Ugh.

If it's any consolation, when I was teaching and raising two small children on my own, I could never make ends meet. When I moved back to CA, I married for love, and we weren't what anyone would call rich. But we've worked our way up via the CA real estate market, by making some savvy investments, and both of us working hard for twenty years. We lost a bundle in the stock market crash, but had a diversified portfolio.

We've recouped our losses, but it has taken a while. We also donate to a lot of charities and have adopted three orphans from Vietnam, India, and Cambodia.

For the record, we vote according to our conscience, not our pocketbooks, lest any of you think that because we're well off we're rejoicing this week. Sick at heart would more aptly describe it.

Cathryn