A breath of Spring

So, my blogger reading friends, life is renewed...spring has sprung.. the birds are chirping and the sun is shining and you can smell that smell - you know that smell - the earth free of the snow once again, the sun warming the inside of your car, the fresh sweet smell of possibility wafts through the air.

For those of you who haven't heard, the powers that be at Freudenberg NOk in Northfield have finally freed me from the shackles of being a temporary employee and have FINALLY started to pay me a decent wage (well, not yet but in a couple days I'll get my first Real paycheck since March of 2009!)

It's a relief, to say the least. I am actually making more than I did before I got laid off, which is the final FU to my old company, who not only couldn't see my potential, but refused to allow my true personality to seep into my job.

Anyway, enough bitterness.. I'm over that. Really. Today I am looking forward to a new day and a new summer - one in which I will be working my butt off... I am vowing to live up to the old saying, "work hard, play hard" - in fact, I declare that my motto for the summer.

Here's my plan:

1. Work Work Work - hey, I'm stuck there anyway, so I might as well be super good at it, right?! Plus, I have a new respect for what it takes to get a job and keep a job and I have a new gratitude for the simple privilege of getting up daily and "getting" to go to work

2. Play, Play, Play!!! (and play more!) - I have spent the winter eating a LOT of vegetables and now I"m down to a stealthy 17 pounds from November!.... So I am taking the summer to enjoy it - I am using my new ability to run 3.25 miles on a treadmill to try to shove my butt up a mountain or two!... I want to hike, bike, kayak, camp and basically have a good time with my good friends.

3. Ride, Ride, Ride - Sky is in for it! I want to play with cows, ride English, do gymkhanas, show pleasure, and trail ride and horse camp! I might not do it all to blue ribbon quality, but I plan on having a kick ass time trying!

So, that's the plan. Phew.. this fresh air is getting to my head! Honestly, I am so happy I just want to enjoy life! I want to take every day in with a gratitude and a grace and a joy that is worthy of the life I live. My only wish has got to be that I can see the good side of every day and be in the moment, enjoying all the things I am blessed with.

Ok - I do realize I sound like a fairy tail princess, like in ENCHANTED... I'll stop... soon... maybe... I guess love does that to you!

So, today I saw Sky and brushed off what I could of her winter woollies (and she was WOOLY)... but I didn't RIDE.. yeah, me.. I didn't ride.. I now feel like one of those people that runs out to the barn every afternoon just to brush and give my horse mint flavored treats before I tuck her into her deeply bedded stall with a warmed blanket and a bedtime story every night..... I actually questioned myself, "am I one of those people?" My answer quickly became no when I whispered to Sky that she better rest up b/c she's in for it. :)

Ok, people, I'm off for the night... big day of life tomorrow... call me up and We'll ride!

C