80 Acres: Blog? what blog?

It's been 5 months since I've blogged. A lot has happened in my life in that 5 months. I've got a new job, I have a new friend who feels like the sister I never had. I have a garage. I have 4 gold medals and 2 silver medals. Lots of blessings in my life. Small things and large that I am grateful for.

I was working with physically and mentally disabled adults at a place that teaches them job skills. I really didn't see much of a variety of skills, but the few jobs our people did, they were happy doing. For the most part. They enjoyed coming to work. They enjoyed earning their paychecks. They enjoyed the bean bag game in the communication class. I enjoyed working with our clients. For the most part. I didn't enjoy getting pooped on or beat up. In every life a little rain must fall, must happen in every job too.

I interviewed and got a job working in my chosen field at an Assisted Living. I love it there. To round out my hours so I have benefits I work a 12 1/2 hour night shift every other week in the nursing home run by the same company. Since I work 2 or 3 shifts a month in the nursing home, every time I go to work there is an adventure. There is always something new, or someone new. And the worst that can happen to me, has already happened. One gentleman decided he didn't want the medication I had just given him and he spit them into my face and swore at me. (I sure am glad I wear glasses.) And I've been pooped on. The tenants in the Assisted Living are like an extended family. They are such wonderful loving people. When I get up in the morning to go to work, I am eager. And not just for the cookies always sitting out. I am eager to be of use. I am eager to make a difference. I am eager to show love and bring joy to those I work with. I am even eager to do all the paperwork and phone calls that are part of a nurse's day. To find an outside job that is a joy and not work is absolutely wonderful!

And with my new job I have found my sister I never knew I had. We don't share parentage, or blood, or history. We share the love we feel for our tenants at work and we share the love of animals- horses and dogs in particular. E. had never lived on a farm and had always ridden horses in an arena. The first time I took her riding I nearly lost her in the trees. I've since gone out and cut the low hanging branches that threatened to sweep her off of Roy's back. E. has a piece of land her dad has given to her that she wants to eventually live on with her own horse and dog. So she and Hector come to my place and help me build fences.

I feel like Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn watching her dig those post holes while I smile and say how much fun we're having! She's learning how to put up a proper fence and we're both getting a lot of exercise to boot! And the horses will be so happy when we turn them out to graze in my newly fenced off yard. I'll be happy not to have to mow the lawn so much anymore.

Tomorrow E. and Hector are coming over and we'll grill our lunch outside and enjoy the sunny weather before it turns too cold to be out for very long. And then we'll get our exercise digging more post holes to get the last pasture secure. And if it rains, we'll sit in my new garage and have our picnic and still go out and dig those post holes afterwards. I am so blessed to have a friend like E.

Curious about the gold and silver medals? I hesitate to put up a picture of myself wearing them, because I don't like people to see me in a swim suit. My mother, who is in her mid- 80's, talked me into competing in the Silver Games held in Missouri where she lives. Mom competed there last year on a whim and won gold medals in every event she entered- swimming. So this year we both competed. Mom won 8 gold medals swimming and I won 4 gold and 2 silver medals in my first ever swim competition. It was exhilarating and exhausting. I think I want to do it again next year! I also went to my High School Reunion. It was wonderful meeting up with classmates I graduated with and haven't seen in 39 years. I renewed old friendships and made new ones. Those 'kids' had some influence on who I am now. It was wonderful to see how we all had grown and matured and aged and have become better people.

The leaves have turned bright colors and have fallen off the trees. The pines are shedding the old brown needles while retaining the vibrant green needles. The geese have already filled the sky with the sound of their honking and have fled south. The deer are venturing out onto the roads making driving hazardous. Soon deer hunters in their blaze orange with be tramping through the woods and the deer will find some hidden spot- away from the roads I hope- to hide from the hunters. Many deer with be tagged and tied to car roofs and truck beds and taken south to the Cities. And more will be wrapped in tidy white packages and stacked in freezers to nourish us through the winter. That's the way life is in the country.