Life keeps you moving forward. There are people who get stuck. They stay in their groove until they die. I'm not one of those people. I get the itch for change. Then, for better or worse, I do something. Like going to the University of Los Angeles to get my bachelor's degree in geography and geographic information systems at 50 years old.
The California state university system is a fantastic place for young people to transition away from their family. The support system is truly there for the students. I was amazed at what it was like to be in a normal, supportive, societal system. Prior to that I had only been in a broken church and a broken family. Don't do this, be afraid, don't speak up, you don't matter. I was a servant, not a person.
From UCLA, I transferred to SDSU for my Master's degree. Always moving forward. Always making plans and trying to chart my life. I was hired as a GIS analyst for an environmental planning group. Loved that job. It also gave me the leverage I needed to push a move to north San Diego County. The garden, the farm, always moving forward. Only this time it was for me, not the kids.
Then came Covid. I backtrack because I learned something during that time. I learned to wait. I am not good at waiting. For nine months I was home, on unemployment, single. Nowhere to go since everything was closed. I eventually was hired by a consulting firm working various interesting positions. It's fun, a little frustrating at times, but good overall. It's been a 2 1/2 years and I'm getting itchy feet again. I have to remind myself I am in a good position. Stay put and see what the Lord will bring. Life is moving along, and I am on for the ride. Enjoy it.
In 2020 I started dating. OK, so I can only do so much waiting. Had never spoken much to men in my life and figured I better learn how. Well, that was pretty weird. Eventually I met someone I like and is quite compatible with me. We have been dating ever since.
In April I had to call the veterinarian to put my horse, Epona, down. It was a tough decision. She was 33 years old and having a hard time on the trails. We had gone on a ride with a friend that did not go so well. We ended up in the brush and Epona got a lot of ticks on her. I didn't find them all and she had quite a reaction. She went downhill pretty fast after that. From the symptoms, I think she had Lyme disease. My boyfriend was kind enough to be there for me. It really meant a lot, especially afterward when I look back and am glad that I didn't have to stand alone.
About the same time, I bought some baby chicks to start my laying flock again. For quite some time I would remember my daily horse chores, only to remember that they weren't necessary. Watching the chicks helped to fill in some of the gap. They are about four months old now. Out of four, three survived, and one is a rooster. Go figure. He is crowing now, only softly enough so we didn't really notice for a few weeks. Haha, tricky guy.
My youngest daughter and her fiancé live with me, along with their dog and several cats. I always seem to have some sort of company. It's a good life.
