I wanted to come on here and post an update because it has been a while since my last post. So much has happened and there is so much I have not mentioned even when I have found the time to post!

First off, I mentioned last year (November?) that I was contemplating getting lens replacement surgery yet I never followed up. Ha! I DID have the surgery and it was THE BEST decision! Not only is my vision corrected for both near and far vision (and in-between), but my dry eye has improved because the doctor at my follow-up prescribed me with a drop that helps my eyes create more tears. I still have dry eye symptoms on and off, especially when I skip my twice daily allergy drops, but overall I would now classify my dry eye as moderate to mild. Yay! And my vision is superb. I have a multi-focal lens INSIDE each eye that gives me three prescriptions. I can see up close ya’ll and my vision is better than 20-20. How I forgot to mentioned the surgery is beyond me. I guess I just….forgot. So if you wondered? There you go.

Lots of happening at the cabin, too. I hired a crew to install goat fencing around the perimeter and also up and down the road and around the house. My cousin said I could have some of her new young goats so once I get a small barn built for them I will have about 5-8 goats. I want all females so I don’t have to deal with kids or a stinky billy. I have already hired the guy who built my fence to build the barn and he will also make improvements on my existing chicken coop so I can get some chickens (no rooster). And who knows, maybe I will get some other kinds of animals, too.

My brother recently moved into my garage bedroom. He is renting it from me for the cost of utilities and has agreed to help me with upkeep like mowing and feeding/tending animals once I get them. He plans to attend college using his GI Bill. It has been nice to have him around. We work out together and he has “hired” me to be his personal trainer. 🙂

I recently invited my sister and nephew out for a visit. I had to pick her up (they live 20 miles from me) but it was worth it. She is going on a month sober and is struggling with handling the rollercoaster of emotions sobriety brings. It was nice to catch up and her son enjoyed a visit with his cousins. I took them to buy groceries on the trip back to her place because they lost their food stamps recently. She still qualifies but they didn’t realize they had to reapply and so they were dropped which didn’t work out in their favor. Hopefully they get that sorted soon. I do plan more visits with her this summer. Hopefully she remains sober and can rebuild her life.

My school counseling position lost its allocation and, though my contract was renewed, the district put me in a Title 1 school that was not in the most ideal location. I had already planned to resign so when I was reassigned I did. I am currently looking for part-time, remote work, but am being extremely selective. My apartment lease comes up for renewal in October but I do not want to renew. I really dislike apartment living and now that my daughter has graduated and will be going to college in the Fall, I don’t need it. If something happens to come up between now and October that changes my mind, then so be it, but for now my plan is to live in my country home full-time.

I have not had much time to invest in the spiritual but it is still a goal of mine to return to the Work. Interestingly, I gave an impromptu mediumship reading to the fence contractor at the end of April. The way it came about was perfect synchronicity. On the walk of the property to determine the fence line, the contractor saw a coyote. I didn’t see it so I laughed and said, “Oh, it’s a sign meant just for you. Coyote is the trickster.” He asked what that meant and I said, “That things are not as they seem”. On a second walk a few weeks later he brought up the coyote and told me, “You were right. Things were not as they seemed. We had just found out my wife was pregnant. She recently lost the baby, though.” As we talked more I revealed to him my spiritual gifts and we parted ways for the afternoon. As he was leaving he sat me down and asked for a reading. I spent about an hour with him and it turned out well I think. It had been a long time for me, so I was rusty, but all in all I was pleased as was he.

Finally, I have had multiple encounters with turtles. Last year it was snakes, so the message has shifted from transformation to perseverance. Turtle asks us to be patient, stay grounded, stay the course, set firm boundaries, and navigate emotion with ease and honesty. Turtle reminds us we are protected and loved. Slow and steady wins the race.

There were two large turtle encounters one day apart. The first was with a common snapping turtle. The second was a soft-shelled turtle. I actually saw the second three days in a row after the first encounter. Finally, my brother found a small red-eared snapper shell in the mud that I am going to clean up for display.