2016 and 2017
2017 was a very challenging one for me. It started out in July at Tevis, 2016, when Rio tyed up badly in the beginning of the trail. I wrote about this experience in my last endurance blog, and we have not done an AERC endurance completion since then.
Rio/Caartouche recovered, but was diagnosed with PSSM-2. It is manageable, but I was not able to condition him or enter him in any AERC rides because I had to take care of "family matters".
I am not going to go into detail of the below issues. I don't think that I am ready yet; however, for anyone who reads my blog, I want to write why I was pre-occupied.
I received a call that my mom was in intensive care and would most likely be dying shortly.
That was the week of Thanksgiving, November, 2016. I was there for a week or more, staying at a local hotel in Redding, CA as well as sleeping next to my mama in her hospital bed. She passed peacefully. I took care of all the details, including the creamation process. I carried her ashes out to my car when all was done. My mom was a super sweet human, but we were not close as mom and daughter because she experienced severe addiction problems. I could and may write an entire blog about her and my experience with her in my other blog that is not related to endurance in the future. I probably should, since I wrote a blog dedicated to my cat. Growing up as a child of an alcoholic is a difficult thing to write about, as there was so much dysfunction that happened. There was more good stuff that happened though that I am so grateful for.
My mom and dad have been divorced since I was 9. My sister was 6, my brother was 3. I am 54 now, so that is over 40 years ago. My mom remarried a few times and ended up living in Shingletown, CA. with her latest husband, Richard.
My dad was the best dad ever. He worked his entire life, did the things that he loved, and retired in 2016 in a great mountain home and property approx.10 miles from where my mom and her husband, Richard, had bought a place. They were still friends. I was very close to my dad. My son, Erik and I lived with him in his condo in Santa Barbara, CA, where I was born and raised,while I pursued getting a college degree while working. We moved to Mammoth Lakes in 1997 upon graduating with a B.A. when Erik was 8.
It is one thing accepting that a dear family member, my mom, was dying, but I was able to be there with her for her last few days and say goodbye.
At the end of February, 2017, two months after my mom had passed, I received the tragic news that my father had died suddenly from a heart attack. I was devastated. I was not able to say goodbye. I will definitely be writing about him and my life experience with him. My sister and I held a wonderful celebration of life for him in Santa Barbara in May, 2017, with over 80 friends and family attending.
Unfortunatly, my dad did not have a will that I was aware of, so his Estate is in probate, I am the administrator, and dealing with two dysfunctional siblings.
I had to go to the same cremation place in Redding and carry out my dad's ashes as I had done 2 months prior with my mom's ashes. My dad's ashes were heavier.
The reason that I am including this blog in my endurance blog versus the "everything else " blog is to let others know why I disappeared from endurance last year. Also, in October of 2016, I purchased a second horse, a yearling, as my next endurance prospect. He turned 3 this January and is starting his foundation training. Lots of ground work training his first year with the help of my trainer, Rebecca Evans.
Another wonderful thing that occurred at the end of 2016 is that Caartouche and I became a decade team! Yee haa. That is worth a blog in itself, which I will be writing about next, as well as updates on my youngster.
Life is life and life goes on. I have a lot to be grateful for going into this new year, 2018, as challenging as it still is for me.
I wrote this blog over a year ago. I am finally sharing it now on my own FB page. Not the AERC FB page. It is too personal.
Ending this blog with a positive attitude. TEVIS is 9 days away! I am signed up to volunteer at Robinson Flat same as last year. I am soo excited for all of my friends and those I have not yet met who are going to be starting this most amazing, challenging, and historic ride. Caartouche CS/Rio, and I have finished 3 of our 5 starts. It is my favorite AERC ride/race. I am so happy to be part of this ride as a volunteer.
