His palms were sweaty and his voice was strained. The words were hard for him to say. We are going to be short again this month. She comforts him and tells him it’s going to be okay. Things are bound to get better. They’ll get by—figure it out again, how to stretch what they have and do without.

When I start to feel stressed about my financial situation, I stop and think about the plight of others, maybe even people in my own neighborhood. If things are tight for us, how much worse must it be for those who are really suffering? Financial insecurity can leave you paralyzed: stuck in a job, a living situation, even a relationship, depending on someone else. What can you do to change your situation?

If you have an annuity, you can take charge now. Instead of receiving payments over time, you can get a lump sum of cash for as much of the annuity as you want. Make friends with a buyer of structured settlement payments and you could be counting that cash faster than expected. Find out more about how to sell structured settlements.

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It was a lovely February day, so we took a field trip to the zoo. Here are my top five favorite things we saw at the zoo today.

1. Elephants feeding themselves. Bales of hay were suspended by netting above the elephants. Using their trunks they grabbed big clumps of hay and stuffed it into their mouths. Cool!

2. A giraffe eating the grass right at my feet past the railing. The viewing area is above the giraffes, so you have a great view of these very tall creatures.

3. A bird kept landing on me and my friend in the bird enclosure. Seriously, it wouldn’t leave us alone. It was weird to have a bird pecking at my sweater and hopping on my arm.

4. A meerkat at the top of his mound was standing watch. Cute little fella.

5. The lions sunning. They were majestic and huge. Two male lions with huge manes were sitting like house cats yawning and licking their paws—huge crushing paws.

It feels like I’ve gone somewhere when I visit the zoo, even though I haven’t left my hometown. I love having experiences that shake up the everyday and bring you in direct contact with the unexpected, like a bird landing on your arm. What adventures are you planning, or hoping for? If you need more cash to start making your dreams come true, maybe it’s time to talk to a buyer of structured settlement payments about how to sell annuity payments. It could be the start of a great safari.

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This weekend we played an extended game of “hurry up and wait.” And, after much of both, my sister finally had her baby. It was a fittingly dramatic end to an atypical pregnancy. Happily, everyone is healthy and good and my new niece is adorable. Most people wait nine months or so for the finally delivery. My sister only had to wait through the last trimester because she was already almost six months along when she found out she was pregnant. After passing her due date last weekend, she was fretting about having to wait so long!

She thought she was in labor and through a series of events ended up at the hospital before she was actually ready, then, after over 24 hours in the hospital she was ready to push. After trying for two hours with no progress at all, the doctor performed a c-section and delivered the baby that never would have come out any other way at 10 pounds, 7 ounces.

Through each twist and turn, my family has been relaying information via phone calls, texts, and emails, but mostly we sat together in the waiting room sitting vigil. In the end we didn’t even see the baby the day she was born, but I’ve been by twice since then to hold her. I was exhausted from the waiting and the suspense of it all.

Some surprises are good. She’s so much bigger than we had ever thought! What surprises are waiting for you around the corner? Are you ready? What would it take for you to be prepared? A buyer of structured settlement payments can help you sell structured settlements and get cash now.

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Today was the perfect end to my week of musings on the weather. It was sunny and hardly even cold, very pleasant. I tried to be outside as much as possible today. Little baby was feeling fine, so we played in the sunshine in the yard in the morning and went on an epic walk in the afternoon. The dog was put out in the backyard and the baby was situated in the stroller with toys and snacks. We were off!

In about a mile, maybe a mile and a half, we reached the park. It was alive with the buzz and shrieks of children. We found the baby swing and added our own set of delighted squeals to the mix. After the swing, we checked out the baby slide, then back to the swing. It was great to see so many kids and moms. We ate a small snack then headed off around the park. On the way home, we took a detour and stopped by the local coffee shop for another break, snack, and caffeine injection. Finally, we headed home.

In all, we were gone two and half hours and walked at least 3 miles. I always brag that our neighborhood is wonderfully walkable and that’s part of why I love it. It’s nice when I have the opportunity to take advantage of this resource. Speaking of resource, what resources do you have that you are neglecting? If you have a structured settlement, do you know you get cash for structured settlement payments? A buyer of structured settlement payments can help you through the process.

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The rain started this afternoon. I saw video of people caught in the downpour further north and a quick flash of the Doppler radar as I walked past the television. The screen was alive with bright colors — red, pink, yellow and orange danced across a solid green field. I headed out anyway; it would only take a few moments to make it back home. In the parking lot there were still only light sprinkles. By home, the drops were big and wet, but I made it inside still mostly dry.

Now, I can hear the full messy rainstorm slapping the side of the house, dripping off the drain pipe, and rumbling in the distance. Standing on our front porch you can see rain in three directions and pretend that you are in it. The rain falls like a curtain wrapped around the house. The thunder just rumbled grumbled loudly, setting off a car alarm briefly.

It feels good to be inside, dry, and safe. Sometimes we need a reminder of how good a heated room, cup of cocoa, and soft blanket can feel. In these moments of insecurity, we are reminded what security feels like. How are you feeling these days? Are you rattled by your mortgage, debt, or ambitions you cannot reach? What if you’ve had the ability to feel safe this entire time? What do you know about how to sell annuity payments? Talk to a buyer of structured settlement payments to find out more. It’s okay to feel safe again.

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Believe it or not, January is more than half over. How are things going this year? Are you making any progress on your resolutions? Is this year really going to be different? What do you see as your major obstacles to making progress?

For a majority of us, money and time might top that list of obstacles to overcome. If you’re like me, you never have enough of either. I can’t print money or manufacture time, but I can be responsible with what I have and be creative with how I get it. Rather than thinking of money and time as elusive entities that I can never capture, I consider them to be precious resources that I must take care of. How can I divide them each in such a way that helps me meet my other goals? How can I care for my money and time so that they help nurture me?

That’s right, I said nurture. You need your money and your time to be around for you when times are tough. What do you think of that? You can begin by thinking creatively about how to gather the resources that you need. You may ask, “how do I sell my annuity?” That’s a good place to start. A buyer of structured settlement payments can talk you through the process so you’ll have cash on hand.

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Ha, you just thought I was done! Here’s #7-10. Ten is a nice even number, so I’ll stop there. It should also help to keep the list manageable and if I can’t expect to do them, then why put them on the list?

7. Read more fiction and non-fiction. I read some every day and yet I always feel I should be reading more. This year I’ve set my sights on starting an ambitious fiction series and I’d like to finish some of the non-fiction I started last year. Steady reading provides a daily diet of mental stimulation. When I’m not reading regularly my brain feels like I’m on a junk food bender.

8. Write too. Along with reading, I need to do more writing for myself. I write for everyone else and tend to neglect my own thoughts or just scribble them in a journal. This year, I’d like to treat my writing with a little more respect and actually finish editing a piece of my own.

9. Make memories. I want to continue to hand make special items for my baby. So far I made pieces for her layette, along with her Easter basket, Halloween costume, and Christmas stocking. I want to continue making special items for her that we’ll treasure forever.

10. Enjoy each day and what it brings. These last two years have flown by. My pregnancy and my baby’s almost first year have gone so quickly. I try to remind myself to enjoy what is happening in the moment and not be anxious for anything more. I will miss this day, just like the last.

So, there you go, my 2012 resolutions. What’s on your list? Is financial stress keeping you from even making a proper list? If you’re more worried about where your next bit of cash is coming from than your planning for the future, you should talk to a buyer of structured settlement payments about how to get cash for structured settlements. Put your mind at ease. Talk to one today. Live in the moment.

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Today for our walk, I tried something different. I left the dog at home, extra bundled up the baby, and pulled out the stroller. We walked all the way to the neighborhood grocery store. Stroller walking is faster than walking with the dog, so our pace was brisk. Once at the store, I gave baby a bite of pineapple from the fruit samples. It was her first taste of the treat. I think she liked it.

We strolled and shopped. I picked up some fresh veggies to cook at home later for her to try. Finally, we headed home. She fell asleep about half way home, which was the point of the walk, really. I was thrilled. She even stayed asleep long enough once we arrived home for me to make my lunch. Not to eat it, of course, though. She woke up right as I finished preparing it, right on cue. How did she know?

It’s good to break up your routine and try different things. Today, it was a stroller walk and exploration of the grocery store, instead of our usual dog and baby walk around the neighborhood. Who knows what we’ll try tomorrow! If you’ve been thinking about how to sell annuity payments, you should talk to a buyer of structured settlement payments today. Why put it off any longer?

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Despite the cold rainy weather today, I lightly bundled up the baby, grabbed the dog and headed out for our morning walk. When it is rainy it is even more important that the dog gets his exercise and attention since we’re less likely to let him out in the muddy yard. It was only in the mid-50s, but it felt much cooler. I needed just one more layer than I had on, so I moved quickly to make up the difference.

On the way home we met up with a neighbor who was walking her new dog. I was bemoaning my lack of sleep because of the baby, while she was telling me about coping with her new puppy. Being a stay-at-home mom of two herself, she had some good advice about sleep and reminded me how precious this time is and to hold her close while I can. I needed that. I invited her to bring her dog over for a play date in our backyard—plenty of room to run off his energy and another dog to play with. We’ll try it another day, when it’s not so rainy.

I appreciate the advice of my friend and neighbor. I know she’s been there and she means well. In the same way, I would seek out advice from financial experts that I can trust, like a buyer of structured settlement payments if I needed to sell annuity payments.

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Step outside and it finally feels like winter has arrived. The chill in the air has permeated the ground and everything I touch. I met a friend for coffee this afternoon and it was colder when I left than when we arrived. The new “brrr” I felt last night prompted me to make an extra trip to the new department store in the area to look at jackets.

Not for me, of course, but for the baby. Having been born in spring, this is her first winter. I found a 12 mo.-size green puffy jacket with hood. She’s a big girl and has been wearing 12 mo.-size pajamas, but this jacket is still way too big! She looks like a baby that has been swallowed by a green puffy monster with just her face peeking out. Add a hat, boots, and plush blanket and she is ready for the cold.

In the winter it is important to be prepared to face the elements, just in the same way that it is important to be prepared financially to weather the storms, whatever they are—whether expected or not. If you are the recipient of an annuity, you should find out more about how to sell annuity payments. A buyer of structured settlement payments can walk you through the process today and help you feel prepared for tomorrow.

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