......................reflecting......................
SO much happened in our world this past year! We worked hard to get closer to living our dream with our horses, especially Brad. No need for a recap, it's all right here. 2017 wasn't all good, the overshadowing stand out calamity was my horse accident on July 30th. It changed
Everything and anything still makes my shoulder hurt. Including sleep. Even little stuff like getting dressed, sends me up the pain scale to a 10. Chopping vegetables, scrubbing pans & vacuum cleaning are even less fun then they were before. Can you say demotivating?!! I try to keep in mind there are much much worse things. I'm just crabbier & needier, more often. Sigh. Pain does that to a person. I absolutely despise being needy!! Well, unless it's needing my morning cup of coffee :)) which Brad has made & delivered for almost 30 years! Have I ever told you how much I love him?!
I spent the last half of 2017 working on
......................recharging......................
High on my list of priorities for 2018 is letting go of the ridiculous amount of "stuff" in our current house. It *must* happen in order for us to move. Let me tell you this moving thing is going to be a huge gigantic ordeal! Wish me luck. I am going to need every ounce of it!!
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I will also be taking a trip of a life time this year. Alone. Not really alone, but it's going to feel that way without Brad. An opportunity came up that was very reasonably priced, with a group of good people. I will be doing something I've wanted to do ever since I was 15, and saw my first Northern Lights. I am going to ~ live my dream ~ of seeing (hopefully!) a colorful Aurora Borealis overhead in a favorable location! I'll be joining 14 other photographers in Alaska!! I know most of them from our annual Minnesota weekend photo workshops. I've only seen the Northern Lights twice. Once when I was 15, and once in MN. I hope to change my story...
The decision wasn't made lightly, and comes at a less then ideal time. Pretty sure Brad is tired of being asked to travel to a frozen tundra to do something he has no interest in, and encouraged me to just go. There will always be reasons not to. I'm not getting any younger, and my shoulder injury is a daily reminder of how quickly life can change. So, here I am about to go WAAAY out of my comfort zone!! Yikes!
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I think it's safe to say 2018 will be a *huge eventful year* for us, full of change!!! Bring it! I am ready!! Well, except for the house thing lol. It's time to finish this gigantic building/moving undertaking we started.
There is no time like the present to continue living, and dreaming! Sooo many more things I want to do, once we get settled. Thank goodness all this change isn't happening all at once, that would be even more overwhelming then it already is. For me, it's always been about the journey anyways. Cherishing the steps that bring us closer. Even the hard ones. It makes everything that much more special. Thanks for being part of my journey, it wouldn't be the same without you!!
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| view from our deck door....someday.... |
10 comments:
Sounds like it will be an eventful year! I hope you get to see some amazing northern lights on your trip.
I am quite familiar with the need to declutter before moving, as Ted and I have moved so very many times. It is actually quite liberating.
It will be exciting to finally get to move onto your new place! Looking forward to your posts.
Also hope that you heal up enough that it isn't so painful for you.
Sounds like a great year ahead! You take such beautiful photos I am sure the trip will be worth it!
Hope you get your shoulder set to rights either with steroids or surgery. Chronic pain SUCKS
Aww, thanks you two!! I tweaked this post for a week, because I really don't want to be a whiny blogger! However, this is truly my life these days. It's not all bliss. Nobodies life is. I am working at becoming more left handed, and will get past this accident one damn way or another!!
My Alaska trip will be well worth it, even if we never see the Northern Lights. Taking this trip alone is another form of letting go. I am not a traveler, rarely fly and never co-habitat with groups of friends. Last time I did anything remotely similar, was over 20 years ago when I was a Girl Scout leader! I truly hope we see the vision in my head, of colorful lights dancing overhead. It's surreal, and this may be my only chance. I am giving this trip my very best effort, and it will be - what it will be.
I'm so happy for you, on many levels! Looking forward to getting into your new home, living your dream with your horses right there with you and just living each new day as it comes with the man you love, and your family of people and animals. So blessed!
Your trip will be a blast! HOw exciting for you. Can't wait to see your amazing photography. I've never seen the Northern lights, can't even imagine how beautiful they must be in person. Think of this as a little adventure, and you'll have no worries of home because your loving partner will be waiting for you when you return.
Injuries, especially at our age, do seem to take a long time to recover. *sigh* But you will get there. I'm sure of it. But I totally get your frustration over all of it. Especially the being needy and cranky parts. :)
Thank you for your friendship over the years. You're a kind soul and I love your heart. Hoping we all continue to live our dreams in this coming year. And, the cleaning out of "SO much stuff" seems to be a recurring theme...I share the same desire.
There have been lots of changes in your life in the past year as you said, some great, some not so much. I hope your shoulder heals one way or the other, steroids or surgery so you can be in less pain and get back to enjoying your days. I think your trip will be amazing along with your photography. When you get back you should make a book of all the great photos! I've never seen the Northern Lights but would love to. Believe it or not my daughter saw them on her first night in Scotland back in October, said they were amazing. And you're right we're not getting any younger we should live our dreams now.
Thank you Lorie, I was very touched by your kind words! I am lucky to have friends like you to share my hope and dreams with, even if from afar. You must have read between my lines, because I am worried about leaving home. My everything is here, but life is meant to be lived.
Yes Arliene, I do believe your daughter saw the Northern Lights in Scotland. What a beautiful place to view them! They are pretty special to experience in person.
I do hope you all get to experience them sometime! When there is a strong storm, they can be visible way down into southern states. The colors are much more vibrant in good viewing locations. Speaking of, Canada is a great place to view them! I may do a post about "my story" even if it has nothing to do with horses - other then they can feel them.
The Northern Lights are phenomenal - where we lived in AB, I saw them every single night. Here, they are an occasional, remarkable occurrence. Can't wait to see pictures.
I have often said I will not consider moving again, while I'm alive, but maybe it's better said that SHOULD I ever move again, it will not likely be my choice to go. Here< I see horses out every window - why would I ever want to leave that?
I don't envy you the move - but once it's done, the FEELING... that is pretty special, so you have that to look forward to. 2018 is going to be a wonderful year!
With the ease of digital photography, the Northern Lights have become commonly photographed and manipulated from what the naked eye can see. Seeing and feeling them in person is much different then any photo or video can capture, especially if you are of sensitive nature. I can't imagine living in a favorable location where they are a regular occurence! Lucky you, Mrs. Shoes!!
I would never have guessed we would be starting from scratch, and making this large of a move at our age. We just aren't willing to look out our current windows everyday at what was the family farm, and what could have been. Once we are surrounded by our horses and land, we will never want to leave either.
What a year for you!! The house project alone would be super stressful, but the injury and “neediness” which I also despise, compound it. I had a minor injury on the ice—still have it—and I have faced the same things on a much smaller scale. It’s horrible!! I wish I had wisdom, but all I have is congratulations, that you’ve been mentally tough enough to push through it!! 2017 was challenging for me, and 2018 hasn’t started out great, but let’s both knock on wood for a healthier 2018 full of adventure!! That trip to Alaska sounds amazing. Hang in there and keep doing what you love, my friend!!
I truly hope your tailbone heals up Linda. They can be problematic for a long time, and there isn't much they can do for them. Cheers & knocking on wood!!
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