![Thank you, from the Rubin Family! [An update too!]](https://tamararubin.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Thank-You-Rubin-House-Lead-Safe-Mama-2019.png)
From our little family, to all of you… the biggest “Thank You!” we can offer!
A note from Tamara (& Len):
Dear friends,
On behalf of our entire family, I cannot thank you enough for your help — and the huge difference it has made!
I especially want to thank Jodi, for coordinating the effort to save my house; miracles really do happen [although I am not “religious” in the traditional sense, thanks to you I know this to be true!]… as of the time of this writing, one hundred and forty of you have contributed something so far (towards saving our house), and it has made a huge difference — not just the money, but the life-affirming show of confidence, solidarity and support during this terribly traumatic period in our lives!
While the contributions did not add up to enough to directly save our house, a new Facebook friend (someone who is also now in The Lead (Pb) Group on Facebook — someone I have not even met in person) has offered to loan us enough to make up the difference to save our house(!); we expect to be getting the wire of this loan from them tomorrow (February 1st) and then will be turning around and wiring that to the mortgage company, along with GoFundMe donated funds, on February 2nd — literally the 11th hour – in terms of the days remaining to save our house (#BestGroundHogsDayEver)!!!
We will be paying that family back (and others who have helped us too) as soon as my late mother’s farm sells — and in the meantime I can breathe a huge sigh of relief and know that my family will have a roof over their head [and also this month, with money I have earned from advertising on my site – nearly all of our utilities will be covered, too!] All of this, plus the help of the “Food Fairy” every week or two, has enabled us – against all odds – to survive to the home stretch of this epic battle, while making the lives of our children bearable — even at times truly “magical” [<wide-eyed>: “Mom – how did we get these GROCERIES? WHERE DID THEY COME FROM?!”]!
What’s next?
We’re not quite out of the woods in our surreal/darkly farcical (seemingly never-ending) legal battle.
- January 31, 2019 (Today, Thursday): I had a productive meeting with my attorney.
- February 1, 2019 (Tomorrow, Friday): I head to the San Francisco Bay Area for 48 hours (or perhaps it is going to be 52 hours!?) to help a couple of families there (I have time to see more families then if you know anyone who might like a consult with me!)
- February 3, 2019 (Sunday night -super late!): I fly back to Portland (cutting my work trip short to be available for a meeting on Monday.)
- February 4, 2019: I have a meeting with my attorney and representatives from the DOJ (!) and DHS (!) with the State of Oregon in an attempt to resolve/conclude/terminate(!) this portion of the legal battle. [Please schedule sending all of your “thoughts and prayers” my way on Monday afternoon!]
- February 19, 2019 (Monday): our next scheduled hearing date with the State of Oregon.
- February 21, 2019 (Thursday): The foreclosure sale date for the house, which we hopefully will be able to declare “handled” in the next day or two.
- February 26, 2019 will actually be the three year anniversary of the start of this nonsense and persecution.
I often wonder – did the Universe figure I would be entertained by participating in an unbelievably crazy modern companion exemplum to An Enemy Of The People (Henrik Ibsen’s emblematic play pitting economic interests against the moral concern for people’s health – penned in 1882) – perhaps using it the subject for my next documentary?!
There’s a huge chance the battle may be over shortly after the meeting on Monday (2/4), and thus I am very hopeful.
Saving our house is an amazing gift (for which I will be forever grateful), however because of the battle that has brought us to this point, we (of course) still have an enormous amount of debt to the 20 (I think it is at this moment exactly twenty) very generous friends who have loaned us money to help during this time. I am however thankfully now earning *just enough* each month through the advertising income from my blog, to cover my mortgage! So when the time comes to make our first mortgage payment after our mortgage is reinstated I will now be able to make that payment! #SmallVictories.
We also still anticipate several challenges (relatively smaller hurdles) over the coming several months until the farm sells… I have about $4,500 in new bookkeeping costs to cover for work that has been done in support of my legal case (by two bookkeepers), plus – as February 1st rolls around tomorrow – I will have a new legal bill to add to the pile (likely for another $3,000 or $4,000 in additional to the outstanding tens of thousands still due!)
In spite of all this it really looks like finally the end may be in sight.
No really.
I mean it this time!
[Lol!]
No really.
I mean it this time!
[Lol!]
How are the kids?
I have been too overwhelmed to write updates recently — with all the work needed for my case, and all that has been going on with my children — but, in addition to the miracle that my readers have been to my family, many other good things have been happening too:
- Avi turned 14 (on 1/29) – and about two weeks before his birthday he was approved for (and got his first injection of) a medication that he has been waiting for for more than two years! [That’s another story entirely!]
- AJ has applied to MIT and is hopeful about the possibility of early acceptance. He is only 16, and has fought a major battle of his own for many years – overcoming his lead poisoning related disabilities so he could succeed in school. He’s also applying for a possible full scholarship so he could actually start attending MIT in the fall right after he turns 17 years old (IF he gets accepted!)
- Charlie has been going to school (4th grade) — some days as much as 4 hours in a row now (sometimes almost five hours!)
- Our eldest (Colescott) is away in Spain for a semester abroad in Valencia — fully covered by his Presidential Scholarship at Berklee College of Music! He often talks of working with special needs children on music therapy related projects – so being a brother to AJ, Avi and Charlie has made a huge impact on his life as well.
What’s the latest with your work, your book
& #LeadSafeMama in general?
As far as my projects go, I now have a few people on board to help me finish my book (“I Make Women Cry & Throw Out Their Shit“) — but have not had the bandwidth to finish up the remaining work to complete that quite yet.
I have probably 100 posts I am behind in writing (most are of XRF test results from stuff sent in by all of you). I have been having trouble writing much each day for the last several weeks (4 to 6 weeks actually) because of all of the interruptions (kids, medical issues, legal case, poverty, etc.), but am trying to push through it.
My dream (after the legal battle is over) is to take a few weeks “off” with the kids somewhere, where they can play and enjoy life (and I can sit back and catch up on all my writing and finish my book)! [Avi wants to go to Finland, Charlie wants to go to a tropical island somewhere and AJ wants to go visit Colescott in Spain! Reconciling where to go if we ever get the opportunity will be interesting indeed! Perhaps an island off the coast of Finland? Lol!] #2020Goals #2020Dreams.
Well, that’s the scoop.
If you want to help us thank the family who is sending us that loan tomorrow, please do so here in the comments [along with the contributions and help from 140 of you, this one family is making it possible for me to keep doing what I am doing — being an active consumer advocate, testing and reporting my findings, helping families directly every day, etc.]! I am sure they will see your comments.
Your words of encouragement and kind messages during this time have had a signifcant impact as well. I knew in advance that getting through the past month (and the upcoming month) would be hard (and there are still challenges to overcome) but together you helped me make it this far.
As always, please let me know if I can answer any of your questions or if there is anything I can do to help you in return.
The biggest most heartfelt “Thank You” that we can give…
Tamara (& Len & all the boys!)
All four of my boys about a month ago at the Schnitz in Portland.
Left to right: Avi, AJ, Colescott – and Charlie in White.
(…& darn, can someone please get Avi a modeling contract [so he can earn $ to support his science habit – including his dream of buying a real telescope!] lol!)
Left to right: Avi, AJ, Colescott – and Charlie in White.
(…& darn, can someone please get Avi a modeling contract [so he can earn $ to support his science habit – including his dream of buying a real telescope!] lol!)
I didn’t know about the Gofundme until now, but I did a late donation! That is SO AMAZING of the kind and loving soul who offered to lend you the money to save your home. BLESS THEM. There is so much goodness in people’s hearts! So happy for you, Tamara, and for your whole family!
Thank you. Crying just a little!
T
This made me cry. Was keeping your family in my thoughts for weeks and wish I could have donated more. So glad someone was able to help!!!!! Thank you!!
Thank you Lia! Thank you so much. Me too (crying!)
Tamara
Thank you to all who donated to Tamara and her family!!! I am thrilled they will be able to keep their house!! Tamara is such an inspiration, and a valuable contributor to our society. We need more people like Tamara!!!
just the best news! thankyou Tamara for all that you do & thankyou to the someone/person/family that could help, been thinking of the dread you must have been feeling, i believe in miracles myself, someone up there knows your doing good!!! the pic of your boys such handsome young men wish them all the best in their dreams & really hope you get that holiday!! thankyou again.
I am so thankful for the family that is making it possible to save Tamara’s house. I could only make a small donation because as a senior citizen on a declining income I myself am having to think about giving up my current home and downsizing and that is hard enough but not as hard as what Tamara is facing. I knew it would not make a dent but hoped it would indeed be a show of a confidence, solidarity and support and perhaps influence others to contribute and am so glad to hear that seems to be what has happened. Tamara you are an inspiration and your boys accomplishments also a ray of hope for all who have struggles, as one of my granddaughters does though not because of lead. Never give up!
For weeks and months I have been hoping praying wishing and clicking for nothing short of amazing to happen for you and thanks to an angel on earth, your miracle pulled through! I’m so blessed to witness this wonderful kindness in the world and also be uplifted and inspired by it too! The tears are pouring, my heart is swelling, so overjoyed for you.
Thank you!