58 degrees

These past four years have been an exercise in faith.Much has happened in our lives. Steve got laid off, found a job fairly easily but had to move back to his hometown 800 miles away. This move proved to be a blessing in disguise. He got a chance to spend some quality time with both his mom and my parents. Through my dad's diagnosis and subsequent passing, he was the rock who played chauffeur to friends and family that were flying in to say their goodbyes to an amazing man. Oddly enough, Steve was laid off again soon after Dad's death. It seemed that fate brought him there to be that rock.

It has been three years since Steve has been gainfully employed. But he has kept extremely busy applying for hundreds of jobs, which is a job in itself, helping friends by writing stories for their understaffed newspaper, being around to manage various workmen when we had to hook up our sewer lines when our septic tank failed leaving a gaping hole at least 12 feet by 15 feet deep. Then he filled that hole one wheelbarrowful at a time because we love our garden and did not want it ruined especially for our daughter's wedding a few months later, helping plan Oktoberfest for a civic group,and garden, garden, garden.

One year ago, Steve was awarded a full scholarship for an MS in Special Education-Orientation and Mobility and Visual Rehabilitation Training. When he is done, he will be working with veterans. This summer, he finishes up his coursework and will have two internships. In the mean time, he plugs away and the future looks very bright in this new field of his. He is looking forward to being gainfully employed again.

I too am looking forward to this so I can raise the heat this winter to a more comfortable setting than 58 degrees.
We do what we must to survive. Life is good!