Comments on: Tying Up Loose Ends

By: valleycat1

valleycat1 — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 02:38:24 +0000

#12 Melissa – there’s all kinds of info on the interwebs & at the library on dealing with problematic coworkers. What you do depends a lot on your personality, position at the company, the position of those who ‘bring drama’, and what types of issues you’re having. One all-purpose rule I’ve found helpful is that if you don’t buy into the drama & maintain your cool, sometimes the other person will either calm down, or look elsewhere for their adrenaline fix.

By: Lou

Lou — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 22:17:25 +0000

Love this post. Good ideas, well balanced and well fleshed out. I like the tone, the relationship of frugality to the rest of life and the suggestions. Nicely done.

@ deRuiter – As Churchill said “Ending a sentence with a preposition is something up with which I will not put.”

By: Melissa

Melissa — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 16:52:20 +0000

As to gaining control over various aspects of your life, I would add to the Social aspect people who take too much time and energy. Good friends should add to your total energy and understand your other time commitments. Friends who bring drama into my life are not welcome. Now how do I avoid/deal with coworkers who bring drama into my life?

By: Interested Reader

Interested Reader — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 15:23:35 +0000

@Sam – they make books that have guided questions. My cousin & his wife (who has three kids) gave their parents and grandmothers one of these books for Christmas.

My grandmother was thrilled because she’s been trying to write down stories and isn’t sure where to start. From what it looked like it’s one question per page and probably not enough room to write a story on 1 page. However, I think it’s encouraged to write on extra pages. It had all kinds of questions about daily life as well as major events.

By: Sam

Sam — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 15:11:47 +0000

Well written article!
I should do this – I have no idea where to start. My son is ten & after a cardiac scare 3yrs ago I started having talks with him about various subjects and also explaining why I do things the way I do (the lessons I’ve learned).
I should do a book like this…. I’m just not sure how to structure it or section it out. Do you have chapters? Liek one chapter on home care, one on spousal relationships, one on education, gardening, etc?? Don’t know if that makes a lick sense.

One thing I have done, is I made my son recipe cards of all his favorite things. On each card I put the source of the recipe – like Great Grandma, my Dad or me, etc. So far it’s about 15 or so cards – just the top favorites. When we make up a recipe together I try to do a card with in a week or two for him (like beef & onion curried rice). This last weekend I got him a recipe box @ the Thrift store for the cards to go in. The other nice part about the cards is he tends to stay out of my recipe books if he wants to practice his cooking…

When I was in High school I remember my Dad sitting my Grandma down (she was in her mid 80′s by then) and trying to get her to remember all the recipes. Since she hadn’t been cooking for 10 or 15 years (due to age, arthritis & her duplex being too small for get togethers) she remembered hardly anything & she had never written them down. So in addition to thoughts, wisdom & philosophies there might be other things to record that can transcend time & the grave. Like my own Dad’s tune noodle recipe… thankfully he taught us in jr high how to cook and that was on of the recipes he made up in college. Every time I make that I think of him. I can’t stand tuna but the smell of that casserole in the kitchen….

By: Interested Reader

Interested Reader — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 13:46:17 +0000

deRuiter – stop it! Seriously this is so freaking annoying. It’s already been discussed in the previous thread about ending sentences with a preposistions. It’s okay! And, especially in this case, it sounds a lot more natural and less stilted – and a natural, conversational tone is how he wants the blog to sound.

By: deRuiter

deRuiter — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 10:12:56 +0000

It’s fascinating to write about one’s past. Also fun to have sibblings write about the same things and to see how they viewed the identical events which you did, and how differently they viewed them! Another loose end which would be easy to improve is the grammar in this post. Stop ending sentences with prepositions like, “…what areas can you exert more control over?” Correct would be, “…over what areas can you exert more control?”

By: Jennifer

Jennifer — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 03:16:02 +0000

Terrific idea and great post! Do more stuff like this and overall focus on frugality vs. offering actual financial advice.

By: Michele

Michele — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 02:14:45 +0000

Trent- I REALLY liked this post. What a great idea. We often forget that we might not make it to our child’s high school graduation, or wedding, or the birth of their first child. I wish my Dad had done this type of a journal for my sons- they were so young when he died. I’ve tried to fill in the blanks, and they have a child’s memory of their grandpa, but this is such a brilliant idea!
I think I’m going to start this for my ‘someday’ grandchildren ….my sons are grown, and one is married, but I don’t know if I’ll be able to see my grandchildren. I’d like them to know me and how much I love them- even if I’m not there :)

By: Gal @ Equally Happy

Gal @ Equally Happy — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 01:28:58 +0000

I started keeping a personal journal a few years ago when I was going through a very rough time in my life. I look back through some of those early entries now and they bring me back to those times. However, I don’t view that as a bad thing. These entries allow me to relive those moments but with all the knowledge that I’ve accumulated since.

I think your kids will get a rare chance to get to know you as you were when they were kids.

By: valleycat1

valleycat1 — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 22:26:25 +0000

I’m with Trent & #3/Elizabeth. I’ve seen graphic depictions of this as a wheel, which you want to keep balanced to some degree, although for most of us some categories take a larger piece of the pie depending on where we are in life’s journey. The important take away for me is not to totally neglect any one area.

Right now for me, weight loss & getting our debts completely paid off are going hand-in-hand.

By: Elizabeth

Elizabeth — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 21:40:16 +0000

I like this approach. I find the more I keep connected socially and exercise, the better I feel and the less likely I am to want things. Besides, being financially secure frees up energy to focus on friends and family and doing well at my job.

By: steven@hundredgoals.com

steven@hundredgoals.com — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 20:59:37 +0000

No 8 am post today and a pretty decent 2 pm post…hope this pattern continues.

By: Stephan F-

Stephan F- — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 20:49:52 +0000

The journal idea is really neat. I just did a little bit of work on my childs scrapbook and it is nice to see what has happened but looking to the future is a really good idea. There is so much to say and I doubt I’ll remember to tell her at the time she needs it. This seems like a good way to not forget.