WHY another blog ...???

I remember when blogs first appeared.  Doesn't seem that long ago, but then again, my memory is not getting better as the days go by.  Now, they seem to be everywhere. Which is certainly not a bad thing. But it can be confusing.
However, I love reading blogs. They are amazing tools for spreading information, laughter, thoughts, art, etc.  Certainly I have also come across some that have made me scratch my head. Wondering if the laughter provoked was intentional or a side product.  

So, after finding I needed ONE more creative outlet and ONE MORE project, I decided to add to my poetry blog to have a home for my random musings and thoughts. 

As in any good drama- be it comedy or tragedy, a cast of characters is helpful.  Don't you just love reading Game of Thrones or Lord of the Ring and go back to those amazing charge and maps as initial reading seems like going over the first ten pages of your local phone book?  So yes, now that I have let my inner (or outer) nerd out of the closet- let me give you an idea what you will read about here.

First of all: Me.  Birgit.  

Yes, strange name- but only if you are not Austrian or German.  I have been called many things: Bridget, Burgit, Beeeeeergit, Bergeeeeeeet, Beergut, Bigot (even though I am ANYTHING but) -and anything in-between. 
Over time, this blog will fill you in about me, I'm sure, as, foremost I see blogs as a kind of self serving, narcissistic-in-a-healthy-way exercise. Quick summary: I grew up in Vienna, Austria, until at age 20, I decided to follow my best friend to the United States. As my funds were limited, I did so as an au pair. Quick break from my law school career. Strictly speaking- I'm still on break. Or broke off that career altogether. I met my husband- the next in the cast of characters. Chuck.  More about him later.
We got married and had two children, while moving around as part of his active duty Air Force career. We also had some interesting ups and downs.  More of that later, I'm sure. 

Around age 30, I figured out what I wanted to when I grow up- and I chose Clinical Social Work. My son was diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome very early on, and his journey led me to this amazing profession. 6 years later, I graduated with a Master Degree and have worked in the public mental health setting ever since. 

My passions: my kids, my family (human and animal members alike), my work (at times- at times it gets evicted from my passion list), music, nature, horse back riding, traveling, writing, reading, gardening (bum back allowing).  And Michael Jackson- more about that later.  Oh, so much more. 

My current pet peeve  getting older. At 45, I feel mentally at the top of my game (other than calling my dogs by my kids names, but thats normal, right?). Physically, I have encountered some interesting changes since turning 35. It's like that was the magic number for my body to go: OKAY, let's REALLY throw her for a loop now. Stay tuned..

Other players:

Chuck- long suffering husband and patient grounding mechanism for my occasional lunacy. He certainly deserves a medal for his service as my husband for 24 years. 25 in February  Yes, we are THAT old.  

Deidre- 24 : Free bird, wanderer, beloved daughter I dedicate most my grey hair to, hippy born to the wrong decade, actress, artist (genes are funny- I draw only decrepit stick people), and aspiring film creator. Currently resides in San Francisco- which will be the topic of MANY cries and rants. 

Sean- my 19 year old is the polar opposite of his crazy ass sister.  Tall, quiet- with wicked dry sarcasm. Whatever grey hair and sleepless night Deidre cannot lay claim to- Sean owns.  He's my homebody and my little philosopher.  And it kills me to see him so insecure and scared of life at times- being a beautiful, thoughtful young man who cannot see his own merits yet. 

Grace- our 12 year old amazing dog. 

MaJic- our 2 year old spastic yorkie-poo

Vegas- my amazing Arabian gelding.

2 cats : Floh (Flea in German)- also called "Fat Cat", and Captain Jack- called Captain- Deidre's cat that strangely enough did not move to San Francisco with her. 

As to the title of the blog: TRAILS.... Why trails? 
In a nutshell, they are a quick summary of my daily life. As a horse back rider I know the importance of trails. They lead us where we need to go- and yet, the most amazing treasures are often found when we get lost. They keep us straight- as long as we maintain them and keep them free of debris. Often, you do not see them as they are cluttered up or are too obvious. You have to step back and voila- there it is. 
Trails get blocked- and you gotta get off your horse and find another passable way. Mixing the need to keep your goal in sight with flexibility to get around obstacles. Trails can give you wings, or they can trip you up.  There needs to be a balance between keeping old trails maintained while establishing new ones from scrap.  You better have your marking tape and your trail clippers ready- or you will have a pretty boring ride. 

And what's with the joy and tears... Well- they are the spice of life. You cannot exist without joy. Let me rephrase that: you cannot LIVE.  Not if your definition of life includes whatever definition of happiness you subscribe to. And tears...you have to have tears. Of both bliss and sadness.  In the right amount, they will nourish whatever your harvest will be. No mysterious shadows without both light and darkness.  

So- here you are. This is the long and the short of the reason for this blog.  Come journey along- laugh, think, agree, or disagree. As I said in the side post about me- as long as it's done politely I do not mind disagreement. Since this is my blog, I do not have to put up with ignorance, bigotry, and rudeness. And I will not.

Other than that... HAPPY TRAILS!