Another year is almost gone, how can that be?
My mom always told me that the older I get, the faster time would fly by, and she was not kidding about that. I just did not think it would go this fast.
Each year seems to fly by. Another year will soon begin and I will be one year closer to that government cheque. We will not discuss how many years I have left to go.
I am not sure how I should feel at my age, but I do know that I have a few more aches and pains than I had when I was younger.
As the years go by, like 2023 did, it makes me ponder about the events that have happened in my life and in the world. Some of them are great and others, not so much.
Last year at this time the weather was in a deep freeze, and I am sure that like other horse owners and farmers, that feeding animals was not a lot of fun when the wind chill was -40 C.
February marked one year since the Russian invasion of Ukraine. I still do not understand the need for such violence and for a country to destroy another because of greed. So many lives have been lost and disrupted.
I am grateful that this country brought in so many of the Ukrainians who lost everything during this time.
This is not the only war going on in the world. We have the Gaza War and there are many others of some kind.
At our house, spring brought some challenges with our daughter's health. After many trips to the ER, specialist appointments and testing we received the not so good news.
Life-changing situations can be difficult to deal with, but they make a person realize that each day is a blessing and should be lived to its fullest with the ones we love.
Summer brought dry conditions and challenging times for farmers as they wished for their crops to grow. For others, like in the construction business, the dry conditions were good.
Gardens were slow to start for many people, but once they got rooted, they took off and produced bumper crops for many, including my garden which gave us a canning room full of preserves.
Another tough time in our summer was when we suddenly had to put down our beloved golden retriever. It was heartbreaking to say the least. But being a family that loves animals, we took another into our home, and she is full of energy and trouble
. She loves to dig holes in our yard and chew every single thing she sees, except for shoes. Thank goodness she does not touch them.
We were fortunate with the weather this year, as we did not receive damaging hail storms that stripped crops like what happened near Maryfield.
Before fall was over, we received the first snowfall, creating havoc on the roads and putting many vehicles in the ditch.
Cool weather does cause some slippery conditions, like with roads or decks when they are covered with frost. I knew this firsthand when I went skiing on our deck, ending up in ER. Still paying for that one today, but I will heal. It just takes longer now that I am older.
Now it is December, wow this is crazy how fast the year went and how mild this month has been.
I do not know about you, but I found it hard to get into the Christmas spirit with this mild weather. Not that I am complaining, because this will shorten the winter which is fine by me.
Well, here is to another quick year as I am sure it will be, and hoping that 2024 brings everyone the best of health and happiness.
