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...........