This Is Not A Test.....

So, in case you haven't heard, late last month, almost a full 11 months after I began my grand experiment, Don finally lost his job. I say finally because we could see the signs and started preparing a year ago for life without an job and now the wait is over. With all the time we had to read the writing on the wall I have to say it was a relief when it finally came. Don maintains it was an answer to prayer. You can only have soul sucking dementors (see image below) following you around for so long before it really starts to effect your world view.

So, he got laid off on August 27 and we were on the road headed for the California Coast by the 30th. Because we had a company car as our family vehicle, we had to get a new one on the spot. In five hours I was able to secure a minivan that we promptly initiated with an extended road trip. This is our new car:

As soon as the purchase was final we packed our bags and our kids, finished some weekend business and drove though the night to Morro Bay, CA where Don and I spent our honeymoon 17 years ago. It was fabulous. Now, we're back and ready for real life again. This is blog is no longer a test or an experiment. It is reality. I have to learn to live outside the regular economy of weekly grocery shopping and drive-by consumerism for real this time. They say "practice makes perfect," but I believe "diligent practice makes perfect." I've had a lot of practice but I'm far from perfect and there are lots of ways I could be more vigilant about preserving my families finances. Come along for the ride and see where we end up. Thankfully, we had some warnings and we followed the directions we received during that time, so I'm glad I can also say, "This is not a true emergency..."

Tune in next time for home made jam, back to school musing and a peek at life on the social entrepreneur side of things.