Resolutions: Update

Alright, I'm the first to admit I never can keep any of my New Year's resolutions. Year after year I promise myself I'm going to make those changes and everything stays the same.

However, my newest mantra has become "How can I expect anything around me to change, if I don't change?" So, I've been trying...and it's slowly making a difference!

(1) Get Eddie home.

CHECK!

(2) Scrub credit reports and pay down debt.

Well, this is about how much money I have, but I do have to say that I've been able to at least respond to some issues on my credit report, hopefully get a few things cleared up. This will be slow going, but it's at least now going!

(3) Get a home.

Another slow-going item, but at least there are a couple of options under consideration. The barn home is totally out for quite a while since it's almost impossible to obtain financing for in today's housing market. That doesn't mean things are hopeless, though--still lots of possiblities!

(4) Home for the horses--pretty much same as #3.

(5) Trailer. While I do enjoy looking out for nice trailers I've pretty much decided I'm going to get everything else done on this list first and then get a decent trailer, instead of settling for something to just get by with.

(6) Get ready to show Paula. Well, this one is much farther along than I ever could have imagined, mostly because of the friendly push by my WONDERFUL friend Darlene. I would have put this dead last because this is for fun and absolutely not a neccessity, obviously. I've gotten my show boots,

getting closer to getting my saddle, and just need to get my show shirt and pants! Well, that and get Paula trained. The weather hasn't been very cooperative with that last part!

(7) Working with JJ. Well, I actually have gotten to work with him a bit. I also got him Power Pac'd. He's now registered with both APHA (as an overo :) and AQHA, too!

CHECK!

(8) Lose weight, eat more veggies and get healthier (and of course to look better while riding Paula)!

Well, I've lost more than I expected--twenty pounds! I'm the lightest I've been in well over a year and a half!! I haven't really had much of a chance to exercise with all the work I've been doing and my eating habits aren't great, so the only thing I can credit this to is the HUGE reduction in stress I've had. Now if I just get my britches in gear I might be able to make some real headway!

(9) Sadly the White Horse Resource is still a terribly neglected website. Well, it's only February, right?

(10) I left open for future resolutions and here they are. Yes, "they." It's a two-parter.

10a--I will be more optimistic. I was thinking about this while feeding this evening (admiring Eddie and thinking how much I missed him). I've been through a lot the last couple of years. It would be very easy for me to assume that another huge loss is right around the corner--to live each day expecting the next tragedy in what has become a laundry list of heartbreak.

But then I ask myself "What good does that do?" Shit happens, whether we expect it or not, whether we fear it or not, and whether we look around every corner for it or not. I need to take my own advice I gave to someone struggling years ago: the only way I can be happy is if I choose to be happy. No one/nothing else is going to make me happy.

Although the horses sure make me happy :)

Which brings me to 10b: Practicality leads to horse harmony!

I've recently updated my website to include JJ and Dakota on my sales page. I really love these two and hate to have to say goodbye to them, but thinking practically, how in the world am I going to have time to train and show Paula, Laramie, Bambi, JJ, and Dakota and take care of Eddie and Crazy and perhaps one day breed Eddie again? There are only so many hours in the day and I work full time. I do all my own farrier work, training and (eventually) all chores and care. I'm never really going to get to enjoy them if I don't keep my numbers down, so with Dakota not being double-registered and JJ being a gelding I decided it would be best to put them both up for sale. I took video today, so hopefully will get it posted on the blog by tomorrow!

I just want to say once again (I can never say it enough) how thankful I am to Dar and her family for helping me out so much. There's not one thing on this list that would have been possible for me to do without the help that they've given me. It's a rare thing, to find a friend as true and selfless as Darlene is and I will never be able to even come close to being as good of a friend to her as she's been to me.

Thanks for listening, all, and for being there for me :)