Help With Moving For My Health

Posted on by Sarah A. Hoyt

So we found a new place, but between the pandemic shutdown and it being so soon after buying the last house, we’ve drained our savings. After much urging from friends and family, I am asking for help.

Yes, I’m embarrassed and terrified, but I’ve never really charged for my work here, and we truly, desperately and very urgently need help. The figure I put up scares me, but it scares me even more not knowing where it will come from. I want and need to write stories, and I can’t while locked in stress over this thing looming over us.


Health Moving Expenses Go Fund Me link here.

172 thoughts on “Help With Moving For My Health”

  2. I just hit the gofundme with the same size donation as my earlier tip-jar contribution. I hope the gofundme eases your finances (and hence your stress) tremendously.

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        1. Bah, that’s easy, even without the minor cheating of having it AS someone’s user name– a callsign, or one of the Heroic Little Ships that blows up after 10 seconds on screen.

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      3. It’d be an honor to be tuckerized myself, and same for any of the kitties, especially if there’s more in the Long Purr Goodbye setting, or something close to it anyway! Can you imagine the hilarity of a trio consisting of Not-Havey, Not-R, and Not-C?

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      4. I just sent a small contribution. If I liked your fiction more, I would make my contribution that way, but I have appreciated your blog content (and the rest of the community here) free of charge long enough to consider that you have earned it. And I would be flattered by being tuckerized, under my screen name, of course, if you can find a way to fit it in.

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      5. Ok, I give up. What the heck is ‘Tuckerizing’? Granted, I am an infrequent frequenter of your site, but this has me baffled. Something to do with Tucker Carlson, perhaps? Never saw his show, but I know of him. The gaps in my understanding of modern stuff is cavernous and frightening.

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            1. One example involving a historical figure was when David Weber named the leader of the revolution in Haven (known as the chairman of the Commitee of Public Safety), “Rob. S. Pierre.”

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          2. The one I’m most familiar with is the biker with whiplash in Lucifer’s Hammer, who also shows up as one of the Orion crew in Footfall. That was the point where I said, “ah, that must be a guy Pournelle knows in real life.”

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        2. Foxfier got it, but it’s worth noting that people pay hundreds of bucks to get Tuckerized via donations to the Libertycon charity (and, presumably, other similar things). I’ve done it twice so far, once in the Four Horsemen universe and once in an upcoming Tom Kratman book. Worth every penny.

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          1. (She actually makes a number of appearances — as do the other two Tuckerizations from that fundraiser. Usually it’s as a bit character.)

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      6. With some 1.9K donors (thus far) you’re going to have to explore Ringoverse levels to cram so many folks into your oeuvre. Okay, maybe if you include a peal of rats in a shifter story. Perhaps you might do it with a flock of pigeons but that would seem ungrateful.
        ~

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  5. Donated under spousal unit’s name. She was the one with the PayPal account. Take care, and God bless. I keep praying for you and Dan. (Sometimes I throw in the boys, but I figure they’re mostly on their own now.)

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  8. Donated and shared on MeWe. Like I said in a few other you, the blog, and the Huns as a whole have been too good to me not to help out. The kitties are cheering for you, too, of course, especially C!

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  12. A separate request, for prayers.

    The cousin I mentioned a few days has died. She leaves a husband, children in their teens, her parents, her brothers and all their families.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I’m sorry.

      I don’t know you well enough to know which flavor of the usual, and well meant, responses will help and which will hurt– so I’ll stick with prayers sent up, and I wish I could fix it.

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  14. I just donated a few minutes ago. No need to be embarrassed at all, you have all these people that appreciate your writing and your work and we are HAPPY to help.

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  16. Looked, saw it was about half way there already. Walked out to the kitchen to retrieve my nuked leftover meatloaf for dinner, looked again – and nearly $40K.

    You are much loved, Sarah. This is obviously going to go way over goal before I am able to chip in on Friday.

    Not that I’m going to renege on the plan – even if the usual “something” doesn’t come up, I know there is a looong list of remodels to do on the new place, and the more comfortable the Evil Space Princess is, the more words she produces.

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    1. Checking again just before going off to bed (03:30 wake up tomorrow, ugh). Now nearly 70K (and maybe that in just the last couple of minutes!).

      Huns are a truly powerful force, one to be reckoned with.

      (Sarah, please leave the campaign up – I was going to send a direct check, but looks like the middleman cut won’t make a significant difference now. Much easier to go through the GoFundMe, and I’m not sure how soon a check would get to you going through GoldPort.)

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  19. Of course I donated … as well as so many others. We love your writing and wisdom. I hope this relieves the stress and enables you to start relaxing and enjoying your new location.

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  20. Sarah is so stubborn she can’t ask for help … now lookit that thang go hahahahaha! Lots of love coming your way and well earned, so glad to see this happen! Many people are thanking The Power that we found your work and we are happy to help our friend.

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  22. Hope it helps. I’ve been rather impressed (from a distance) at the effectiveness of crowdfunding.

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  27. I donated as soon as I could earlier this afternoon, before it was even at 7k, and now it’s at 66k! I’ve enjoyed your writings on the blog, please keep them up!

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  28. I donated directly, as the go fund me kept telling me that they couldn’t confirm my identity.
    Had no trouble logging onto PayPal, so sent it from there.
    Thanks for all that you do, think, write, and inspire.
    I can sympathize, as we are in the midst of a similar mess.
    Preparing to sell a rental property recently come vacant, grrr renters, and getting our boat ready to sell, as my health / physical ability is no longer consistent with living aboard. :-(
    We are looking at relocating for our safety and sanity, and are considering Western S Carolina, Eastern Tennessee, North or East Texas, Arkansas, and Florida, though Florida has crazy high prices for what is available.

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  29. I dropped my dime in the tip jar but, checking out you’re ‘go f. me’, see you’ve already passed your goal so!

    Now go write somethin’ really good!

    Suspect that’s the only payback any would like.

    No pressure though, we’ll give you at least a week to write the trilogy of the century. -grin-

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        1. Which unless you’ve changed your mind again is now going by the title Odd Magics.
          You should have received my comments and the edited manuscript very late Saturday evening.
          And sweetie, it took me until nearly 70 to accept that everyone will at some point need a bit of help, even you and me.

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  33. Mrs. Hoyt,
    Having benefited (free of charge) from reading your opinions on current events for quite a while now, I’m grateful to Glen Reynolds for alerting me to your plight. Incidentally, you hold the distinction of being the first person I’ve ever felt compelled to donate to in a “go fund me” request. Thank you for your contributions, and I pray that this fundraiser allows you to continue with your valuable commentary in good health.

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  34. Sarah, I just put in $25 via the PayPal option (under my real name). Also, as we only arrived at OUR new-to-us home on Monday, I had to order stuff today for the house including kitchen islands, etc., and I made sure to log in via your website so you will get a bit more from me. ;-)

    I have enjoyed your blog for years, as well as many of your books and your contributions to instapundit. I’m more than happy to be able to contribute at least a small bit to your longevity both as a writer and as a fascinating American. ;-)

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  35. Please don’t be embarrassed. My wife and I never accepted help. Then after a rough patch and personal issues a counselor asked us if we would help others. We said sure. She said then why won’t you accept or ask for help. Do you think you are better than other people? An alarm went off, we were jerks.

    Take care Sarah, I love your posts on instapundit. We need more Americans like you. All the best and love from our family to yours may God help you through your trials.

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    1. :laughs:
      Well, not necessarily jerks, but there is a definite pride to it– though sometimes it’s more an unexamined assumption. It took my husband YEARS to realize that mine is roughly half a mix of “don’t want to be a burden/I can do it so I should/pride” and half “a lot of help is BAD help.

      Bad help often comes with strings. So you are actually pulled backwards, AND left owing for it.

      I know that MY help doesn’t have invisible strings(there is sometimes stated strings, part of making it helpful help), so it’s OK– but I don’t know what others are expecting and I don’t want to hurt again when I trust the wrong person to help.

      Hope this clicks with someone else reading in here so that they can *Allow* others to help them, again, too. It really is good to be ABLE to DO SOMETHING.

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      1. You hit on two of my big ones, actually, feeling like a burden if I need it (especially if the black dog is going full force) and feeling like I should be able to handle this either with what I have or just by doing more…something, which is where I am with my escape plan jitters.

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  36. May you rest easy now Sarah. The generosity of everyone here for all you do in keeping the Huns together as a family is certainly worth bailing you out. Please enjoy your life closer to sea level and sleep in peace tonight with one less worry on your mind.

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  38. Donated anonymously. Not nearly as much as your work is worth, but every little bit, I suppose. Congrats on exceeding your goal! Hope you can do worrying (about this issue) now.

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  42. Currently about to hit 82K. Have a nice Sally Field moment!

    (And I hope for your sake that you’re of a different mindset than I. I’d be tearing myself apart over a guilt that only existed in my own head. Remember, this is all freely given, with no expectations or strings attached, for work already performed.)

    Eh, you’re always welcome to use me for material, but only do so if it’s useful. (And a character being besieged by horny hedgehogs is nearly always an unnecessary distraction.)

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  44. Donated! (At least, I think I did. I’m in a hotel room with terrible wifi switching back and forth to my iPhone hotspot, and the web page threw an error and my name isn’t showing up on the list even though I got a receipt from Paypal.)

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        1. Now my advice for those who die
          (Taxman!)
          Declare the pennies on your eyes
          (Taxman!)
          Cause I’m the taxman
          Yeah, I’m the taxman

          Just sayin. Best way to add stress is to get this wrong. I don’t know what, if any, tax might be owed but you’d better get it right. Use a pro if you can.

          Even so, Gaudete! See what you’ve done for us and how many we are.

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            1. That’s what it seems to me too but she needs a pro. It’s real money and she’s not a member of the club and has to obey the rules. Better safe than sorry

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              1. For Federal purposes, gifts above a certain amount are considered taxable as income; not sure if they take the aggregate or treat each donation individually; definitely need to consult with an accountant familiar with both federal and state tax law and who is particularly familiar with this issue.

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            2. Which, ironically, is why she may not be able to follow any suggestions for “thanking” supporters beyond a note. Providing “something of value” after the donation is sent could move it from “gift” to “transaction”. Especially where the Lerners of the IRS are concerned.

              I echo your advice to consult a tax lawyer/accountant.

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            1. Especially now that the Democrats want to hire 80,000 more IRS agents.

              Where’s the appropriation for the 80,000 proctoscopes? :-o

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              1. Thankfully, America is a wondrous and expansive land, with more than enough space for 80,000 unmarked graves.

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        2. Do not feel overwhelmed. The sincerest form of flattery can be folded up and put in your wallet. We are very sincere in appreciating the value of your work.

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  45. Watching this reminds me of the ending scene in “Its a Wonderful Life”, when Jimmy Stewart returns home, to the outpouring of love from all his friends. That was fiction. This is real.

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  46. Working a show this weekend, putting in my now-redundant mite on Monday. God bless you for your never-say-die nature and the community you foster. <3

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  47. Dang! Over 90K in 14 hours. Some more evidence for something I’ve known for a while: Freedomistas will pull together and help a fellow traveler however they can.

    Good luck in your new home, Ms Hoyt.

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  48. I added my donation this morning, and gave a big “Huzzah!” to the amount. Like Presbypoet wrote, it’s like a real life “It’s a Wonderful Life.” Hear the bells ring!

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  49. Wow, almost doubled your goal at ~9:30am ET — and lookit all those donations that came in steadily through the 3 & 4am hours, who are those night owls? Presbypoet is right – this is our version of showering love on our beloved friend. I feel like a kid at Christmas, can only imagine how Sarah must feel :D

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      1. Or that have to get up in the unholy hours of the morning to start our work days, though I got mine in after work yesterday.

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  50. I did my small part to see if $100K can be reached.

    It’s like Christmas, without the Romanian Present! :)

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    1. Generally, gift taxes are paid by the giver. (that is, you don’t get to remove them from your income taxes)

      The only exceptions I can see are for higher amounts, and if she’s using something like H&R block’s tax prep guys, they’ll have folks who know how to handle Go Fund Me type drives.

      Liked by 1 person

  55. Sarah, I generally only read here, but today I just gotta post. Picturing you waking up with joy after so much dread is making me smile every few minutes. God bless.

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  57. Ended up sending through the cookie jar here rather than GoFundMe.

    GoFundMe demands that I give THEM a tip of at least 5% to donate through their site, and I have no desire to give them anything. The fact that they won’;t allow a transaction without being tipped, makes their charge a service fee/finance charge that frankly is patently illegal. They are demanding points on each transaction, and I frankly refuse to pay them the vig given that they have a nasty reputation for cancelling campaigns that support non-leftist ideology. Examples abound.

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    1. Also, suggestion-make sure you transfer the money raised to one of your own accounts before GFM decides that you are too politically incorrect and freezes it and prevents you from getting access to the money donated to you. They have done it before.

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    3. PayPal is just as left-wing, and has also made things…interesting for some conservatives. Why do so many geeks always seem to turn hard left as soon as they get some money? They reap the rewards of free(ish) markets and then want to impose communism on everybody else. Why? The poor make lousy customers — they don’t have any money!
      ———————————
      Candidate Joe Biden, August 2020: “We have assembled the most extensive, comprehensive and inclusive voter fraud organization in the history of American politics.”

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      1. Why do so many geeks always seem to turn hard left as soon as they get some money?

        I think they’re the ones who never got the “if you just change X” pressure in school.

        You probably know the dance– they give you friendly/not-actively-hostile attention, and you like it because you’re still human and it HURTS to be othered…and they have little suggestions. Praise certain things. Give you the worried, “why would you do that?” dance for some others.

        Cut you off from any other support, so you’re sort of cool, and there’s always one more thing that you need to change to be cool… and if you don’t, then you go from sort of cool, to NOT cool.

        Where you’re even more alone than you were when you started.

        Apparently it’s a known instinct-level tactic for narcissists, weaponing normal and healthy group relation tools for control.

        Good ‘tell’ is if stuff is always in one direction– or if it’s Evil for almost-cool to do a thing, but totally OK when Cool does it. (See: bullying, judging by race, etc.)

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      2. Also possible they DID get that pressure, but didn’t figure out the dance– it never tried to pull them over a line they Will Not Cross.

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      3. They are, but at least 1) I am not using a paypal account-they are just processing a credit card transaction, and 2) they are not charging me a separate fee/vig to do so.

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  58. Dropped a nickel in the jar before I read of the GFM. When I saw it, it was already headed for LEO. Great work, fans! Sarah’s Matched Pair of Fingers should be back to health in no time.

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    1. LEO? The way it’s going, it could reach geosync!

      And a little extra boost never hurts.

      Although if it keeps going, Sarah might have to buy another house! :-D

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  60. There are a lot of things money can’t buy, but when you need the things money *can* buy it’s good to have some. I’m glad to have contributed my mite, and hope you will receive a lot more.

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  62. Daily lurker here. Your writing encourages me and greatly contributes to my mental equilibrium. It is so wonderful to see the support you are getting. I hit your tip jar when you first posted about this. In thanksgiving for all your efforts to keep the light burning, the least we your fans could do, is to help you keep your lights on.

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  63. F’in’ Woot! I knew all would be well, because you’ve told us that for a long time. Thanks.

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  65. When I came across your Go Fund Me I thought for sure you were going to say the house has mold and you can’t afford to fix it. But you said it was the altitude. Before you move because you might think t that, have the house tested for mold! Mold causes those type of health issues. That maybe why the house was sold on short sale when you bought it. Definitely worth checking out. That could be why you felt better when you weren’t sleeping in the house. You breathing in mold can be very dangerous and affects everyone differently. Worth checking into before move. It maybe expensive to mediate but you won’t have to move.

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    1. THERE IS NO MOLD. It has been tested. And the problems have been worsening for 30 years, over …. 5 houses.

      PS_ DO YOU KNOW how difficult it is to have a mold problem in Colorado?

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      1. In that case, have the new place tested for mold. I have a suspicion you’re somewhere more humid, not that that would be terribly difficult compared to the High Plains.

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            1. Kids are not their parents. This being the only reason I could come up with to *want* to have kids (even if I didn’t), because nobody sane wants to be me. *grin* Sarah’s kids are definitely her kids, but the boys are not her. That would be very, very weird if they were…

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    2. Not Sarah’s issue, but something I’ve observed:

      For folks having “mold allergy” issues where nobody can FIND the mold, see if you can get tested for a pot allergy.

      The symptoms are the same, my husband spent YEARS in the Seattle blob having random “mold” flare-ups, until we figured out that it was always after the neighbors had smoke-signal parties. There were other events, too, since we were close enough to an area with a lot of shops that some cars would drive past and you’d stop and look around for the dead skunk.

      It tends to get worse, too, or maybe you just notice it better. He ended up proving it wasn’t all in his head to co-workers by having an allergic reaction to a storage container the dogs hit on, but none of the humans could smell anything.

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    3. FWIW, part of why she is a bit exasperated is because some people… cough, cough, me… nagged her quite ragged about mold, CO2, “check your thyroid meds,” etc.

      And she spent a few years saying “look, auto-immune, THERE IS NOTHING THAT CAN POSSIBLY FIX IT-” and then smacked into 1) it got better at lower elevation, and 2) the doctors she mentioned this to all went “well, yes, of course. Did you know?”

      So she’s all like “THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN NICE TO HEAR ABOUT BEFORE I FIGURED IT OUT MYSELF!!!”

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  66. Is the old PO Box still working? Or does the GoFundMe site need to have the donations registered there Because Reasons (none of my business and I do not care – just don’t want to throw sand in the gears).

    Either way the subscription to AtH blog (Excellent value! Would subscribe again!) will be en route shortly.

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  67. N.B. Young Sarah looks just like my daughter. And last week ago I tried to put her hair up in that style for her 1905 gentlewoman explorer costume! And yes, I *had* forgotten all about Leia, as her first comment was: “Are you nuts, mom?”

    Heh.

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  69. My comment on the GFM page when donating:
    Sarah’s blog, thoughts and perspectives have created a community that I value highly. She has helped me make it through some difficult times. Her fiction has also been an important entertainment and diversion when drastically needed. Thank you

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