Shame On Me!

It's been nearly a YEAR since I hit up my blog?  I'm blushing in shame.

In my defense, a LOT has happened this year!  Let me outline the highlights.

• We moved in December of 2010 (to a place that turned out not to be great.)
• We got two dogs from the shelter (they're still happy!)
• We bartered for a goat in milk (she's still in milk)
• We bartered for a mess of chickens (they are JUST starting to lay for me) AND we hatched some from our original three that were given to us when we moved in
• I did a lot of building around the place (fences, shelters, movable pens, milking stanchions)
• We had a huge garden/labor of love which all died in the drought (oh so sad!)
• I stayed sick at that house a LOT (combination of putrid cat urine permeating the house and tension due to the owner's daughter who lived across the street and made my life tense)
• I bought two goats for fiber and was given a rabbit for the same
• I moved again (to a place that is turning out to be absolutely lovely)
• I started school (more pre-reqs toward a degree, some of it online, some on campus)
• I got a job outside the home (care-taking)
• And I started getting counseling.

Now, am I forgiven?  Because that is  A LOT of goings-on!

I promise to update you more as to specifics on nearly all of it if you're interested... just now I have to go do chores!
Ciao!

Gratitude Day Ten

I'm bound-n-determined to be grateful for 30 consecutive days whether I feel like it or NOT!

LOL

Today I am grateful I didn't have to spend all day in pain like I spent all last night. I went to bed with a headache, which rapidly turned into a migraine, and I was unable to pinpoint its cause.  In the night I got up and took some Excedrin Migraine and two Aleve thinking that if my neck muscles could relax I'd be feeling better, and in the night my head somehow began to feel better. All day today I have felt as though I'm on the verge of a headache, though not like it was last night. Plus I've been super tired... could it be from taking two Aleve at some early hour of the morning? Very possible.  I get really tired when I take Aleve or Benadryl.

I took the day off. Normally I would push myself to do things I know I should do, such as finish cleaning up the apartment and repaint those walls... but I was just so exhausted from the move, the stress, the concern over money, that I just could hardly move. I took the day off.  Tomorrow, however, will be another thing entirely.  I have to get back over there and finish cleaning so that I can paint so that I can get (hopefully) our deposit back!

It's the only time in... YEARS that I have stayed my entire length of the contract, given appropriate notice and left the place clean and tidy. Now normally, I do leave a place clean and tidy, but I don't always stay as long as I think I will, and I certainly don't always give notice... I really believe my gypsy lifestyle has a lot to do with being bi-polar. Not an excuse; just sayin'.

So this time I did, and I'm very content within myself that I did what I was supposed to do, and that makes me feel good inside.  Now, to get on with really stretching out and living, in our new lovely home!!

Gratitude Day Nine

I skipped a couple days. Actually, I didn't so much skip, as miss.  I missed a couple days... BUT in my defense, I didn't actually have internet during those days because we were moving!

Now Ruby Lane Farm has a home! And for this I am grateful!!!
:D

I'm grateful for the additional SPACE we have here!
I'm grateful for the animal pens that are already in place here!
I'm grateful for the cats that already live here because it means we do not have a pet deposit, but there are pets available to us!
I'm grateful that Timmy is already settled in and seems so happy to be here!

All this and much more!
:)

So, as you can see, no shortage of gratitude here!
Happy Holidays!
Rebecca

Gratitude Day Two

Today my depression lifted. It's not because of anything anyone said or did or anything I did or thought...I think it might be as simple as a change in the weather. I didn't know a Northern was blowing in, although I knew the forecast called for somewhat lowered temps...from 82*F to about 78*F...it's 55*F now, though!

I love the cooler weather. Even rainy, I love it because it's cooler. I don't even mind rain, a lot or a little, as long as it's not humid after. Hot and humid is the norm here and we've had a long hot summer.  Even with the onset of fall we've had only two small breaks in the heat, so for this I am grateful.

Grateful for the weather change, and grateful for the lift of depression. These two things combined make me feel energetic and joyous. I have all kinds of craft and sewing and decorating ideas cluttering my thoughts, each vying for more attention than the next thought coming even more quickly on its heels. If I am slipping into mania, it's not full blown, it's only mild, and if indeed it is mania, we'll see a certain rush of activity that cannot even be stemmed by simple exhaustion.

Excellent timing, in fact, since we are now counting down to move day.  Six days to go!

Gratitude Journal

Hello, faithful follower(s)! (I only know of one follower...thus the (s):)

Today I am beginning my gratitude journal that I will attempt to keep for one month. Shouldn't be hard to do. I could write a whole list of things right now for which I am truly grateful!

But because it is an exercise for a Mary Jane's Farmgirls badge, I will be doing this as per the instructions which read thusly:

Earning Farmgirl Sisterhood Merit Badges

Each Other

9. Farmgirl Gratitude

Beginner Level

• Write a gratitude journal every day for a month. Don’t repeat the same gratitude more than once to qualify for this merit badge.

Yesterday I spent all day in a spin-down. It was terrible. An emotional jag like that can leave a person feeling hung-over the next day, but not so for me today.  I woke up in the night throwing up. That'll get your attention.  And for some odd reason I feel better today than I did before the whole crying my eyes out hating the world feeling absolutely destitute for no real reason.

Weird how that works. I'm going to cheat a little on my gratitude journal and say I am grateful for tv, yesterday, because it gave me one small connection to the world around me when I was completely unable to reach out to anyone in my real world. I left that thing running except for when I finally drifted off to sleep, and I don't remember anything I watched but it kept me from thinking of ways to wreak havoc, and that, my dear follower(s), is a good thing.

So today's gratitude:

I am grateful I am moving. On December first we plan to move out of this dreadful little apartment and into a three bedroom (mobile) home, complete with an acre yard, and livestock pens already built out back.  This morning I got new upstairs neighbors.  Need I say more?