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Dear Kate,

I apologize for the long delay. Some family health concerns right now with extended family, which will also make this short. I hope you can fill in with a longer post in my stead!

I feel that everywhere I turn I hear of another friend who has been downsized, forced to take a pay cut, or is so worried about these things it's affecting their ability to focus. I know the President has said he feels he seeing signs of recovery. I think that would be wonderful. I don't know if he's just trying to make people feel better, or if I just know the unlucky ones.

I remember after Sept. 11th the city went into an economic lock-down. It was practically impossible to find work if you were out of work. But somehow I don't remember the mood as this negative. I have to wonder though if part of what's going on is everyone buying into the bleak reports. In other words — if they say it's bad, it's bad. Well, that could be true. But I also think some people are using the negative turn of the times as an excuse.

I've been video taping moms over the past few weeks asking them how they've changed things for their family given the economy. I have a few more to go, but hope to get this up and running on the blog in the next week or so. Just some snapshots of moms and their actions. But as we all know it's moms who are truly on the front lines of all of this. How things go for them? So goes the country.

Love, Lauren

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