Bringing You Up-to-Date

How'd I get here?  Well, it's been a long and twisted path. After a good upbringing with many opportunities--most definitely NOT on a farm--I followed an expected path into adulthood for about nine years.

I earned a degree in Journalism from a Top 10 College of Journalism. I married my college sweetheart. I went to work in politics.

Then, everyone thought I had gone off the deep end. I resigned from my position as a legislative research director to go to grad school--in social work. What? No one got it.

After grad school, I went to work in a rural mental health center 60 miles from my home. Yep, I commuted 120 miles a day on rural back roads.  It was a great job. I learned a lot and enjoyed it most days.  And, just when everyone had accepted my dramatic shift in career choices...of course, I changed again. 

After nine years in the social work field, most of it spent as a family therapist at the mental health center, my mother talked me into buying a small horse farm closer to home.  Here's where I jumped off the cliff with a whole lot of faith that things would some how work out. At least, that's when I thought I jumped off the cliff.

The real jumping off point was more like being pushed off the cliff.  Five weeks into this new adventure of the farm, my husband of nearly 20 years walked out. Uh oh!  I thought I was going into this with someone who would be there for me at the end of the day. I thought this someone would maintain the steady income and our health insurance while I made a go of a new business.  I was wrong.

To answer your questions about what happened: No, I never saw it coming. Yes, he was having an affair.  No, I had no idea. No, it had nothing to do with the farm. Yes, I had to get on with it even though my plan had gone seriously awry.

That was five years ago. Today, here I am at the farm. Divorced, but I prefer the label "Single". Yes, I have a boyfriend. You'll hear about him later. The farm saved my life in many ways. It made me keep going when I wanted to quit.  It has taught me many many lessons and given me gazillions of stories that keep my friends and family in stitches.  So, now that you're up-to-date, get ready to join in. Live, love, laugh and learn with me in my postcards from the farm.