Oh, fishy, fishy, oh!

Yes, I know it's bad for me.  Yes, it will kill my diet if I let it.  But no, I can't resist it.  It takes me back to my youth, when it didn't matter what you ate, it only mattered that it tasted good.  When no one had ever heard of trans fat.  When cheese on something was a good thing.  When the more sauce came on a sandwich, the better.  I give you the McDonald's Filet-O-Fish!

These things are normally somewhere over $2 each, but right now they are 99 cents.  I had two last night.  Yes I did.

Tenant troubles part... okay, I've lost count

We recently had to ask a tenant to move out. Number one, she couldn't afford to live there on her own after kicking her husband out. But number two, and really the main reason, was that she was filthy. We're talking cockroaches by the thousands, dog poo on the carpet and walls(!), cobwebs in every corner. Disgusting.

Now, we were very fair to her.  We gave her plenty of time to find another place, and she did.  We weren't nasty about the situation, just firm.  And how does she repay our kindness?  By leaving piles and piles of garbage in our house.  Old furniture, bags of who-knows-what, table, chairs, two refrigerators complete with rotting food, and let's not forget my favorite, the broken deep freeze.  So now we have to clean all of this stuff out of the house before we can even begin to clean it, paint it and recarpet it.

I really struggle with this as a Christian because I want to show compassion to people who are getting divorced, have three children to care for, haven't found a job yet, and probably won't even be able to afford her new apartment.  But am I enabling her if I just let it go?  I have a judgment against her, which means I can legally collect the debt, but is that the right thing to do?  What about her husband, who gave us the security deposit to begin with?  Doesn't he deserve something back if he didn't cause all the damage (though he certainly caused some and had to have known about the rest of it)?

The fact is, she is costing us literally thousands of dollars, not including the new carpet we were going to have to put in regardless.  And I feel entitled to get some of that back, even if it means having the sheriff tag her belongings and sell them at auction.  And yes, I'm angry about it.  I'd like to take all her trash and dump it in her new front yard.  But I'm sure that would be illegal.  It's fine for her to dump it on us, just not vice versa.

Marriage Monday!

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Welcome to Marriage Monday! This month's topic is all about celebrating Valentine's Day every day of the year.

First, a disclaimer up front: Hubby and I do not technically celebrate Valentine's Day.  Which is to say we don't buy presents, give cards, or make it a point to go out to dinner on February 14.  But as I thought about those things, I realized that we truly do make a point to do these types of things all year long.  So I present our top ways to make the spirit of Valentine's Day last all year long:

1. Presents.  Yes, presents, even when it's not a special occasion.  Maybe your husband doesn't bring you flowers for no reason.  But maybe he picks up your favorite flavor of ice cream while he's at the store.  Maybe you don't buy him a new watch he doesn't really need, but maybe you make that phone call for him that he can't make because he's at work all day.  Any way you slice it, it's all about giving.
2. Touching.  Give him a back rub while he's paying bills.  Lean on his shoulder while you watch t.v.  And don't let him leave without a hug and a kiss.  It's all the little things that keep that physical connection going, especially when you don't have the time or energy for... you know.
3. Time alone.  Try to get at least five minutes a day alone with him.  At least.  That's an order.  Lock the door if you have to.
4. Talk.  If you went on that Valentine's Day date to a fancy restaurant and sat there staring at each other across the table, what would you talk about?  Talk about that kind of stuff no matter where you eat dinner tonight.
5. Pray.  This is actually next month's topic.  Couples need to pray together.  Maybe this doesn't sound terribly romantice but God is the author of romance and marriage.  Is there any possible way He won't bless your marriage when you share it with Him?

Here's wishing you and your spouse a happy Valentine's Day, every day of the year!