Greetings to all! Phew, what a week it has been! I was reading back on some previous blog posts just to make certain of where I left off, and it made me realize how quickly this month has gone by. It also made me realize that we have been at the mercy of the weather this whole month of February so far. It started with a wind storm that lasted several days, which turned into a snow storm that lasted for days. Then we had a few teaser days of sun as the snow melted and brought forth small streams throughout the property and plenty of mud appeared back on the surface for our feet to sink into. (Somewhere out there, a sock was sacrificed to the suction but the boot made it out alive!)
We also had a few monsoon-like showers to add to the snow melt and last night and today we experienced de ja vu from another wind storm that has been every bit as powerful as the last one was, and it too, brought huge snow flakes with it that thankfully did not stick for long.
I am ready for spring. Actually, I am convinced that I have never been more ready for spring in all my life! Plus, our outside animals need a break. They have food, shelter, water, and all that they need but they still would relish in some glorious sun and dry ground. Today was the first day in WEEKS that I was able to allow the pony to go out to pasture with the horse instead of just staying in the shelter paddocks. He had some set backs through parts of December and January. He is a vulnerable fellow with many health issues so I am certain that he is even more ready than I am for spring to bring some easier weather and better temperatures to contend with. I am hoping and praying that as the days continue to get longer and the sun shines with warmth, thanks to this wild winter weather and moisture, we will see lots of fresh green growth all around.
Other than surviving the weather, we have been working on keeping the kids caught up in their school work and making plans for the spring. Travis said he needs to get some hoop houses set up on the new garden lot in Odell. (For those of you who don't know, we are located in Oregon.) He will be filming that process to share on YouTube. If you love to garden but don't have space for a full sized green house, hoop houses could be a good option. On my end of things to be working on, I need to focus on the animals and cleaning this place up, both inside and out. Between painting the walls, mud getting tracked in, and pictures and things hanging out on the bar and kitchen table so the walls could get painted, it looks like...well it's not pretty. Let's just leave it at that. Not to mention some of the smells wafting through our bitty house, tee hee. We normally take our messy work boots off outside and leave them on the porch but they were getting filled with snow and rain so we put them inside the door to thaw and dry out near the wood stove. When they thaw out, it leaves a ripe manure smell that is hard to ignore. Outside, the snow melt is showing all of the random projects we were working on from the fall. There are tools hanging out, old feed buckets, broken appliances under the carport that need to take a trip to the transfer station, and woo! That manure pile! Let me tell ya, "It has grown into a product of my nightmares."
Yeah, we're gonna have to get to that soon.
I learned last night that this blog has been going for about a year now and is attracting more readers. How awesome! But, to me, it still has a lot to be desired. I need to go back and add pictures and some video clips to my posts from last year when I began documenting our journey. There are more links to add, editing to do, and tricks I can do that may bring adds to the page but will push it out to more people. I, personally, am always to attracted to reading material. I love to read various blogs when I drink my morning coffee so hopefully people out there will enjoy this. It is refreshing to find something to read and follow that is real life but not super traumatic or full of violence like watching modern television.
So another thing. And this is big news...
I put in my notice today.
Yup! I did it! I like my job as a reading assistant, however, between that and keeping up with all here that I love, my health has been struggling. I have an autoimmune disease that I will share more about in a later blog post, but I don't want anyone to feel bad for me. I have dealt with this since I was 23 years old and am now 43. (I was an extremely sickly child as well.) I know that when I get stressed, don't get enough sleep, get anxious, or don't take care of myself, I will get sick. These illnesses manifest in different ways from joint problems and inflammation, to heart issues or random fevers and migraine headaches. One of the worst episodes I remember going through was in 2015 when my balance and equilibrium were off due to recurring sinus issues. It made me extremely nauseous and I fell down and ran into things a lot. I was unable to work or drive and it disrupted my whole life. I used to feel trapped in my own body, unable to live a normal life and hold down a regular job like everyone else, but now I feel a certain blessing from this struggle. It forces me to take down time and know my limits. It makes me eat well or pay the consequences. It makes me so grateful to be here on earth with my precious family every day, and it shows me that I can put in a full days' work, even a full-time work week, with no problems as long as I can do it at my own pace. Somedays I accomplish a ton of things. Other days, not so much...but guess what? That is okay! In fact, the more I keep busy and keep moving, the better off I am. I have just had to learn where my comfort level is at within myself. Sometimes I can push myself but it is not necessary to do so continuously. If I am allowed to take breaks when I need them or even a day or two off, my body will be grateful and bounce back. This is simply not possible for me to do with the demands of an average job, no matter how much I like the job. The stress and guilt of needing time off (some years more than others) only adds to my body's stress level and further fuels the fire of this never-ending cycle for me. I am so fortunate to have a husband who has, unconditionally, stuck by me through all the ups and downs over the past 20 years.
I will add this before I go...Travis and I have worked really hard on top of our full time jobs to be able to buy some land, grow fresh produce, harvest, and share the fresh foods from our lifestyle with others. The most important saving grace for me living with this autoimmune disease has been eating pure and healthy, grown from the earth or made fresh in the kitchen, foods. I eliminated sugar and store bought cows milk years ago. Those played a huge role in my previous years of illness, inflammation, and health problems.
I will miss my work family and the kids from school but they are still members of my community and some I will get to see on social media sites, if not in person. I will be doing what I love but it will solely be focused on farm and homestead work instead of splitting between farm and school work.
I wish with all of my heart and soul that all of you reading this blog post today, get to one day have the opportunity to focus all of your precious time and energy on doing and sharing with the world what you love, no matter what it is!
Together we make such a beautiful world when we add our unique gifts and talents to it. Work with all your might toward your goals and be brave enough to take a leap of faith from time to time. Only allow people in your life that support you, and then do the same for them. Let your light shine!
Feel free to follow along with us on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.
May you all be blessed, happy and well.
Much Love,
Amy Darr
3 Corners Farm
Mosier Oregon, U.S.A.
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