Christmas is bittersweet

Here we are at a holiday time again, this time Christmas. Christmas time for me, as I am sure it is for a lot of people is bittersweet. It is a wonderful and joyous time of year, full of love, sharing, caring and giving. (Which by the way, I think the whole year should be more like Christmas in our thoughts, words and actions!!) But it is also a time of sadness for me. Sadness because I think of loved ones that are no longer here with us, and I just miss them. I think of times past when they were here and the laughter we shared, and the love that we all felt. I know for a fact that my loved ones are in Heaven, which provides comfort, but doesn't change the fact that I still miss them. I don't think you ever get over the loss of someone that you love, I think that you get through it, you learn to deal with it and you learn to carry on with your life without them here.

I know I am not the only one with these feelings, I just wanted to share with you in case you think you are the only one that feels sadness at this time of year. You are NOT alone!!!

My wish for all of you is that you have family to share this time of year with, that you find joy in the small things. I urge you to tell those you love that you do indeed love them and that you cherish the time you spend with them. This life is fleeting, we are here just a short time, in the grand scheme of things, so don't take your loved one for granted.

To those of you that know someone that is truly alone - that has no one to 'go home to' - Please, Please share your home with them. You never know how much it can mean to them to know that you took time to welcome them into your home. If you don't want to do that, go by a nursing home or hospital and spend a little time with those that can't go anywhere. (By the way, on this item, I need to take my own advice!!!)

To those of you that are alone or can't get to the loved ones you have. Do something that will be of service to someone else that is alone. Spend time helping the homeless, in a nursing home, or start your own holiday tradition inviting others that are alone to your home.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all!!!

I knew this would happen.........

Well, I knew this would happen. I would start a blog, then get busy with life and not write.....So here we are 5 1/2 months after my last post. But you know how it is, LIFE just happens. Then when you have time to write you don't feel like it and when you don't have time to write you want to real bad!! Oh well.......

I am under no illusions here - I am about 100% sure that no one reads my blog, but I didn't start it because I wanted tons of followers. I started it so that at some point my children and grandchildern will read some of the things I learned in my life on this earth and maybe, just maybe learn something too.

Holiday

Today is July 4th. I want to thank all of the veterns past, present and future who fight the good and hard fight to keep our freedom. They put their lives on the line for us without reservation, for that my words don't seem like much but they come from the heart.
3 years ago tomorrow, July 5th, I picked up my horse, Ladybug. She had been tied to a tree without food and water for at least 6 weeks. Someone rescued her from that horrible life and had been feeding and taking care of her for about 6 weeks. This person did not have the room for her and wanted Ladybug to have a good home. My wonderful son-in-law knew that she needed a home, so off we went to see her and bring her home. I love my horse, she is not what I would have picked, but she is what I needed. I always wanted a paint horse........but I found that sometimes you don't choose your animals, they choose you. Ladybug is healthy (fat), lazy and happy now and I love her. I don't work with her or ride her hardly at all, but I think I will get there. I had to get comforatable around horses again - it had been way too many years since I had been around them on a regular basis. I have been riding a friends horse for a while now and can tell that I am becoming more and more comforatable on the back of one. So now I feel like it is time to start working with MY horse and get her in shape.
So today, 3 years later we went to get a horse trailer. It is old, but it is a slant load, bumper pull, with a tack room and a seperate dressing room. It is just what I need and was a very good price. I am excited about having my own trailer. It has some rust spots and needs a little work, but all in all it is in very good shape. Now I need to learn to tow things again - once again something that I used to do but haven't done in way too many years to mention.
So as I reflect back on the past since I have been here it seems that for me things happen during this particular holiday week.
I will write later and tell you about the vacation we took last week - what a week. Let's just say for now that I had to go back to work to have a vacation...........

Being Grateful

Ok, I did not learn to be grateful after I moved to the country. This is a lesson that I have been learning all my life, I think most people learn this all their lives. And I think that sometimes we forget what and who we have in our lives and we forget to be grateful.
I have a german sheperd dog who is now 8 1/2 years old. This dog was never supposed to be my dog. She was my son's dog. I did not bond with her when she was a small puppy for that reason - not my dog. When she was about 6 months old my son was very busy with school, work and friends and I did not like leaving her in the kennel so.......you guessed it.......I feel in love with her! When my son moved out of the house I told him he had to leave the dog...and so she has been my dog for the last 8 years. I know that most people will tell you that their dog is a good dog, but when I tell you she is a good dog it is the truth......every person that has ever been to my house will tell you the same thing. She doesn't even attempt to bite, she wants love and attention from almost everyone. She is very well behaved. Don't get me wrong she has her moments when she doesn't listen, but those are rare. When we moved to the country she had to learn a lot of new things, like staying in the yard with no fence, that other dogs come into her yard, that there are cars that drive fast down a dirt road, and that there are other animals that now live here with her......like horses......now to the real point of this post.
Every day, twice a day for the last 3 years she goes to the barn with me to feed the horses. Since she is a hearding dog and it is in her nature, she barks at them to go into their stalls. She has had near misses with being kicked or stepped on, but no contact has been made until earlier this week. One of the horses made contact with her face....I did not see it, I heard it, and the heard her yelp and then saw the blood. I am not going to go into a lot of detail here, because some of it is kind of gross. Anyway I took her to the vet, he performed surgery on her. He took out two large pieces of her skull directly over her eyes. Her brain was not exposed, just her sinus cavity. He stitched her back up and wanted to keep her for a couple of days. It was really gross to watch the surgery, but I had to be there for her. It was so VERY hard to leave her, and the remainder of the day was a very hard day, as it was truly touch and go for her. She is home now and is doing fine. She is no longer allowed to go to the barn and no longer allowed to play rough. So this is a new phase of her life we are entering, but she is still here and I am forever grateful (to the Vet, but mainly to God)!!!
While this story is about a dog, the lesson is universal. Be grateful and thankful for the people and animals in your life. If you have people or animals that you love, show them and tell them everyday, because you just never know when they will no longer be with you. This post is in memory of some people and animals that have come and gone in my life: Granny, Taw, Dad, Chris H, Nick S, Tommy C, Major, Gizmo, Herbie. I am grateful for those that are still here: Mom, Stephanie, Keelee Jo, Jerry, Aunt Lois, Joe, Jason, Cindy, Crystal, Riley, Ladybug.....there are many others that I include in my prayers every day, but these are the most important.

Things Happen

Just when you think all is running smoothly.........stuff happens! Most of the time it is minor stuff and you just handle it and move on. Occasionally you have some major stuff happen, but still you handle it the best you know how at that given time and move on. Hopefully you learn from most or all of the situations that God gives you so that the next time you are more prepared.
So on with today's post.......
About a week ago I noticed that Ladybug's ear (that is my mare's name) was kind of crusty looking. So I reached up to see if I could clean some of it off or figure out where it was coming from and just as I did she jerked......big time. So I knew something was up.....DUH!!!! I asked Jason to check on it Monday morning when he was here feeding, he called to tell me that half her face was swollen - WHAT??? WOW!!!!
I asked Stephanie if Joe could come look at it that afternoon. He did - he told me that she has a bad infection, probably from a tick (YUCK - can't stand those things!!) and that I needed to get penicillin and give her shots for at least 10 days. Well......I have never given a shot to anything, so how on earth was I going to do this? I was really hoping that Stephanie, Joe, Jason - someone - was going to come over every day and give the shots......but NO - they were all planing on being out of town in just a few days, so it would just be me - at this point I knew that I had to grow up and stop being a baby and learn!
Stephanie and I ran to TSC got the penicillin and the right size syringes, I already had needles. We came back and she showed me how to give a horse a shot. (Thought - as long as it is not in the vein I am ok.......) So I have learned that while I was upset and didn't know what I was going to do about giving her shots for 10 days, that I can deal with this too.
Here we are 10 days later. I have given her the shots and she is much better. Her ear is still crusty but no longer swollen - Thank Goodness!!
Things happen, you deal with them and you move on.......hopefully learning along the way. And you thank God for getting you through it.

Patience!!

I think one of the first things I learned about moving to the country and being a land owner is that there is always something to do. I know that everyone has a list of 'honey do's'.......but this is completely different. Besides the normal things that you have to do as a home owner (cutting grass, home maintenance, etc.) there is a list about 20 times longer that never goes away. Things like fence repair, cutting down trees (and then cleaning that up), burn piles that have to be burned. There is always something that needs to be cleaned up, wether it is trash that has blown into your yard from somewhere or your trash that has been turned over by who knows what kind of night creature. And of course there are the improvements to your property, like building decks, planting a garden, landscaping changes. I could literally list things for pages and pages. Gettting these things done does not happen overnight, especially if you use the friend system. Not only do you have to be subject to their schedule, but 'life happens' so when they are ready to help you you might have something come up and can't do it then, and vise versa..........so you either have to have or develop patience. I could not be here and have the place I have without family and friends..........and I am eternally greatful to all of them. They truely are the best!!

A little History

I am going to start a blog. I have friends that do this and I have thought about doing this for several years.....so here goes. I hope it is not boring and I hope that it helps some people along the way. The main purpose of this blog will be to tell you what it is like to grow up as a city girl, but deep down I always thinking I was a country girl. This blog will tell you some of the lessons I have learned along the way.
First a little history.......I grew up in a somewhat large southern city but was never really a city girly-girl. I was always the tom boy. I have a boys name, so I am sure that is part of why I was a tom boy - I had to learn to defend myself when people made fun of me. When I was growing up most of my family lived in Arkansas in the country. None of them had a lot of land, but they all lived in small towns with no red lights and everyone knew everyone. I always loved that feeling...........and no matter how many people you know you do NOT get that in the city. I would spend most of my summers with the family in the 'country'. I always loved it and even though I liked going home to my mom and my friends I wanted to stay and live in those small towns that I would visit.
Fast forward to college..........When I graduated from high school I was determined to go to Arkansas to college to have that small town feel. I decided on Arkansas State in Jonesboro. My best friend from high school came along with me and was my roommate which made everything great because I had already had a friend in a strange town. I loved it there and stayed 3 years. But as with my generation I met a man, fell in love, and decided to get married without regard to what we were going to do about jobs and money. So back home I went to my mom. She helped us out tremendously!!! And we wouldn't have made it that first year (and many years after) without her help and support. So there I was back in the city again and really missing the slower life of small town. But life happens, jobs happen, babies come.........years pass. I would not change any of that time but I still longed for small town life.
Fast forward again, many more years this time..............My daughter graduates from high school and goes to (guess where??), yep Arkansas State. Then 8 years later (she met a great guy, graduated, and got married and stayed in Jonesboro) she tells me she is going to have a baby - my grandchild!!!!! Well I put my house in the city on the market applied for a job where I could work from home and within 4 months had moved to the country - I just HAD to be close to my grandchild, there was no two ways about it.
I have been here 4 1/2 years and would not change a thing........I LOVE it here...........