For me?

Sleep
Good food
exercise
Feeling healthy
Feeling in control
Doing a job well
Keeping calm
Meditation
Creativity
Being with my friends and family
My dog
Taking a walk
Being able to voice my opinions (LOL)
Riding my bike
A good book
A good movie
Snow, the beach, the moon
Balance

Dennis Prager (radio show) has a happiness hour every week (I think it is on Fridays)...he discusses happiness...it is very interesting. Last week he was talking about women and the independence we've gained. He said studies show that most woman who trade high powered jobs (lawyers and physicians) for family are not happier. That is very obvious to me. I do feel we all have our place in this world (within reason). I feel that we all have certain "jobs to do". I do not feel my "female jobs" are any less important than traditional "male" jobs. I am not a woman's libber....BUT I do feel woman are equal to men in many ways: voting, same pay for same job, etc. ...and I feel that woman should be able to take care of themselves financially and men should be able to cook and clean and do laundry. If, for certain amount of years a man and woman decide to depend on the other for those things there is nothing wrong with that but they both should be responsible for themselves in a holistic way..just in case, just for the future.

I feel the women's liberation movement came out of the unbalanced lives of so many women...and then went crazy the other way.

To me a woman is the mother. Physically we are made to bear children. Some of us choose not to have kids. That is ok...but there are reasons why, when we do, we feel so good about it..because it is natural. Natural occurrences are always easier.

Lots of men stay home to take care of the kids. That is wonderful, but, to me, not the natural way...I don't think a lifetime of that (with the wife working lots of hours) brings easy happiness. I would hate it.

I feel that no matter what we chose to do (work)(traditions)..we need balance. We need to feel respect and valued. We need to be doing what we love or feel good about...for example, I think it is wonderful there are women in politics...every area of life needs proper representation. Now, there are many female doctors and male nurses...all that is great...as long as there is balance everything will be OK

"The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeing new places but in seeing with new eyes".

"A man never goes so far as when he doesn't know where he is going"

I received tons of private messages and emails about my frugal blog.

Being in control of your life whether it is your weight, your kids, your job or your money is a way to HAPPINESS.

I am a big believer we are all in charge of our own happiness. I am glad to be a part of someone else's happiness but refuse to feel responsible for it...as I would never make anyone responsible for my own. A small exception is for my children...who underage, need guidance and security and rules and regulations.

I will try a Frugal Hint of the day:

First, keep a budget. I always thought this a pain and only for the nerdy but it really does help you SEE exactly where you are spending your money...and you can bet your boots it isn't where you want to be spending...which leads me to

Keep a goal list next to the budget list

The Tightwad Gazette author was adamant about not working outside the home. She is the mother of 7 and wanted a big farmhouse with land and a barn. She is now in her 50's and retired from her newsletter...SOOOOO

Do you want to go to Italy (I DO)? or Prague or Paris or Tailand?
Do you want to pursue a hobby in photography?
Do you want to work less hours?
DO you want to keep your kids out of daycare, therefore with less illnesses and better relationships with family?
DO you want more leisure time?
Do you want to own and read the complete works of Proust?
Do you want to pursue your dream of excitement and thrills but cannot afford flying lessons?

Point is think about what you want and go after it...and forget about all the other stuff that takes the place of happiness.

How do you keep a budget? Make a list of everything you spend money on...cash, credit and bills. Then, put in amount you are willing to pay for each item, then each month pencil in the amount spent. Decrease where you need and want to...

Always SAVE something...Always pay yourself first..have your employer take out 10% of you pay and put it away for you...no if ands or buts...it is the only way retirement money adds up.

Save for a house. REal estate is how many of the world's richest people became rich (has a wide range of meaning)...100.00 a month is 1200.00 a year, in 5 years it is 6000.00...which is a down payment on a small house. Buying with buyers assistance or having the seller hold a mortgage is a way to start. I'd rather live where I may not want to and own then live in the optimal place and rent. Rent makes other people rich, helps them pay their bills...when your old..if you own a home, you'll have a lot less to worry about...
a second home can be rented, used for enjoyment of sold if necessary.

Teach your kids to save, look for bargains and not waste.

THere is so much waste that it makes me sick.

WASTE:

How fat are you that you are in the fast food line?
How much food do you eat that has NO nutritional value?

How many times do you start your car, and move it, and therefore have to repark it, to go less than 10 blocks away? Why can't you walk? The only answer, unless you are disabled, is you are LAZY. That is the ONLY answer.

How high is your heat set? How much do you complain about the bill? (I have elderly poor patients with heat set on 82 degress and heating bills over 500.00 and they cannot afford it)..they ask me for advice...I tell them to wear 2-3 sweaters...and move around a bit. SOme of them live with sons or daughters...they tell me..well they have cars and bills..well, cars and bills should only be bought if you can afford your utilities first.

HOw many sodas, sweet juices and store bought high fat coffees do you drink a day? And then cannot afford to go to school or buy a business suit for work.

How many ring tones do you have on your phone or premium cabble channels or video games but you cannot afford to work less to care for your little child or elderly parent?

How many times have you been to Disney World or had acrylic nails or your toes polished but cannot afford to cook a big dinner or pay your mortgage?



shall I go on...

All this is meant to say is we do have the power to have what we really want...we just have to be bumped out of our unconscious and see it...

I see some of my elderly patients live in a clean, comfortable home with whatever help the really NEED, they have nutitious, full meals and comfortable beds. I see them knit and sew and bake. I see them share with neighbors and read and go to social outings. I see them live on under 500.00 a month HAPPILY.

HAPPY is the goal.

dO YOU NEED TO LOSE WEIGHT: stop eating high fat, highly processed food.
do you want a good job: stop playing video games and educate yourself
do you want to be able to breath after climbing the stairs..then climb them as often as possible and then climb 2 at a time and then run up....

Independence causes feeling in control which in turn make you
HAPPY!

If I were the new mayor I would:

have policeman give tickets for littering

Increase the police force

decrease the number of city workers by 1/3, at least.

help decrease the number of government workers by almost 1/2.

Increase pay for those in armed forces, provide better support for families.

There would be a copay on physical therapy or home visits by a nurse or specialist for chronic illnesses. Acute illness would be covered under insurances. There would be copays for all persons, even medicaid recipients for ER visits and hospitalizations. THis may help create incentive for people to care more about their health and take preventive action.

Cigarettes would have a high tax.
Cabble TV would have a high tax.
Junk food and fast food would have a high tax (would be much more expensive than fruit, vegetables and otherwise good for you food).

Pay more attention to VA benefits, especially medications.

have the people who come in from out of state to work here pay a higher city wage tax then the current city dwellers

charge for calling ambulances after 2 x ...

tax incentives for doctors to make home visits to patients.

have tax breaks for city dwellers that perform any type of care of a child or elderly person that saves city/state money (or payment in vouchers for food or medicaiton.

welfare would be for the poor elderly and sick and temporarily (one year limit) for the people who fell on hard times.

only certain food would be allowed on "food stamps" (fresh and frozen fruit and vegetables, and fresh or frozen meat, chicken or fish, eggs, bread, and oat based cereal)

city jobs would change...there would be some people put in jobs that would actually help welfare recipients find work. AFter one year on welfare, if your not elderly or severely ill, you are on your own. There will be no increase in welfare benefits due to having a child or getting married.

Being married would bring a tax break.
Having children in school (in the proper year)(the tax benefit would decrease with each repeating year) would bring a tax break.

I would advocate for welfare money to be used to pay otherwise unemployed individuals to care for the sick and elderly in their communities...money that would otherwise be spent on nursing homes would go to those individuals who cared for others properly. Supervisors would be responsible for ensuring this is done properly.
Abuse or neglect one time and your out of the program and on your own.

Employees designated to investigate child abuse or neglect would be held accountable for errors that lead to a child's pain and suffering. Child custody laws would change and either foster care or orphanages will be created to care for children who are abused by their own parents. Foster care would be closely supervised. Jail time would be mandatory for abuse or neglect of this system.

Mandatory jail time and arrest without bail for any crime committed with a lethal weapon (knife or a gun).

Policeman would be given the freedom to conduct searches in cars driven by teenagers or any other suspicious looking characters..just because they look suspicious. Any weapons found would mean immediate arrest (unless there is a permit for such. More than one offense can indicate the loss of driving priviledges and possession of car by the city.

Drugs, weapons, litter and abuse of city programs would take top priority.
mentoring programs for helping people buy and care for real estate would be in effect.

Public housing would be slashed in half. Section 8 housing throoughout neighborhoods would be cut back 75%.
All public housing and section 8 apartments would be inspected 6 times a year..for upkeep, bug and rodent control ...if not kept up to code, you have to move out. (this is successfully accomplished now in senior apartment housing)

Construction of new public housing would stop

Anyone entering a school or public building with a weapon without a permit would go immediately to jail regardless of age, regardless of crime.

Criminals and those incarcerated would be put to WORK.

School vouchers would be in effect. Public schools would first service the neighborhood the school is in and then, if room, be open to anyone outside the area. Public school lunches would improve greatly and there would be a small charge added.

Schools cannot allow a child to graduate that cannot pass the appropriate exams. The child is a responsibility of his parents...if they cannot control or take care of the problem there would be summer school and tutoring and a fee would be charged. Children who do not go to school or pass to the next grade would be given jobs to clean graffiti, litter, and other necessary jobs in the city with supervision. Pay would be minimum wage. This pay will be paid in food and health care vouchers equivalent to the minimum wage x hours worked. Those children would not be allowed to go back to school after repeating a grade 3 x.

If your house is falling down, falling apart at the seams or otherwise abandoned, you will be fined...if the fines exceed a certain amount the property will become a city owned property and you will have to move out.

Allow smoking in public bars and lounges. All employees would have to sign a waiver to work in places where smoking is allowed.

Business can pay their employees what the market allows.

Businesses would not be penalized for being in existence...I would lower the business taxes

It would be much more difficult to get a handicap parking space

priority and incentives would be given to public transportation and helping the city become more bike and walker friendly.

Property taxes would be reassessed. FInes would be given for severe litter.

No casinos in the city

outreach programs would exist about diet, exercise, health, medications.

Gas and electric and phone shut offs would be allowed if bills are not paid.

Elders that cannot pay property taxes, and utility bills ..those houses would be used to have other elders move in with them for a small fee...more elders and people should live together if they cannot afford to live alone. This city is filled with houses with one person in them, not able to keep up with expenses and keeping heat on 82, unable to do reparis, etc...
pooling of resources would be encouraged.

There would be a charge for all ER visits. If you cannot pay, you cannot be serviced. A billing system will be in effect but if you have an outstanding bill you will not be allowed to be seen again in the city hospital ER's. There will be health clinics only for those without insurance.

medicaid would no longer cover more than 4 medications. Medicare would cont as it is now for meds..med D program. Only one can be used...not both.

Electric wheel chairs would no longer be covered under medicare or medicaid.

meals on wheels would continue but only for sick and homebound individuals.

Health, life, care and other insurance will be the responsibility of the individual. Parents would be responsible for the insurances of their children. If you value your health and life you'll worry about your education, your diet and your criminal activity.

I know lots of these things do not come under the auspices of the city..some are state/gov law items..but I would vote and fight for what I believed in...not what some party paid me to do, or some company "suggested" I'd do.