Deer walked into my car at 60+ miles per hour and smashed up my car.
Kitten got stuck in tree, went to vet to make sure leg wasn't broken, spent $150 for some pain meds for a sprain. The next week, kitten gets fixed for another $150 or so. Very next day, said kitten goes missing. Best guess, one of the birds of prey in the area snatched her.
Few months later, kitten's brother gets hit by a car. I'm still pretty sad about that.
One chicken died of unknown causes.
Skates are still too small and rapidly breaking down. Nearest dealer for my brand of skates? Denver.
Dog continues to eat the furniture and cords to various appliances.
That basically describes the last few months. Can't say it was the greatest end to 2016 or the best start to 2017, but there's also been a lot of good too and quite honestly, I have high hopes for the remainder of 2017.
On the plus side, I made friends with a couple who are teaching me hand spinning, plus helping with wool cleaning and selling. I got a part-time job in a local candy store and it's been pretty fun to learn more about candy making. More time has been spent with friends, the puppies, baking, cooking, reading and writing, Finally got around to pitching a few publications I'd been wanting to write for and had one published so far.
So, the last few months have been trying and challenging in ways, but also a time of growth, the kind you only really experience under fire. It's also been a time to put considerable thought into what we're doing around the minifarm and what I'm doing with my life.
We're making slow progress with the renovation, M is currently tearing apart the basement after spending months designing plans for plumbing and heating. I'm slowly cleaning clutter from clothes I no longer wear, like or fit into; magazines and other various junk that has piled up over the years. Seeds have been ordered and I've decided I want to focus on heirloom varieties of vegetables, fruit and grains. The wool situation is finally moving along and guys, I bit the bullet and opened an Etsy shop that still needs more attention.
As for the job situation, after the shock and initial emotions wore off, it feels like a blessing in disguise. I was miserable at the paper and people close to me knew it. That's not to say I don't love being a journalist, I definitely still do and the time away has helped me distill an idea I'd been kicking around for years and to finally take the steps to make it happen.