Life

For the past couple of weeks I've been trying to stay focused on preparing for the Black Sheep Gathering coming up this weekend. I'll have a booth there selling alpaca fiber, yarn, etc. Now that it is almost here and I'm really feeling the pressure to get more done and feel like I need to keep my nose to the grindstone life keeps happening.

As I was working on fiber Sunday Rocky was getting the truck ready for me. He thinks I can't drive it when it's dirty. We also put the canopy on and I left him to install the clamps that hold it down. I was back in the barn vaccinating and de-worming the few alpacas who were left on the list to do. I got all but three done; these three are not halter trained and are a little too uncooperative for me to administer the medications without help so I figured Rocky could help me the next evening.

So, as I'm finishing up Rocky calls me on the walkie talkie, it's bad news. As he was about to put the last clamp on the canopy he ran his hand under the lip of the bed of the truck and ended up knocking a bees' nest loose. He said the bees buzzed straight for his face, one even bounced off his forehead. When he took a step back and around to run from the bees he felt a pop in the other hip and fell to the ground. He ended up staying home yesterday and today with pain medication nearby. Today he is still tender and limping, but seems to be getting around a lot better and I think he'll try going to work tomorrow.

Last night Rocky came to bed with more bad news. As he was brushing his teeth a piece of one of his front teeth broke off. No pain involved and it isn't a large enough piece the somebody would notice, but it still has to be annoying.

I'm hoping this isn't one of those things that comes in threes.

Today I got inducted into the mamogram club. Oh boy, that was a treat. It did not hurt like you hear and I'm not bruised. It was more akward than anything else.

I have to tell you what I witnessed on my way there. I was about the fourth car in line at a stop light and I could see this woman standing on the corner with a sign. At first glance I didn't think anything about her, but then I looked again and noticed that she looked clean and well kept. Her clothes were every day jeans and t-shirt, but they too looked clean and not overly worn. I couldn't read much of her sign from where I was, but the top line read, "Engineer laid off." The person in the first car must have spoken to her because I watched her walk over and take something (I assume it was money) that was handed to her. I could see, even from where I was, the despair and sorrow on her face. As soon as she stepped back on the sidewalk she turned away from the traffic and sobbed into her hands. I could see the side of her face, red and twisted in pain and her shoulders convulse with each sob. By this time the light had turned green and I had to drive away. All I could do was say a prayer for her and try to keep my own eyes dry enough to navigate the traffic.

To the lady on the corner: You have made me count my blessings today, and I thank you for that. I hope and pray that your situation improves soon, and that you will be able to look back on this time of your life and feel that it has made you a stronger, better, and happier person throughout the rest of your life. When I feel life is unfair I will try to think of you, and the courage it took for you to stand on that corner and ask for help.