Turning another page

So I started being responsible for children shortly after my fourth birthday.  My youngest brother was born and my mother basically expected me to take care of my middle brother, who was not quite one at the time.  I went from taking care of them to having my own children, and then before my children were grown, I was blessed with the care of my kidlette. 

She is now almost 19, and she is getting married tomorrow.  I am looking at the first time in 50 years of not being responsible for another human.  I'm not sure what life is going to be like.  I am so excited about my great grandson, and I hope to be able to be a big part of his life, but even if I take care of him while his parents are at work, it won't be the same.  It has also hit me that this is the first time in 31 years I haven't had to buy school supplies. 

My husband still hasn't found another job and severance pay ends today,  The company that laid him off has called him back as a consultant, but not under a contract for any particular period of time.  He's had about 4 interviews for 5 different positions with one more coming up next week.  I know the right job is out there, we just need to find it.  If anyone reading this does positive energy work, we would appreciate some to help find that right position.

I am making changes in my own spiritual life, as well.  Doing what I can to move closer to my desired goals.  I attended a talk from an elder in my tradition on being positive.  It really struck a note with me, and my life has really changed.  More on this another day.

Well, I'm off for now.  Hopefully I'll be back soon.  I'd love to see a comment from some of the visitors I have.  It might just encourage me to write more often!

Blessed Be

Adventures in Unemployment land

So my hubby has now been out of work for a month.  He has sent several applications, but no calls or interviews.  I gathered what I could, his supervisor at the job he had when we married was willing to send a letter saying that the materials we needed had been destroyed when the current company bought out the old one.  My doctor's office had a copy of one card, and by writing to almost every insurance company I could think of, I was able to get one more piece of verification for the third company.  I took them all in, and the worker said that because the copy of the card I brought in didn't have my name on it, she wasn't sure if they could take it.  It had my husband's name and said family plan underneath.

So now I sit here, making myself think positive thoughts, submitting applications for hubby whenever I see something he may be considered for, and watching my kidlette take her first steps into adulthood.

Last friday was the graduation ceremony.  I was so incredibly proud to see her walk across the stage.  She and I fought so hard to get her to this point.  Born with FASD, she has had to deal with low muscle tone, sensory integration disorder, anxiety, and depression.  My job was to stand by her, encourage her any way I could, and fight the system for her benefit.  It was worth every second, and I would do it over if I had to.

I feel this is a bit disjointed, but that's the way I'm feeling, disjointed, scattered.  I know that something good is coming, I'm holding on to the rope that keeps me grounded while a hurricane is blowing all around me.  Everything is going to be good, I know that to my toes.  It's just the getting there that is hard.

Till next time!

Continuing adventures

So, as part of my husband's impending lay-off, I've had to investigate getting medical insurance.  I looked online, got the paperwork I needed, and trotted off to Social Security to get my Medicare re-started.  This was near the end of March, the worker took my information and the papers, went off to talk to someone, came back and told me that I was all set, my Medicare should be back on for the first of May.  Last Wednesday, I get a call from Social Security.  Because I was eligible for Medicare and choose not to receive it, I must prove, by having a signed paper from my husband's employers, that I have been continuously covered since I dropped Medicare when we got married, 18 years ago.  Sounds easy, right?  Except that the place he worked when we got married has been sold once or twice, and the two between that one and his current employer, are out of business.  The ever helpful worker I was speaking to suggested that I gather his paystubs for the last 18 years, or perhaps get all the cards for all the different insurance companies together and bring them in.  Does he have that information?  He says he's only worked for Social Security.  I tell him that I don't have that information, everything I've ever been told says that you don't need to keep anything longer than 7 years, and that is all I have kept.  He then tells me that if I can't provide the needed proof, I will have to wait until January 2016 when the next open enrollment begins, and my Medicare will start in July 2016.  He totally neglects to mention a little thing about a fine of 10% per year that I cannot prove I had insurance.  Since I can prove the last 10 years that Hubby has been with current employer, that means that I would have to pay an additional $80 per month above the regular Medicare premium FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE.  By this time I am extremely upset.  I am on disability for a reason, I have significant health issues.  I ask how I'm supposed to pay for my medical care until July 2016.  He suggests Medicaid.  He obviously knows nothing about Medicaid, lucky man that he is.  By this time I'm telling him that I need to get off the phone.  I am very upset and I tell him that I don't want to say anything that I will regret.  He keeps talking!!  I say, look, I am trying very hard to control my mouth, but I need to go.  He KEEPS talking!!!  I finally say I am now going to hang up.  Good Bye and have a wonderful life and I hang up.

An hour later he calls back and asks if I have the W2's for the years in question.  I reply "I already told you that I have no records more than 7 years old because I had always heard that you don't need to save paperwork any longer than that".  He asks if we remember who the head of the HR depts for the various companies would have been, I said even if we knew them, how would they have access to records?  I got him off the phone and did some research.  I have requests for assistance in with one of my senators and one of my congressmen.  Until I hear anything, I guess I'll have to do the COBRA and hope Hubby finds a job soon.  As far as health insurance for him, that's a whole 'nother story for another day.

Moral of this story, sign up for Medicare as soon as you are eligible.  If you don't, for whatever reason, keep proof of insurance for every year you are not using Medicare. If I can help one person not to have to deal with this mess, then it isn't all futile.