Fire

My only t.v. viewing options are cable and the fire watch on local stations. I've missed my normal programming for 2 days. We didn't make it to the park yesterday because TR was napping during that hour. Mr A had a meeting in the morning, practice in the afternoon and a late meeting, so TR and I spent the day in bed.

Mr A is home today so we will all be getting into traffic. One of the fires is in an area called Porter Ranch. Mr A used to work out that way and I toured some of the model homes there. The models were fab-looking. They were the large cheaply built ticky tacky look alike boxes(circa Weeds theme song) on tiny lots. At the time I was looking, the homes were in the high $700ks. I was just looking to pass time because I was visiting him at work and he was in a meeting.

There is a PBS special I'm trying to catch. It's called "Driven to Despair." It's supposed to discuss how the exodus to the surburbs and exurbs, coupled with increase in gas costs fueled the mortgage meltdown. I did my conspiracy post on such a topic over a year ago. My sister's professor told her class in the 90's about the great surburb exodus and then a rise in gas prices which would have folks trapped and the cities would once again become the area of choice. The suburbanites would then have challenges getting to the city even for work.

I guess he couldn't predict easy credit and folks walking away from homes.

Mr A I and didn't buy a new home after we married because we planned to move to the bay area. 2006 was the peak of real estate and while some folks were still hollering 'buy' we expected a decrease in price. We didn't expect all of this but watching some of these fire sales makes us even more pleased that we decided to move slow and figure out what we liked and where we wanted to live.

That decision also allowed Mr A to start a business. We were watching the news today and saw that one of the corporations he used to work for will be having layoffs. The other corporation he worked for underwent major changes a bit after he left. I'm sure it is stressful to wonder if your location will be impacted.

We've really been blessed with how things have been timed for us. We were blessed even in where we chose to live. We had no idea we were so centrally located and on fantastic public transit routes. We moved here while Mr A was at his old job and making a salary that was high for Los Angeles, plus bonuses that were the amount of some folks yearly salary. Of course much was eaten up in taxes so I knew we could live on far less. God has really blessed, kept and made provisions for us. While I realize these are tough economic times, my faith is not (and never has been) placed in my husbands or my great careers and earning capacity. It is not in us having multiple incomes. I know God is the one who made it possible for us to have regular business and regular income. I know He blesses our clients so they can bless us.

I'm not worried but my lack of worry has nothing to do with my confidence and reliance on our strengths but in the power and control of God. I really can't understand folks who get so confident in their own power and decision making. It is grace that allows people to be well enough to work, so how does one take confidence in income from a job?