True Life

   

   Wow! I cannot believe that it's been 3 1/2 months since I last had an entry! A lot has happened since then. I had to take a break. I'll be honest with you here so bear with me. 
   After 36 years of being with the same man, I found out I was sharing him with two other women, so we separated and are working on a divorce. It has been strange and surreal and my life has been turned topsey turvey, upside down, inside out. To think your life is one way and in the blink of an eye (or reading a text on a phone!) what you thought your future was is totally blown out of the water. It happens way too much, I know. I did not think I would be a statistic of the 55% divorce rate. But here it is. I found out just days before all of my shows started in late September. On the outside I hope I came off as cheerful and helpful when selling my yarn to you. But on the inside I was a puddly mess. I had great help at all my shows thanks to some amazing women who pulled me through. And speaking of amazing women (and a few men too), my friends have been there for me with encouragement, hugs, laughter and even food and wine. (Wine…very important!). I lost weight ( a good thing) and they'd bring food to make sure I ate. One of my friends brought a fresh sweet potato from her garden and said "Here. Cook this and eat it!" I laughed and did just as she said.
  I've had to figure out a lot in the past few months. I have not been single since I was 24 and dating at 60 is whole lot different than in your 20's. But I'm going slowly and learning things along the way. 
   I hope to keep my farm, by business, my home and my security. I love this place that is Dancing Leaf Farm, the sunrises, the sunsets, and every minute in between. I sit at my dining room table and look out over the pastures, with the mist rising in the mornings and the fields golden in late afternoon. I love my house and all the rooms, the way the light dances across the walls and changes throughout the day. I listen to music all day and every now and then have to dance to a wonderful rhythm. I am happy here. My brothers were concerned I couldn't keep up with all the maintenance that comes with a couple acres, a few sheep and chickens and an old house. But I assured them I've been doing it for 32 years and that I can do it for a lot longer.  I am not afraid of hard work and have a lot of energy and when you love what you do, you do it with passion. 
   I've had to face some things that I wish I didn't have to deal with. But I just put on my big girl pants, hike them up and go at it. That's all one can do. I am ready to start a new life and to see what the future holds for me. 
   I've started a new group, The Single Women's Supper Club, where 3 widows and 2 divorcees meet at one our homes and bring a big pot of something yummy. We share dinner and then bring home leftovers in containers that we brought with us to feed us for a few days.  It is therapeutic, fun, rewarding and we encourage each other to live life to the fullest. Most nights I'm sharing dinner and most certainly wine with friends. I am not lonely.
   I have my 3 amazing boys, who visit often and a wonderful daughter-in-law who is going to give me my first grand baby in April! Something to look forward to. 
   I'm always busy it seems, but also find time to just be. I have a few trips already planned this year and more will happen I'm sure. I've signed up for a 6-day bike event in southwest Virginia in late June, camping and biking with 1600 other enthusiasts and am really looking forward to it. I hope to do another bike touring, this time near Montreal with a couple girlfriends. Also two trips to Oregon and a trip to Arizona and California to visit friends and family. And so many friends who say, "Come visit!" Ok, I will!
   I look to this new year as being a starting point to a new adventure, a new path, a new life. I'm ready to grab on and see where it takes me! I'm ready to enjoy the ride!!!!