fortunately....

It was completely unintentional that I find a day on my calendar that has nothing written on it. A rarity indeed. I had tried to keep the first of this week open, expecting/hoping to be on the schedule at Publix, due to upcoming grocery buying/eating holiday. I had a recent week when I was on the schedule to work four hours... and ended up with a great big whopping seven due to Halloween falling the middle of that week. And my going to the store in my clown costume for trick or treat in'.

I know Publix at a corporate level has taken great pride in the fact that over the years, in a crisis economy, they have never had to have what they term 'a reduction in force'. Meaning company has not let people go due to lack of work, no 'layoffs'. You may remember when I was reduced to working four hours a month? That kind of scheduling would be discouraging to anyone who had to be self-supporting, to say nothing of providing for a family. So -yes- they can say they have never let anyone go. But it is obvious that managers can quit putting people on the work schedule, and associates soon realize they are hungry, with no income. That's when reality kicks in...

Fortunately, I can sit here and count my blessings: a warm, dry house to live in, comfy beds and a refrigerator that keeps food edible - due to paying the utility bill. And a pantry full of things to eat. I don't have work today that will bring in income, but I am sure I can keep myself busy puttering around in my warm, dry house, the one with lots of good things to eat. I'm not yet to the point that I can say with any certainty that this house is 'safe', and will likely not ever be 100% on that again, no matter where I live. But I am continually thankful that no one was at home when the door was kicked in, and the damage has been repaired as well as paid for. (Though we did not have enough insurance coverage for the stolen items... which was a big surprise - after all this time with a guy who was in the insurance business for forty years, which strikes me as odd, unlikely, and somewhat disconcerting.)