Friday, November 23, 2012

Full of Thanks

I just popped into this blog and realized it's been 5 months since I bothered to post anything. I've been busy adjusting to my new job and a different schedule in my life. I'm not someone who is good at multi-tasking. More of a one goal at a time type. I think I multi-tasked so much when my sons were growing up, as all mothers do, I lost the ability when I didn't have to do it anymore. OR, I just choose to slow things down. Probably the latter.

The new job at the library has been good for me in many ways. I'm so thankful the library decided to take a chance on me again. Quite a few people are still there from when I worked the last time, '01-'04, and they've all been very welcoming. It's felt like I never left, which is a good feeling. I thoroughly enjoy the Local History Department. We're quite a bit slower than the other sections of the library but we always have projects to work on. Currently, my two ongoing projects are Indexing the 1941 obituaries from our local news paper and transcribing an 1874 diary. On a daily basis we do research requests and help people locate resources for their genealogy work. We have quite a collection of resources to work with which is unusual for a small town library. I recently did research for a writer  working on an article about a local aviator pilot who died in WWI. 

The animals adjusted to their new schedules, as I figured they would. Nina, the German Shepherd we acquired back in March, is maturing. The horses deal with their lack of lunch on the days I have to work. I throw out more hay or add the hay pellets. I've figured out a plan for the cat. If it's raining he stays in his room with all his food, water and litter supplies. If it's to be sunny, and not too cold, he goes out. Buddy is 10 years old so I try to keep the old man comfortable. Maggie, the Blue Heeler-mix, got a new igloo doghouse which she absolutely loves. I can tell because on the cold mornings she barely peeks her nose out. Lucy, the beagle-mix, just enjoys being Lucy and is happy with her barn-like doghouse. On cold mornings, I can barely see her eyes peeking out over the abundant straw bedding.

Today, the day after Thanksgiving, I give thanks for all the blessings in my life, and I do have many.

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Changes come in threes....

My mom always said good and bad comes in threes.Whenever something bad happens, she could always find two more things that followed. When good things happened, sure enough, three in a row. Funny, over the years, I've noticed it does seem like this little superstition is true a good deal of the time.


This past week, my life changed and it wasn't something I'd actually been planning, it's one of those things that basically fell into my lap. Serendipity, in my opinion. An opportunity the Universe is giving me that I can't ignore. I'm going back to work after a period of five years of not working out there in the world. Though a part-time position, it will be a big change here on the home-front.


With this good news brings a variety of concerns, mostly about my animals, two horses, two outside dogs, our new pup, and the cat. I've been here at home looking after the horses, dogs and cat for a long time now. My horses are in a routine, granted, it's a routine of basic eating times, but nonetheless a routine. The new pup is now five months old. I'll be gone for longer periods of time four days a week.She seems fine with her times in the crate. Eventually, when she's more mature in her ways, she'll have the run of the house, until then, she goes to her "den" (the crate) when I'm gone for longer than fifteen minutes. 

We're still having issues with the pup chasing Buddy, the old cat. How am I going to work this out? Buddy inside in our bedroom with the door closed, or outside where he can roam? We live out in the country. Buddy stays around the house or over around our garage/barn area. Buddy became an indoor/outdoor cat by accident. When his sister died, I started letting him come inside. They'd lived out around the garage/barn area in the upstairs at night. Since Buddy was used to being outside, but also did well inside, I decided to let him go in and out. Now, I don't believe that was such a good idea. I know one thing, any other cats we have will be strictly in or out, no more in and out. 

I'm concerned about the horse's feeding schedule, mainly the afternoon "snack" of hay pellets. I started feeding supplemental hay pellets to help stretch my hay supply. I can't really put extra hay out because these two chow hound horses will just eat it down in no time. I don't have anyone to come and feed. Guess the guys will just have to deal with the changes in their routine. I suppose they'll all adjust one way or another. Animals are more resilient than people. 

I remind myself that I won't be gone every day since I'll only be working four days a week with Sunday always a day off, and holidays too. I'm working in the History Department at our local public library. I was a branch manager with this library system eight years ago, then felt I needed to resign to help my mom take care of my dad who's health was declining. That was my last full time position. Over the years I've worked 8-5 and I've also worked 12 hour rotating shifts when I was a lab tech in the '90's. From '04-'07, I worked mornings, part time, at the horseback riding stables five mornings a week and then programs on Saturdays. So this new position should be a piece of cake. I'm hoping...at fifty-one, it's probably a good thing Serendipity visited one more time. As we get older, women know how hard it gets to be taken seriously in the work world. Just my opinion.


The other change is that Hubby's job is going a different direction. He's happy but I'm a little apprehensive. There my be a schedule change for him. There may be training trips involved. The last time he had training trips, my sons still lived here on our little farm with us. Now, it's just the two of us and I know I appreciate his help with the horse chores in the evenings. We really won't know much about this change for a few months, or, as sometimes happen where he works, could be next week. 


Those are two major changes in our lives in the past two weeks. Waiting for a third and honestly, I hope it involves our oldest son. He's been finishing up his master's degree and looking for a job...he could use a break and a good change in that part of his life.


You can avoid having ulcers by adapting to the situation:  If you fall in the mud puddle, check your pockets for fish.  ~Author Unknown