Shopping Therapy

What happens when shopping therapy goes away?
Well, maybe this is one of the reasons I am where I am.
When I am down, I go out shopping. I wander through a store
and imagine myself in some beautiful place, some tropical beach wearing
something gorgeous. Like a sarong, or a wrap over a bathing suit, with a luscious tan
and a large sunhat looking drop dead devastating. And imagining myself in
that wonderful place puts me in a place I'm not, or haven't been.
So shopping is a way of escaping my life, where I am, what I am, how things are.
The best thing about shopping is, you get what you want.
Or at least what you think you want. At that time, you want it.
And it transports you to a time, when you look gorgeous, and desirable and
happy.
So, imagining that I am somewhere that I'm not, and buying the outfit to go there, makes me happy.
Sadly, all my credit cards are no more. The bastards who gave me wonderful,lavish limits have taken all my fun away. I remember thinking at one time, omigosh, what am I going to do with one of my cards that has a $20,000. credit limit? Well, I didn't have near enough fun, I can tell you. I didn't travel anywhere on my wonderful credit lines. When my cash and my 401k went away, I lived off of my credit.
Being a realtor is hard work today, and the deals are hard to get, and the living ain't easy.
So, I wish I would have gone somewhere really fun and tropical on my cards.
But I didn't. I survived for a little while longer. Using my "
And I will find my smile again.
In the meantime I will keep on keeping on. And walking with my friends, and eating right. Go to work, show properties, and keep on staying on top of things.
I will enjoy the sunshine, if it's out. And the mystery of the fog.
The bark of a dog. The smile of a baby. My grandbaby Daisy, who puts a smile on my face, just by being herself.
I will live.
And try to get by.
And give thanks for my family. And my friends.
And books that I read, and songs that I sing, to myself.
I will try to find love again. Because I do think I deserve that.
No. I do deserve that. I don't "think" I do.
I do.
thanks for being there.
Good night my friends.
Katie

What to do, what to do...

So the bank approved a sale of my house to my buyer, who was going to rent it back to me. All good to go.
But my buyer, a friend does own several properties, he's had for many years. And has money and great credit! Unfortunately, he owns too many to get new financing, the banks won't let him. And his equity lines which he's Always on time for, he paid down, and they cut them off. So no more loans. This for a man, who has a doctorate, and a good income, and many rentals which bring in money. And he can't borrow more.
So my house, is foreclosed and can I stay? I have to live somewhere.
It's a dilemma, and I try to keep a smile on my face, but it's hard.
I know whatever happens I will be ok. I have friends, and offers of places to live.
It's just tough times now.
But I feel like I'm on the cusp of success. It will come. I believe.
So, keep smiling, no matter what!
Thanks for being there, my friends.
We will all hang together! We will all be ok.
Bless us all.

Fun things for Free or Cheap

So, we're having a struggle getting by.
What can we do to make ourselves feel better?
Make soup from scratch: throw some veggies, especially onions, celery etc, in a Pam-type cooking spray in a big pot and saute', then add some chicken or vegetable stock, and a can of diced tomatoes. Put in any leftovers, canned or frozen vegetables and simmer for an hour or two. I like diced potatoes, or some small pasta shells for fun. garnish with some parmesan cheese! Delicious and nutritious!

Go for a long walk, bundle up, if it's cold, even if it's rainy. Just wear your sweats and scarf and kick some puddles!

Stop by a friend's house, just for the fun of it. Don't call, just go knock on the door. Grab a rose, or a sprig of mistletoe, or some greenery off of bush to share.

Rearrange some furniture. Flipflop a room. Or move a couple rooms around.

Sleep in another room tonight. Go on a vacation in your own house!

Better yet, go stay with a friend, take a mini vacation! Or call some friends and trade houses for the weekend. Leave a list of fun things to do in your neighborhood!

Have a little party to learn a craft together. Teach someone how to knit, (if you know how!)Or make some Christmas cards together! Make it a monthly event, share some goodies, or everyone take something you have leftover and bring a dinner to a friend's house.

Trade clothes with a friend. Have a clothes trade day at work! Or a trading day at your house! Bring whatever you have that's gently worn, but still nice. Anything that's leftover donate to a homeless shelter, or Goodwill.

Ask a friend to teach you how to play the piano. Or have friends over and have a sing along!

Keeping a positive attitude

I have a lot of friends, all types. Best friends I can talk to are the best. There are some that have offered me rooms. And a house to rent! My neighbor across the street is a dear lady of 81, who said I could stay in her house. She would be a great roommate! Except I don't want to impose on anyone. And I know we all start off good, and then we start irritating each other! Don't want to do that...
Trying to act normal. I went to the Women's Club Christmas tour with my friend Deb, (she also offered me a room) that was fun. Everyone has different houses and different tastes.
Some simple and nicely done, a couple over the top with decorations and as many things as there are places to put them in.
A problem I have is my stuff, I've been a collector for years, and now the beautiful little antiques I've adored are worth less, and I can't move them with me.

Resources: I found out that the bank who foreclosed on the house will sell it back to my buyer I had who was going to rent it back to me. So, if my buyer hangs in there, maybe I'll get to stay.
What else can I do? Get a renter? I am looking on Craigslist to see who's out there, looking.
It's an eclectic mix of folks, crossdressers, college professors, punks, art students, single mothers with babies, needing something right now.
When I know that I get to stay, then I'll see who I can get to rent to.
All ideas are good ones. And we never know what tomorrow will bring.
The thing I keep telling myself, if I'm down and out one day, the next day will come a new idea, a new plan, or a good friend with a great idea.
When I told my neighbor John, that I might have to leave, he said, "Katie, we can't lose you, you're the glue that keeps the downtown together!" What a nice compliment.
He said, he had his brother in law staying in his basement. We all have stuff. We are all trying to get by.
I had an interview at Tiffany's last week. That would have been cool, to work in such a lovely store. But alas, it was not to be. Maybe I didn't fit the profile? Or too old? Or maybe they hired someone who's sold jewelry before.
That's it!
Anyway, maybe getting by til the next idea comes along.
Selling jewelry? Or babysitting? Or maybe I'll sell a house!
All ideas are welcome!

Staying Sane in an Insane World

I know it's hard getting by today in our world. And I don't mean we have to grin and bear it...
Sometimes we have tips and survival tools we can share that just might help someone else.
I'm not smarter than anyone else, but I've been through some things that might help someone else feel not so all alone.
In any day, if we can find something to smile about, or commiserate with someone, or just find the human nature in another soul, maybe we will all get through this together.
I found out I got my house foreclosed on a week ago. I've been hanging on to it for a couple years, by just a thread. I haven't made a payment, except for a couple here and there, for about a year and some months.
It's been tough. I make a little money here and there being a realtor, but not enough to pay all of my bills. I pick a couple that I have to have, my utilities, my phone, my TV!
But I'm cutting back, and calling the companies to see what I can do to change my services.
I'm trying to help people through my work, telling them what they need to know to modify their loans, or short sale their houses.
But I tried that, short selling my house, and it slipped through the cracks, I guess, and the bank foreclosed on it. I found out from my realtor, a friend, that it had foreclosed. And I was devastated, in disbelief. I cried, and called friends. And wrote my friends an email telling them what had happened. I got a lot of calls, emails back from people, saying "I'm so sorry, what can I do?" Or "you can come live with me!"
All those things helped. It made me feel not so alone.
And we're not alone, we're all struggling. And if you're not struggling personally, then your family is, or your next door neighbor, or friends at work are.
And that's what we have to decide, that it's not our fault. We're all in this together.
The friend that looks so together, and seems so healthy, is moving out, moving away, lost their house. We can all put on a pretty face, but what's happening is happening to many of us.
What can we do?
Act normal, do normal things.
The day I found out my house had been foreclosed on, I went and washed my car. I went to the one that had the wands and you have to get out and wash it with the power wash.
I was talking to myself the whole time, "this can't be real, this can't be happening to me", but I washed my car just to feel Normal. To act normal.
When someone goes through this kind of change, it's devastating.
Right up there with Divorce or death of a loved one.
Buying a house, is like a marriage. You fall in love, you make an investment, and you visualize all the things you're going to do together. Then you have fun, planting roses that your kids give you, or get it painted, spruce it up. And love it.
Take a nap in the chair in the front porch, vacuum the carpets, wash the windows and love being there.
And so it goes.
And then times get tough, and you say, what can I do to get by.
So you cash in your 401k, sell your mother's jewelry, get another job.
All those things.
And you hope.
That things get better.
That you can keep the house.
You don't know where you're going to go.
Or how you're going to live.
But you know you'll survive.
Because you have to.
There is no other choice.
So what do we do next?