The first week of unemployment has been a much needed break from stress and a time for us to chill and focus on enjoying our little Tater Tot. Sure there have been a few spells of sleeplessness over all the what-ifs and we’ve been rude to each other on one or two occasions resulting from the stress. All in all it’s been a total breath of fresh air once the what-ifs are put aside.

Right now I am sitting out in our backyard under an umbrella with my feet in Everly’s baby pool with my family. N is snapping photos of E with butterflies, while she picks tomatoes and while she splashes in the pool. It’s really kind of nice to have some lazy time.

Yesterday we had some of N’s coworkers over for a “game & wine” night and we had some good laughs. I can’t remember the last time I laughed so hard I was in tears. Thanks Perry for calling me a stay-at-home-loser. It really did make me laugh and I wasn’t offended because the surprise and bluntness of it all was hilarious!

We also enjoyed a homemade shitcake to celebrate the recent joblessness and new prospects.

Things are looking up in the job search department. Meetings are scheduled and some stress is lifted since prospects are shaping up so soon. We really are blessed to have met so many genuinely good people throughout our lives. Each person shapes our lives in one way or another and we are so thankful for everyone in our lives.

Out in the garden things are going well. We have more tomatoes, rosemary, lemon balm, mint, sunflower seeds and gourds than we know what to do with. I am still sucking at growing the necessary staples like potatoes, onion, carrot and lettuces. We still have a few months left in the growing season so I am trying to start some more seeds indoors with hopes they’ll sprout and grow before the first frost.

We recently preserved four jars of tomatoes and four jars of pickles for our we’re-gonna-be-broke-this-winter-stockpile. We’ve cooked down the whole chicken carcasses left over after our whole chicken dinners and we now have several jars of chicken broth saved too.

I’ve had oodles of fun perusing discount food stores for staples like pasta and beans, those are always good to have on hand for cheap yet nutritious meals. My couponing, stockpiling and frugal ways are making things look okay food wise if we go a while without a paycheck. This is a huge relief!

We are just getting things in order here and taking some time to kick back and enjoy this extended vacation until the next opportunity comes along. Just sitting out in our backyard under an umbrella with my feet in Everly’s baby pool with my awesome family, all that’s missing is a margarita.