Stories of Strength

The World of Bartering

By Terri Rimmer Bartering has been around since way before technology when people used to trade metals for other materials they needed. How to barter successfully can be an acquired art. Nowadays bartering has gotten more sophisticated from business bartering to online mom groups where you can find everything from letter writers to resume software. I learned the craft of bartering from my best friend Stephanie, my sister Cindy, my mom, and others around me who had jumped on the wagon. I have pet sat for my sister in exchange for her letting me live with her at different times and regularly pet and house sit for Stephanie and she has done the same for me when I’ve been in the hospital. Last year I pet sat for my friend while she was in Colorado and she did the same for me when I went to Florida. I have done laundry for a friend in exchange for him putting gas in my car. Cindy has donated her time to volunteer groups sometimes in exchange for them helping out her business. Stephanie has...

Merged Life

By Terri Rimmer Born into an alcoholic family as the youngest of four girls I had no idea of the abuse that would come to torment my life for 14 years. Both my mother and father were harsh abusers, my father sexually, my mom physically. How can a young girl possibly grow into a health adolescent when what she knows about life is taught by the hands of a sick man and mother intent to poison? I may not ever understand, but perhaps that is my journey. I always knew I wanted to be a writer when in the third grade I got an A plus on a short story I wrote. I loved it and wrote every chance I got at my dadÃ‚’s encouragement and the feeling and dream reverberated in my soul, refusing to leave me ever. When I was 8 I was devastated to learn of my parents divorcing and to add insult to injury my mom left my sisters and me with our dad. My older sister, Cindy became my hero. She fluffed my pajamas in the dryer before bed, sewed my Girl Scout badges on my uniform, comforted me when the ...

Terri Rimmer

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