Happy New Year and welcome to Morning Chat! 1/3/22

After many years of working from home, the one thing I really noticed that I missed was having a personal connection with people. I am an introvert by nature (which can make it’s own problems) and the pandemic didn’t help because it made people so much more wary of each other. So, when I started MTdawn my main objective was to regain that connection, and with that bouncing around my brain the idea of having a weekly post, just to chat – and hopefully connect with all you wonderful people – was born.

By making this more of a chatting with friends over coffee post – my hope is really just – get to know me, you, everybody! So, I really hope you enjoy, come back often, and leave a comment.

Friends are a blessing, and I consider you a friend. So lets chat!

So, I figured I would start out by telling you a little about myself. I am an Idahoan by birth and grew up very poor. At one time there were 7 of us living in a 31ft travel trailer. I learned early in life, that life’s not fair, and working hard would be the best bet to make my situation better. At the age of 16, I got my GED, and worked, and worked, and worked, to help support my family. When I was 19, I met my husband and after just 10 days (yes – days, not dates) we were married and have been together for 20 years!

I went to college and got my RHIT (Registered Health Information Technician) degree in Idaho, and after a little stint living in New Mexico, I started working for a large hospital in western Montana. A few years later we moved to a small town in Ravalli County, and I had our daughter.

I personally have been all over the western US, and lived in many states as a child. As an adult my husband and I came to call Idaho, New Mexico, and Montana home. We love our little slice of heaven that we have – and some day hope to have a bigger slice so we can expand some of the things we love, like gardening and our quacky little ducks.

And lately, my life is crazier then normal…

If you have ever stumbled across MTdawn before, you may know that in August of last year, I found out that I would be losing my job as a medical coder due to being outsourced. At the time, it completely threw me for a loop, it wasn’t fully unexpected but still, when it happened all who were affected were caught off guard. I have even written posts about it, Time for a Change, and Getting over it…, hoping that they would help – and seeing the amount of interest those posts have brought, did bring some comfort. People care, it may have even happened to them.

My biggest problem with losing my job, is that it brought mixed emotions. To be completely honest, I had been wanting to quit for quite a while, years actually. Many times, I had been right on the verge, but never jumped. Looking back, it was Gods’ hand that kept me working (and a healthy dose of fear). The end of 2020 and 2021 was a medical nightmare for me. It started with a case of burnout that led to depression and once that was over, pelvic and back pain, a myriad of emotions (ranging from good to very, very bad), ovarian cysts, endometriosis, fibroids, and a diagnosis of PMDD. With all of it ending with a hysterectomy.

I hoped and prayed that the worst was was behind me and my family. And I looked forward to a relaxed time to heal and to enjoy the Christmas season.

After Christmas, it was time to look toward the New Year and losing my job. Back in August, my husband, knowing I had been wanting to quit for a while and witnessing my unhappiness, floated an idea to me, “Why don’t you just not worry about finding another job and stay home?”. I just stared at him. By him saying that, it brought an overwhelming sense of relief. This was brand new territory for me, I had been working since I was 16. I had always had to work, but now, after years of making sacrifices, we were to the point where we didn’t need 2 incomes. It would be tight, very tight, but doable. So, with that decision made, my only question was “Now what?”

I had always done something, even when I was in school, I worked. The last 20 years I could count the days that I had not been employed (and there’s not very many of those). Then an idea that I had years before came back, an idea to share ideas and connect with others. “How about I start a blog?” I floated to him one night. He thought about it, asked if we could keep certain things private, which I agreed, because we are very private people, and the idea started to take shape.

And here I am, 4 1/2 months later. Still learning the ropes (there really is so much to learn!) and trying my best to make this blog a success. I do have plans for the future and will be implementing them when I feel the time is right. But until then, I just want to connect and be. It’s time to start a new chapter in my story.

How about you? What’s your story? What amazing things have happened in your life? If you’re a blogger – what got you into blogging?

-D