Carrying A Tiny Home on Minimum Wage in Canada

Photo by Hama Haki on Unsplash

If the politicians are listening....this is my wish for my country.

Canada, specifically Ontario, which is my province in Canada, has had BIG raises to it´s minimum wages over the past several years.

The current minimum wage in Ontario for an adult is 

$16.55 per hour.

Based on a 40 hour work week that would bring in $662 gross income per week before taxes and other deductions are taken off. Based on a 4 week month, that would total $2648 per month gross income.

If the politicians and social service networks want to make Ontario a livable region for all income levels in the coming years, then they need to address the viability of tiny homes. Tiny homes are the only possibility to relieve the severe financial stress that many low income folks are experiencing just from trying to keep a roof over their heads. 

Ontario has a large portion of students and single people who simply want to have an affordable housing option that is safe and does not require them to get into debt. Tiny homes are a way out of the current housing mess in Ontario.

I have spoken to a lady who is spending 2 thirds of her income just paying for her mortgage and that does not include her car payment and other household expenses. This kind of nightmare is not unusual in today´s Ontario. Although there have been significant raises in wages for certain segments of the population, much of these raises still do not equal the rise in the costs of living for the average Ontario resident.

The biggest hurdles for tiny home developers is the zoning and construction laws. Municipalities must be willing to host tiny home villages, that have significantly different property taxes embedded into their ¨formula¨. I believe that we would not have the same ¨BRAIN DRAIN¨ in Canada if we successfully built up viable tiny home villages. Folks still love our schools and employment opportunities. It is the cost of living that is chasing folks out of our country while we have spent thousands of dollars educating them, only to lose them to countries with lower costs of living.

We can not reasonably expect folks to stay in our beautiful country if the math does not add up.

Yes, we have a high standard of living compared to third world countries, but the average income is finding it hard to maintain that standard and still save for retirement and emergency cash reserves.

Middle income Canadians are forgetting about vacations because their incomes are consumed by the plethora of costs just for basic needs.

We need to foster a ¨tiny home positive¨ atmosphere into Ontario´s building codes. Property taxes and building codes MUST become FRIENDLY to the Tiny Home Movement. The ideal tiny home owner´s dream would be to be able to successfully own a tiny home on a full time minimum wage job. Do we have the political will to get this done? Are we going to make life more reasonable for the entry level working men and women in our country? New Canadians are not asking for mansions on entry level wages. They are asking for the ends to meet. They are asking for life without the assumption of debt.

I believe that tiny homes are the answer to this riddle. Do you agree?

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How to Make Money from a Public Park

Ok, everybody wants to learn how make more money. Enter the phenomenon of the public park.

What folks don´t realize that the City and provincial planners who design public parks have already done a lot of the leg work that commercial real estate enterpreneurs invest in. 

Regional planners want public parks in places that are beautiful and convenient and easy for humans to access. Therefore it is a logical step for an entrepreneur to take advantage of these same attributes.

What do many consumers hate about public parks? The high parking fees! Therefore if you have property near a public park that you can monetize into temporary or event based parking spaces, you have yourself a new cash cow. Folks who take advantage of the high traffic of special events that occur in public parks are the smart money makers. They see what tired travellers want. Cheap parking and good quick food that they can gobble on their way in or out of their favourite concert or event venue.

Maybe you know someone who has a Hot dog cart but doesn´t know where to place it? Hot dog carts or ice cream trucks or french fry trucks are prime examples of businesses that should take advantage of popular tourist attractions, such as public parks.

Popular concerts and music festivals are often hosted within public parks and by lakesides. Instead of paying heavy rental fees for participating in the festival itself, consider seeking out small places where you can set a fast food cart of truck near the festival, but not ON the festival grounds. That way your fast food business will have access to the festival traffic without the high cost of renting a festival tent or booth.

Well, that´s all the juicy money nuggets I have for you today. Stay tuned for more.....

Peaceful productivity,

Carla

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When A Leader has Lost His Authority

I had noticed..... the words were similar, similar to what I had heard from the same pastor years ago....and yet something was different.

Years ago, when I would listen to a certain preacher, I would be rapt with attention. I would take note of the principles he was teaching and chew on them mentally and spiritually for days....weeks ...months, even years.

A few months ago, I heard that same preacher preach and the words lacked any kind of sense of authority. I was a tad bewildered. What had changed? Was it me? Probably....Was it the preacher? Maybe....maybe not. Maybe my spiritual journey was different now than it was years ago. I suppose I had to give myself permission to change and grow.

As in Ecclesiates chapter 3..... there really is a time and season for all things that God encourages. Perhaps this too was occurring in my spiritual walk for a purpose.

I suppose there is a rosy phase we go through when we think that nothing a preacher can do could possibly be less than angelic....until we come to grips with the fact that we are living in an imperfect world. While we may experience ¨heaven on earth¨ when we sense God´s presence.....we need to be grounded enough not to fall when we don´t feel so quite so comfy, cozy and sweet. 

When we feel that we are no longer being fed adequately by a certain church leader, it is up to us to ask God to lead us to the spiritual meat that we are meant to consume... And yes, that always leads to the bible.

Sorry to be so boring about this...but it needs to be said. You want to be strong in your christian walk? You want to learn to stand on your proverbial feet? You need to dig into the bible in whatever format you are able to consume it....visually or through audio formats. It isn´t just a one time snack....a hobby you pursue once in a blue moon.  For Believers, the bible is a lifetime dancing resource, that may become  a part of the fabric of one´s life. In season and out of season, the word of God stands alone. He does not ask for our approval. He simply is.

It is non-negotiable. So, instead of playing favorites finding a trendy pastor or preacher of the day, become a cheerleader of the One who wrote the book, God Himself. Follow God with your heart, with whatever means you can and are able to.

You don´t need to fall apart if your pastor misses the mark in his/her sunday sermon. You don´t need to start skipping church the because some sermons have lost their zing. 

You can stand and pray. Pray for your pastor or pastors, whomever they are..... male or female. Pray for the anointing of the Holy Spirit to rest upon them. Pray for their access to God´s Word, for their minds to be opened to the holy bible.

You can take your favorite hard copy of the bible to church with you, no matter if they have bibles on a back table or not, or even in the pews. The presence of a bible in your hand says something in the spiritual realm. I have seen it. People tread differently in your presence when you have a bible in your hand.

Learn to trust God´s Spirit. Ask Him for His leadership. Proverbs 3:6 says ¨in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight¨.

Brothers and sisters, we are human, and sometimes we put preachers and pastors on impossible pedestals. We think that they can do no wrong. But our faith is in our Heavenly Father who sent his Son Jesus to redeem us and feed us and lead us by His Spirit. We are strong in God and sometimes we need to 

abide in prayer for our leaders. Perhaps I shouldn´t say ¨sometimes¨. Perhaps we should ALWAYS be in prayer for our leaders. Pray for their health and wealth and character. Pray for their spouse and for their children. Plead the blood of Jesus over their family and their investments. Pray that their incomes will be secure. Pray for their safety and peace of mind. Pray for protection upon them from the wolves.

And when you sense that things are not quite as anointed as they used to be....try not to point fingers....but do... dig deeper into God, deeper into His Word, and stand strong. Stand strong by kneeling regular. Strength is born in confident humility. We walk under God´s command, not our own. As much as  I love democracy...(and voting day is always a happy privilege)...I realize that there is no democracy in heaven. God rules....and His authority has no end.

Well, that´s all for today, friends. May your spirit be blessed this friday, as we approach the weekend. May your hearts be secure in the love of your Heavenly father. May your minds be secure in the foundations God has built into your life.

Peace,

Carla.

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As This Year Gets Ready to Flip to the Next

Friends Around the World,

It´s me Carla. It is New Years Eve....not quite the evening yet, but still the afternoon and  I want to take a minute and write y´all a note.

I just want to say that I am grateful for each one of you. I thank you for your support this year :) I thank you for your views, your clicking on the links, your sharing my blog posts on your social media and your comments. They have really been a blessing! Thank you so very much from my heart!

I also want to say this. I have a wish for you in this coming year.

Let me write it here...

My readers and viewers, I pray that you will find an open door this new year in 2024. I pray that you will have the strength and courage to open this new door. I pray that when you open this new door, that you will find the knowledge to succeed with what you find behind that new door. I pray that the new knowledge you have been seeking will open itself to you and no longer remain a mystery. I pray that you will use this knowledge for your own good and others around the world. I pray that you will know patience in the timing of your steps, without waiting too long to step into the unknown. 

 I pray that your success will be noticed and that your prosperity will begin to solidify...if it has thus far been elusive. 

I pray that good people will take the time to pray for you and for your family, and that you will see progress in your life and in your family´s life in 2024. When these things, these movements....begin to occur in this new year of 2024, I pray that you will give God the glory and thank Him. I pray that you will smile and know God´s smile.

And finally, I pray that you will have peace knowing that God is not competitive, but gentle and kind.

in Jesus´s name.

amen.

Carla

Gourd Curry by Grandma and Daughter | Village Life

I don´t know what it is about this channel...these videos of a hardworking grandma and her daughter in a village somewhere.....simply making food.

Perhaps it is the sanctity of the ritual of prepping a meal with a loved one. That sense of safety, of good will and the desire to feed your family and guests well.

Watch the way the grandma sits washing each vegetable thoroughly before calmly slicing and dicing each one to the right size. The garlic is washed and sliced and then mashed into a paste with an old fashioned mortar and pestle. Lovely.

Sometimes, we in north america look too much at recipies, at fancy notions of gourmet meals, when the answer lies in humility.....

The answer sometimes lies in being content to do that which is simple and repetitive until it yields a tasty result.

I am sure this grandma has prepared this kind of meal a hundred or perhaps thousands of times. She never rushes and never endangers herself with the sharp utensils. Both the grandma and the daughter work peacefully and silently together.

The result? A healthy beautiful hand made home cooked meal, bursting with flavour and fresh natural foods.

I just must say ¨Hallelujah¨ for mothers and grandmothers such as these who show us ladies the way...how to provide, prepare and above....to be patient in the process.

Peace,

Carla

He Called me Handsome?

Not sure what this is all about....is it the brown hair? or is it the curls?

For most of my life I have been a curly/wavy haired brunette, unless I dive head first into the red hair dye, which does happen upon occasion.

But, I have noticed that I kinda fall into a certain ¨type¨...

Think  
@TheRachelMaria ....or the Mom from the sitcom Ïn the Middle¨ played by Patricia Heaton, or 

the curly haired attorney who plays Helen Tudor Fisk on the netflix show ¨Fisk¨, named Kitty Flanagan.

We are all cute and sometimes fabulous, but none of us are devastatingly gorgeous.....and for the most part, I´d say.... we are ok with that. ( sorry ladies if you´re not).

But what is the deal when a man says you are  ¨handsome¨...... is that an insult? Is it some kind of compliment? 

Er ...um  ....Is it flattering for a woman to be handsome? Or should I be ticked off???

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patricia_Heaton

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kitty_Flanagan 

https://youtu.be/eIzJFbAVZr8?feature=shared   (the Rachel Maria´s youtube channel)

She does a hilarious Nancy Pelosi skit...

 (screen grab below courtesy of https://www.therachelmaria.com/team/rachel-maria/  )

Is it comparable for a guy to be called a pretty boy, as for a woman to be called handsome?

Should a guy be annoyed for being called a pretty boy?

Ok folks, I´m still in a quandary on this one.

Do spill.... tell me what you think on this one....unless you try to call me handsome....please don´t :)

from your fave brown curly haired middle aged blogger,

Carla.

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Why Do Meditation Gurus Tell Us to Empty our Minds?

Oh Lord, I do feel a rant coming on. 

Why do those who teach meditation try to get their followers to empty their minds.....and then call it mindfulness?

If my observations of the folks of my modern world are any indication .....we need more FULL minds.....not empty ones.

I suppose the argument then is about WHAT to fill one´s mind with. Yes, I can understand how one would desire to empty out the annoying and unimportant stuff floating about one´s mind....But hey....our human minds are not garbage cans....we can´t just take them to the curb and empty out that brain can.

If I have any accurate understanding of the human brain ....it would be this: If you don´t like what´s floating in your brain....you need to input more of the good solid stuff....stuff that is filled with truth and light and love.

And if you are saying ¨Öh my,,,,, now she is going to evangelize¨......then you might be partially correct.

It is no secret that I am fan of the old King James Version of the Bible. I like it in the audio  version and play it often. I have discovered that the chaos of modern society bows down to the gentle and concrete wisdom of this ancient book. But hey, truth be told, the bible is more than just an old book. It is alive.

It is the book that you never really finish reading. That used to be make me mad....because I would try over and over and over to ¨finish¨ reading the bible.....and discovered much to my dismay that every time I read the book, I found more depth....more territory to explore and more beauty and kindness and wisdom than I had ever thought possible. 

The bible is literally an unending book, written by the Spirit of the Unending Father....who keeps us and entrusts us with this miracle book. It is a book of fire....that fire consumes that which gets in it´s way.

No need to empty one´s mind first before reading the bible aloud or listening to it in audio form or listening to someone else read it to you. This book is most gentle and yet most powerful....a mysterious contradiction. 

Friends, before I chat on too long, I just want to say this....please be careful of those who try to get you to empty your mind. Your mind was not intended to be empty, but to be full of the words of your heavenly Father. The good will push out the wasted thoughts and useless obsessions. You are a created being. Commune with your Father, the Creator. 

Peace,

Carla

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