Thanks Denise! It's nice but nothing is perfect.....a companion would be nice but I just always tag along.... It is what it is...
I'd be taggin along too Although, it's hard to get me to go even out to dinner. It would be different if I had a loving, close family If I meet someone someday, I'm hoping he'll have a close, loving family I can be part of
I hope it happens for you, Denise...I really do. Like I said....I really don't care what I eat. Well, I'm going to be eating the expensive items, so I'm not wasting my daughter's money.
My dilemma is bone-in or bone out. I bought two turkey breasts, one for Thanksgiving and one for Christmas. One has the bone in, and one doesn't. I'm going to start cooking the squash today or tomorrow, and a few other things. I always do it in stages and I'll freeze the sides if I have to. It's just easier to do it that way with this tiny kitchen and I'm the only dishwasher here . I'll probably make a batch of soup from the bones of the bone-in breast, so I might leave that one for Christmas, since it's supposed to warm up this week, and I might not feel like going to all of that trouble in the heat. @Chrissy Cross We know you're not bragging. It is nice to hear how the other half live sometimes, and it sounds as if they've worked hard for what they have. I'm glad you are able to enjoy spending time with them and don't have to worry about fixing your own meal that day. I have to have my leftovers though, so even if I went out for dinner, I'd either cook a meal anyway, or buy one to have for the few days after Thanksgiving.
Yes, my daughter likes her leftovers too but she's just too tired this year. She just drove home from visiting a University with my grandson in Oregon yesterday and it was a treacherous drive in some areas because of rain, almost snow. It was also a 8+ hr drive...something she's not used to. Plus she's working Tuesday and Wednesday this year. We always do Black Friday and it's been a tradition to pack a turkey sandwich to take with us so we didn't waste time stopping to eat.... Sometimes she made 2 turkeys if we had guests for thanksgiving just to insure leftovers. As for bone in or bone out for you @Diane Lane ...I always prefer bone in just seems tastier.
Well, again, I talk about how nice it is to have money and this proves it. It also helps to have family that know/understand the situation a family member is in and really goes "all the way" to help out. We have a loving family, but just not the kind of family with money. And, sometimes people have to give up something to get something. We were planning on going down to the Miami area to see my wife's brother at Christmas, but with the cost of our boat repair, it isn't going to happen. My wife isn't too happy about it, but at least our boat won't leak water.......which, obviously, is a good thing. And, her brother just isn't the "family" type anymore, so he won't come north to see us and it doesn't really bother him that we aren't coming down. Thanksgiving and Christmas are great holidays for families to get together, but when the finances aren't there and/or family members live states apart, the old "family get-together" just doesn't happen anymore or as often. We love it when we lived in So Calif., but we are the ones that chose to move out of the state and away from family. And, we sure aren't moving back!
I'll be spending Christmas in Illinois with my son and DIL and 3 grandsons. I'll be there a month. My son paid for my airline ticket and has ever since my husband died. About twice a year, last year he paid for my trip to Maui with them. I raised thoughtful children. It was my son and daughter together who bought me my new car in 2012.
You raised thoughtful children, but also children that make very good salaries. I'm sure there are parents out there that wish their children could, or even would, financially help them. I'm just glad that our combined incomes (her job and our SS), we can afford what we have. Sometimes it's difficult, but we do it. However, no children to help us, if we ever needed it.
Yes but even if they didn't make the money they do....they would help me as much as their finances allowed. But since they had the brains, much of my focus was toward education and I always made sure they were doing their best and I guided them to make smart decisions. I was strict in that department but kind and loving in others. I was lucky I didn't have to work so I could devote so much time to my children and that's what I did. I'm also grateful that they married decent and kind people because my SIl could just say no...we're not helping your mom...they don't help his. Same with my DIL.
In red above: Does SIL or DIL husbands mom need financial help? Most of the time, depending on incomes, families can only financially help one family person and that's it. I was raised by really, and I do mean "really", strict step-parents. In fact, most of the neighboring farm kids knew this and didn't really like my step-parents. They were strict on my high school education........"strict" as far as attendance went. At graduation, I got the only award for 4 Years Perfect Attendance. Even though I should have continued, college turned out to be "not my thing" and I quit before my first year was done. OTH, my wife was raised with fairly liberal parents. For awhile, the family even had a live-in maid. My wife's mother had been an Accountant, so that's the career my wife chose. She has two AA's and a Bachelor's. She got the Bachelor's when she was 49 yrs. old. She told me, "I knew having a major college degree would give me a higher salary than not. One thing for sure, my wife's mom and dad (and step-dad) had money that my step-parents sure didn't have. She done a lot of summer vacation traveling with them. They also had a nice lake cottage and two power boats.
No they don't need help. My Sil's mom is wealthy but my DIL's mom has a job and she inherited some money or got life insurance when her husband died. Anyway, it is what it is...this is the way things turned out, I had some influence with guiding them as children and young adults. They chose prosperous careers. They could just as well have chosen a career that doesn't pay as well. They married people with the same careers. So that doubled the good income. Things could have gone differently...I could have been a lousy mom, they could have chosen a path of drugs and alcohol...lots of different scenarios but this is the way it is and everybody is happy. Both have good marriages and are good parents also. I don't see divorce in either child's future. In fact in my whole family there isn't anyone that's been divorced....just widowed. While we are mixed in politics and religion...we have one common thread....Family.
Very good (in red above). I understand you saying "it is what it is", but fortunately for you, they can/do financially help you. As I said before, not all parents get financial help from their kids, even if the kids can afford it. So, I'd say you are lucky! "Lucky" is nice though. I know, I feel that way everyday about my wife and she feels that way about me. My wife had to pay for her college education thru school loans. She was still paying off those loans when I met her, but now they are all paid off. As for me, for the short time I went to college, I had a part-time job and GI Bill Education paid me monthly.
Just want to add, wouldn't need help if my husband was alive and actually can survive on my own just not as comfortably. I'd be worried about money most of the time but I adapt well and can live pretty much anywhere on the income scale. It is comforting to know that I don't have to ever worry about food or shelter even if they were to stop widows benefits. Of course if the world goes into a spiral and nobody is secure than I would worry but not all that much, lol. Except homeless, that I don't know but I guess if I had to I could. I have no issues being with very poor people and Im not finicky but my downfall would be alcoholics and druggies...they scare me...and I'm just not very sympathetic towards them unless they are trying to quit.