I wrote at BlogHer a couple of weeks ago about how parents can deal with the issue of teens and tweens who are desiring expensive, designer clothes. A healthy, common-sense discussion ensued, with many parents chiming in with their hopes of teaching their kids about contentment, frugality and reasonable expectations.

Lately, I've taken out a sheet of paper to list objects, circumstances, and people for which I'm grateful, not necessarily in that order. I have to do that because sometimes my moments as a single mother of two (one teen and one adult who still lives at home), a caregiver to elderly parents who live with me, and as a person who expects more of herself and life, I get edgy and properly pissed.

About a week ago I had a "when it rains, it pours" moment with my finances. It went something like this: tax bill from the District of Columbia that feels like someone is shoving chopsticks into my eardrums every time I think about it, new brakes, removing a boot off of my car, and purchasing 14 bottles of shiraz to numb the pain.