That feeling...of entitlement

While watching the news last night I heard news about the new streetcar that is being put in place in Cincinnati,OH.  As "neat" and "fun" as that sounds, I have a hard time feeling that it is anything but a waste of taxpayers hard earned dollars.  We have taxi's, buses and car-poolers.  We do not have a subway or train system and I think our money would be better spent implementing THAT kind of travel system.  Cincinnati is trying to make strides to make itself comparable to other "big cities" by major renovations to run down areas, updated sports fields and coliseums, a new casino that is supposed to generate bazillions of dollars for the city, so why can't the money be a little better planned and spent?

It isn't just the LOCAL government that is messed up right now and that is just one of the issues, there are many more, but the federal government is making HUGE strides in making middle class folks lives harder and harder.  If the majority of folks are middle class than why are you shitting on them? Us?

We work hard to pay our bills, keep benefits for our families.  Benefits that are being cut, hours are being cut so that we can't have insurance at an affordable price so that people who don't or won't work can have free health care?  How does this NOT sound totally messed up to these people who are pushing for it?  For example, Jon and I were married 6 plus years ago and together we had $56,000 in debt.  We didn't file bankruptcy, borrow MORE money, or cry in our cheerios whining about how the government should bail us out of our student loan debt, car debt and stupid credit card debt.  All of the debts were results of our poor choices.  So we worked our asses off, cut back most of our "comforts" and lifestyle choices so that we could get out of that place.  We didn't ask anyone for "help" or to take it all away, we took responsibility for ourselves.

Taking responsibility is this total foreign concept these days.  What in the hell are we teaching our children?  Welfare and food stamps is becoming a "career" not a crutch.  If it is used the way it was designed to be used, it can really help people get on their feet.  Unfortunately it seems no one is using it how it is intended to be used and the rest of us are paying for it.  It is infuriating!

So we don't drive new cars (in fact none of our cars are less than 10 years old or more), we have a house payment that is affordable, we shop at the discount grocery, we wear hand me downs and we don't have the world's fanciest phones.  Jon works 50+ hours a week and makes sure we have health insurance and the proper insurance on our home and vehicles and yet if we need to go to the emergency room, it is a $500 co-pay!  Unless my arm is laying across the room, we are NOT going there for any kind of care!  I will give myself stitches while I bite on a stick!  Yet, everyone who is using the emergency room as their "Dr.'s Office" will continue to go, rack up bills that will be completely forgiven, get their free prescriptions and WE will continue to pay out the ass so that THEY can have health care.  What ever happened to survival of the fittest?

People aren't taking jobs because they think they are being paid too little for their "valuable" time.  Their valuable time that would be better spent sleeping in everyday, sitting on their ass in an almost paid for apartment or home, driving their cars newer than mine, not paying for their groceries, health care or cell phones and just coasting by on life while I work my butt off!  Can you tell I am peeved??!!  Just a tad.

So again, we don't feel entitled or ask for any help nor to we expect it.  We are now trying to sell our home to keep our children OUT of the local public schools, the schools that OUR taxes pay for, for our children's educations.  What???  Doesn't that just sound messed up?  So we will put our home on the market and move to a "better area" and after doing research about the schools our children would go to IF we stayed here, we can't move fast enough.  The public grade school here has 78% of children on free or reduced lunch.  78%!!!!!  Holy Hell that makes me sick to my stomach!  Now I don't care at all if someone has less than me, the same as me, more than me whatever, but if 78% of people can't free up enough cash to feed their damn children, than I have no desire to send my children to school with those poor children.  I am not judging but I am telling you this, no matter what I have to personally sacrifice be it my cell phone, my cigarettes, my Cadillac, my $200 tennis shoes, my booze or whatever, I will ALWAYS be able to feed my children!!  I will always be able to find the money for bread and peanut butter.  I will NEVER have my children so concerned with where they will get their next meal that they don't care about their education or value education at all.  I also will never expect someone else to work hard and give portions of their hard earned money to feed my family, pay for our health care, pay for our housing or any of that.  I will not yell at the pharmacy when I have to pay $4 for a prescription when I usually get my prescriptions for $1, all the while having a cart full of things that my food stamps aren't even paying for anyway.  Can't afford the kids? Don't have them!  Oh that's right, you have to use your own money to buy condoms...oh wait now birth control is free so help your children, potential children and the rest of society by not having a family that you have no intention of taking care of and that you expect everyone else to take care of for you because the system has made it so easy for you to depend on someone besides yourself.

The system is creating generations upon generations of families and people who think welfare, disability and the like is a living.  People being lazy, people wasting time and people who have no pride because they work for nothing.  When will this government makes changes that will start to take care of the ACTUAL valuable members of society instead of making our lives more difficult?  I am beginning to feel that I won't see these kinds of changes in my life time but I will continue to vote for them and teach my children how to work hard, earn your life without a ridiculous lifestyle and do things they can be proud of, while setting good examples for their own future families.

Monetizing Craftiness

Ok, we all know that I am "crafty."  I like to think I am creative and that I didn't waste all that time and money paying back my student loan for my major in Art Education.  I love to create things for myself and other people.  I like the challenge of a new medium and I am not afraid to try anything I can get my hands on.  I actually think in my little head that I can make ANYTHING, whether or not I have done it before or it is brand new.

I made my brother's wedding cake and desserts for 100 or more people.  I made a topsy turvy cake and a bunch of cake balls and I had never tackled either of those before the wedding.  (well I practiced of course, for God's sake it was a wedding! Kinda important)

I make scarves and all kinds of crochet gifts for friends having babies or just best friends that need a warm neck in the winter :)

I have phases that I go through in trying new mediums and when I dive in, I DIVE in and learn everything I can about whatever new thing I am trying.  I have gone through jewelry making, wire sculpting, polymer clay beads, pens, picture frames, ornaments.  I paint furniture, picture frames, murals and room decor.  I crochet anything I can get a pattern for and I have recently started making soaps.  I make lanterns and buntings and greeting cards and dried flower jewelry as keepsakes and...  Honestly I think I can make anything and I love it!


I like to give home made gifts because of the time invested.  I think it is the most important part of the gift.  I learn something new, I love creating and designing the gifts and the feeling that I get when I share these gifts with others is immeasurable.

I opened an Etsy shop several years ago now and I still post things in the shop frequently.  I love when my friends contact me with an idea that they themselves don' t think they can make but have confidence that I can figure it out.  I have had friends ask me to show them how to work with different mediums like clay or crochet and I think it is fantastic!  I love making projects and helping others to be able to give homemade gifts as well.

My art comes from my heart and my desire to create.  Some of it is "fine art", some of it is "crafty", all of it is unique and all of it is a thoughtful piece of my heart.  Sometimes people buy these gifts, or materials for these gifts and sometimes I just give them because it makes me happy.  Monetizing my craft is NOT a full time job or a significant living, so to speak.  It is a Labor of Love and something I truly enjoy.  It is something that keeps me true to myself and defines my identity.  It also brings a smile to mine and other's faces and honestly that is payment enough.