Counting Blessings....

[JulieSherris]

A quick update here, folks....

So... 2 weeks ago, hubby & his colleagues voted to drop their shift allowances & change their shift patterns... but at least they all kept their jobs.

In the meantime, he called his old boss in the UK last weekend & found out that had we still been in the UK, he would have been made redundant this week - Last In, First Out & Andy had only been there for 7 years, so he would have been out the door.... & we would have been struggling badly to keep our house, etc etc etc .....

Then yesterday chaos reigned at his firm as the major TV lorries were parked outside the factory & reporters spent the day hounding the lads for 'comments' on a meeting which was called late last night...

So it was announced that despite all the changes already in place, they've called for 80 redundancies - voluntary at first.... final decisions will be made in 2 weeks & we'll know if he still has a job by then.

And did he get upset? No. Angry? No. Worried? Not really....
He sat with a the biggest smile on his face when the announcement was made on last night's 11pm news..... because they showed the workers leaving the factory after the meeting... and right in the front of the outpouring, was Himself & his 2 colleagues!
THEN he made me record it, because it was his 'moment of fame'....

So, we're still hanging in here folks.... and still counting.....
Long may it continue - and yep, we really DO need a fingers crossed smilie!

[Jandra]

Fingers crossed

Jandra

[invisiblepiper]

Thinking of you Julie - my hubby is in exactly the same position - and hanging on in here too - with smiles.

[Odsox]

Yeah, the best of luck to you Julie & hubby, I really hope it all turns out OK.

But "counting blessings" as this thread is entitled, at least now that you are in Ireland there are no council tax, water rates or sewerage rates to pay.
So you are a couple of thousand pounds a year better off to start with.

[MuddyWitch]

...And you have the land to grow quite a bit of your food, good friends and fresh air.

I'm not jealous...really I'm not

MW

[shell]

and did you manage to get his moment of fame on tape?seriously ,at least bills here are less and you pay for what you use,my friends in the uk have enormous bills ,just moving into a house there your hit with bills before you even take breath,and you dont have to be using the services to the full, at least here we just pay for what we use,and the airs cleaner on the west coast with the atlantic,and all that space here,you also know that the water you drink hasn`t gone round 7 times first,things will look up and think of all that help he`s going to give in the garden

[JulieSherris]

Yes, his moment of fame consists of him walking to his car with his 2 workmates - Andy has a ciggy, his immediate boss has his hands in his pockets & Marius is on his mobile - blink & you miss it!

I have been doing the sums since we moved here, & yes, I know how lucky we are to be here in Ireland during this recession... say what you like about the irish, but personally I don't think they've got it that wrong, you know.
Our local mobile veggie man has already told me that he would buy any eggs or veg that I have spare once we are up & running - or we can trade - chatting to the vet & even she said that if we DO get sheep/pigs, then she'll hold her bill until the meat is in & then we'll talk.... all together a whole new world!

Andy came home last night & announced that even during the first day, they have their 80 volunteers!!
It seems that many of the polish/czech/latvian folk have put in for the redundancy, so although the future is still unsure, another breathing space is ahead.
In the meantime, a friend of ours in the UK has just been put into B & B in Blackpool with his wife & 2 teenage kids after losing his house of 13 years.... and this is a family who used to be on earnings of 80K a year...... Unbelievable.

I am paying our group water rates today for the year.... a grand total of 42 euros
And now he's home for 4 days, I shall be cracking the whip.... no, I think today we shall go for a walk with the pup & find our No2 bog... we still have no idea where it is!!

[MuddyWitch]

Oh I'd go with the whip cracking...sounds much more fun!

MW

[Wombat]

Good attitude Julie!

We've been taken over by a very big company and they are starting to use my name and the R word in the same sentence, so I'm waiting to see what will happen. our efforts to reduce debt and increase self sufficiency will serve us in good stead!

Nev

[invisiblepiper]

Oz too then? That's rotten! Your great attitude will see you through.
Thinking of you all affected by this inevitable downturn.

[Wombat]

Hey IP!

It's hitting everywhere I'm afraid. We have been working at making ourselves more independant for some time, so it will impact less on us than others. I suspect that if the axe falls I will be able to pick up some kind of work, and in the interim have fun making us more self sufficient!

Nev