Happy New Year

I live near dairies. In fact, where my house sits, used to be a dairy. It was called the "Dairy Preserve." Meaning it would always be a dairy and not real estate. So much for that! Now it is a HUGE community called "the Preserve at (insert city here)"

Just north of me is the community airport. Just east of THAT is a couple of still remaining dairies. And one of those particular dairies has, what I call, a birthing pen. The guy who operates the dairy puts cows having babies (calving) in there. The cow pops out a calf and then they are separated for life! Or something. All I know is that they don't stay in the birthing pen for long.

One Sunday, I was driving by and this poor cow was laying down, calving (I think that is the appropriate term). A little white snout and two little white hooves were sticking out her rear end and she has this horrible expression of pain on her cow face. I recognized that look! I stopped the car so the kids could see. My boy was mortified and my girl was grossly facinated (like watching a train wreck).

Some days the pen is empty. Other days the pen will have anywhere from one to four cows. I saw one tonight at dusk, just barely starting the process and 90 minutes later, after dark, there was the baby! I didn't stop this time, due to lack of light. Usually, I will stop and stare at the fluffy, fuzzy CLEAN calf standing in the pen looking perplexed. "What the hell is this place?!?!," I can imagine it thinking.

But as soon as those babies are out, they are taken away, only to be replaced by the next moomma (like that? see what I did there? MOOma instead of Momma?)

Oh, yeah. New year. Well, so far so good. Except for the whole trying to get a job situ. I am interviewing and have a couple of good prospects and don't doubt I will be hired. It is just I needed to be hired LAST MONTH! Certain realities have kicked in earlier than anticipated and I seriously think I have to default on some bills. GOD I don't want to do that. But what is the point of writing a check that will bounce? Only to get a surcharge for NFS on top of the late fees and over limit fees and whathaveyou. Other than that, I can't be happier.

I have a good life. I have an employed husband that loves me (even if it isn't the husband I expected to be, I could have done a lot worse). I have two healthy children (yes, they have their own issues, but they are here to teach me, instead of me teaching them). I have a nice roof over my head. Food in the fridge. Cars (and a motorcycle!) in the garage. Yes these are things (cars and houses and clothes) but it sure beats sleeping in a car that doesn't run while wearing threadbare, ill-fitting garments. I have good family (well, most of them!!) and good friends. I have my health back and a new set of boobs! LOL

I honestly have NOTHING to complain about. I AM HAPPY. So, I wish you all a happy new year year and count your blessings instead of cursing the trials. I have finally learned that. :0)