Mama, work, animals

Mama started feeling badly yesterday. We do not know if it is a relapse of the flu or something entirely different. She scheduled a visit to our local doctor and an appointment with an ENT specialist tomorrow. With the ear issues I am having I need to see an ENT also, but I am waiting until we are self-pay to do so. Mama is convinced that something is wrong with her ears in addition to the congestion she has in her head and chest. We will see. She has not really felt good since retuning from Wilmington, but there are so many here suffering from allergies. What is causing the discomfort is anyone’s guess. We do have a good number of allergens being circulated by the recurring storm systems passing through our area right now. When the rain clears the air it helps, but those benefits are short-lived.

I have not typically suffered from allergies, so I am not sure this is a common event – based on the time of year – or if this is unusual. Regardless, Mama is feeling badly enough that she is reaching out for medical assistance. She was telling me last night that she is going to request a chest x-ray. I am not sure how that will go over with our primary care physician, but it would not be a total waste of time or money to have the x-ray done. At the very least, we need to determine if what she is suffering from is infectious. If that proves to be true, we will react in a slightly different manner than if it turns out to be just allergies.

I am not pleased with the change in momentum at work to shift the burden of all instructor let training to me. When the time comes for me to announce my departure, there will be a good deal of consternation caused by the shift in the training to be carried exclusively by any one person. My greater concern is that it eliminates any employee development. The fact that I have insider information as to my longevity with my current employer, is problematic, but the shift in focus away from employee development is going to hurt the company in the short run. It will be devastating in the long run. The fact that I cannot more positively affect the outcome bothers me, but my plans to move into a fulltime business in real estate, though not set as to a particular date, are progressing. It will be a matter of weeks not months before I announce that change to my employer. I have done my very best to help, without costing me my job by announcing my intentions unnecessarily early. I am sure the company will survive, even thrive perhaps. But the outcomes could have been vastly different. Much less anxious. Much more fluid. Oh, well.

Mama and I are held off until the 5^th of May to take our nanny goats to Ricks. That is not an issue. It happens when it happens. We are praying for a much better outcome this year versus last year when we got only one kid. On the bright side, I should have the second shelter completed by then. If I can get the paddock fence finished, we will have a permanent home ready for them on their return. While they are gone the pigs will be taken to market and I will be able to redo the area we use for pigs. Concerning the pigs, I will be relieved to have them gone. They are a smelly pair and about the nastiest pigs I have ever had to deal with. But they have stayed in their very wet, very nasty, very slimy enclosure throughout their time with us. Right not there is not a single dry place for them in the enclosure, but that is their own doing and I have nothing else to offer for their care. Fortunately, it will not affect the quality of the meat they will provide. They are scheduled for processing on June 5^th.

Mama and I have been picking spinach out of the garden every couple days for the past couple weeks. Just enough to fix for a day or two. It is delicious. And you can’t beat the freshness.