What EVER CAN GO WRONG–WHEN YOU LIVE PAY CHECK TO PAY CHECK—WILL GO WRONG! TAKE UP PAINTING AND KEEP COPING THROUGH IT ALL–IT REALLY WORKS!!!

November 29, 2007 at 9:49 am · Filed under childhood asthma, food, recreation, painting pictures for hobbies, sing, HOME ECONOMICS, Mentoring Programs, Middle Class Dilema, NorthShore Manhasset Hospital Pediatric Emergency, Private Schools, single parenting, The disappearing natural resources! and tagged: Negro Art, Schaumburg Art

#1 Flower of Hunger**** by Riveroflifelisajoy

#2 Frustration**** by Riverof lifelisajoy

#3 Chinese Ink and Water Color****by Riveroflifelisajoy

#4  Sun Flower ****by Riveroflifelisajoy

#5 Hunger and Doubt ****by Riveroflifelisajoy

#6 Foliage**** by Riveroflifelisajoy

#7  Chinese Ink and Red water color**** by Riverof lifelisajoy

 I really thought I would have been going to the Poconos,  or atleast SPLISH SPLASH this summer of 2007!  But instead I was stuck at home after work everyday,  and during my vacation. 

It was all based on a series of events that emptied my pocketbook after each pay period from May 23 2007 through September 2007.  It all began with my son’s senior trip from his private Lutheran School. 

 He had attended that school since kindergarten and now was graduating at the age of 14.  The school has nine grades.  It is called Grace Lutheran of Queens Village.  It is an excellent school for academics, and mentoring boys and girls. 

 I will always love and honor that school for its care and concern for my son.  However,  my problems began because of my son’s health.  He had experienced some episodic conditions that would need emergency care if and when they occurred. 

 It was because of this problem that I found myself attending a two day trip to  Washington D.C..  The trip was great!  We went to Beni Hannas Japanese Grill, the Spy Museum,  we observed the Washington Monument from a distance (due to terrorism alert as per our tour guide),  we went inside the Capital Building where all of the congress meets, Lincoln Memorial,  and the Arlington Cemetary and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. 

 We walked underground from one building in the capital to another.  I,  of course,  got lost during that activity.  You know, the cell phone died;  I had to ask around and then I and another parent eventually found the bus.

  I, a chaprone, had gotten lost because I always,  always have to use the restroom at the worse time!  So with all of this stated.   I had spent my entire 2nd paycheck of May on this trip!  I had planned to take my  mother with me. 

 I was going to follow the bus route, but my car had begun a serious oil leak and I had to leave the car behind.  My mother cannot climb those steep steps to into the coach bus. 

 So I had to make accomodations for someone to look in on my mom.  The problem was that my son’s school, knowing his medical history and condition was afraid for him to attend that two day trip without me being present.  If he were to get sick on the trip they were concerned about his safety and their liability! 

 All that was well understood by me.  The problem  was that it was not explained to me until May 2007!  My son had already paid for his ticket back in September,  for the $300.00 ticket!  The hotel was the Marriot!  4 Star accomodations!  Great….!  But not great for me who only makes $500.00 every two weeks!

  So at the last moment I could not pay any bills,  I was instead going on a trip!  I love trips….but not Trips on a Shoe String!  I like to decorate on a shoe string …but not go out of state on a trip/vacation on a shoestring.  I literally only had $20.00 between my son and myself for the entire trip! 

Thank God for two male parents who brought lunch on the second day for my son and myself!  My son,  however,  did become ill on the second day to my dismay.  I was in shock!  We were at the Smithsonian Museum (which is a definite place to visit when you get the chance) and my son was throwing up and falling asleep just about everywhere we toured that day. 

 He had a temperature,  and he was having asthma conditions that he was not telling me about at the time.  (He hates doctors and hospitals!)  He just kept asking when are we going home?  I want to go home.

  Finally the bus made it home from Washington D.C. and my son and I made a B-line to North Shore Manhasset Hospital.  NorthShore Manhasset Hospital has  the best pediatric emergency room –especially for asthma, and seziure disorders.  They also have a cable t.v. in each little cubicle –and if you stay unfortunately they even bring video games to their pediatric guests!! 

My son loves that hospital—once he has to go there for medical emergencies.  The doctors are quite thorough too! But my problem was that when I returned from that trip I had zero dollars to my name. 

 The next problem was that my son was graduating and I had to pay the school $2500.00 to complete his fees for graduation and school price for the year end. 

 My son needed a tux for his prom,  and shoes (size 11 1/2), shirt,  pants, tie,  cap and gown for graduation  and his hair done (he gets his braided–I’ll write about that in another blog).

  All of this shot a hole the size of Atlantic Ocean in my pocket book.  Remember I am a single parent,  caregiver to my mom,  and I do not receive childsupport due to the castastrophic disease of my (((missing for nearly 10 years–husband)))—so for me on a $500.00 bi-weekly pay check,  and $1600.00 per month rent,  ((and I pay gas bill, and the electric bill)) —I actually live pay check to pay check. 

 It was a very happy,  sad,  bittersweet time for my son and  my mother and I.

  I could have enjoyed it more it I had enough money to cover my son’s trip to Washington,  pay his school fees,  and buy all of the needed items so that he could enjoy his final days before graduation, and graduation itself! 

 I could not and did not even buy him a “real” graduation present.  Matter of fact…I did not even buy him a birthday gift.  I could not afford it this year!  I felt so bad.  I had waited for my taxes to come in so I could bring his school fees up to date. 

 The next problem after graduation was completed was  my car.  My car was due for inspection in June 30, 2007.  It had a very bad  oil leak–I own a 97 Toyota Camry.  It leaked so bad that I was putting two quarts of oil each time I went to work,  and every night when I returned home from work.

  Pep Boys in Hempstead LongIsland refused to inspect it until I paid them $658.00 for the repair of the oil leak.  I had to leave my car in Pep Boys for an entire month!  I had to pay my utilities,  and I had to pay my $1600.00 rent,  $500. 00  car insurance also had to be renewed. 

I truly do not know how I made it through those months and kept food on the table.  The telephone was cut off several times.

It was a hot,  hot,  mess from June,  July,  August!  I was on pins and needles.

  So I decided to start painting!  I could not go anywhere because I had no car for the whole month of July until I saved up enough money to pay Pep Boys; who was holding my car hostage! 

 So I metrocarded it to work everyday!  That was rough.  I had to walk ten blocks to the closest bus stop every day. 

 When I began painting I was disgusted.  I thought,  as I began to paint– that I had brought that paint set for my son. 

It had a real artist easel,  oil,  acrylics,  and water color paints.  I would come home after my long walk and talk about my day at work;   and talk about my car being held hostage; and wondering if Pep Boys would try to sell it or something. 

 I would feel butterflies in my stomach when I thought about my car.  So I put all of that nervous energy to work on a canvas by painting instead. 

Soon I began to like to paint.  Then I tried to get my son to paint.  My son was the real victim of this summer’s no money blues!  But he began to write songs on the piano!

  So for the summer he discovered his talent in music,  and I did like an old chicken….I scratched on the canvas with a brush and some paints.  I will attempt to upload some of my pictures so you can see what I did. *******************

   I have twenty that I actually did.  The first green themed picture  is called Foliage.  I experimented with the arcrylic.  I dabbed,  and  drew “leaves”,  and just imagined some of the parks I have been to in the summer.  I love it when it is hot outside and the plants seem to drink in the summer sun,  just after 10:00 am and it is a cloudless sky—-thus the title Foliage! 

The second picture  was one in which I had purchased some Chinese Ink from my son’s Scholastic Book Fair at school and it was supposed to be used for drawing the Chinese letters.  So I decided to combine the water color of red and I believe I also used a acrylic red for the dabbled spots on the picture.

I hope this may inspire some of you to take your frustrations out on a canvas.  To be honest with you I actually used typing paper,  because I only had one actual canvas.  On that canvas I drew a mermaid surrounded by sea creatures.  That one was my favorite to draw with colored pencils.  I love the deep ocean animals,  shark,  whale,  Octopus, Squid,  Jelly fish,  amemone,  coral reefs! 

I am a water person by nature.  I love swimming and I love the smell of the ocean.  It just can’t help it.  My mother always took me to Far Rockaway as a child,  and Jones Beach.  I will write about my love of the sea, and beach in another blog.  Just thinking about it makes me feel calm,  relaxed and serene!

I’ll write again soon!  riveroflifelisajoy!

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