I'm almost ready

Just back from my first shopping day for the holidays.  I got my mom's birthday present at Lucy and then went to get the items I need to start putting together my holiday gifts for this year.  I better get started, instead of looking at blogs.

Christmas Spirit

Every year I say I am going to make hand made gifts for the holidays and even though I get a few done I don't get them all finished.  This year I am going to try and have a better plan.  My sister started a new idea this year to do more like a White Elephant kind of thing so we do not have to get so many gifts.  I agreed that it is really tough to buy everyone a gift that is thoughtful yet not budget breaking.  I was all for drawing a name and then finding a gift for that person, so I could put some thought in it.  Everyone else wants to play that game where you can take a gift or steal one that is open, me no like that.  The rules are that we can only spend twenty dollars and it needs to be for the kitchen.  I was kind of not into it until I thought, I could make that fruit and veggie tote I have a pattern for, include some handmade dishcloths and kitchen scrubbies.  Then I thought what great things to make for my friends.  They will love that.  So now all of the sudden I am in to it and ready to get started!  So excited.  My other goals this season are to make some pretty cookies and to take some special Christmas pictures of my horses.  When I fist got Ellie, my Christmas card always involved her in a Santa hat, then I did it when I got Pilgrim.  That pony of mine though, he might be a little tough about it, but he is going to have to make his Santa debut too.  

Back In the Saddle Again

Yeah!  I had a baby shower for my friend and coworker Sarah yesterday.  I have been very consumed lately in getting ready for the shower.  She is such a wonderful person, I wanted things to be just perfect.  It was a great time.  Just love watching someone open all of those sweet baby gifts.  Anyway, Ellie is recovered from her freak accident a few weeks ago.  A stray dog, attacked her in the pasture.   One of her back legs got bit up pretty bad.  The dog did not fair to well.  We heard he did get better, but he did suffer life threatening injuries.  Luckily Ellie's wounds were superficial, but she stocked up pretty badly a day after the whole thing.  The vet had me rest her, just to make sure it was all normal swelling from the trauma.  She has faired well, and now I am eager to get ready for my first schooling show in a long time.  The plan is for Kasey and I to load her in the trailer and take her for a drive.  We need to see how the boys will do when they are left behind.  Pilgrim seems to really be attached to Ben now, so hopefully they will keep each other company and get over her not being there.  At the same time, I have to hope that she will get over having to leave her boys.  Before I had the boys, I could take her anywhere.  The only test I have done this summer is riding back down the road.  That she does not mind that so we will have to see.  I have a goal and now it is up to me to make sure I do the things necessary to accomplish it. 

Get out the foot spa

My career is devoted to being a Registered Nurse.  Lately as a result of our poor economy and a new hospital built very close to the hospital I work at, my employer has been in the RED!  My job has almost become un-do-able, if such a word.  I come home after my forever shift and I am utterly exhausted, emotionally and physically.  We have suffered cut back after cut back.  I guess it is nice to have job where they need you, but now they have decided we can just work a whole heck of a lot harder to try and save money.  I have turned into this psycho nurse, in my opinion, it is hard to not start laughing when everything goes a rye.  Tonight despite all of my efforts to stay totally focused and get all caught everything fell apart at the end.  That meant I had to stay an extra hour to try and set some things right.  Kasey is out of town, so the horses were crazy mad when I got home.  I cleaned stalls as fast as I could just to try and please them.  Now I am here alone and have no one to rant to, so I have blogged it.  Whew, guess I feel better.  Better get to bed so I can do it all again tomorrow.  I think I deserve a Starbucks in the morning.

Are we there yet?

I have been thoroughly obsessed with getting the house ready for my friend Sarah's baby shower on Sunday.  I cannot say I have been the best life partner lately.  Kasey is being rather understanding considering my ability to be psycho lately.  My mom came over today and helped me with some cleaning.  I thought it would be overwhelming but instead I feel like things are getting there.  I still have not been able to put together my dream Martha Stewart inspired craft room, full of organized items and crafty little ways of storing them.  It was all coming down to the wire and I do not want to rush the process, so I am going to work on this room after things are set for the party.  The only bummer is that I wanted to have very clever decorations made by me, take pictures and have something to blog about.  We will have to see what I come up with.  

I am trying again

I stopped blogging just as quickly as I had started it.  I am going to start up again as of today. We will have to see how it goes.  Over the last few months we have accomplished a major house remodeling.  In the beginning, new flooring and painting didn't seem major to me, but now I know that this was a major undertaking.  There is still a lot to do, but things are the most functional they have been.  The new horse on the block, Bentley has finally assimilated into the herd, he eats carrots and is getting bigger every day.  Ellie my gray mare is patiently awaiting my focus to no longer be on the house, and Pilgrim, my gelding has really found his place.  So now as things move into fall hopefully I will have good news about horse riding and training, knitting projects and most important of all our wedding plans.  

Exhausted

This has been a quick weekend.  I spent most of my time watching rides at a clinic and then I rode my Ellie.  We did really good this time.  It just keeps getting better.  I was so inspired by everyone getting their horses out and taking them over to Meg's, our vets beautiful arena, that  I am going to work hard to make sure Ellie and I can do that too.  It is fun to see everyone's different saddles and bridles also different types of horses.  Just love it!  I also had lessons with Ben and Pil.  I am not sure why I get into less trouble with Ellie, but I just do things that irritate Ben and Pil and they act out.  I guess  it will take some reflection, but I am more than willing to improve.  Then after all of that, I went to Kyle, my nephew's first birthday party.  He really enjoyed his presents, especially the cards that played music.  The weather was much nicer than we have had.  I made him a banner and it looked really cute on the green canopy my mom set up.  Good weekend, but I am tired and ready to go to sleep.  

Money well spent

Went on a little tack shop shopping spree today.  Stopped and talked with my favorite dressage shop owner today and picked up a few finds.  I have riding lessons this weekend and we have not had nice enough weather for me to wash my saddle pad and dry it in the sun.  Ellie is so fat right now that I am sure if I accidently shrunk it in the dryer it would not fit her. SOOOO... I got this really cool fleece works pad that has a really nice fleece liner that you can remove.  It came with two pads, so I shall never have this problem again.  I also treated myself to some new gloves that are proving quite effective.  Although I did have a great ride on my trust Ellie Bean, I took some pictures with Bentley, the new baby.  He is so fun to chase around and watch him snort and play.  This is post running around.  One goal is to someday learn how to properly photograph horses.  I have such beautiful ponies that I am so proud of, but I can never take pictures that capture their beauty!

It has been a long week and I think today is Monday.  I was suppose to work this weekend, but had to call in due to a bad head cold.  I feel much better.  It is hard to work 12 hour shifts and get little sleep plus feel crappy.  I have found that patients can always pick up on when you are sick and they instantly comment on it, like how dare you try and make me sicker!  It is a hard decision every time for me when I call in though.  I always feel I am letting my  team down.  Anyway, Kasey is rearing to go this morning.  We are getting our house ready for new hardwood floors and that means we have to pretty much move out of it.  I did my knitting room last week and now we are hitting the office today.  It was hard to see how much yarn I have and how I still feel like I don't have enough.  Seeing all of the bins stacked up by the door made me feel as though I might qualify for an Oprah segment.  This year I have been on a yarn diet, no more yarn until a few of these projects get finished.  It is going to tough now that I have joined ravelry.  But I must be practical.  Recently I purchased my future dressage dream horse, and he really has humbled me financially.  I have this wonderful mare named Ellie, who is not the most talented dressage horse, but she is a great beginners horse.  A grey thoroughbred that is sort of calm and takes care of me.  When  I started nursing school, my vet talked me into a horse that was badly injured on the racetrack and needed a home.  That is Pilgrim.  He is beautiful, but humans have not been kind to him and he can freak out about the slightest thing.  He is very attached to Ellie, and I have not been able to take her anywhere without him for years!  Thus the reason I just got Bentley a 2 year old Welsh Cob Thoroughbred cross.  The plan is for Ben to stay with Pil and Ellie and I to go and do our thing while Ben grows up and gets older, then Pil can have Ellie all to himself... retirement I guess.  So far the plan has not worked.  After Ellie and Pil beat up Ben and I had to pay several vet bills, they are all peacefully separated in the same field by a hot, hot, fence.  The saga continues, we will have to see if this works.  Guess I should write smaller entries, more often!

My first posting

This is my first posting on my blog.  I have admired so many others that I finally decided to try this out.  Today is drizzly and cool out, so sitting inside trying to figure this out seems like the perfect thing to do.  Bentley (pictured), Ellie and Pilgrim are my three horses.  They have been enjoying being out mostly every day with fresh green grass to eat.  I guess they can handle a day inside, but I can tell they are disappointed.  Sounds like the love of my life really wants to go see the new Indiana Jones movie, I better get going and make sure this happens!