[eskielover]

Well, last night was flood warning & the creek that run's down the back of my property along with the runoff stream from my neighbors farm that runs through my farm is filled to overflowing. The thunder & lightning was the biggest challenge with all my doggies. I had all 3 of the ones upstairs in bed with me & so restless, I got absolutely NO sleep.

The weather when I first moved here was a few thunder storms last summer, then the drought hit......& everything died out.

Since I got back here just before Christmas:

I have had 6 inches of snow in one storm (a lot for here....everything halts).

We had tornado warnings & I was in the basement all night with my doggies with that IN FEBRUARY.....no one has ever heard of tornadoes in February & there were 15 that touched down in the area. I lost a tree with that wind....but it's down in the woods, so it's not something I have to take care of immediately.

We had an ice storm & there were a few broken electric wires on that storm.

I have leaks in my basement that I don't know where they are coming from.....it's not even on the side that the wind is blowing the rain in from.....so have no idea about that....will need some help to solve that problem.

The lightning & thunder were horrible last night with all the flooding.......my doggied were so restless, I couldn't get any sleep. Everytime there was a rumble, they landed on top of me & Leo was so restless, trying to find a place to hide. This photo is his way of coping when there is no place to hide.....if all else fails....push the radio from the night stand & hide in it.

It's the most wonderful place to get involved in....maybe it's the small town community or whatever, but it's awsome. I am going to volunteer with the 4H & help out with a trail ride group at one of the farms. We have a new group that is forming to pull all the trails in Kentucky together & map them out using GPS systems. The government it checking one out to me & I have been invited to go out with one of the farm owners that has miles & miles of trails that they want mapped out......She has a trail horse she is willing to loan me to ride with her. The governor is just signing the trail bill into law, so we can get funding from the state & even the feds to pull all the trails together & maintain them...they are aiming this for completing by out 2010 FEI Equestrian games that are being held here.

We have a wonderful womens group of riders that I have gotten involved with...it just formed 4 months ago & we already have 24 women in it....that is where I met the trainer I am planing on taking dressage lessons from & having her train Izzy when I get her here.....I went to a dressage clinic with that group just the other weekend. There is a sub group that gets together for a couple of trail trips to Tennessee during the year......beautiful trip....they invited me once I get my horses here. I have met more people here in my short time here than it seems in all my 54 years in California.

I am going to a poetry reading today at the library.....a local poet Laureate from Kentucky & then next weekend, they are having a tea at the library honoring Mary Todd Lincoln...featuring favorite dishes of the Lincoln's. This is for the Abraham Lincoln icentennial celebration here in Harrodsburg. Our town was founded in 1774 as the first permanent English settlement west of the Allegheny Mountains & where the parents of Abraham Lincoln were married & lived. They have the restored log cabin where they were married at the restored fort here in town. I never really have appreciated history as much as when I am in the area where is all happened. (it was the same with Italian history....until I stayed in Rome for 5 weeks, I never had any remembered any of the ancient roman history....after that......I was immersed in the history throughout the ages)....it's the same living here in KY....it all comes alive with all the civil war enactments & historical areas to wander through.........

Kentucky is so beautiful...each season is amazing & each day unfolds new magic.

Gotta laugh at Leo's coping skills however.....they are California doggies trying to get used to a huge change also.

[Perna]

I could see it would be a lot different from the relatively stable climate of California where the seasons aren't quite so drastic. Just one more thing you have to struggle with in addition to your move and robbery and mother's death and the your other stressor who will remained unnamed :-)

Hope the Spring is good to you, eskielover; and I'm glad you have Leo nightstand antics to help you laugh. Glad you're finding activities and ways to get out. The poetry reading the Lincoln things sound interesting.

[HALLIEBETH87]

tell me about it. *sigh* ah the ohio river valley is my home.

[eskielover]

The poetry reading was wonderful......Jane Gentry Vance is the Kentucky Poet Lauret (a 2 year position she holds). She & another poet who is a retired Kentucky school teacher, presented their poetry about their lives in Kentucky. It was a beautiful painting with words....putting you right there in the moment. She also had written several special presentation poems....one about President Lincoln for the bicentennial book describing a photograph of him from the Library of Congress & also about his being shot. Her way with the words were as if you were right there livine in the moment. The poetry was a beautiful glimps of their Kentucky life & her presentation of the spirit & what was lost with the tradgic death of such a special man in our country's history. I was very touched.

I am constantly surprising myself with the new person that seems to be coming out in me......the person I always wanted to be like, but couldn't get my mind there in the past.

Previously, I would go to presentations like this, meetings, or study groups & sit there, never being able to say a word, never being able to express myself, my feelings my thoughts. Always afraid that I would sound stupid or that what I thought had no value that anyone would want to hear. It had always seemed in the past that when I would try to say something, it would get lost under all the others offering their thoughts, ideas, & comments, so even when I tried in the past, I was always invisible. Now, it seems that I actually have a voice that is heard. It is a strange feeling to say something & have what I say be recognized....not only that, but others have the similar thoughts & feelings & it seems to get participation started. The ability to express my thoughts & ideas & have it come out in a meaningful way is situations like this has always been a dream of mine.

The workings of self-esteme is a mystery.......I know that growing up with parents who had no self esteme or confidence & trying to find my way in my own world that I wanted for myself was a constant challenge......most of the time, the lack of it won even though I continually challenged myself to try & change. I would find that performing my flute in front of an audience & being in a career where presentations were constantly a requirement forced the issue, but didnt make it easy......I would still revert back to the safe feelings of sitting & listening rather than participating, but looking at those who were capable of doing what I wanted to be able to do was always haunting me when I found myself in positions like that.

It just seems that this move to Kentucky has been a wonderful chance to make all the changes that I have wanted to make......a chance to leave all the things I didn't like in my life behind & start fresh. To meet everyday's challenges with a new point of view & see the beauty & good in everything life puts before me......even those things that seemingly have no beauty involved.

Looking back at the life I am leaving in my past & the stressors, including the one specific stressor (I love your description Perna......" who will remain unnamed'), I can see where all those negatives in my life would continually bring about more & more negative feelings & outlooks. It's awsome because the positive seems to bring about more positive & it builds on top of itself the same way the negatives did.

It doesn't seems often when ones life allows such a complete break from the negative past & the negative things that were in it....to allow us to start a complete fresh life over again & try to keep focus on only the positive things. (I know this isn't the spiritual forum but......) Everything that has come about in my life with this huge move & complete change I know has been God's plan for me & I can see how my life is completely under his guidance, showing me all the beauty & good that life really is in contrast with the past I have left behind. I know without any doubt that this is God's plan for my life......just as the weather is under God's control with all it's challenges & beauty every day, I see my life in the same way. I never know what I am going to wake up to each morning but at the end of the day, there is always a new wonderful beautyful day along with it's challenges to be thankful for.

Debbie

[HALLIEBETH87]

yep flooding looks the same here north of louisville. if u like poetry and such, look up Wendell Berry. Hes an author from my county! He lives right here in Henry COunty and was a neighbor a while back. Hes a sheep farmer who lives on the bank of the river and has been writing for years. Good stuff.

[eskielover]

HallieBeth,

Thank you for sharing about Wendell Berry.....I just looked up a bit about him. He has many writings.....not just poetry. There are many very talented people here in Kentucky.......I will definitely look into his writings.

Debbie

[Brian37]

yup...hard to get the mule team across the river to get to the general store...yup

sorry Im a Hoosier...never can resist making cracks about the
folks across the river

[bipolar_bear]

Even through all the challenges you are facing I hear the hope and fulfillment in your posts. I think it is wonderful that you are living your dreams. It seems you have found a wonderful community that you are participating and enjoying life. It is very uplifting to read about your life. Please continue to keep us updated.

It has been very many years since I have seen the results of the rains in that area of the country. It sure is different than California. They do bring the beauty of spring and summer that you will soon experience. Keep enjoying!

BB

[eskielover]

Brian, those mule teams are pretty tough...lol. there isn't much they can't get to

They actually have roads with NO BRIDGES to cross the KY river here.....I couldn't imagine that until I came to the end of the road & found a ferry used to cross the river. It doesn't cost anything...it's part of the highway system......holds 3 cars & runs about 100 feet to cross the river. It doesn't run when the river is too full (like now) or too shallow (like during the drought last year).

The country is beautiful with all the different ways they have of dealing with nature & trying to blend with it rather than forcing nature into their needs.

that was one of the things I found with the way they build houses here. They fit each house to the land it's being build on rather than flattening it all out & building all the houses the same like they do in California.....it makes for beautiful houses that don't look all the same.

Debbie

lol! i like the dog

[seeker1950]

I love the dog, too!
Yes, we got out of work an hour early yesterday due to the rains and flood warnings. I think, thoiugh, that this is unusual weather, Eskie. Usually, you will not have to deal with such extremes, even in KY!
Love,
Patty

[Doh2007]

Your descriptions and the photos make me feel like I'm reading a book. Your new life sounds wonderful, even with the weather. How did you chose Kentucky to relocate to?

[HALLIEBETH87]

actually, the weather for ky isnt too unsual. ive lived her al my 21 years.

[eskielover]

Doh,

I knew I wanted to purchase a farm somewhere in the US.....anywhere I could afford to buy land & where they had good dressage training for my horse & for me. I started looking at where the dressage associations were in the United States & the group in Kentucky looked like it might be the best.....then I realized that Kentucky was the Horse capital of the world so I figured that is would really be the best place for my horses if I could find a place. I didn't want to go to a state where there was a lot of snow in the winter because unless I had an indoor arena to ride in, I would not be riding in the winter weather......but I still wanted some winter weather...more than I was getting in California.....again, Kentucky seemed like about the best place to start looking at. My Mother had died & I sold her house, so I had a limited amount of money to pay cash for a farm.....so I knew I had to go somewhere that land wasn't real expensive. I was having so many health & emotional problems after she died due to the trauma the home care person created, so getting myself out of the house to go anywhere to look was almost impossible. I especially was having a hard time in the winters....right around the time it all happened.....but last April came.....my husband made plane reserations & we boarded all the dogs......except for Leo who goes crazy if he isn't close to me all the time & flew to KY. I had spent a couple of weeks looking at the listings around Lexington & had talked to a real estate agent there for the whole year before I went. I had a list of about 12 farms to see in the 2 weeks I was there & then right before I left for Kentucky...I had purchased a GPS system & went back into the listings to get the addresses.....there was another farm that was just listed & the photos looked beautiful.....but they all make even the worst place look good......so I had no idea what I was getting into.

There was a traffic accident on the California freeway & it was closed down right before my scheduled plane flight......so wouldn't you know....I missed my flight. When I finally got to the airport.....I decided that I would reschedule for whatever flight I could get on & would just sit there until the flight....no matter how long.......that threw off the schedule in KY by a day. When I arrived, we started looking at the ones I had on my list.....they were all dissasters. If you ever saw the movie "the money pit"? These make that look like a mansion. There were many that were what I called hysterical historical makeovers & even if they were in my price range....it would take too much to re do them into a liveable home......then I came across the tobacco barns....those huge black historical barns in Kentucky.......most of them were so run down....it would take more to renovate them than to just buy a farm without a barn & have one put up. However, the one farm that had popped up, I made sure I looked at it on the friday afternoon. After all the horrible places, I wanted to see if I should just give up of not. The drive to the 10 acre farm was amazing......it was like driving on vacation in California......down the winding road, through the trees & across the KY river.....& up the cascades on the other side. Then it opened out into the most beautiful green rolling hills I had ever seen. Onto a winding small paved road, through beautiful farm land & there was this beautiful not so little brick home. I went through the house I wanted it immediately. It was just like what I had seen in my dreams already.....especially when I walked out onto the front porch......it was like I had seen it all before. It didn't look like the land was very practical for the horse barn & dressag arena.....but I had met someone that builds barns at the rolex horse show just the day before who might be able to help me decide if it was possible.

I kept thinking about that farm the whole weekend & had fallen in love with it....especially with how bad all the others were. I was going to drop by the farm over the weekend & look it over again, the the real estate people didn't want possible buyers to meet the sellers.....for whatever their reasons are.......so Monday, I had an appointment with the barn person to check it out. I drove back to the farm & the owners were there.....so I got a chance to meet them. I heard that there was another family interested in the farm....& when I found out that the barn was completely possible even with how hilly the land was.....& I had walked down into the woods & found some really flat land to build on....so it looked even better than originally thought. The next morning....I decided to make an offer.....then I took off to wander around the horse park while waiting for an answer. I figured that since there was another person wanting to make an offer on the house....we might end up in a bidding war & the price was already at my max.......but a few hours later & they had accepted my offer.....go figure....when I met the owners....they decided that they wanted me to own the house & not the other family....so they immediately accepted my offer & didn't even bother telling the other real estate agent that was working with the other people who were interested.

Well, they were moving into a new home & wanted to close escrow in 15 days......so that's how Kentucky came about. Everything just kind of happened & everything just fell into the right place at the right time. It's the most perfect home I could have ever dreamed of. Initially, my intention was to let my husband get his act together & then he would move here too, but that has changed & now I am going to be working the whole farm myself...horses, dogs.....house, barn & all the yard work.....it's a lot for just one person who doesn't have money to hire things done......but it's something I love, so it makes it a passion rather than a chore. This farm has become my new life & has finally given me the way to leave the life that has been dragging me down for so long. It was something I realized completely after I finally got away that I had to do for myself.

So that is how Kentucky came to be,
Debbie