The beginning of "The Middle"...

It was the fall of 2002, and we had finally found the property that would serve everything we needed to move forward with our family...  a blended family.  He and his 2 boys, Me with my girls.  Only 2 girls were making the move. The first, eldest of my beauties, was making her own life path having graduated from high school and drama school.  I was astonished by her commitment and strength in following her dream, and conquering her own life hurtles.  I missed her so much, but knew she had to go forward on her own path, which forked from mine.

This place, we found after a couple years of searching, and finally having the finances fall into place, would be a perfect landing spot.  There was land and an out building, that would allow us ( my youngest and me) to complete our dream of owing horses.  There was space for a building that would house our new business, that my husband and I were creating ..  out of need..  ( more another day on this).  The house itself was perfect in size, each and everyone would have their own space and room.  Blending a family of teenagers requires space..  physical space, personal space, and breathing space.  Yes Space.. and we found it.   Each person in this blend brought with them a lot of baggage.  Over the years some of that baggage was discarded, and some was left to be carried further.  We found peace, for the most part, my husband and I in our new world, with our family while running our own business.  Not saying it was perfect, as there was plenty of ups and downs, zigs and zags, but a feeling of balance between the two.

The second oldest girl, with in a year of making the move, had found a person to share her life with, and made the move out on her own, a big move to another province.  Life for this girl had never been easy, born with a less than perfectly constructed heart and plagued with various illness associated with the oddly ticking heart.  I knew she still had many challenges ahead of her, but was pleased to see her make this most important life choice.

Now I had a empty room..  soon to be the guest room.  A room guests seemed to enjoy. A bright and happy room.

It was after the oldest boy made his way out into the world, that we had established our business and had some financial stability.  Enough that we could entertain the notion of adopting a horse for the youngest girl.
Lots needed to be done, to make the land and barn inhabitable for this new adventure.  But as life has it.. the horse came before we were ready.  Mr. Eko was boarded at a neighbors, with 2 cantankerous mares, who picked on him with a vengeance.  Seems there was not enough food to go around, and Eko was low man in the herd.   On many a visit, we would find him taking refuge in the chicken pen with the chickens.  This was enough to spur on my husband and youngest boy to ready our property to provide a home for our newest family member.   I had the task of finding a pasture mate to keep Eko company, and who would also be my mount.  I can not describe the sheer joy and excitement I felt between finding this new fellow, Shadow, a very handsome and sensitive Appaloosa.
On the coldest day in Feb. 2006, we moved Mr. Eko and Shadow to live with us.  This was a joyous day for me, and the beginning of my attraction and appreciation of winter.
Over time we did more fencing, build a riding ring, up graded the barn, and took in a lovely Arab mare who needed a special way of life.  One we could offer.   This gal set her sights on my husband, she adores him.  I believe it was her adoration and attention on him, that persuaded him to enjoy all the hard labor involved in providing a good home and environment for our herd of three.  I think he fell as hard for her as she fell for him.  These horses became a huge part of our every day life, of choices we made and would make in the years that followed.

On many levels during these few years I was very happy, content as it were. There were things missing, it would be wrong of me to gloss those over.  As much as I loved my new life and family, I was missing a social aspect of having friends, I missed seeing people who had been a huge part of my life before we made the move.  I had expected I would make new ones.  But that didn't happen.  I didn't blend in well with the locals.  I'm sure that due to a disabling illness I had been diagnosed with didn't help matters much, but the result was the same,  I was lonely for friends.  My friends and family that had been left behind.   My husband and I tried to fit in, joined groups and clubs ...  but we just didn't fit.   So after the youngest son, and youngest daughter had finished school and were making paths of their own we decided to sell our piece of paradise  take our business and move home.  That was the plan.  Find a new piece of paradise closer to home and old friends and family.   If only it were that easy.

Hell in a hand basket..  the economy took a dive, pulling our company and any potential buyers with it... to the bottom.... crash, thud.  We are now struggling to keep not only our heads, but those fur heads under our care above water.  A job had been secured back home...  a job with promise.  We packed and loaded up, headed for home.   We found a lovely family who wanted to rent our paradise...  we felt comfort that things were heading in a good direction..  we seemed to be able to swim against the current.....This was only an illusion.......  not a reality.