back to school

Confession: I was---probably still am---a school geek. As a child, I loved school. When I came home from school, I played, you guessed it, school. Although I enjoyed summer vacation, I couldn't wait to go back to school. Even today, I still love shopping for school supplies---found myself a really cute pencil tin this year! :-)

As effects from the Great Recession drag on, however, school shopping is something that many families are having a difficult time facing this year. If you don't know of any programs locally established where you can help fund local students or needy schools, check out some of the links provided here by the Charity Guide.

If you'd also like to help out those a bit further away, consider a donation to Shining Hope, who sponsor health programs and schools in some of the most impoverished areas of Kenya.

Lastly, if your older kids need a bit of help with math and science, look into the free tutorials provided on YouTube by the Khan Academy here. You may want to use them to brush up yourself---even Bill Gates is a fan!


Photo is from the Charity Guide.

make a difference

The past Saturday, I finally lugged two bags full of donations to our local charity shop. I won't say exactly how long they had been in the bottom of my wardrobe---let's just say "awhile". Silly, really, because the charity shop is little more than a five-minute walk from our front door. And not only does it provide inexpensive clothes and housewares to people in the neighborhood, but also its profits are donated to an animal rescue group and fund the local feral cat spay/neuter program. So it's a major win-win-win.

Giving back to the community is always important, but especially during rough economic times. I don't always have the funds to send off to my favorite charities like I did when my husband was working (oh so many months ago), but at the very least I give what I no longer need. Oprah's Angel Network provides a list of ideas---many of which cost nothing---in which you too can make donations or volunteer your time. Check it out! :-)

when the earth moves

Regular readers know that my husband and I are survivors of the 7.6 earthquake that struck the northern areas of Pakistan and Kashmir in October 2005. To experience an earthquake, yet alone one of that magnitude, makes an impression on your life that will almost certainly never be forgotten.

Which is why my heart is heavy for the people of Haiti today. I know firsthand the shock and horror they have experienced---and continue to experience because the aftershocks torment, keeping one intensely on edge for days. I see the same expressions on their faces that I saw in Pakistan, the wide eyes unable to register the crippled, unrecognizable but familiar world before them.

Like the people in Pakistan, many people in Haiti had so little to begin with, even before yesterday's earthquake. They need our help urgently. Here are links from NPR and MSNBC that list charitable organizations that are working in Haiti. Additionally, donations can always be made to the International Red Cross here. Give as much as you are able. And then say a prayer.

heartwarmer

Whenever we need a little inspiration or reminder of the good that DOES exist in the world, remember this story about a Good Samaritan who came to the rescue of someone's grandmother this holiday season. I think "Sir, do you mind telling me what you do because I've always admired shiny shoes" may be the cutest "pickup" line I've ever heard. :-)

(And shame on the airlines for not looking after their passengers better than this!)

samasource

I decided with the new year I would revisit the idea of tithing. I have tithed in the past---not to a specific church but rather to charitable and nonprofit organizations whose work I admired and believed in supporting. When the recession hit us hard, however, my good intentions fell by the wayside because my paychecks were needed to fund another charity, that is, my own family.

Even though my husband still holds the title of "job seeker", our finances have stabilized somewhat, and I feel in every way ready to recommit a chunk of my income to help out those in greater need. One of the most important lessons I learned during our trip to Pakistan four years ago was that riches are all relative and that one person's pocket change can be a fortune to someone else. Which is why I think I am drawn to supporting programs like Samasource.

Samasource trains and provides basic computer work to women and refugees in developing countries like Ghana, Pakistan, and Kenya. The work is provided by start-up and small businesses in the United States who are bound by tight budgets and could not otherwise afford to pay higher Western wages. The end result is a win-win---previously low- and unskilled workers are given jobs that pay two to three times their local salaries and small business owners elsewhere are given the opportunity to grow their company. A complete profile is provided on Samasource's web site.

Our world has been too stingy of late, and the time has come for all of us to de-Scrooge ourselves as we ease into this new year, into the future. Perhaps we all can dig into our pockets and learn to live without those few extra dollars or pounds or euros in 2010.

holiday reboot

So the last few days have been interesting. Eventually someone from the Houston police department returned my calls and gave me the all-important case number, which we needed for the bank claim form. But I don't expect much more will be done by them, frankly. The amount stolen was just under the total needed to make the crime a felony, I've learned. The police officer also told me it would take seventy-hours for my case number to even appear in the Houston PD records.

The store manager has been helpful. He managed to pull all the information on the case should a detective ever contact him. One person made the seven illegal transactions, and apparently she did show identification for each purchase. Which has had me wondering, what exactly does my impersonator in Texas look like?

My hometown bank reminds me why it is best to shop local. I've kept my personal checking account there for twenty years even though I haven't lived in the area much of the time. And the care and compassion I have received from everyone at Nat Penn has done wonders to restore my faith in humanity.

The past few days were spent gathering all the information to complete the claim forms, so that the bank can reimburse the stolen money. The paperwork has been faxed, scanned, and mailed, but I have no idea how long it will take before our account will be credited. That said, we've done everything we can to right the thief's wrong, so it is time to put this horrible experience, along with a not-so-fabulous 2009, behind us and work on getting back some of the festive holiday spirit before the holiday passes us by!

I am one of those people who believe things happen to us for a reason, that all of life's experiences are given to us as a way to learn and grow. And I've been mulling over what lesson I'm to take from this ordeal. Because I can be fiercely independent, I like to be able to take care of myself and my family, and it is not easy for me to ask for help. But with this theft, I have had no choice but to do just that---rely on the kindness of strangers and the support and encouragement I've received from friends and family all over the world. I suspect of all the gifts I am given for Christmas 2009, this newly acquired bit of wisdom will be what I'll remember long after the wrappings and decorations have been store away.

a real-life grinch

The Happy Recessionist is not happy this morning, I'm afraid. The Grinch---in the form of a thief thousands of miles away---has stolen her Christmas.

Sunday was supposed to be our festive day to be spent making decorations and decking our halls. After six days in front of the computer, I was looking forward to a little creative time with paper, scissors, thread, ribbon, Elmer's---a good old-fashioned arts & crafts sesh.

The husband realized we could use an extra string of twinkle lights, so I decided to pop out for a quick walk, some fresh air, and a trip to the local bazar. Along the way, I realized I should probably stop at the ATM for some extra cash.

As I waited for the transaction to finish, I looked up the graying sky and decided I'd better bring the laundry in when I got home. But there was no familiar sound of the bills being counted---"Operation Denied." "Huh? But I just was paid Friday," I thought. Then I told myself perhaps you entered the PIN incorrectly, and so made a second attempt, paying much closer attention to every button I pressed. "Operation Denied."

I check my wallet and found I had enough money to buy the lights, so I darted in and out of the five and dime and then went straight home to call the bank. Despite my husband's reassurances that it was probably just a computer glitch, my gut told me something more serious was wrong.

But of course, the bank has limited customer service hours on Sundays, so I had to wait three hours before I could speak to a human. Three long hours during which I fretted, brushed the dog to keep busy, fretted some more, went to the store room to look for more decorations, fretted again, argued with the husband (who was tiring of my fretting), calmed myself with a cup of tea, and then finally called the bank, a minute after the CS department opened.

There was not good news on the other line. Sharon told me the account had been blocked because of suspicious activity, and then asked if I had made seven purchases at a Kroger's in Houston the day before.

I've never been to Houston. I live thousands of miles from Texas, on another continent, on the other side of a rather large ocean. I most certainly had not been shopping at Kroger's in Houston the day before. That would have been the Grinch who wiped out our bank account.

Sharon immediately closed the account. I will most likely not receive a new bank card until after Christmas. I then had to speak to the fraud department, to verify with them that I would be filing a claim. Sharon then directed me to a web site with forms to fill out and fax. I burst into tears because my emotional reserves were already running on fumes. More than a year of having your husband unemployed can do that to a person. Sharon, bless her, started to cry, too. Goodness knows the struggles she's faced the past year. Before we hung up, she said she'd call tomorrow to check in on me.

After having a fairly sizable meltdown, I managed to conjure up a bit of sense and fight and went online to find the phone number of the Houston police department. I spoke to some very nice people there and was given the phone number of a sergeant in the forgery department to speak with today. At the very least, we can try to find the Grinch.

So I know it's not the end of the world, that we'll probably get all the money back eventually, that we're lucky to have a lot of love and support from others in the world, that there's plenty of food in the pantry, that there's enough money in the emergency piggy bank to pay the electric bill due tomorrow, that we'll be ok.

As I was relating the tale to my mother last evening, we talked about all the people who are having tough times this holiday. Yesterday our neighbor told me she's looking after her granddaughters while her son has had to take a job a hundred miles away. So many people relying on food banks and assistance and charities....

Which brings me to my request: to help me get this Grinch off my back, for all those people who have already emptied their emergency funds and are having a really hard time buying their kids winter coats and food for their Christmas dinners---please consider giving whatever you can to a local charity that is helping people in your community this holiday season. It would mean the world to me if a little good could come out of my family's thus far not-so-jolly Christmas.

I promise we will eventually get to decorating our house, once all the forms have been completed, signed, and submitted. But in the meantime, let's all stick it to the Grinch, ok?

holidailies and giving

After almost a week of blogging vacation, I am back. 'Twas a very needed break---after NaNoWriMo AND NaBloPoMo, I couldn't string more than three words together and have them make any sense.

But somehow the calendar has turned and Holidailies is upon us. This is my third year participating, and I encourage all bloggers to sign up and participate. :-)

Because I decided several months ago to make our family's gifts this year, our free days and nights of late have been busy putting the finishing touches on several projects and getting the international packages ready to send in the next few days. Despite a bit of grumbling yesterday when I may have said to my husband, "Remind me next year when I suggest we make our gifts that we could just send everyone gift cards and be done with it in 35 minutes," I am really pleased with how everything is shaping up. (And after all the gifts have been received and opened, I'll share with you some of what we've done. :-)

If you too find yourself with a mean case of the grumbles in the coming weeks, here is an article that reminds us about the importance of giving AND notes that daily giving can actually make us healthier. And coincidentally, the subject of the article is the founder of the web site I mentioned recently (and is posted in the sidebar), 29-Day Giving Challenge. I finished my 29 days last month during the writing frenzy, so I didn't have a chance to share some of the neat experiences I had here. I will be sure to do so soon, and in the meantime, read the article and consider taking a 29-day challenge of your own. 'Tis the season. :-)

planning the feast

Soon after I gave up eating meat, the family was visiting my brother on Cape Cod. After lunch one day, we went for a stroll and came across an independently owned bookstore, so of course I had to go inside and have poke around.

There I found exactly the sort of book I had been looking for, and not surprisingly it was written by the folks at the Moosewood Collective. Moosewood Restaurant Celebrates is a collection of holiday recipes, organized by season, featuring all the well-known favorites, as well as some fun extras like Diwali, Cinco de Mayo, and Setsubun (Japanese Bean Day). A section is included on foods to make and gift, like pear-raspberry preserves and our dogs' favorite homemade dog biscuits.

For Thanksgiving, both a vegetarian and vegan menu are provided. At our home, we roast turkey legs for our meat eaters, who then enjoy our dishes as their sides: polenta, sauteed greens, cranberry sauce, potato filling, and veggie au gratin, like the one picture above. Not to mention freshly baked rolls and pumpkin pie. Yum, I am getting hungry already and still five days to wait until the big day. :-)

If you're stuck on ideas for your family's (non)turkey dinner and don't have the time/money/space for yet another cookbook (which I totally understand), here is another menu I found on the Food Network's web site. Lots of tasty-looking suggestions there, too, yum.

Finally, when you are doing your holiday food shopping, do try to pick up a few extra cans---whatever your budget allows---and swing by your local food pantry on the way home. Not surprisingly, with so many people still out of work, more are relying on food banks to feed their families, and donations are MUCH appreciated. In the spirit of the holiday, it's the least we can do.

home for the holidays

From now until (at least) the New Year, I'm going to post more features on charitable organizations whose good work could use our help. Yes, even our sad, laid-off, and unemployed help.

Today I ask you check out Let's Bring 'Em Home's web site. This nonpartisan nonprofit raises money to pay for US soldiers' plane fares, allowing many American families to spend their holidays together who otherwise might have not been able to. Last year $63,000 was raised and paid for 72 flights home. I know money is tight this year, but do consider donating whatever you can---every dollar counts!

Have a GREAT weekend, everyone!

remember to say thank you

Today is the day set aside to honor and thank our veterans, although we should probably do so every day, as well as thank their families, who share in their loved one's commitment to service. From The Happy Recessionist and her family, THANK YOU!!!

Here are also two links for more information about veterans' services: US Department of Veterans Affairs and Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA). Tons of good information at both, and IAVA also has suggestions in case you are looking for ways to commemorate this important holiday. Veterans, again thank you for your service!

keeping happy in tough times

We're more than a year into this recession now, and although there have been positive signs that a recovery is not far off, for many, day-to-day life remains a struggle. I know this firsthand: it's been more than a year since my husband finished his last work contract. :-(

The economic instability can be frustrating and at times, yes even more than a little scary. But we DO have choices, even when it feels as though we have been pushed up against a wall. This article, published by Psychology Today, addresses specific ways to keep happy during a recession. Here are some highlights of the authors' suggestions:

• Happy people place more emphasis on having a meaning and purpose in life, rather than acquiring things. Therefore, pursuing meaningful life goals is more important now than ever. Which is why I have made my writing work a priority this year.
• Learn to live in the present moment. So true. Whenever I find myself becoming anxious about something that has yet to happen, I ask myself, "Does our family have everything we need today?" Roof over our heads, check. Food in the pantry, check. Lights, heat, nice clothes to wear, check. And then I give thanks for being more fortunate than many others on this great planet.
• Nurture meaningful relationships. And break ties with people who are only negative, complainers, and not supportive. I have trimmed my relationship fat, so to speak, in the past year, so that I have more time to spend with the people in the world who really do care about and uplift me.
• Don't let present economic dilemmas keep you from dreaming. The authors suggest keeping an optimism journal; I have a wish list. :-)
• Engage in acts of kindness and give back. I have mentioned the importance of this before (and even have included a "giving back" section on the blog). If you are unsure of how to best do this or feel as though you have nothing to give (and I assure you, we all have days when we feel that way!), check out the 29-Day Giving Challenge web site. They have listed many suggestions; plus, you can connect with people from all over the world who are also committed to this simply human principle. I am on day 3 of my personal challenge, and I have already happily reconnected with a couple people from my past. Can't wait to see what unfolds in the remaining 26 days!
• Consider a media blackout: This is alluded to in the article, but it is a technique that I use whenever I feel overwhelmed. There is so much negative reporting on the TV and the Internet, that sometimes I find the best thing to do is to just ignore it for a few days, focusing on my family, our neighborhood, and local community instead.
  

And if you can't pull yourself out of a blue period, don't be afraid to find a therapist or a support group. Sometimes just being able to freely talk about frustrations in a supportive environment is all that's needed to end a funk. Chin up, we're going to get through this together, ok?

Happy Tuesday, everyone!

9.11.2001

The sky is gray and the air cool and damp today. Seems rather fitting. I woke this morning unsure of how I wanted to mark the eighth anniversary of that sad, sad, horrible day.

At the time, I worked and lived in neighborhoods surrounded by national historic landmarks and offices. Arriving home by 10 am, I spent the day alternating between the telephone and the television, checking in on loved ones and watching more of the horror unfold on screen.

Eventually, I had to leave my safe cocoon and venture into the late afternoon streets to walk the dog. The city should have been alive with the throes of evening rush hour, but we only saw other dogs and their nervous walkers. And police---on foot, on horseback, on bicycle, cruising the streets.

Almost all the shops were shuttered, save one. A hand-written sign in the window announced free coffee and tea, as well as a space to be with others from the community in case one wasn't comfortable being at home alone. I thought what a wonderfully kind gesture. Which reminds me now of the incredible demonstrations of generous spirit from people everywhere in the days that followed---REMEMBER?!

We packed off boxes of food, clothes, pet and emergency supplies. People stood in line outside of every Red Cross building across America to donate blood. We were selfless, and anyone who had anything to give did so.

If only we could tap into this part of ourselves more often. If only we remembered those who work so hard every day to keep us and our neighborhoods safe on more than just this one day. Food for thought, eh?

Finally, I recommend listening to one father's tale of losing his two sons 9.11.2001. Then count your blessings, and tell those you love how much you care about them.

Photo from NPR, courtesy of the Vigiano family.

a list to keep close

I am a list maker. I LOVE lists, I really do. They allow me to organize my head, my day, my life. Not to mention there is that very satisfying feeling of crossing off completed items at the end of the day. (Of course, there also are those days when it seems like NOTHING gets done!)

It is also important that we don't allow our lists to become toooo long and unwieldy. After a long time of feeling like I never was accomplishing anything I realized I was listing enough tasks for three busy days rather than the one day I had allotted to complete all the items. No wonder I felt defeated by a lack of time every day! So now I try to keep my lists manageable, to---you've got it---5 or less "things to do". Of course, many days I have more than 5 things to do, but learning to prioritize the most important 5 and leaving the rest as "optional" has helped me to keep focus.

Which is just one of the reasons I like this list "5 Ways to Be Happy in a Recession". I also happen to agree with just about everything on this list as well! Here are the 5 recommendations:

1. Take care of yourself: Truly in the toughest of times, the basics DO become more important. Eating well, getting enough sleep and exercise can go a long way to keep life balanced. You'll feel better and have more energy; cardiac exercise helps to keep our mood elevated. Plus, I like to use my long morning walks with the dogs as a quiet meditative time, also so important during an otherwise unsettled, stressful period of life.
2. Become more charitable: I know EXACTLY what you're thinking---how am I supposed to be more charitable when I can't even afford my own bills!!! Believe me, I hear ya. But I also know they're right. :-) As I mentioned previously, I am a big fan of Kiva and their microloan program. However, there are plenty of ways to be charitable without spending much money. The article suggests signing up to be an organ donor and giving blood as two great ways (that cost nothing) to give back. Some other ideas I would add include taking a bag of cat or dog food to a local animal shelter, offering to drive an older person to a doctor appointment, picking up trash in your neighborhood or local park, or taking leftovers to a neighbor who lives alone.
   
3. Spend more time and money on enjoyable activities: I would probably even put "and money" in parentheses because there are soooo many things to do on this big great planet that are thoroughly enjoyable AND totally free. But I completely agree with the premise of investing our time and money on DOING activities we enjoy rather than on spending precious $$$ on stuff! Stuff that we think we NEED but ultimately doesn't enrich our lives the way a new hobby, interest, or sport can. Learning to be a better cook or a new language by taking a class IS money well spent, as is a sewing or tennis lesson. I know for a fact a couple knitting needles and a couple balls of yarn can be bought for less than a movie ticket and a large popcorn. :-)
4. Invest in relationships: I don't need to remind anyone that good true friends cannot be bought anywhere! And nothing beats the support of a best friend during a challenging time. :-) Schedule a phone date with your old roomie cross-country, have a special night out with your partner, and take the afternoon off to treat the kids to an impromptu picnic. Laughter and kisses and creating happy memories help to put money difficulties into proper perspective, I assure you.
5. Focus on what you're grateful for: "One day at a time"---this is my mantra during good times and bad. The concept of a gratitude journal is nothing new, and I am grateful for learning about it rather early in my life. Because remembering to step back every day and looking for the positive will change your life. If even on what seems to be the most hopeless of days I can still manage to find three or five or ten things to be grateful for, then I am a lucky, lucky person. And when I feel myself becoming anxious about when I'll be assigned my next work project, I ask "Do we have everything we need TODAY?" The answer is almost always yes. And that alone is a huge thing to be grateful for.
   

Keep this list close because even when this recession does finally leave us, life will still throw us off course with all sorts of difficult challenges. Returning focus to these basics will help keep your days on track regardless of whatever problem comes your way. Would love to know what suggestions YOU would add to the list (even if it does mean we go over 5! ;-)

Be happy.

giving back

When money is in short supply, supporting charities seems like a luxury that can no longer be afforded. But in reality, during recessions even more aid is needed, and many experts report that if one is feeling the economic pinch, an act of generosity can help quash sentiments of personal lack.

One organization that I have continuously supported for several years is Kiva. Kiva provides lenders (you!) the ability to provide microloans to entrepreneurs in developing countries, "empowering them to lift themselves out of poverty."

Our family was fortunate to travel in Pakistan almost four years ago. The media presents a sometimes frightening image of this Asian country, but I can say from my first-hand experience that the vast majority of people there are just like you and me, with the same daily tasks of making meals, working either inside or outside the home, and providing for families---during our stay, we were invited into family homes and treated with much respect.

More importantly perhaps, the trip help to put into perspective how wealthy the West is compared with much of the rest of the world: for example, what many of us spend on the morning newspaper and coffee could send a child to private school for two months or feed a family of seven for two weeks. One realizes quickly that $25 or 15 UK pounds or 20 euros can make an enormous difference in a person's life.

Kiva allows us to do that. For more information, please see their web site. And the beauty is once a loan is paid back, the lender can reloan the money to a new person seeking to improve the quality of life for his or her family. One investment can keeping giving for years to come. :-D


By charity, goodness, restraint, and self-control men and woman alike can store up a well-hidden treasure -- a treasure which cannot be given to others and which robbers cannot steal. A wise person should do good -- that is the treasure which will not leave one. ---Khuddhaka Patha