to do list

I found late last night (text) I am off today!
So I turned off my alarms, and went back to sleep.

Today my to do list is long but I may have to do only one thing..... RIDE my little boy and do ground and back exercises with my little girl.

BUT I will try to get this all done.

1. Unload oven stove drawers.  (two eyes dead, and now the oven has died) replacement on the way at some point this week. 
2. Take extra large trash bags to barn and pick up around.  hay strings, rice and corn oil containers, and busted buckets.
3. Take Navarre for a ride.
4. Work with Sweet Pea...
5. Take load trash into truck.
6. Take truck to trash drop.
7. Start putting together solar heat for water container I am building this winter for NEXT winter!
8. Put more of my dried food supply into more mason jars.
9. clean out my closet!
10. Lay out clothes for work tomorrow! going in very early!

Stiff....

Navarre has been stiff every sense our last ride.  I have not allowed him to be out as much in order to cut back on his grass/sugar intake. 

My mare has been in heat so when she is prime she doesn't defend her food, thus allowing Navarre to eat her left overs, and causing him issues.

It is mostly his right hind leg that is very stiff. 
I am trying stretch exercises from the ground AND backing request working the leg in a different direction.

I will let you know how it works out.

My love to the world.
Aegf

FINALLY a GREAT DAY!

I know... Life happens... The cold of winter has to hit at some point!

I have been in a funk sense my Aunt passed away.  Yes I had to take off work, then yes I kicked myself in the tuckus and hop back on the train of life.

BUT ... today I had that PERFECT ride that finally made life seem colorful again.
Yesterday strong north western winds blew into town and took down all the leaves that had decent color.    It didn't matter today!

I got a call from work that I wasn't needed today! Which is always a double edge blade.  One no hours means no pay.  TWO it wasn't planned so I couldn't possibly get everything done I could want to.....

I did in fact take the day for me.
to extend facts... I sit here still smelling like a horse on my leather sofa and still don't care!

I have yet to take off my riding boots, full seated pants, or even my bright shirt I use for visibility on the roads. 

Navarre and myself at the driveway to the barn.

I walked down the mountain with Navarre responding to my every leg command.  We were passed by large trucks, even a bucket cable truck twice he didn't care... didn't flinch... he did however smell the trash cans along the way.  But again quickly responded when my leg got too close to a mail box or two.  It was nice.


we are headed back up to the barn on the estate.
 

I trotted up the mountain and even let him get into third gear... if you know what I mean for just a minute till he wanted back on the pavement!   Even with his fully padded feet I do not want shin splints etc... to deal with.

What a PERFECT ride feels like~!
 

My hubby was at the drive waiting on us as we made it back to the barn!

He brought supplies I needed to finish my insulation box for the water!

What a perfect ride looks like to me.! as I ride! quite only the sound of his feet...  full of color and dabbled like an oil painting!
 

at this point it was ALMOST done... now it is...

 

I finally got it done! But at this point I could care less because I had such a great ride on my little boy!

Then as normal... you see hair flying! Navarre rolling in dirt! above!


WR Prince Navarre brought me back to life today!
Life is finally brighter!

My love to the world...
Aegf.







Holey crap.

Oh dear.....

The WIND is so bad... my finger tips would not work my phone. 

Rushing home to WARM blankets and boil water for horses.... Oh how the wind burns.   Didn't expect that so early.

Typing as old red warms up.

Coffee Club.

Well in my younger years life revolved around the table.  My favorite table was at Nannie and Paw Paws and it (the table) didn't start life as a table.  It was a door my Paw Paw (maternal grandfather) had attached to a kitchen cabinet, a wall, and made a leg at the end thus extended the head with an arch, then had it covered in green Formica like everything else in those days.
It was early early Saturday mornings when my Uncle JL and Uncle Charles would show up to eat, drink, and visit with Nannie and Paw Paw.  A brother of each! an extension of the family ... it was always family back then.

Uncle JL who we called Uncle Jake... Always brought candy sticks.  Chix Sticks... of which I have not seen in years.  He sat with his back to the wall turned sideways to see the entire room.

Uncle Charles sat next to him and the younger would come and go as they moved through the house for this or that.  Aunt Gale, Carol, and Dickie as they got up and going.  I was the tag along at or below the age of five in those days.

The younger ones disappeared before I knew it.
It was Saturday mornings with just the adults...
JL was the first to go.
Uncle Charles took his chair!
Uncle Charles was the corner stone family/ visitor from "the city" He would do his dabbling at the farm and head to have lunch with Aunt Wilda whom he always called Rose... his Rose...

Uncle Charles got to where he didn't come as much.  But Aunt Gale with the boys grown now took his chair.  But instead of just Saturdays it was Monday through Saturday.  Sundays ... Well Paw Paw was gone before any of us got up to turn the heat or air on at the church before we got up.

For years it was just Nannie, Paw Paw, Aunt Gale and myself.

We lost Paw Paw...
We lost Nannie...
and now I've lost Aunt Gale.

So I stopped by a waffle house bar seat on the drive home to North Carolina.  All the servers were wearing Pink Breast Cancer support T-Shirts, Old men flank me on each side, my requested hot water with lemon was handed to me in a heavy porcelain mug. Which made me smile (as my Paw Paw would ONLY drink from these heavy mugs.)  I order my food but ask them to hold my bread that goes with my meal (I can't eat it anyway no need to waste it).  I eat my food thinking of the time Gale set up for one of her best friends to be a fast order cook at a waffle house one day.  Fulfilling a dream of his... and hers just doing something good for someone she really cared about.  This alone was making me not be able to breathe. 

She asked me if I wanted my coffee to go?
I asked if they put coffee on hold for those who need it.  We do she said... but so rarely!
Just put the coffee and toast on hold for someone who needs it I said.
I haven't charged you for the coffee she said... Go ahead! Charge me for it and leave it on hold.

Then the tears were out of control... I had to get myself together so I could pay my bill and get the heck out of dodge.

It was at that moment I the seed was planted in my mind for my new coffee club. 

I no longer have my personal group that could solve all the worlds problems in one sitting.  But I can only hope to grow the coffee share/ hold group by others pre paying for someone else's coffee and the business giving it to someone who can't afford it! 

These practices are typical in a LARGE city... but we as humans need to spread this practice to the rest of the world.... local.... and let it grow! http://www.coffeesharing.com/

You can help several ways... pre pay and allow the waitress or barista control who it goes to...( This is what I did Sunday on my drive home, and yesterday on the streets of Asheville.)  OR use your own business card and attach the receipt to the card. 

The point is... it just makes someone's day better.

I have chosen my coffee bar! I have talked to the owner!  I can pre pay... have the person who rings me up sign my receipt... I sign my receipt and I am free to give it to anyone I want!  They in return can take my employee signed receipt and my scribble on it and cash it in for what ever I paid for that day.

I am so cheap I take my own coffee to work!
So this is a big deal for me, as I will now have to save the change from each paycheck, along with what ever is not rounded to the nearest five dollars and I will use it once a week so it will never be more than $4.99 to give to a homeless person in town (Asheville)   I may even save them up for all I know!

My point is I will be able to afford a small breakfast treat and a coffee from some of my checks while others I will be lucky to pay for the coffee alone.  Luckily the bar I have chosen serves toast; a little something to put in their stomachs!

It is all something my Aunt Gale would do if she were me... being the last one in the coffee club... not having that coffee club meeting anymore but making sure the spirit of it continues! My Nannie and Paw Paw... Well.... please.... they never let anyone leave their home hungry so all these fit into what is missing in my life! 

NOW...  I can only ask that when you read this ... and next you purchase a coffee... ask if they share coffee's  or if they hold coffee's for those who can't afford it!  Just ASK!!!! You may start a trend that you enjoy more than Christmas.   Knowing that you brightened someone's day with a warm cup to put their hands around on a cold winter morning.  Knowing that if you add just an egg or toast ... it may be their meal for the day!  Life is about living... but it is just as much about giving!

I am not asking for you to give because of me!   But I am asking that you give or share in memory of my Aunt Gale... and all the people you always want to give too but refuse to hand them money.  DON'T but you could tell them where they can get a warm coffee and possibly more on you!

Especially if you work it out with the coffee house like I did so they can't just get a receipt out of the trash etc...

Navarre... my wonderful little fat boy had such a great day... running bucking... and out on grass twice today.  This is not what his life has always been.  Now that we have such a great feed he can afford to have a little grass and be a natural horse twice a day as their feed soaks, I put out hay, and clean up their messes from the day.

My little Sweet Pea with one of her best friends...

 

She loves for this young lady to pet, brush, lead, and entertain her!

It is a great day that we all have time together!

Sun is out and expected to be a decent.... life is good... horses are happy ... and I am staring to recover from the loss of a dear sweet Aunt.  The one person in all my life that did not try to teach me any lessons but was there for me at any point at any time. 

 

It was a good day today...



Eurica... just started my new coffee club

Random photo... but just shared my first cup of coffee for my NEW coffee club!  It feels good... For those who have always known me this is a big deal. For those who don't... I'll fill you in as soon as I get home to a computer.

 

This is the coffee shop I used this morning!   More to come as time and money allow me to share with more people and more coffee houses...  

 

 

This is a lovely little park where several without stay during the day.   As you can see in this photo this is also a great place for dog walkers, lovers, and the lonely!!!!!

 

I will post my explanation first thing in the morning... I am still trying to put it all into words.

 

 

A beautiful morning.

I sit above my barn; no sun but no rain.  It was just dry enough to sit on a rock and watch the kids as they eat. 

No running around like crazy today they are both alert and watchful, so large animals must be near by.

 As you can see... I've thrown out hay and their feed is soaking! I always soak their feed come fall and winter I try to take hot water to allow them a nice hot meal for breakfast and dinner.

 

 

A quiet end.

I sit above my barn, watching the horses graze, hearing the woodpecker somewhere behind me.   Life is sweet; sour and even painful at times.   I am thankful it has been a good day for me, one day at a time trying to enjoy my horses and the quiet of this little plot.  I am VERY thankful of the simplicity of this little place. 

 

 

The morning started late today... my shadow long, and my horses out to pasture.

 

I am allowing the horses out more and more each time I go feed.  It makes my day longer but it also gives me time to breathe deep, think quietly, and allow myself some me time.

 



The view this morning from the front pasture looking back up to the barn, gate open, horses out and about.

 

My sweet little girl, just after having her rain coat taken off.  It was a beautiful sunny day and horses need the sun as much as we do.  Besides I do not want her blanketed all the time as she rarely gets a winter coat and a blanket only slows it coming in as well. 

 

The blanket, washed on sanitize setting ... re sprayed is now out on the line to dry....

 

Fat boy... my sweet boy... is out and about this morning eating like a rhino and pushing everything around he can find.

 

 

Soft easy morning.

Very little to say.

My horses are good thanks 2 a neighbor.

My little girl is pissy.   Where is my food mom?

My fat boy content..