Jobs! I have had a variety of them throughout the past 23 years! I'll never forget my very first job. I was 13 years old and wanted to purchase some extra things for my horse. Mom and Dad were awesome with taking care of necessities. But the State Line Tack catalog was my wish-book and I could just picture my dark bay mare wearing a brand-new set of hunter green polo wraps. So, that June I headed off to work in a nearby Strawberry field. I remember going EARLY in the morning to pick berries. I was the only girl! Thankfully we were paid by volume picked rather than hours worked and I was pleasantly surprised with my earning potential. But I hated picking strawberries. I still do! They are my least favorite to pick out of all of the berries. Raspberries evoke an entirely different emotion! My Grandma's lovely back yard on a warm summer evening. She had raspberry bushes growing in abundance and to this day, whenever I eat a perfect raspberry I can just picture being there back then. Now she has blueberry bushes instead and my own daughter talks about "Great Grandma's back yard" as she enjoys blueberries here at home.
I picture the jobs that I have had over these past 23 years... a partial list includes working at a local toy store the Christmas that I was age 15. My mom worked there while the three of us girls were at school and I was hired on as holiday help after obtaining my "working papers" that season. Still being somewhat of a kid myself, it was kinda freaky to see the "ugly side" of Christmas while working with the public that Christmas Eve! Then there was the couple of years that I worked at the nearby "Valley Farm Market". The owners really liked to keep the parking lot in tip-top shape. This was such a priority that I was oftentimes sent out there with a shop-vac to use on the asphalt and a bottle of windex to make the gas pumps sparkle! When I was a senior in high school I was part of a "work release program" and would go to a couple of classes at school and then head over to the mall where I worked at a Gardner's Candies chocolate store. The scent was heavenly! The only real downside there was that I never did become adept at gift-wrapping the thousands of boxes that were wrapped at Christmas, Valentine's Day and Mother's Day. When I was 18, I moved away from home and worked at Imperial Egyptian
Stud down in Maryland. At age 15, I had begun working at Windfall Arabians, a lovely St. Marys farm. Not feeling certain of which direction to pursue with college, I decided to take two years off from school. During my time at Imperial in MD, I had a Sheik attempt to purchase me as part of a package of horses that would be going back to Qatar with him! Thankfully the barn manager set the record straight that I was not for sale! While in college I worked 30 hours per week as a waitress at Ruby Tuesday in Rochester, NY. That was a really neat time in my life! So many times I thanked the Lord that I was able to read/study quickly and that allowed me to work enough to pay my way through school, along with having some monthly help from my parents and younger sister. Plus the support of family friends from our church back home! After graduation, I was on staff at the college for a couple of years. This was a time of many handy binders (Thank you to an awesome lady named Corliss!) and learning how to plan and pull off a variety of events. Next I was back to horse world, teaching and riding once again. That took me to the DC area, the Eastern Shore of MD and then on to CT, which is where I met my husband.
After being home with my daughter her first year, I became a Pampered Chef consultant and spent nearly three years in that business. It was enjoyable and I was able to simultaneously stock my own kitchen with everything that I am still using today!
As I think back on this past week, several conversations come to mind. It has been six weeks since I finished with my position as a Riding Instructor at a barn in our area. I did
love those kids and horses. Too bad that the 50 mile round trip commute eventually tipped the balance just too far and made me really question the value of spending so much time away from home. This came about through factoring in the additional time away from my kids and husband when combined with travel expenses while driving the Pilot (currently our sole vehicle). I am excited that my round trip to work has now been drastically reduced from 50 to 0 miles!
Those who have known me for awhile remember that last autumn we were really taking a close look at how to balance the household budget. EVERYTHING was on the table. We were even considering selling our current home and moving to a lower cost location. NOT that our current home is at all extravagant. Just comfortable and we do love this place. After careful scrutiny, and as an offer was being written, it turned out that it just did not make good financial sense to go in that direction. So rather than looking further at how to cut more from the expenses, it was preferable to look at how to add to our income. My husband had a different job four years ago when we moved into our current home. After some 
restructuring there he had been let go and we walked through 7+ months of unemployment for him until he gratefully accepted the job that he has now been at for the past 2.5 years. Bottom line, our household budget had been built around different figures and has undergone quite a bit of modification. I know that this is not at all uncommon and am still thankful each day to be where we are right now.
restructuring there he had been let go and we walked through 7+ months of unemployment for him until he gratefully accepted the job that he has now been at for the past 2.5 years. Bottom line, our household budget had been built around different figures and has undergone quite a bit of modification. I know that this is not at all uncommon and am still thankful each day to be where we are right now.
Back to the conversations that I have had this past week... friends have asked me if I have been looking for a new job and if I have found anything interesting so far? Actually, yes! I became an independent Team Beachbody Coach five weeks ago and am really loving this adventure! It may sound crazy, but it is already feasible to chart how this new venture will be able to replace my income that had been earned while being out of the house for 25-30 hours each week. Especially when you factor in the travel expenses. This new "job" of mine is a real thing and as I build a team, I anticipate incredible days ahead! We are able to share with others the things that have become so pivotal in successfully making changes our own health. I am so excited to be leading a Challenge Group that kicks-off on Monday! We have been in preseason this week and I can't help but smile when I picture the participants there and how they have primed themselves for change and now have the tools to really make it happen! I can hardly wait to be there as it all unfolds for them. If this appeals to you, I would be glad to connect with you and talk more about what all is involved with coaching and how this could become part of your own life!
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