It's 2018

It is 2018 and I'm sitting on my bed under the covers and a few dogs drinking coffee and musing ... I do a lot of musing, but lately I do it while weaving or spinning. I'm pretty into my fiber arts in my spare time. I see it as brain work/dance with the weaving and when spinning it's like a moving meditation.

It is 15 degrees out. For us folks that live in the the Southern Appalachians, that's cold. Yesterday it spit moisture and the roads turned to black ice and you couldn't even tell. I am glad I was home.

2017 sucked. It really did. I don't wax too political on my blog or my FB business page (and my old blog before it got lost when Michelle decided to move on and quit being my web host person) ... But 2017 sucked. Politically it's a nightmare. We have horrible, horrible government. I hope 2018 mid terms will help undo the damage that has happened. I"m pretty numb right now. I cried a lot because of what's happened. Seriously. I think it's that horrible. I'm terrified.

2017 sucked personally too. I have had a year with watching my parents spend a lot of time in and out of the hospital and nursing home as they age at times it's been touch and go. Yes, I still have them as we enter 2018 and I am lucky for that, but it's been really scary and difficult. Transition.

My already autoimmune compromised dog got another autoimmune disease. It cost me more than I really have/had to treat and I am still treating. I am considering setting up a Gofundme to help with the last bit. I'm exhausted. I'm strapped financially. But she is more than "just a dog". I don't regret the money spent. But I do wish that I didn't live so hand to mouth at times.

I had all this: my dog was in and out of the vet hospital while both my parents were in and out of the hospital. All at the same time. My days were ... go to vet, drop off dog, go home, take kid somewhere for her homeschool, go work an hour or two, check on parents, get kid, get dog, go home, try to work an hour or two, it's now evening ... tend to pets, child, eat something semi healthy, act normal. Find a happy. I'm a single parent. I am a single dog mom. I did cry a lot.

My business suffered. I barely kept up and I wasn't able to get my orders out fast enough. I spent so much on vet expenses I couldn't afford to purchase supplies in a timely manner. I would get the supplies in and things made, but seriously, I dropped the ball on Faerie Made. I tried, but I was really down ... I had a load on me. I got through it, but barely. I didn't push my business. I didn't run a sale. I didn't even send out but 2 newsletters. I have no savings to enter 2018. But it's okay. I'll figure it out. I have some supplies and I'll continue to hustle. It's what I'll have to do.

My handwoven goods are helping a bit ...I"m starting to sell them and it is something I do evenings and when I give myself permission to take the day off.

2018. I'm going to see how things play out. It'll be an adventure.