My First Post

Thank you for taking the time to visit my blog!! Until recently, I have never even read a blog but a friend of mine directed me to his blog and I really enjoyed reading it. I spent 2 or 3 days at 3 hours each time, reading all his posts for the past year and a half. I really like the fact that I can write here and recieve comments from you! So, kudos to CLW to getting me started on my path to blogging!!!

As stated in my profile, I am 47 and a widow, raising an 11 year old child. I am a stay at home mom but have been looking for a job for a while. I am very surprised that I can not find employment, but also not so surprised. Though I am college educated, I have been working from home, doing my own thing for the past 11 years. There are so many other people who have more "up to date" skills who are also unemployed. The jobs I worked on at home were for 3 different companies, all in marketing and all have been cut off by their clients, leaving me cut off from them. There was a time where, if I had all 3 jobs going at once, I could easily put in a 16 hour day. I like working from home because your don't have to get dressed up, or drive anywhere, can take lunch when you want and you can get your laundry done during the work day. It also took me years to discipline myself to actually sit down and get the work done. Once I mastered that, I made a pretty decent (but sporadic) living. Now I got nothing!!! I am also in a position, since I am my daughters only parent, and she is still in elementary school, where I need to work close to home in case something happens......

Speaking of home, I don't have my own! Right now, and since August 2007, I have been living in my childhood home with my parents. When I filed for divorce from my alcoholic husband, we were living in GA. I was finally allowed to move back to NJ (I had to ask my parents if me and the kid could live with them), and they said fine. I think my siblings were all relieved for a couple of reasons....1. I was getting out of a shitty marriage, and 2. My mom was really sick, a dialysis patient, and since my dad still commutes to NYC everyday, my 3 siblings who all live in NJ, but at least 1/2 hour away from my parents, were often called by my mom, during the day, if she fell, or had some other mishap. By me living here, it was a relief for all because I got here to and from dialysis 3 days a week, got her to her doctors appointments, made sure she was eating, and when she felt well enough, I was there to take her to meet with her friends for lunch. Sadly, my mom passed away, at home in December 2008. So now my dad is selling this house and my daughter and I are looking for an apartment to live in. The town I presently live in is too pricey for me, so I am looking for other towns, with decent school systems, in NJ.

I really hate the idea of moving my daughter to a new school system again.....which is why I want to do it this summer.....so she can start school at the beginning of the school year.....who knows, maybe I will win the lottery and can stay in this town??!!