This is reality

Michael Douglas in the Movie Las Vegas:

"We were 17, you know, five minutes ago. It was just yesterday. I just don't know where it all went, you know? My brain cannot conceive how old this body is."

I had a conversation via text yesterday morning with a younger friend of mine who is trying to help her mom out. Her father had died suddenly he was a pretty active man. He mowed their 3 acres and did chopping wood for heat along with anything mechanical that needed fixing. He was the proverbial handyman at home. I suspect that he handled everything around the house which included the budget and banking.

Now the mom who is in her 70's is struggling to cope with everything left on her plate.

My friend said her folks never planned ahead, never thought out what 'might' happen if one of them left before the other. No plans. 

She knew we had installed a Mini-Split in our house and wanted to know if it heated and cooled. It does, but it is for 'single zone' heating and cooling. For us, that does our entire house. We have a small cottage.

Her mom's house is a very old farmhouse. You know, the type of old farm house that has slab dab additions and is two stories tall.

I asked my friend if her mother had considered selling the mini farm and moving to a smaller and easier place to keep up. To me, it is a no brainer. I can see the wisdom of it. But she has lived in their home for 30 years or more, I can see how hard it would be to let it go.

As a kid we lived in rentals, so I was used to seeing different homes and adjusting to different places. I think the longest we lived in one place may have been around 15 years. In my first marriage, we moved a lot. In less than two years we moved 7 times.

I never laid down roots in a community, but always adjusted.

I have lived on our place now for 28 years. At one time I could never ever see moving at all. Lately? I have thought about it a lot. My brain says I can do it all, and some days I can. 

Being a Caregiver for for 8 years has changed my attitude. I cared for MIL and watched as she lost the ability to drive, to make decisions, and to care for herself. It is a cold hard fact even though my Brain says it won't happen to me. 

In the blink of an eye one morning, I became the sole Caregiver to my husband.

Both of my parents downsized from the places they had. Dad got an apartment and loved the freedom he had from all the yard work and maintenance. He said it gave him the freedom to walk about and explore the new area he lived in. It made him very happy.

My friend said that she and her sister were going to have a sit down meeting with their mom to try and help her see reality. 

Sometimes I think long and hard about the changes that need to happen for me in the future. At one time, the thought of leaving my little farm was absurd. 

Country life is amazing. Except when it isn't.

There are very few if any services in a rural area. 

Now? I wouldn't mind a  small  tiny yard that would take me 15 minutes to mow. Or a place where I wouldn't have to walk a quarter of a mile to see if our gravel road was passable in the winter. 

A place where I could have groceries delivered, catch a bus, or walk to the nearest place to eat.

These are the things that I think about while sitting on the porch in the middle of the night with the moon shining and fireflies dancing in the pasture.

Things change. But we don't want them to.

Goodbye Bart

Here is a photo of Black Bart when he first came to our farm. He is a polled American Dexter Bull. He was very productive at our farm. My husband's intentions were to raise some Dexters and sell them.
Well that never quite worked out. Bart did the breeding, the gals did the birthing and somehow we ended up with just more Dexters to feed.

That is another story however.

Bart produced some beautiful calves!
There was Stella, she was so cute when she was born!

I'd like to keep her as she is so tame, but she is another mouth to feed and hay prices are soaring.

As you can see, they are not huge cattle, but rather a nice size. However, I can't justify the cost of just keeping them because they are neat.

Anyway.
I opened the electric gate and fully expected to have to convince Bart to leave his pen. Bart looked at the open gate and walked regally through it and quietly down the electric gate into the pen where we'd ship him out.

He didn't run, buck, or even bat an eye. It was almost as boring to watch as paint drying.

I commented to my neighbor who had come along to close the fence gate while I walked behind Bart that I'd rather it be ho hum and boring.

Bart spent the day grazing and being quiet.
I worked in the garden and picked more buckets of beans. I peeked into the one squash plant I seeded and saw dozens of squash!
I pulled up more carrots and beets with Charlie's help, of course.

My garden may be messy this year, but it has been very bountiful.  I hope I am done by the time the corn is ready to start to freeze!

Here is a view of the garden from the porch...

Just as it began to rain, Jeff showed up with a trailer and we loaded up Bart. Rich actually came out to help which I was so surprised at and happy about.

He even visited with Jeff for a bit. Jeff had climbed into his truck and gotten out of the rain. Rich stood with his hands in his pockets and chit chatted with Jeff.

Bart will provide us with a lot of meat this next year. I will freeze and dehydrate my vegetables to add to our winter food.

Goodbye Bart.
Hello food.

And so it goes...