Ms Martyr

Random Thoughts

2012-01-21T10:56:00.000-09:00

I can't believe this picture is already over a month old. Anyway, Bart is teething and I've got the pictures to prove it.

Lest you think the poor dog has no toys -

There are at least six bones scattered around for his chewing needs. I'm going to get him a rope toy or two as he seems to prefer softer substances, i.e. walls.

The real estate market is really slow at the moment. I keep seeing the same homes for sale. There is no way we're ever going to be able to get a decent house and land in our price range as long as we stay in Alaska. So I started looking at Montana again just for grins. Not a whole lot there either.

I guess the college kid who mucks stalls at the barn is going to take a couple of weeks off as I saw a sign-up sheet yesterday. I would help if it were only a half dozen stalls or so, but there are too many for me to want to tackle.

It's been below zero for over a week now. I'm keeping my bird feeders filled but my heated bird bath/water dish has died. I've got a replacement on order. This year for the first time ever I'm getting pine grosbeaks. The adult males are beautiful and the closest thing to a cardinal in coloration that we're going to get in Alaska. Last year the redpolls did not make an appearance but recently I've seen both them and pine siskins. The Stellar jays are back after about a six week absence. I wonder where they go? My faithful chickadees and nuthatches both seem to enjoy the peanut butter feeder. Last year it was ignored. A woodpecker visits now and then. The magpies are not encouraged but still make an unwelcome appearance. I wish they'd stick to the dumpsters along with the ravens and not scare off my little guys.

The truck registration is due this month and we thought it was exempt from emissions testing because it's a newer vehicle. Turns out the cutoff is six years so since it's an '06, we had to hustle and get that done this week. The emissions program is being phased out, but of course not before our vehicles are due.

My husband turns 62 this year and I'm weighing the pros and cons of his starting to collect social security. I'm dreading 65 and Medicare since so many doctors refuse to accept it. One man told us that his doctor of over 20 years dropped him when he turned 65. My friend is positive her mother died sooner than she needed to because Medicare wouldn't pay for certain treatments and the law wouldn't allow for them to pay out of pocket. That sucks.

The Gifts That Keep On Giving (Aggravation)

2012-01-13T11:02:00.001-09:00

PEA wrote an entry today about her frustration with customer service which reminded me of my own little ongoing saga. I spent quite a bit of time on the telephone with Amazon two weeks ago in an attempt to return duplicate Christmas gifts. It took quite a bit of explanation to get the concept across to the representative but it seemed like we finally came to an understanding. Unfortunately, she kept e-mailing me return information for the same item, not four different items.

I admit that part of the confusion was that although they were all from the same customer, they had been purchased on three separate occasions so there was some research required. It took several follow-up e-mails after we'd terminated our phone conversation before I finally had the necessary information. Even then they had one of the items to be returned wrong, but I figured since that order number was the same that I could substitute the actual DVD I was returning by crossing out the misinformation and writing in the correct item. I was told that I could not mail said items via USPS but had to use UPS. She assured me that UPS would pick up the returns and provide mailing labels - all I had to do was package them for shipping. Of course there had to be three separate packages, one for each order number. So said packages sat by our front door until this past Monday when I recontacted Amazon to ask what the heck was going on. I also specifically requested an address where I could mail, via USPS, my packages.

Amazon apologized and provided me with UPS mailing labels and tracking numbers (argh!) I noted that they also showed the original purchaser as the return addressee, not me, so who knows where the credit will go? However, lo and behold, Amazon's address was the same where I had returned a DVD that I had purchased. I had actually mailed it the same day I contacted Amazon regarding the others and have already received credit to my account. (So they can be efficient)

Anyway, I re-boxed all four items into one package, used my Click-N-Ship USPS account and had my mailman pick up the package Wednesday. Now I just have to wait and see who, if anyone, gets the credit.

I hope this makes sense. Writing it all out makes it sound more complicated than it actually is/was.

Insert Bad Word Here (with exclamation points!!!!)

2012-01-11T10:24:00.002-09:00

...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 9 PM THIS EVENING TO 9 PM AKST THURSDAY...
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN ANCHORAGE HAS ISSUED A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SNOW...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 9 PM THIS EVENING TO 9 PM AKST THURSDAY.
* SNOW...9 TO 18 INCHES IS EXPECTED TO ACCUMULATE BETWEEN THIS EVENING AND THURSDAY EVENING.
* TIMING...SNOW WILL BEGIN THIS EVENING AND INTENSIFY THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING THE GRADUALLY TAPER OFF THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING.
* IMPACTS...TRAVEL MAY BE DIFFICULT. VISIBILITIES MAY BE LIMITED IN HEAVY SNOWFALL.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SNOW MEANS THAT PERIODS OF SNOW WILL CAUSE PRIMARILY TRAVEL DIFFICULTIES. BE PREPARED FOR SNOW COVERED ROADS AND LIMITED VISIBILITIES...AND USE CAUTION WHILE DRIVING.

My First Lesson Horse Is Available

2012-01-10T11:17:00.000-09:00

Wonderful older horse (approx. 25 yr). We have had him for 15 months. Due to busy schedules he is not getting as much attention as we would like to see him have. Jake was a lesson horse at Huffman Horse Center for some time and when that business closed we took him.

He doesn't move fast and has some arthritis, but would be perfect as a companion for another horse and some light riding. He is approximately 15 hands.

Ideally, we would like a situation where our daughter could visit him and contribute food from time-to-time. We are looking to re-home, not sell. We want to find him a home where he will be well-cared for, has more activity and perhaps another horse or two to be around.

Thank you.

The seller didn't include a picture but I had one in my files:

I only rode him a few times and as I recall he suffered from laminitis. I hope he finds a forever home.

End of the Year Wrap-Up

2011-12-31T12:11:00.001-09:00

This past week has been extra busy. My husband and I fed and watered the horses on Christmas Eve. There are 29 horses and twelve of them have to be hand watered. Five of them are far enough away from the water source that carrying the buckets is quite a workout. It was snowing and quite pretty and we accomplished it all in about an hour and a half.

Christmas was nice and peaceful with just the two of us. We had a delicious rib roast and I even remembered to bake the side dishes ahead of time so they could be reheated at the last minute and everything was hot at the same time. My only failure was a baklava recipe I tried. It called for miniature phyllo dough cups crumbled over the top. My store didn't carry those so I substituted Pepperidge Farm puff pastry shells - big mistake.

I received a lot of cool gifts; books, DVDs and clothing. My brother and sister-in-law got me PW's cookbook which I already have. They bought it at a store in Solvang, California so returning it isn't really an option.

Monday I helped out at the barn. I groomed six horses both before and after their training sessions - does that count as twelve horses? Then it was time for my regular lesson so a seventh horse was not only groomed but tacked up. I was seriously tired and considering going home but my stubborn pride wouldn't let me admit that I couldn't do everything so I forged ahead. The lesson was great but my left leg was barely strong enough to get me out of the saddle; it took me two attempts. Once my mare was put away I headed for home.

It snowed heavily on Tuesday. I needed to go to the grocery store but managed to convince myself it could wait until the next day.

Wednesday up early for an 8:45 doctor appointment and then did the grocery shopping. I think I was the only customer in the store and was home by 10:00.

Thursday I groomed at the barn again and additionally fed warm mash to all the horses except the two babies. The trainer was working with some of the younger horses so grooming was a tad more challenging. One of the three year olds in cross-ties threw a hissy fit when her half sister was led out to the arena. I did not want to approach her as she seemed out of control but the trainer showed me that she calmed right down once she was being groomed. She loves attention. One of the other young ones didn't want to lift her hooves for cleaning but I eventually got them done. She's such a pretty thing that it's hard to get mad at her plus she also loves attention and begs you to pet her when you walk by her stall.

Bart the puppy ensures that I don't lounge in bed in the morning, although I have managed to get him to wait until 7:30 occasionally. I'm happy to report that he made it to and from the vet's office yesterday without getting carsick - a landmark day for him. I spent the rest of the afternoon dealing with Amazon. I love their wish list but unfortunately neither my sister or mother-in-law understands that they should click the "buy" button so we had five duplicate gifts to return. This proved quite challenging for the representative I worked with and I ultimately had to re-contact them as she kept e-mailing the same information for one item, not the others that I needed. She also claimed that I had to use UPS, which I know is wrong but did not want to argue. The packages should be picked up "some time within five business days." UPS is supposed to provide the mailing labels. I sure hope they plan on three packages as that is how the return authorizations were given to me. One large package would be easier but I'm not in charge.

Yesterday had another riding lesson and then me and another student fed and watered the horses again. Things kept happening and I didn't get home until 10:00 p.m.

Today I plan to put away the few Christmas decorations I managed to get put out. My husband asked about a box sitting on the fireplace hearth - stuff I had dragged up from the basement but never unpacked.

In answer to Midlife Mom's question, yes, I mostly tend to cross-stitch Christmas items. One year I included an ornament with all my Christmas cards. I think that was the first year I was retired and hadn't figured out what to do with myself. I have a huge stash of patterns and kits so of course I had to order another one yesterday because of the year-end sale. I find that I finish items that are meant for gifts. I have a lot of started but never completed projects for myself. I think I have one picture (Christmas, of course) that I actually finished for myself.

Hope everyone has a happy and safe New Year's Eve and a peaceful and prosperous 2012.

Christmas Projects

2011-12-22T09:59:00.000-09:00

I've been stitching:

I had the gingerbread house framed for my sister. The other four are coasters stitched on plastic canvas for my mother-in-law. They go in the mail today so may arrive after Christmas.
I also made a gift tag of a cat sitting on top of a present. I know I took a picture but it wasn't there when I was downloading yesterday.

Yesterday I made the reindeer cupcakes that PEA shared on her blog a while back.

I'm having lunch with friends today then will go to the grocery store to pick up a few perishables for Christmas dinner. Maybe I'll actually start decorating. I have some new Dept. 56 items that I'd like to actually display. Hey, Christmas isn't for another three days...

Frightful Weather

2011-12-12T09:03:00.000-09:00

Mother Nature is having PMS and is taking it out on us. I flew back into Anchorage about 11:00 p.m. Friday. It was 28 degrees and clear; normal for this time of year. High winds kicked up Saturday night and all the fresh bird food I had put out earlier in the day is probably scattered to the four corners of the earth. Yesterday was a combination of snow and hard rain - I got absolutely soaked loading my truck at the grocery store. This morning we have a bunch of fresh snow, the heavy, wet kind. The birds couldn't find seed for all the snow, even if there was any to be had. I have a riding lesson early this afternoon. Hopefully the snow will have stopped by then and maybe the snow plows will have cleared the main streets. I really, really want to see "my" horse.

So, Christmas is less than two weeks away. I got most of my gift buying done while I was in California and left wrapped presents behind. Unfortunately I still need an idea for my mother-in-law's husband. I've met him exactly twice and have no idea as to his hobbies, interests, etc. I'm getting no help from her, either. She praises my wish list on Amazon for ideas for me and my husband but won't set up one for her and him. I just read an article this morning indicating Visa gift cards fall under the category of "worst gift ideas." Apologies in advance to my step-niece and her husband because that's what they're getting. I was going to get one for the in-law and may still... Whatever I end up getting has to be mailed so I don't have forever.

No decorations adorn my humble adobe and I realized that I hadn't added any cookie ingredients to my grocery list so probably no baking will get done. The only day I don't have an appointment this week is Thursday. Bah!

So I'm Weird

2011-12-08T09:46:00.000-09:00

Had a nightmare of sorts last night. Dreamt I returned to the stable without carrots and had a panic attack, insisting that I had to go to the grocery store to buy some before I could visit the horses.

Tuesday on Vacation

2011-12-06T09:18:00.000-09:00

My sister and I drove to LA yesterday to visit my BFF. I insanely offered to drive back to San Diego and am happy to report that we made it without mishap. It's been 36 years since I've driven on a California freeway, not to mention its rush-hour traffic, but it all came back and I was whizzing along without a care. Just amazed that I kept being passed when I was going 75 - speed has never been a problem for me - but apparently I'm too slow for a lot of drivers.

Looks like today will be a lazy day. We may go see a movie tonight. We've narrowed it down to either Hugo or the Muppet movie. Too bad War Horse isn't released yet.

Quick Update

2011-12-01T07:37:00.000-09:00

Having a great vacation and unlike when I'm home, spending hardly any time on the computer. I can already tell that I'll never catch up reading posts on all the blogs I subscribe to - seems like everyone was extra chatty over the long weekend.

The weather here has been perfect; it's quite warm for just a couple of hours mid-day and cools off enough in the evening that we can have a fire in the fireplace. I've finished most of my Christmas shopping so will be able to save quite a bit postage-wise not having to mail gifts from Anchorage this year. I figure that gives me leeway to spend a little more on shopping, ahem.

Bad, Bad Realtor

2011-11-18T10:55:00.001-09:00

Our realtor sent an information link on a house with eight and a half acres. It was after midnight - does the man never sleep? No pictures yet as it was a brand-new listing. I'm heading off to California Wednesday with a pretty full plate of things to do before then but I'm tempted to squeeze in a viewing before I leave. Who wants to move in the middle of winter - it was about eight below zero this morning.

Glad I refilled all the bird feeders yesterday. The nuthatches are really loving the peanut butter feeder. I often see two at a time on it. Thought the heated water dish had died but it turned out the timer needed resetting. Don't know how that got out of whack.

UPDATE: Does this look like a ranch style to you? I, for one, do not want to shovel those steps just so unwanted solicitors can make it to my front door.

Replacement Windows

2011-11-17T08:55:00.002-09:00

Last year, I replaced all the windows in my house with those expensive, double-pane, energy-efficient kind.
Today, I got a call from the contractor who installed them.
He complained that the work had been completed a year ago. and I still hadn't paid for them.
Hellloooo,............just because I'm blonde doesn't mean that I am automatically stupid.
So, I told him just what his fast-talking sales guy told me last year....that these windows would pay for themselves in a year.
Helllooooo? It's been a year, so they're paid for, I told him.
There was only silence at the other end of the line, so I finally hung up.
He never called back.
I bet he felt like an idiot.

Saddle Pics

2011-11-15T17:22:00.000-09:00

You know, I think there's a concept called contrast when the background is a different color than the object you are taking a picture of. My craptastic photo skilz live on.

This is a Stubben Tristan saddle. Paid $400.00. I think I got a good deal.

It's A Keeper

2011-11-15T07:42:00.000-09:00

I'm keeping the saddle. It's not perfect and my consultant was encouraging me to look at a different saddle that cost twice as much. I can't justify that kind of money for what will essentially be a lesson saddle. I don't know if I'll ever want to compete. This saddle was comfortable for both me and the horse and has a narrow twist, apparently a good thing.

We're going to be experimenting with different types of saddle pads - it needs a riser, whatever that is. I went to the tack shop after my lesson and bought some glycerin based saddle soap, leather conditioner and a saddle rack. I plan on cleaning it up today. Yee haw!

Can A Pony Be Far Behind?

2011-11-14T08:42:00.000-09:00

I bought a used saddle yesterday! Of course as with most things I took a simple transaction and turned it into a three act play. I saw the saddle advertised on Craigslist last week. I talked to a couple of the women at the barn about it on Friday. They all thought it sounded like a good deal and that I should contact the seller about trying it out. My husband has been adverse to the idea of saddle ownership since I don't have a horse - why can't I just keep using the stable's equipment? Thus, I was hesitant to tell him about this great deal and just kept checking Craigslist to make sure the listing hadn't been deleted.

Somehow yesterday the subject of Christmas came up and I asked him if he knew what he was getting me. He responded, "No, but I bet you do." I confessed that he may not want to buy what I had in mind and he, smart man, immediately said, "Saddle." Because he hates shopping and this was a really good deal, he told me to call the seller, which I did. She and I agreed to meet at 5:00 at her barn.

I picked up the saddle and ran over to my barn to show it off. Well, there was no one there so I could not get an opinion or fitting accomplished. The seller had another interested party planning to look at the saddle today (Monday). Being the neurotic that I am, I promptly bought the saddle outright, not knowing if it will fit me or "my" horse. Keep your fingers crossed.

Taken Today, Posted Today

2011-11-03T15:09:00.000-08:00

Thirteen weeks.

Better Late Than Never?

2011-11-02T08:46:00.000-08:00

I found the camera and it had some pictures of Bart's first couple of days with us. He's about twice as big now and today goes to the vet for another shot and microchipping. We'll find out if he still gets carsick or not...

He's a good boy. Seems to be housebroken in that he asks to go outside, although I wouldn't trust him not to have an accident if we didn't respond quickly to his cues. A couple of people I know suggested teaching him to ring a bell to ask outside. Nice in theory but he bats at the bell like a kitten and treats it like a toy. He knows how to sit on command and stay sitting until I tell him it's okay to dive into his food. Last night we started working on "Down."

There was an in-house (in-stable?) show and costume contest at the barn on Sunday. We had our first snow of the season Saturday night which I think discouraged some of the participants from attending. It was cold and I left as soon as the last event was over. I do not envy the barn workers who have to take care of the horses. Household pets are so much easier by comparison.

Here's another picture of Bart and our older dog, Boris. Most of the pictures we have are of him sleeping as it's the only time he holds still.

I'm having a crown on one of my molars replaced so spent Monday morning in the dentist's chair. Decided to get a flu shot since there was a Walgreens close by. Barely made it home in time to change into my riding clothes and head out to the stable. Had another good lesson. Things have been clicking right along lately so I'm sure I'm due for a complete breakdown soon and all my muscle memory will fly out the window.

A Halloween Story

2011-10-31T08:31:00.002-08:00

A man is walking home alone late one foggy Halloween night, when behind him he hears:

BUMP...

BUMP...

BUMP...

Walking faster, he looks back and through the fog he makes out the image of an upright casket banging its way down the middle of the street toward him.

BUMP...

BUMP...

BUMP...

Terrified, the man begins to run toward his home, the casket bouncing quickly behind him.

FASTER...

FASTER..

BUMP...

BUMP...

BUMP......

He runs up to his door, fumbles with his keys, opens the door, rushes in, slams and locks the door behind him. However, the casket crashes through his door, with the lid of the casket clapping.

clappity-BUMP...

clappity-BUMP....

clappity-BUMP...

on his heels, as the terrified man runs.

Rushing upstairs to the bathroom, he locks himself in. His heart is pounding; his head is reeling; his breath is coming in sobbing gasps.

With a loud CRASH the casket breaks down the door.

Bumping and clapping toward him.

The man screams and reaches for something, anything, but all he can find is a bottle of cough syrup! Desperate, he throws the cough syrup at the casket...

and,

(hopefully you're ready for this!!!)

The coffin stops

Proofreading Is A Dying Art

2011-10-19T17:21:00.000-08:00

Man Kills Self Before Shooting Wife and Daughter
This one I caught in the SGV Tribune the other day and called the Editorial Room and asked who wrote this. It took two or three readings before the editor realized that what he was reading was impossible!!! They put in a correction the next day.
-----------------------
Something Went Wrong in Jet Crash, Expert Says
Really? Ya think?
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Police Begin Campaign to Run Down Jaywalkers
Now that's taking things a bit far!
-----------------------------------------------------------
Panda Mating Fails; Veterinarian Takes Over
What a guy!
---------------------------------------------------------------
Miners Refuse to Work after Death
No-good-for-nothing lazy so-and-so's!
------------------------------------------------------
Juvenile Court to Try Shooting Defendant
See if that works any better than a fair trial!
----------------------------------------------------------
War Dims Hope for Peace
I can see where it might have that effect!
----------------------------------------------------------------
If Strike Isn't Settled Quickly, It May Last Awhile
Ya think?!
-----------------------
Cold Wave Linked to Temperatures
Who would have thought!
----------------------------------------------------------------
Enfield (London) Couple Slain; Police Suspect Homicide
They may be on to something!
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Red Tape Holds Up New Bridges
You mean there's something stronger than duct tape?
----------------------------------------------------------
Man Struck By Lightning: Faces Battery Charge
He probably IS the battery charge!
----------------------------------------------
New Study of Obesity Looks for Larger Test Group
Weren't they fat enough?!
-----------------------------------------------
Astronaut Takes Blame for Gas in Spacecraft
That's what he gets for eating those beans!
---------------- ---------------------------------
Kids Make Nutritious Snacks
Do they taste like chicken?
****************************************
Local High School Dropouts Cut in Half
Chainsaw Massacre all over again!
***************************************************
Hospitals are Sued by 7 Foot Doctors
Boy, are they tall!
************************************ *******
And the winner is....

Typhoon Rips Through Cemetery; Hundreds Dead
Did I read that right?

New Family Member

2011-10-14T09:50:00.000-08:00

"We could call him Titan like his previous owner did. No wait, let's call him Sam. Nah, I know, let's name him Bart."

(Pretend there is a photo of Bart the puppy here) I know, I suck at pictures.

We adopted him on October 4th. He had his ten week shot and nose drops this past Wednesday. He's a black and tan German Shepherd, the runt of his litter and seems to be wicked smart, or maybe it's just that I haven't had a puppy in eight years. He's only had three peeing accidents inside. I managed to catch him in the act every time and hustle him outside (once while he continued to pee down my leg as I carried him - oh joy) It's been over a week since he's had an accident and this morning I caught him pawing at the door to go out. He has mega-esophagus, just like our older dog, so had been returned to the breeder by his first buyer. He doesn't have it nearly as severely and the only time it seems to bother him is if we feed him dry food - no more puppy milk bones - or if he drinks too much water too fast. He does get spectacularly carsick, however, as the passenger seat in my truck can attest. Hopefully he will outgrow that.

Had an amazing lesson on Monday. It started out kind of crappy as I was super stiff and could barely lift my leg to the stirrup (from the mounting block!) It gradually got better as we warmed up. Late in the lesson my trainer kept having to remind me to keep my right shoulder back. I held the reins in my left hand and placed my right arm in the center of my back. Magic! The mare and I were totally in sync. She had a nice, extended trot and I was on the correct diagonal for once. The trainer was going to keep us going until we messed up but she finally conceded that it seemed like we could go on like that forever. She had us stop in the middle of the arena - nice square halt - where we talked for a while. Then she gave me the option of stopping on that high note or seeing if we could do it again. I decided to quit while I was ahead.

I came across this site while dinking around on the computer this morning. It's the journey of some guy who has always been super healthy and fit deliberately not exercising and eating junk food for six months. After that time he will share how he gets back into shape. It is helping him to identify with those of us who may not make the best lifestyle choices. I've only read a few entries but I like what I've seen so far.

A breeze kicked up last night and knocked the remaining leaves off the tree. This, of course, was after I raked yesterday. Just when I thought I was done with yard work.

I will see if I can't get a puppy picture to post. My husband's taken a few with his iPod but they are very poor quality. I know we have a camera around here somewhere...

My Parents (If They'd Thought Of It)

2011-09-28T11:54:00.000-08:00

Swiped from shoeboxblog.com

28 Degrees

2011-09-28T09:02:00.000-08:00

Frost on the pumpkin, indeed.

I failed to mention the "termination dust" on the mountains last week. Snow starts appearing at the higher elevations and gradually creeps down until it reaches us. Hope the rest of the leaves hurry and fall off the trees. I hate it when it snows before they're all down - makes spring clean-up so much messier. Maybe I'll trim back my neglected perennial bed today. It's an overgrown mess.

I'm trying to keep myself from calling the realtor to look at houses. It's totally impractical right now but I'm so curious as to what they look like in reality. I'm happy being a tire kicker but I don't want to waste his time.

Saturday

2011-09-24T11:16:00.000-08:00

The motorcycle was missing from the garage when I got home from my riding lesson. Seems my husband decided to take advantage of the dry weather and rode down the highway overlooking Cook Inlet. He met a group of Christian bikers that he rode back to Anchorage with.

When he got home he said he'd sent me a bunch of e-mails about puppies for sale. He is very interested in a nine week old female German Shepherd and wasn't very happy when I said I wanted another male. We've had two females over the years and I just don't find them as affectionate as the boys. He really wants to take a look at her. I said, "Fine, go look. Just don't bring her home." Impasse.

Saw a newly listed house yesterday that seems too good to be true. Excellent price, decent location and seems to have all the bells and whistles we're looking for. Of course I find it after I finally booked a flight to California. I usually go down in late October. This year I kept putting off making reservations. I've decided to go down for Thanksgiving. This will be the first time since 1974 that I've spent it with my family. I've never been to Bates Nut Farm so we're planning to go there; there will be a huge craft show at Del Mar, along with some kind of Christmas light show at night featuring over 400 displays. It costs $14 a carload but I'm pretty sure it's worth it. My husband and I have tried to view Anchorage's best lit homes in the past but that usually ends up in an argument over the best way to get from Point A to Point B. Del Mar will also be hosting a "Jingle Bells" horse show which I may or may not insist upon attending one of the days.

Oh, the point I was going to make is that it wouldn't be very wise to go on vacation while in the middle of either negotiating for a house or actually moving. I haven't decided whether to show the listing to my husband or not. It's a cute house; reminds me of the one on "Leave It To Beaver," although when I actually Googled a picture of that house it's not that similar.

As predicted, we've raked leaves twice this week. We did it yesterday and you'd never know it looking at the lawn today.

May go up to the barn today and/or tomorrow as my trainer smashed her fingers in one of the doors and might have broken some fingers. I'd like to help out if needed, although I've noticed that there are a lot more people there on weekends than during the week.

Argh!

2011-09-16T10:55:00.000-08:00

Decided to order an Elmo DVD for the kid's birthday since she, like every toddler I've known since he was created, seems entranced by him. Of course, then how could I resist adding three books for myself? Curse you, Amazon, and your free shipping for orders over $25.00!

A Whole Lotta Nothing

2011-09-16T10:15:00.000-08:00

Had another fabulous riding lesson Monday. I grabbed a crop and asked my trainer if she thought the horse would stand still better as I mounted or head for the hills when she saw it. Her response was a reassuring, "I dunno. Let's find out." The mare did stand better but I still need to get my butt on her back faster. I have a subconscious feeling that she's going to move which is probably a self-fulfilling prophecy, so then she does. I need to focus on imaging myself mounting easily without hesitation.

I decided to buy my very own crop. I secretly want a purple glitter one but went with the boring basic black. I tried applying purple hot glue to the handle's end but it peeled right off. I then rolled it in black pigment stamping ink and applied black glitter embossing powder. Snazzy but discreet if I do say so myself. I added a few coats of clear nail polish so the glitter won't flake off. Currently, I am wearing dark purple sparkling nail polish with large glitter topcoat. The glitter sparkles like diamonds. My husband hasn't commented on it so I'm pretty sure he disapproves. I need a little bling to brighten my life, so sue me.

Made a trip to Home Depot on Wednesday. I bought five bags of mulch. As I was loading them into the back of the truck I mused on how in my younger, thinner, blonder days, guys would have been swarming to help me. Now they leave the decrepit, fat, old lady to manage on her own. Just as I was finishing that thought a young guy came along and loaded the last bag. Does this mean I've still got it? I doubt it; he was probably just a former Boy Scout.

Back at the barn the yearling was nosing a giant ball around one of the arenas. He moved it close to where I was standing so I gave into the impulse to kick it. That set the other horse in there into a bucking frenzy which I thought was pretty funny. The owners might not have so I was happy there were no witnesses.

Babysat the kid Tuesday evening. Hard to believe she will turn two next week. I decided not to be such a slacker by sitting her in front of the television and actually read her some books (I now have Go Dog. Go! burned in my brain after about six consecutive readings) We practiced running and shrieking, always a favorite. Discovered she likes me bouncing a small beach ball on the top of her head. Who knew children were so easily entertained?

It's leaf raking time. Collected three yard bags full yesterday. We'll be raking at least twice a week until the trees are bare. Sure noticing the days getting darker earlier. More than three months to go before they'll start lengthening again.

I've almost given up house hunting online. Just don't want to quit completely in case the perfect home becomes available. We might just wait a couple of years and see if the one we made an offer on comes back on the market after the lease expires...

Budweiser 9/11 Tribute

2011-09-10T15:18:00.001-08:00

This is a class act. Very moving, a must see!!!!! Notice the World Trade Center buildings are gone. This is the commercial spot Budweiser produced after 9-11.

They only aired it once so as not to benefit financially from it - they just wanted to acknowledge the tragic event. I never saw this commercial until now..... it is quite moving.

2011-09-03T16:05:00.000-08:00

My goodness, September already. My brother was visiting and I never seemed to get enough alone time to blog. I did throw up a story now and then that I received in e-mails, both here and at Head In The Sand.

Horseback riding is good. About a month ago I had three consecutive lessons that were great. Me and the horse were in sync and everything was working as it should. Then things kind of fell apart and I was just riding so-so. This past week has been better. Mare was getting lazy yesterday and didn't want to trot. My trainer had me lose the stirrups and "kick the bejeezus out of her" to get her going. It worked. Now I have a new weapon in my arsenal. I also may ask if I can start carrying a whip. I don't need to use it but just knowing I have it perks her right up.

The two fillies are so cute. One of them is a pocket pony and will stand still forever to be scratched and stroked all over. I can see me begging to groom her in my future. The barn seems to be ever evolving with some horses leaving and newcomers arriving. Just when I think I know who's who, it changes.

Had a great time with my brother. We both like to read so went to different bookstores and stocked up. We went to the State fair one day and saw the movie, "Cowboys Versus Aliens" on another afternoon (it's entertaining but not great)

Was trying to find some interfacing earlier today and had to look in a bunch of places before I finally located it. I found all kinds of craft stuff that I forgot I had. I see many eBay listings in my future.

Still looking at houses online but haven't seen anything that I could get very excited about. I'm about ready to call in quits for this year, get rid of a bunch of stuff so I won't have to move it, and resume the search next spring.

Husband Down

2011-08-18T22:41:00.002-08:00

A husband and wife are shopping in their local Wal-Mart.
The husband picks up a case of Budweiser and puts it in their cart.
“What do you think you're doing?” asks the wife.
“They're on sale, only $10 for 24 cans” he replies.
“Put them back, we can't afford them” demands the wife, and so they carry on shopping.
A few aisles further on along the woman picks up a $20 jar of face cream and puts it in the basket.
“What do you think you're doing?” asks the husband.
“It’s my face cream. It makes me look beautiful,” replies the wife.
Her husband retorts: “So does 24 cans of Budweiser and it's half the price.”

He never knew what hit him.

Who's the toughest cowboy EVER?

2011-08-10T09:28:00.000-08:00

Three cowboys were seated around the campfire out on the lonesome sagebrush prairie; it was a night of bravado, a night of tall tales.

Jim, the hand from Wyoming says, "I must be the strongest, meanest, toughest cowboy there is. Why, just the other day, a bull got loose in the corral. It had gored six men before I wrestled it to the ground by the horns with my bare hands and castrated that sucker with my teeth."

Mike, from Idaho, couldn't stand to be bested. "That's nothing, I was walking down the trail yesterday and a 15 foot diamondback rattler slid out from under a rock and made a move for me. I grabbed that bad-boy with my bare hands, bit off its head, and sucked the poison down in one gulp and didn't even get a belly ache."

Old Gila River John, the cowboy from West Texas, remained silent, slowly stirring the campfire coals with his pecker...

Harlequin Novel, Updated.... 2011 Version

2011-08-09T09:57:00.000-08:00

He grasped me firmly, but gently, just above my elbow and guided me into a room, his room. Then he quietly shut the door and we were alone. He approached me soundlessly, from behind, and spoke in a low, reassuring voice close to my ear,"Just relax."

Without warning, he reached down and I felt his strong, calloused hands start at my ankles, gently probing, and moving upward along my calves, slowly but steadily. My breath caught in my throat.

I knew I should be afraid, but somehow I didn't care. His touch was so experienced, so sure. When his hands moved up to my thighs, I gave a slight shudder, and partly closed my eyes. My pulse was pounding. I felt his knowing fingers caressed my abdomen, my ribcage. And then, as he cupped my breasts in his hands, I inhaled sharply.

Probing, searching, knowing what he wanted, he brought his hands to my shoulders, slid them down my tingling spine onto my quivering buttocks.

Although I knew nothing about this man, I felt oddly trusting and expectant. This is a man, I thought. A man used to taking charge. A man not used to taking 'No' for an answer. A man who would tell me what he wanted. A man who would look into my soul and say...

"Okay, ma'am, you can board your flight now."

I've Got To Stop Reading Craigslist

2011-08-08T11:53:00.000-08:00

i need horse tack (wasilla/kgb)

Date: 2011-08-08, 3:41AM AKDT
Reply to: see below [Errors when replying to ads?]

I am a new owner of a yearlong filly and I need everything. So if you have cheap tack or free tack let me know please.

Email me or call or text.
*****
I am not an experienced horse person but from what I've seen around the barn, the yearling (yearlong?) doesn't require much in the way of tack - halter and lead rope. Is this person expecting to ride this yearlong? If they can't afford a halter, how do they expect to feed this horse? Maybe grass now, but winter's on the way. What about vet, farrier, etc.? My stomach hurts.

Dressage Show

2011-08-07T10:04:00.000-08:00

The mare I ride is being shown this weekend by one of the other students. I am a terrible photographer. That said, here are a couple of pictures I took yesterday.

Another competitor who rides a Percheron cross was so happy to see a horse with a bigger neck. Also, I would crop out the rider for privacy reasons if I had a clue how to do that.

She got decent scores - in the 60's - and two blue ribbons. Okay, she was the only horse in her classes but she still did good. Oh, I guess her rider should get some of the credit too.

I got to meet her owner who leases her to the barn. I peppered her with questions.

I took some of my home grown carrots for after the show and the mare spit them out! She was happier munching on the weedy grass. I admit they looked more like orange nubbins than actual carrots, but still...

I'm going to go watch again today if it doesn't start pouring rain. Will probably leave the camera at home.

Tragedy

2011-08-06T08:54:00.000-08:00

Just saw the news about the helicopter crash in Afghanistan. How devastating. My thoughts and prayers go out to their families and comrades in arms.

Another Craigslist Loser

2011-08-05T09:53:00.002-08:00

Hello we want to sell are Chihuahua we wanted at first but are kids are still young and we are worried they will kill him he dose not have his papers yet that's why he's 500$ instead of 1000-1200$ we can get all info you need to get him papers if you like but we are just trying to get are money back for him befor the kids kill him he's good dog we have bowl and ect.

Soda Water Dogs

2011-08-04T09:04:00.000-08:00

Hilarious video, especially if you're a German Shepherd Dog lover.

We made an offer on the over-priced home. It was rejected. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. It was a beautiful house but over-built for the neighborhood. I loved everything about it but the price. Dang it.

Champagne Taste, Beer Budget

2011-07-30T09:44:00.000-08:00

Looked at four homes yesterday. One had a beautiful location with a stream you could hear from the property and a lovely landscaped yard. The house was okay but the garage and attached shop were shabby to the extreme, not to mention unheated. That does not work in Alaskan winters.

The second place was brand new so needed landscaping and window coverings. The living room area was small and the open concept kitchen/dining room took up a good portion of that space. The garage really didn't have much room for a work table, etc.

The third house was impossible. You had to climb steps to get from the garage to the lower floor, then up two more flights of stairs to reach the kitchen. Not so great when hauling groceries. The pantry was on the lower floor so any time you needed something for a recipe you'd have to go down and up two flights. The dining area was so narrow that a person would have a hard time pulling a chair away from the table before hitting a wall.

So the winner was a home that I should never have considered at all due to its price being well over our budget. It just sounded too good to be true and I wanted to see if something actually existed that I liked. It has everything we wanted and then some. The breaking point for my husband was that taxes on it are over $5,000 a year. I might have been able to finagle my way past the asking price but taxes can't be gotten around.

Back to the drawing board.

Busy

2011-07-28T11:24:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the lack of posts (I know you hang on my every word) I've been helping out at the barn more than usual. Did you know that latex paint doesn't wash out if you let it sit overnight? Found that out this morning...

We had to put my old dog to sleep Tuesday which was pretty traumatic for me as he was "my" guy. He was weird, had a terrible temperament with strangers and looked like a cross between a black lab and a German Shepherd instead of a purebred but I loved him from the instant we picked him up at the airport. He had one paw against the door of the crate with a "let me out" pleading look on his face. His ears never came up and his tail was too short. He was diagnosed with both hip and elbow dysplasia at a young age. He suffered from spinal myelopathy the last year or so. Monday night he threw up a little, which he never did. Tuesday he ate breakfast but then started dry heaving and was foaming at the mouth somewhat. I could see that he was in pain. My husband observed that his side appeared swollen. The vet tech thought it might be spleen related. They gave him a sedative before the actual lethal injection and he was gone almost instantly. I miss him terribly but don't regret the decision to let him go.

Today I babysit and we're going to look at houses again tomorrow. I've given up on the one I mentioned before. It is way the heck out in the middle of nowhere. It would take me 40 minutes each way to drive to my stable of choice in the Valley - and that's probably in good weather. I do have my priorities, you know.

Boy, Is My Face Red

2011-07-17T10:30:00.000-08:00

Literally. I finally got around to going to the hunter/jumper show yesterday. It started Thursday but was a rainy day so I opted to stay home. Friday had nice weather so I coulda/woulda/shoulda but didn't. Yesterday was gorgeous and even though my house is pretty much in shambles, I boogied out the door. I completely forgot sunscreen. I noticed most people weren't wearing sunglasses but I'm blind as a bat without prescription lenses of some sort and hadn't bothered with contacts since I wasn't going to be riding. Today, after spending five hours in the sun, I look like a raccoon. A big, fat, red raccoon.

I found a house I really like. Here is the link for any of you that are curious.

It has a screened in porch on two sides of the house! I could sit there without being eaten alive by giant mosquitos. (Can you say weenie?)

Of course I haven't actually seen this place so I may not like it as well once I do but at this point I think it may be "the one." (Please ignore the fact that like many a teenage girl, I find "the one" at least once a week)

It is a short sale which raises all kinds of issues so I need to talk to our realtor about it. I do want to see it. I had some apprehension about it being in the middle of nowhere and my chances of being eaten by a bear (again with the weenie factor) The newspaper on Wednesday posted a picture of a black bear ransacking garbage within 1/2 mile of where I currently live. There was also an article about how a new ordinance that allows raising chickens in the city limits is attracting bears. (That didn't come out sounding right. The ordinance is not attracting bears - it's definitely the chickens) So I guess as much as I enjoyed watching running chickens I will forfeit owning any. They poop and smell a lot anyway... Oh, the point is that bears are everywhere. As are moose. You just have to keep your eyes peeled. It definitely isn't a good idea to keep bird feeders up when the bears aren't hibernating either. I haven't had a problem in town but wouldn't want to encourage fuzzy visitors when I'm living in their territory. Unlike that crazy bear man I watched a special on last year. Do. Not. Feed. The. Bears.

I'm going to go soak my head. It feels like it's on fire.

A Touching Story

2011-07-08T11:02:00.002-08:00

As a bagpiper, I play many gigs. Recently I was asked by a funeral director to play at a graveside service for a homeless man. He had no family or friends, so the service was to be at a pauper's cemetery in the Kentucky backcountry.

As I was not familiar with the rural roads, I got lost; and being a typical man I didn't stop for directions. I finally arrived an hour late and saw the funeral director had evidently gone and the hearse was nowhere in sight.

There were only the diggers and crew left and they were eating lunch. I felt bad and apologized to the men for being late. I went to the side of the grave and looked down and the vault lid was already in place. I didn't know what else to do, so I started to play.

The workers put down their lunches and began to gather around. Embarrassed about being late, and feeling sad for this poor man with no family and friends, I put my heart and soul into the music. Overcome with emotion, I played like I've never played before for this forgotten homeless man.

And as I played "Amazing Grace," the workers began to weep. They wept, I wept, we all wept together. When I finished I packed up my bagpipes and started for my car. Though my head hung low, my heart was full.

As I opened the door to my car, I heard one of the workers say, "Sweet Mother of Jesus, I never seen nothing like that before, and I've been putting in septic tanks for years."

Ramblings

2011-07-07T11:39:00.000-08:00

Why is the media still covering Jennifer Anniston and Brad Pitt's breakup? They've been apart far longer than they were ever together. There's a blurb on Yahoo news today talking about how a movie role helped her get over it. If she's over it why are we still discussing it? Gah!

I haven't been on the back of a horse in a week. I rode last Thursday since my husband's birthday was Friday and I thought it would be nice if I made him dinner instead of leaving leftovers; Friday's normal fare since I don't get home till between 8 and 9. My trainer had taken Monday off for the holiday - she actually has a life outside of horses - who knew?

I got a reprieve from babysitting Monday. I was going to start at 0630 but those plans got changed. Tuesday was our 36th wedding anniversary. My birthday is next week. We don't really observe by giving gifts but agreed to have some body work done on the truck to commemorate. We got an estimate yesterday and actually have enough cash left over from the sale of the vehicles last fall to pay for it.

I was balancing my checkbook Sunday and found a pretty serious error. I had paid 1/2 our property tax in June and deducted $1,994, the correct amount. However, the check I'd written was for $1,194, an $800 difference. So I quick wrote out a check and popped it in the mail. At least I'd already accounted for the $800 in my balance so I didn't have to hit up my savings to cover it.

Several years ago I signed up to receive an annual Christmas cross stitch pattern book. It arrived last week and I decided I would send it back and cancel the membership. Darned, if I didn't take a peek at the patterns and decide I wanted to keep it after all. Weak, weak, weak!

A family friend died Monday. He had requested burial within 24 hours and the family respected his wishes. He was buried before we found out he'd passed. He was a wonderful Christian gentleman and will be greatly missed by all who knew him. He was also my husband's physician. I never felt comfortable with the idea of undressing before a man I saw socially so I have a different doctor.

Still looking at houses online. Wish they looked as good in person. It sure is disappointing to find one that sounds perfect and have reality be far different.

Boy, Am I Old

2011-06-28T14:13:00.001-08:00

I was looking at apartments on Craigslist and saw a one bedroom, furnished for $125.00. I didn't think that was too out of line since my first one bedroom, furnished apartment was $110.00 per month (in 1971). Of course reality set in when I actually read the ad and found it was $125 per day.

Had a great one on one lesson with the trainer yesterday. No stirrups and I was trotting with the reins in my left hand and my right hand in the small of my back to improve my seat. I was feeling pretty comfortable by the end of the lesson. At one point she had gone to get something and I decided to dismount to reposition the saddle. I was halfway off the mare when the trainer saw me and yelled, "What are you doing? Get back on that horse." I actually managed to stop midway and change direction.

At the end of the lesson my trainer complimented me and said if I continued to ride this well that she would put me up on one of the other horses. Gulp. I've read several sources that claim riding a variety of horses is the best thing you can do to improve your riding ability as you learn different things from every horse. I think the next most likely candidate for me is a paint gelding who is known for being extremely smart and tries to get away with stuff. Oh joy.

The second filly was born last Wednesday. I've only had a brief glimpse because her mom is a bit on the overprotective side. I guess she's getting a little more relaxed every day so I should get some quality time soon. The older filly is a doll and I'm trying my best not to do anything to spoil her as I've read some stories about horses being ruined because of being treated like puppies when they're young. I guess it affects their mentality and they don't respect humans after a while so that they become unsafe to be around.

What's Wrong With This Ad?

2011-06-19T12:16:00.000-08:00

Male Pitbull mix named Rex, he is very energetic and loves people affection. Rex needs a good home where he will get the attention he deserves, He makes a really good property guard dog. we have too many pets and recently got a puppy and i want to give my full attention to it so i dont have any time with rex.
Rehoming fee $50

Dear Human Too Stupid To Live: If you've got too many pets you don't get a new puppy and discard the older dog. I can see a never-ending cycle here. Don't own animals.

Who Designs These Houses?

2011-06-15T12:33:00.001-08:00

We looked at six homes yesterday. None of them spoke to me in such a way that I had to have it. The strongest contender has a contingent offer on it already. It is a beautiful piece of property with a creek, however someone has put a lot of love into the landscaping. I don't know if I would want to maintain the garden and many flower beds. The lawn definitely would need a riding mower. My main objection to the house itself was it only had one and a half baths. The full bath was right off the kitchen(!) and the half bath downstairs.

One home had been set up for dairy goats. To access the front door you had to climb up about a dozen steep stairs, not something I would look forward to in the winter. The garage was separate from the house so you'd have to wade across the driveway to get to the stairs. The main level was kitchen and living room. The master bedroom was off of a loft overlooking the living room. The bathroom sink was in the bedroom. There was a second stairway leading down to the other bedrooms, laundry room, etc. The stairways were so narrow that it would be a nightmare to move furniture in or out.

Another piece of property didn't have a garage but we looked at it anyway. Again with climbing stairs to enter the front door. This house had a really odd design but it did have a screened in porch - a huge plus for me. There were also four hens that followed us everywhere when we were tramping around the outside. Have you ever seen a chicken run? Too funny.

I don't understand why one home had the shower and tub in the master bedroom with wall to wall carpeting. At least the toilet was in a private alcove. This was also the only bathroom on that floor so all your guests and whoever used the second bedroom would be sharing that bath.

The next home was a gorgeous ranch style that was in the middle of nowhere. I think it would have been "the one" if there hadn't been miles of dirt road to get to it. My husband doesn't like to take the Harley on long stretches of unpaved streets.

The last house we looked at was almost perfect except for the location. The neighboring homes were too close for the property to have privacy.

I looked online today and didn't see any new listings that grabbed my attention. It will be interesting to see what the realtor values our home at to have a more accurate idea of what priced homes we can actually afford.

Dead Penguins: Sorry, sometimes I can't help myself

2011-06-13T11:18:00.000-08:00

Did you ever wonder why there are no dead penguins on the ice in Antarctica - where do they go?

Wonder no more ! ! !

It is a known fact that the penguin is a very ritualistic bird which lives an extremely ordered and complex life.

The penguin is very committed to its family and will mate for life, as well as maintaining a form of compassionate contact with its offspring throughout its life.

If a penguin is found dead on the ice surface, other members of the family and social circle have been known to dig holes in the ice, using their vestigial wings and beaks, until the hole is deep enough for the dead bird to be rolled into and buried. The male penguins then gather in a circle around the fresh grave and sing:

"Freeze a jolly good fellow"

"Freeze a jolly good fellow."

Then they kick him in the ice hole.

Angry Beavers

2011-06-13T08:15:00.000-08:00

Saw this article in the local newspaper about beavers becoming aggressive and attacking dogs swimming in their territory. They apparently can do some real damage to the poor puppies.

I haven't posted much about my riding lately as I seem to be in a holding pattern. All of my recent lessons have been with two or three other women so I haven't had any one on one critiques by my trainer. I did go to the barn yesterday to scrub water buckets and just hang with the horses. The new filly is cute beyond words. Very friendly and inquisitive. She would run up to me every time I was close to her paddock and stand to be petted and loved on. One of the school horses has been retired and a boarder has her mare up for sale. I expect there will be new horses to replace them eventually.

I've been looking online at homes for sale in the MatSu Valley. The Valley is about 30 miles from Anchorage and the ridiculous gasoline prices are making it impractical for people to make the commute so they're selling at really low prices. My husband knows a realtor and I think we're actually going to look at a couple of homes this week. One home is on five acres so hopefully has some privacy. It is also about the same distance from a really nice stable as what I currently drive.

By the way, I go on these flights of fancy all the time so don't be surprised if I never move but stay firmly ensconced in my present surroundings.

My Newest Blog Venture

2011-06-10T11:48:00.001-08:00

Once upon a time I created a blog called "Bow Chica Bow Bow" where I intended to post examples of unintentional sexual humor that people expressed either verbally or in pictures. That went nowhere fast and I deleted it. I still have "From Rabbits to Redpolls" although I haven't filched any animal pictures to post there in a long time.

I worked in government for 30 years and have an abiding contempt for politicians. I do believe America is headed for destruction and our current President scares the crap out of me. Because I am a coward I tend to avoid the unpleasant, however, I've been barraged by e-mails lately that even I can't ignore. Instead of forwarding them on I have decided to copy them into a new blog I've created - Head In The Sand. I guess this is my miniscule attempt at making a difference.

I occasionally posted these e-mails in Ms Martyr but since it has evolved mostly into stories about my horsey adventures I decided to put them in a location where those so inclined will have to deliberately seek them out. I may occasionally voice my own opinion. Comments are welcome, even if you disagree, or maybe especially if you do so. I am not verifying what is posted there so if it is total hogwash, let me know, but be prepared to prove it. I once posted a comment on a very liberal blog about Obama's presidential campaign and had inserted a link to where I had gained the information. The blogger's response was something to the effect of, "This is too stupid for words." Um, nope, that does not constitute a good argument in my book.

I wouldn't be posting these if I didn't feel there was some basis of truth. I may return to complete inertia and never publish another entry. I feel helpless as an individual and have not seen any real solutions put forth. I learned at a seminar I that it's not good enough to point out the problem, you have to offer a solution. Voting the bastards out of office doesn't do it - they're all bastards.

Now, back to our regular manure-strewn programming.

One Year Ago

2011-06-01T16:33:00.000-08:00

I had my first riding lesson. I was so thrilled afterwards that I couldn't even remember the horse's name. I think I had three or four lessons using a Western saddle when the trainer asked if I'd be willing to try a dressage saddle and I've been riding English ever since.

I had a great time at the Hunter Jumper show last Saturday. I'm pretty happy that I don't want to compete as I can see me totally screwing up the jumping pattern. I saw several horses and riders from my barn jump as well as the daughter of a lady who gets her manicures where I do. The mare she leases is absolutely beautiful and a real sweetheart.

The people participating at the show had taken the mounting block from the barn with them. Consequently, I had to lengthen my left stirrup and claw my way up the horse's side to mount at the last two lessons. It was not pretty. Hopefully everything will be back to normal this Friday but I'm looking at mounting blocks on line as there are at least three more shows this summer that horses from the barn will be attending. There's a dressage show this weekend that I plan to watch. I don't know of any horses from my stable competing in it .

I decided to economize by not planting hanging baskets and pots of flowers this year. I don't think I'm the only one as I haven't seen a lot of flowers around town. I figure I'll be able to resume gardening long after I won't be able to ride any more.

Equifest

2011-05-24T09:34:00.000-08:00

Went to Equifest last Saturday and had a blast. Looked at an 18" saddle but couldn't justify spending $800 on an impulse buy. There were demonstrations going on throughout the day that were so entertaining. One of my favorites was a group of four young women vaulting. There was a competition where the riders and horses had to perform various tests, such as backing through "L" shaped poles on the ground, having the horse sidestep a circle while keeping its front legs inside a hulu hoop laid on the ground, the rider throwing a lance while galloping (or trotting) past a bale of straw. The three top finalists would compete again later in the afternoon with new and more difficult challenges. There was barrel racing and one of the women did it bareback! Breed presentations, jumping (with lots of refusals) and my absolute favorite demonstration was jumping by a miniature horse. He or she said to heck with jumping, let's roll! and proceeded to take a dust bath in the arena. Too cute.

The first hunter/jumper show of the season is this coming weekend. It is going to be held despite the EHV-1 scare as there have been no cases reported in Alaska and I guess there is little to no participation by people and horses from other states or Canada. I plan to go Saturday to observe.

Mama and baby were in a large outside pen yesterday. The gelding in the next pen over was just fascinated by the filly. At one point he and she were on the verge of touching noses when mama went ballistic and charged him with teeth bared. He wandered over to me for sympathy after that.

Haven't had any breakthroughs in my riding abilities lately. Yesterday I was reverting to crossing the left rein over the mare's neck. How frustrating to backtrack instead of going forward or at least maintaining.

Immoral v Illegal

2011-05-20T15:08:00.000-08:00

Have you seen the story about the $2 million lottery winner in Michigan who is still collecting food stamps?

There is a loophole that allows him to do this. Makes me wonder how many others are doing the same thing - they just don't happen to have millions in the bank or have won a lottery that brought attention to their situation.

This makes me both sad and angry. Yes, legally he is still entitled to food stamps but can he honestly feel he's entitled? Where is his sense of shame? We watched a movie on Will Rogers last night and how he helped those that had been effected by the Great Depression. He sought aid from millionaires and one of his arguments was that these people weren't looking for a handout, just a helping hand to get back on their feet. Mr. Lottery Winning Asshole sure puts a dent in that theory.

It's A Girl!

2011-05-14T09:31:00.000-08:00

Cute chestnut filly. No photos allowed so I won't be able to post any. Mama and baby are doing great.

Another really good lesson last night. Very positive for all of us with only a minor correction here and there. I actually felt comfortable at a sitting trot. Since I don't recall a sensation of sliding out of the saddle, I expect I was using stirrups. We practiced riding with and without them. I still have trouble picking them up. If I had my own saddle on a really sturdy stand I could practice at home. I can rationalize anything...

Inquiring Mind Wants To Know

2011-05-13T10:43:00.000-08:00

Is anyone out there familiar with a breed of horse called the Moriesian? It's apparently a cross between a Friesian and a Morgan. Are people creating "designer breeds" with horses the way they are with dog breeds, i.e., labradoodles? People cross breeding purebreds and charging an arm and a leg for what is essentially a mutt. I admit to being pretty ignorant when it comes to horse breeds. I was horse crazy as a kid and read everything I could get my hands on about horses, yet never ran across the term "warmblood" until I was an adult. Are warmbloods really a breed or a cross?

Blogger is Messing With Me

2011-05-13T09:59:00.000-08:00

At least one earlier comment has disappeared and I didn't delete it. Earlier in the week I wrote a post about the stallion parade and it also vanished. Last night I couldn't even sign in to check my account.

Anyway, the stallion parade was fun. I think my favorite was a miniature horse who thought he was hot stuff and let everybody know it. He wasn't going to be intimidated by the bigger guys and didn't shut up the whole time he was in the ring. The only disappointment for me was that there were no vendors there so my money remained burning a hole in my pocket. Equifest is coming up on May 21 so maybe I'll have a chance to do some shopping then.

Still no new foal as of Monday and I haven't been back to the stable since then. I'll find out later today if there is a new arrival. Rode two point practically the whole lesson Monday and by the end my legs were like noodles. I pretty much completely lost control of the horse and she was going where she felt like it. I'm not supposed to use the reins to steer, only my legs, and she took advantage of me.

Had a scare when one of the barn owners indicated she would miss seeing my mare. When I got through freaking out, she explained that the mare had been sleeping in an outside pen where she could view her from the house. Now that one of the temporary boarders was leaving, she'd be back in the barn and she'd miss seeing her when she looked out her window. I scrubbed the mare's halter as it was covered in mud from sleeping outside. When I went to hang it up outside her stall I noticed there was mud on her face that had been hidden by the halter. I got out my face brush and she held still while I cleaned her up. She can be so good. On the other hand, she is still moving her butt away from the mounting block. She even did it to my trainer so I was slightly vindicated.

Yesterday I planted carrot seeds. I can't be bothered growing vegetables for us but will plant for my ponies. I planted one row and will start a second row once these sprout.

Look Ma, No Hands!

2011-05-08T09:10:00.000-08:00

Rode two-point with my arms outstretched to the sides on Friday. Granted, me and the mare did it at a walk while the others trotted but in our defense it was because we aren't allowed to trot over the poles. I assume because she is so much larger than the other horses that she'd be landing on the poles instead of going over them. One of the classes ahead of us had been jumping(!) without reins which is what gave our trainer the idea.

No new foal as of Friday. Maybe tomorrow it will be there. There is supposed to be at least one mare and foal at the Stallion Parade today. I hope it doesn't rain as predicted.

Happy Mother's Day to everyone, even if you're like me and don't have two-legged kids.

The Child is Still Sick

2011-05-06T10:51:00.000-08:00

I sure hope she's carrying the same germs so that I've already been there/done that with whatever it is she has. She had been to a doctor and now has a prescription. They seem to think that she may have gotten a sinus infection due to her inability to thoroughly blow her nose. Her mom put her hair in two ponytails on top of her head and she looked just like Boo in Monsters, Inc. Too adorable. BTW, I see that they're making a sequel - Monsters University I believe its called - due out in 2013. Can't wait.

I was able to say goodbye to their dog. In fact, I was down on my knees petting her before I'd even acknowledged some of the other people in the room. You could tell it was time by the look in her eyes. She was a sweetie but we're all relieved that she's no longer in pain.

My husband and I were watching a movie yesterday where at one point the groom spilled something on the bride's gown. She said something to the effect of, "That's okay, I won't be wearing it again," and I piped up, "Unless you're Marie Osmond." My husband looks at me incredulously and says, "Why did you say that?" so I filled him in on Marie remarrying her first husband wearing the same gown as she had in the '80's. He then starts holding his head and moaning as to why in the world I know this and, worse yet, why does he now know it. Good times. He accused me the other day of deliberately thinking up ways to drive him crazy. Hell yeah! I lay awake nights plotting. Then, I actually dreamed that Marie and her husband had brought one of their kids to the barn for a riding lesson and I told the story to her. She got a good laugh out of it. I know some people can find hidden meaning in their dreams but I almost always can relate mine to something that has occurred in my waking life. Maybe because I'm in a half stupor most of the time?

Sometimes I Actually Finish A Project

2011-05-05T15:26:00.001-08:00

My mother-in-law said not to send her flowers for Mother's Day this year. Too bad I already had stitched up this picture for her. I picked it up from the framer's last night and got it wrapped and in the mail today. It may not make it by Sunday. She lives in the mountains and I think the USPS service is slower there.

Going to babysit this afternoon for a short time while the parents take one of their dogs to the vet to be put to sleep. They just called to say that the dog's not doing well so they moved up her appointment time. I'll be heading their way in about 30 minutes. They were blindsided by a diagnosis of cancer that has apparently metastasized throughout her body.

I know my elder dog will probably not make it through the summer but I bought over 50 pounds of kibble at the vet's yesterday for him. My husband thinks I'm in denial. Not really, but I prefer to stay optimistic. Maybe he'll live long enough to eat it all, although yesterday was not a very good day for him. He seemed better today.

On a positive note, one of the mares at the barn could foal any day now. In fact, there might be a new baby already. I'll find out tomorrow when I go for my lesson. I plan to drive out to the Valley on Sunday for the Parade of Stallions. I've never gone before but it should be fun.

I'm Alive, Barely

2011-04-30T09:34:00.000-08:00

This has been a wicked cold. I could use a skin graft for the area under my nose and I'm sure at least one tree has been sacrificed to the Kleenex factory on my behalf. The cough is hanging on also. Last Saturday was the worst. I was too sick to even want to go to the stable but sat around all day in a stupor. I've gradually been getting better and accomplishing quite a bit around the house, albeit with a tissue constantly at the ready.

I did make it to my riding lessons this past week and they were both quite good. The mare has been sleeping in an outside paddock. She was pretty muddy yesterday and since I was running late only got a perfunctory grooming before the lesson. I made up for it afterwards and she looked pretty darn good if I do say so myself. She's managed to rip her new blanket already and is in trouble with the barn manager. She's just a big tomboy.

Our television broke about 10 days ago. We had a repairman come out to give us an estimate. He was supposed to get back to us yesterday but never called so my husband called the shop. Now we're told that the parts are on back order and they may not even be able to get them at all. So I guess we're going shopping for a new TV today since our old eyes can barely see the picture on the 19" screen we've been making do with. The hockey playoffs are on and we can't find the puck!

Whining

2011-04-20T10:20:00.000-08:00

My brain feels like it's stuffed with cotton, my chest aches and my throat hurts. Right now I'm sweating and I don't know if it's fever or a hot flash - they're pretty interchangeable. I'm hoping a hot, steamy shower will alleviate some of these ills.

Had a lesson with the other trainer on Monday. She said that every time she saw me I looked like I'd dropped weight. My secret? Going from a puffy down vest to a fuzzy fleece vest and then wearing a khaki vest. It's all an optical illusion. I really like my "new" khaki vest because it has a bunch of huge pockets for carrots, kleenex and life's other necessities. I got it off of ebay. Since I opened my mouth and indicated I'd like to help more around the barn I was given a few tasks to accomplish. One was holding one of the ponies while she got clipped - easy peasy. Then I braided "my" mare's mane so that it all lay on one side of her neck. Her mane naturally parts about halfway down her neck so one half lays on one side and the other half on the other. After it starts to lay correctly they're going to pull it. What am I going to hold onto when I'm standing in the stirrups???? I think I'm also going to be responsible for keeping her paddock clean. It drives my husband nuts that I perform manual labor for free but this way I get the illusion of owning a horse without the cost or responsibility.

The trainer had me posting at a walk. This is supposedly a good exercise to help strengthen my thighs. Much mane clutching on my part. When it finally came to posting at a trot I was supposed to keep my rear from touching the saddle. Um, major fail. In fact I smacked the saddle so hard a couple of times that I actually felt sorry for the horse. Overall it was a good lesson and I feel like I'm learning some valuable techniques. The book I mentioned - Living With Horsepower - talks a lot about visualization and mental telepathy (for lack of a better expression) when working with horses. Supposedly it is an innate talent for some but can be learned by anyone with strong enough motivation. I'll be sure and write about the first time one of the horses "speaks" to me.

A Long and Boring Entry

2011-04-18T11:01:00.000-08:00

A lot of little things going on. Let's see if I can recap the past week. Monday's lesson went well except for the fact that I can't canter to save my life. The minute the mare gets going I start posting which, of course, is her cue to trot and we're done. I am reading a really interesting book called Living With Horsepower by Rebekah F. Witter. I wonder if I will ever have a smidgen of the knowledge that the contributers to this book share.

I spoke to my trainer about volunteering at the summer horse camp. Sometimes getting her to be open about her opinions is like pulling teeth but I discerned that she was less than thrilled at, (1) my receiving lessons from someone else that might contradict hers, and, this is the biggie, (2) the fact that this business is going to be run out of the Municipality's equestrian center which is not supposed to compete with local stables. At least that was the agreement when it was created over 20 years ago. The horse community is suffering economically like everybody else and the people operating the facility are probably trying to bring in extra income to keep it running. I suppose the rules have been altered over the years to allow this but I don't want to partake in something that is opposed by my barn. So, I told her I would be willing to volunteer there as it's really more about getting me up and moving than it is about riding so I hopefully will be able to work something out there. I'll e-mail the other woman and let her know I won't be available after all.

I ordered some new splint boots, a heavy duty hoof brush and some blanket straps yesterday. I came within an inch of buying a new leather halter but decided to wait until I'd attended some of the horse events here to see if any vendors are selling them at a better price. My husband caught me looking at dressage saddles again on line. I'm also waiting to see if the equine swap meet has a saddle before I order one from out of state.

I babysat on Thursday and the kid had a cold. Guess who's coming down with one now? This time it's not a hint but full fledged throat and sinus onslaught. We also had dinner with her and her grandparents on Saturday so I got a double exposure. Just hope my husband doesn't catch it because he is so miserable when sick.

When I got to the barn on Friday the farrier was there so I groomed the mare inside a stall to stay out of the way. I couldn't find the splint boots I use because one of the kids was using them on a pony (excuse for buying my own) I had to wait until their lesson was done before grabbing them. Then, the young girl in our group grabbed my horse's girth. Not a biggie except the girth I ended up using had sheepskin on it and was too big around to be able to slide the breastplate on it. I managed to get through the lesson without killing my privates.

Woke up Saturday morning to the refrigerator making an enormous racket. It sounded like a helicopter was flying overhead and apparently it had started at 0200 hours. My husband is a genius and can fix almost anything. It turned out to be the compressor fan. He first worked on the old one and it stayed quiet only for a couple of minutes. He ended up buying a new part and it's been working perfectly ever since. I don't know if you all clean behind your refrigerator on a regular basis but I don't so had to do copious amounts of vacuuming and scrubbing.

We've been cleaning up the yard and pretty much finished up yesterday. We gathered up all the fallen branches from the windstorm a while back. Now the snow just needs to finish melting and the yard to dry out. It's pretty squishy right now and the dogs smell really wonderful after being out for any length of time. It would be a waste of time to bathe them right now.

Monday Meanderings

2011-04-11T09:47:00.000-08:00

I survived the windstorm last week. Friday's lesson went really well and none of us screwed up in any major way. We trotted a lot working on our endurance. I was able to get the mare go from a stop to a trot without any problem since she was in a willing mood. Funny how that works. I've used a breastplate the last couple of lessons and think it's helping the saddle to stay in place. I've read how it may constrict the horse's movement and/or cause pain, so am keeping a close eye on that. All of the horses are shedding and the four of us on Friday produced an awesome amount of hair. I used a rubber mitt on the mare's face and got a ton of short hairs off. I'm going to do it again today, along with her legs.

We had a local election here last Tuesday. My husband and I mail in our votes. He pointed out that the instructions for correctly filling out and mailing in the ballot are designed so a five year old could understand them, yet the issues themselves are worded in such a way that you can't tell whether you're voting for or against something. Just doesn't seem right.

I have received several interesting political e-mails recently that I'm considering posting here. We'll see. I also received one supposedly showing baby pandas and how they were effected by the earthquake. Um, people, the earthquake was in Japan. The pandas are in China, which, according to Google, was not effected by an earthquake. Get a clue.

Stormy Weather

2011-04-07T10:39:00.000-08:00

A high wind warning is in effect for the Anchorage Hillside and Turnagain Arm until 4 p.m., with winds up to 75 mph possible. The National Weather Service says gusts up to 45 mph are possible in south and west parts of the city.

I am selfishly glad that I am not responsible for tending any horses on a day like today. I'm sure it makes them skittish. There is snow/rain mixed in with the wind so I'm sure being outside is a miserable experience. I hope we have decent weather this summer. Some years it seems like it snows all winter and rains all summer. I guess I should look into some kind of lightweight waterproof pants to wear if I'm going to be working outside. Some kind of hat might be good also. I have a problem with hoods in that when I turn my head, the hood stays facing forward so I end up looking at the inside of the hood instead of what I'm actually trying to see. Mucho irritating.

So Far So Good

2011-04-05T18:03:00.000-08:00

Sunday's barn show was so much fun. I love to see the little ones on the ponies. One young girl, I'd guess in the 12 to 14 age range, rode "my" mare. She got a blue ribbon in one class and a yellow in another. I was impressed with how the mare looked. It's hard to imagine her movement from her back.

Yesterday's lesson started out as if I had never ridden a horse before in my life. I don't know what was going through her mind but the mare sure didn't want to listen to me. After some time of this my trainer said, "I'm going to go get something to help you." She came back with a crop in her hand. All my mare had to do was see it and she straightened right up and we ended on a terrific note. It was never applied to her and I never even held it; she is that smart.

The lady with the summer riding camp and I finally spoke today. I think we are very compatible and it turns out she is going to take on a lot of volunteers to spread the work load. Also, she has done this before and knows that people start out eager beavers and then quit after they discover the lack of glamour to horse care. She will have fifteen horses, twelve beginners and three intermediate. It sounds like it will be a lot of fun. Now we just have to wait for the weather to improve - it was practically white out blizzard this morning but reached 40 degrees this afternoon. I guess I'm as "in" as anybody at this point.

Keeping My Fingers Crossed

2011-04-03T09:23:00.001-08:00

I applied for a barn helper position that I saw on Craigslist Saturday. It appears to be a work in exchange for riding lessons position. I sent an e-mail with my horse-related experience, age, and the fact that I'm not in the best physical condition but am hoping barn work would help improve that. She promptly responded with some information about what would be expected of me and if I was still interested, to call her. I left a message yesterday afternoon and am now waiting for a return call.

She is starting up a new facility and plans to open for business the end of May. I get the impression she may be offering a kid's camp with games and trail rides. These are positives for me as I figure she won't be offering wild, out of control horses plus it would give me an opportunity to do some trail riding. Her ad mentioned the possibility of showing. I plan to attend a lot of local shows this summer as a spectator so this might give me some behind-the-scenes experience.

If I get the job I hope to continue lessons where I'm currently riding, maybe cut down to once a week. I really like it there plus this sounds like a seasonal position so I want to keep good relations with the stable that offers year-round instruction. I don't know if there is any kind of rivalry between barns and don't want to jeopardize my relationship there.

Speaking of my current barn, the schooling show is today and I'm going to head out the door shortly. I hope someone will be riding "my" mare as I've never had an opportunity to watch her being ridden. I'd like to see how she moves.

A Marital Moment

2011-03-30T09:27:00.000-08:00

Turner Classic Movie's star of the month for March has been Jean Harlow so we've enjoyed watching her movies on Tuesday evenings. I think it was in The Girl from Missouri where she fell in love with a rich man who thought she was a gold digger. At one point she was telling him that she would be willing to take elocution, tennis and riding lessons to better herself and make her more acceptable to his friends. I pointed out to my husband that I should be able to fit into high society since I take riding lessons. Look up utter disbelief in the dictionary - you'll find his face.

V. P.’s Aide Apologizes to Journalist Locked in a Closet

2011-03-29T08:17:00.000-08:00

March 28, 2011

An aide to Vice President Joe Biden has apologised to a reporter who was locked in a closet for hours after he was invited to cover a Florida political fundraiser because they did not want him talking with the guests.

Spokeswoman Elizabeth Alexander said the decision to hold local reporter Scott Powers there was a ‘mistake’.

And she claimed an inexperienced staffer had put Powers in the closet instead of a ‘hotel room’ as was their normal practice.

The Orlando Sentinel reporter was ushered into the closet inside wealthy property developer Alan Ginsburg’s Winter Park mansion, after being told that Joe Biden and Senator Bill Nelson had not yet arrived.

He was told he could only come out when the politicians were ready to give their speeches.

After 90 minutes he was allowed out to hear Biden and Nelson speak for 35 minutes, before being taken back to the closet for the remainder of the event.

The incident is especially embarrassing for the administration because it comes at a time when the White House has been condemning the treatment of journalists trying to report in Libya.

Just ten days ago, President Obama’s spokesman Jay Carney told reporters: ‘journalists should be protected and allowed to do their work.’

Who Knew?

2011-03-26T10:35:00.000-08:00

Carol at Dressage Training Journal and her commenters were discussing when a horse blows and snorts that it is a good thing. Here I thought my mare was venting her frustration at having big old me on her back and a tight girth so she couldn't breath. Apparently she is liking what we're doing, thus the title to this post.

Stupid saddle slipped back quite a ways yesterday and I didn't feel like getting off and fixing it so now have beaten up lower extremities as a result. The trainer gave me a new girth for her, it's more elastic than the old one, so I was extra cautious when tightening it. The saddle didn't slip sideways when mounting but I noticed there was more sweat than usual underneath the girth after class. Her old one was sheepskin so probably was better at absorption.

Whippersnapper has missed two weeks in a row so I'm thinking she may have changed her lesson days. We had another young woman join us last night. Lots of trotting and going over poles. We were supposed to try to canter over the last two poles, um, not very successfully on my part. I think I'm going to ask if we can work on cantering more during my private lessons. Mare is funny in that she thinks she needs a lot of elevation to clear poles lying on the ground. Her front goes up much higher than necessary when we trot over them. My goal is to "stay with her" when she does that and not fall forward.

There is going to be a barn show in April. I think I'll just observe from the sidelines. I don't feel ready to put myself out there for others to observe, no matter how supportive.

Stink Eye

2011-03-25T15:42:00.000-08:00

One of the parakeets was asleep when I opened the blinds by their cage this morning. He didn't bother to untuck his head but opened one eye and glared at me. It was hysterical.

Had a good lesson on Monday with nothing new to report, i.e., mare still shedding. She looked adorable after I brushed out her forelock - it was sooo fluffy. Watched a show on RFD TV last night where a man was plowing with a Shire horse. OMG - its legs looked like they were covered with Hawaiian grass skirts. I'd hate to try to keep those clean.

Went to a podiatrist on Tuesday. I noticed a while back that the middle toe on my right foot was crooked. The doctor thinks I must have broken it at some point. Who breaks their toe without realizing it? Me, apparently. I'm not going to have surgery for purely cosmetic reasons so will have to learn to love my latest deformity.

Started reading Cross by James Patterson while waiting for the doctor. It's a real page turner and I've almost finished it already. That's pretty fast for me as I usually only read a few pages at bedtime before falling asleep.

Today would have been my sister-in-law's 58th birthday. I hope she's at peace.

I think this may be significant (not horse related)

2011-03-21T10:50:00.005-08:00

From an e-mail I received:

Always important to watch what is going on behind the scenes, and, usually, scarcely covered in the newspapers.

Little by little the subtle changes come until one day we will wake up and be the United Socialist States of America. 2012 is just around the corner so get and stay engaged as if our nation depended on it because it does!!!!!

U.S. Department of Justice ditches red, white, and blue stars and stripes.

Well, how interesting! It seems the U.S. Department of Justice has changed its web site. Gone are the colorful red, white, and blue U.S. Flag decorations on the page.

Replaced by stark black and white.

And at the top of the page, is a rather interesting quote:
"The common law is the will of mankind, issuing from the life of the people."

Catchy, huh? Just one tiny little (too small to be relevant obviously) point --the quote is from C. Wilfred Jenks, who in the 1930's was a leading proponent of the "international law" movement, which had as its goal to impose a global common law and which backed 'global workers' rights.'

Call it Marxism, call it Progressivism, call it Socialism -- under any of those names, it definitely makes the DOJ look corrupt in their new website with Marxist accessories to match.

See for yourself

How very interesting that 'they' couldn't find a nice quote from one of our Founders. People, we have lost our Republic. This is an example of the slow, methodical misuse of power our current government is doing as they lead us to socialism, and destroying our republic as we have known it.

Knut, Dead at Age Four

2011-03-20T11:14:00.000-08:00

I don't know a lot of celebrity names but immediately recognized Knut's. RIP little buddy.

Clarification

2011-03-19T10:18:00.001-08:00

I misrepresented the yelling in my last post. The instructor is not yelling at me in an angry fashion - just has her voice raised so I can hear her from the other side of the arena. I was trying to go for sort of a tongue-in-cheek essay but I obviously didn't succeed. I'm pretty sure I need hearing aids. I did have my hearing tested several years ago and the man said I was borderline. I'm probably beyond that now. I do have a hard time hearing if there are several sources of noise happening simultaneously. That has always been a problem for me, however. I hated when I'd be on the phone and people would be carrying on a different conversation standing in front of my desk. I think it may be related to my inability to multi-task.

Me during a lesson:

At a couple of points in our lesson last night we looked like the Keystone cops. None of us could seem to coordinate our positions so we'd all be bunched up together or we'd all decide to cross the arena at the same time to get away from each other. We finally got ourselves pulled together and had a really fun lesson. We decided where the poles on the ground were going to be laid and then each developed our own pattern for going over them at walk, trot and/or canter. I even managed to canter for a couple of beats at the end.

I prepared bran mash for all of the horses after class. The smallest pony was in an outside pen so I put the bucket in front of my feet when I turned to re-latch the gate upon entering. The next thing I know I have a pony head between my legs helping himself to the mash. I am Miss Popularity on mashing days. Everybody is shedding and I've been used twice as a scratching post for horse heads.

The moon was just rising over the mountains when I was driving home. It was beautiful. The icy road conditions not so much.

It's Snowing

2011-03-17T11:59:00.000-08:00

About three inches so far. My husband asked if it depressed me and I said no. I'm used to it after living in Alaska for 36 years. It used to bring me down back in the seventies. We've had lots of bright sunshine recently and more is predicted for tomorrow. One aspect of our weather that took some getting used to is that sunny days are colder than cloudy ones in the winter. Apparently the clouds hold in the heat (totally unscientific explanation) I would go outside without wearing a jacket on sunny days my first spring and would about freeze to death. I grew up in California and sunny skies meant warmth. Not here. Anyway, I know this snowfall will melt relatively quickly, even though more is predicted for Sunday. We've had snow in May. Never June that I can remember.

Had a semi-craptastic lesson on Monday with a different instructor than my regular lady. It started out great - tacked up the horse, walked her around and then mounted her on my first attempt as if I actually knew what I was doing. It was grand and I felt terrific. My regular instructor is always telling me to take up my reins - this other woman kept telling me to loosen them and move me hands in tempo with the horse's head. I have a feeling this should be a natural rhythm and not take so much effort on my part to make it happen. It felt totally forced.

Then I was corrected when I was told to move the horse from, say, the letter M diagonally across the ring (to K?) Apparently this lady wants me to have the horse's rear at the letter when I start the diagonal as opposed to her front, which is what I have been doing. At least that was the impression I was getting when she was shouting, "No, no, no!" at me. Sometimes I just feel like an idiot. But, on a positive note, she did say that I showed a lot of improvement from the last time she gave me a lesson and that I was doing a lot of self-correcting and wasn't getting as flustered when she yelled at me. (It's probably that I'm just becoming desensitized to being yelled at since it happens all the time) - (kidding)

Then it came time to dismount which I totally know how to do and no longer hit the mare's butt with my right leg. I'm halfway off when she yells at me to look at the horse's head (why?) which caused me to flop around on top of the saddle and almost not get my left foot out of the stirrup in time. I told her I usually do much, much better but still was told to do exercises to strengthen my legs. Bah!

Have to go shovel snow before husband finishes his portion and berates me for still being in my pj's. It appears to have stopped snowing as I wrote this.

Money Is No Object

2011-03-13T11:52:00.003-08:00

Had a couple of comments about the expensive horses I was looking at. Some site I was looking at the other day mentioned Trakehner horses - a breed I'd never heard of. So I of course had to Google it and found The American Trakehner Association.

Here's the $65,000 gelding.

I couldn't relocate the $90,000 one but did find a $100,000 bargain:

Several months ago the Sunday Parade section of the newspaper featured Tom Sellick and mentioned that his daughter competed at show jumping. Some of the women at my barn have competed in California and I asked if they'd ever met her - they had. I made some comment that it must be nice to have a millionaire father to support a horse habit and was informed that, believe it or not, their money can't begin to be compared to some of the other horse owners. So the economy may be hurting for most of us but it hasn't impacted the uber rich.

Meanderings

2011-03-12T12:13:00.001-09:00

There were only two of us at last evening's lesson. The other woman was on a horse that she'd never ridden before. He can be challenging but by the end of the lesson was behaving better for her than he does for the woman who usually rides him. I was impressed.

My mare wasn't real happy to see me and actually turned her butt to me when I went to get her out of her pen. She also was giving me fits when I tried to bridle her so I knew I was in for a fun ride. She actually didn't behave badly but I just wasn't getting that feeling of us being in harmony that I have on other occasions. We did a ton of trotting so by the time the instructor had us lose the stirrups I could barely keep my legs in position. I kept being corrected to use my thighs, not my knees. The saddle slipped a little when I dismounted so somebody had been extra contrary at tightening the cinch. She is cinchy and goes into drama queen agony before I even get the straps hooked to the billets. Having the saddle slip when I mount is my biggest fear and I think is why I'm always so hesitant when it's time to get on which in turn gives her the opportunity to move away from the mounting block. Vicious circle.

I talked to my instructor before class about how I'm not ready to enter any "real" shows this year. We agree that I should attend and observe these shows and if I'm to do any competing it should just be at the barn shows. I can get by wearing my paddock boots and half chaps (cleaned up, of course) white breeches, a shirt and jacket.

My desire for my own dressage saddle has turned into more of an argument than a discussion with my husband. I don't think he's going to be a good horse husband. Yesterday he was grumbling about what a racket it is that students pay "them" to groom "their" horses. I don't dare tell him about the other stuff I voluntarily do like sweeping the aisles, hauling water, etc. He always thinks I'm being taken advantage of when in reality I'm doing something I want to do. You'd be hard pressed to get me to do something I dislike for nothing. He had a horse as a kid and is totally over them. I'm just beginning this journey and I hope it doesn't turn into a contention in our lives together. He'd probably have a heart attack if he knew I was looking at horses for sale in the $60,000 to $90,000 range the other day. I like to window shop. I don't feel compelled to buy. He doesn't bother looking at something unless he's actually in the market for it. He says it makes him depressed to look at stuff he can't have. Not me, I love to fantasize.

Speaking of fantasies, if I was a magician I could construct a horse out of all the hair my horse is shedding. She's getting darker as she's shedding out. I think she's dun colored and I am considering dragging my hair dresser to the stable to see if she could color my hair the same as her mane. It has a bunch of different colors, including silver, which would be appropriate for my age.

Dressage Show Clothing

2011-03-09T12:45:00.001-09:00

Swiped from Dressage Training Journal
Check out Item #4 - white breeches - the horror! Who dreamed this up? Is there a famous rider that could change this requirement the way the Williams sisters have eliminated wearing nothing but white for tennis players? Not that I necessarily approve of all of their outfits - Cher cornered that market years ago - but still now tennis players are wearing colors. White is so impractical. I don't have tall boots either. Who am I kidding, I don't have 90% of those items.

I feel guilty spending as much as I do on lessons. I can't see myself putting out the money for show gear. Someone has a Stubben all purpose saddle for sale on Craigslist for $400 that I am tempted to look at/try out. Husband is still not on board with the idea - Why am I spending money on a horse I don't own? He just doesn't "get" the little girl pony fantasy. I can pretend the mare is mine.

Midlife Mom asked if I was feeling better. My sore throat never developed into anything and was gone in two or three days. Now that I've mentioned it I'll probably catch something nasty. That seems to be the way it works. If I ever called in sick to work because I wanted to goof off, I'd invariably get sick within a few days and have to tough it out because I'd already used up my sick day.

42 Degrees!

2011-03-08T16:23:00.000-09:00

This may not seem very warm to those of you who live in more southernly climes but it is definitely welcome here. I could hear the water in the drainpipes from the melting snow when I was outside today. Didn't need a hat or gloves and just wore a sweatshirt. I also cracked open a couple of windows to let in some fresh air. I know we'll probably get more snow but this time of year it melts pretty fast.

I hate housework but am trying to be better at it. I figure if I'm willing to groom a horse both before and after riding her and then spend a considerable amount of time sweeping the aisles in the barn, that the least I could do is brush my dogs and vacuum today.

Yesterday was my first lesson using a Whinny Widget. My instructor calls out what I'm supposed to be doing and I try to make the horse do it. We went through the same pattern about four or five times. Let's just say that I'm glad I wasn't being scored. It probably would have been a minus number. I've already received a couple of tips - don't look to the side when you're supposed to stop at X in the middle but keep focused straight ahead. Also, you should change the diagonal at X so that you're posting in the proper position when you make your next turn. Apparently these are little things that can give you extra credit. Wait, what, do I really want to compete? Competition will require special clothing, entry fees, paying to use the horse and have it transported, fees to have my instructor coach me. I must be losing my mind.

Whinny Widgets

2011-03-03T11:35:00.000-09:00

Monday my instructor suggested I pick up a Whinny Widgets booklet the next time I'm at the tack store so we could work on dressage configurations during my private lessons. Being the obedient student, I made a special trip to purchase same the very next day. Those things sure are expensive for being about six tiny laminated, spiral bound pages. I made myself dizzy in bed that night studying the various tests. I need a way to mount this booklet on my saddle so I can look at it while riding since I need both hands for the reins. Actually my trainer is going to use it and tell me what to do. Oh, and get this - in dressage you aren't allowed to communicate verbally with the horse. I'm screwed.

So, on the home front we've been having beautiful, sunny days, albeit quite cold. All this sunshine is motivating. Yesterday I was going to dust and then I glanced at my grimy kitchen cabinets and decided to wash them down. I saw a blurb on Yahoo news the other day where Flylady advises wiping them down daily in a matter of minutes. Mine took three hours and a lot of climbing up and down. But they're clean, even if still an ugly laminate. I'm wondering if it could be painted. This house was built in 1973 and has all the original cabinetry. My husband refuses to consider remodeling - if it ain't broke, why fix it?

Ran some errands yesterday and saw the cutest little conure (bird) for sale at Petco. It was young, born in November, and had been hand raised so very friendly. It would hop up and down for attention. There was a time when I probably would have bought it to add to my menagerie but now the thought of all the riding lessons I could pay for with its purchase price kept me from bringing it home. Maybe I'm actually getting a handle on my impulse buying...

Germs are Powerful, Maybe Magical

2011-02-27T11:01:00.000-09:00

I have the beginning of a sore throat. The only person who's mentioned having a cold lately is Midlife Mom in Maine. I didn't leave the house yesterday and nobody acted sick at the barn on Friday so this is my only explanation.

We were challenged to try to post without stirrups on Friday. The high school girl perks up and declares, "I know how to do this." I mentally gave her the finger. If getting your butt a smidgen out of the saddle counts, then I succeeded. After class the instructor said she was hoping that if I focused on posting I wouldn't let the horse go wherever she wanted as I tend to do when trotting without stirrups. And by golly, it worked. I was so intent on trying to post that I was making the mare stay on track (for the most part)

The other three students worked on jumping; I'm going to guess about a foot. When it came to my turn the instructor would lay the poles on the ground. So much for my husband's aspirations to have me jump three to four feet. The ladies were trotting their horses and I was encouraged to canter over my poles. The same horse that wouldn't trot but only canter on Monday wouldn't rise to the occasion. I find she tends to be cranky on Fridays. I am constantly being told to shorten my reins but I hate it when she roots and tries to yank me out of the saddle. On the other hand, she kept nuzzling me as I walked her around the ring both before and after the lesson so I'm beginning to think she likes me. It seems like everyone starts out on her then progresses to other lesson horses so she may have learned not to form attachments. I've probably ridden her longer than most so maybe she's warming up to me.

Best Weather Woman Ever

2011-02-25T12:38:00.001-09:00

Atlanta weather

The video starts out kind of slow but watch out once she warms up!

Friday Already?

2011-02-25T12:09:00.000-09:00

Where did the week go? I don't think I've accomplished anything. I've had a lot of weird dreams at night. It was spring and I was transplanting my African violets outside. WTH?

Another riding lesson without stirrups on Monday. Every time I asked the mare to trot she would start to canter. Now, the first time it happened I had my leg too far back which may have encouraged her. After that she was just doing it because she wanted to. My instructor was loving it; she said I kept good posture and didn't have my hands fly up the way they used to when I felt out of control. The naughty pony was in the arena with us being ridden by one of the very experienced riders. I assume he'd been bad so was having remedial training. She was cantering him some so I wonder if that's what gave my mare the idea she was supposed to canter. I was also called out for making a clucking noise when I'm asking her to walk. So there is a habit I'm going to have to break. Apparently clucking or smooching are to increase speed (isn't walking faster than standing still?) so I should just use my legs and say, "Walk."

I ordered an equine furminator since I groom one of the fuzziest horses in the barn. She's shedding already and it's only February. We're still below zero some nights. I figure she's only going to keep losing more and more hair so I might as well combat it the best I can.

Watched a show on Animal Planet last night about the invasion of pythons, huge rats and other creepy crawlers that have been released in Florida and are reproducing at an alarming rate. Pretty scary stuff. It seems to be out of control. Sure glad snakes can't survive in Alaska.

I Want A Pony

2011-02-21T10:47:00.000-09:00

Forgot to mention the cute foal on the cover of the "Back In The Saddle" catalog I received Saturday. It's a brown and white spotted appaloosa. I'm coveting him/her.

Someday I hope to learn the difference between chestnut, bay and the thousand other colorations. Right now brown will have to do...

Blue Monday

2011-02-21T10:23:00.000-09:00

A shout out to my blogging buddies who are having complications in their lives. Hope it gets better soon for all of you.

Almost hate to report that it's a beautiful sunny day here, at least for the moment. It was zero when I got up but should warm up to the twenties. I ride later - life is good.

Had my group lesson on Friday. One of the girls (literally - she's a high school student) had cracked ribs so I give her props for being there. I'd probably have been laid up in the hospital. My mare was rooting again on Friday and almost did pull me over her head the first time she did it when she caught me unawares. Supposedly horses can't root and move simultaneously but I was extra cautious when we were practicing leaning forward on their necks.

I admit that I spend too much time on the computer. My husband was complaining about me reading blogs on Saturday. My response was that I wasn't reading, I was shopping. When he asked what I was shopping for, let's just say that he doesn't agree that I need my own saddle. "Do I really need a special saddle for dressage? The stable should provide one," etc.

Later that evening I was telling him about Friday's lesson and how I think that the neck leaning is in preparation for jumping, which I in no way plan to participate in. He said I should attempt jumping, that three or four feet is no big deal. Three or four feet is a hella big deal. It's HUGE! He's still thinking with the mentality of the 12 year old boy when he had a horse.

Later, because I am inherently suspicious, it occurred to me that he's probably encouraging the jumping just so I won't pursue a dressage saddle. I'll show him. I'll tell him I need a special saddle for jumping. Ha - I win! (This is why my fellow students don't think I'm 58. Maturity in certain situations has never been my strong suit)

Re: my previous post. It did occur to me that an argument could be made such as, "Well then, why do bad things happen to those who do turn to God?" I used to drive my pastor nuts with questions like this. Of course the answer is because God's ways are not our ways but that's hard for a non-believer to swallow.

Best Explanation Ever (Warning: Religion Involved)

2011-02-20T11:00:00.000-09:00

A man went to a barbershop to have his hair cut and his beard trimmed. As the barber began to work, they began to have a good conversation. They talked about many things and various subjects. When they eventually touched on the subject of God, the barber said, 'I don't believe that God exists.'

'Why do you say that?' asked the customer. 'Well, you just have to go out in the street to realize that God doesn't exist. Tell me, if God exists, would there be so many sick people? Would there be abandoned children? If God existed, there would be neither suffering nor pain. I can't imagine a loving God who would allow all of these things.'

The customer thought for a moment, but didn't respond because he didn't want to start an argument.

The barber finished his job and the customer left the shop.

Just after he left the barbershop, he saw a man in the street with long, stringy, dirty hair and an untrimmed beard. He looked dirty and unkempt. The customer turned back and entered the barber shop again and he said to the barber, 'You know what? Barbers do not exist.'

'How can you say that?' asked the surprised barber. 'I am here, and I am a barber. And I just worked on you!'

'No!' the customer exclaimed. 'Barbers don't exist because if they did, there would be no people with dirty long hair and untrimmed beards, like that man outside.'

'Ah, but barbers DO exist! That's what happens when people do not come to me.'

'Exactly!' affirmed the customer. 'That's the point! God, too, DOES exist! That's what happens when people do not go to Him and don't look to Him for help. That's why there's so much pain and suffering in the world.'

Boycott Anti-American Women Comment

2011-02-17T11:58:00.000-09:00

I've never had a spam commenter before. I removed his comment. What a tool.

I normally would have caught his comment yesterday evening but we had a mini-crisis to take care of. My husband went into the garage around 5:30 and noticed the water heater was leaking. One of the hoses needed to be replaced. He headed off to Ace Hardware for the part. I decided to caramelize onions for the roast beef sandwiches we were having for dinner knowing I could zap them in the microwave later, if necessary. Husband called saying Ace didn't have the hose so he was heading for Home Depot. I sliced the Kaiser rolls for the sandwiches and stuck them back in the bakery bag.

Husband arrives home with a hose. Home Depot didn't have the exact same hose so he had to buy a different length. Long story short, he had to remove a brass fitting and soldier in additional copper pipe to make this new hose fit. The old brass fitting did not want to come loose even using a torch. Once the new hose was affixed there were new leaks to deal with. We ended up being in the garage until after 10:00 p.m.

Note to new brides - Most men love for you to "help" when they're involved in a major project. I didn't contribute much to this whole endeavor other than mopping water off the floor and handing him a tool now and then. The fact that I was "suffering" along with him and not sitting in comfort in the house while he was working was very much appreciated. This isn't just my observation but something I've read in books. Maybe it's because misery loves company? Personally, I prefer to work alone so it may be one of those Mars/Venus things.

So, we didn't eat dinner until about 10:30. I can't eat late at night without getting acid reflux which showed up around 2:00 a.m. Oh joy.

NuzMuz, yes I having been getting my nails done for over twenty years. I first considered giving it up when I retired because it is a luxury but kept doing it since I was able to afford it. Then I seriously considered quitting when I added the expense of riding lessons. But my real nails are so ugly that I just couldn't bring myself to do it. Actually I've become kind of high maintenance since I was diagnosed with cancer. I never colored my hair before but when I lost it all, I kind of went crazy when the new growth started coming in. I am trying not to fritter away money on other stuff and so far this year have done pretty well.

Halfway Through February

2011-02-16T12:34:00.000-09:00

Had a fun lesson on Monday. My instructor gave me a crop so I could "tap, tap, tap" while both walking and trotting. I'm so uncoordinated that I was tapping my leg and not the horse but it worked anyway. She was a lot more animated (unsure it that's the right word or not) She's very whip savvy which leads me to believe that's why she spooked a few weeks ago. She saw the whip directed at another horse too close for comfort and took off. That's my story and I'm sticking to it. My instructor also had me holding the reins apart instead of close together. I've got to start questioning why but I'm always so caught up in attempting to do what she's asking correctly that I sometimes don't get around to it.

Yesterday I met the daughter of the woman who gets her nails done before me. She rides at one of the other stables in town. She was saying she started riding at eight and was always the oldest one in her classes. She thinks she got a late start. Ha! Add fifty years to that and you have me.

The riding community in Anchorage is fairly small so she knew a lot of the horses I am familiar with. Apparently one of the ponies I love can be a real stinker and is famous for refusing jumps and having kids go right over his head.

So, did anyone see this story about the teacher that has been suspended for opinions she has expressed on her blog? One of her former students, "said he thought much of what Munroe said was true and that she had a right to voice her opinion, but felt her comments were out of line for a teacher." WTF?

Fancy Footwork

2011-02-13T11:21:00.000-09:00

I forgot to report that I did try a different saddle last Monday. It was actually the one I had originally used but one of the other students uses it on Fridays so I got in the habit of using a different saddle for all of my lessons. I guess it's progress on my part to say that I could sure tell a difference in its feel. I couldn't see that it fit the horse much better. Friday I was back in my regular saddle and this time it didn't slip. What the heck?

Friday, we worked on a dressage move. I don't know what it's called but it involved the horse crossing over its rear legs. We practiced both on and off the horse. I believe "my" mare is trained to Level 3 dressage so she did it right almost every time when I was on the ground. Once I was mounted I guess the crappy rider was giving the wrong cues as she just wasn't doing it right. It's not a great sign to see my instructor sticking her tongue out after I've attempted something, and I've seen her tongue a lot. We had a couple of "almost got it" attempts but I can tell I need a lot more work. But for me, that's what riding is all about. Learning new stuff is exciting and what a rush when I finally get it right.

I loved Pea's comment about having to check each blog in the old days before Google Reader. The old days were last week for me.

It Works!

2011-02-11T15:54:00.002-09:00

I now have a reader list. Hopefully I can get all the blogs I read added in the next few days. This is very cool.

Dazed and Confused

2011-02-11T12:55:00.000-09:00

One of the bloggers I read mentioned that there was a way to be notified when a blogger posts a new entry. This sounded like a great feature to me as I check a bunch of blogs on a daily basis and some people only post occasionally. What a time saver. Well, I have made several attempts to access this feature and today I think I may have actually done it. I added several blogs to my "blogs I follow" list (which I never had done before) Supposedly, somehow I will be notified when one of these bloggers posts something. I have serious doubts that I did this correctly so I am holding off on adding everyone until I see if this works.

Had a blood draw for CBC yesterday. My doctor only needed to check my cholesterol but I figure the oncologist will want to check everything so I had them take a bunch of blood instead of just a finger prick. All of my doctors are on the same network so it makes it easy for them to access my entire health record. I hate having to leave the house with no coffee. I feel like a zombie.

Anyway, I sped to Costco afterwards to get carrots. I got a ten pound bag but the price had gone up so that it wasn't any cheaper than the grocery store. I guess I'll go back to buying them at Safeway. I have a lesson later today and didn't want to show up empty handed. I recently read a blogger's plea to "not feed treats to my horse" which made me paranoid so I double checked with the stable owner on Monday that it was okay to feed carrots to all the horses. She said I was fine but reiterated that they want me to not feed the treats by hand. Throwing them on the ground isn't as much fun for me but the horses don't care and I think they still associate me as "the carrot lady." They just don't want the horses to get nippy and I guess hand feeding can contribute to bad manners.

I've been perusing used dressage saddles on eBay and other places. Anybody have any advice on what to look for? I've read good reviews on Passier and there seem to be great bargains. Postage is so expensive to Alaska that it will be a major factor, especially if the saddle doesn't fit and I have to return it. I'm hoping I can find something locally to eliminate that problem.

Visualizing Federal Budget Cuts

2011-02-09T13:35:00.000-09:00

Obamanomics

Poop Rush Alaska

2011-02-07T10:12:00.000-09:00

My ten year old German Shepherd has degenerative myelopathy. This is the fourth GSD we've owned over the years that has developed it so we're pretty experienced in how to deal with the symptoms. My husband carpeted the outside stairs to give him a better grip going up and down. Friday night he saw one of his rear legs slip into the open area between the steps (risers?) so said that we'd go outside Saturday and screw in pieces of board to block the openings. As usual, I messed around getting ready and he had most of the job done by the time I made it outside. I decided I'd better do something useful so decided to pick up poopsicles.

Has anyone watched the Gold Rush Alaska show? It's a train wreck. On one hand I kind of hope they strike it rich because they work so hard. On the other hand, they work harder not smarter and should stupidity really be rewarded? Anyway, they're always talking about striking the mother lode of gold by digging deeper into the ground. I reached the mother lode of poop when I resorted to using the ice chipper to chip it out of the snow Saturday. Too bad its worthless - we'd be rich.

Two In A Row

2011-02-05T10:34:00.001-09:00

Another great lesson. I managed to eventually trot all the way around the arena without stirrups and keep the horse on track. She had veered into the center in an earlier attempt but I was actually able to get her back on track without having to stop to regroup. That was a pretty fantastic feeling of accomplishment. Ditto trotting while standing in the stirrups. We worked on serpentines over poles which was fun with two of us doing it simuntaneously. I had no problem doing it at a walk but my mare is kind of big for tight circles when we advanced to doing it at the trot. We were not supposed to venture out onto the track where the other two riders were traveling. I pretty much failed.

The other three students also played "musical ponies" where they all had to dismount and switch to a different horse so they ended up riding all three. Sometimes being as big as a house has its advantages - I didn't have to switch. It kind of reminded me when I took a bus trip in Europe over twenty-five years ago. The tour guide had the bright idea that everyone would change seats every day. Since I was a smoker back then, me and my ilk were banished to the back of the bus and didn't have to rotate.

They've added a new horse to the stable and "my" mare has been moved from a stall in the unheated barn to living in an outside pen next to the fuzzy ponies. I'm sure she's fine but I still want to buy her new blankets. It was five degrees when I got up this morning so probably got colder last night. I told my husband they treat her like the bastard stepchild. This is why I can't volunteer at an animal shelter. I would be trying to fix what I consider inequities and I'd be broke within a couple of weeks.

I repositioned the saddle about halfway through last night's lesson but it slid back again. One of the other students said there's some kind of harness that fits across the horse's chest and attaches to rings at the front of the saddle to keep it from sliding back. I'm going to ask my instructor if there's one I can use on Monday. I realized my right shoulder was aching from tightening the cinch as tight as I possibly could and it's still not helping.

Got A Lotta Learning To Do

2011-02-04T11:33:00.000-09:00

I've just had exposure to two terms I'd never heard before. Behind the Bit has a YouTube video of sidesaddle puissance. Puissance sounds like something infected and nasty but it apparently is a kind of jump-off. Then JJ posted a video of a park horse. "Park horse?" Lives in a park? Google was really no help but it seems to be an English riding discipline (and looks very cool)

I had started reading There Are No Problem Horses, Only Problem Riders by Mary Twelveponies when I was in California last fall. I opted to read a novel on the airplane and have been reading them ever since. After my great ride on Monday I decided that I need to get back to my horse book collection. I've also got two of GaWaNi PonyBoy's books about the relationship between women and horses. I'm sure most of you know this, but if you research a book on Amazon you can usually buy it new or used for a lot less money. I have actually picked up books for one cent, plus postage. I've gotten better bargains there than on eBay.

Husband is muttering about my spending too much time on computer. I know the odds are against it, especially since I have a group lesson tonight, but I'm hoping it goes as well as Monday.

Rim Shots

2011-02-01T09:22:00.000-09:00

A 54 year old woman had a heart attack and was taken to the Hospital. While on the operating table she had a near death experience. Seeing God,she asked "Is my time up?" God said, "No, you have another 43 years, 2 months and 8 days to live."
Upon recovery, from her heart problem, the woman decided to stay in the hospital and have a face-lift, liposuction, breast implants and a tummy tuck. She even had someone come in and change her hair color and brighten her teeth! Since she had so much more time to live, she figured she might as well make the most of it.
After her last operation, she was released from the hospital. While crossing the street on her way home, she was killed by a speeding truck.
Arriving in front of God, she demanded, "I thought you said I had another 43 years? Why didn't you pull me from out of the path of the truck?"
God replied, "I didn't recognize you."
*****
Two women were sitting quietly together, minding their own business.

Best Lesson Ever

2011-01-31T17:32:00.000-09:00

Today I did practically everything right. The horse was so good that I want to rush out and buy her something special to show my appreciation. We even cantered a little and I actually kept good posture. I told my husband that I should probably quit after today. I don't think it can get any better than this.

Thought Provoking Quotes From Thomas Jefferson

2011-01-31T12:01:00.000-09:00

When we get piled upon one another in large cities, as in Europe, we shall become as corrupt as Europe.

The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not. Please read this article, borrowed from Pam

It is incumbent on every generation to pay its own debts as it goes. A principle which if acted on would save one-half the wars of the world.

I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them.

My reading of history convinces me that most bad government results from too much government.

No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms.

The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government.

The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.

To compel a man to subsidize with his taxes the propagation of ideas which he disbelieves and abhors is sinful and tyrannical.

Thomas Jefferson said in 1802:
I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies. If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around the banks will deprive the people of all property - until their children wake-up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered.

Almost February

2011-01-31T11:16:00.000-09:00

Not much happening here. Friday's lesson went well and I guess I really made the horse work as she was pretty sweaty at the end. I got to use the industrial sized hair dryer on her before putting on blankets. Even though I cinch the saddle as tight as I can, it slips back which probably means it doesn't fit her well. Some of the women bring their own saddles even though they don't own horses so that might be a solution. This is not a purchase to be made lightly so I won't be saddle shopping anytime soon. Especially since I had a dream the other night that we'd completely run out of money and couldn't pay our bills. Gah!

I am currently reading, "Bitter is the New Black" which I thought I'd enjoy due to its snarky cover. I guess I'm the wrong demographic as I find her constant label dropping, how much things cost and self-centeredness off-putting. But then I think, "What is my blogging except to share boring stuff about me?" So I guess I won't be hurling any stones at glass houses. This book uses footnotes inappropriately which drives me nuts. Aren't footnotes supposed to reference an information source? Hers are used as personal asides. I read another book about a year ago where the author did the same thing and I couldn't get it to the used book store fast enough.

Hopefully I'll get some stuff listed on eBay this week. I actually got the house somewhat in order so I can goof around without having unfinished projects hanging over my head.

Another riding lesson later today. Hope the horses appreciate the organic carrots I've got this week. I'm going to grow some for them this summer. I have a waist high raised garden bed that could be put to good use. I burned out really quickly on growing my own vegetables when I found a green worm on the broccoli and aphids all over my lettuce. I only grew veggies at my husband's behest. If he wants home grown he can grow them. I'm sticking with flowers.

Cure for Insomnia

2011-01-26T09:58:00.000-09:00

Babysit a toddler for five hours. I couldn't even stay awake watching television last night and slept the whole night through.

Thank you all for your kind words regarding my previous entry. Logic just doesn't always trump emotion in my world.

Perfectionist

2011-01-25T10:33:00.001-09:00

I consider myself a "Jack of All Trades, Master of None" kind of person. I don't really excel at anything but can muddle through most undertakings I have an interest in. However, I think the dictum, "Anything Worth Doing Is Worth Doing Well" has seeped into my subconscious to such an extent that when I make an inadvertent mistake I beat myself up over it.

It was unseasonably warm yesterday with a breeze. When I got to the stable I remarked to my instructor that it felt like spring. She agreed and remarked that the horses were acting like they had spring fever. (Okay, she really said they were acting like idiots) She told me to let her know when I was ready to collect my horse from an outside pen and she would come with me. This is unusual - I'm allowed to bring her inside unassisted in addition to moving other horses around. Anyway, we go outside and my mare ambles right over to the gate to be haltered up and led. Some of the other horses are prancing around in their pens and my instructor had a whip to shake at them to keep them from reaching out to my mare (presumably biting) The path is fairly narrow and I unfortunately let my mare get ahead of me. All of a sudden she took off running and the lead rope was ripped out of my hands. I don't know if one of the other horses got too close or if she saw the whip and decided to get the heck out of Dodge, but off she went. Fortunately the path ends where one of the pens is closely adjacent to the barn so she didn't get very far. My instructor very matter of factly caught her and handed her back to me.

I was rattled. You see, most of the time when I exit the lower barn (different door than where the pens are) I let her walk out to the end of the rope ahead of me so I can close the barn door. What if she had spooked one of those times? She conceivably could have really gotten away. I'd been told she was an escape artist but she has always seemed so docile that I guess I got complacent. I finally get the message that horses can be unpredictable and will do stuff for no reason.

When I went into the arena for my lesson I told my instructor that I was not feeling very confident. She had me ride in a large circle, concentrating on using my upper body and legs to control the horse, not the reins. We eventually started doing it at the trot where, amazingly, I felt more secure in what I was doing. The lesson ended on a very positive note.

So all's well, wouldn't you think? I went to bed about 12:30, read for an hour as usual and turned off the light when I started to doze. Boom, I'm instantly wide awake. I lay there for about a half hour before turning the light back on. I finally fell asleep with my book in my hand and woke up about 5:30 to turn off the light. Did go back to sleep but got up at 7:30. So what's that, about five hours of sleep? I'm an eight or nine hour kind of gal. What's bothering me? Guilt for what might have happened. No one blamed me and my instructor and I had a really good talk about what I could have done to prevent the runaway from happening.

I will get over it, I always do, but damn. I wonder if an anti-anxiety pill would help?

Musings on Marriage

2011-01-22T12:58:00.002-09:00

It’s not so much my coworkers as it is their ability to talk that annoys me. Swiped from Shoebox

A partial entry from Jon
I've never known a genuinely happily married couple (this has nothing to do with Janet and the soldier). Most of the couples I know are either divorced or completely miserable. Or have been "happily" married four or five times.

Oh, sure, a few of tham fake being happy. If you examine the fake ones closely, you'll discover that they have begun to look like each other and act like each other and are strangely unable to function without each other. It's scary.

This is reality as he sees it. I, however, believe there are exceptions. My husband and I have been married for 35 years. Making it work at times has been the hardest thing I've ever done in my life. Has it been worth it? Well, that depends on how I feel on any particular day. I think there are pros and cons to both marriage and being single. I copied the observation about talking co-workers as that is how I feel some days. I am shouting, "Shut up, shut up, shut up" inside my head. I don't care or am not in the mood to hear the current rant. Then there are days when I feel like when we first met - so much in love that my heart overflows. So yeah, maybe some days I'm faking being happy but not always. I'm positive it works both ways as I'm not as perfect as I'd like you to believe.

Jon's probably right in that learning to live in harmony with another person does create the illusion of being joined at the hip. You learn to compromise and pick your battles and if you didn't agree on the majority of life's issues, why in the heck are you together in the first place? I suppose some enjoy and even seek out conflict but that is not my ideal relationship. As you get older you do become more dependent on your partner and your household roles become more fixed. I dust and vacuum - he plows the snow and fixes the cars. We both cook and wash dishes. What works for us may not for other couples. I also want to add that we both have separate interests that we pursue without the other. My husband is bored to tears at the idea of riding a horse around and around a ring. I refuse to ride on the back of his Harley, although that is how we initially met. I know he would love for me to ride along but I can't get past the the crappy road conditions and insane drivers in Alaska. I probably would ride if we were still in California.

I'm sure we've all known or heard of widows or widowers who become practically immobile when their partner dies. Is it the loss of the individual or the complete lifestyle adjustment that causes this? I don't know but it's sad either way. I believe if you have a positive outlook you can soldier through almost anything.

This is getting way too long. Had a so-so riding lesson yesterday. The mare kept trying to yank the reins out of my hands. The kid who mucks the stalls had observed earlier how strong she is. One of these days she's going to yank me over her head and boy, will I be sorry.

The Birds Are Back

2011-01-20T14:58:00.000-09:00

Lots and lots of chickadees and a nuthatch or two have reappeared at my bird feeders. We also had two Stellar jays begging for peanuts today.

The black dots in the trees are Bohemian Waxwings. This is only a few of the giant flock that flew through the neighborhood. I wish I'd had the camera out in time to take a picture of them in flight. It's eerily like the movie The Birds.

It snowed a couple of inches last night and we're getting sporadic flakes today. Just enough to set the budgies off into "The Sky is Falling" chittering.

Had another great riding lesson on Monday. I actually trotted without stirrups and kept a fairly decent seat. I only messed up once by raising the reins too high and of course the mare "told" on me immediately by heading for the center of the ring. But, I was able to fix everything without being told to by my instructor. I finally seem to know what I should be doing, now just to actually do it. Will be interesting to see if tomorrow goes as well.

This Is Hard

2011-01-18T12:05:00.000-09:00

I've received my first blogging award from JJ at The Joy of Horses. Since I'm pretty much computer inept I'm not sure if I can even follow rule #1 (the linking portion) Thank you, JJ. I feel all Sally Fieldish (you like me! etc.)

The rules are as follows:

1. Thank and link back to the person who awarded you this award

2. Share 7 things about yourself

3. Award 15 recently discovered great bloggers

4. Contact these bloggers and tell them about the award!

So, seven things, hmm.

1. I'm not stylish in any fashion-related sense, hence my love for hanging out at the barn. Grubby clothes and no make-up is my element.

2. I'm a breast cancer survivor who for the most part is in denial that it ever happened. Two years out of my life was spent dealing with it and now I just want to move forward.

3. I love to read which is why I spend so much time on my computer reading blogs. I find your life stories fascinating. I read anything in print but I guess fantasies, mysteries and horse-related books are what I mainly read right now.

4. I would love to own acreage. Not necessarily to be a farmer or rancher, but to have peace and quiet.

5. I am both a dog and cat person. My husband doesn't like cats, plus we have birds, so I make do with the barn cats. One of them follows me everywhere, probably because I give him treats.

6. The barn where I ride only offers English disciplines. I harbor a secret desire for the bling of Western. Silver saddles make me swoon.

7. I hope to be able to enjoy the company of horses for many years to come.

I'm not sure if I can come up with 15 "recently discovered" bloggers as I've been reading some of you for quite a while, but here we go (again with the linking - ack!) I also want to apologize in advance if any of you are award free blogs. Sorry if I've offended.

In no particular order I award:

1. The 7MSN Ranch
2. Morning Bray Farm
3. Rising Rainbow Arabians
4. Nuzzling Muzzles
5. Painted Promise Ranch
6. Girl Plus Horse
7. 50 Plus Horses
8. Dressage Mom
9. Green n Green = Black n Blue
10. Grey Horse Matters
11. Hidden Haven Homestead
12. Forty Pound Sack
13. Home On The Range
14. Lone Star Concerto
15. Pamibe

Edited to add - Okay, so it's taken me a couple of days to figure out how to do links. I haven't even had time to read your blogs. I have to go run errands so will try to notify everyone later.

One More Thing

2011-01-15T11:49:00.000-09:00

I mentioned how elated I was at standing in the stirrups holding my arms extended to the side. Yesterday I overheard some of the young women laughing about when they were going over jumps without stirrups or reins. I couldn't quite discern if they were being condescending to some of the other riders who were listening or just sharing a memory. If this were junior high I would be green with jealousy and aspiring to join their ranks. Now I just smile to myself and take pride in what I'm able to achieve.