Less Than Jake it is NEVER too late to save a hopeless case

Less Than Jake - A Still Life Franchise (Lyrics)

Good news Etsyians. . .Etsy is finally up to code and legal . .only 7 months AFTER the law went into effect

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Hi there, We’re excited to announce that we have implemented the site updates necessary for Etsy to begin collecting value-added tax on digital items from buyers in the European Union. As many sellers of digital items know, the European Union implemented new rules on value-added tax (VAT) for digital items earlier this year. The rules, which took effect on January 1, 2015, state that VAT on digital items delivered via automatic download will be taxed based on the country where the buyer is located, not where the seller is located. The rules apply to any shop selling digital items that can be automatically downloaded at the time of purchase to buyers in the EU, no matter where the shop is located. The rules do not apply to items delivered by email. To be clear, EU buyers – not Etsy or Etsy sellers – will be paying VAT as part of their total purchase price. In February, we announced that Etsy is responsible for collecting VAT on digital items delivered by automatic download and remitting it to the appropriate tax authorities. Since then, we’ve been working on the site updates necessary to begin the collection process. Those updates are now live on Etsy. Please visit the Seller Handbook article below for details on the collection process. Get More Information

Just another reason why the government is BROKEN.

Where do I even start?  I guess I'll start at the part where people tend to look down on you if your on government assistance.  How most people tend to forget that once upon a time many people who are currently on assistance had jobs and paid into the system of witch they are now stuck relying on.  How kids who get free lunches tend to get picked on.  

Never in my life did I think I'd be someone who needs government help.  I didn't plan to be divorced with 3 kids.  I hate being on it.  I don't want to be on it.  So I started Crochet By Mel in hopes that I could earn enough where I wouldn't need it.  Where I could work from home and watch my own kids and do something to improve our lives.  Needless to say it didn't really work out.  Sales are slow (especially so in the summer) to non existent at times.  Yet the stupid system sends me all this paperwork from time to time to hurry  up and make sure I am not making enough to get off of their "help" They want my sales figures, my bills and expenses, how much my material costs, tell you what its more work satisfying those guys than it is actually running a business.  

Now after 5 long years the kids will be going into school and I was lucky enough to land a job.  Not anything big, not even anything full time, but its a JOB and its mostly during the time when the kids will be in school.   Haven't  even been there 30 days and I got big brother breathing down my back to see how much I am making there and how many hours. Barely even got my foot in the door now I have to turn in these papers for my boss to fill out that ask questions like "Was the employee terminated?  Did they quit?"  Do they get health insurance?  Do they get tips?  How often do they get paid?  How many hours do you think they are going to work in the next month?  

Seriously???  Way to humiliate people who are trying to get a job and get off your blessed assistance.  I wish I could look into my crystal ball and know how many hours I'll be working next month, if I'll be lucky enough to get more hours, if maybe someday I'd get a raise, or if someone would give me a tip.  Dear big brother I sincerely hope who ever created these stupid laws that waste time and make people want to quit their jobs just so they don't have to deal with you I sure hope someday you get fired.  And that you need assistance.  And that you can be standing in millions of American's shoes who are just like me trying to make things better for my family.  And I am not even going to get into this alleged "daycare assistance" program that every time I call to try and see if I can get help with that they tell me the list is closed and doesn't exist.  How is anyone supposed to work when the cost of daycare for one child is 75% of what they would make?  Got more than one kid?  Forget about it.  Your paying MORE than you'd make for daycare.  Why?  Does that make sense to you?  Meanwhile hardworking stay at home moms get paid NOTHING. . . and bonus many people who don't have kids look down on them and call them lazy because they aren't "working"  

I get it.  People lie.  People say they don't make what they make and food stamp and welfare and all that fraud is all over the place.  But can someone please tell me if Big Brother can look and see I have a job BEFORE I EVEN GET ONE MONTHS WORTH OF CHECKS why can't they look and see how much I made as well?   Why is it the left hand never knows what the right hand is doing?  Why is it if you don't go to the office and have them fax it directly to the person in charge of your case it magically doesn't get done in time and then bam you have no benefits.  Shaking my head doesn't even begin to describe it. . .

The Best Summer Ever

I have vowed to make this summer the best summer ever for me and the kids.  This week has been a blast.  The boys are doing pretty awesome in Kinder Kamp and even my little trouble maker is only one green face away from getting a treasure from the teachers treasure box in School.  On Monday after school (was it Monday? or Tuesday? I don't know. .. . ) we went to the beach.  It was super fun.  Interestingly enough though the beach was moved about 20 feet because of all the rain we've had so far this year it flooded out the beach for a good 20 feet.  Probably not a big deal in the grand scheme of things but it was pretty interesting to me I knew we had a lot of rain but to move lake Michigan 20 feet. . . it must have been more than I thought.  The water was cold but we loved it anyways.  They asked me if we could go to the beach every time the day was hot enough and being only 10 minutes away . . I said sure :) On Tuesday I think we did big fat nothing. . .  my favorite!  Yesterday I took them all to McDonald's playland and they all played to their hearts content.  Just because its a rainy day that doesn't mean that you can't play .. .then today I get to work my most favorite job ever for a half a day whoo hoo!! Make pretty things to cheer people up.  Tomorrow we are all set to see the Minion movie.  I never seen the other 2 but the kids seem pretty excited to see this one. . . hopefully they will all behave so we can actually watch it.  . so that was one week of the best summer ever. ..  too bad its so short.  Awe well best make the most of it. .

The thing about rainbows is.. . .

The thing about rainbows is. . . do you know who made that rainbow?  The one you see plastered all over people's facebook pictures and on signs and even the White House, it's no longer white, it's now rainbow technicolor sparkly prettiness.  Do you realize that God made that rainbow?  Even more so do you remember WHY he sent the rainbow?  To promise Noah he'd never again JUDGE the entire world by flooding it with water.  And what were these people doing that angered him so?  Sin.  What does the bible say about same sex unions?  It's sin.  When we as a nation turn our back on God what can we expect him to do but turn his back on us?  It pains me to say this man PRAY HARDER.  We are in some serious trouble over here the more I read Revelation the more it makes sense and things are coming into place and it's really not going to be much longer now.  I don't say this to scare you or freak you out or anything but we are in big trouble right here in river city.  Forget about recycling.  Forget about global warming, none of it is going to matter.  It's scary how fast everything is coming to pass.  There's only a couple more things on that list that need to be done before he rolls away the sky like a  scroll and says "enough"   Are you ready?

 

Now people are all "don't judge" and it's sin just like any other sin and in that regard your right.  There is no one who is holy left here not even ONE.  But to anyone who thinks that Christians don't support them because we are judging them I just want to tell you this-  I don't support you not because I hate you, but because I love you.  I don't want you to sit there, living your life in sin, dying in your sin.  Because once you die, that's it.  It's too late to say "I'm sorry"  and you can't bank on having time on your death bed to at the very last second accept Jesus as your savior.  Jesus has called us to be perfect as he is perfect.  He has also called us to love one another in the lord for this is right.  So where true Christians are coming from is not from a place of hate but of love.  We love you.  We don't want you to die and go to hell on account of not knowing that what your doing is against God's plan for your life.  It's the tough love thing.  I've seen many cases of people feeling hate and judged where people aren't being hateful or pointing fingers at all and all I can say about that is if your feeling that way, odds are it's God pulling on your heart strings.  Do not harden your hearts.

God is a God of second chances.

Hey howdie hey kiddo's.  I know. . .it's been awhile. . . again.  Sorry.  But I really do have a good reason.  I got a job!  God is so good!  I pray all the time and not to say my prayers are not as effectual as others or anything but I have had some really hardcore servants of God praying for me lately and it's working!  I never ever thought I'd have the opportunity to design flowers again but here I am at this awesome shop, right down the street from my house designing flowers.  My all time favorite job!  Right now its just part time but I am hoping once the kids are in school I'll be able to be closer to full . . .  can't be totally full because they are only open 7 hours a day BONUS once the kids are in school I will only have to find some after care for like an hour.  So I am not looking at a crazy daycare bill.  No nights.  No Sundays.  I can't even tell you how happy I am you guys.  First day on the job a customer picked one of my arrangements out the cooler,  that felt good.  What felt even better was today I got to sit down with a bride and plan out her wedding flowers. (On my second day)  And I did it.  And I didn't mess anything up.  And she was super nice!  I hope she spreads the word and sends more brides my way because I love weddings and I don't have the kids every other Saturday anyways so I might as well be over there doing something fun and amazing instead of over here sitting on my butt crocheting or doing the dishes.  So not only am I super happy I get to do a job I love it also takes a good portion of the pressure I had off of me because things are changing once the boys go to full day school.  God is so good!  Do not for one second doubt it.  And the people I work for are Christians.  All very good things.

So be jealous :) Okay  not really jealous but I wish everyone had the opportunity to do things that they love for a living.   I may be cutting down the crochet stuff to mostly made to order things because I won't be having all the time in the world anymore to do this.  But rest assured if you need a dress or a shawl or scarf or hat or whatever I'm still your girl.  I must say the most amazing summer ever is off to a very very good start :) thanks for stopping by.