Getting back on track..

 

In all honesty, it has been a very difficult 2 years down here in Florida. Our financial situation was/is in dire straights due to Covid giving us the 1, 2 punch and having Deb give up her social work practice. The mere fact that we didnt know if she was going to survive sent a shock wave through our existance and as a family we rallied.

Brandon was already living down here having retired from te Marine Corps with Lara also a retired Marine. Both had/have good paying jobs and were financially stable. They purchased a second house with the intent of moving us down here to live and be closer to our grandaughter, etc.

The arangement was for all of our children to "chip in", rent the house from them and free up any worry about our financial situation by providing a roof over our head and a place to call home. The issue begins with employment for everyone. Myself, I am un-employed and drawing Social Security finally after waiting for almost three years and not being eligible for SSDI. Deb having her own practice in Maine is/was having difficulty in securing employmet down here due to lack of references from employers. She has all the credentialing and experience she needs for a good paying job, but nobody wants to hire at an expense if they can get a local newbie in the field. The term "Over Qualified" bears a great weight down here.

The others, having pulled up roots, relocated from Maine and Tennessee were thrown into the mix with employment issues of their own. So basically meeting ends has been difficult and now Brandon and Lara have a second child only compounds the financial burden we have put them in. 

The plus side, Deb has finally managed to nail down an employer and has gained full time as well as a part time position within her field and financially we are and will get back on track and hopefully relieve some of the burden all around. In addition to the above, we have been dealing with vehicle issues this whole time adding again more financial debt and stress. Its been an emotional couple years full of turmoil, tollerance and self awareness, but we are hanging in, pushing thru and ready to take on whatever comes our way once again. Its funny how all this started mainly due to health concerns, me with the heart attack, diabetes diagnosis, and Deb clinging to life from Covid and its lingering effects.