Through my life’s journey my daily grind has varied greatly – the early years consisted of giving pony and cart rides at the zoo, waitressing at a jewish synagogue catering hall , scrapping soap at a factory and loading customers trucks with feed sacks, shavings bags and bales of hay while attending college locally. Then I sat at a desk managing real estate papers in a law firm, and for a while I had a windowless office in the export division of a large company that shall not be named. The windowless thing was torturous for this outdoors loving girl. When my kids were older I had an artisan shop with a partner for a few years and that was a big learning experience as well as a lot of fun and creativity. All those jobs had some good qualities and I learned valuable skills, worked with good people. Nothing was more fulfilling than my stay-at-home-mom years, though, and with this empty nest we now live in, I’ve pondered going back to work in some capacity full time. With a hearing impairment, my options are limited.
Truth be told, I’m finding this mostly home part time editorial position nudged in among my farm/home/garden chores suits me just fine. I’m not longing to go back to a daily grind that is not my manure hauling gator ride to the back field after mucking stalls. I’m liking my morning commute , sometimes in my Pajama pants, from the porch to the chicken coop to the barn to the garden and back in to clean up and get on with the rest of the day. For a while I toyed with the notion that I might be missing out big time by not pursuing -the next big thing-. I felt guilty that I had the option to not pursue it. I believe I’ve decided.. the next big thing is the very thing I’m in the middle of, enjoying at this very moment… and there’s not a darn thing wrong with that. You know that song by The Eagles, Don Henley – Learn to be Still -? I’ve always felt a connection to it, like it was explaining something I needed to figure out.
And you know? I think I’ve finally figured it out – where I belong is where I am right now, doing what I’m doing, with the people I love most. What a glorious feeling, to be grounded and satisfied in the here and now. I hope you are in that same place wherever your life path has taken you, or are on your way there.
My GOT Flock (Arya, Sansa, Summer, Snow, Daeynerys, Cersei, Melisandra) have all been set free into the older flock and all is well. Amazing how fast they grow, isn’t it? You can tell the new from the old, as the GOT girls are slightly smaller. The coop yard has gotten a new layer of fresh clean sand, too.
We’ve begun haying the fields – allergies be damned! And Damn – they’re awful. Is it me or is this a bad year for allergy sufferers?
After coop and barn chores were done this morning I ran errands around town and then drove down to Stella to mow her lawn. That’s where the pollen caught up to me and I’ve felt like a slug ever since.
Every rose has it’s thorn, right? Small price to pay for a daily grind I love.
Completely different subject to leave you with – have you given a listen to Pete Buttigieg yet? I am really encouraged by what he has to say. Gives me hope for this country.
Till soon –
your life looks perfect to me from reading your posts. I am glad you figured out you are loving your next big moment in life… I can feel your contentment in the way your write and to me that is most important… I would love to drive all or any of your ‘fleet’. Florida has allergie stuff year round. I feel your pain
I’m interested, what are the biggest Florida allergy triggers?
Love your chicken tribe! They look so happy — and rather productive, too!
I know what you mean about working at home. The best part of post-surgical recovery was being able to work from home. I got more done in less time because of no interruptions and I could do it early or late or in-between. That sounds like a perfect job!
Indeed, Jeanie…
and perhaps it’s time for a small chicken tribe of your own? If you’re an animal person, they are truly so easy to care for.
It is great that you know that you are doing what is right for you. Many would not be able to see or appreciate that. It is a wonderful thing to be able to enjoy the moment and “be here now.” And you know that I would add, start entering some of your wonderful photographs in contests and at local shows for sale. And start with this summer’s Stony Creek contest then move on to your Artisan Market in September. Just sayin’. Mom
Ask me how much I love my mom 🙂
I agree with “MOM” – you’re so very talented Karen; your photo’s are always beautiful! 🙂
xoxo
It’s wonderful to be happy in your own skin and where you are. It’s a true gift to be appreciated. I pretty much feel the same way and I’m grateful. Nobody’s life is perfect but you make the most of what you have.
Amen.
Glad I found your new home! lol Took me a while though to figure out where to leave a comment. Congrats on making the move–although I might miss your “old home” for a while! lol
Nice to see that the chickies are all compatible and getting along and laying,I see.
Sometimes what we think we want is really not what WE want but an expectation put on us by others. I retired early 7 years ago but really missed working. I am back at work full time with my son and loving it. I gave him a two year commitment and I think I might really be ready to retire by then. lol At least from a daily job.
Have a wonderful night, Karen. Hope you are loving Stella so far this summer. xo Diana
I hope all is well in your world, Diana – I bet I’ve missed a few place settings – need to head over to check out your space 🙂
Your pictures are all so beautiful!
Pete Buttigieg? Very impressive. I have actually been practicing his name…President Buttigieg! lol. In truth, he is so very perfect, that I am worried. Not that he isn’t true blue…I worry that someone will attempt to drum up untruths about him, which I heard has already happened. I am hoping his enemies don’t take him seriously and simply cast him as that “gay guy that America is not ready for”. That would be a big mistake. He is articulate, intelligent, a war hero, speaks several languages and recently learned to sign. He keeps his cool when attacked. There is so much to like about him. The exact opposite of 45.
The thinking is that only Joe Biden can beat 45…I am not so sure. Sorry to say, I really don’t want Bernie Sanders. Right now the field is loaded with players…I am going to cop a wait and see attitude. But I won’t be taking my eyes off of Pete. 🙂
Rockport was nice although a little commercial. I did get my fill of lobster, chowder and clams…a lobster roll too! Yum! The 8 hour one way drive was a bit crazy, but at least I got to breathe the invigorating salty sea air!
Cheryl I’m right there with you on all of that. I don’t think Biden can beat 45, too many people see him as old regime. Period. I think Pete has all the right ingredients to make a fine President, one who can pull us out of the clusterf*ck we currently exist in. As for America not being ready for a gay guy – I don’t recognize what America has become. So I hope there are enough rational sane people out there who care enough not to vote for the Orange Scream again.
Hello, it feels good to love your life. After working 40 plus years, I am very happy to be retired and do what ever I feel like doing. I would love to live on a farm for maybe a month just to see what it is like with the chickens, horses and other critters. I will vote for anyone who is running against # 45. He needs to go! Lovely photos, enjoy your day. Have a great week ahead.
After 15 years of working from home, there is nothing I want more than to put on a power suit and go to an office. Where nobody will interrupt me to ask about laundry or what’s in the fridge or other things they should deal with themselves.
There should be options for all people, though, in all circumstances. Mostly I think people should work less. Period. So no more garbage about men or women or married or single people being more or less dedicated. Just do your job and get the heck out of there. If it takes more than the allotted hours, then either (A) you are incompetent or (B) your manager is incompetent for not accurately assessing the time needed. No more judging dating vs. picking up the kids from day care. Just give people a living wage and time for their lives. Easy to say: I live in France.
As for Mayor Pete, I have the same reaction as with Biden, Bernie and, above all, Beto (actually above all, all the other white males nobody has ever heard of): Why? Why another white male? What makes YOU special? Being gay, for Mayor Pete, is a plus, but it isn’t enough. None of them except Biden has done as much as, say, Elizabeth Warren. White male privilege. I love Mayor Pete, but … he’s a MAYOR. Only a guy would say, good enough! And Biden….it’s like with Nancy Pelosi. Why don’t you work on cultivating the next generation instead of undermining them? Obviously I would vote for Biden or Bernie or Beto or Buttigieg over an idiot, but I would prefer to vote for somebody different, who represents the other HALF of America.
I’m laughing out loud at the first sentences – you’re right about the interruptions! And I agree with you on most of what you just said up there. Absolutely. Elizabeth Warren has an impressive track record, she has some sound ideas, she’s trying to solve problems, – and she wouldn’t be an unfit President such as the Orange Scream… but she’s shrill at times and has made some bold mistakes in my opinion and… she’s the old regime. She will not get elected, I’m pretty confident of that. I’m thinking the same thing of Biden, although I like him… liked. I feel he’s past his prime time to run, and won’t win. Again, we can’t forget all those voters who were real tired of the old regime. They gave us Trump. They will hand us Trump again if we don’t make the right choice. I’m not going to shoot down “another white male” just because he’s white and male and yes, gay. That’s another form of prejudice. When I listen to Mayor Pete, I hear the respect, the decency, the ideas that are the making of a great community, a great nation. That he’s “only a mayor” and a young one at that, does not deter me. We have a reality TV star crooked businessman in office right now, and Barack Obama didn’t have much more experience himself. With Mayor Pete I hear hope for the next generation, he’s calling out to them to stand up and take action. He is saying point blank – it’s time for something new. I was looking at the women in the field.. but I won’t choose one just because she’s a woman, I want to like the message, I want to feel she has a chance. What makes Pete special to me is all of the above things that come across when he speaks, I like where he stands on most issues, I like his approach to the mess we have before us. I hope I get to vote for him.
Elizabeth Warren is not the old regime in that she had an impressive life before politics. I do think Sanders and especially Biden have passed their due date. We need new blood, energy, and people with more of a stake in the future. Right now I am leaning to a Warren/Buttigieg (Spelling?) ticket and in either order. But November 2020 is a long way off and anything can happen between now and then. Karen’s mom