The 2015 Charlie Calendar + Giveaway!
☆ October 30, 2014
2015 Charlie Calendars are here! I say this every year, but this one is my favorite yet. It’s been printed the old fashioned way, on a press, by my beloved, family-run, local print shop. The printing press creates images of such high quality, the calendar pages can be saved and framed individually if desired. It’s gorgeous. I’m so pleased with it!
CLICK HERE for more pictures and ordering info. If you prefer to order via snail mail with a check or money order, just zip me an email: orders AT dailycoyote DOT net
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This strange year. I feel like I’ve been walking in the moonlight all year, and can only clearly see three feet in front of me. Everything else is dark. I’m learning to trust that once I take the steps I can see, the next steps will be illuminated. Little by little. Step by step. I’ve not written much here all year; instead, I’ve been fumbling around in the dark, getting bruised, and sitting in stillness, gazing at the moon. What about you? What’s the year been like for you? I’d love to hear, whether it’s three words or three paragraphs, whatever you would like to share in the comment section.
Next weekend, I’ll pick five comments at random and send off five deluxe Wyoming care packages (I love making these!) (please make sure your email address is correct when commenting – I’m the only one who sees it). Care packages will be full of Charlie love and Wyoming magic, and a calendar, of course.
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272 Responses to “The 2015 Charlie Calendar + Giveaway!”
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October 30th, 2014 @ 8:29 am
Hi Shreve! You and the farmily are great, I love reading about your fabulous life!
October 30th, 2014 @ 8:38 am
I turned 40 at the beginning of the year and given what I read about turning 40 had high expectations about everything coming in to focus and having all this clarity about me. I hadn’t given much thought to what that looked like, but I thought it would be all rainbows and unicorns.
6 months later I was asking for a divorce after 10 years of marriage, and 18 yrs. together. It was not the clarity I thought I had wanted. It was sad and painful. It was thorns, and thickets. After some serious heart to heart conversations I agreed to just a seperation period before moving forward with any legal proceedings. Two months of putting myself first, and loving myself in a way I hadn’t in a long time also gave my husband clarity.
We’ve since reconciled and the love I have in my life is the stuff made of dreams. It is the clarity of vulnrability and of trust. It is the light in the dark and it has made me truly understand the following two phrases in a way I never did before: “You dont always get what you want, but you get what you need.” and “Be careful what you wish for”
Best of luck to you in finding your way. May the starlit nites of Wyoming continue to shine down and show you the way into the sun.
October 30th, 2014 @ 8:52 am
This was the year my mother died. My birthday was 10/22, and I hoped she would not pass on that day. Eventually, I came to realize that if she did, it would be the day that represented the full cycle of life…birth and death. But, she crossed over two days before. I was her “midwife” in her passage, and grateful to be able to sit in that role. My brother and I are now the oldest generation in our family. What a concept!
October 30th, 2014 @ 9:08 am
The last couple yrs have been a transition for me: turned 62 and retired from a job I had for 25 yrs. Stuck around for a while and decided to move from Calif to Colorado to be closer to my daughter and make visits to Oregon to see my son. I’ve been here for 2 yrs now and love it but my husband has yet to join me-we’ve been married 35 yrs. He is finishing up projects at home but plans to move here in Spring 2015. It’s been nice to have my own place, do my own thing but I do miss the companionship-we will see what the future holds meanwhile I am happy and content and healthy!
October 30th, 2014 @ 9:12 am
I’ve been reading about you, Charlie and the farmily since you started your blog. It’s still my first stop on the interwebs every day.
It’s been a real treat reading about you and Charlie- watching the changes in both your lives as the years pass.
Wishing the best for you and the farmily.
October 30th, 2014 @ 9:13 am
Hi Shreve, without the darkness we wouldn’t recognize the Light, without cold, the warmth.
Be blessed.
October 30th, 2014 @ 9:20 am
It’s been a pretty good year. I’m loving retirement, although the money totally sucks. My older dog turned 15 this year; it’s sad to see her faculties waning, but she’s still basically healthy, although feebler than before. The younger dog is coming into his own, as a competitor and as a being in his own right.
I love that you so generously share Charlie and the rest of the Farmily with us.
October 30th, 2014 @ 9:22 am
Remember the movie Labrynth with David Bowie and Jennifer Connely? I recently had the “you have no power over me” moment with my job and quit. I have no idea what I am doing, just keep telling myself that “I am good enough, smart enough and dog gone it, people like me.” Everything is going to be alright.
October 30th, 2014 @ 9:26 am
It’s been a year of adjustments—to a new city, house, neighborhood, and at the same time trying to contain the grief of what was left behind. I try not to look back and mourn, but look forward to all the joy that lies ahead.
October 30th, 2014 @ 9:30 am
My year has been full of baby magic. I’ve never seen spring like seeing it through her eyes. She’s helped wipe away so much of my cynicism and hardness. She reminds me that falling down isn’t a catastrophe. You might cry a little, might need a hug, but then you can get up again and go find something marvelous (like a spatula. Oh, the wonder and joy of a spatula!)
October 30th, 2014 @ 9:35 am
Get up everyday,shower, get dressed and keep going. There are things to do, people to see, animals to tend to and the sun always shines here in the desert, it is never cold, I feel blessed….My father passed, I flew 20 hours to be by him.I am the next generation, hence I am next…20 good years to go and I will make them interesting….One has to prepare for the last chapter of life , it is my job now to appreciate every moment of it and to stop stressing. Peace and serenity.
October 30th, 2014 @ 9:45 am
I love that phrase “walking in the moonlight” and I am stealing it! I have had the same kind of year – 2013 is bringing lots of change in my life. I have no idea what the next step in my path will be so I feel like I’m stumbling blindly but now I’m going to think of it in the more poetic phrasing you have used.
October 30th, 2014 @ 9:48 am
This year has consisted of treading water. I am getting pretty close to being able to leap though :)
October 30th, 2014 @ 9:53 am
This has been a year of ups and downs and some turmoil here, also. When you think things are getting better, all of a sudden the rug gets pulled out from under you. This past 3 months have been especially tough. In the Spring our sweet Speckles was diagnosed with Lupus. We had her on medications for that and she seemed to be doing just fine. Then our baby went missing on Aug. 20th and we still have not found her. We have had people suggest that perhaps she knew she was really sick and went off on her own to die, which is totally out of character for her. We have searched and searched and had others helping with that, but to no avail. Reward posters haven’t helped either. Another option that came up was that perhaps someone stopped and picked her up, which is a more believable possibility as she is so friendly and loves to ride in the car. I only hope that if that is the case that whoever has her is taking especially good care of her. (She has a collar with all kinds of ID info and phone #s and such, but no call has come in.)The not knowing is the hardest part. On Aug. 27th we lost one of our newest kittens that had been dropped at our place. She got out on the road and got hit. Her 3 sisters are still here and just as sweet as ever. I think the first few days that Silvie was gone was kind of confusing for them as they were all so close and slept and played together. They were only about 4 months old at the time. Then on Aug. 31 our son-in-law passed away from an 8 month battle with lung cancer. After that things seemed to be going better, but then on Oct. 17th I had to put my sweet Smoky (my oldest cat at 15 1/2) to rest. That was just a day before what would have been my Mom and Daddy’s 73rd anniversary. I had gotten Smoky when he was barely 2 weeks old and raised him, but then my Mom fell in love with him and decided that she would like to have him, so Daddy finally gave in and said “Okay”. They had Smoky for a little over 3 years before they both passed away, 9 days apart, back in Aug. ’02. So then I got Smoky back and he’s been such a sweet connection, but then it was time to say goodbye to him and give him back to Mom and Daddy. It’s been a rough time along with a few other things, but we will make it.
On the total upside, we got our StarBrand Beef in August and it is absolutely the very best beef we have ever had! Bar none!!!!!
I have been following your blog every single day from the very first time I got on here and I love it. I think at that time Charlie was only a couple of months old. So it’s been so much fun watching him grow up. It’s one of the first things that I check when I get on the computer. Kinda tough not seeing something new posted on the weekends! But I know there are other things that need to be done. Just appreciate all that you are willing to share. I love seeing all the different pics of Charlie and all the other members of the farmily, also, as well as the scenic shots that come in between the Charlie shots. He is SO beautiful! You are so fortunate to have him in your life as he is to have you in his. Love the pics of Ely and Chloe, too. I have the book and love the stories that you have told about your time raising him and some of the problems that came up and you conquered them.
I so hope that you will come to find what it is that you are looking for and that it will all be good. In the meantime, take care of yourself as much as you take care of Charlie and friends.
October 30th, 2014 @ 10:07 am
At 68 I’m still trying to figure out what to do with my life. I spent much of the year worrying about things, probably because I didn’t have enough to do to keep my mind out of trouble. So now I’m choosing just to say “yes” to everything that shows up in my life. Just that process has really shifted the way I experience life…more energy, interest, excitement, joy. And looking at creatures like Charlie and the rest of your family always brings joy and yes!
October 30th, 2014 @ 10:08 am
This has been a milestone year for me too. I turned 60 in July yet don’t feel a bit older than let’s say, 40. :)
I was adopted at birth and also in July (after waiting seemingly forever) I got to see my real birth certificate and found my birth mother. I wrote her a letter and can only assume her silence means she wants no contact with me. Which I knew going in was a possibility, but I’m okay with it, I just knew I had to try and I’m glad I did. I have a great job, great friends, a warm home and two dogs I adore, and am so thankful for all of it. I’m also thankful to you Shreve, for sharing your life and farmily with us…I’m not sure how it’s possible to love people and animals one has never met, but I do. And wish you all nothing but light and love.
October 30th, 2014 @ 10:08 am
If you’d asked me to describe my life this year just two days ago I’d have just shook my head, unable to find words. See, my aunt—my mother’s sister—passed into spirit not too long back and it knocked me numb for a good long time. She was my second mom, the one who remembered the family ghost stories, the one who first showed me Yosemite, who taught me how to gentle a surly dog, how to look at what’s left in your pantry and figure out how to feed your family. And she’s gone.
Work kept me busy for the last few months of her life. My whole family lives within a 20-mile radius, so seeing each other casually here and there is common. I always anticipated seeing her, but it never happened. She left us so unexpectedly that there were no goodbyes, just her heart giving out on a cold winter night, alone.
I busied myself to not remember she was gone, to trick myself into thinking I’d run into her one day at the post office or see her at our next cutting and branding. It worked for a while, but the grief would always well up again stronger and more overwhelming. So I sat with it. I let it wash over me, fill the hollow in my chest and pour out again. In the thick of it, a memory surfaced from the last time I’d seen her and it set me right.
We were saying goodbye after a late summer supper at the ranch. I hugged her and said “I love ya, A.C.”. When I looked at her, she looked surprised and said she loved me too. We aren’t vocal about such things in our family and, in retrospect, I shocked myself by saying it out loud because it’s a given. I don’t know what possessed me to part with those words, but I did and I’m happy I did.
In the months since she’d gone, I’d focused on the dying part. But why be sad about dying? I’ve set foot over that threshold once before and it’s nothing bad or scary. We’re sad because we miss their love and miss giving them our love, but does dying really stop that? Not if you allow yourself to grieve and not if you keep their memory dear. Sure, I still cry about it (I’m crying right now, in fact), but it’s not some shameful thing; tears of remembrance are often happy tears.
And now I’ve gone well over three paragraphs. Thank you for reading and to all of you who are struggling right now, please remember that love surrounds you even if it’s not spoken out loud.
October 30th, 2014 @ 10:12 am
This year has been one of change and personal soul searching. I too feel like I’m walking around a bit blind. But just keep moving from one day to the next knowing that, in the end, everything will work out like it should. I don’t know exactly what that looks like (and for my planner personality, that is a struggle) but I know it will be great. I am so thankful to have many amazing friends and the best family who support me.
October 30th, 2014 @ 10:18 am
I have finally found a home.
October 30th, 2014 @ 10:20 am
This year has been emotionally trying year for me. After graduating from college at 39 years of age, I am struggling with earning my teaching certification in the state of GA. Not only that, but it has been a year of highs and lows. I lost two of my fur babies this years, my chihuahua Pixie, and our 15 year old Jack Russel, Timmie and am struggling with keeping our 14 year old German shepard alive as cancer eats away at him. I know that time is coming near when the look in his eyes is going to change from life to utter defeat and it will be time to let him cross the Bridge to heaven. I have struggled with the fact that my oldest child is not longer a baby and is almost 17 and is joining the Air Force during a time that the United States is still at war. I just keep seem to be trudging along. I also feel like my path in life is currently going through a pitch black cave and I am just hoping that I don’t miss a turn and that I am headed in the right direction.
October 30th, 2014 @ 10:24 am
This has been a very difficult year professionally for me; I’ve had to make a major change in my work environment that has been and continues to be challenging; not sure I have or will reach the “successful” point and I’m not even sure I want to now. Seriously thinking of retiring this time next year (because I will reach the magic age of 62) and doing something profoundly different. Looking for the courage. I haven’t experienced the personal losses you have, Shreve, this year — and you continue to inspire with your writing — but I have noticed a need in myself to reach out to others like never before if only for a quiet talk. I’ve always been a loner, so this is very different. We shall see. Thank you for your generosity.
October 30th, 2014 @ 10:25 am
My year has been odd, filled with love and loss and everything that comes along with those things. Life, I guess. I try to be present and be grateful for all that I have. I enjoy what you share of your rural life and your sweet animal friends . Take good care!
October 30th, 2014 @ 10:26 am
Been a strange year for me as well. My son turned 30, my husband turned 60, and my mom turned 90. Between the three of them, who are all kind of dependent on me – I feel like I’m looking for ME and what I want to do. I love them all, but it’s draining to feel like the worn-out cog on the wheel. I’d kind of like to derail for a minute or a year.
October 30th, 2014 @ 10:35 am
It is sad to read about your past year. I think of you as someone who is on top of the world. It just goes to show that we are all human. Ups and downs are part of life. Sometimes I’m soooo on top of my game and others soooo not. It’s so easy to make suggestions but when you are in the darkness you can’t figure it out. You just wait in hopes for the good feelings to come back around. I guess that is what life is about and in the end you hope that the good outweighs the bad and that in some small way you make a difference. You have all ready made a difference in this world for a lot of people and animals. Know that, remember that, and hold it tight when you need to the most. xo
October 30th, 2014 @ 10:40 am
This year, after a year of back-to-back losses a lot of medical troubles and bed rest, we finally welcomed a beautiful baby boy to our lives. Everything else that has happened since seems to fall away and nothing feels too big to handle any more. I’m blessed to be surrounded by so much love and blessings and wish nothing less than for everyone to find the same in their journey.
October 30th, 2014 @ 10:47 am
This year has been a year in limbo. Another year stuck. I’ve learned that I do need to change, but am still afraid to take that first step. Getting closer…closer!
October 30th, 2014 @ 10:50 am
Hi, Shreve…
This has been a difficult year. Losing two of my best friends to old age and disease, and my cousin to an unknown heart condition, took the wind out of my sails quite a bit. Our friend Audrey, who opened the worlds of science fiction and writing to me, passed away in the spring. In early summer, my cat, Okun, also passed away. Audrey gave him to me, so it was, in a way, a double blow to lose him and I still question my decision, even though I know it was the right one. And Jeff’s passing, at 45, was almost too much.
But there were so many good things that happened, good friends who come together to hug and laugh and cry, and trips to see wild ponies and the ocean, and the joy of just living in the country with my family and waking up to each new day.
I know this has been a hard year for you, Shreve, but there is good there too…hold onto that.
October 30th, 2014 @ 10:54 am
The first half of our year was a whirlwind of traveling, family – new places – novel experiences – familiar places – comforting experiences, and finally noticing, amidst all the change in this crazy, lovely city of SF, in my seemingly hard-edged concrete downtown neighborhood, that a quiet sense of neighborhood and home had finally crept into our lives and curled up with us, a new layer added to our feelings of belonging.
And then at the end of July, I discovered that my wry, funny, practical, adoring cat companion and best friend, Dot, had a form of localized cancer that was inoperable, painful, and would eventually steal away her ability to eat and breathe while still leaving her otherwise capable. Without treatment, we had 1-3 months, with aggressive, painful treatment, at best up to a year. My heart broke into a million pieces.
In the past I have had experiences with long illness, and in the past I have welcomed it into the grieving process – for me, perhaps not others, but at least for me, it gives me strength to help care for someone and give them comfort and ease as they near the end of their journey, and being involved also allows me to begin to let go. The end can be a celebration of someone being freed from an affliction that stole who they were, joy that their energies have slipped free of those chains that buffers the pain of the knowledge that their time with us is over.
When we got her initial diagnosis I needed both distraction and an element of grounding to prepare myself for the months ahead. I turned here and to dailycoyote and slowly, methodically read every post, from the beginning all the way to the present day. Shreve’s visual and literary take on the way we move through the world with our companion creatures help knit some of those pieces of my heart back together; it was a bit of palliative care that I needed; to touch, even distantly, the emotions and experiences of someone else who just gets how these beings are our friends, our partners, how these relationships go deeper – are the deepest, sometimes – than many others, even with all their challenges and the strength required to face them.
And so I began palliative care for my funny little cat. Ever independent and tough, she hated drugs, she learned to adapt to every setback’s new normal, and most importantly, I was able to adjust my care to her disease’s progression at nearly every point in a way that kept her able to stay comfortable. She didn’t always seek comfort out, because she was both fierce and derpy, but inevitably, finally, terribly, her behaviors became less an expression of who she was, and instead were an attempt to grasp at the fun, love, and enjoyment she’d once had, searching for relief in things that were dear to her. But it was at this point that our interaction became so much more intimate, so much more moment-to-moment, intense, and closer, that I realized abruptly I had no buffer against my grief any longer and all my attempts to prepare myself were failing.
Dot was just a cat, but she was also a best friend and the best of companions. We let her go earlier this week with the knowledge that it was the kindest thing to do, to save someone additional pain and struggling, but in the end that knowledge is a tiny drop of light in that awful yawning void that is the recognition of loss of someone dear. Death is a heart-wrenching event, yet also a cruelly mundane event, and I don’t have enough words to thank Shreve for talking about her experience with it in her journey – ultimately one of the most comforting things to know and hear is that others have seen and walked through this and come out of the other side, because that is what we must do.
Much love to everyone here in this community.
October 30th, 2014 @ 10:57 am
although i am a predominately happy person, these last few months have been rather rough. some of it is my own doing (relationship troubles), but last thursday my house was robbed. the burglary took so much wind out of my sails. they took plenty from me, but it breaks my heart that they took my mom’s beautiful chinese jewelry box and all of its contents… the cross she wore when she was in the convent for 12 years, the (not good) huge dragon necklace that only she could rock, the (good) fossil necklaces that i remember her being so happy to acquire because they were older than her, the native american made ring that she always wore on her right index finger (i wish i knew the gentleman who made it so i could attempt to buy another one if he still makes jewelry), the “rock” necklace that was etched with a lovely flower, and so much more. gone. all gone. it hurts that the most precious pieces the thieves will probably throw away.
of course the folks who took my mom’s things also trashed my house, stole all of my alcohol (even wine from the fridge!) including 25-30 collectible bottles of maker’s mark (all full, most signed my the owner of the company or the distiller), and also took all the cash that i was saving to buy a new washer and dryer because mine have both been broken for over a year.
fortunately they left my tv & electronics. :)
i hate to say that any year is “bad” because it simply isn’t how my brain works, but i have to admit this past week has been one of the saddest in a long time. i keep concentrating on the good…the thieves weren’t malicious so they didn’t vandalize my place, they left the pearl necklace mom brought me back from her dream vacation to china the year i turned 30, i have had a safe place to stay every night since the robbery (i am working up to going home, but living alone has me a tad cautious), they dropped my favorite autographed football jersey (jack lambert), my employer has been wonderful about giving me time to go to the bank to close my checking account & such matters, the knife my friend made and gifted to me wasn’t taken, etc.
hopefully concentrating on the daily good in my life and some time will ease the overwhelming sadness i have been experiencing. i’ve taken a break from most social media in order to not have the negativity from others impact me. my friends and family are wonderful and are supporting me as best as they can so really, i can’t complain.
the moon is one of my favorite things (being a cancer i suppose it comes naturally for me). i like your analogy of walking in moonlight. luna is comforting…and prevents total blindness.
sending you lots of love and wishes for well lit, brighter days ahead, my internet friend. may each of the coming days be better than the previous.
<3
October 30th, 2014 @ 10:58 am
wow, i didn’t intend on writing that much! funny, it seems to have helped me to get it all out there. thanks for offering your comments for that i didn’t even know i needed!
October 30th, 2014 @ 11:01 am
I hope that the next year is the year of sun — sunshine, sunlight, sunflowers, sun butter — that its brightness is what your remember.
October 30th, 2014 @ 11:08 am
This year for me is about coming to terms with aging. I will be SIXTY in April and none of the other “landmark” birthdays affected me at all! 25″ “that’s nothing!” 30? I said, “Bring it on!” My 40’s? Have been the BEST so far! I really came into who I really am in that decade…so much creative output, I almost blew my own fuse. 50’s have been about working hard, but loosing some of that creative spark that I did have.
I know I do not look my age and am in excellent shape for someone at my age, but it never really occurred to me that I was aging… until now. Also, my mom passed away this past May after a lifetime of unhappiness. I and my siblings worked hard to try to make her happy, but I do know that no one can do that for you. You have to do it yourself. So, despite the fact that mom is finally (hopefully) at peace, I am also coming to terms with the feeling of being an “orphan.” Dad has been gone for over 10 years now, such a gentle soul, and it’s not like I ever really depended on them for emotional support… I think it just points to the fact that I am mortal and time is not standing still. I am working to get that spark back – the light within that tells me life is good. The world IS a dark place these days… I am wanting to be kinder, more thoughtful, true to myself and also giving to the world at large with the gifts I have been given. Let’s call it a “molting phase.” Perhaps my second “Saturn Return” is in process… in any case, I am letting go more, surrendering and working on trusting more, especially all that is unknowable in this world.
May this next year be a lighter world for us all! I know HRD, Charlie, Chloe, Eli and the “farmily” certainly lighten my life and I thank you for that!
October 30th, 2014 @ 11:09 am
I’m starting to come out of the dark after five bad years. I feel like a vine of ivy; they can try cutting me down but I keep coming back.
October 30th, 2014 @ 11:10 am
In a funk. Your daily coyote photos (& all the previous year links) help. Charlie & the farmily bring smiles.
October 30th, 2014 @ 11:24 am
You know those pranks where they put of of your belongings in a bowl of jello? I feel like I’m encased in clear jello but I can see everything swirling around me at a very fast rate and the best I can do is slowly try to wade out.
October 30th, 2014 @ 12:06 pm
What could be better than Charlie Love & Wyoming Magic coming in the mail? Just to let you know, I can’t start my day without checking out Charlie!
October 30th, 2014 @ 12:30 pm
Shreve –
This has been a year of fog for me, not as sharp as moonlight, but a lot of fumbling. Some serious losses in my life, struggles with school, my health, my mental health (aren’t those the same? I don’t know anymore), getting my Master’s degree, doing an internship, but not working for pay for this last year. Relying on others. Relying on the state for health insurance. Relying on…everything but myself, most of the time. Then, every day (and twice on Tuesdays) I see Charlie, or the rest of your family. I read about your path, your self sufficiency, and I remember than I CAN do it, and the furry love sustains us.
Thank you. So many years now, I feel like I know you a little bit…and imagine that you know me at all.
October 30th, 2014 @ 12:32 pm
Just to add to a previous comment. Read. Read everything up there. Seems like so many struggled with this year. May 2015 bring all of us joy.
October 30th, 2014 @ 12:41 pm
I was blessed in 2014 with adventure, friendships, laughter and support. I learned to forgive quicker and laugh harder. Sure, 2014 came with bumps in the road, losses, stress and strain but I am grateful for all of it!
As I sit here, I am awaiting a for a new little person to be brought into the world any day now. My best friend is having a baby, only months after I discovered my own infertility. But it’s funny, the universe and how it works. Children of my own were never a priority for me so I was lucky that I could take the news is stride. I thought that maybe with me being infertile the universe would save another woman who wants to be a mother. It’s something I have asked for since I found out.
My adventures have been many, some close to home and others far. All came with times for problem solving, kindness, humility, and learning in the everyday waking hours.
I send love and blessings to those that struggled this year. I send you parts of my energy and good fortune that 2015 will bring you much of what I had this year!
2014, I am grateful for you!
October 30th, 2014 @ 12:45 pm
I retired in 16 months ago. Glad I’m not working, but I miss the babies (I’m a retired NICU nurse), miss my co-workers, but not the politics of the place. I’m dealing with a husband with health issues and a dog who’s 14 with doggie dementia. And a tribe of cats including two foster kittens, who really need good forever homes. One of them was a feral kitten that I trapped with her sister, who was already adopted.The one I have left was the shy one. She’s coming along nicely. The little boy came into town from the foothills under a neighbor’s car engine. He was about 10 weeks old, and had blisters in three toes, and the pad of his front paw. Now he’s healthy, vaccinated, neutered and also needs a new mommy. He’s a very loving little boy, about 4 months old, now.
I did get to go to the UK with my husband, to visit my family. My son came along to help, couldn’t have done it without him.
I don’t know how I had time to work!
We’re still eating last year’s Star Brand beef, it’s well wrapped and very good. Thank you, Shreve!
October 30th, 2014 @ 12:50 pm
2014? cleansing! wiser! refreshing! This year I lost my job. I feared this yet as the year went on I realized how draining this job was. How much of my life was sacrificed for a company who didn’t appreciate it. I grew as a person. I grew as a mother. I cleansed my house and my life and as 2015 begins I know I will have many new adventures. 2014 has taught me so much about myself and the people I had/have in my life. Even though lots of bad has happened I have yet to let them depress me. I have found the silver lining every step of the way. I hope my optimistic mentality lasts.
October 30th, 2014 @ 12:56 pm
This year has been… momentous! Lots of struggle and uncertainty, but really, really good in the end. Many things have become clear and I am relaxing into trusting that the Universe has my back. I have made new friends and settled stuff that had been in limbo for far too long. I’m still trying to let it all sink in. It’s been a year of magic.
October 30th, 2014 @ 1:10 pm
Moved to a new city to live with the man I love after living apart for three years. Found an amazing job that enables me to bring laughter and joy to kids with cancer. This year has been intense and exciting and full of challenges… have loved it
October 30th, 2014 @ 1:13 pm
This year I’ve seen my two boys start to grow into incredible teens and getting glimpses of the men they will one day be. It’s the year we became the sandwich generation caring for our kids and elderly parents. It’s been another year with our amazing rescue dog, she continues to bring our family such joy. It’s the year we tried extended travel and now we’re hooked and looking for a way to make it permanent travel.
October 30th, 2014 @ 1:13 pm
My year started with an ending. On January 3, my mom died. Not unexpected, she was 92 years old and we all knew her time was near. She had a good life and she was as ready as one can be. She taught me to be a good person, to look for the good in people and to help others. She knew the importance of family and I cherish my family – all seven brothers and sisters, their spouses who I love as siblings, nieces, nephews, in-laws, friends, and my own 3 loved children. I will always miss Mom.
October 30th, 2014 @ 1:19 pm
This year has gone by so quickly, I really don’t know where it all went. I met my best friend in Paris for the weekend (my first trip out of the US), helped care for a family member after a big surgery, took a road trip around California, raised a few thousand dollars for my favorite charities, and I continued to pursue my dream as an artist.
October 30th, 2014 @ 1:27 pm
I compete in agility with my younger dog. It is a whole world of training and competing with like many minded friends. Every competition is a wonderful adrenaline rush for both my dog and me. This year, after several years of trying, of competing, we achieved our agility Championship. It was a great feeling to reach this goal. My dog, Jimmy, is almost exactly the same age as Charlie :-) I’ve been following along from very early on and enjoy your website immensely. Thank you!
October 30th, 2014 @ 1:40 pm
This will be the year I write my book; however, since I’m doing all my writing in November (NaNoWriMo!) this year has been about gearing up for a challenge and being happy to be home again.
October 30th, 2014 @ 1:46 pm
This year my family and I took the opportunity to experience life in Wyoming for a few months. Wow, do I miss the mountains and open spaces! Thanks for sharing your photos and giving me a chance to travel back there every now and then. :-)
October 30th, 2014 @ 1:46 pm
I feel the same way. Strange year for me too.
October 30th, 2014 @ 1:53 pm
Your comments Shreve remind me of a Sarah Connor quote from The Terminator 2:
“The future, always so clear to me, has become like a black highway at night. We were in uncharted territory now… making up history as we went along.”
My future has always been so clear to me; when I was a child my Barbie was independent, had a job and her own apartment, and I’ve been the same. Now, being married, I don’t have the luxury to make flippant decisions that will only affect me. It’s made my future like a black highway at night. It’s scary because I can’t see exactly where it’s going, which is outside of my comfort zone.
The darkness isn’t always bad, but it can be dangerous to go alone, so take this: http://i3.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/facebook/000/002/258/1143362243714.jpg
October 30th, 2014 @ 1:53 pm
This has been a great year for me, better than most. I turned 30 this year and am expecting my first child next year. There are things I don’t like and want to change in 2015, but for now I am quite content and surprisingly okay with all the changes happening (and to happen) in my life.
October 30th, 2014 @ 2:12 pm
This year, I have cherished all of the time I have been able to spend with my family. I have also learned that I need to not take on so many projects! Less project for 2015! I love the new calendar….and, I have loved visiting you virtually over the years! Thank you for ANYthing you post! Cheers for a New Year – a blank canvas….
October 30th, 2014 @ 2:20 pm
It has been quite a strange year. I love the way you put it about walking in moonlight. 2012 and 2013 I felt like I was in total darkness. In the first 6 months of 2013 I lost my mother, ended my marriage, and left the city I loved. My life started over in 2014 with a new place, a new partner, a new job, and new doors opening. I’m still trying to make sense of it all. Just when everything was falling apart over and over, things finally started to be still this year.
I’ve followed your blog(s) since Charlie was young. I’ve considered you to be an idol of mine of sorts. I have always admired the way you live life by your own heart’s wishes, and your amazing courage. When my life got turned upside down, I so wanted to have that kind of freedom. To go wherever, whenever. To live in remote places in unconventional ways. My little girl keeps me anchored, however, which is in no way a bad thing. She is the light of my soul. My bright star when everything was so dark.
We’ve been in our new town for a year now. It hasn’t turned out quite like I envisioned. I met someone else when I didn’t expect to, but he lets me live my life on my terms, and loves my girl. She’s learning to ride on my horse, and a friends ancient Saint of a pony, and she couldn’t be more in love with it. While we’re still trying to find our way, and our place, in the moonlight, I think it’s getting clearer.
Keep going, Shreve. Sometimes moonlight is the best light.
October 30th, 2014 @ 2:21 pm
It’s been a year of finding out who I really am, and what I really want. I feel more myself than I ever have. It’s been amazing.
October 30th, 2014 @ 2:58 pm
At the tail end of last year, December 30th to be exact, I moved home to be with my parents after we lost my older brother and sister within seven months of each other and then my mother had a small stroke about five months after my sister passed.
I walked into a hornet’s nest — everyone, of course, is grieving in their own way — and mostly not openly dealing with it.
I feel like it is crisis after crisis as I try to continue to work on my PhD work and put out fires and deal with my own grief.
I will be glad for this year to be over and at the same time I cannot believe there are only two months left.
I am not the animal lover in my family, but I feel so happy and at home at your sites – I love to see pictures of the farmily and to see Charlie every day. It makes me, strangely, feel closer to my sister who felt that only animals truly understood her.
And it is a peaceful moment in my otherwise emotionally challenging day.
Thanks for sharing so widely and deeply the beauty you encounter.
October 30th, 2014 @ 3:03 pm
We’ve taken a few steps forward this year, but otherwise it kind of feels like treading water; one year melts into the next. Some hopeful trends, however, so we’re looking ahead to making more progress as time goes on.
Hope you keep finding your way in the dark, or even better, that your way opens up with light and leads you to a place of fulfillment.
October 30th, 2014 @ 3:08 pm
I adopted my first dog this year, my dream since I was a kid. It has been a whirlwind and I have already learned so much from her.
October 30th, 2014 @ 3:09 pm
It’s been a lonely year as the last single, childless hold out among my friends. They don’t have much time to spend with me and I miss them. I’ve tried online dating many times and haven’t met the right person. But I’m hoping to travel and work on being happy alone.
October 30th, 2014 @ 3:11 pm
In many ways, a wonderful and exciting year! At the age of 60, I got married for the first time (the word “husband” does not fall trippingly from my tongue!), sold my condo and am on track to change jobs to one much better suited to life at this moment. In other ways, very sad, in part because a dear friend will soon be transitioning from this life to his next. I’m learning (finally) to accept that I can’t control everything and that life can be pretty good when I cede control and just let it happen.
Reading your blog and aware of all the changes and chances you’ve made and taken throughout your young life gives me courage to try the same. Thank you!!
October 30th, 2014 @ 3:19 pm
This year has been one of constant flux. In some ways it has been wonderful (such as getting my beautiful baby girl puppy) and in some ways it’s been awful and horrible. I’ve had to move away from home to try and get ahead, leaving my family, friends and dog in another province, and it hasn’t helped yet, but there’s hope. It’s been a hard year for the most part.
October 30th, 2014 @ 3:56 pm
My year has been simply put OUT OF BALANCE! Ruled by work at a job that over appreciates my talents to the point of exploiting me.
I have met a man, through work, that I would love to see fail! I have never been so infuriated by a person so arrogant that to be near him is like hearing nails on a chalk board! Consultant luckily that will not be back.
I am constantly saying had I known then what I know now, I would have run him over in the parking lot. The implementation that has take me personally 3000 hours in 11 months time to have live is going to require another 1500 hours next year to fix. :( (I’m in IT if you didn’t know)
In my personal life – it has gone well.
One death – RIP dear dear Jeanie….
One wedding (this weekend – many blessings to Amy & Chad)
TWO Babies – one arrived on the 20th and the other due Dec 10 – Boy and a Girl. May Lincoln and Katherine both grow up in a world filled with love and tenderness.
Husband, Mom & Dad doing great
In-Laws all fine
Birth-Mother (Yes, I’m adopted and love my Birth-Mom for what she did to give me a better life) has breast cancer. 90% chance they got it early enough!
I have goals and dreams, but 2014 has not given me the opportunity to fulfill any of them, just moved towards them – but no accomplishment.
We still have 62 days left…. There is hope. Come on LOTTERY!
Peace, Love and Calm to you Shreve….We both need it.
October 30th, 2014 @ 3:57 pm
In my early 60s, I am still learning how to graciously accept what people have to give and not expect more. Being kind costs nothing, takes a few seconds, but last a lifetime. M
October 30th, 2014 @ 4:14 pm
I love seeing pictures of your animals and where you live. Gives me hope for a quieter place than the rat-race that I’m living in now. Quite often it is hard to drag myself out of bed to make it on time but I make it thru the day by thinking about going back home – to my place of security at night.
Hope 2015 brings you more days of light than you’ve experienced this year Shreve.
October 30th, 2014 @ 4:15 pm
oops! I think I had my email typed wrong when I submitted my comment.
October 30th, 2014 @ 4:15 pm
This year I have navigated through a couple of obstacles and have stood up for myself and my family. I am a supervisor at work and had to deal with an employee/coworker that was causing a lot of problems. I tried to be fair in the beginning but then realized that it just wasn’t going to be. After many months of meetings and documenting, that person quit. Work was about a million times better without that person. It was like a huge weight was lifted off of everyone.
I also confronted my mother-in-law about how she is with my kids. It was hard but something had to be said. Our views and beliefs are very different especially when it comes to children. I wish she saw all of their beauty and wonder but I feel that she focuses on the negative. I am learning to accept that his parents just view parenting differently.
On a brighter note..my mother celebrated her 70th birthday recently. We had a fun dinner party. I decorated the table with glitter pumpkins and candles. I also made little business-like cards and put all over the table. They talked about her favorite ice cream, favorite pet, favorite movies, where she has lived, etc.. I also made a cute 70 sticker to put on the back that matched the gold glitter theme. It was fun to come up with ideas that suited my mother’s taste and make her day special.
Hope you can make someone’s day special too Shreve. It’s the little things in life.
October 30th, 2014 @ 4:26 pm
Rough year for me. Aging is no fun. Some injuries and health issues that have set me back and kept me feeling blue and discouraged. Worries about finances, brother who has been diagnosed with tongue cancer. Oh my. The list is long and I don’t want to fill up your comment section with my depressed self! Here’s hoping the coming year brings Joy! Joy! Peace! Good Health! Good Energy! Always love your photos and your writing (even if it is a short post)!
October 30th, 2014 @ 4:35 pm
It’s been a year of hope for me. I was resigned to having to work well into my 70’s because, well, we don’t have a retirement plan. In Feb. my sister in law turned me onto a network marketing company and long story short – it has put me on a personal development kick and I’ve changed many of my daily habits. I’ve met and work with fantastic people and now I have real hope for our family’s future. I always love checking your two sites on a regular basis and am hopeful for a D/C sequel.
October 30th, 2014 @ 4:42 pm
This year has been a wild ride. New jobs for both my husband and myself, working full time and raising our 15 month old. Going through some weird health stuff with him. The year seems to have flown by.
October 30th, 2014 @ 5:01 pm
This year has been a roller coaster ride of ups and downs. Learned to garden, can, and hunt. Working towards being more self sufficient and learning all along the way. Thank you for your wonderful blog!
October 30th, 2014 @ 6:01 pm
This year has been so strange. It’s felt like a very peaceful bumpy ride. Lots of change and difficulty, but resulting in things falling into place. Last year, on Dec. 1, we moved to a new part of the state to start a new life. My boyfriend and I both started new jobs which have proven to be rewarding and fulfilling. We are reveling in our new home, which is in an area of the state we have always dreamed of living in. Life feels very fresh and exciting right now, and I can’t wait for next year!
October 30th, 2014 @ 6:10 pm
This year has been an interesting year for me too. A lot of adventures, and sadness. Hopefully next year I will be able to deal with my sadness better. Hoping for wisdom and guidance from above
October 30th, 2014 @ 6:36 pm
This year I realized that some of the goals I have set for myself will never be achieved. Some things I’ve always envisioned and worked for will not come. And it’s ok. This year has been about recognizing that this is a result of changing priorities and sacrifices I am no longer willing to make, and not the fact that I am a generalized failure. This also means I need to make new goals and visions for myself which has been extremely difficult, but I’ll get there.
October 30th, 2014 @ 6:38 pm
This year has been a good one, for a number of reasons. First, I got a full-time job at a nonprofit, which I love. And that job has enabled me to start digging myself out of debt while still allowing me the occasional “luxury”. I’m doing more, getting recognition for my work, and am generally keeping my head well above water. I’m hoping this trend continues!
October 30th, 2014 @ 6:47 pm
This year has been a blur of confusion and stagnation and frustration. 2015 has got to be better.
The calendar looks gorgeous.
October 30th, 2014 @ 6:57 pm
This year I moved from a nice little town in Maine to a big(ish) city in NH so my guy can go to school. He will be finished in three years and then we will have the option to move anywhere. I feel like this year is just a… waiting period. It is the next hill to climb on our path of life. I’m using this time to figure out what I want to be when I grow up.
October 30th, 2014 @ 7:31 pm
This has been a year of strings. In some cases, I clipped the puppeteer’s cords that my mother still desperately clings to despite me being thirty years old, among others– in others? I happily entangled myself in the crimson string that has brought the man that I love closer to me, also bringing my friends closer after years of alienation brought on by the noose of my mental illness around my neck. Having sawed through the rope the best I can, now I wear it as a stylish necklace, my way of showing the world that while those problems may take lives… they can also be overcome.
October 30th, 2014 @ 7:34 pm
This has been a weird year for me, the weirdest in a while, I think. I have had a lot of time to think about things in between periods of extreme busyness. Two and a half years into this city and I think I might be okay with staying here for good. It’s been a long time since I’ve thought more than a year ahead in my life, but there were some moments this year when I thought about two years from now, maybe three. Little steps. A lot of friendships seem to have changed this year, for better and worse, and this is the longest ever I’ve gone without visiting my parents. It’s been weird. I don’t know how I feel about anything yet.
The calendar is beautiful. I think April might be my favourite, but November is my birth month and I can relate to hiding in the grass.
October 30th, 2014 @ 7:40 pm
By far the “fastest” year of my life! How time begins to fly-fly-fly… I can’t believe another year has nearly passed already. You are a dear kindred sister to me, Shreve, and I will continue to check in with you through the wild web so long as you continue to be there. I love your image about walking in moon light – and I feel it too. Much love.
October 30th, 2014 @ 7:48 pm
This year I lost a half-perfect job and moved from a half-perfect place to a limbo place. I’m hoping that next year reveals the place we were meant to live, and the job I was meant to have. I keep working to get something and nothing has shown up…like everyone else commenting, it’s been a weird year but we have faith that the right thing will come along. Here’s to 2015.
October 30th, 2014 @ 8:16 pm
I can say that this year has been my best yet!!! I had so many years of troubles and heartbreak that I felt I would never see it turn around. I am happy, happy, happy. And frankly for the first time proud of myself and where I am.
Of course I have been waiting for you to release another book Shreve, but all in time. (The Daily Coyote is one of my favorites, I read it in a full day!!!) Fumbling around in the dark is often what we need to find our way.
October 30th, 2014 @ 8:22 pm
It’s unfortunately been a difficult year. From unexpectedly losing my father-n-law to walking away from some of the things I was involved with because I was feeling overwhelmed. At the time, I needed to take a break. I’m slowly going back to those things, but I’m still trying to figure out where I’m going, including persuading myself that it’s past time to change jobs.
I very much hope 2015 will be a brighter year for everyone.
October 30th, 2014 @ 8:31 pm
Seriously, Shreve, do you really want to hear other people’s problems? Why depress yourself?
I am at a point in my life, old, fat, in pain 24/7 with major back / knee issues…where I have dared everyone I know to give me just 1 thing in my life that’s a “positive”. I can’t think of even 1 reason to continue on this path I am on. I have been a good person all my life but who cares about me? Seriously. No one. Employers just care how much $$ I can make them. Family only cares what I can do for them or I am to leave them alone. Friends have their own issues to deal with. It gets harder and harder to get out of bed each day. BUT I DO! Just don’t know why I continue on the merry-go-round. & I’m serious. ****BUT I always take joy in my daily check-in to the Daily Coyote and see what’s happening to my favorite farmily and a woman whom I admire very much for following her heart, no matter what anyone else thinks. That’s all …sorry it’s so depressing. I would like to win a Wyoming “treat” since my chances of getting there myself are nil. I DO take great joy in looking at all my pictures of Charlie on my walls and handling all my antlers and grab and go’s! & your personal notes have always meant so much to me.
October 30th, 2014 @ 8:46 pm
This year has SUCKED and ROCKED… I’m still reeling from the death of my only sister to breast cancer last year when my beloved dog ( my rock, my hiking buddy, my sanity) up and died suddenly of bloat!
I tore my rotator and need surgery and Obamacrap care will be dropping me one month after my surgery…so much for PT!
But in the PLUS column, I adopted a 3 year old pup at the shelter and she makes me wickedly happy! I’m looking forward to feeling strong and hiking our local mountains with my new best friend and discovering the world again through her eyes.
October 30th, 2014 @ 8:46 pm
Clarity comes in stages and is not constant.
October 30th, 2014 @ 8:54 pm
i drive a school bus with kinders up to high school and really don’t like the little bastards very much. but then again, every day a few of them do things that totally redeem all of them and i just love how they can make me smile with their weird ways.
drifting off to sleep in the late afternoon sun on my porch on my old rocking chair with a cat in my lap…yes it is just ridiculously mundane but it has become one of my most favorite things. hopefully i have got a lot of years left but i still find myself looking forward to visiting everyone at the rainbow bridge.
without my friends and family i would be lost. so i try to be family to those people and animals who are not as fortunate. omgosh in reading this back it all sounds so depressing but actually… when you just don’t give a shit anymore about the small stuff… you find yourself able to really laugh again.
October 30th, 2014 @ 9:28 pm
The last three years have been anything but easy in my little world but only recently have I begun to change the way that I have looked at the events that have beaten me down, depressed me or made me incredibly sad. I am reading, learning and trying to practice daily gratitude. Gratitude for what I have in my life.
I can now say I am grateful for the open-heart surgery my husband had at 45 to fix a valve defect we had no idea he had since birth. I am so grateful for the early detection as many people suffer aneurism and sudden death.
I am grateful for the long, tough (but surgery free recovery) I have had from a bulging disc in my back. It has put me back on the mountain bike and I am stronger and more determined than I have ever been in my entire life.
I am grateful that I had 19 years with my loyal, lap-warming kitty. (One of the longest relationships I have had!)
I am grateful for knowing a good friends son who only had 15 short years on this earth due to cancer. Through him I learned to put the things that were happening in my life in perspective and that attitude and courage is what helps us traverse the ups and downs in our life.
I am grateful for being able to come to this website (almost every morning) to get a quick fix escape from my big city life.
Thank you-
First time commenter, 6 year Daily Coyote stalker.
October 30th, 2014 @ 9:35 pm
There are a few less of some folks, I wish were still around and hopefully next year finds me not feeling the same. One thing I have always looked forward to is your weekly captures of Charlie and the whole family. Your calendar is the little corner we get to see of what seems to be a grand life.
October 30th, 2014 @ 9:42 pm
The Daily Coyote is still one of the most inspirational books I’ve ever read, and one of the most relatable, even though your fantastic and blessed life is very different from mine. I think a lot of us are probably living vicariously through you and Charlie!
October 30th, 2014 @ 10:05 pm
I’m trying to learn to be gentler with myself and others. This is the absolute opposite of my “bull in a china shop” personality so it’s been kind of trying and frustrating. But ‘gentle be andbe gentle’……..sigh
October 31st, 2014 @ 12:27 am
I’ve been working for 50 years….37 at my first job and 13 at my second. I’m getting tired but the thought of not working scares the crap out of me.
October 31st, 2014 @ 1:11 am
I turned 30 this year, which I kicked off by quoting Logan’s Run (“I don’t feel any different, but this gem on my hand has started flashing red”). I unfortunately didn’t accomplish most of the things I was hoping to do, but the year’s not over yet, so I just need to push myself a little. I’m a firm believer that I can do anything once I put my mind to it, but actually putting my mind to “putting my mind to things” seems to be quite a task in itself sometimes.
October 31st, 2014 @ 4:31 am
Clarity, truth, intention. This is what I’ve strived for this year.
October 31st, 2014 @ 4:49 am
It’s been a tough year. Best friend with terminal cancer, a 6 year relationship ended, a big promotion at work, saw Monty Python live in London… And those are just the big things. The rest of every day stuff, good and bad, is more of a blur.
October 31st, 2014 @ 5:22 am
In the last year I’ve moved from thickening & darkening fog into the sunshine. From a person who, a decade ago romped over entire mountain ranges, doing 25 to 30 miles in a day devolving to needing to stop for breath halfway up a single flight of stairs. The culprit was pulmonary hypertension – there are five types, and only the rarest (incidence 8 per million) is curable by surgery. My right ventricle was 3 times normal size, and I would end up like Dr. Zhivago (“His heart as as thin as paper”) before this year was out.
I am fortunate to be eligible for medicare in Australia. I’m 3 months out of surgery, and apart from an impressive zipper scar, I’m good as new. Incredibly lucky.
Much as I love cats, I left my boys in California with a very good friend, and plan to re-aquaint myself with the Quoll, Australia’s natve marsupial cat.
Cats have been very hard on Oz native birds and marsupials, who have no experience with serious hunters. So, although I’m not very quollified, I want to dedicate myself to replacing cats with natives. My way of paying back.
And maybe I can raise a dingo pup.
Now, when depression sneaks in, I look at my zipper scar, and say “bloody hell, f**k off!”.
October 31st, 2014 @ 6:16 am
Dear Shreve, the moonlight is another view of the sunlight, reflected to give us what we need to get through the night. May you walk in peace and joy through the bright day and the silver night.
We did not get our usual visits to the mountains this year, and my soul needs the high country. Soon, soon….
October 31st, 2014 @ 7:06 am
For me, it’s been a year of loss. Lots of little things, culminating in the BIG thing, the loss of my beloved 12 year old Weimaraner, Shadow. I can’t believe how much it hurts, how much I miss him, every single day (he’s been gone a month). Often, I still put my nose down to certain areas of carpet because I can still smell him there. Weird, I know, but I believe you understand.
Thanks for being you.
October 31st, 2014 @ 7:22 am
Sending you thoughts of comfort and strength, Shreve. May you feel enriched by the sweet events of each day, and may you experience that the door is always open — even in the moonlight. Peace, love and kindness. Namaste.
October 31st, 2014 @ 7:24 am
My year has been fast. It’s our first full year in Maine, and it’s been full of projects on our 1830s farmhouse, including a massive raised garden bed, a chicken coop and our first chickens, and converting our barn into a painting studio for my partner. Plus, I somehow found time to train for a marathon in all of that. I’m hoping next year feels a little more mellow!
October 31st, 2014 @ 7:57 am
A beautiful year – full of learning life lessons. My phrase this year has been to explore “loving kindness” – a lot of depth there that I did not expect.
October 31st, 2014 @ 8:14 am
Just an ordinary year I guess but with some big events. My son turned 18 (WHAAAAT-HOWWWW), I got to order some beef from you (THANK-YOU), and the heartbreak last week of loosing 2 old horses I’ve been “pet sitting” for 10 years. I love the business, but you get so attached. It makes me think (TO MUCH) about my own horse’s mortality, he will turn 32 in February. Life has put me in my own moonlight walk the last half of this year – but it’s another year coming to a close & I can be thankful for the health of my own family, 2 & 4 legged included.
I hope 2015 has you coming out of the moonlight & the fog lifting.
October 31st, 2014 @ 8:29 am
My year has actually been pretty good, aside from some health concerns that are (finally, thankfully) hopefully getting better. It’s been a busy year, but overall a good one. Though I’m still having a hard time coping with the fact that IT’S ALMOST NOVEMBER ALREADY, lol.
October 31st, 2014 @ 8:29 am
This year I’ve been thrown out of my comfort zone more times than I thought I could deal with. I’ve hopped from job to job, dealt with trying to cope with anxiety when I thought it was gone, and the worst, dealing with the loss of my cat to cancer after months of, ultimately, failed intensive care. It’s been a long year of learning and becoming a stronger person, even if I don’t feel like a stronger person. I found this site this year, too, and since then I haven’t missed a day.
Hearing about your struggles and how you overcame them really makes me feel that it’s okay to feel the human emotions we are born with. Even when things aren’t easy, we get up out of the dirt, dust ourselves off, and push forward with strength we didn’t know we had. I’m looking forward to next year, where a new, stronger me will embrace what is to come.
October 31st, 2014 @ 8:35 am
It’s been a year of big good and bad. My best friend was diagnosed with breast cancer and had a double mastectomy. And I bought a house which I never thought I could/would do. Trying to feel grateful for the good and optimistic about the bad. It helps that today I’m dressed as Dolly Parton for Halloween – channeling such an amazing lady does my spirit good.
October 31st, 2014 @ 8:38 am
This has been a difficult year, full of frustration and stress for me and health problems for my husband. While you have been puzzling your way through the moonlight, I have been floundering in darkness, tangled in obstacles I could barely see, much less understand and overcome.
But my husband is scheduled for a life-changing surgery in December, and I’ll finish my Master’s degree in the spring. I am so looking forward to the light these will both bring, and to a freer 2015. I very much hope that it brings you to where you need to be, too!
October 31st, 2014 @ 8:53 am
Overall, I had a good year….until now. My department head was let go and we are all threatened with job loss now. Everyone feels as if there is such a heavy weight on our chest. We are saddened and overwhelmed. Anyone willing to put in a prayer for me/us, it would be appreciated.
October 31st, 2014 @ 9:11 am
Having my little Scuba join our beloved Oti in after-life, where it used to be the 3 of us as a team, and having to find a way to continue without them at my side, has been an eye-opener. Showing me how I’ve lived in loss most of my life, but now would like to live in connection.
So, a year of slowing letting go in order to reconnect. Hoping to find my way through limbo to a place of content. Learning that loss needs to be counterbalanced with love. That existence is love, experienced in whatever way is there.
October 31st, 2014 @ 9:23 am
It’s been a weird year. I identify with your “walking in the moonlight” comparison. I vacillate between feeling absolutely confident that my foot with hit solid ground when I can’t see where I’m going and then feeling like there is nothing under my feet.
October 31st, 2014 @ 9:27 am
Longtime reader, first time responder here :) I love the Daily Coyote book, Shreve. I adore your writing!
I think this has been a contemplative year for many people:
I’m finding that I’m no longer the superwoman I thought I was.
I’m finding that what I used to consider important is no longer important in the greater scheme of things
I’m discovering that I no longer need to prove myself, especially at work. I’ve paid the price both physically and mentally too many times to count and it shows.
I’m discovering that it’s OK to sit with things, even if they’re uncomfortable.
I’m realizing all this is a process and the best thing I can do is roll with it.
October 31st, 2014 @ 9:46 am
This year has been marked, most notably, by heartache. I’m surprised to find myself single and wondering, sometimes not very optimistically, about what’s next. Like you, I’m putting one foot in front of the other trying to trust that there will be light enough to see.
October 31st, 2014 @ 10:16 am
This year was a bit strange for me. Last year I went through therapy to get my anxiety disorder back “in order” (ha). So this year I started off fresh and everything was fantastic. I was on a happiness high compared to last year, which all came to a grinding halt on August 28th when I called my Dad for a chat to find out my Mom decided she wanted a divorce. Since then things have been hard, after that initial news my Mom was then diagnosed with kidney cancer, and THEN on top of it the reason for my Mom wanting to leave my Dad is she found another person which turned out to be a woman. Which was a huge shock to everyone. So my past 2 months have been very strange, and I am really not sure what to do or what to think. I have really distanced myself which I hate, but at the same time I have to make sure I don’t fall back into my anxiety and depression. I guess I am just on auto pilot right now. Sleep is when I am safe, away from everyone, safe within my own mind….alone.
October 31st, 2014 @ 10:21 am
2014 brought an end to my marriage of 35 years, to my high school sweetheart. Still grieving-but getting better everyday. I know God has an amazing plan for the rest of my life. I also was blessed with 3 grandchildren! Nothing heals the heart like children and animals! Here’s to my new beginnings!
October 31st, 2014 @ 10:33 am
The calendar looks awesome!
My years been…new, I guess. Working with a couple new puppies in my neighborhood has been exciting, and also really made me appreciate the older dogs I also handle.
My new-ish pair of house rabbits are still young and I’m still figuring out how to handle their health quirks without freaking out thinking that they’re dying, or that I’m doing something wrong taking care of them. Realizing that they’re fine, as long as I stay on top of looking after them. And even though they’re sometimes incredibly frustrating, personality wise, I’ve spent this year really, really falling in love with them, and accepting that they’re the only animals I need in my home right now. I’ve spent a long time always wanting more, pets wise, and it’s strange to look at just two little balls of fluff & trouble and think, they’re enough. They’re perfect.
October 31st, 2014 @ 10:39 am
This has been an uneventful year for me, for better or worse. I can’t believe how quickly it has gone by.
October 31st, 2014 @ 11:18 am
I have had a really hard year, too. There’s already so much sadness in these comments, I won’t bother to add my own.
Carla
October 31st, 2014 @ 11:20 am
Finally, finally, finally watching it rain in California! The ducks next door are so happy. So, 2014. First full year of retirement at 58 years old. Took solo road trips in an old VW Vanagon with my two old corgis. Always told my now-grown kids that if they want to visit, they had to first find me and then bring a tent. Still a good family joke, even though I haven’t gone full time on the road.
My almost-daily hikes are now up to 4-5 miles in the rolling hills just east of SF. Usually spot the local coyote hunting gophers at least once a week. Beautiful sight.
Lost one beloved corgi to liver cancer in April. Kept that spot in my heart open, and adopted an 8 year old corgi mix street stray who–geez, what are the chances?–had a liver tumor. After surgery and now on a good raw diet, the little guy has fit right in. And, yes, I share the mini Angus with him and his older corgi “sister”. But I do cook my portion.
A year of highs and lows, which I guess is what makes up everyone’s experience of life. So mundane and yet so amazing.
October 31st, 2014 @ 11:23 am
When I go through dark of the moon phases I remember a quote …
“Mostly it is loss which teaches us about the worth of things.”
― Arthur Schopenhauer, Parerga and Paralipomena
October 31st, 2014 @ 11:37 am
Why hello hello! Long time reader here. I say this every year since I’m not a young buck anymore, but this year seems to have just FLOWN by. Things have been good, mostly. I was on a medication that I was severely allergic to and have since gone off the nasty stuff and I’ve never been better. Had some time away from the grind and had a glorious diving holiday in Barbados. Of course, it took a matter of 2 days of being back home and it had already felt like 6 months. I really think the way we live, us North Americans, we just go go go and it’s not a quality life. Sure, I know we do things we enjoy and make the best of it and try to be as positive as we can, but the way we live is exhausting. I’ve really, truly figured out this year that I don’t just want to exist, I want to LIVE and not watch life pass me by. This year I’ve been 30 and I’ve made a deal with myself that I’ll “retire” early in 10-15 years time, so that I’ll have 15-20 years under my belt (and a nice pension) and then I’ll pursue my dreams of spending my days doing what I love: caring for animals. I already pet sit/dog walk one-two weekends a month but I’d love to do it full time, even if it means less income and living more simply. This corporate life I live in downtown Toronto, to be frank, SUCKS. And I’m over it. I can’t do this for the 30-40 years, no thank you.
So while you’ve been more quiet this year, I still think of your blog and Charlie and all the beautiful cows you have and tell us about and always look forward to your posts.
Hope you and your pack are doing wonderfully!
Lindsay
October 31st, 2014 @ 11:54 am
I shrunk this year. Suddenly, my 16 yr. old twin sons tower one foot above me. My 18 yr. old son left for college so my weeky laundry shrunk by a LOT. My bank account shrunk even more because my son went to college. My household shrunk with the loss of my hound dog Lucy (down to 7 dogs now)and hamsters Phil & Owen. Even my hair shrunk, decided at 57 I no longer need shoulder length colored hair so I cut it off and am going natural. Somehow… life got bigger. I used to spend my days taking care of relevant tasks. Now I spend my days trying to decide which tasks are relevant and I get nothing done. Time is not on my side so I don’t think its going to get better. I’ve decided to write a survival guide for my family entitled ‘The Book Of Sarah’, because when I shrink so small I’m no longer here, my family will be able to figure out how to do laundry, pay bills, feed animals, grocery shop, sew buttons, find missing clothes, clean house, check mail and generally appreciate all the “little” things I do.
October 31st, 2014 @ 12:52 pm
What have I been up to this year? A lot and loving life.
My career allows me to educate, empower, grieve, love and embrace women and men who have a cancer family history. I often feel like there is no other person as blessed as I to work with the most amazing, brave and humble people. I have lost 5 friends to cancer this year and gained 20 new cancer survivors. Sorrow and glee go hand in hand this year.
My marriage allows me to love more than life itself, be madder than shit and know that I am safe with the most wonderful, handsome and caring partner in the world. 2014 with Matt has been a gift.
My family is a blessing to behold and as my parents age to their mid 80’s I am constantly reminded of the life lessons they have taught me. The lesson of patience this year has been crucial.
Bright blessings.
CD
October 31st, 2014 @ 1:13 pm
This has been a challenging year for me spiritually. The leader of the earth-based spiritual group I’ve been apart of for nearly nine years moved across country. It’s caused me to have to re-examine group and interpersonal dynamics, to put more trust in my own intuition, and to stand better on my own two feet. It’s been a hard hard transition but one of much self-reflection and growth.
October 31st, 2014 @ 1:15 pm
This year has been a huge turning point for me. I turned 27, and feel like I am finally realizing what enormous potential and power I possess. After all these doubts and limitations and restrictions I’d been putting on myself for years, I’ve finally come to a place where I truly believe in myself and feel like the possibilities are endless. It’s incredibly freeing.
I turned 27, left a man who was no good for me, became a Las Vegas showgirl, travelled more than I ever have in my life, lost my grandfather, forgave my parents and myself, founded a community library, and learned to love everything that I am and everything that I’m not.
You’ve inspired me so much, and I want to thank you for helping me find the courage to be unapologetically me.
October 31st, 2014 @ 1:42 pm
My year has been wonderfully scary; full of new things to learn and old things to release, both of which unknowns can scare me. My year of learning new and releasing old things is reminiscent of stepping through the fog, only being able to see the next step before me, taking one step, seeing another clear before me, then the next step, and the next, into infinity. I know eventually I will come to the end of the fog and back into the light, in the meantime I take one step and wait for the next stepping stone to appear, and it always does, and that is just enough.
But is is scary, waiting for the stepping stone to appear, whether it be in the form of a mentor to help me understand a concept for my work, or understanding when I release an item I will always have what I need. So I step, and learn, and release, and learn, and with every step I take it gets a little easier to take the next step.
And at the end of the day there is the moon; reflecting the sunlight to me, even if I didn’t manage to see above the fog once during the day, at the end of the day the moonlight makes it appear.
And so I continue, one step at a time, walking toward the light, waiting for the fog to lift, rewarded by the moon.
And that has been my year so far.
October 31st, 2014 @ 2:02 pm
I was born in 1957 so I turned 57 this year. I just thought this was a funny numbers coincidence, but a few people told me this is what’s called my “golden year”. I’m not sure what that means, but right around my birthday, new lessons and new insights started unfolding, giving me what feels like a bit of a better perspective on my life and some issues that have been troubling me for a very long time. If this is a golden year, then I’m all for it.
October 31st, 2014 @ 2:46 pm
This year has been full of adventure and self-discovery. We bought our first house with the intent to let our roots grow deep in this new place, even though family is far away. I’ve been learning a lot about who I am- physically, emotionally and spiritually. It has been hard at times and extraordinarily uplifting at others.
October 31st, 2014 @ 3:04 pm
This year I got married! I’ve been a wedded wife for exactly 14 days today, and it’s great so far:)
October 31st, 2014 @ 3:08 pm
Hi Shreve,
This year has been a trying one. I turned 51 in the summer and I am starting to feel my age. Even though I’m full of aches and pains I’m still out there pushing myself to my physical limit and hoping that I can do my first triathalon next summer. It’s been on my bucket list for a while so it’s time I got to it.
Reading about your farmily has been so wonderful and I am so envious that are outside working everyday with all those animals surrounding you.
~ L
October 31st, 2014 @ 3:09 pm
After reading all these comments, I feel blessed by my retired life of peace and quiet. I hope you find the light and return to a happier existence. Every year is filled with events both good and bad, but apparently we are meant to learn from them. Charlie helps a lot….he seems to be an icon of nature, life and happiness. Thank you for letting us see him every day.
October 31st, 2014 @ 4:06 pm
Well. Dude! I think I can really say: It does get better and that is largely a matter of perspective- in that as you move through time all the things that were disastrous at the time most often turn out to be the doors that open onto something good. You can’t jump into the pool til you’re ready, right? and we have to trust that either the readiness or the push will come when we need it. This is definitely a time when all the things in our lives and world that don’t work are falling away- for me, nothing (and I mean NOT ONE THING) is the same as it was five years ago. But in honesty, it is better even though some days the challenges of living on the land are more than one can handle without multiple martinis. And I got rid of my glasses when we moved! I think the truth is rising up, it’s hard and the outcome is uncertain. But there is a beauty waiting for us to see even in the worst moments. We had, for example, a VERY large bear dragging our trash off every night for a while. Since we live in a yurt, having a bear right there by our sleeping heads was a bit disconcerting. But in the end he was totally neat and clearly had a good time sliding down the little hill we’re on (a flattened Pabst box was solid evidence) and in a strange way everyone’s needs got met without incident- he got some winter provisions before moving on and we got to look in amazement at pawprints in the ash pile. Plus, less garbage to go to the dump. Win win, really. That’s the nutshell version, anyway!
October 31st, 2014 @ 5:12 pm
3 quotes:
“There is a budding morrow in midnight” John Keats
“Eucharisteo—thanksgiving—always precedes the miracle.” Ann Voskamp
“Your soul can be all right when everything in your world is all wrong.” John Ortberg
October 31st, 2014 @ 5:19 pm
This year has been full of surprises for me. I came back from the trip of a lifetime to Africa at the end of last year and felt a little lost as to how to continue in my everyday life. But I’ve ended up running my first marathon (which I never knew I wanted to do!), getting a new and more exciting position at my company, and falling in love. That last one is one I never expected to happen and was not looking for, but I’m so grateful and happy. I could never have predicted the changes this year brought me, and I didn’t see any of them coming. Sometimes that’s the best way!
October 31st, 2014 @ 5:43 pm
Started my fifth job since moving to FL to be near Mom – like this one but it’s still not a living wage (and I still need a second one and weekends to make ends meet). Being near Mom is worth it. I just wish I had more time for pottery.
October 31st, 2014 @ 7:05 pm
Endings, beginnings, continued creativity and learning even more about my personal strength.
October 31st, 2014 @ 7:39 pm
I could use a present!! Divorce from hell..Turned 60 this year but determined it will be the best last third of life!
October 31st, 2014 @ 8:01 pm
It’s been an okay year. Good in many ways, but also not so good. I think I get too bogged down in my job to be able to enjoy anything else, and I wish I could separate my sense of being from that.
October 31st, 2014 @ 8:32 pm
Shreve, I waded through 10 of your posts and realized whatever witty banter I could muster from my own pedestrian life was not going to grab the attention which I had hoped my post would generate. Nevertheless, your site is awesome. Everyone has dark edges. The effort is to force them wide. If you don’t have them, you’re not livin’. Keep it real sister. Frazier
October 31st, 2014 @ 10:47 pm
This has been a year of plateau. Rice and salt days, as book i just read put it. Many days feel the same, but looking back I’ve put a lot of effort into living intentionally and finding adventure and so for my family and I it has been a year filled with a lot of sameness or routine, but also a lot of new! So it’s been a good year :) the nice part about a plateau is that you can see far into the distance and I like the view I have. I hope your moon was a full moon or very close:)
October 31st, 2014 @ 11:07 pm
My wife and I walk in moonlight every night now. It’s quick but its a godsend to share some time and talk with someone, get a dose of oxygen, and have no other distractions.
Being alone isn’t so bad either. I can take the time to find peace where I am and remember it forever.
Rollerblading along a boardwalk from Newport Beach to Huntington Beach.
Waiting at a bus-stop on a hillside in Berkeley.
Riding a motorbike to Rocky Mountain House through rain so cold and hard that I sat down with great relief in Tim Hortons to drink soup and take my boots off. I kind of emptied my left boot and water just kept coming out of it in the middle of the floor and I decided I better empty my other boot in the bathroom.
October 31st, 2014 @ 11:23 pm
It’s been a year of highs and lows. Moved into a new house our son and daughter bought for us next to them in the country. Love the deer grazing in the front yard and the sounds of the birds, and the stillness yet at times. On the low side, my Mom passed away unexpectedly…glad I made my peace with her sometime back. All in all, a peaceful year.
November 1st, 2014 @ 12:51 am
Contemplation. I read your book several years ago but I think about it often — it affected me deeply. Getting back to basics, nature, animals … our species has separated ourselves in too much civilization but I think many of us still crave more connections with the natural world, deep in our souls.
November 1st, 2014 @ 8:03 am
Life can be hard at times and gives us many curves. I will only speak of one trouble. Many years ago I suffered a brain injury. It affected my ability to think, read with comprehension, etc. but it did not effect my walking. Now every year I can do one more thing. This year I am working on understanding numbers and have vastly improved. I try to keep my eye on the pluses and not the loses. Not easy but doable. Thank you for sharing your life with us. It does make a difference. Sharing our lives prove we are not alone in this walk.
November 1st, 2014 @ 8:31 am
Lucky! My horse did not kill me when she spooked and I came off her, her hoof came down on my arm and not my head. Our dog is recovering from cancer. Our cat was missing for two weeks but is home again. I have a job and a home and most of all lots and lots of love. It’s all so fragile and could change in an instant but will try to appreciate it all while its here. Thanks for sharing so much on the web!
November 1st, 2014 @ 8:32 am
“This strange year. I feel like I’ve been walking in the moonlight all year, and can only clearly see three feet in front of me. Everything else is dark. I’m learning to trust that once I take the steps I can see, the next steps will be illuminated. Little by little. Step by step. I’ve not written much here all year; instead, I’ve been fumbling around in the dark, getting bruised, and sitting in stillness, gazing at the moon.”
You write so beautifully, I coulnd’t say it better. I’ve lsot my mother, my best friend and I don’t know where to go. It’s like there is no gravity…
November 1st, 2014 @ 8:38 am
My father had a stroke.please everyone reading this familiarize yourself with the warning signs of stroke especially if you have an elderly person in your life.slurred speech,sudden weakness especially in one side of the body,sudden blurred vision in one or both eyes,sudden confusion,trouble speaking or understanding,sudden trouble standing walking,dizziness and lack of coordination.if you suspect someone is having a stroke call 911 immediately.you can ask the person to repeat a simple phrase such as “the sky is blue”,ask the person what year it is,ask them to squeeze your hands and feel for weakness.you can have the person stick their tounge straight out and observe whether it points dramatically to the side,these are all good indicators to help determine if it is a stroke but keep in mind every body is different and not all strokes present typically.use your instincts and don’t second guess yourself,with strokes every second counts so call 911 if you are not sure.with my father it was not the typical presentation,he had been in a car accident just before and was not given an MRI.he was just not acting like himself and we knew somthing was wrong but the Dr said it was a concussion.you know your loved one,remember the Dr is not always right,if you suspect somthing doesn’t add up stand up and advocate for your loved one.my fathers stroke presented as confusion memory loss agitation and he just didn’t want to sit still,he was supposed to be resting but suddenly was on the move and couldn’t remember where he was,we were told it was a concussion and soreness and old age.then he woke up and his foot didn’t work.being confused and thinking it was nothing he tried to stand and fell at which point he finally was taken to hospital and properly diagnosed.remember,you know your own body and you know your loved one better than the Dr.they make mistakes,trust your gut and do not feel bad telling your Dr you think they missed somthing. act fast if you suspect someone is having a stroke.every second counts.
November 1st, 2014 @ 9:36 am
This year for me was about figuring out how to settle. Not in the negative way people so often assume. For me, it’s about taking a long deep breath. Finding a path and being content to follow it, without fear or guilt. Appreciating the positive relationships and standing up to the bad.
November 1st, 2014 @ 10:14 am
This year, nobody close to me died. Jobs were not lost, finances did not crumble, ambitions did not imploded and health did not deteriorate. This is the first year in a decade that (so far…knock on wood) will not be defined by tragedy. Nothing changed. There was peace, stillness and stability. For the first time in 10 long years, I feel like I can breathe.
November 1st, 2014 @ 10:24 am
Wow, I read all 145 answers and it is great to see how people cope with life ! Very inspiring ! I got what I wished for , everyday I remind myself that I am where I was meant to be. This is what I wanted and what I need. I can feel the earth under my feet and I can see 10 miles ahead and not a soul in sight. We all rallied around the Farmily as a beacon of hope, remember the movie” the last child “?
November 1st, 2014 @ 10:50 am
2014 – what a year! I ended up quitting both my jobs. And in January my youngest sister passed away unexpectedly at the age of 48, even though she had been very sick. Despite of it all I managed to wean myself off an antidepressant I had been on for 10 years. It usually requires a 4-week hospital stay!
I too don’t know where life is leading me next. I listen and trust. “Step by step” is my motto and also my favorite song!
November 1st, 2014 @ 11:02 am
I love the Charlie calendars. I have to agree, this may be the best one yet.
November 1st, 2014 @ 11:52 am
Shreve, my year went great until September. At the beginning of the month I signed up for an online course in modern poetry and was really looking forward to it starting on September 6th. On September 4th my cat, Annabella Pearl, was diagnosed with lymphoma and my world fell apart. I had to cancel the poetry class and concentrate on getting financial help for Annabella’s chemo therapy and getting her to the oncologist every week. I turned 68 on September 11th which is no longer a good day for me as the world trade center was bombed on that day and my father died at the hands of a doctor on drugs on that day. Then in October I suddenly had to move from one room to another room which was two flights down. By the time I had finished moving I was emotionally and physically exhausted. To end on a high note, I have a sister who believes in prayer and she and her friends set out to pray for Annabella Pearl and me. Annabella’s lymphoma turned out to be localized which is unusual in this type of cancer in cats. The tumor in her left cervical region has already resolved. She has a small swelling in the lymph node on her right but I am hoping things will go well with her next chemo therapy treatment on Monday. If you believe in prayer, pray for us. My energy is finally coming back and I will be sending you a money order for three more months of subscription to Daily Coyote and also money for the 2015 Charlie calender. Thank you so much for your beautiful web site.
Sincerely,
Patricia A. Long
November 1st, 2014 @ 11:54 am
I have been a follower of Charlie and his photos since the beginning, yet first time to your site. Many thanks for the time you spend sending your adventures out to us all. And yes Wyoming is beautiful, I lived there in the early 70’s.
November 1st, 2014 @ 12:14 pm
I don’t always comment but I’ve been a fan and love seeing the photos and reading your stories about you and the Farmily.
My year started out as usual and nicely. In May my nephew was born and in June my first pet dog, Kia, turned 16 and was in great health. Then it all started to slip downhill. I lost my job in August and just a few weeks ago, Kia was diagnosed with Lymphoma and this past Thursday we let her go. My beloved Kia is gone and a large part of my heart with her. :(
I hope you find your way out of the darkness. I understand your grief.
November 1st, 2014 @ 12:26 pm
I have “followed” you for years and always check to see the new Charlie photos and to see what you have written.
I have sympathized with your pain, having grieved over my own pets that never live long enough.
This has not been a good year for me either but I always try to keep in mind a poem that a dear friend gave me and I’m sharing it with you: When you get to the end of all the light that you know, and you have to step off into darkness, be assured that you will be given something to stand on or you will learn to fly.
November 1st, 2014 @ 12:37 pm
This year has been quite good to me. It’s had it down moments for sure but I decided it was time to celebrate the good more than dwell in the bad. It’s not perfect because I’m human after all but the change has been amazing. This year I took several day trips to little towns near the city I live and enjoyed the little shops and hidden treasures they have to offer. I’ve gone on a weekend road trip with my mom and friend. Done the ‘happy dance’ when sharing good food with great people. Realized that I want fun experiences more than I need stuff. I’m convinced all this has helped give me back my creative self. I’m not so worried when I try a new project whether its absolutely perfect. I’m able to work through my anxiety when it doesn’t come exactly as I wanted. Most importantly I’m learning to keep negativity at bay and not let it swallow me whole.
November 1st, 2014 @ 1:44 pm
Life is a strange thing. Odd year here too.
November 1st, 2014 @ 5:21 pm
First of all…7 years? Seriously? No way!!! I can’t believe the Daily Coyote pics and we are now on 7. Wow.
My year has been one of continued change, increasing loneliness, encouraging job satisfaction (at times) pending health issues and a continued struggle to have the faith in myself to just do the normal day to day stuff. Been with a man in my life for too many years…LOL.. I can change my entire life/job/move/sell and buy houses by myself. But the thought of winterizing the house is daunting somehow. ok I need therapy. Can’t wait to order my calendars Shreve )
November 1st, 2014 @ 6:43 pm
Hi Shreve,
I am not on the internet much but always check in with this blog. I love your writing. I am sorry to hear about your rough year. I guess we all have them once in a while, huh?
You asked us to tell you about our own personal year. Since you asked, this is mine:
What a crazy year 2014 has been. I left a 14 year relationship. Since I am in my young 30s, I have known that man for half of my life. It has been really tough and painful and all things bad at times. But also enlightening and empowering. When lifestyle wants take people in opposite directions fighting that just makes everything else hard.
I was not in love with the place we had been living (part of the lifestyle issue..), plus I had recently finished school. In search of two completely new things I packed my bags and headed to Arizona where I completed a 3 month internship. It was one of the most amazing periods of my life. I made friends with people from around the world and had experiences that I will never forget.
After that I found a job (in my new field!) in Portland Oregon. once again I packed up and moved to a new place. It has been tough but everyday I am happy with my decision. I am finally living for me and learning that I can take care of myself.
2014 has been exciting, heartbreaking and full of so much change that I can hardly take it all in. I know that the rest of my life will be the result of the decisions that I have made this year and I am excited to see just what I decide!
I hope the answers that you need will surface soon and that your heartache will fade quickly. You live an absolutely AWESOME life that I often wonder how to replicate! Breath it in!
Thank you for this blog.
November 1st, 2014 @ 6:43 pm
I am very blessed to have a job (yay, I can retire in 2 years!), a nice little homestead that is paid for, vehicles paid for, etc. All my 7 cats are healthy, as well as my 12 chickens. Happy to say that my husband, son, daughter in law and grandson are in good health. My grandson was born preemie last year, weighing only 2 lbs, 3 ozs but he has pulled thru with flying colors and doing great so I can say this year has been much less stressful. Starting to feel a few aches and pains but that is to be expected @ 57. Overall my life is great, just can’t believe that I’m already 57! Where has time gone? Love Charlie’s new calendar, it’s beautiful.
November 1st, 2014 @ 8:08 pm
Wow, I’m absolutely blown away by the comments being shared here and inspired by your posts Shreve. It’s moving to see how you have brought this community of kindred spirits together to share life’s ups and downs. There is a great comfort in being able to relate to others who have also experienced losses, faced major uncertainties and changes in personal and professional circumstances, and also found new joys, happiness and reasons to celebrate. Thanks for that! That said, I decided to retire from a job that was draining me physically, emotionally, and spiritually. I’ve decided it’s ok to face the unknown and take a big chance to find that something else that will be a better fit. Like so many others here, I’m scared in a good way but also excited that I’ve empowered myself to take this control. I lost my Bigboy, quite possibly the coolest and most confident yellow Labrador ever. While I will miss him dearly, I will always have the best memories of my time spent with him and not a single regret of our days together. With his loss there was also a gain of 3 fuzzy kittens that have reminded how much joy and wonder comes with new life and I find that I laugh with a lightness and freedom I kind of forgot existed. Lastly I went to Scotland and got to experience the beauty of the Highlands and the kindness and hospitality of the Scots. My wanderlust has been rekindled and now thoughts of New Zealand and Australia keep popping up. All my best to you and your Farmily through the rest of this year and into 2015!
November 1st, 2014 @ 8:54 pm
Wow! Amazing comments here. I have had a good year. Was feeling a bit stale early in the year. So I made a list of things I wanted to accomplish this summer and actually did most of them. Fun stuff mostly – travel was involved! Just returned from a road trip through N Dak to Minnesota then back to WYO. Saw something outside of Belfry MT that had me curious and I thought of you Shreve.. A very new baby calf. Like a week or so old. On November 1st. Just one in the field of cows. Have you ever heard of calves being born in October? I’ve never seen a new calf in the fall.
November 1st, 2014 @ 9:07 pm
Beauty all around us.
November 1st, 2014 @ 9:25 pm
This strange year indeed…I thought it started out great. Became a grandma of twins the previous year and celebrated the happiest of holidays with them and family. I remember counting my blessings, good health, family, work etc.
Soon after the dark clouds began to appear. One by one. Our dog Gracie started to limp and my heart sank.
Our daughter lost her condo and a longtime relationship fell apart.My heart sank lower.
Memorial Weekend brought an urgent phone call from across the Ocean, from Yates Country. My aged mum fell at home and was admitted to hospital. My heart was going further down.
My sister and I took the next flight out of Chicago, on departing I told my husband to keep Gracie alive till I got back!
On returning to Chicago, even the summer sun was dark and cloudy and my heart was heavier.
Gracie was still with us, though we knew what we had to do and on July 10, she went to the Rainbow Bridge. I see her in my dreams and shes running free as the wind.
Slowly but surely, the dark clouds began to lift. Our Daughter found a great place and a great person in her life. She seems very happy.
My mum is home now, with round the clock care and I talk to her every week.
But something was missing…the dark clouds! Finally the sun began to shine. My husband and I adopted a rescue dog from a shelter. Emma is a work in progress, she came with her own dark clouds hovering over her, but in a couple of weeks she has made great progress.
It’s been a strange year indeed.
But we are all here to tell the tale and that’s what matters.
Love ya lots xx
November 1st, 2014 @ 9:42 pm
The Seven Year Itch?
November 1st, 2014 @ 10:59 pm
I’m usually verbose, so let’s see if I can sum this up in a few words. This year has been…unnerving, illuminating, sorrowful.
I keep going back and forth, to see if these are indeed the best words to describe my year, and I think the first three to come to mind define it quite well.
November 2nd, 2014 @ 7:01 am
Wonderful pics of Charlie. I especially love that last one on the second row–that classic coyote pose with that beautiful backdrop.
This past year has been a little bit of everything for me-exciting, frustrating, hopeful. It’s gone by in a flash.
I can relate to your flashlight image. It can be scary and frustrating. I think we, as humans have a tendency to want to grab that flash light and shine it out as far as possible which a lot of times results in us tripping over what is right in front of us.
I know in my own faith, I do better to take those little steps in faith-trusting that what I need to see will be shown to me and trusting in the One who holds that flashlight and shines it for me with love and care.
November 2nd, 2014 @ 7:19 am
This year has been about trying to get healthy in a natural way and the ups and downs associated with getting it right and wrong.
November 2nd, 2014 @ 10:41 am
This year has been about following my dream to Montana, where I found 40 acres with the most magnificent view of the Madison range of the Rockies! Excited about designing/building my home/studio and riding horses in the mountains and trying not to be overwhelmed with the struggles of relocating, but enjoying the journey!
November 2nd, 2014 @ 1:10 pm
When i feel like I have been fumbling around in the dark, i remember:
“Wherever you are, be the soul of that place.” – Rumi
Be present and open to the essence of wherever you are, to how you are feeling in that moment. Have a genuine, deep desire to get to know that feeling of walking in the moonlight, understand it….and maybe even appreciate it. I often feel like life can be uncomfortable…but it’s all part of this experience. I want to be awake for all of it.
Good Things!
November 2nd, 2014 @ 2:58 pm
I thought 2013 was bad. This year has been worse. And I’m in that place of being consumed by fear, which I know only leads to more problems. And more fear. I can’t seem to talk myself out of it although God knows I’ve tried. Every time in the past, when the Dreaded Awful has descended into my life, it is followed by something huge and good. And I always promise to remember that. That the bottom is often the place where the good has an option to begin. And then every time, I forget.
I hope your year wasn’t as fear based as mine was, because I wouldn’t wish that on anybody. Except maybe the people who broke into my car twice in 2 weeks and stole the glasses I need to legally drive!
November 2nd, 2014 @ 3:20 pm
I can’t wait for the new calendar
November 2nd, 2014 @ 5:28 pm
this year – oh goodness. such light, such dark. light from my friendships, a trip to berlin to see my most beloved friend, light from the beauty and passion of creating things. light from the love of a wonderful person, and building our life together even more (cohabitation, mugs of tea brought while busy working, back scratches to fall asleep).
but also, darkness – feeling alone while struggling with my family, losing old friendships, fear and worry, struggling with my anxiety and trying to keep away from habits of self-harm. it’s hard to accept myself as a person who has anxiety, rather than seeing anxiety as a transient feature in my life. maybe it will be transient, someday.
turning 30 was filled with joy, and ultimately, there is so much more joy than sorrow, but the pain is still there. this has been a year of adjusting, learning, creating, growing.
November 2nd, 2014 @ 6:40 pm
This year has been all about transition. Leaving things behind that I once thought would define my life; accepting new things into it that will change the future irrevocably. There’s been a lot more pain than I expected – I’ve learned that I can both endure far more than I had thought and that my patience and compassion does not stretch as far as I had hoped. I’m working on both those things.
This year has been… odd.
November 2nd, 2014 @ 8:33 pm
This year marked my second year living in rural Australia after moving out of Rochester, New York. I met my partner, which has been something entirely unexpected and absolutely incredible. He and I have driven through some Australian deserts and bushland, finding every opportunity for adventure along the way. At the close of this year, I submit my Masters thesis, something that’s been gnawing at the back of my mind since I started and apply for residency, desperately hoping that this wonderful country allows me to stay. It’s been stressful, wonderful, challenging, and full of new opportunities.
I also can’t say how much of a pleasure it is to check out this site to see how Charlie and The Farmily are going. I hope 2015 brings a plethora of warmth and creativity. You’re one awesome woman!
November 3rd, 2014 @ 12:04 am
My gratitude list is miles long, and I find much to laugh about on this crazy journey. I’m also reeling from a number of significant losses. The counterbalance: relationships with friends sustain and delight, and having two grandbabies in quick succession is incredible. Seeing their beloved faces and feeling the full impact of the miracle of life is like nothing else. It’s like seeing God in a new way and just… knowing.
This year I also discovered that, although blessed with optimism and joy borne of surviving multiple traumas, I face tough realities. I’m committed to moving forward and not dwelling on the past, but I’m realizing that physical and emotional effects of some of these events will be with me for life. Ticks me off, actually, but I’m coming to terms with it, and all will be well.
Shreve, thanks for this glimpse into “everyday” lives of extraordinary people. Amazing posts! The flattened-Pabst-box-sledding bear alone… I became immersed in each post, and my heart goes out to those who have experienced losses. What a blessing and a joy this blog has been for these 7 years. Again, thank you, and may God bless you and your precious farmily.
http://moments.org/watch/a-sailors-song/?autoplay=true
November 3rd, 2014 @ 1:02 am
sometimes our lives take weird turns… I think you know all about that… I’ll be 60 in three weeks and have recently re-invented myself from a Southern country girl to a Northern city girl… big windy city kind of girl… so far so good but so weird… I have loved learning about your own re-invention after I once upon a time googled for my daddy who served on the U.S.S. Stockton during WWII… only found a little info about his Navy life but did find out about you and I’ve dreamed of some of that “Charlie love and Wyoming magic” ever since and a calendar would just be icing on the cake… ;))
November 3rd, 2014 @ 5:55 am
Hope you had a fun Halloween!!! Stay warm!
November 3rd, 2014 @ 5:57 am
What the year has been like for me??? A mixture of everything. Fun travels (Hawaii and Greece), work concerns, family concerns and wonderful friends.
November 3rd, 2014 @ 6:22 am
This year has been an emotional rollercoaster
November 3rd, 2014 @ 6:24 am
My partner had surgery, got sick, and passed away. I’m a widow now, but life is still full of wonder and I’m glad I get to live it for a little while longer.
November 3rd, 2014 @ 7:09 am
I’m content. Been retired for almost 7 years. I’ve been volunteering at a therapeutic horseback riding program for the past 6 years and am in the process of being a certified therapeutic riding instructor. I receive so much more from this program than I give and I realize how blessed my life is.
November 3rd, 2014 @ 8:12 am
A very stressful and crappy year. Dealing with a 100lb dog who tore both his ACL’s this year. Had to cancel our December vacation because of the cost of the surgeries. Has been a very wearing year on everyone in the family.
November 3rd, 2014 @ 8:18 am
Oh, this year. I’ve said too many times in the past couple of weeks that I would like to go to sleep and wake up in January. October started my brother’s treatment….Halloween marked one year since he got his right lung removed. Thanksgiving will mark when he got to go home for 3 days before going back to the hospital. December 2nd will mark his 31st birthday. December 13 will mark one year since his death.
I knew the year of firsts would be hard. I’ve seen others go through it, but to FEEL it…the way that grief creeps in like a shadow and sucks every ounce of my being out of my chest….the small, salty tears that fall without me realizing. The darkness at night that makes me replay his last moments. Begging not to die, screaming that it hurts, repeating that he loved his wife over and over again.
I want to sleep. Until 2015. Until it doesn’t hurt so bad. But then, I know he’d hate that. My endlessly positive and amazing brother, he wouldn’t want me wallowing. So I do more than I should…more gym time because he motivates me to keep my body healthy, the way he did. More awesome-mom moments, making memories for my children so they won’t realize all the times mommy has no patience because of the pain. More time with my parents, getting used to being their only child and living in the shadow of their amazing son. My brother. My rock.
Phew. Who knew all that was going to come out? Sorry! Charlie is gorgeous, as always. When I was reading your book, my brother and I talked about Charlie a lot. About what it would feel like and the way life throws us things to change directions. I just remembered those moments, curled under a blanket during the holidays and showing him pictures of Charlie. Thanks for that bit of internet therapy, Shreve!
November 3rd, 2014 @ 8:46 am
I turned 40 at the beginning of this year. My Mom, who died by suicide when she was 50 will be gone 16 years this month. I’ve spent much of this year comparing the kind of person, the kind of mother I am to who she was, what kind of mother she was when she was 40. I’m getting a very different perspective on her illness. Your words are always a pleasure to read … how you weave the story of your life. Thank you for this opportunity.
November 3rd, 2014 @ 9:07 am
Life is full of ups and downs and this year had had plenty of both! Shreve you are an inspiration with your attitude and strength! I love your blog!
November 3rd, 2014 @ 9:07 am
This year I have held the world on my shoulders, and it won’t be letting up any time soon.
When things get rough(er), I just think of Dory’s words of wisdom, “just keep swimming, just keep swimming…”
November 3rd, 2014 @ 10:16 am
2014 has been a lot better for me than 2013 was, both in terms of the external events that I can’t control, and the person I am, which is the only thing I can control. My greatest epiphany has been the realization that, when I retire I want to do the yoga teacher training and teach yoga to seniors and people with arthritis and balance disorders. :)
November 3rd, 2014 @ 10:38 am
I somehow ran across your blog early on and have been enraptured ever since. Your pics of everything are so heartfelt and your words so full of emotion. Thank you for making me smile, think and feel. <3
November 3rd, 2014 @ 10:38 am
I am allowed to make mistakes.
Retreating is a legitimate tactic.
Passivity in life is emotionally destructive.
Think less, act more. Actions do not have to be huge and dramatic, either.
These are a few things that are hitting me hard this year.
November 3rd, 2014 @ 10:54 am
2014 began with a bang when i gave birth to my daughter. since then it’s been a quest for balance and grace as i learn how to be all that is asked of me. i don’t know if i’m any closer to figuring that out as i was back in february, but there may never be a finish line in sight for the process. and that’s okay.
wishing you love in 2015, shreve. may the smiles outweigh the tears.
November 3rd, 2014 @ 11:01 am
Thank goodness for moonlight… it can help illuminate your small steps taken.
I am inching toward 50 and am not liking it very much. I don’t feel any different but the number is annoying me. Other than that, this year has been uneventful and not really in a good way. Static and stuck, a bit. I’ve just started taking action to get ‘un-stuck’.
I hope you walk your way into the dawn that you love so very much and that the sun shines upon you and you’re able to turn your face to its rays. <3
November 3rd, 2014 @ 11:03 am
2014 was brutal. It broke my heart, brought me to my knees, and sent me to therapy. It took my father, my beloved Aunt, a dear friend, and my sweet 14 yr old dog. It wrecked my car, and then smashed my new windshield a month later. It took my health and a chunk of my sanity. I do not wish time away, but will not be sorry to see 2014 go. I hope 2015 will take mercy on my battered soul.
November 3rd, 2014 @ 11:10 am
Perhaps this has been your own year of magical thinking, a year of moonlight and Frisco, and stillness.
Love ~b
November 3rd, 2014 @ 12:36 pm
Whew. Lots of deep exhales… lots of reminding myself that breathing is necessary. After the hell of unemployment last year, this year was a lot of gratitude and laughter.
I just finished a ten month contract doing the hardest emotional work to date… I worked at a rape crisis centre and helped coordinate an anti-violence initiative at the local community college. It was intense and hard, and there were moments I felt like a fourteen year old girl being yelled at by my white male principal for sticking my nose in his business, but overall the work was empowering and life-affirming.
I saw how many women and girls called our 24/7 crisis line, I heard the strength in the voices of those in our counselling rooms, and I felt power in the righteous anger of my coworkers’ conversations. I learned so much, but I also realized how much of an impact working every day talking about rape culture and sexualized violence did to my heart. I don’t think doing this type of work “damages” people AT ALL, but I also recognize that vicarious trauma is real and that I should have been doing more self-care to keep myself from spiralling so easily (like when I would come home and just collapse with exhaustion).
I’m not sure what the rest of this year will look like~ I’m very very slowly testing the waters for job postings but I also don’t know what I want to do… but this year has taught me that I *AM* smart, generous, funny, and perceptive. And I should aim high for next year.
Thanks Shreve.
November 3rd, 2014 @ 1:14 pm
This year has been big and strange and full of change. I did not mean to make that rhyme. I stumbled through a couple of really important relationships. They all ended, but they all had a lasting impact.
I made the decision to pick up and move to another state without a job, which is proving to be a continued challenge as I edge closer to broke, but I’m all the more grateful for my family’s support.
I started competing in powerlifting, which has absolutely improved my life in every sense, from the friends I’ve made to my confidence in myself. I’m strong.
2014 has been so hard. I’ve cried a lot. I feel like crying now. But I’m not dead and not homeless, so I’m still going.
November 3rd, 2014 @ 2:45 pm
I have recently felt like Snow White waking up from being asleep for a long time. The last six years have felt as if no matter what I do, I can’t get it right. It got me feeling pretty gloomy in recent months. But I finally put some action plans in place and feel like I am back on the road or at least found part of my map. Your description of moving three steps with the next three then being illuminated is a good one. I feel like the light is finally starting to shine for me again.
November 3rd, 2014 @ 3:07 pm
If you are walking on thin ice, you might as well dance.
“A cicada shell; it sang itself utterly away.” Basho Matsuo
This year has been: friends dying in horrific crashes; three glorious weeks in Japan; a new house; a lost friend found; an old flame rekindled. The waves have been high, the tide strong. But I’m still here and life is still sweet.
Thanks for sharing yours with all of us.
November 3rd, 2014 @ 3:08 pm
Weird year, still is. Up and down, up and down. Old problems are still here, no new ones, thank God. If I think hard about it, I am lucky, and have a good life, all in all. So no complaint from me. But can’t wait for the new year, although 2015 looks weird written down. Don’t like 5 at all.
November 3rd, 2014 @ 6:00 pm
The year has included some of the most devastating physical and emotional lows as well as some of the highest of highs. I look forward to where next year takes me.
November 3rd, 2014 @ 6:08 pm
So much has happened this year, the good the bad and the ugly! Currently going through what you described, only able to see a few feet in front of me, spending a lot of much needed quiet and/or alone time. Your blog is a touchstone, thank you.
November 3rd, 2014 @ 8:25 pm
It’s been a year of a lot of downs with some recent ups. My mom had to have heart valves replaced last November, her 2nd heart surgery. About that time, I decided to end an almost 13 year relationship with my boyfriend. I had known for a long time that it wasn’t going anywhere but I kept hoping that things would change. It ended up being 7 months of hell and my hopes of us being friends ended with him hating me. That took me a while to accept. If I had it earlier, it might not have been so many months of hell. On Christmas Eve, my 12 1/2 year old Golden needed to be euthanized due to lymphoma. Christmas with my family was postponed until New year’s Day due to a bunch of people being sick. My friend invited me to her house and her family took me in like I was part of theirs. 2 days after my mom celebrated her 76th birthday, she fell down the stairs at church, resulting in a fractured pelvis and vertebra, a pelvic bleed, multiple brain bleeds and a bunch of bruises. She was just diagnosed with congestive heart failure last week. And finally, I met a new man in August, who is totally different from my ex and he has completely stolen my heart. I can’t wait to see where the next year goes.
November 3rd, 2014 @ 8:36 pm
This has been a good year – with some firsts. Our 22 year old son finished college and has gone to Russia/Cambodia/India for 6 months. He’s with an organization called YWAM and he’s loving it so far. We sure miss him though. I always enjoy my daily fix of CHARLIE and hope to win one of your cool packages of Wyoming!
November 3rd, 2014 @ 8:44 pm
Such a blur. Surprised with twins who will turn one in eleven days, and it’s been months of feeding, changing, comforting and giggling. They love their big sister too. No rest for the weary.
November 3rd, 2014 @ 9:08 pm
Your photos of Charlie are a daily highlight and I thank you for them.
This year has been a good one. Time with friends, a road trip with family and planning for an extended trip to Australia for January and February.
November 3rd, 2014 @ 9:42 pm
What’s the year been like?
How much space do I have?
This has been the year of letting go, winding down and starting up.
I saw my financial planner a year ago and she said I would be retiring in June of 2015. No discussion. She wouldn’t let me retire any sooner or work any longer than that. All has to do with my pension.
So I’ve started to plan for retirement beyond the financial stuff. I’m going through my closet saying “I won’t need this any more” and getting ready for garage sales and charity donations. I’m going through my books looking for what will be listed on amazon and what will be donated to the school library. I’m going through my DVDs for the same. I’m going through my jewelry box looking for what will be listed on Etsy.
I have come to terms with the fact I will never get my EdD. My career is over and I will not longer be a teacher librarian.
I spent the summer making jams. This year I experimented more with spices and spirits. My best success was a Spiced Apricot Bourbon and a Currant Raspberry Rose Geranium.
I’ve already planned my retirement party: July 4, 2015. I have the menu, decorations, etc. I’ve ventured into savory jams to go with the cheese platter.
I’ve bought a vintage French copper jam pan and large bowl for making jam and whipping egg whites and making candy. My sister suggests I get my kitchen qualified so I can sell jams at craft fairs and the Farmers Market.
So I’m downsizing, slowing down, expanding and cranking up. I’m going in a different direction.
My only regret is that the house I’ve had my eye on for two years for a bed and breakfast is being auctioned on Nov. 15. 8 months before I could get a loan and make an offer. It is lost to me now.
I’m going to make apple butter for the first time tonight.
November 3rd, 2014 @ 10:21 pm
Wow … these comments … you are definitely not alone and you have a rich, diverse community here. I took you literally at first re: reduced vision, then realized you were only speaking metaphorically. I hope when everything lights up around you again, it has the gentle light of grace. I don’t know if I can characterize this year yet — it’s had some good moments and bad, but one thing is unusual: a number of my closest friends have had some very difficult losses to deal with this year. It’s hard to stand by knowing you can’t change anything for them, but the wheels always turn, the seasons always change and we somehow heal eventually. This crazy river of life …it just flows.
November 3rd, 2014 @ 11:24 pm
Oh, this year has been one of rebirth, for me! I feel like the proverbial phoenix. 1 year ago I couldn’t live without 6 Diet Cokes a day, I had resigned myself to a job that I was forcing to be a “career,” and it was just me and my dog trotting through life together.
Well, I ditched the soda cold turkey and haven’t had one in 14 months, now! I quit my job, am starting my own business selling handcrafted goods that I am passionate about, and am so blessed to have a very special someone in my life that my spirit can harmonize with.
Would have never thought I would be where I am now, a year ago.
Would have never thought I would be so free. :)
November 3rd, 2014 @ 11:47 pm
reading everyone’s posts and keeping Shreve’s situations in mind, I see how different and how alike we all are. I may have had to help my folks through illnesses, but you know what–I got to help them and share some more of their experiences. I found out my mom carries a picture from her first date with my dad in her wallet. (64 years of marriage and I never knew) I found a note dad wrote to her apologizing for being too shy to kiss her under the mistletoe. My mom was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, but she is still here and particpating in life, I can hardly stop. My beloved dog Lucky died suddenly, it was so hard and sad but I also think I am so lucky that someone took a really great dog to the shelter the day before she passed so I was able to save another great pup. I may see some wrinkles, I may not have a few things I think I really need, I may have to do some more things I am not expecting or wanting to do, but taking part in these events, completing the cycles of life-makes me want to participate more. I want to be present.
November 4th, 2014 @ 7:31 am
The year has been bumpy, blessed, up, down. I think it has been a year for learning that we are put on this earth to be “Blessings” to others, that life is a journey not a destination. And that Life is really good! It really does take hard times to really enjoy the good. We wouldn’t know that life is good if it weren’t for the hard times.
Hang in there Shreve, you are a “Blessing” to many! I’m praying for a brighter 2015 for you!
November 4th, 2014 @ 8:23 am
This year has been crazy. My husband has been traveling for work 50% of the time, leaving me home with the 2.5 y/o a lot more than I had ever planned on. Plus work, plus getting her to daycare, plus trying to keep the house looking decent.
I (finally) graduated from college and thought I needed to look for a new job, but my husband was offered a job in Switzerland. So instead we’ve been trying to get the house ready to sell and trying to sort through 8 years of accumulated stuff to decide what to bring with us and what to leave here.
We have to rehome our cat because he has a heart condition and the vet doesn’t think he can handle the travel overseas. No one seems interested in adopting him. I’m freaking out.
I’ve never been so excited and so scared about anything in my entire life.
November 4th, 2014 @ 9:07 am
Absolutely love it!!!! <3
November 4th, 2014 @ 9:54 am
Someone took a photo of me in 1946 when I was 3 with my feet in my dad’s farm boots. I have a “dutch bob,” am wearing a bathing suit. Mush, our Spitz-mix dog is curled into me, his white tail is circled above my right shoulder like an angel wing. Mush and I share a state of bliss in the b/w photograph.
When I was around 7 a traveling salesman stopped at our farm house and Mush bit his pant leg. There’s part of my heart that remains in shock and emits an everlasting cry of NOOOOOOOOOOOO when my dad took Mush out to the field and killed him with the 22 rifle. My immediate grief, sorrow and fear are held in my blurred memory but my heart doesn’t forget.
One can never be the same person psychically.
I still don’t have my own dog but find my connection with them through other people’s dogs. I lived with Kita and Buster Brown Man for good, long years until sickness and death took them but I never “owned” them. They are in my heart to this day.
Today I will go up to the Oakland hills and take Beacon the Boston Terrier for a walk. His dads went to NYC for the marathon. Beacon is a wild man–the world is his and his athleticism is beyond compare–he can resemble an incredible running back football player. Oh! the joy, the joy.
I meet dog walkers up in the hills with 5 or 6 dogs in tow and my heart cries with happiness. I greet most dogs and they catch the scent of the smelly treats I usually have in my pocket.
I don’t know if I will ever have my own dog–there are good enough reasons for me not to have one since I still work part time, do some traveling, rent an apartment that could only contain the “right” dog. I just know I feel lucky to have found deep connections with dogs, to have their companionship in beautiful places where they are fortunate to be off leash and free for part of their day.
I like to believe that when I take my exit from this world, I will be greeted by a wonderful group of furry beasts and that will be “heaven.”
November 4th, 2014 @ 10:57 am
I wrote the other day to a friend, “This is the year dawn has been in my rear view mirror.” This year feels like a marathon, with some wonderful ups and down. With all the pressure, it’s really made me take time to focus on my health and relationship because nothing else seems to work if those two things aren’t in line.
November 4th, 2014 @ 11:13 am
this has been a year in fast forward. it seems like i was JUST anticipating summer, and not the snow is falling. of course because the warm days spun by i feel like i didn’t get much accomplished. i had goals. lots of them. yet, here they sit. all dusty and not accomplished.
i DID ride my young horse though. not as much as i wanted to, but i was up there! it’s been nearly 4 YEARS in the making and even though i was nervous, i DID IT.
throughout the summer and fall i spent some of my fast forwarded time coming up with NEW goals. feeling deep inside myself and deciding what is important to ME and choosing to focus on that. i’ve let go of other people’s goal and aspirations for myself and will spend the winter meditating on MY OWN goals.
i can’t wait. going after what is important to me and not worrying about what others think or want for me is actually quite freeing.
i think i ‘might’ be turning into a new person.
just in time to turn 38!!! happy birthday to me!
November 4th, 2014 @ 11:16 am
I went to my first (and maybe only) blogger conference and I think my blogger bone got broken…but ever the optimist, I purchased my domain name.
My Twitter list, From Twitter to Real Life, has grown to 100 people and I love that!
I still need to find the perfect pair of equestrian style boots.
I have nothing to complain about but sometimes I still do.
Love and Peace for 2015. :)
November 4th, 2014 @ 11:35 am
Dear Shreve,
The center of my being loves by understanding and truly caring about the causes of suffering that we human beings, animals and wildlife, as well as our beautiful earth, air, waters and the affects of climate change is having. I reflect on these conditions so that I might discover an antidote moment to moment, living in the here and now, because my heart is pierced with the pain of unreliable and often ineffective resolutions. Yet, I believe resolution is always possible and hidden in every possible condition. I want to replace my own toxic reactions with a deep reverence for basic goodness. That has become golden.
I have found myself metaphorically, down on my knees, brailling my way in the dark – which has gradually opened up the most amazing knowing and internal activations. I keep reawakening to the awareness that when one cannot see in the ordinary way, one awakens to inner sensing, inner knowing and a profound connection to noble qualities and then generativity eventually emerges. This is a newish word I love that means generating creativity for the benefit of the coming generations…to help each other, our earth, and our beloved creatures to live naturally and simply and in reverence, because life is so precious, and we only have a small amount of time…in the timelessness of the universe to give of ourselves as best we can while here.
And it all begins with inner stillness and listening deeply, which is a true refuge-and it sounds like it is for you, too. I’m holding onto what for me are precious threads left at the edges of our world lost in fear and hatred and peril alongside amazing beauty, compassion and love. Gratefully and with you. V
November 4th, 2014 @ 11:53 am
I feel as if I’m approaching the new year with one foot stuck in the past and another striding confidently into the future. I have spent nights and weekends for the last few years caring for my parents after my father had a paralyzing stroke and my mother slipped deeper into Alzheimer’s. It has been a tiring, stressful, and socially isolating time, but it has also been a time of great caring and bonding, one I wouldn’t have traded for anything. They confronted physical adversity with great grace and humor, and my admiration for them is boundless. Both finally succumbed to their illnesses last year, and I have spent the last few months sorting through their personal effects and settling the estate. Now, for the first time in ten years, I am totally free to travel and live my life as I wish, and after so many years of being tied down, I find the freedom both paralyzing and exhilarating. I take great inspiration from your spunk and bravery, Shreve, and I hope I can channel some of your strength as I forge a new life for myself and my beloved fox terriers. We all miss hearing from you and hope you will emerge from this trying year with a renewed sense of peace and contentment. Thanks for all you share with us!
I thought of Charlie last night when I heard a pack of coyotes coursing across our lawn, deep in a hunt. I was transfixed by their excited chorus and really wanted to go closer to peek at them, but they were so close that I just enjoyed them from the safety of my yard. They are all around here, but we hear them so rarely that it is always magical when they make an appearance, however brief. Thanks to you and Charlie for demystifying this elusive and fascinating creature.
November 4th, 2014 @ 12:47 pm
My year started off rough and tumble, and has calmed to a welcome and wonderful mellowness. I hesitate to say things are good on all fronts – although they are – because, as we all know, everything is a cycle.
I’m so grateful to you Shreve, and to this community.
November 4th, 2014 @ 2:55 pm
Shreve,
Your words are as stunning, and often as beautiful as your photos.
It seems like you get as much out of these giveaways as those receiving Wyoming love.
Grateful to have run across the story of Charlie, your blog and those who respond here.
November 4th, 2014 @ 4:58 pm
This was a year of introspection for my nursing education.
I realized the extent of pain, anger, agony, and triumph there is.
In the lives of others – and my own.
November 4th, 2014 @ 5:31 pm
It’s been a difficult year for me. Struggling at work, car problems, and then I lost my job. Depression has gotten a hold on me, but I’m fighting it. After two months of being unemployed, I’m finally able to write again, which is a blessing. I’m still working on getting another job, hoping and praying I don’t lose my apartment and my car before that happens. Bless you, and thank you for sharing with us.
November 4th, 2014 @ 6:02 pm
This year has been a good one for me and mine.
Best wishes for a happy 2015 for you and yours!
November 4th, 2014 @ 7:24 pm
This year I had a miracle. Definition: event without explanation, violating all past events and reactions.
I have experienced serious depression and heart pounding anxiety and panic since I was maybe 5 or 6. This was always very very well concealed: I was the joke teller, the outrageous one, the inauthentic one. Years of therapy, medications, all did their part, but sometime in early summer of this year (my 74th!) all the anger, resentment, hatred, self-pity, furious-ness, mostly directed at my husband, lifted. That’s it. Just was gone.
Suddenly I could see goodness in him and in me. This arrived unheralded and unannounced to a smiling disbelieving cynic.
I think instead of react. All the stuff I knew all these years finally won.
JUst had 80 people to my 75th birthday party (by the way my hair is purple, and I am in no way doddering) and they all expressed love. My husband has become the one I always wanted, and I have never been happier. A gift horse, into whose mouth I will not look.
Be well, Shreve. All these people care for you through your voice.
November 4th, 2014 @ 8:19 pm
I moved 2,000 miles to Wyoming last year and haven’t regretted it. It’s incredible out here. My dog, a Doberman, turned 9. He still enjoys hiking and I’ll keep taking him for as long as he’s able to go. I’m trying to appreciate life more, which is easier to do living out here.
Thank you for your blogs and your books… they are amazing and so are you.
November 4th, 2014 @ 8:19 pm
In Dec 2013 at age 59 I awoke unable to walk, no feeling from the waist down to my toes. The doctors were unable to diagnose after five days of emergency room tests (which was a great gift in disguise keeping my mind clear for healing). The medical experts abandoned me to sitting in a wheelchair in stillness because I did not fit into any of their boxes.
On my porch during the day I witnessed the open space of the Mojave Desert with its ancient wrinkled creosote and rocky mountain peaks in the distance. I listened to the roadrunners mating call in the morning, the coyote howling in the darkness or the haunting stillness or wild winds overcome me with the realization I am alive. I watched sunrise and moon rise appear to move along the horizon each day. But this is an illusion since movement is due to the motion of the Earth around the Sun in its orbit and the moon orbiting the earth.
I move from wheel chair to walker to cane to navigating the earth with two feet stronger each day. One evening the words of Angie Arrien one of my teachers reminded me to be as authentic as the moon and sun… The path to my healing includes embracing what is natural and accepting change and as David Whyte notes,
“The dark will be your womb tonight. The night will give you a horizon further than you can see…Give up all the other worlds except the one to which you belong…
Last night I sat with my neighbors to discuss the book Burro Bill and Me. We desert rats are reading books about the desert, the land of little rain and those who survived before us. I realized this is where I belong. Thank you Shreve for your vulnerability and allowing us to reflect on our lives. I bet one of those evenings we were observing or walking in the moonlight slowly at the same time with many others. Here is David’s full poem.
‘HEARTBREAK’
©2013 David Whyte
SWEET DARKNESS
When your eyes are tired
the world is tired also.
When your vision has gone
no part of the world can find you.
Time to go into the dark
where the night has eyes
to recognize its own.
There you can be sure
you are not beyond love.
The dark will be your womb
tonight.
The night will give you a horizon
further than you can see.
You must learn one thing.
The world was made to be free in.
Give up all the other worlds
except the one to which you belong.
Sometimes it takes darkness and the sweet
confinement of your aloneness
to learn
anything or anyone
that does not bring you alive
is too small for you.
– DAVID WHYTE –
November 4th, 2014 @ 10:48 pm
Ducks, Ducks, Ducks and Geese – that’s the new of my year this year. All the old stuff is good to great too.
November 5th, 2014 @ 4:57 am
This year, on Februari 3rd, I fell apart like a puzzle.
My mother suddenly died,
my mother who gave me unconditional love from the moment I was,
my mother who tought me, and gave me room to become me,
my mother who tought me to enjoy the beauty and wonders of this sometimes confusing world, my mother, so wise and true,
my mother who tought me to be open and not to judge,
my mother who knew the essence of me.
Ever since that day I can see the pieces but it feels like I lost the box whith the example, don`t know where wich piece fits.
But because of her I know that, day by day, eventualy, I will be able to put the pieces together again.
This year I fell apart,
but I will be whole again.
November 5th, 2014 @ 5:56 am
Dear Shreve & Farmily, I was hooked on your life adventure crossing the country, meeting Mike, and receiving the wonderful little bundle soon to be named Charlie! I came across your book on a feature shelf in Borders Book Store back in 2007(not too sure about the time frame but definitely somewhere around that time)and have been a faithful fan ever since! I look forward to reading your blog every day and absolutely love your photographs! I have watched the farmily grow up and felt sad at some of the losses you have had to experience. I look forward to continuing to live vicariously through you and the Farmily in the “wild west”. Thank you for sharing your life!
November 5th, 2014 @ 8:46 am
Hi Shreve
First time poster,long time fan!
As another poster mention,clarity comes and clarity goes. Just take the time to enjoy the great life you and Mike have built out there and the WONDERFUL cast of characters you share it with!
November 5th, 2014 @ 11:42 am
Dear Shreve.
For me, it’s been a year that is too long, yet terribly short. Aging parents and other needy relatives have added sadness and introspection to my life. Yet every additional day is a gift to be cherished.
What with the above, global warming, wars, famine – I have had to make a big effort some days, to see the beauty in this world. But it is often something as simple as a picture of a beloved coyote that can make me smile and turns the day around. Thank you for sharing Charlie and the rest of your Wyoming family with us.
November 5th, 2014 @ 11:48 am
2014 was a very tough year for me as well Shreve. My father’s Alzheimers Dementia accelerated considerably after he fell on the ice in February and broke his hip and needed surgery and a 3 month stay at a nursing home to heal. My dad was the reason I chose law enforcement as my career. I wanted to be just like him when I grew up. Now he doesn’t know who I am.
This summer I volunteered with an animal rescue group to try to relocate and save a colony of cats living behind a local restaurant. The colony had been there for many years and had a caregiver who fed and watered them every day, but sadly, the person who owned the property where the cats lived decided one day to no longer permit the cats to be there and so began a heartbreaking journey for the cats and the people who did give a damn about them. Once we were able to convince a nearby property to allow us to feed on their land, every day I took food to them twice a day, after we struggled for a month trying to negotiate with the property owner to allow the cats to be fed. Sadly, approximately 8 cats and 3 kittens died as a result of the cruelty inflicted upon them by the property owner forbidding food to be brought in for them. Ultimately, 1 miracle kitten and 10 adults were saved. The kitten ended up getting an awesome home with my best friend and the adult cats were relocated and rehomed to barns. I’ll never forget the cats that didn’t make it, nor the ones who somehow survived.
My marriage suffered a huge hit this year. Marriage counseling has helped us try to put the pieces back together again. I take it day by day.
Lastly, a cousin, who I love like a sister, was diagnosed with Stage IV ovarian cancer this year, and she is fighting it with everything she has.
I welcome the end of 2014 and hope and pray that better days will come. One of my favorite quotes is by Winston Churchill. “If you’re going through hell, keep going.” What else can we do? Hope that things will get better is what keeps me going.
November 5th, 2014 @ 11:59 am
Praying for a better 2015….Such an inspiration and you are apart of my daily ritual and have been since Day 1.
One of my favorite quotes…Remember that Life is a gift…….Live it, Enjoy it, Celebrate it and Fulfill it…….
AND May your troubles be less, your blessings more, and nothing but happiness come through your door!
November 5th, 2014 @ 1:42 pm
This has been an interesting year for me. Lots of good stuff–like being gainfully employed in a job I love–as well as some not so good stuff–like losing our kitty Mary Ann in April. I’m so sorry this has been such a difficult year for you (and so many others), and here’s hoping for a 2015 full of love and light and laughter.
November 5th, 2014 @ 4:56 pm
This has been a really rough year for me also… Lost my beloved cat of 17 years and lost one of my beautiful foster girls in a dental surgery only 4 days later.
I love your website and I love Charlie, I actually run a greyhound adoption group that specializes in placing retired coyote hunting greyhounds. They’re amazing pets and I love seeing them on couches rather than out killing coyotes (whom I also love). I hope 2015 is better for everyone that’s struggled with 2014. :)
November 5th, 2014 @ 8:47 pm
My year started off uncertain, with a change in employer (shifted from one contract to another), but then got both more uncertain and exciting. Hubby and I sold our house of 8 years, moved into a much smaller apartment; I quit my job and started a new one, which I am now quitting! Oh, and I started grad school. In amongst all that, we took a super fabulous trip out west (we live in DC)–starting out in San Diego, driving through AZ, CO, and up into WY! We saw some amazing places, but I think Yellowstone was the absolute best (though Thermopolis was cool just because of the name!).
As I mentioned, I’m quitting my “new” job – for two reasons…1) the job I started is not the job I interviewed for, and it is NOT a good fit for me (employer agrees, but very nicely) and 2) full time work and full time grad school = crazy. So I’ll be looking for freelance work – Anyone need a copy editor!?!
It’s been a very “educational” year for me. Most times fun, sometimes incredibly stressful. But as I’ve aged I’ve finally realized: you have to go with your gut, and do things you want/love to do, even if it makes life a bit hard at the time.
Thanks so much for writing this blog, Shreve. And I’m sorry (once again) that we were unable to hook up when I was (relatively) in your neck of the woods.
Cheers,
Marian
November 5th, 2014 @ 10:32 pm
After reading through all the comments above, I am deeply touched by this community I have become a part of over the years, and my prayers are with you all.
It’s been an odd year for me and mine. Better than 2012 and 2013, but full of uncertainty. Some plans were ventured into too late to be realized in a time frame that made sense, and so have been postponed to 2015, to March or April. The time until then has us vacillating (is this a good idea or not), so I can’t wait for the depth of winter to be behind us and we can move forward. Hopefully, things will work out as we hope and leave us in a better place than we are now.
Whether you realize it or not, Shreve, you have given us all so very much through time, and I’m sure every single one of us is sending good thoughts, prayers, and all blessings back to you in gratitude for all you have done to brighten our lives. Wishing you the light of a constant full moon until clear daylight cloaks you in it’s light and warmth.
November 5th, 2014 @ 11:24 pm
Listening
Learning
Letting go
Letting in
Late blooming
November 6th, 2014 @ 7:11 am
Job searching-job getting-moving-working and waiting to be with my love as he finishes graduate school. A good year, I can’t complain–I’m just tired of waiting!
November 6th, 2014 @ 9:09 am
2014 has been an odd year indeed. Here’s hoping for 2015 to be easier!
November 6th, 2014 @ 10:13 am
I feel like some major things are happening in my life and I’m on a precipice. It’s stirring up a lot of stuff, good and bad. I’m trying to stick to my guns and stay focused. At the same time I’ve been dealing with a little bit of depression that’s come back to rear its ugly head and some weird hormonal stuff, so sometimes it feels like every day is a battle just to keep being good. I’m not surprised to see we’ve both had weird years, I’ve followed your blog for a long time and read your book and we tend to run a little parallel.
November 6th, 2014 @ 11:13 am
There’s light at the end of the tunnel and I don’t think it’s a train!
November 6th, 2014 @ 1:06 pm
Started out as a mortgage payer (I think I only technically own the land the house sits on) that got hit with a hefty plumbing repair before month one was over.
Month two – changed medication for a disease that won’t kill me, just annoy me from time to time.
Month four – unloaded the whiny man who has more baggage than the cargo area of a 747.
Rest of the year’s gone well.
May everyone who has commented end on an up note.
November 6th, 2014 @ 1:38 pm
I’ve been stumbling around in the dark for a while as well this year. Although lately it feels as though I’ve been slowly waking up from a dream that I was sure was real all this time.
…I want to leave my husband; I want to leave the cold, hard city I live in; I want to leave the soul-less corporate job I have; I want to abandon the life I have spent years and years creating. None of it is bad, per se. It’s just that none of it is good either, or rather, none of it is good for me.
Anyway.
…Shreve, thank you for sharing your life so generously with us. I can’t tell you in eloquent enough ways how lucky I feel to be let in on your soulful world with your beautiful farmily…
November 6th, 2014 @ 5:16 pm
I have missed your stories when you don’t write as much…
November 6th, 2014 @ 6:36 pm
Hi Shreve,
I send you posts from time to time. I love Charlie of course, and your lifestyle inspires me, especially your return to a freer wild life with animals in the outdoors. I would dearly love a calendar of Charlie and cherish the photos for all time … seriously, I keep those I love and put them up from time to time. And I know that Charlie would definitely qualify!
All the best, for your generosity and sharing of your life.
Julie
November 6th, 2014 @ 7:49 pm
It’s been a crazy year. I left my corporate job to go out on my own and I’ve been learning a lot. I realized I didn’t really know anyone in my town except those I used to work with, so I have spent a lot of time meeting people and hearing stories and making connections.
My friend Karen introduced me to your site at least 4 years ago and every year, I buy a Charlie calendar for her and one for me. It’s one of my favorite gifts I give myself.
November 6th, 2014 @ 8:48 pm
This year has been a year of learning and evolving through a lot of stress and self discovery.
November 7th, 2014 @ 2:36 am
I’m glad this year has been so wonderful! :)
November 7th, 2014 @ 7:58 am
The year started on a good note, with my rheumatologist finally finding a drug combination that has cleared up the mysterious arthritic condition that I had suffered from for most of 2013. Work has been steady, which I know is mostly a good thing, considering how many others out there would give a lot to have a regular job with regular hours.
In the middle of the year, I started to fall into a depression where nothing seemed to matter, and I really started to question my purpose in life, whether there was one, what had I done with my life up to that point, and did I want to keep doing it for the time I had left? I read a lot, including a lot of Jungian psychology. I started seeing a therapist. I took anti-depression supplements. Eventually, I started to come out of it, but it was agony for months. I lost a lot of weight during that time; people comment how much better I look now. I don’t tell them that its because I lost most of my appetite during that turbulent period and simply didn’t eat much more than I needed as fuel to face the next day.
The only answers I came up with is that life is its own reason, that you live the mystery day by day, and you try to help others as much as one can. I don’t know if that works for anyone else, but its where I’m at. Love to all.
November 7th, 2014 @ 8:02 am
Another friend diagnosed with cancer.
Another year full of the soul stretching opportunities to learn and grow.
To learn to be a loving presence instead of a fix-it all bulldozer.
To learn that if I consider the present moment everything is manageable and always contains something to be grateful for.
This life requires limitless love and unending courage, doesn’t it?
November 7th, 2014 @ 10:32 am
It’s been a great year for us. Both retired after 30 plus years in the bureaucracy, new home with gorgeous view, a flock of chickens, have lost 50 pounds each. Life is a blessing (we successfully went through kidney failure, dialysis, and double transplant a few years ago, so that makes everything all the sweeter!)
November 7th, 2014 @ 11:12 am
I know how fortunate I am, even though I will sometimes grimace because stuff hurts. Decades of living and working will do that to ya! But I won’t complain, because as I look around at friends and strangers, so many do not have the riches of general good health, comfortable means and home, warm family and friends, and beautiful images of places I’ve been for work and play.
November 7th, 2014 @ 11:24 am
Your inspiration reaches us daily, coyote.
November 7th, 2014 @ 12:32 pm
It has been a year of leaping and expecting the net to appear, and of letting go.
I am a CPA by training, mid 50s, divorced after 30 years and all four sons are now grown. I was unemployed and recovering from a catastrophic fall while hiking that broke both legs and required many surgeries and 18 months to walk again.
I had an opportunity to go out and work as part of a team in public lands driving back roads and alleged roads (the ultimate offroad adventure!), so I bought a used 15 foot trailer, packed up my dog Poppy, who’s a 15 year old border collie mix, and hit the road. Never owned a trailer or towed one, the learning curve was steep. I was the only single woman out there, the only woman driver, and was among people whose culture differed markedly from my own.
I saw amazing things very very few people will ever see, met wonderful people in 10 different states, drove 50 miles to buy groceries, stayed in 17 different camps, experienced one tornado and the aftermath of a second, got caught in a flash flood (on a scenic drive outside of Casper!) saw more lightning in one night than I’ve seen in my entire life. I’ve broken and fixed my own car, gotten stuck and got myself unstuck, seen thousands of antelope, deer, elk, badgers, hawks, eagles, porcupines, old and collapsing buildings that whisper their history if you listen closely.
I’ve discovered I can’t ever work in an office again staring at a computer screen 8 hours a day. I left with many questions I hoped to find answers for about life and purpose and what is important. I found some answers, but mostly found more questions.
I met someone special but we are seperated by hundreds of miles. More questions there.
Eight months, 45,000 miles (15,000 offroad), 10 states in the northwest and a hundred pounds of collected rocks (I may need an intervention!) later…..and I’m back in Southern California, but it no longer feels like home.
I was near you at one point, drove the road from Hiway 26 thru Lysite, then all the way north to Ten Sleep. Such breathtaking country!
In short, its been a year of tremendous change and challenge with a very different energy.
May your year of moonlight add clarity, direction and purpose to the coming year, and your journey bring you joy.
November 7th, 2014 @ 1:33 pm
My year has been a whole slew of emotions that included ups and downs which I’m hoping lead to growth and a better me. It seems a lot of people I know had some rough patches. Perhaps something in the air? I love this time of year and I’m looking forward to enjoying it with my family as best as I can! Best wishes to you!
November 7th, 2014 @ 1:58 pm
This year has been total chaos. My husband and I made the difficult decision to move across the country this past spring to return to my hometown in order to be close to family after spending 10 years away. We left good jobs, good friends, a home, and the comfort of knowing. We are grateful to have found new jobs, but the transition hasn’t been easy. What was once home for me is almost a strange land now, where we have very few friends and and a house that’s not yet a home. We’ve spent time questioning our decision to move, longing for the familiarity of our old home, friends, and jobs. It’s difficult to describe how amazing and needed the support of my parents has been. Change is hard and scary; it is hard to see through the shadows of the unknown. After several months, I think we are finally gaining our footing and enjoying our new lives. Our new place is finally becoming home.
November 7th, 2014 @ 3:05 pm
Busy.. oh so busy, then numbing, then very very very sad. Then hope poked in and stayed for a long while amist meeting a special someone. (took years to find) Then confusion, heartache and tears with family. LOVE- so much LOVE everywhere, and tears, and more LOVE. Positive vibes and striving forward with more LOVE then ever before, with good news and happy faces. NO MORE TEARS!
It has been quite and emotional roller coaster this year, hoping for a smooth transition into a more steady and emotionally-even living in 2015.
November 7th, 2014 @ 4:52 pm
Thanks for sharing Charlie and a bit of the west with us.
November 7th, 2014 @ 6:02 pm
I have left my beautiful wyoming home last October and traveled to South Carolina, Vermont and now have landed in Maine. Looking for work mainly but I have found some amazing people along the way that have made this this past year possible and kept the home sickness at bay (sort of). I’m living in a beautiful place and am near the ocean which is new for a land locked Wyoming girl. But I can’t wait to get home for a visit and to see the wide open skies again…..
November 7th, 2014 @ 7:03 pm
Turned 50 this year. Things are humming along on the outside, shifting a lot on the inside, in ways that aren’t quite clear to me yet. I lost a beloved border collie last year and a beloved horse this year. No animals at the moment, so I really enjoy seeing/hearing about the farmily. Frisco’s death hit me pretty hard, considering. Thanks for sharing the animals with us, and best wishes for greater peace and clarity in 2015.
November 7th, 2014 @ 10:23 pm
I wont write much but I never thought I would be here right now. This year has been full of roller coaster emotions, wildfires, engaged, not engaged and unforseen family and friends. I wouldnt change it for the world. Shit happens. And it will make me a better person. Just right now its easy to lose sight.
November 8th, 2014 @ 5:13 pm
This year has been such a roller coaster. A lot of good things mixed with so many bad things. I lost my best friend, my grandfather, and a few pets this year, but I gained a niece, a wonderful significant other, and a job that allows me to teach about the environment. It has been so hard at times and so good at others. Such a mix. I never know what is coming next.
November 8th, 2014 @ 6:35 pm
This year has been harsh for me… I have lost several near and dear companions and have been battling with my health, and still am. It is an up hill battle… Take two steps up, and slide 3 down. But at least the health aspect may be looking up soon. I am taking each day as it comes. That is all I can do.
November 8th, 2014 @ 7:41 pm
This year has been hard, and fun, and a learning experience. Dealing with loss and change, and hope, and love. I am blessed but it’s a struggle. Trying to live in the moment, get things done, move forward, and enjoy now.
November 8th, 2014 @ 10:24 pm
Looking back it was a good year, with some not so good things happen just about the last few weeks.I started a new business I learned a lot and still do. One thing I am trying to change is, not to wait for anything, or others for their approval. So I act now, because the time is now. It works and I like it.
Thank you Shreeve for sharing your live and Farmily with us.
November 9th, 2014 @ 11:56 am
Rough year. I lost my mom to cancer. Trying to find my way through the pain.
November 9th, 2014 @ 1:45 pm
i am too late for the drawing but it has been a crazy year for me too! Shreve i also know what it is like to lose a dear critter friend, many years of losing them, never ever to be forgotten and always another to give all to, wonderous and sad at the same time. My little dog Schipperke, lost to liver cancer, was devastating to me. It was such a shock and such a fast decline, I woke up early one morning to find him facing away from me, standing and leaning on my husband so i pulled him around and cuddled him between us, we stroked his silky black fur and kissed his little black face, his velvet bear cub ears and his little black-on-black paws. Then he just simply slipped away from me…boo hoohoo. i will miss him forever. but he was so loved and i was so glad he died right with us as if it was a normal morning cuddled between the two people he finally allowed to love him and who he felt so safe with. Then we lost our Australian Shepherd at almost 20 years old! dear family friend, 4-H extraordinaire, friend of all animals and children, she was a polite and beautiful dearest kind gentle sweet thing and it was hard to say goodbye but so happy she lived so long and didn’t have any problems until the last month although she did not make a fuss. Such a lady she woofed to go out even at the end and woofed to remind me to go feed the animals like we did twice a day together all nearly 20 years! We feel as if she is still here with us. One of her animal friends, a Fallow deer also died this year, he was very old and had lived so long that his antlers had become tiny spikes again in the cycle of life. He was born at our place, the first born of our family of Fallow deer, so we held him a lot when he was a tiny new baby. He grew up to be a Ferdinand and even during rut with huge gigantic antlers he was a gentle soul. That rainy dark night he suddenly lay unable to move. I went out to see what was wrong. As i petted him the rain stopped and the night became a starry clear sky. He lifted his head and turned to gaze into my eyes for many minutes. Then he passed away moments later and i was completely overtaken by the friendship he had given to me all those years and this precious goodbye. How do we live with these sorrows…but we do because they are a dazzling and powerful gift that gives us a glimpse into what love truly is. And a new day comes to remind us of that love that goes on and on, it surely is a living being that grows stronger and more clear as we go. We can’t live without it and we are compelled to give it away constantly.
You are so good at passing on that love, thanks for sharing it with all of us!!!
Like the Bambi song, “Love’s sweet music goes on…”
November 9th, 2014 @ 3:31 pm
It has actually been a pretty good year in Chicago. My husband was offered a new job in May and loves it. With this job, we’ve been able to do some home improvements that weren’t going to happen for another 3-5 years. My job is ok and as “meh” as I might feel about it sometimes, I’m always grateful that I am employed and that the company itself is pretty top-notch.
I also accomplished my goal of running a marathon! A full marathon! It was challenging- time consuming, mentally challenging and physically challenging, but I did it and I’m SO happy.
And while I might not personally have to deal with depression, my mom does and I know how devastating it can be. Words don’t seem to do enough (and I’m sorry if I’m projecting here, or over-stepping and making incorrect assumptions), but please know (even if we’re quiet), there are a lot of people out there who adore and admire your work. You inspire so many of us and we’re all so thankful that you share your life with us. I do hope that the cloud you’re in lifts soon. I’m glad that you’re pushing yourself and know that even if you can’t see a few feet in front of you, it’s there. Listen to yourself and take care of yourself. Lean on those who love you and don’t feel bad about it (you would do the same for them). Talk, cry, nap, go on long walks with the farmily- do whatever you need and remember that you are important and loved and that taking care of yourself is good and necessary. Sometimes you just need to have bad days, weeks, or years and I hope 2015 is better and that you can look back on 2014 and be like ‘bad year. over it, done with it, moved on’.
November 9th, 2014 @ 11:30 pm
Like you described, Im moving forward in the dark trusting that forward steps are going show something. I went back to college this year after being out of school for 10 years. Along with life learning of how to tend to my own happiness. Deep changes and growing!
Sending love and light to your year past and upcoming. Bless your heart and bless mine too.
November 13th, 2014 @ 11:45 am
Just received my new Charlie calendars — one for me, one as a gift — and they are indeed gorgeous. Maybe the best yet . . . but then a say that every year.
Nice job, Shreve. Siempre mejor!
November 19th, 2014 @ 3:48 pm
I know I am too late for the draw but wanted to share a bit with you as you are so generous in sharing of yourself with us. This July I lost my sweet dog of 15 years Mena. She was my best friend, my trusty companion, my soul mate. She developed cancer and in a period of a few weeks, she was gone. I am so thankful she didn’t suffer for long my sweet peanut but I miss her so. She was so funny and sweet and so very bad too. I loved her with all my heart and mourn her passing daily.
Be well Shreve. oo-xx
January 3rd, 2015 @ 11:07 am
My daughter is an angel on earth and the most important person in the world to me. Three years ago she met the man of her dreams at the age of 36. They are now married and are expecting a baby girl in July. She is my only child and this will be my first grandchild. All other things are now secondary. Worries aren’t as big. The health and safety of my daughter and her new family are primary. It sure puts things into perspective.
January 4th, 2015 @ 6:39 am
Someone offered us a coyote pup yesterday. We didn’t take it.