Just checking in...

Hi Gemini,

I'm sitting here with tears as I knew what you were going through and I wish there was some way I could help. You'll be in my prayers every day and if I could I'd be there to help.

Hugs,

Nora

Hi Gem

Just sending you some cyber-hugs....I truly wish things to turn around and work out for you and your son.

On another note, is it even legal for the utility companies to cut off gas and electricity to a residence? I assume you've explained to them some of the circumstances behind the arrears? When my DH was in hospital two years ago with an aneurysm, we had a similar situation for a few months, but we found that most of the places were willing to work something out in the short term and helped us catch up after we were back to normal.

Michelle

Oh! I do hope that is possible!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm sending all the love and moral support that I can, Gem. I just wish I could do more.

Gem, email me direct please, snipped-for-privacy@cavtel.net your friend Jenny

Gem,

Though I barely know you and you might not even remember me, I've been praying and I will KEEP ON praying. Wish there were more we here could do. Eve

And she SCORES!

Gemini, All my thoughts will be with you and Matthew!! Stay Strong and Please don't be a stranger!!

Hugs, Debby (FL)

WTF?????????????????? N.

On Sat, 15 Apr 2006 18:47:49 -0600, "JaneB" spewed forth : I see you're still trying to grow a brain.

Reply to the list as I do not publish an email address to USENET. This practice has cut my spam by more than 95%. Of course, I did have to abandon a perfectly good email account...

Oh, Gemini! Waaaah! I wish that "I" could do something about this ~ Cyber-hugs and prayers and.....tears. Oh, it's just too much!

I realize from your post that you won't see this but please know that I will pray harder or differently or whatever it takes for your situation to reverse itself.

Boy, what a week! (grumble, grumble)

Hugs and Love and Smiles, Donna in Philly

Well c'mon Gems, hang in there girlie, life isn't easy is it, and goodness knows how one manages like this, it is a whole new ball game over here, our state benefits to those not working or can't work, means that they get enough to pay all debts...so I can't imagine how this is working for you like this..

Will be thinking of you and the predicament you are in.

hugz Cher

flippin eck, I hope not, that'd be dangerous with a brain...lol

Dear Gemini, I feel so sad for you - just hang in there and we will all be praying all the time for you. Try not to be too sad - there must be something one can do to help but we are all so far away so all i can do is dend big big hugs and my love God Bless Gwen

"MRH" skrev i melding news: snipped-for-privacy@corp.supernews.com...

I am so sorry for you, Gem! Warm thoughts! I wish the life could be more stable and predictable for you! These "downs" are too heavy to cope with! Hugs!!!! AUD ;-)

Wow, Gem, I don't know what to say, except that I'm really praying harder for you.

A few years ago, I was where you are now, and I learned a few things while we've been getting back on our feet (and we're almost there, too). It sounds like you're not in the US, but maybe they have some of the same things where you live?

When there was no income coming in, and the bills piled up, we talked with the companies, always get a supervisor to explain your situation to, and there are programs they have where people give an extra dollar on their water, electric, and the like, and the fund is used to help people pay their bills who can't. You may want to call and ask if they have those kinds of programs to see if you qualify. From what I'm hearing, you probably do. They don't advertise these things, or they'd get leeches who want service and want others to pay for it though they can afford to pay themselves, but if you check your bill, you may see a "share" program listed which you then ask about.

Other bills, we explained the situation to them, and they reduced our payments considerably, you just need to show good faith by paying them at least something every month until you get more income coming in and show further good faith by increasing the amount you pay, like $10 a month, then when you can give $15, etc., and you'll whittle away at that until you get one paid off, then apply that $10-15 to other bills to get them caught up, etc. It's TOUGH, but it can be done.

There are also a lot of food bank charities that will help with bills without asking any questions that also have food donated to them that you can go down and get food from. It's not brand name, and it may not be what you're used to eating, but every little bit you can save on groceries helps. They have canned, dried, and often fresh foods you can take home. If the very worst happens, most cities have a soup kitchen where you can go in and they'll feed you a meal with no questions asked.

For gas for the van, if public transportation is available, your son could look into that. Some PT has free riding passes for those who can't afford to get it. Save you a bundle in gas costs if you ride the bus, though it takes more time. Or your son could ask to car pool at work if someone else there lives close by. He could volunteer a dollar or two a week in added gas to pick him up, but most people at work will understand and actually decline the money, which can save you hundreds in a very short time.

Before the lights got turned off, we switched to all fluorescent bulbs, as a 15 watt bulb takes up much less energy and puts out as much light as a 50 watt regular bulb. They cost more than regular bulbs, but they last many times longer and generate less heat in the summer than the larger sized bulbs. Use that bulb in the light you keep on the most, and make certain everyone turns off lights in other rooms, and just unplug all unnecessary equipment that puts a "ghost load" on your bill, as a VCR will cost you money just to run the clock. Speaking of clocks, you can still buy wind up alarms and/or use battery alarms with rechargeable batteries you can charge in an inexpensive solar charger that will charge them back up with FREE sunshine. As for the lights being turned off, we went to the discount store and got candles and bought a cheap oil lamp and bottles of 100% liquid paraffin to burn in it. We NEVER left either candles or lamp burning unattended, and it provided enough light when things were at their worst. For heat, we burned more wood in our stove, and bundled up and shut off rooms we weren't using. Bought a cheap roll of reflector insulation, like you see made up into car sun shields and put it up over the windows in the winter, but you can tape or staple an even cheaper layer of plastic to the outside of all your windows to help insulate you. If you can't cut your own wood, there are people who do it for you for the sake of charity, at least there are around here. For water, make sure you don't have any leaking faucets driving your costs up, and don't run the washer until there's a full load, and dry your clothes outside in free sunshine as much as you can. You can even cut down on your toilet water costs by building a sawdust composting toilet for a few dollars and use that rather than flushing away enormous amounts of water every time. You then compost your waste outside, and then after a year, that compost can be taken out and spread around public trees as fertilizer without risk to them or any people as long as you've composted it properly. For any pets, if you go to a pet food store and ask for broken bags at a discount or for charity reasons, you save a lot and may even get some bags for free.

HTH

Leah

A hockey reference, appropriately Canadian.

No, brainless is nursing a grown child (3 years old!) in public. That could scar a child for life, resulting in his thinking he had to forgo all semblance of a life of his own and support (the fully capable, don't doubt it,) YOU forever.

JaneB The only one with the balls to point these things out.