Workshops and Pagan Event Invitations

For the past several weeks, I have been receiving several invitations to conduct workshops and guest speaking at Pagan events that are several states away, one even from Berkley California. Unfortunately, I am on a shoe-string budget and cannot afford the transportation. Though If I were able to do so I know I would sell more books, but it takes money to make money they say and being financially challenged, it is even more difficult to get anything off the ground. The one book I have out is in dire need of re-editing and though it has been an amazon best seller as have my other two books, I lack the funds to re-issue that one as it is a self-published work. It seems that I am in more demand in nearly every state but my home state and the states surrounding it except Michigan and thats a LOOOONG drive from the ole covenstead. Last year and the year before last I received several invitations to events in Florida as well, but could not afford the trip down there. This year as gas prices climb I have to stay even closer to home. But a person has to eat and pay bills first then if there is anything left over to squirrel away saving a little at a time I can do a trip every couple of years, or have been able to thus far. Though both trips were to the wonderful state of TN. I have been down there on 3 different book promotions and each time I was able to pay for most of the cost of the trip in book sales and speaking gratuities. But any farther than that and I would probably still be trying to pay the costs off on the ol'e plastic high-interest account.

Everything has gone up but wages. My wife works in the medical field and her hours have been cut back due to cuts in medicare and medicaid. School budgets are cut, and anything to help the American poor has been slashed as well, yet why is it that some folks in Washington have passed legislation to give free medical care, free housing, and job location assistance to illegal aliens?? I just do not get that. Lets take care of our own people first. There ate millions of American citizens going hungry, going without adequate medical and dental care, loosing their homes sleeping on the streets eating from trash cans, freezing to death in winter, and there is no government assistance available for them. Yet someone from another country can come over here and be set up in a nice home, given a government allotment allowance of about $2,000/month per person, free medical care and job placement assistance all paid by YOU! That is not right folks. Then we have veterans who fought for this country sleeping under overpasses and dying from combat related maladies or starving on the streets due to the lack of funds. I do not know if this is the "Change we can Believe in" or not but it sure is the reality of the result of a lot of "Change"

Well before I really get off on a rant I'll stop here, LOL!