Never forget..."Home of the Free, because of the Brave."

I am sitting here early on this Memorial Day 2009 and my thoughts are of my baby brother who was deployed to the Gulf region this past week. He is a Chief Warrant officer in the Navy or better known as "Gunny". Our family has a long history of Military service. We are a family that is proud of our Service members and appreciative of the sacrifices they make to serve. I can never get through a Honor Guard ceremony without a tear or two, in fact even the Star Spangled Banner raises a lump in my throat.

My hubby is a veteran also; of the Air Force. We have lived on several military installations around the world. For two small town kids from MI it was a huge adventure. Our memories of those times are some of our best and we made some incredible friends too.

My dad was a Navy vet and served during the Korean conflict. Three other brothers have served with honor as well.

I am distressed when I see disrespect or criticism for our military forces. They do a job few are willing to do. They go to some of the most God-forsaken places on this planet in pursuit of enemies who loath us. They die much too young and leave voids in their families that can never be filled.

They are brave hero's in my book and I refuse to see them as anything but. Their harshest critics are not able to comprehend that they are free to complain and malign them on the very backs of those who have fought for those freedoms. Ask any veteran and they will tell you, that is what they fight for. They are America's sons and daughters.

Our way of life is an ideal and it runs deep in our veins. We enjoy relative Freedom, safety and prosperity that hard work affords us. We are a blessed Nation, yet more and more I see people willing to throw it all away for bigger government and less freedom. I believe our founding father's are twisting in their graves.

So as you celebrate this Memorial Day with your BBQ or whatever you choose, take a moment to remember the Brave men and women who serve their country with honor and pride. Send up a quick prayer for their safety and protection; and never forget..."Home of the Free-because of the Brave."

Lifestyles of the Not-so-Rich or Famous (An Average American Family)

The Average American Family?

My mind has been preoccupied by the same thing that is on many peoples mind these days; our economy. I have been thinking about how our lifestyle has been affected and whether it is a negative impact or a positive one.
We have been a one income family for the past several years, out of desire verses imposed change. We decided we wanted a different lifestyle than the one we were ardently pursuing.
I consider our family to be "an Average American family". We live in a nice house(with a nice mortgage to prove it), in a decent neighborhood. We have two cars, a dog and 2.5 cats(our neighbors cat eats here several times a week). We also have two kids still at home. Anyway, I have always considered us Middle class, so I thought I would look into what that means income wise. What I discovered was not surprising really, but it has opened my eyes a bit.

I found a website by the US Census Bureau that lists Median family incomes by state. You can check out your state too.

For a family our size we should have an income of $59,808 (plus or minus) $1250 to meet median family income statistics. We don't meet that criteria, so I decided to start looking for information about poverty levels. This information is a bit more convoluted to find. Curious, could it be that it is better just not to know how poor we are. Actually the information is available but not as simple to locate.(at least for me, I don't claim great computer savvy)I was able to locate a figure of $20,614 US for a family of four as of 2007. Whew a relief for me because we are above that.
Now that I realize we are not middle class, I wonder, "what are we then?" We aren't poverty level either. Where do we fit in to "the Average American Family?" We must be the poor relatives, but not the poverty stricken ones. We are the lower middle class. Where does that put us for lifeboat status? Toward the top? or bottom?
The conclusion I have come to is that statistics don't mean much in the grand scheme of things. We don't need them to tell us how we live or where we fit in to the equation. We have modified our lifestyle to fit our income for the most part. There isn't as much disposable income as we once had. It has made us more creative, and I think has grown us as a family.
A typical family night for us now might include making homemade Pizza and a board game or rousing game of Dominoes etc.. Movie nights are easily planned with a quick trip to the video store, or better yet a re-watch of a movie already in our collection, and a bag of microwave popcorn. Or even a family fun night playing Wii golf or bowling at our daughters house. Dinners out are relatively scarce, as are frivolous shopping trips etc. Our shopping trips now include making the rounds at our local Goodwill and several other thrift stores. We have also started to read as a family. We are re-discovering the classics of our childhood, and sharing the adventures with our kids. I am the one who narrates the stories and my hubby and boys really enjoy being read to. Funny how that seems to be something you never get too big for.
We have friends that we get fresh eggs from. We now plant our own garden; that we increased in size this year. We have scouted out places to pick wild Blackberries, figs and grapes as well as pears.
My boys are learning to make jams and jellies, freeze fruits and veggies as well as helping to can foods too. They were a big help when we built our greenhouse this spring. They got to hunt this year with dad for the first time and are now talking about next year. They recently helped a friend of ours stack wood on a trailer after it was split, to be delivered to the widow ladies in our community who need wood. They are learning the value of hard work and a job well done. These are life lessons that are priceless.
I know that we are blessed to be where we are. My hubby has a fairly stable job, which provides us with access to medical insurance(for which we pay dearly) but what is the alternative. At this point gas is still affordable, as are our utilities. Whether that continues remains to be seen, but no amount of worry can fix it. I know too that there are many families that have not fared as well as ours has, my heart goes out to them.
Our life is far from glamorous, but it is pleasant. We have chosen to focus on the important things, rather than the pursuit of more stuff. So, even though I don't see any TV producers beating a path to our door to film the latest reality show, it is all good. While it may not be for everyone, I think our numbers are growing daily. So to all you other "Average American Families" out there, Hang in there, Life is good, especially when you slow down enough to enjoy it.

Thoughts of the day.

I think the simple life may be an oxymoron of sorts because life is anything but simple today. We are living in a time of change and uncertainty to be sure. There is hatred and division running rampant right here in our own country.

I suppose there are those who will say that we have always been divided and I guess that is true to an extent. It is easy to become discouraged if one focuses very long on the politics in America. I feel like we(the American people) have been sold down the river by corporate greed. The very officials that we elected sold out long ago and joined forces with the dark side if you will.

There was even a time in my life that I was on the same wheel, running faster and faster and getting nowhere. The trouble with that lifestyle is that it has no sustainability, at least not for me. The chance to step back and re-focus on what is really important has been a life-changer. Life is about God, Family and Friends hence it becomes simpler when we change perspective.

"Each day is a gift" may be considered a cliche' but I believe it is true. We choose whether to open it and be thrilled, or return it in hopes of finding something better. Mind you there are some "gifts" that need to be returned.

Take some time out today to reflect on the important things in your life. The Simple life is a good life.