Ice Day with my family

Yesterday was an ice day for us. We Texans ain't used to that slick stuff. You northerns can keep it! LOL Not really. I enjoyed it. David, Amanda and I kicked back, watched TV and enjoyed the fireplace. Amanda and I even got some reading done on our Twilight books. I am on book one and she is on book three.

It was very nice just to kick back and chill. We don't do much of that on weekends. David with his cars, Amanda with her friends or homework and me with my horsey friends. I say ice days and rainy days are God's way of making a family hang out together once in a while.

We did venture out about 5:20pm. Amanda and I went to feed Summer, get gas, and then picked up some Mexican food for dinner. David ventured out too. He fueled his truck and picked up some more fire wood.

I really enjoyed my family ice day.

David has the flu but I still went riding this weekend

Last Thursday, David had to come home as our septic system was backing up into the shower. He came home and my dad came over with a 35 foot septic snake. Luckily, they fixed it.

Not long after however, David called me and said he wasn't feeling well. Might be coming down with a cold. Friday morning we woke up and he was REALLY sick. So I dug out all kinds of cold medicine and such for him then I went to work. I came home from work and he was sicker than a dog. Amanda and I went to Walgreens and I bought more cold medicines and two boxes of Air-Born. I am making Amanda and I take Air-Born everyday and making David take three doses a day as well. Saturday and Sunday he stayed sick. Sunday though, he was a tiny bit better, but not much. This morning he decided he was going to work. He made it to work and an hour later his body told him it wasn't done being sick. I made him a doctor appointment and he has the flu. Now this is a guy who didn't want to go to the doctor! They gave him antibiotics and sent him home. I am just praying that his stubbornness doesn't make Amanda and I sick. Course I am being a little selfish, I want to go ride this weekend weather permitting, I DO NOT want to be sick.

Saturday was way to cold to do anything outside. At least it was to me. So I stayed in, cleaned house and played nurse maid to David. Sunday I met Liz at the Rocky Creek trails at Benbrook to ride. Mary surprised us by coming as well. After about 5 miles out, Liz went back as Shelby wasn't having a good day. Mary and I continued to the end of the trail and then headed back. We did 16 miles and it was real nice. Summer was a good girl, well, for the exception of a few unnecessary spooks, but nothing I couldn't sit, at least this time. She and I even cantered a bit by ourselves and she was really good. I usually don't canter her by ourselves as she inevitably finds something to spook at, which usually always unseats me. Now, I don't come off the horse, I just usually loose my seat and end up hanging onto her in an odd way. One stirrup lost, one rein dropped and hugging her neck so I don't hit the ground. LOL

Tracey and I may take a couple of our friends to Six-O this weekend. Don't know which day yet and weather permitting. I sure hope the weather cooperates! We shall see...

TTFN

Update on Mia

Mia is doing good. She is still comfortable and the hole on the side of her head has healed some but not completely. The pus (from the cancer I guess) is still draining out of it. It isn't too gross and is just a little bit that drains, not a whole lot. She does let me clean it up. I am still giving her that high powered antibiotic for the infection. David wants to keep her on it for quite sometime. He thinks it might be helping some and I think he is right. She had her last cortizone shot 17 days ago and is still doing real good so I haven't had to start her on the pills yet. She is still acting like our old Mia. Or should I say our unsick Mia, since she is only 4 years old. She is still loving, playful and can be a little terror to our Chihuahua, Tigger sometimes.

New President

President Barack H. Obama. I didn't vote for him. But I do understand the magnitude of the first black president, with some folks correcting me and saying "by-racial" president. Which I think is even more historical. I saw some older black folks on TV last night and they were celebrating and crying. I could almost feel their pride and their joy. They got to see, in their life time what they thought they would never get to see. The trials and tribulations they endured that the younger generations will never know first hand.

My problem with him is, I just still don't agree with some of the company he was associating with. My momma always told me, "you are judged by the company you keep." And then the comment that Michelle made (finally proud to be an American). Finally proud to be an American? Come on Michelle... didn't you go to Princeton and then to Harvard Law? WOW, I wish I could afford to go there, and I am still proud to be an American. Next time girl, just think before you speak.

I do pray for him and pray that he does have the best interest for our country in his heart. I pray that God has His hand on him and his family. I pray that God guides President Obama in the right direction, which ever direction God deems as right.

And on the comment that the Rev. made "White will embrace what is right". Yes, I too was a little offended, but when I stop and think about it, he marched with Dr. Martin Luther King, so he too is one that endured the hatred and brutality of that era. And he too dealt with the sadness when Dr. MLK was assassinated. I am thinking he is speaking of the whites that still violently hate different colors of skin, and just "embrace what it right" which is the love of ALL mankind as God would have it, no matter the color of skin. But that is just my opinion. Maybe he did mean something else. Only he and the Lord knows. But I must believe that he meant what "I" think he meant and not let it eat at me like it is eating at others.

God bless America and keep His hand on us.

Interesting day yesterday for my mom

June 6th, 1976, my grandfather passed away. He was not my mother's biological father, but he was more of a dad to her than her own father. Grandpa became my mom's dad when she was 5 years old. He had a son from a previous marriage that my mom never met nor talked to. Grandpa allowed Larry to be adopted by his (Larry's) step father at a very young age. We don't know the history between grandpa and his first wife. Yesterday, mom got a phone call from grandpa's son. His son (Grandpa's biological grandson) started researching grandpa. He found Granny's obituary and found mom. Larry is not much older than mom, just turning 60 years old himself and lives in Virgina. He e-mailed some current photos of himself to mom and she forwarded them to me. I wondered if he looked like Grandpa. He is the spitting image of him. Grandpa died when I was 7 and I adored that man. I am not going to post his photo on this site. I don't think that would be appropriate right now. But I hope that they continue to stay in touch and I hope Larry learns what a wonderful man his father really was.

Very nice weekend with horses, family and friend

Friday, I took a vacation day. I was going to go to the Rocky Road TTC, but other financial obligations came about and I stayed home. But that was okay, I got a couple of new trails at the barn cut and marked. Summer was really good about ground tying when I was cutting trail on foot and real good about finishing the trail off her back. Course she is usually a pretty good trail working horse. However, coming back into the barnyard, the wind was blowing and she is was in heat so she gave me a little fit but nothing that was too dangerous, just not acting her normal self.

Saturday, my mom came over and she, Amanda and I went shopping and out to eat. It was real nice. I don't think she has ever come over without dad and it has been a while since just us three girls spent the day together. After she went home, Amanda and I went to the barn and cleaned up trash off the trails for about an hour and a half.

Sunday, Summer and I met Liz and her horse Shelby out at Benbrook and we rode about 4 hours. It was a wonderful day. The horses did great, Liz's pain has really subsided since she had her hip surgery. We haven't ridden together, just she and I, in a very long time. It was nice just getting to visit and really catch up on stuff. Shelby and Summer pace real well. Summer is usually not the type of horse that cares if she is in front or in back, which is great for Shelby as she likes to take the lead and not let anyone pass her. But even she did good when Liz put her behind Summer for a bit. She didn't get upset like she might normally do. So that gave Liz a good ride without a big ol' arguement with Shelby. Could be though, because they are half sisters and were raised in a pasture together as youngin's. Who knows. I just know it was a real nice day of riding and I am glad it started and ended well.

Here is a pic of Summer (right) and Shelby (left):

Update on Mia, NATRC 2008, and stuff...

Well, Mia is starting to act a little icky again. Must be time for another cortizone shot. Night before last she was able to get the little boot off of her foot. I felt so sorry for her that I let her go without it for that night and yesterday. When David got home, she had scratched that large scab off of the side if her cheek/face. It wasn't as bad as you would have thought though. So I let her go without the boot until about 8:30pm last night. What is odd is that she won't walk on her foot. She hops around three legged. But I check her foot and she can splay her toes and and bend her foot, she just doesn't want to walk on it and gets upset if you touch it. Anyway, I rewrapped it last night, finished getting the scab off her face, cleaned her up with the solution the doctor gave me and sprayed the cortizone spray on her. She did real good. She did eat some treats last night and I can tell she ate some hard food last night as well. But I just think it is time for another shot.

On NATRC, our mini convention is the first weekend of next month and I am a little excited. I am going to be staying with Kate and Becky, and I know I will have fun. Those two are a hoot! If you have been keeping up with my posts then you might know that awhile back I posted that I had calculated the year end points and it looked like Summer and I was going to tie in second place in the team awards with George and his horse Beau, well we did!!!!! In the individual placings, Beau came in second and Summer came in third and in horsemanship, I came in second and George came in third, but our points combined were the same which tied us. Plus Summer got Novice/CP High Point Tennessee Walker. So we will be bringing home 4 awards. I know that it is not as good as some folks accomplishments, but I am real proud of us, and that is all that matters.

I am taking tomorrow off as a vacation day. I was going to go to the Texas Trail Challenge at Parrie Haynes http://texastrailchallenge.com/ but other financial obligations came up so I am not going. On a good note though, tomorrow is supposed to be beautiful, so I am going to go to the post office in the morning, go to the DMV, then head out and go work the trails most of the day. I am excited because I enjoy working and marking trails at the barn. I like doing it alone because it gives me some reflection time and time to spend alone with Summer, which makes for good bonding time. With all the foliage in hybernation right now, you can really see the horse trails, so I want to take those and make them into riding trails. I hope all turns out like I plan, with the fuel prices back on the rise and the economy sinking, riding in the pasture may be all that we can afford in the near future, you just never know.

New Years, wasted a beautiful day, and Mia

New Years: Went to a party with the husband. Had a pretty good time. Drank too much, ate good food, everyone acted like fools, and I kissed David at midnight. Took me a bit the next day to get out of bed, but I was able to go riding with Tracey at the barn. Course we didn't go out until 4pm. (smile) I don't think I could have done any earlier. Fact of the matter was, I wasn't too bad, but Tracey and I went to Wal Mart to buy air soft BB guns for the barn dogs. The owner gave us permission as those stupid dogs will start play fighting behind your horse when you are riding, or run underneath your horse and that crap has to stop, someone is going to get hurt. And if it is me, we might have a doggie homicide at the barn. I will bring my 9mm instead of the BB gun. I like those dogs, but I am not going to get hurt because they are stupid!

This past Saturday was an absolutely beautiful day. But about 5:30 pm Friday evening, my body decided it was time to invite Mr. Virus in. You know? Mr. Stomach Virus. I am much better today, but spent most of the day Saturday in bed or in my chair in the living room. I was so upset. Almost everyone I knew was out enjoying the weather. Well, my daughter stayed home with me and David spent most of the day at home with me. He only had to leave to work on a friend's car for about an hour.

Mia is still doing the same. If I could weigh her, I would say she has probably gained a little more weight. She is as trained as the dogs now though. When my alarm goes off, she is right by her food and water dish, waiting on her morning bowl of tuna. I have to give her that to get her pill in her, but it is working, so I do not mind.

TTFN