Time Changes and So on....;-)

Oh yeah make a post like that...of course I can just say that I was sick in the head???? LOL. But look at it this way, we were early to the auction yesterday. And boy oh boy did we have a pile of fun.
Sort of like a date day. I bought my honey hamburgers and he bought me a bareback pad--an oldy but goodie. Now I can throw it on Badger and take off for nice short rides in the winter and not mess with a saddle.
We saw so many friends on Sunday and made new ones of course. I was fascinated by two gents from Peru who trained Peruvian Pasos for a living here in the States. 'George' told me in very broken English that he and his cousin would like to come and see our mules. There was a very nasty 'Peruvian' mule at the auction and George rode it bareback for the owners.
We got stuck in an awful place with our truck and trailer, got out of it...and just had a great and fun day.
When we got home hubby asked me if I enjoyed my 'outing' with him. Sure nuf did!

Lately with school we haven't done much together, he has been busy getting things ready for winter and I have been busy working on classes.

Fighting the crud

Morris #2
Originally uploaded by Xena~.

Well I'm done with my first 9 wks of school, got a 98% on the computer software class which makes me smile...I even got a 'good job!' comment from the instructor which means I must have gotten it right.

Tonight I started reading my medical terminology book and actually liked it. Okay but it is clearing up so many things that I hear in the doctor office and never did understand.

Morris, my JRT is getting very excited about an upcoming visit from his bestest friend in the whole wide world--Teslin in another two weeks. Okay right now he is sleeping and probably just thinking doggy thoughts.

I plan to go riding tomorrow even if I have to wear coveralls! I miss it soooo soooo much.

So my rudolph red nose and I are heading to the bed now so I can wake up fresh as a daisy??? haha.
Remember do not turn your clocks back tomorrow nite, Bush signed a law into effect changing the date to the first Sunday in November....

Okay, so what difference does 7 days REALLY make?

Dennis the charmer

Dennis the charmer
Originally uploaded by Xena~.

A beautiful baby face caught in the morning sunlight. Couldn't help it, his eyes are so intensely blue he is so quick to smile and laugh. Not moody like his sister can be, just full of joy and happiness. Oh his sister is a charmer too and I love them so much!
Grandkids are wonderful...

Woke up at 2AM with a horrible sore throat and other onimus symptoms. Fed the wee ones and sent them packing with Grandpa Rich and stayed home ...
I've got some kind of nasty bug...the kind that makes your skin just hurt!

So much for my fun filled weekend with grandkids.
Sigh.

Friday

From this to This
Originally uploaded by Xena~.

I rarely say alot about my grown up kids here, but here goes a short one.

Pictured is my youngest son in 1990 and currently. I have two sons both of which I love so dearly and both who have lives of their own. I am happy for the both of them and of course like any mom, wish to see them more often.
I also realize that not interfering with their personal lives is a good thing.
My oldest son is married to a beautiful woman and they make a wonderful couple. They are coming to visit in a couple of weeks and I am thrilled and can't wait.
One of the toughest lessons I've learned as a parent is to let your kids go when they are ready.
I look back at old picture albums and wish to have some of those days back, but it is not possible.

For my boys--I sure do love you both!

Grey Thursday!

Good morning world. It isn't pretty outside, it is overcast and rather cold and ugly. Flickr is on the fritz this morning so I can't get my 'fix'. I suppose that is okay but late last night I finished my Final Exam Project [I know I hear the applause]. So I was looking forward to working with some pictures I'd taken and getting them posted.
I guess I can always do something constructive like house work! Ewww.
Seeing the eye doctor today and we'll see how 'good' or bad these worn out eyes have gotten over the past two years.
I am off from work today which is a great relief.

Feeling much better

Good Fences Good Neighbors
Originally uploaded by Xena~.

Okay that is boring. 12 hours of sleep. No computer work last nite...and the muscles and the eyeballs feel like they are going to not 'blast' out of my head.

Morris loved the fact that I went to bed after supper and never got back up. This morning I awoke to Morris slurps on my face. He ever so gently notified me that it was morning and he would like to be fed please!

Cold and rainy today...I worked on my calendars for xmas presents...so yeah Ed and Joy, you know what part of your xmas gift is this year already.

I had a good time at the office playing with PS Elements 2. Life at work is so hard.
Sigh.

Give it a Rest

Rest Stop
Originally uploaded by Xena~.

I'm up to my eyeballs in my Final Exam Project. I've really liked this class and the pressure was sort of interesting. I've ordered my next set of text books for the class that starts on the 30th of the month.

I've had a pounding headache now for 3 days. Is it all the computer work? My eyes? Well I have an eye exam on Thursday morning.

Bam Bam...I wish the monsters would stop pounding on my head!

I think I'll go home early today.
Pull the covers over my head...

First snow fall

First snow fall
Originally uploaded by Xena~.

Whoever said that Friday the 13th was unlucky? I never believed it until this one!
Snow, sleet, rain, and high winds produced a real mix of madness around here.

Young geldings got into the wrong pasture along with the 'older' geldings. They all whooped it up and got in with the older mares on PeeWee's. Trees were down, fences were down...Badger and Fred were having a hay day as Cheyenne was playing floozy and enticing the poor fellas.

After many headaches and several mumbled curses, we sorted everyone back to their proper places and had fences back in place.

I did however get a nice walk in yesterday and enjoyed the weather while the sunshine lasted.

Fall by the Creek

Fall by the Creek
Originally uploaded by Xena~.

Today the winds howled and the snow blew as a Northeaster raged through town. Swirls of icy white crystals attacked my face and glasses as I came out of the office. I lifted my face into the wind and felt the cold air hit me...curiously I was not disappointed.
What I mean by that is that I've been dreading the onslaught of winter for the past few weeks, but today I decided to embrace it head on. After all what else am I going to do?

Other news:
I'm working on my final week in my software class. What a whirlwind this has been. I've come away from class with a ton of knowledge or so I think until I have to 'use' it again!
I have my last ride of the season coming up this weekend. I'm prepared to ride in very very cold weather!

Lastly:
I really miss dad. I wished I could have shown him the cover photo I got on Mules and More magazine. That wasn't quite as exciting as getting a featured photo in Endurance News. It would have meant more to me if Dad could have seen it. I'm sure he is nodding his approval from up above...or wherever he may be!

Morris & Me

Morris & Me
Originally uploaded by Xena~.

What does one need in life? A good dog to accompany you anywhere! Morris, the protector, Morris the brave...who runs and hides from squirrels and leaves that are blown off from trees.

I love Morris, he is such a buddy, when he isn't 'holding down the couch' in the living room. One would not want my couch to get up and run off.

Memories of Fall

I love RED!
Originally uploaded by Xena~.

I don't often reminisce about my childhood, but Fall brings out some special memories from then.

I can remember I had a Jr. High School Assignment. A leaf collection. We were supposed to gather fall foliage, press it in wax, and indicate the type of tree it came from.
I brought the assignment home. Mom saw it and embraced it with such enthusiasm that I was shocked. That autumn we went as a family to the Forest Preserve EACH weekend to 'gather' leaves. I can remember all of us walking the trails, mom with a tree book in hand. We'd stop and look for a leaf that we didn't have yet. We'd find it, identify it, and slide the precious leaf inside an encyclopedia book I carried to press it.

Each outing deserved a wonderful picnic and some tag football with my brother and sister--with dad watching. In my memory [now faded with time] it seems as if that fall lingered on forever with the 'Leaf Project'. It was a very happy time.

So today I walked in the woods, and looked up at the maples, red oak, white oak, poplar, ash, hickory...and thought back to that time.

I was so surprised to get my big black binder that I'd turned in with my A grade on it.
I took it home to show mom of course. Imagine her face when she read the teacher's notation under my grade.

Mrs. Rogers
A+ (well done)

Fishing lessons

Tying a hook
Originally uploaded by Xena~.

Of course of fished most of my life. I had no interest in it after a childhood of 'harvesting' fish for winter. I always enjoyed going out on the lake with my Grandmother and just holding a cane pole.
I didn't know how much I'd enjoy it as an adult until this year when we started going out on the Mississippi. Long quiet momments where we sit and have our own thoughts.
Silence with each other is comfortable, broken with a splash and a zipping noise as one of us catches a fish and reels it in.

The scenery is fantastic and the lunch [bologna, cheese, and ritz crackers] are always wonderful. We never leave the river before the sunsets. Hubby knows I just love watching the sun go down over the river.

Yesterday I got a lesson or two in tying a hook onto a line. I don't think I'll ever get it quite the way 'he' does it, but mine stays on just as good as his.

Haha...I didn't lose a hook AND a bobber yesterday!

Cry of the Coyotes

Sunrise Clouds
Originally uploaded by Xena~.

Last nite I was sitting at the computer [doing PowerPoint homework] when the 'yotes started.

One single wail turned into a bark followed by what sounded like dozens of voices. I went to the window and put my ear to the screen.
Chills ran up my spine. They sounded frantic, they sounded as if they were right there in my yard. Morris [the ever faithful JRT] tried to climb into my arms.
The cresendo deepened, echoed off the valley and fell deadly silent only to begin again.

About the 8th time the coyotes did that, I could hear the gelding mules snorting and running.
The mules were safe.
But talk about eerie!

Close to Home in my Heart

Imagine my shock and dismay as I heard a snippit on the radio today about a gunman walking into an Amish school and shooting children in Lancaster....ooops the phone started to ring.

I missed the Lancaster Pennsylvania part and boy my heart went to my throat as there is a Lancaster, WI about 45 minutes from here.
Still, I listened horrified at the thought of ANY school shooting. I anxiously 'googled' the story and refreshed through out the day. My heart saddened deeply as the story unfolded.
Some of my friends know that I live close to Amish communities here and deal with them daily. I felt very somber and very sad and very, very enraged.

Last Friday a young man in Cazenovia [we call it Caz] walked into his Weston High School and killed the principal. Pardon me, but what is wrong with people? What in the h*ll is wrong with people?

I still recall those scary first momments on May 20th, 1988. I was 'chaperoning' my oldest son's class on a field trip...we pulled up in front of Greenbriar School in Northbrook, IL. The principal came trotting out, looking around carefully. I noticed there were no children at recess. The principal informed the busload of children and parents that they were to form a single file and walk quickly and quietly into the school.
I watched him lock the glass front doors behind us. This was the very same grade school that I went to as a child...the doors were always open.
Rumours were whispered that there was a killer on the loose, that a woman had walked into another suburban school and had begun to shoot killing children.
This was the first school shooting that I can recall. Laurie (Wasserman) Dann.
I recall the feeling of being scared and yet I had my children safely with me. I was in my oldest boy's classroom and my youngest son was only 50 feet down the hallway.

So when I hear about school shootings, I get a thumpity-thump in my chest and a feeling of fear 18 years later.

All Things Great and Small

Puff balls
Originally uploaded by Xena~.

Yesterday I spent an hour admiring the little things in life, the itty bitty fungi on the ground, the colorful leaves that have dropped on the forest floor.
Sometimes I feel desperate at this time of fall...as though time is running out...strange isn't it?

So I stop and admire the 'little' things, and capture them on digital and film so during those cold subzero nites I can look at them and say...yes, there is a reason for all this cold and bitterness...
it is to create beauty.

I know--awful deep for an early Sunday morning...but what can I say?