Lots of Lemons and Little Lemonade

 Looking back, 2020 was a pretty good year at my house. We learned to embrace being at home.  We attended online cocktail hours and dined at home every single day.  We watched every horse race on television.  It wasn't a bad year for our house.  No one we knew got Covid and died or was really sick.  2021 started off badly losing Alfie and since then it's been all ups and downs, almost to the extreme.  Work is 24/7 with no end in sight, high stress levels, endless meetings and not enough staff to do the work.  I was really looking forward to turning a new page in 2021.  This is after I had to cancel a trip to Kentucky with the "girls" for a fun almost week long horse show last month.  And after I had to pick up a lame Apollo, from a training accident that was totally avoidable.  I've been too angry to talk about it. He is in a stall until December and this happened in August.  Madison has also been out with injury but she is on the mend and will show this weekend locally.  We'll try to finish the year with two shows in October and two in November. We are so "off our game" but I will enjoy it nonetheless.

So what's life been giving?  Lemons.  And I am trying to make lemonade or even better an Old Fashioned. But it's not working so well.  I found out last week that I need to have foot surgery which will take me totally out of commission for at minimum four months.  This is something I have managed for many years, from running and likely genetics but in the past six months a secondary issue has entered the picture.  A trip to the surgeon confirmed my fears. So looking now into a not so great 2022 and trying to find the courage to make the Old Fashioned. My February 2022 trip to Ocala with the horse is now cancelled.

Planning now for how I will need to live in early 2022 totally off my feet.  How to work so I can keep my leg propped up 24/7.   What clothes can I easily wear?  How will I manage taking a bath?  What do I do with the horses for months?  No riding, running, walking.  Just a lot of sitting.  Did I mention that I am a Type A with tons of energy who can't sit very long?

So I am buying a ton of books - five from Thriftbooks.com are on their way - mostly sports-related.  Three pre-ordered from Amazon this week - all new titles being released this month.  Maybe a Coursera course that I never had time for before?  My needlepoint stash is massive.  So there's lots to pick from there.  My car will miss me.  Madison will hopefully miss me and Apollo will go back to school, but to a different school. Enough said.  This is what I feel like....

 I know it could be much worse. No one is really sick.  We will all get through this.  But somewhere there is a silver lining - I just know it.  OK - I will be able to wear my Manalo Blahniks again after surgery.  Carrie Bradshaw would be proud.