SNAP ! ? !

Did the SNAP aka food stamp aka food benefits "problem" cause you difficulty this weekend?

Several states (17 ?) went "offline" with the EBT and weren't working at the registers of grocery stores everywhere. I heard many people were mad, upset and/or confused. After all, this is a help program for low income people. It's not like they can just whip out some cash....

AND if you are a blessed one that can, stop griping and judging those that have the help (or live on their income for awhile) :P

I had a crying (from the Walmart bathroom), pregnant, young lady call me because the signs on the registers at Walmart was interpreted by her that Walmart would no longer ever accept food stamps again.... ( She's MARRIED and her hubby works FULL-TIME - still thinking about judging?) ASS-U-me.

After a few website searches and phone calls, I was told that they didn't know what was causing the problem and other non-Walmart stores also had the same problem. Some worked, some didn't.....

Then a Facebook friend posted an article about the EBT center going down because THEY CHOSE to do a 'test' on the back-up power source on a SATURDAY MORNING....

You can't fix stupid!

SO, this is what we learn from this situation. NEVER totally depend on ONE SOURCE for food - or anything really. NEVER 'put all your eggs (valuables) in one basket' ... what if you trip, someone trips you, there's an earthquake and you stumble, there's a tornado and you run and drop your basket... or the government turns your basket off...

You get the idea! You can no longer TRUST baskets to protect you.

WHEN these EBT debit cards work again...I would shudder to think who might get another HUGE group of the population hating on him some more....if they do this "TESTING" again. Get staples like: flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, baking soda, soy flour(for baking egg replacement 1 heaping T.) You can make a lot of things from staples.See my sister BLOG or FACEBOOK for A PENNY SAVED ME for recipes.

In my opinion, I think people should always shop for canned goods, dry milk powder (because it doesn't require refrigeration)BTW whole in Hispanic section in my store, canned tuna, canned veggies, etc.... with at least 1/2 of the amount right away!!

WHY?

EVERYONE needs a 'back-up plan' JUST IN CASE! I also ALWAYS advise to keep 3 days worth of drinking water.

Times like these you NEED to prepare for ANYTHING.

Don't get caught with a broken basket.

Social Security??

I drove a fellow single mom to the social security office. I waited patiently, and of course I looked through all the pamphlets. GUESS what I learned?

I learned that because I had been married over ten years, I will be able to file social security on my X husband. He will never know about it (according to the document) and he can't do anything about it. Apparently, the "powers that be" think if you dealt with ten years of crap, you must deserve to get retirement help from the jerk. My paraphrasing. :)

Still young and not thinking about social security? That's okay, you will get older.....and chances are that the X hasn't paid correct (if any) child support so he still owes you. (The laws are NOT held up to court orders in OK.) You EARNED the right and privilege to file social security from your 10 years of hard labor!

The best revenge is not actual revenge but those little things that HE can't change and it happens anyway.... and when he marries a female that's worse than he is... :D

Check out your state's laws, etc because they may vary from mine. Oh, and you must not be CURRENTLY married to anyone.. it's okay if you had another marriage and divorce ( in their opinion) before you file. I seriously DOUBT I will ever marry again. "Once burnt shame on you, twice burnt shame on me...." I learned my lessons about letting some male have too much power and control over me and my life/money, heart, etc.

Here Cookie , Cookie, Cookie...

My #FATLESSDIET version of Betty Crocker's Chocolate-Oatmeal Chewies

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 cup applesauce (replaces fat)

1/4 cup skim milk

1 heaping Tablespoon soy flour (replaces egg)

3 cups quick or old fashioned rolled oats

1 1/2 cups whole grain flour (add a bit more if too wet though it will be sticky wet)

1/2 CUP baking cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 sea salt

Oven 350 F

Drop onto un-greased cookie sheet or pizza pan. Cook approx. 15-20 minutes or until kinda firm.

THEIR recipe with margarine/butter, egg amd milk have these stats:

1 cookie =

100 calories

5 g fat (3 sat)

15 mg cholesterol

sodium 75 mg

13 g carb (1 fiber)

2 g protein

exchanges = 1 starch,1/2 fat

I don't know all this about my version but I know it has NO FAT unless minimal from whole grain flour (look st your packages label). It has more sugar but from apples. It has more protein because of the soy. I used half the salt called for in the original recipe.

To Judge or not to Judge, that is the Question?

Single moms are needy!

Needy doesn't equal a happy place to be. Please don't judge us for it.

We don't all lead party lives - some of us didn't get this way by ourselves and certainly not by choice.

We have a heavy load on our shoulders. Pray for us, help us, or let us be.

Please don't give us more stress. We have plenty. If you don't understand why, then you aren't eligible to judge.

Invite a single mom to church. She and the kids need God and a loving church family. Remember we have been hurt and have trust issues.

Those of us who aren't widows, divorced, etc.....didn't ABORT - so don't set such a bad example that others might because they don't want to deal with all the judgmental people - you will be held partially accountable in God's eyes IMHO....

We need time to heal before we can open up our hearts, lives or trust again. You can either be part of the healing or part of the stress.

ADOPT a single mom to support, help and/or encourage.

We don't need someone to CONTROL us - we may have been in an abusive relationship.

WE are adults - we are a family - we aren't the only people who may do things wrong. All humans sin, so don't try to HELP us by "lording over us" - that's not the way you build a relationship with people.

Interesting chart about minimum wage and rent....

http://wepartypatriots.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/578228_384864858230431_595528017_n.jpg

Anyone else want to gripe about single moms now?

You work more than 40 hours a week and raise your kids by yourself and blah blah blah - and still not have enough money to pay the rent ...

So absent fathers is NOT the problem - it's ABSENT child support/compliance with the court orders/lack of the law enforcing them and the lack of decent employment in the USA.

You won't change my mind or opinion with a few rotten apples until these numbers change.

Want things to change? HELP the situation instead of walking over a female for doing her job the best she can in a messy situation. Use that voice to change the laws! Use that energy to HELP her... and the kids.... and make HIM accountable.

DO NOT pass GO! Go directly to Jail...

Do you think there is a social stigma attached to being a single mom?

Have you been treated/ judged unfairly? Told to act a certain way before help would be given?

Where are the judgments for the men? That's right... it DOESN'T happen...

It takes two to tango! But the moms are the ones raising the kids, keeping house, working, helping with school work (or teaching it), taking them to appointments (and often times church), losing her pride as she asks for help and begs the state and courts to make child support RIGHT as ordered.

So who's the bad guy? Who is the one that is stirring up this gossip about single moms? It's not the kids, I assure you... they see how much moms struggle and how much they 'make do' and they notice when child support doesn't come because 'mom has to say no' a lot more than usual.

I blame the sperm donors of course... but who else is causing this stigma? I blame the courts.

When 'they' make an ORDER and the father does NOT follow it - women shouldn't have to spend 15 hundred on a lawyer to get things sorted out or live in poverty - put the deadbeat in JAIL - soon, less sperm donors will be causing trouble because they will have a fear of JAIL.God forbid the mom do something - she's smacked on the hand immediately.

What's worse? Poverty or jail? The jail bird has everything they need...free. If you are having trouble with your X not following court orders - not just child support but harassing you - not keeping visitation schedules, etc.... start calling the Governor's office and complain that the law is NOT being kept and you're tired of it.

BTW, some people or organizations will judge me for this article. Tough - you don't live my life and you haven't been abused by my X - keep your nose out of my business.

I'm NOT the bad guy - I FOLLOW the court orders and still do my JOB.

Think about it - you want to take the person's side that is NOT following court orders.... What does that make you ?

You're angry at all the single moms living life... and still on government benefits? THEY ARE ELIGIBLE!!

Do you want to live in that income bracket? They don't either and if you spent more time looking/talking about the 'real problem' instead of judging them - they wouldn't need food stamps... now would they? Do a Google search of how much back child support is owed with the word "chart".... too many to link to.... Do some non-custodial moms not pay? Of course....but the greatest population of single parents is the female.

Need Glasses but Can't Afford Them?

"VISION USA Providing Free Eye Exams to Low-Income Americans across the U.S. More than 46 million low-income individuals in the United States cannot afford the cost of routine eye care or do not have the health insurance that covers such exams. VISION USA was established in 1991 to provide basic eye examinations to Americans in need, and is currently available in 39 states and the District of Columbia. AOA member optometrists donate their services at no cost. If you need an eye exam and do not have insurance and cannot afford one, work with your social worker, case worker, charitable organization or agency to submit an application on your behalf for VISION USA services."

Just call them .... I think it works faster that way. The last contact I had with this organization, it must have have been 2 years since your last exam.

"Single Moms for a Season "

Soldiers wives...

Should they be considered 'single moms'?

I think they need help while the father is gone serving his country. Yes, as someone mentioned to me "They have a military check coming in and he will be back." Well, You don't know for sure that check will come these days and God willing he will come back...

I met a woman in town that is helping raise her niece... for awhile. The family is having difficulty (they are a large family with some issues). I think she and grandparents raising the grandkids should also be considered as being single parents as well.