Not So Welcome News

We received some bad, but not totally unexpected, news today. My husband will be a victim of the bad economy in about three weeks' time.

He was informed this morning that he, along with two of his coworkers, were going to be laid off. In one respect we are not so as unfortunate as some younger people who have received the same type of news. At least we are getting paid a monthly retirement from his previous employment. He had taken this county job in order to have paid medical insurance for our family, "extra" income, and to give him something to do.

The medical insurance is what concerns me most at this point. For people our age and with a teenaged son still living at home the cost of insurance is quite expensive. It may sound callous and I certainly don't mean it to be so, but the sooner we can get Wil out and on his way the better off we will be.

We had quite a problem with Wil and the Coast Guard thing. He hadn't taken his ASVAB (Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery) test in high school so he has to take it now before he can actually enlist. When he went to the recruiter in Fresno they had given him the "Request for Examination" form but put the wrong birth date. Three weeks and two phone calls and an email later we finally got the corrected form. Now we are waiting for the call back from the facility where he is supposed to take the test so we can make the reservation and he can then actually take the test!

It seems to me they would be jumping hoops to accomodate these young people who express an interest in enlisting.

In any case, we may have to tighten our belts just a tad but we should be okay.

Meanwhile I thought I'd post these previously unpublished pictures.

This is the dragonfly that visits us usually in the evening. I love the blueness of the sky and the laciness of his (her?) wings. (Click on any picture to enlarge.)
Are you ready for something really silly? This is my granddaughter sitting in her doll stroller. (Her mom drew happy faces on her cheeks.) She loves to sit in the stroller like it's for her, not the dolls.
I managed to talk her into at least holding her baby so I could take a picture. Usually she doesn't want anything but herself to sit in the stroller. It's her or nothing! (No, she's not spoiled a bit, why do you ask?)

And finally a picture that makes me smile. Here she is in the garden behind the beans, now almost nonexistent thanks to the gophers! I often would love to know what she is thinking!
Aahh, to be so young and carefree and living in the moment.

Maybe not.