Anniversary

Holy cow, I just realized that today is the one-year anniversary of my Rainy Day Ranch blog. Thanks for sticking around.

Over the past year, we've lost a best friend (beautiful Miss Como) and gained several new friends, including a certain scruffy monster from Texas. I started some projects that fizzled--playing the fiddle, vegetarianism, running, artisan chocolate-making--but I learned something from each failed endeavor. My dusty fiddle reminds me to concentrate on learning to play one instrument really well instead of struggling with three (the 10,000-hour rule!). I missed bacon too much to stick to my veggie diet, but I have a new awareness of what goes on my plate--and a new concern for how it gets there. Training for two marathons and failing to come close to running them made me realize that there's no point in taking up an activity that I dread; English-style horseback riding is proving to be a much more enjoyable way to satisfy my itch for a physical challenge and some mental discipline. My disastrous attempts involving artisan chocolates and, let's face it, candles, soaps, and jewelry too, helped me to better appreciate and admire the special talents of my friends who are much more proficient in these areas.

It's fair to say, though, that the bigger picture hasn't changed much. My visions of the Rainy Day Ranch become stronger and more focused each day--kind of like Harry Potter's visions of Lord Voldemort, but in a good way. I know we're getting very close. And I'm still determined to get me some chickens.