Change is good? That is not something I say frequently. I am a stay-at-home, routine-lovin’ girl. To my core.
But I just got a new job, and I am thrilled. THRILLED, I say. I don’t think opportunities like this come along very often, at least they haven’t for me. In a nutshell, this gray-haired, middle-aged, left-brained organizer is now working for a group of young, right-brained creative geniuses. Because even creative people need someone to keep track of their logins and passwords. And have someone sort through their receipts. And book last minute flights. And answer emails. And say, “Sure, I can get that done for you.” The best part? After I absorb the finer points of the job, a lot of it can be done from home, in my little corner of the world. How cool is that?
Yet at least for now, my routine is shot all to hell. For a while, I need to go into the office every day, taking me away from the barnyard for all but morning and evening feeding time. I know this is temporary. But lordy, I miss my extra time with those animals. It’s funny, because I probably spend less than an hour out there during the day and I wasn’t thinking about it much. I’d hear the egg song and run out to see who laid one. I’d need to get away from the computer and I’d take Doink and the goats a carrot or two. Tia would give her alert call and I’d head out to look for the fox or coyote she was warning everyone about. I’d see the goats playing and I’d grab my camera to catch a few shots. Some people take coffee breaks. I take barnyard breaks.
So now I’m a bit stressed. Slightly exhausted. Mildly overwhelmed.
I don’t understand. Where have you been?
You’ve been gone all day and all you bring us is WATER?
Which is why when I finally get home, throw on my coat-scarf-gloves-boots, and head out back…I am so happy. Wet noses, sweet eyes, long necks and flappy wings are all standing at the fence, waiting. I quickly feed grain to hungry tummies. We talk while they follow me around as I do the nightly poop scooping. I tell them about my day—they are good listeners. Finally, the hay feeders are topped up and after they jockey for position, I watch and listen to a soft symphony, the sounds from mouths happily chewing in unison.
Well, sometimes not always happily… Stop fighting, you two!
Chomp chomp. Munch munch. Tia needs to come up for air!
Then I watch the chickens slowly make their way to their coops, lining up by pecking order and hopping up onto the roosts.
Cleopatra, then Maude. Marsha Marsha Marsha looks the other way and pretends she’s not even there.
At this time, when the strongest are first at the food or already on the roost, I am drawn to the ones holding back. Especially now, with all this change and newness in my life. I can relate to trying to be brave, knowing full well that I can do this—but even amongst friends feeling a bit vulnerable.
Jasmine, the sweetest girl in the world and lowest in the pecking order, waits till everyone else is in before she tries to enter the coop.
Brandy always finds her way to the hay, but she waits until everyone else is munching and takes the last spot.
This is good. This is all good. The best, really. But for me, even good change is hard in the beginning 🙂
**Shared at Simple Saturdays, From the Farm, Homestead Hop and Our Simple Hop**
Congrats! One lucky company to have you as their ‘go to’ gal. Can speak directly to your calm, get it done abilities. Have fun!
I literally laughed out loud last week when I was in the office and could not find a single good pen to use. I longed for a few of your bountiful pen cups 🙂
Joan Hobbs recently posted…Change Is Good
Wow, I totally get where you are coming from. I don’t like change either and struggle even with good change. I totally get the missing the animals bit, even though you spend short bursts with them. We are self employed caterers and work from a kitchen on our property which is so good for spending time with the chickens. I get some morning time with them then do my deliveries and shopping. I spend time with them at lunch time then do some producing for the next day but stop and go out to them again before dusk. Like you I go and check who has laid when I hear the egg shout and take photos most days. Congrats on the job. You will soon have a new routine worked out and everything will settle again. It is lovely when you see the critters lined up (in my case eight little bantams) just waiting for you. Good luck with the job.
Carol Caldwell recently posted…Another bag of sand for the run
It is those little bits of time that make us happy, right?
What a PERFECT job for an organizing mind! Lucky you. And even more so, lucky THEM. Congratulations.
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PS: That first picture is the best ever 🙂
Tia loves to be the first picture 🙂
So, basically, you’re like the Mother Hen of your office? I have no doubt they love having you watch over them and keep things all sorted out. Being away from the animals makes you appreciate them that much more, doesn’t it? I’m sure as much as you appreciated them before, it’s an even stronger feeling now that you are taken away from them more hours of the day. So glad you’re happy with the change!
I was thinking my title should be Queen of the Office, but I’m thinking Mother Hen is better!
How fabulous! So happy that you found a great opportunity! Your critters surely miss you too. It’ll all work itself out. Just keep swimming…
daisy recently posted…Got Bread?
Paddling along the best I can… 🙂
Thanks for your blog …always so appreciated. I’m happy for you with your new job….hopefully things will go even more smoothly after you’ve been doing it awhile and hopefully you can then do quite a bit from your home quarters!!! I’m sure that all your good buddies in the barnyard are thrilled to see you when you get back home. Praying this all goes well for you!
Thanks! It will settle down, and I want it to, but I am loving the excitement right now 🙂 And as much as I know they like my company, as long as I’m there for dinnertime…the animals will still love me!
Congratulations on your (almost) stay at home job! I, too, am a homebody and have recently secured (haha…is anything secure these days?) a telecommute job. It is so very difficult and competitive to find one. It will be an adjustment for a couple months, but soon you will find a routine. Best of luck and I look forward to more posts and updates. When you get time, of course ;0)
Congrats on your new job! I hope it continues as long as you want it to 🙂
Change is a tricky beast, but it really is a good thing for all of us from time to time. Congrats on the new job, and the fact that your routine has made you appreciate your outside time that much more. 🙂
I changed fields last year, from education (school year) to the medical field (year round). Huge change, but now I’m used to it. Better environment, I really valued and better $, all good. Hang in there…
Congratulations!
Congrats on the new job! And thanks for sharing on the Homestead Blog Hop!
So, my comment isn’t about change. This is my first, but definitely not my last, visit to your blog. I’m getting goats very soon. What breeds do you have? What are the pros and cons of them? I’m looking into Saanens or Alpines or both! What are your thoughts?
Welcome to The Chicken Mama! I’m no goat expert, but in my little herd I would say Brandy, who is half Saanen, has the most affectionate personality. Sammy the Nigerian Dwarf is a bit shy, and Jester the Alpine spends a lot of time pushing everyone else around (but he is sweet, too).