Good Sleep

Dave and I have had an ongoing battle to find a pillow that Dave will sleep on through the whole night. I've purchased dozens of them and frankly, there hasn't been a single one that he's loved. From cheap to rather pricey, he's not easy to please in the pillow department. I have the same pillow I've had for years and I love it still. It's filled with broken chunks of foam and it's my favorite.

While we were in Las Vegas I met Julia from Naturaworld (www.naturaworld.com) The plan is to write a review over four weeks, one a week starting next Monday (10/26). Tell me, do you have a favorite pillow? What makes a pillow comfortable and perfect for you? I'd love to know what your experiences are and if you think your pillow is important.

Responsibility and Consequences

“It is easy to dodge our responsibilities, but we cannot dodge the consequences of dodging our responsibilities.” Josiah Charles Stump

Mistakes

We all make them, but how do you fix a mistake. There are certainly different answers for different situations, but taking responsibility has to be the first step to changing anything. If you don't take ownership for what went wrong, you then have no power to make it right. Stay in control, take responsibility and you'll see that solutions come so much easier! What do you think?

What Would You Do?

We all make agreements with the full intention of keeping our end of the bargain. What would you do if the company you made an agreement with kept changing the terms, in their favor to cost you hundreds of dollars a month? Credit card companies are doing just that!

I have a credit card with Citibank and they are really pushing me to the edge of my financial ethics. I know the economy has everyone struggling and I know in the fine print of all credit card agreements it says they can change terms anytime, just because. That doesn't mean that I can meet the new terms of the agreement. If you can't meet it, what choice do you have? I've called to talk, tried to reason, and flat out explained that the additional $250 a month with the 29.99% interest rate is just not something I can afford to pay in addition to the $330 I'm already paying as per the 14.99% interest rate I already had (didn't like, but could make the payment).

So what do I do? If I don't make the full $530 payment, I'm in default and fees pile up. If I don't make a payment at all, I'm feeling terrible about defaulting and my credit is being marred. Dave called one more time and was told every one's rates went to 29.99%. Interesting that the new credit card reform takes effect in January. Do you think there's a connection? I do. We don't have the resources to pay the balance off so we either work with them, pay what they want, or we don't. I know what we are going to do, but I'm interested to know what you would do?

A Great Quote

"If necessity is the mother of invention, then frustration must surely be the father!" As muttered by Dave Partak while trying to put snow gloves on Mason's hands. Hence, ZipperBack Gloves were born.

Happy Fall!

I love, love, love this time of year! Here are a few of my favorite things that fall brings:

• Shorter days. I love the way it gets dark earlier. It makes dinner around the table as a family more inviting.
• The colors of the season. I've never met a single person who doesn't appreciate the wonder of Mother Nature's paint brush.
• Apples. I love our annual trip to Apple Hill. Everything apple is part of the fun, but the day together with Dave and Mason is the best. We walk through the orchards choosing the perfect apples to pick and then we (really "I" because Dave and Mason think it's silly) take a moment to give thanks to the Harvest Gods. I take a bite of a fresh apple and give thanks for warm sunshine, plenty of water, and a bountiful harvest. Though my boys think this ritual is silly, they make sure it happens. Smiling.
• Boots and coats. My hiking boots and my green wool hooded coat are my favorite things to wear. For some it's knit sweaters or heavy socks, no matter what, there is something comfortable about winter clothes.
• Flannel Sheets and down comforters. "Nuff said!
• And my favorite thing about the fall season is how we all come home. The summer months have us all over the place, up late, and away from home. September brings back the routine of school, early nights, hot meals, and a sincere sense of family.

It's going to be snowing in Lake Tahoe....snowing, snowing...la, la, la, la, la, it's going to be snooowwwweeeeiiinnnnggggg.....I'm singing, it's going to be snowing!