I just want you to know that I am praying for you. I hope things get right for you and your child soon. I know how hard it is to do the juggling act, believe me! I'm there too and have four children. It's so hard to make ends meet sometimes and like you said, trying to get to the point where you don't "need" the child support! Lord, how I wish we could get there! For right now though, I'd be happy to just get it when we are supposed to and be able to count on it... can you say stress? Just "having" to depend on it, has been so stressful for me. My children don't have their father in their life at all anymore, by his choice, so it's a double whammy. I wish there was something more I could do to help you, but I will remember you in my prayers and if you ever just feel like talking or venting, please feel free:-) Good luck to you and your child. Debbie

About me, hmmm... I am a pretty simple girl at heart. My children are my life and my greatest joy. I enjoy the simpler things in life, like working in the garden, walking outside, watching the waves come in, playing ball with my kids, BBQing with friends and family, reading a good book, etc... I love to take trips, mostly in the car, but of course, gas prices and current hardships have put that on hold for awhile.

I also love to cook and do scrapbooking. I write poetry and love to read, mostly christian inspirational. I read alot of Janette Oake and Tracy Peterson. I love animals and enjoy the zoo. It's great, cheap entertainment for someone on a budget! My kids and I have an annual pass that we spent like $60. on and it's the best investment I've ever made:-)

I guess there's not much more to tell about me:-)

  Right now I really need help with making ends meet. I'm struggling financially to get back on my feet after being out of work for awhile due to medical reasons. I also gained quite a bit of weight and I cannot afford to buy clothes that fit me now. I am not above the thrift stores, but when you are the size I am now, it's hard to find anything. I am needing to get some basic items of clothing that I can mix and match. I am wearing a size 28 or 3X in most cases, sometimes more like a 30 or 4X is appropriate. I finally went to a store called ROSS and thought my prayers were answered, but all the items I tried on there in my size, just didn't fit. In my local area, I have found a store called Catherines, which is very nice and high quality, but quite expensive for my current situation. I find that the catalog shopping through Lane Bryant, Sears, Just My Size and a few others, are more affordable, but it requires a waiting period too.

I am able now to get back to work, in a call center type situation, but I do not have the clothing required for their business casual dress code. This is so hard for me because I gained alot of weight over a very short period of time and suffered a great deal of mental cognition, memory, and speech problems...not to mention being extremely tired, before being properly diagnosed. I am still not completely well, but feel so much better than I have in ages! I just feel so "stuck" because I am ready to get my life back and bring some form of normalcy back to my children's lives, but I am having such a hard time making things happen. Nothing is falling into place because I am sooo broke and I don't receive the children's child support money like we should all the time, so it is really hard. I've had to go to a clothes closet through the church to get my children their clothes, but it's so hard to find anything in my size, anywhere! It's becoming humiliating and embarrassing for me. It's so discouraging I just cry sometimes.

If there is anything you can do to help, either through funds or maybe you have some clothing to spare in the size I need? I would be so thankful and when I get back to work and on my feet again, which I hope will be soon, I can pay it forward to someone else. Please help me if you can.

Thanks again,

Debbie