Shari’s Gone Country

I know, you’d think I ran away. Well, not really.

You see, there’s something about me you don’t know… once an entrepreneur, always an entrepreneur.

A couple weeks ago, I got an e-mail about a business launch… and it really turned my crank HARD!

First there was all the research…

I looked this thing over from the bottom up, the top down, left to right, right to left, inside out, and outside in. I discussed it with the other three gals, and we all agreed… I should jump on it.

So, after interviewing some other business owners, I chose to get started.

Come to find out, there are several teams rolling out the new business opportunity, and I’ve joined one of the top teams. Since doing that, I’ve been assisting with a full upgrade of the team site, so it will correctly reflect the corporate site.

So I don’t really taint this blog with all my “business stuff”, I’ve started another one where you can see what I’m doing to completely start over. I’ve got no list, and until Saturday, no online web site.

What’s been going on around here?

We’re “waitin’ on winter”. It’s really cold, but not as cold as it was last winter. Friday after Thanksgiving we started our first fire in the wood stove, and have had one going every day since then.

Morning chores now include bust serious ice off the water troughs. In fact, this morning there was ice all the way down the sides on the sheep trough. The chickens are getting alternate water containers… one gets thawed in the house and taken to them, and the other gets picked up to thaw, refill and start the process again (morning and evening).

Tuesday, I took the day off and went with the other senior citizens to Cedar City, where we shopped all day. Lunch at the Sizzler was excellent!. Our neighbor (Susan) and I got to shop to our hearts content in downtown Cedar City, where there’s a collection of the neatest little local businesses. Too bad all I could do was “window shop”.

Ok, time to get back to updating things… more about the business launch later, as it will have a positive impact on our little farm.

This is something that had been planned for some time. Yesterday, Bev underwent dental extraction… all her remaining teeth… and is she miserable!

When she underwent chemotherapy for cancer, it left her with considerable gum loss, and her current partials no longer fit properly. Not only that, her remaining teeth were getting looser by the day.

Solution… as long as she is paying for dental insurance… get full plates upper and lower.

So, yesterday was the day.

Cindy drove her over the mountains to Cedar City and within a little over an hour, she’d undergone 13 or so extractions and was fitted with her new dentures.

I’ve got to say, that even though her lower jaw is noticeably swollen, her new teeth really look good. She’s been able to talk without sounding quite like she has a mouth full of mush.

Today she actually went to work, not driving the bus, but working in place of the manager.

Uh-oh… about 20 minutes ago, we got a call to come and get her… She’s not going to make it through the day. Could be the pain meds doing flip-flops in her stomach.

It’s in Southwestern Utah.

To be honest, I don’t think I’ve seen Beryl (the town) yet. We’re located about 6 miles north of Beryl Junction and as best I can tell, that junction is about 6 miles east of Beryl. I know we’re about 17 miles north of Enterprise and about 20 miles or so from the Nevada border.

Our nearest neighbors are about 1/4 mile. We can see them, but rarely ever hear them.

Legend has it that it was named for Beryl, a class of gemstones that include the Aquamarine, Emerald, and Morganite. I’ve not been able to track that down yet as fact… but it sounds good enough.

Physically, we’re officially in the Escalante Valley. Our elevation is just over 5300 feet, so you can imagine, I’m huffing and puffing pretty good. To get to Cedar City (about 38 miles northeast) we go over the mountains (just over 6200 feet). Same thing to get to St. George… that’s about 60 miles south.

While Cedar City and St. George are among the fastest growing cities in Utah, maybe even the USA, Beryl is really a ghost town. There used to be a railroad depot, but since there are no passengers, there’s no need for a depot. There’s still a water tower (symbolic) and a small maintenance office.

Beryl Junction is what most folks consider to be “Beryl”. That’s where you’ll find the elementary school, a restaurant, the power company offices, and a couple of other shops. The official Post Office is at New Castle, some 10 miles east of Beryl Junction.

In a couple of days, I’ll get a photo gallery of local snapshots. Then you’ll get a better idea of what my new home looks like.