Bad with $$

  Okay, so as most of you probably know, my husband has to work away from home in order to make ends meet.  I am and always have been bad with budgeting money.  Having 3 growing kids in school doesn't help matters.  We are trying to save money to buy another car, as ours is nearly 20 years old, guzzling gas, and starting to have mechanical issues.  We also need/want to  add onto our house.  Our kitchen is maybe 20 sq.ft., and only accessible from outside.  Our plan is to add a large "L" shaped room onto the back of our house.  This would include a large living room and the kitchen, which will be accessible from inside the house.  Unfortunately, I am NOT the best at budgeting money.  I try, I really do, but, there always seems to be something that comes up; mainly the old car; that eats into the money.

  Marius (husband) is stuck away from us working his butt off, and for what?!? For me to screw it all up, evidently.  It hasn't been all bad though.  In the last few months, I've gotten our firewood for the winter, renovated our hall/entrance way, as well as our bedroom.  I've had people tell me I should write a book about my experiences as an expat, but hello, I have a blog and I don't even have 100 followers, so really, a book is gonna help?!?  That's a pipe dream, but I guess I won't know till I try????

  If anyone out there has something a chart or what have you to help me better budget my money, by all means, PLEASE send it to me.  Cause seriously, I'm awful at budgeting and saving.

Brexit & All that Jazz....

  So, England has voted to leave the European Union.  I'm not sure if this is a good or bad thing.  I'm not the only one it seems.  The entire world waits with baited breath to see what will happen next in regards to England leaving the E.U.  The British Pound has lost most of it's value since the vote.  This doesn't surprise me as most of the people [read elites] such as big corporations and banks wanted England to stay with the E.U.

  I personally am not a fan of the E.U., especially is Angela Merkel decided to start importing refugees on an already stressed E.U. economy.  My dislike for the E.U. was founded long before that though.  I'm not a fan of BIG government, and let's be honest folks that's all the E.U. is, one big multi-lingual Big Brother.

  I don't really see where the E.U. has done much good for Romania.  The only good it's brought is making it easier for men to find work in other countries without the need of expensive and time consuming visa applications and work permits. Other than that, the E.U. has done nothing but extort Romanian's natural resources from her at a fraction of what they are worth.

  I'm not sure if Britain leaving the E.U. will make or break it, but one thing is for sure, Britain is changing and evidently not for the better.  Racism is up by double since the vote.  I have a brother in law and other Romanian friends working and living in England.  I'm fearful for their well being now because of the hate being spewed.  Nigel Farage and Boris Johnson who were leading the leave campaign were all about anti-immigration, especially as it concerned "refugees" from Muslim countries, but evidently they meant ALL immigrants, especially the ones from Poland and Romania who take those crappy jobs that no one else will take.  Well done Nigel and Boris, (btw, that isn't a British name, sounds E.European to me), well done lads.  You've taken an already uneasy social situation, and made it volatile.  You should be proud of yourselves.  And I see where you boys are back peddling on promises made during the leave campaign, such as taking the millions of pounds per week that usually goes to the E.U. and infusing that money into the National Healthcare System......nope, you're not gonna do that now!  Oh and that promise about if it was a close margin, you'd petition for a 2nd referendum, but that was only if you lost.  Listen fellas, if you're gonna be a sore loser, than at least be magnanimous when you win.  Keep your word.  Doing crap like that is what makes people distrust government and politicians.

ABUSE

  So I was speaking with a dear friend earlier.  She is in the middle of a divorce.  I know her her soon to be ex husband.  The things she endured struck close to home.  People now speak about abuse in such general terms  Speaking to someone in a way they don't like constitutes as abuse now a days.  But expressing an opinion contrary to your own does NOT constitute as abuse.  Let me please explain to you what abuse really means.

  Abuse is telling someone 24/7 for 4 years ad nausea-um that you are stupid is abuse.  Holding someone captive for 12 hours is abuse.  Holding someone down and spitting on them is abuse.  Shoving the butt of  a shotgun in a persons rib cage is abuse.  Kicking a person [female] while laying on the ground incapacitated , in the tail bone is abuse.  Ripping the clothes off a person while  they are trying to escape you is abuse.  Beating someone on their back is abuse.  Holding someone by their throat with your bare hands is abuse.
Holding someone at gunpoint and knife-point is abuse.

  I personally endured all the afore mentioned things.  I never spoke of it before for fear of shame.  But I am afraid no longer because I KNOW that there are women out there who are enduring worse hour after hour with no end in sight.
 
 My abuse started as a emotional and physiological.  My ex wouldn't let me have any friends.  I couldn't go shopping for groceries alone, but I soon realized it was something worse.  He couldn't and wouldn't hold a job for more than a few months.  If I was able to have a friend it was only with someone who held the same views as him.

  I soon felt trapped and when I confronted him and told him I wanted out, I was held captive and beaten and berated for 12 hours.

  This is something women the world over face everyday.  I endured abuse for 12 hours, and could have gone back to this loser of a man, but I decided NO!  I decided to stand on my own 2 feet and see if I did any better.  There were a few trips and stumbles along the way, but I found my way clear.  I am now a strong woman with 3 kids.  Yes, I am married again, but to a real man, who would never think of putting his hands on me.

  YOU ARE NOT ALONE!  To whoever is reading this, YOU ARE STRONG ENOUGH!   GRAB YOUR THINGS, YOUR KIDS AND GET THE HELL OUT!

  You have the support of women everywhere!  If you need someone to "speak" to, please email me at odessa.toma@gmail.com