To say I like Fall would truly be an understatement. It is, and always has been, my most favorite season of the year. To me, it is a New Beginning. Oddly enough - everything is dying but it all LOOKS so alive. The vibrant colors are breath-taking; the Autumn skies seem clearer and brighter. To look out over the lake to the horizon is to see true beauty. The air is crisp, and that makes me feel invigorated and far more alive. I relish this time of year, throwing on a warm sweater, making a large cup of herbal tea and just pressing my nose up against a window while I enjoy the views. The beauty of this season is that it extends into Thanksgiving and then to the Christmas season - the busiest time of year.
The economic climate has made us re-think the extravagances of past years and lean towards more traditional, simple things. This year's plan is for less gifting and more time spent with those we love. This truly should not be a burden, since most of us have far more than we 'need', and should probably just 'want' less. We should perhaps look to the ONE whom we celebrate at Christmas and follow His humility and His simplicity. We should look to the message(s) of Jesus, one of which was that He came that we might have life and that life more abundantly. I am sure He wasn't talking about the cars we drive, the homes we live in or even the gifts we give. He was talking about . . .(as I search my own heart, what exactly was He talking about?). . . He was talking about not what we have (the abundance of things); He was talking about an abundance that can fill our hearts. First, it is the knowledge of what He, the Savior of the world, came to do for us. He came to die for us so that we could have eternal life through faith in Him. But, then He came to give us perspective into what is and is not important in life. I suppose that age is a factor in perspective and what I may have considered important at 20, I no longer consider important at 60. The most important things in my life are not things at all; they are 11 incredible people who all have a piece of my heart and a big place in it. Some of their personalities come into conflict with mine, but that does not make me love them any less. Haha! Most of their personalities come into conflict with mine at one time or another, proving that I am not always the easiest person to deal with, even though I think I am the epitome of reason, open-mindedness and calm (ok family - laugh all at once, so I won't get hurt feelings:).
Back to this beautiful Fall season. I feel invigorated, rejuvenated and ready to take on the tasks that have been put off for so long. There is the issue of the 'den' being turned into a real office for Joe so that he can work from the house in inclement weather, which could happen any day now, since we've already had our first real snow. I struggle with time management; something about my brain flitting here and there all the time; but I am determined to get this room done. It will be a special place - a YANKEES room - a special room for a special person. It will be a place to work, but yet relax surrounded by a collection of baseballs, bats, photos, stained glass items as well as a full wall mural of the old Yankee Stadium from the press box. Perhaps these things are not really important but they allow for a bit of mindless relaxation during the work day - they just 'are what they are', little memories of times past, of special games enjoyed and of memorable players who achieved their dreams. My achieved dream would be to finish this room before the end of November, so that I can begin decorating for Christmas without the dread of this project hanging over my head.
The rain has stopped and it is still only 46 degrees, but then it is Fall, Autumn or MY FAVORITE SEASON OF THE YEAR (call it what you will). I must get my mind in gear, and run out to do chores; things that will make life easier when I get back. I need a simple 'green pepper' so that I can prepare a meal I've been planning for days - a Chorizo Stew, which I think will be nice comfort food on this chilly Fall day. I started to say DREARY Fall Day, but realized this phrase in no way described my way of seeing the day. Perhaps it was the weatherman, perhaps someone I heard complaining about the weather - but it was not me, and since I am writing from my perspective, you'll just have to accept my slant - it is a beautiful day, chilly and without sun. It is a day that the Lord has made, and I will rejoice and be glad in it.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Friday, October 9, 2009
Another Week Goes By
It is SO AMAZING (www.thegreatreversal.net) to think that it is already October. I have two (2) followers - my oldest daughter and my son-in-law. I laugh because I got excited when I saw that now I had two and laughed harder when I realized number 2 was Norman:). Thanks, guys, for following me! Today is a very slow, cloudy and rainy day. I got up late, Joe left for the office late and I am slow to get things done. I've cleaned one bathroom and made some appointments; that's about it.
The richest part of this day is that I am almost joyful (almost, I can't really push it. Remember, I don't like all the change). Today, as I prayed, I was brought to tears as I gave each of my children, grandchildren and hubby to the Lord. I don't think I ever prayed so hard; I don't think I've ever felt so good. There is a peace (that passes all understanding) that can only come from being in the presence of God. I am breathing deeply and calmly and feel totally at peace; my heart is happy. I wish this for everyone. This is the day that the Lord has made; I will rejoice and be glad in it.
The richest part of this day is that I am almost joyful (almost, I can't really push it. Remember, I don't like all the change). Today, as I prayed, I was brought to tears as I gave each of my children, grandchildren and hubby to the Lord. I don't think I ever prayed so hard; I don't think I've ever felt so good. There is a peace (that passes all understanding) that can only come from being in the presence of God. I am breathing deeply and calmly and feel totally at peace; my heart is happy. I wish this for everyone. This is the day that the Lord has made; I will rejoice and be glad in it.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
As Time Changes My Outlook
As the seasons change, and the leaves turn from green to glorious, my head becomes clearer and my heart is healing. To know me, is to know that I don't like change (except under the guise of decorating:). I could live in one place forever and I've been married to Joe forever (my entire adult life). I am content with me; I have no desire to be somone else or to be like someone else.
It has taken me these last six months to come to terms with the changes we've gone through. But, as I enter my favorite season; as I sip a cup of hot tea on the porch or type these notes on this chilly night in front of the fireplace, I am at peace with the direction we have taken. We are strong, we have faith that God will work this and all other things out for good because we love Him. We have an opportunity that many do not have. Remember, I don't want or like change, but as the old song goes, "you can't always get what you want . . . . . . but, you get what you need". I needed to trust God and my husband more and my security less. We (he) has an opportunity to start over in a sense. Working with our daughter in these seriously hard economic times, and helping to sustain this small business for our children, grandchildren and ourselves is a challenge. It is not something I would have looked for, but he has a sense of purpose; he's not working for a large corporation, he is working so that his children and grandchildren will have a future.
It has taken me these last six months to come to terms with the changes we've gone through. But, as I enter my favorite season; as I sip a cup of hot tea on the porch or type these notes on this chilly night in front of the fireplace, I am at peace with the direction we have taken. We are strong, we have faith that God will work this and all other things out for good because we love Him. We have an opportunity that many do not have. Remember, I don't want or like change, but as the old song goes, "you can't always get what you want . . . . . . but, you get what you need". I needed to trust God and my husband more and my security less. We (he) has an opportunity to start over in a sense. Working with our daughter in these seriously hard economic times, and helping to sustain this small business for our children, grandchildren and ourselves is a challenge. It is not something I would have looked for, but he has a sense of purpose; he's not working for a large corporation, he is working so that his children and grandchildren will have a future.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Much of Wall Street IS Main Street
As I try to understand all that is going on in our country, one thing stands out to me and that is that there is incredible distaste for anything "Wall Street". While I am totally in agreement with how greedy and excessive some of the practices in that sector are, I also know another side of "Wall Street". . . .
At 11, my husband came to this country from Cuba(legally I might add) with only the clothes that he owned. His father worked in a factory designing and building machinery to manufacture folders being paid a 'pittance' of what he was worth. He bought a home for his family and sent his children to school. My husband went to a community college for one year before he asked me to marry him at 19. Shocked, I said 'how can we get married, you don't have a job'? After 40 years, this statement still makes us laugh. Long story (which will eventually be posted separately) short, he went out the next day, 'pounding the pavement', as we would say, and by week's end landed a job as a runner on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. From there, within a month, he was asked to join a small Stock Brokerage firm (Lockwood Peck) and was given the opportunity to learn the business.
He moved up rapidly, working for a few different firms (Eastman Dillon, Lehman Bros., Becker Securities and others, until in 1977 he started working for Bear Stearns in a new department that was being formed. He and another co-worker worked to get what eventually became the Global Clearing operation at Bear Stearns running. This area became Bear's most lucrative asset. While he did very well monetarily compared to our families who had struggled to provide for us, he never made millions, he never got huge (by Wall Street standards) bonuses, and he never got the promotions and recognition that he deserved. He would get calls at 2:00AM with problems and questions and he was the 'go to' guy for everyone who needed to cover their butts. He got up at 4:00AM to travel into NYC and got home after 7:00PM at night. Once, he helped a friend get a position because he knew that this person needed a job, when in all likelihood he could have applied and gotten that job himself. His 'friend' never looked back and never gave him a hand up, even though he came to him for answers he should have had but did not. He retired a multi-millionaire. My husband was once told by this friend, when he refused to stay in NY overnight because of a snow storm (he chose to be home with me and our daughters), that he envied my husband because he never kissed butt. True, we came first, so he did very well, but never as well as he could have if he'd played political games or set aside his priorities for gain. His belief was that God is our Provider and he never worried about what was 'fair'.
We have been blessed in many ways but to my point - in early 2008, after we had planned our retirement and gotten incredibly close to our goals, we discussed retirement at 62 (only two years from now), which would have been a dream for us. Then in March, our financial world took a tumble - Bear Stearns stock fell like a lead ball, and the NY Fed (Timothy Geithner), let JPMorgan 'buy' Bear Stearns for $2.00 a share (later renegotiated to $10.00 a share). To our shock, the multiple thousands of shares of Bear Stearns stock that we had was now converted to JPM shares valued at about $10,000. My husband was offered a "retention bonus" (stay-pay, another dirty word bandied around) to continue in his position as a Managing Director through the completion of the JPM transition at the end of 2008. His "stay pay/retention bonus" was not millions, not even hundreds of thousands; it was double pay for 9 months with a reasonable severance package due to his 31 years with Bear Stearns. All in all, we lost 70% of our retirement funds and are starting over from a much different place than we expected to be at age 60, but again, God is our Provider. All indications are that there will continue to be massive lay-offs from this financial sector of the work force but without the benefits that we were blessed to receive. People like my husband, who worked 10-14 hours a day under severe stress and commuted sometimes up to 3 or 4 hours a day for a future for their families, will be out of work with no place to go.
As for our future - we are resourceful and will survive this mess. At 60, my husband has started a new career working in our younger daughter's business. So, again, we are blessed, but when Bear Stearns went under (they called it a bailout but it was more like a rape), 10,000 people like my husband were left without jobs, many of them too old to get new jobs and like us starting over as far as their retirement was concerned. All the emphasis in the news seems to be on the excesses; but no one talks about the 'average' Wall Streeter who made an average Wall Street salary and suffered huge losses just like all of Main Street.
I am saddened by a friend of my husband's who told him that he was going to get a job at ToysRUs after he left Bear Stearns. Now that the economy has gotten so much worse, he probably won't even be able to get that job.
Wall Street is not a dirty word, it is a street in New York City where many normal, hard-working men and women gave a good part of their lives so that they could do what everyone else tries to do - provide a stable income for themselves and their families. The class warfare that has been exhibited is dangerous. It pits people with the same goals and values against each other just because they are in different sectors of industry and make more or less money based on that industry and what they are willing to sacrifice. This negative attitude pours over into our schools and even our churches, putting distance between people who have far more in common than they know.
What makes my husband, a man dedicated to his wife and children, working hard to provide for them for the last 42 years, any different from any other man doing the same for his family? The answer lies in the direction that he chose; the risks he was willing to take; the hours he was willing to work; the location of his place of employment, and perhaps something as simple as a BUSINESS SUIT!!!
At 11, my husband came to this country from Cuba(legally I might add) with only the clothes that he owned. His father worked in a factory designing and building machinery to manufacture folders being paid a 'pittance' of what he was worth. He bought a home for his family and sent his children to school. My husband went to a community college for one year before he asked me to marry him at 19. Shocked, I said 'how can we get married, you don't have a job'? After 40 years, this statement still makes us laugh. Long story (which will eventually be posted separately) short, he went out the next day, 'pounding the pavement', as we would say, and by week's end landed a job as a runner on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. From there, within a month, he was asked to join a small Stock Brokerage firm (Lockwood Peck) and was given the opportunity to learn the business.
He moved up rapidly, working for a few different firms (Eastman Dillon, Lehman Bros., Becker Securities and others, until in 1977 he started working for Bear Stearns in a new department that was being formed. He and another co-worker worked to get what eventually became the Global Clearing operation at Bear Stearns running. This area became Bear's most lucrative asset. While he did very well monetarily compared to our families who had struggled to provide for us, he never made millions, he never got huge (by Wall Street standards) bonuses, and he never got the promotions and recognition that he deserved. He would get calls at 2:00AM with problems and questions and he was the 'go to' guy for everyone who needed to cover their butts. He got up at 4:00AM to travel into NYC and got home after 7:00PM at night. Once, he helped a friend get a position because he knew that this person needed a job, when in all likelihood he could have applied and gotten that job himself. His 'friend' never looked back and never gave him a hand up, even though he came to him for answers he should have had but did not. He retired a multi-millionaire. My husband was once told by this friend, when he refused to stay in NY overnight because of a snow storm (he chose to be home with me and our daughters), that he envied my husband because he never kissed butt. True, we came first, so he did very well, but never as well as he could have if he'd played political games or set aside his priorities for gain. His belief was that God is our Provider and he never worried about what was 'fair'.
We have been blessed in many ways but to my point - in early 2008, after we had planned our retirement and gotten incredibly close to our goals, we discussed retirement at 62 (only two years from now), which would have been a dream for us. Then in March, our financial world took a tumble - Bear Stearns stock fell like a lead ball, and the NY Fed (Timothy Geithner), let JPMorgan 'buy' Bear Stearns for $2.00 a share (later renegotiated to $10.00 a share). To our shock, the multiple thousands of shares of Bear Stearns stock that we had was now converted to JPM shares valued at about $10,000. My husband was offered a "retention bonus" (stay-pay, another dirty word bandied around) to continue in his position as a Managing Director through the completion of the JPM transition at the end of 2008. His "stay pay/retention bonus" was not millions, not even hundreds of thousands; it was double pay for 9 months with a reasonable severance package due to his 31 years with Bear Stearns. All in all, we lost 70% of our retirement funds and are starting over from a much different place than we expected to be at age 60, but again, God is our Provider. All indications are that there will continue to be massive lay-offs from this financial sector of the work force but without the benefits that we were blessed to receive. People like my husband, who worked 10-14 hours a day under severe stress and commuted sometimes up to 3 or 4 hours a day for a future for their families, will be out of work with no place to go.
As for our future - we are resourceful and will survive this mess. At 60, my husband has started a new career working in our younger daughter's business. So, again, we are blessed, but when Bear Stearns went under (they called it a bailout but it was more like a rape), 10,000 people like my husband were left without jobs, many of them too old to get new jobs and like us starting over as far as their retirement was concerned. All the emphasis in the news seems to be on the excesses; but no one talks about the 'average' Wall Streeter who made an average Wall Street salary and suffered huge losses just like all of Main Street.
I am saddened by a friend of my husband's who told him that he was going to get a job at ToysRUs after he left Bear Stearns. Now that the economy has gotten so much worse, he probably won't even be able to get that job.
Wall Street is not a dirty word, it is a street in New York City where many normal, hard-working men and women gave a good part of their lives so that they could do what everyone else tries to do - provide a stable income for themselves and their families. The class warfare that has been exhibited is dangerous. It pits people with the same goals and values against each other just because they are in different sectors of industry and make more or less money based on that industry and what they are willing to sacrifice. This negative attitude pours over into our schools and even our churches, putting distance between people who have far more in common than they know.
What makes my husband, a man dedicated to his wife and children, working hard to provide for them for the last 42 years, any different from any other man doing the same for his family? The answer lies in the direction that he chose; the risks he was willing to take; the hours he was willing to work; the location of his place of employment, and perhaps something as simple as a BUSINESS SUIT!!!
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