Bad Moon Rising

Life Lessons from Today (and not necessarily horse related)

1. Being a grown-up can really suck
2. It’s a long way down when you were sitting on top of the world
3. Even as you reach middle age, there are times you still want your mom (and it makes me miss her even more than I thought possible)
4. Trying to keep weight off is as hard as taking it off initially
5. Sometimes you just have to cry
6. Good friends are a precious commodity
7. Pick your battles wisely
8. Yes, tomorrow is another day but it might be worse
9. An Amana washer & dryer only last 7 years. What kind of freakin’ product is that?
10. Road rage my ass – some people are just asking to be flipped off

Like everyone else, I have my ups and downs. I always try to keep my cup half full. Once when I felt it was draining, my boss told me to pour it in a smaller cup. It made me smile. There are days when I’m pouring it from a shot glass to a thimble, but trying to stay ahead of it all.

John & his crew restored the roof & steeples of this church

John has been self-employed most of his life. He’s a steeplejack, specializing in rebuilding church steeples and their roofs and fixing whatever else needs fixed, even stained glass windows. About any challenge put in front of him, he can do. And he’s the hardest working man I know. And anyone who knows him well, would agree. Although churches have always been his specialty, he does just about anything. Yep, a jack of all trades. MacGyver.

This economy has been really hard on his business. We felt the impact last year, now we are feeling the blow. Bids he was awarded are now backing out. After 30 years of having a pretty good business, he is now faced with the possibility of giving it all up and trying to find employment with someone else who more than likely is facing the same challenges in this business during unstable times, not to mention hundreds of other men also trying to find work. But they won’t find a better man than John.

I try to be supportive. But I get angry, too. And I know it’s not his fault. I blame George Bush. (I have to put a face on this mess and his keeps coming into focus – but no, I’m not swinging this blog political.) The house of cards came falling down all around all of us from all different places and we are just a statistic of that collapse.

It’s hard to tell the kids “no”. It’s always been so easy providing for them in the past. McCain thinks we are poor. I told him if he were poor, he’d be a Prague Panther and not a Bishop Neumann Cavalier. That scares him! And I tell him I am just trying to protect the college fund and the retirement fund or what is left of it since last October. And they can still have Nikes, just not the Turbos. (Hell, I remember when my mom couldn't buy me a Duncan YoYo!) As long as there is food in the frig and they aren’t hungry, we are fine! But it’s hard for teenagers to see the big picture and I’m sure they secretly blame my horses like I blame GW.

Ebbs and flows. That is what my sister and I call it. Some days are diamonds and some days are stones. I got gas in my truck and hay in the barn and a mane to cry in. Life is good.

I’ll be back soon with the regular scheduled program.