Health

I mentioned a few blog posts back that I have been sick. It's a long story, but the end diagnosis: Shingles. While the rash is healing now, I do have some continue nerve pain, but the worst for me has been the extreme fatigue. There were a few days in there, I couldn't even get out of bed. While I'm doing better, I am no where near 100% yet. It's going to take some time and a lot more rest.

I have read that shingles is most often an ailment older people get, or people with a compromised immunity, and people under great stress. Now, I've advocated that a benefit of owning alpacas is the tranquility I feel when out in the pastures with them. I've mentioned the incredible benefits of Poop Therapy. I know when I spin yarn, there is a sense of peace that only yarn spinning can give someone. There is an incredible sense of accomplishment at the completion of a knit product. In addition, there is the joy and excitement of having one of your own cria do well in the show ring. I've stated that alpaca farming is Fuel for my Soul. These are the wonderful things of alpaca ownership. I stand behind these claims, I won't take back any of what I've said. Instead I will say this, I am scared to think what would have happened to me if I didn't have all these in my life. Life is hard and we all have stress, but I am thankful to my alpacas for the balance they give me. If anything, I might need to work on making more time for standing in the pasture of tranquility, to take advantage of poop therapy, and yarn spinning.

Not that everything about alpaca farming is roses. There are challenges. We've had death on our farm (one alpaca, several cats and this year having to put down our beloved family dog). We've had shows where our animals did not do as well as we hoped. We've had alpacas get sick and injured. We've had to make difficult financial choices. These are natural stresses. Though when thinking about it, none of these are my stress right now. We are blessed with healthy alpacas, and now that we are in our fourth year of alpaca farming, the farm is running smoothly. But, as I've said, life can be stressful and my whole life isn't alpaca farming. Realizing I had Shingles has reminded me that I need to slow down, rest, and not let life over take me. I need to take time to smell the roses.... or more to point, spin the fiber :)