Hitting the 'pause' button

I took some time off this blog while in Michigan but needed a few extra days to regroup.

The biggest news from my home state is bad -- the real estate market is darker than ever -- my own realtor has told me to expect a marathon wait of up to three years until my home sells, what with existing home sales in the Midwest dropping by nearly 20 percent over the last year -- and Michigan's 6.9 percent rate of unemployment continues to lead the nation.

The worst news: Hearing a friend is losing her home. She and her husband were both laid off from work months ago. He returned to school to get his GED and develop more marketable skills. She has a college degree, but just couldn't find work. This family was never well-to-do, just barely middle-class. Now, their three children are going to separate, hopefully temporary homes with other families. She is looking for work out of state.

It was the kind of story that just stopped me cold.

Sometimes keeping busy is the only tonic for helplessness. It was nice to get back to Cape and talk to folks on Sprigg Street and those like Jim and Bonnie Haney, who have found a routine and a simple life in Chaffee.

I hope someday soon my friend and her family end up together again in a home that is as happy as the Haney's.