Snow Fun is Ending?
On this Thankful Thursday, one thing we are grateful for is all the fun we’ve been having in the snow this winter! If you’ve missed any of our fun photos, stories, and videos, you can see them in these posts:
- Get Your Head in the Game!
- Favorite Photos Friday – I Got It!
- Monday Funday – Snow Mischief
- Watch Out!
- Appreciate the Moments Photo Challenge: Winter
- A Break from Hibernation
- Two Silly Dogs
- First Snow Fun
Due to warmer temperatures and most of our snow melting, followed by a lot of rain, our snow fun may be at an end for now. Everything is covered with ice and hard, crusty snow so it’s not safe for the dogs to be running in the yard, walking on rough terrain in the woods, or on salt covered roads. While this is disappointing, we are just happy we’ve had all this fun so far, and we’ll just hope for more snow to come and cover up all the ice. This weekend is going to be warm again so maybe the crust will soften up enough to make it safe again; we’ll see. If not, we’ll be turning to indoor games for entertainment!
Things Are Coming Together
Regular followers know that I lost my job last fall, and even though I’d love to just stay home and run the farm, financially that just won’t work right now. I’ve been job hunting, and there’s nothing fun about that! While my job hunt isn’t yet at an end, things have started happening.
I was offered a bookkeeping position but turned it down because it was more hours than I wanted and too much drive time. Trying to decide whether or not to take it helped me to narrow down what I really want and renewed my determination to hold out for that.
Right after that, I was offered another job, and this one I am taking! It’s not as many hours as I will need, but it is mostly work from home – which is exactly what I wanted!! If I can find another similar position, that might be enough. The way I found this job is a story in and of itself but suffice it to say that the way it came together told me it was “meant to be”.
Around the same time, I received a decent size order for some of my farm products I’ve been making – organic dog cookies and all-natural lip balm. I’ve been selling some of both of those, along with our eggs, on the side quite a bit (mostly to family and friends), enough to feel like these things will be worth pursuing. Egg sales are especially good, and we plan to add to our flock this spring which is very exciting!
Wait, there’s more! My sister is hiring me to paint her basement. I enjoy painting (you’ve seen my yellow door projects), and I had been telling her I was ready to start another painting project around our house. She had been planning to get her basement painted and asked if I’d like to do it! Many years ago, I painted my other sister’s garage and that was a fun summer project for a little extra income. While I’m no professional, I think I do a decent job and I’m meticulous about it. The best thing is that I’ll be able to do it on my own schedule, take my time and do it a little at a time when it’s convenient. That should occupy me for a while, help things financially, and most importantly, not take me away from the farm too much. I won’t have to go over if it’s snowing – I hate driving in the snow!
When telling a blog friend about all this last week, I came to realize that most of it came about right around the one-year anniversary of Sheba’s death last week. I can’t help but think that she is watching over us all. I also keep hearing “You Are My Sunshine” on TV, my song for her, and I know that’s a sign she’s with us. Even if you don’t believe in all that, at the very least, having all this work out around that anniversary has helped ease the sting of that.
There’s still going to be some challenging times….figuring things out and adjusting to new routines. Learning a new job can be stressful. I will have to be away from home for the training, but that should only be a few hours per week too, and only temporary.
If I can continue to sell products from the farm, hopefully in time there will be more income from that (we also got a very helpful tax write-off from starting the farm this last year!), and in time I’ll need less outside work. Once spring arrives more will be happening with that, and I think we’ll be busy around here! I’m thankful that things are starting to happen and that hopefully it will all come together in the ways I’ve hoped. Then we’ll really be living the dream.
Thank you to Brian’s Home for hosting the Thankful Thursday blog hop! Please visit other blogs through the links below.
I’m so glad things are looking up! (And now that I know you enjoy painting I’m really sad that you don’t live in my neighborhood because painting my own house over the last two years was not something I enjoyed one bit!) Hope the weather started to cooperate again, too, so the pups could get out for a bit! It’s a windchill of -3 here right now, so I’m trying to convince the girls that it’s a morning for curling up with extra coffee. They aren’t buying it.
The weather still hasn’t been too great, but we did get just enough snow to cover the ice and warm enough temperatures to finally play outside today! More rain possibly coming though, which probably means we’ll be right back to ice again. 🙁
I could have had some fun helping you with painting your house!!
Congrats on the new job!! I love making home made lip balm. Nice job on the treats too!
Thank you! I loved your lip balm, and that’s what inspired me. I couldn’t believe how easy it was too!
We hope the ice is melting so ya’ll can go out and enjoy the outdoors.
So happy fur you and your new job adventures!!! We are pawsitively sure dat Sheba had a paw in it! And we are super jelly of those cookies they look sooo yummy 🙂
xoxo,
Matt & Matilda
I’d say the dogs approve of my cookie baking venture….and probably think that’s the only job I really need! 🙂
I’n so happy to hear all your greats news! And of course Sheba is watching. There must be lots of farmer’s markets in your area where you can sell your products this summer. I think your farm is going to be a huge success! Sandra and Dolly
Thank you for your vote of confidence, Sandra and Dolly! Yes, there are a few farmer’s markets around here and there’s one farm stand that I sold my dog cookies and eggs at last fall, so I’m hoping when they re-open for the season I’ll be able to sell some products there too!
I’m glad things are going better for you.
Thank you, Edie!!
Congrats on the job, especially if it is more work from home. And with the weather the way it is, working from home really helps. Hope you get to keep selling things from your farm too and sounds like you have a fun (and hard work) project painting your sister’s basement! Farm fresh eggs are always better. And if I had dogs, I would buy your treats! Our grocery store tries to have lots of produce that is local and we also have a Farm and Art Market every Saturday starting when the weather stays warm enough. Would love to have a farm where my rescued cats would have enough room in their own sanctuary.
Right now, we trapped four cats that were needing rescued a long time. Have one more to trap neuter and return… then going to call it enough for now and concentrate on the kids I have fostering.
Purrz from Katie Kat.
You are doing a lot, and that is wonderful! We hope to add some barn cats to our farm family one day…giving some cats who are unable to live inside for various reasons a safe haven.
I think between everything I am definitely going to be busy, that’s for sure! By the time I finish my sister’s painting project it will be getting time to start some seeds!
We love farm fresh eggs. Mommy misses Grandpa’s chickens.
There is nothing better, that’s for sure!
I was Ever so happy to hear all of this good news, and that things are looking up, Jan, it made my day! As I had been wanting to ask about job search, etc, always a little worried, but trying not to bother you about it, since that wouldn’t help. Thank you, beautiful Sheba, for the heavenly help! 🙂 Keep sending the sunshine to your beloved ones!
It was stressful for a while there, as I told you, and I definitely didn’t feel like talking about any of it at that point!
I’m so glad to hear things are coming together so well!
Thank you!
Wonderful news about your life coming together! Sheba is definitely watching over you. I have no doubt!
Sheba is a good little golden angel. ♥
Congrats on the new job! Glad you can work from home.
Thank you!!
Congrats ! Hope things continue to work out !
Thank you, Mary! All paws are crossed here things keep progressing in the right direction!
Sounds like you have lots going on! Congrats on your new job…working from home will be great!
It’s going to be the best! Thank you!
Sounds like great things are happening. It is also easier to find work from home jobs once you have them. Small companies that know you are already doing it for company a might be willing to let you take on their books since many don’t have the need for a full time bookkeeper or the space to house one. Good luck.
That is such a good point, thank you!!
Those are some good things happening in your neck of the woods and we’re very happy for you. We know more good things will come your way, you deserve it. Thanks for joining the Thankful Thursday Blog Hop!
I’m so happy to hear things are headed in a good direction for you! I think you’re absolutely right–Sheba is watching over and helping out. 🙂
oh I’m sure she is with you and she is watching over you all… and to read so much interesting news is because she sent a lot of good karma your way… and courage, hope & love…