To the Miners in West Virginia... God Be with you All

I was reading my last blog and suddenly, I felt a little shame come over me. I was thinking about a cup of coffee and a donut. And then I thought about how truly trivial that sounds when compared to what is happening in West Virginia right now. A dear friend of almost 15 years and her family sit somewhere outside of a mine that had an explosion 3 days ago. To date 25 miners are known to be dead. Four remain trapped inside of the mine. Where, they are unsure. Alive? Also unsure. There are pods that they can reach for safety but it is not known if the last four found their way to it.
I take this moment and this space on my blog site and dedicate it to the 25 people that have died and to those that remain in question. The family that is dear to our home waits outside the mine, hoping, praying, that their husband, father, friend, brother... All that he is to these people, is safe somewhere inside. I pray for them and cry for them and believe with them, as it must be. Families go down into the mines every single day, knowing the dangers and yet also knowing that it is the only way to feed their loved ones or keep them in clothing and a home. I read the words of some that say "Why would they want to work in such a place?" Why? Because it is where they have made their living for generations. It is what they know and what they do to survive.
I say "God Bless" them and God bless and be with the families that have lost their loved ones. I also say "Pray" for those that still wait, a cup of coffee or a donut so very terribly irrelevant to them right now. I offer my love and caring and prayers for the families of the miners and pray God brings to them some measure of peace and strength through what I can Only imagine has to be the most terrifying moments of their lives. God Bless you My friend and God Bless the Miners.

How do You define "comfortable?"

What really does it mean to be "comfortable? I hear people say all the time, "I don't need to be a millionaire, I just want to live comfortably." I sit back and think about what that means. I am sure it means something a bit different to everyone. I will be the first to admit that a Million dollars WOULD make me feel comfortable. ;) But the truth is that the measure of being comfortable is as simple as this to me. I want to have enough money that all of my bills are paid with out hesitation. I want to own a nice vehicle and have plenty to eat. I have all three of those things. So am I "comfortable?" No, I do not consider myself comfortable when it comes to actual cash flow. I am certainly Not without, but not rich by any standards. So what do I consider to be really comfortable?
I love coffee. I crave and trust me, lol, I Need coffee in the morning to turn from "Mr. Hyde" back to myself. I enjoy donuts now and then. Perhaps, according to my "not as trim as I would like" physique, I enjoy them a bit too often. At ant rate, I enjoy things that are not so huge but that make me smile. There are mornings that I do not have the 3 dollars it takes to grab a coffee and donut. When that happens, it is not my stomach Nor my Physique that suffer. It is my mind. I work to keep money flowing from the sale of my novels and Internet work. I bring in a nice income and live nicely. But those times, which everyone I think has or has had somewhere in their lives, that I reach in my pocket and realize I do not have the funds to grab that coffee and donut are what separate me from living nicely and living comfortable.
So, when someone asks me what I define as a "comfortable" living... I say a hot cup of coffee and a cake donut, anytime I want. Silly? Simple? Too much to ask for? Well, I don't really know how to answer that but I do know that it is what I measure where I am with my life.