – beginning some new activities through the community recreation program (yoga for mom, hip-hop dance lessons for my son and my eldest is returning to studying flute). We have birthdays to plan for in early February when my youngest two both turn 8. And we are expecting the return of my middle daughter in the near future! We are all very excited about that.
I’m hoping my readers all had good holidays and are also greeting the New Year with a spring in your step and a more optimistic outlook! Thank you all for the holiday wishes and gifts.
I am so happy to hear you are feeling so much more upbeat. May the cosmos pick up on the positive energy and reward you amply!
Glad to hear that the return to school has brought about some much-needed relief from togetherness for all of you. Although my space is much larger I rarely have “alone” time…home office and home schooling put a crimp in that. I love the couple of hours on Sunday afternoon when all the kids go to the corner store for some treats (they can walk there and they each get 5 jiao or about 8 cents to spend!) and then to the park for some fresh air and exercise. That’s the only time in the entire week when I am entirely alone.
I hope that the sun continues to shine and your own job outlook continues to improve.
Thank goodness for school, eh?
I am glad that things are looking up at least emotionally for you.
I noticed that you have an ad for Home Reserve furniture on your site and I wanted to tell you that we replaced our RV furniture with a section from them and we love it. You can make it any shape you want just about and design it to fit most any space. We sure enjoy ours. We did find that being tall people and fat to boot it is hard to rise up from the sofa but we fixed that by making risers or a platform to place under the sectional.
Also there is lots of storage under the seats and behind.
I think of you often and pray that your situation changes for the better soon.
Have a great new year.
Home Reserve met my college kids needs great. It’s like puzzle. You put it together and tear apart with just a screw driver. He could make his many moves with it torn apart and transported in his car. Works great in our basement since it was no issue getting down the stairs. We lost screws to it in transit and they sent us a new bag. Good choice of sponsor.
Wishing for all your dreams to come true in the New Year.
I don’t know how available this job really is or if this is what or where you are looking (are qualified) but…
https://www.urs.apply2jobs.com/ProfExt/index.cfm?fuseaction=mExternal.showJob&RID=47626&CurrentPage=2
So glad to see you are feeling better about things. I know how that goes when you are on a constant roller coaster of uncertainty. I think of you often and check your blog regularly. You are a very talented writer and I hope you pursue it in some way as part of your future. In the meantime, you and your family are constantly in my thoughts and prayers for positive things in 2011! Keep the faith!!
After being unemployed for almost a year, and having gone to work for a temporary agency in which he had to travel for weeks at a time, my husband finally got a job. True, he is making less money than before, but in three months we will have insurance. We barely survived last summer and if it hadn’t been for our landlord letting us stay in our house inspite of not paying rent for two months, we would have been screwed. Now, things are looking up for us as well. His job, plus my adjunct position and my graduate assistantship will allow us to pay our bills, buy food, and maybe catch a movie here and there.
Every single time my husband applied for a job, we stressed out over why he didn’t get it. He was not eligible for unemployment because he was given a small package when they laid him off and he refused to relocate to another state. I had actually started working a third job in which I was doing some editing for a local buisness. Now, I can get back to writing my dissertation.
I hope you get hired soon. There is nothing worse, I think, than uncertaintity. And no income is the largest contributors to total uncertainity and feelings of helplessness. I asked my friend, who, by the way, has been off work for two years, how she does it? She said, she has come to realize that the only control that she has is not letting her economic situation get her down.
I hope 2011 brings you a job, space, and peace of mind.