Settling in for winter... or, Why My Fireplace is Keeping Me Sane

Here is a photo of yours truly in front of the fireplace in the house. (Okay, it is a picture of the fire; I look too rough after a hideous day and my image is so negative that a negative could not take it!)
There is something to be said for being able to sit in front of the fireplace and be warm while one ponders on the farce (or tragedy, pick a day) that is life.
So nothing new in the land of the not-right writer. I am barely writing, but I am still not right. And still knitting and still hanging by a thread sanity-wise.
I am working as a substitute counselor in a youth residential program. It is not a bad job, but no hours are guaranteed so it could be better.
The kids are still doing fairly well in our homeschooling venture.
Tim remains out of work, coming up on 2 months.
I have been reading lots of stuff! Most recently Charlaine Harris (Lily Bard and Harper Connelly series) and Elizabeth Kostova's The Historian.
All has been enjoyable, and we all know if I am reading something good then I am still holding on to sanity with white knuckles.

And the beat goes on....

Well, the holidays are swiftly approaching at Chez Terre, and basically nothing is changing.  The house is still a mess, the kids are still smarmy, and the adults are still looking for paying work.

I have been knitting a bit.  Here are some photos of the strangled vines scarf I am trying to finish in the next week!

WILL WORK FOR YARN...

or maybe even Sox Stix at this point.  I have been playing with the sock thing again, and decided that I need to have shorter dpns... but here is what it looks like.

It is rough being a terrible novice knitter.  If I had any sense I would probably stop.  Thank goodness I don't have any sense!

On the employment front, I have lined up a couple of interviews at some low-paying retail jobs, but I tend to like those types of jobs, as they are not dealing with the life-and-death-dealios I usually get immersed in for only slightly more pay.  

I am truly panicking, as there does not seem to be alot of job opportunities right now, and our bills are becoming overdue.  

Oh well, I need to go have my panic attack offline.  Good night and good luck.

More images from the life of the not-right writer...

Hope returns....

So the American people have spoken.  And my faith is renewed in them.  

The work Mr Obama has in front of him is daunting, and the idea of reversing the results of eight years of buffoonery and bad decisions is huge. 

I have faith in him.  

One more day....

So tomorrow is the election.  I am nervous because it is such an important time, and that there is such a potential for change.  But then again, I am also nervous that there may not be enough of a potential for change.  

I am also concerned that we may have a repeat of the 2000 election, where poor people and minorities were disenfranchised to secure the election for those who were not truly elected.  

Here's hoping that WE the PEOPLE do not allow this to happen again.  Here's hoping that WE the PEOPLE make a difference.