my mother

My mother, Dorothy Jean, was probably in high school when this photo was taken. My oldest sister tells me our mother, born and raised in Danville Illinois, is our connection to every Osbourne in the United States. I'm not certain that is true, but the Osbourne's I've met have all had a connection to north/central Indiana, where my family has roots. Story (and records) show that my mother's ancestors were in Pennsylvania fighting against the British for freedom. Family documents include a great-grandmothers Daughter of the American Revolution application..and she was a member.

By the time my mother was the age I am now she was in full time nursing home care. My father did not live to see the age I am now. Every day feels like a bonus to me, a gift. I have good health, an amazing husband, a daughter who is just awesome, I get to be the farmers wife to an innovative, creative and fun guy..we have lots of friends, lots of love, and much joy and happiness.

In my lifetime I have been told I take things too seriously, am too intense, and take too much to heart. Years ago I resolved to visit a theme park every month for a year, and managed to get to 10 in 12 months. That shook it up! The changes I have worked to make are to worry less. To find joy and happiness in all the wonderful little and big things I have. And to remember and honor my parents, the short lives they lived on this earth, all they have missed in my life..and to remember to go for it, do things that make me happy, excise things that do not, work to reduce expenses to zero while having fun doing it, to live stress free..overall, to lighten up. How fabulous this is, how happy I am to get another day to enjoy and live my life.

I can't remember to hold a grudge. Things slip away. Some things that felt critically important earlier in life are of no importance anymore. Occasionally I'll get my panties in a bunch over something..and I make myself go to a farm chore, some sort of physical labor. The tension eases. We host people here on the farm who are curious about what we do, or who have known us for years and bring offerings of partnership, of support, of general labor help, of ideas that are percolating within them. What fun! What a lovely way to live, and I count myself a lucky gal and farm wife. And I remember how different my own mothers life was to the life I get to live now, and give thanks.