Why Do Thing 1 and Thing 2 Inevitably Lead to Things 3 and 4?

I can't remember if I told you this (I'm pretty sure I didn't), but earlier this year I went to an art show and reception with my mom. Our art teacher had talked us both into entering something, which was a first for me. My dad had a meeting that afternoon, so he couldn't go with us (though he did go with mom later in the week to see our work "on display"). As someone who is completely non-competitive (can a person be anti-competitive??) I wasn't very excited at the prospect, but I did it for our teacher. And oh my, but Jen does a marvelous impersonation of a basket case. Oy. I'd never been to a juried art show before, so I had no idea what to expect. I had visions of people standing around criticizing my painting (it was only my second), laughing at it hysterically and wondering aloud who let the third grader in, or maybe I'd just trip over my own two feet at the reception and go sprawling; another of my call me grace moments (remember this post?). And silly me. Seems I needn't have worried about any of that. I was so doggone busy chasing mom around in circles that I didn't have time to even think about anything else. During the brief time we were there, mom managed to:

1. Dump an entire stack of cups in the punch bowl, then stick her hand in the punch to fish them back out;

2. Spill the cup of punch she finally managed to pour herself down the back of our art teacher's skirt when she gave her a hug;

- And (my personal favorite) -

3. Spend ten minutes digging around in a purse - pulling everything out repeatedly - before announcing in stunned surprise, "Heyyyy... This is not my purse!"

*Facepalm*

Thankfully, said purse belonged to a woman in the art class after ours, so at least it was someone we sort of knew. Even more of a relief? She had a really good sense of humor. I am telling you, by the end of that (mercifully short) reception I was wiped out. Alzheimer's, like so many of the trials we face in this life, often boils down to a laugh or cry scenario (and it's definitely a prayerful one!) In hindsight it's pretty funny, although now that I am facing a second show and reception next week I find myself reevaluating my sense of humor. On second thought...

Anybody want to go with me? 'Cause methinks I'm just a leetle bit scared ;o)
[Photo Inset: The watercolor painting I entered, "Ecclesiastes 3: Summer (Rose of Sharon).]

The conversations I have with my mother throughout the week (normal ones aside) range from tedious to hilarious. It is not always easy to speak in the same calm voice when answering a question for the 33rd time during a single conversation, but I sure do try (though sometimes I take so many deep breaths, I probably sound like an obscene phone call ;o) People with Alzheimer's are easily agitated, and sometimes this agitation can blossom into a major meltdown if you're not able to defuse it. It is incredibly helpful to have a bent sense of humor in such situations, so you can entertain yourself and calm the storm at the same time. I am, of course, a huge fan of multitasking (particularly when it works ;o)

I had the following entertaining conversation with mom the other day on the way home from art class:

Mom: [suddenly agitated] "Jennifer, I don't know where I am."

Me: [calmly] "Of course you do."

Mom: [panicking] "NO! NO! I don't! I don't know! I don't know! I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA WHERE I AM!!"

Me: [still calm] "You're in my car, Mom."

Mom: [annoyed] "Well I know THAT."

Me: [raising a brow] "See? I told you you know where you are silly."

Happily, mom found that observation hysterically funny, and for the rest of the ride she was just fine. Dodged a bullet there, eh? Whew!
[Photo Inset: Not terribly relevant, though it did put me in mind of the song "Bad Moon Rising" which is sort of apt when it comes to the volatility of an Alzheimer's patient. Ha. Taken with my "old" camera. The one I have now doesn't seem to be able to get the job done; I think I need some kind of filter - but quite frankly, I haven't a clue ;o)]

Guess that's all for this week - I'm off to try to shovel out the rest of our guest bedroom (the holidays will be here before we know it - ACK!) Thanks for reading this far, and have a blessed week everyone!

A ('nother) week at warp speed and a failure to photograph

**Coffee and a Doughnut post**

Have you ever noticed that when one thing starts to go wrong, it's often followed by another and another until you find yourself feeling like you're in the middle of a veritable landslide? Methinks I've been avalanched. Again. Maybe I should say Again, Again. Ohhhh the frustration of it all. ARGH! In recent years I've tried, with varying degrees of success, (or failure, depending on your perspective, eh? Ha) to make things as simple as possible for myself. Not always an easy feat, that, since I seem to have a tremendous talent for complicating pretty much everything. I've been told repeatedly by doctors to eliminate stress. Happy to. Piece of cake. Just one itty bitty problem there doc - exactly how do you avoid those stressful situations that are unavoidable? Eh? Of course sometimes (oftentimes?) you just can't. So I go visit my galpal Sandy and decompress :o) Anyhoo, right after school let out DH asked me to postpone my scheduled summer trip to Sandy's until the last week in July, as he had some vacation time that week and wanted to go with me. Faculty was due back on July 31st this year; which is considerably earlier than last year. Although I knew that going to visit my friend so close to the start of school would make things more hectic, I wouldn't have traded that visit for anything! I spent a little (okay, a LOT) more time scrambling when the "big day" (first day for faculty) arrived, but the important thing is that I made it; albeit thoroughly frazzled ;o)
Photo inset: Although the color of the horse may vary, this is my most favorite view in the whole, wide world! We'll call it my happy-happy-happy place *laugh* ;o)

About the time I went back to work/school, DD decided to come home for another (other) visit. Pretty sure I see more of her now than I did when she lived here ;o) Sometime near the end of her stay, during casual conversation, she made a comment along the lines of, "Oh, and I need to give the electric company some money, too...". It was with extreme trepidation that I chose to explore that particular sentence a little more deeply. Taking a deep breath, I asked her if she had actually paid her electric bill. "Wellllllll... I didn't really have enough money to pay it, but I will." "Oh, child of mine..." I thought, "This is NOT going to end well." I explained that the power company would probably not be as nice and understanding as Mr. Landlord has (he has been wonderful, allowing her to split her rent between checks when she didn't have enough to cover it all at once). I told her they would simply cut off her electricity, and it would cost her a small fortune to straighten it all out. I pointed out that having her power cut off in 100 degree weather would be more than inconvenient. For one thing, she would have to pay a hefty fee to have it turned back on. For another, she would lose everything in her refrigerator and freezer; not to mention how disgusting it is to have to clean out a bunch of spoiled food - learned that one compliments of Hurrican Opal who blessed us with 11 days without power and raspberries to that). "Ohhhhhh, wow.", said she. Well.

Didn't I get a text message saying that very thing upon her return home? *facepalm* The long and short of it? (though I think I'm mostly long here ;o) is that after two years of stubborness and self-inflicted stupidity (not to mention a boatload of monetary transfusions from her folks), DD has finally figured out that perhaps she wasn't quite as ready as she thought to move out. Why do we all seem to learn that lesson the hard way? Yeesh. I was happy to learn she wants to live closer to home again though - Hooray! SO, we've been house-hunting. It'll have to be some kind of major fixer-upper project in safe area (nearby, of course) that, hopefully, we can (almost) afford. In other words, we are praying for a miracle. The house hunting is, of course, being done in my spare time (of which I have none *rolls eyes*).
Photo inset: This photo has nothing to do with DD per se (other than the whole "baby bird having left the nest" thing - HaHa) but I thought I'd introduce "Gabe", a juvenile Cardinal, who has been hanging out in the Redtop near the feed room recently. I named him after one of my favorite pint-sized pals who happens to have a soft spot for Cardinals (you know who you are ;o) Juveniles are easily discerned from adults by their bedraggled appearance. Poor guy looks like he was chewed up and spit out at least once, don't you think? *laugh*

As if the snipe hunt for housing was not enough, just as school kicked into high gear in week two with students returning, my Dad told me that my Mom had been diagnosed with Dementia at her checkup. He was devastated, though I was not at all surprised. Actually, that was considerably better than the diagnosis I had been expecting. Quite frankly, I had been expecting to hear the "A-word" - Alzheimer's. Since I don't think I've really said a whole lot about Mom here, I need to give you some background first. I have found myself becoming increasingly concerned over certain things with my Mom over the past few years, some small - some not so small. I call my parents pretty much every day to make sure everybody's okay and we'll chat for a bit. I also see them all the time as they live only 4 miles up the road. Somewhere along the line, I started noticing that Mom was beginning to repeat herself quite a bit. She'd say things that were completely untrue or misrepresent things that someone said (like conversations she and my dad had while I was there). She'd lose track of where she was in a conversation and go down a rabbit hole (which could go on for miles). Sometimes she'd pull a comment from out in left field; or just sort of ramble a bit about things that made little sense before trailing off oddly. (Sidebar: If any of this is freaking you out from a personal perspective - don't worry - I can ramble and/or be irrelevant with the best of them, but there's a definite difference here ;o)

For the past two years, I would ask my dad to talk to the doctor about it every single time she had a checkup, but every single time he did she was able to answer all of the doctor's memory questions and was determined "just fine". I really got scared about a year or so ago when she asked me for directions to the bathroom - the one at my HOUSE - the same house we have lived in for 25 years. I started pointing out more and more things that concerned me to my Dad left and right, but he would just kind of shrug them off. Sometimes during our morning chats Mom would talk [literally] nonstop and then yell, "LET ME FINISH!" even though I hadn't said a single word during the entire diatribe. She became increasingly testy, and would snap and snarl at everyone. She became suspicious of everything, to the point of paranoia; accusing us of all manner of underhanded things. Most un-Mom like behavior.
Photo inset: The "science experiment" growing inside a cookie jar in my parent's kitchen. I have NO idea what it was in its former life, (Rosemary? Pine?), but I do know that in its current state it is just plain Scary. Yikes! I pointed it out to my Dad, who immediately threw it in the trash.

I spent quite a bit of extra time with Mom this summer, and began to notice more and more things that disturbed me. What really terrified me? That so many of the things I noticed closely resembled the behaviors exhibited by my grandmother (my Dad's Mom). Nana had Alzheimer's, and she lived with us during what I sometimes think were the worst six months of my entire life (even after chemo and company). Not a very thing nice to say out loud, perhaps, but oh so true. At the time I agreed to care for her, I was under the impression that Nana was early stage Alzheimer's (according to Dad and the doctor) and she had been kicked out of the assisted living facility where she lived due to her diagnosis. With a job, a family, and ten horses (at the time) to care for, I really didn't want to do it (but my Dad pleaded with me so I did). Their house was two stories; my Mom would not be able to handle it; along with various and sundry other reasons that they were unable to care for her so it fell to me. Please don't misunderstand, I loved my grandmother but it was a frightening responsibility to take on (and little did I know just how completely it would overwhelm my life). Turned out that Nana was more like middle/end stages and the situation rapidly dissolved into a nightmare. Though we had a sitter while I was at work, once I got home I was IT. Nana didn't know who I was at all, but hated me with a passion, She hated DD as well.

Nana refused to "stay" anywhere. If I so much as turned my back for a moment (even to stir something on the stove), she was gone. Trying to feed the horses was awful - I was constantly running in and out of the house to check on her whereabouts (she had a lovely picture window in her room and a place to sit and watch the horses, but she would not stay there). She would repeatedly refuse to use her walker, then fall. She kept me up all night long "Sundowning". Sometimes she would try to leave the house; we had an alarm on her door and a baby monitor in the bedroom so I could listen out for her. It was awful. I can remember calling my Dad (who thought I was greatly exaggerating) in tears begging for a night sitter just so I could get some rest. It was quite expensive, so we ended up with a sitter once a week on Thursdays. That was pretty much the only decent night's sleep I could get. Although I had been ready to toss in the towel after the second week, I toughed it out for six long months until I could take it no more. How to put this delicately? I drew the line when Nana started playing with her food, after it had passed through her digestive system. If you're not quite following that, trust me when I tell you, you really don't want to know. In any case, taking Mom shopping and watching her look for her wallet in her purse by pulling everything out (including the wallet) only to put it all back in again then take it out over and over was something I'd seen before. So was the testiness, the rambling, and a hundred other little things. I don't even have the words to describe how badly seeing these behaviors in my own Mom frightened me.

The doctor referred my mother for an MRI, which is standard procedure for a Dementia diagnosis, and Mom asked everyone in art class to please pray for her because the doctor suspected she had a brain tumor (see what I mean?) One week later my mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease. My father is absolutely beside himself and has not taken the news well at all. He finally admitted to me the other day that somewhere, deep inside, he wondered but he just couldn't bring himself to go there. He'd taken the checkbook long ago, was doing all the cooking and even the laundry. She asks him five times a day what day it is (she also asks me the same question - over and over - during our morning chats). To be honest, I don't want to go their either (at all - EVER) but I'd much rather be proactive than reactive. Wouldn't you? He is adamant that she is "just" in the early stages, but I'm not so sure. From what I've read, I'm fairly certain that Mom is already in the middle stages of the disease (here). I am trying to ease my Dad into reality, without causing him any more stress (I'm worried he'll have a heart attack) but it's not easy. Right now I'm trying to talk him into getting her a really pretty bracelet (that she can't take off) with his name and cell phone number on it. Why? Because as I was watching for my Mom to come home after a "Circle Meeting" at the community clubhouse this summer (it's catty-corner directly across the street from their home), I caught sight of her as she walked right past their house and started off down the street. Stepping outside, I called out to her and asked where she was going. Without missing a beat, she looped around and walked back through the neighbor's yard saying, "Oh, you know, I just thought I'd go this way today." Man-oh-man, are we in trouble... Big, BIG trouble. *sigh*

So, now you know all the dirty details behind the missing posts (and why I think I've consumed about 50 pounds of chocolate in the last month ;o) Thank you so very much for reading this far, and I sure do hope you got to eat that doughnut. Have a blessed week and a happy Labor Day. Hugs!

Two... Four... Six... WAIT!

Sooo, I'm thinking you may have noticed the lack of response to comments along with a missing post last Saturday (DD sent me a text asking me what happened to it - Mom finally face planted, honey ;o) As much as I enjoyed having a happy houseful, I had a tough time getting adequate rest and struggled really hard to function through a completely disrupted routine (something at which I do NOT excel). When DH's nephew and DD with their respective canine entourages unexpectedly extended their visits for two additional days, I wound up trying to pack for a trip to visit my friend Sandy in the middle of it all - my thought process frequently disrupted by conversations and canines alike. I normally spend the better part of a day packing; I like to do it systematically so I don't forget anything (and ahahaha right?). I should add that we all had a wonderful time, and I would not have changed it by having them leave any earlier than they did. Ultimately, we all ended up leaving the house for our individual destinations at about the same time Sunday, which was kind of weird. Sandy, who knows me too well, was extremely concerned I might forget my saddle in the midst of my eleventh hour packing frenzy . "Are you kidding?" says I, "That was the first thing I put in the car! I may wind up wearing the same clothes for three days or riding in my pajamas, but I WILL have my saddle." It's all about the priorities people, right? ;o) [photo inset: My Kincaid AP leather saddle with it's fabulously deep seat; it turned out to be incredibly comfortable considering the bargain basement price - BooYeah!]

I don't know what it is, but every time I start up the driveway to Sandy's I can feel myself start to relax; feeling tension I don't even know I'm carrying magically dissipating. Amazing, really, and the reason I have dubbed her house "Sandy's Spa". *laugh* We went for a couple of leisurely trail rides on Monday and Tuesday through some fabulous forest trails about five minutes from her house. We had the most marvelous time! There are approximately 82 miles of trails there for riders and hikers - isn't that awesome? Of course we had to leave pretty early in the morning; it was HOT. Thankfully, the woods stayed fairly cool although we did cut our ride short on Tuesday due to the extreme temperatures (I kept a watchful eye on both the temp and the all-important heat index with my cell phone - what did we ever do without them?) We saw three deer - one, then two - they were there one minute and gone the next. It's amazing to me how they can just "vanish" into the dense underbrush without a sound. I wish they had held still long enough for a photo op (and I'll bet you do too!) but they were so fast, that by the time it registered they were long gone. Well, poop eh? ;o) The most fascinating thing this year was the butterflies; they were everywhere! I remember asking where they were hiding last year as we rode through Butterfly Crossing; there weren't any butterflies at all (I felt cheated *sniff*). This time, however, I was delighted to see Tiger Swallowtails, Black Swallowtails and a number of others whose names I don't  know fluttering in and out of the trees and happily chasing each other all around the trails. Unfortunately, I didn't get a picture of them either (and how sorry is that?) [photo inset: A small section of the map showing the many different criss-crossing trails]

On Tuesday afternoon, DH and I accompanied Sandy to rescue a sheep and a goat. [photo inset] Meet Amanda. Can you imaging wearing those winter woolies in the southern summer when the heat index was 105? Turns out that this is about three years worth of wool. Ack! The woman who was "baa-bysitting" *cough* (sorry) spoke to Sandy and explained the situation. It seems that a few years ago her owners, who were having a serious medical crisis (which I definitely understand), had asked her if they could leave the goat and sheep in her pasture until they were able to come back and get them, but then never did (I'm having a tough time with that part). I mean, three years? Yeesh. In any case, the two of them had been pretty much without human contact for the past three years (outside of the woman feeding them) and they had grown pretty wild. The woman said she would try to get them into a large pen for us. When we arrived, the goat managed to duck under the fence and headed straight for the hills, but Amanda couldn't fit so she took evasive maneuvers. You would think that a sheep carrying that much wool wouldn't be able to go very fast. Well let me tell you, that girl could RUN. It took the four of us slowly moving inward with our arms spread out to maneuver her into a small holding pen. I couldn't believe she didn't keel over from a heat stroke; all of us were just sure she would, but she didn't. Once she was penned she settled a bit and Sandy was able to put a halter on her and walk her (rather reluctantly) into the trailer, with Amanda yelling her head off the whole time (poor girl). We never did catch that goat (Sandy and her husband were going to go back for her at another time).

Of course the first thing Sandy did when we got back was to shave all that wool off. Although Sandy had never actually sheared a sheep, she'd been a professional dog groomer before and was pretty doggone (ha) handy with the clippers. She went after the clippers while I grabbed the big box fan from the house to try to keep them cool and then DH and I watched her go to town. I got an empty 50lb feed sack and stuffed the wool in there as it fell to the floor; when that one was overflowing, I started on another. We wound up with three bags full - just like in the nursery rhyme ;o) Unbelievable. You know she had to feel so much better without all that extra weight - not to mention about a hundred degrees cooler! Sandy turned her out with the goats who had, apparently, never seen a sheep before. I got some free entertainment as Amanda, (who was in the market for a new goat gal pal to hang out with), ran after the goats to find a friend. The goats, thinking it was some kind of weird alien invasion, scattered briefly before converging into a panic stricken bleating blob and taking off down the hill. Poor Amanda - it seemed nobody wanted to be her friend. She sure tried though:

and tried:

and tried:

Eventually, she gave up and stood there for a moment [photo inset] before turning to look stonily at the billy (the only one brave enough to go near her). Of all the missed photo ops over those two days, this is the one I lamented the most. Amanda appeared to be deep in thought, when she suddenly dropped her head and leapt at the billy. WHAM! Her head connected solidly with his side, sending the billy crashing to the ground. Honestly? It was hard to say who was more shocked: me or the billy. I guess he was pretty mortified; he lurched to his feet and hightailed it around to hide behind the barn. Nothing like a little public humiliation, eh dude? Beat by a girl, no less; how embarrassing. Pretty sure I know the answer to the friendship question from HIS perspective, don't you? After a late supper it was time to head home (*sniffle*). I think I fell asleep about 5 minutes after we hit the road; I was pooped ;o) We got back around midnight (late nights: something else I do NOT excel at). I pathetically crawled out of bed on Wednesday morning, fighting hard throughout the day to keep my bloodshot and gritty eyes at half mast. Didn't staying out late used to be easier? Don't I have vague and distant memories of staying out all night and/or getting home in the wee hours, yet still being fully (even mostly would work) functional the next day? Where did that ability go and how do I get it back? Yeesh.

Reality arrived a scant two days later (on Friday), with the beginning of school for teachers. I think this was our shortest summer ever; we wrapped up the year the first week of June and we're back to work the last week in July (wow). I did manage to edit the butterfly photos for you and put them in a short [lightbox enabled] slideshow. There are two Tigertail Butterflies, and one of them (the first photos) appears to have had a narrow escape from a predator. For my email friends, click here to watch it. Enjoy:

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As always, thanks so much for reading this far and have a blessed week!

Saturday Morning at Sadies (among other things)

I am a planner. I like schedules, order, and routine. Boring? Yep probably so, but I yam what I yam - and wasn't it Popeye who said that? Oookay, that's kinda weird - even for me. Must be all that spinach in my morning smoothies. *laugh* I am, most definitely, a creature of habit (one reason horses and I get along like a house on fire ;o) I try so hard to make allowances for glitches, hiccups and/or any of the various and sundry things that can cause a project (please excuse me for swearing) to fall behind. You know what I just can't figure out though? If I have something that should take two days, so I allow four, why then does it perpetually seem to drag out to six? What in the world am I supposed to do with that much time per "ToDo" in a summer that is flying by at warped (ha) speed? I've been in "pure panic mode" for a couple of weeks now. Does this happen to you? As of this paragraph, I have less than two weeks before I am due to return to reality. I have not ridden at all. Not one time. That may, possibly, maybe, perhaps, have been uttered with a teensy-weensy bit of a whine there. Apologies. The almost patio is STILL not finished - though it's getting closer - and DH is going on vacation (so he can drive me bonkers full time, instead of part time *rolls eyes*). Sometimes I think I spend all my time in a constant state of frustration; do you struggle with that? On the upside [photo inset] just look at the awesome fabric I found for the "patio classroom" table our visitors will be using. I love it! I even found some heavy duty clear vinyl to put over top to keep it nice (I hope ;o) I found it at the Carolina Cotton Company on Etsy (click here to visit the shop). Now all I need is to find someone that knows how to sew, since the edges are unfinished (oops ;o)

True to form, DH is indeed driving me bonkers full time (and didn't I say that very thing a paragraph ago? *laugh*). DH's nephew has come for a visit; we haven't seen him for years and years, and we have been thoroughly enjoying ourselves catching up. DD and her canine entourage came as well, so she could see her cousin, and we are fairly bursting (barking?) at the seams around here. At this point I have been knocked so far off my normal schedule/routine I'm not even sure which way is up (mostly because my eyeballs are completely crossed :oP I am hopelessly behind in my blog reading, among a bazillion other things, *grumble, grumble*, but I hope to be back on track soon! Happily, I did [finally!] get to sneak in a ride which went a long way toward helping me unwind a bit after a stressful couple of weeks. Unhappily, Faith [photo right] had six very bad seizures in a row the week before last. Frantic, DD rushed her to the vet where she was diagnosed with "Cluster Seizures" in addition to her Epilepsy (click here for more information on seizures in dogs). Faith could barely walk for the first couple of days following the seizures. Her mental state had regressed alarmingly (e.g. she did not know her name, forgot her potty training, and did not even recognize DD initially), though she is now, thankfully, improving, she still has a long way to go. Strange as it may sound, Diamond's reaction was a shocking aggression toward Faith (who is her daughter); even going so far as to attack her physically, prompting DD to quickly separate the two. Thankfully, after a few days the aggression disappeared as swiftly as it had come. Diamond is reteaching Faith how to play, and hopefully her new medication will prevent such a frightening thing from happening again. [Photo inset: Faith with her, "Can we come inside now?" face - taken this morning.]

DH's nephew came with his own little (and I do mean little) canine entourage. The most adorable and funniest looking little dog I think I've ever seen. "Buddy" is an English Jack Russell Terrier, which is something I've never heard of (the Jack Russell part, yes, but not the "English" version). Click here to read about the distinctions between the Jack Russell breeds. Faith, whose dad is a Jack Russell, towers over him. Even Diamond (who is mostly Chihuahua with a little Russell of her own tossed in) is taller than he is. Of course he's still a puppy; and a pudgy little one at that. Is he not just the funniest little thing? His personality is just as happy as can be. I think Diamond has a crush on him, though Faith seems to think he has cooties. He is just so doggone cute!  I couldn't resist taking a few more pictures of him for you. The one shot I wanted that I couldn't get, was a full-body photo of him sprawled out on the floor gnawing away on one of his natural chews (a beef trachea). He was literally laid out; stubby little back toes stretched straight out behind him. So funny. He had us all in stitches watching him run and play with  the girls (Faith and Diamond), those itty bitty legs going like gangbusters as he gamboled about with surprising speed and agility. I'll say one thing for him; for all his chunky-monkey appearance, that little guy can GO. Gravy, I'm starting to feel more like a DogBlog here, than a horse one. *sigh* Well. Here are a couple more for you...

He has the cutest little face:

He seemed a little tuckered after coming in from playing with the girls outside:

Guess they really wore him out, eh? (sorry for the blur). Poor little man. *laugh*

Next time I hope to have a small slide show with a handful of butterfly photos; I couldn't quite pull it off in time for this post. Though they weren't as good as I'd hoped for clarity-wise, I think they will be worth sharing. Have a blessed week everyone!

Not too far from here is a marvelous place chock full of junk trash treasures waiting to be discovered. I LOVE going to the Flea Market! Funny thing is, I haven't been there in a really long time (time being the very reason of my absence). When DD and I decided to go, I could hardly wait. I'll admit it was awfully hot, but I wouldn't have missed that for anything. We had a fine time poking through all of things for sale; some of which were quite interesting (and some, utterly bizarre ;o) Like this chair that looks like something from a Hollyweird movie set from 1929. Who needs a Barcalounger when you can park this heinous monstrosity in front of your flat screen? Although I'm sure it's a definite conversation piece, I can't quite fathom the context of that particular conversation (though I can hazard a guess at the general direction of it *giggle*).

What really blew my mind, was the astronomical price tag hanging from the top. Of course now I'll have to go back, if for no other reason than to find out if someone is ridiculous enough to actually cough up 700 Simoleans for it. Can you imagine? Not even if you moved that decimal point three places to the left, buddy. Although, if that's an offer of payment to take it off your hands...

Well, this is as far as I got for this week's post. Not doing too well, am I? We've had quite a bit going on; the details of which I hope to be able to share with you next week. One thing I DID take the time to do for you was to make a ('nother-other ;o) slideshow. I went to a privately owned zoo (McClellands) with my friend Carolyn and her two girls (who I'll call big J and little j for privacy purposes). I mentioned my friend Carolyn a long time ago (this post), when Lori and I had a decorative field day in her guest bedroom. She had made the monumental decision to become a foster parent and had asked us to help her set it up for children. Embarrassingly, I realized just this morning that I spelled her name wrong in the old post. I couldn't remember if she was an "i" or a "y", so I guessed; quite wrongly it seems. Profound apologies, Carolyn! :o/ She's cared for numerous children since that time and endured all manner of criticism for opening her heart and home as a foster parent. As for me? Well, I happen to think it's the most awesomest thing ever :o) I've been blessed to watch her grow even stronger in her faith through it all. Carolyn made the decision to officially adopt the two little girls (you'll see them in the slideshow) awhile back; they had long been the daughters of her heart. I've been equally blessed to watch those two little girls bloom and grow under her loving care. I put descriptions (found top center) on most the slides, though I didn't know what every single animal was. Feel free to enlighten me, if you know for sure ;o) Click on the Reindeer eye in the top left to open it in Lightbox (I hope - had some trouble with this). Email friends can click here. Enjoy!

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Have a blessed week everyone - Hugs!

You know, I make jokes all the time about being chief operating officer of the duct tape and band-aid brigade, but honestly? It's not really all that far from the truth. Sometimes I think nothing around here works when I/we need it. Do you ever have that problem? We seem to be having non-technical difficulties inside and out this week. Why is it (as long as I'm on a min-rant here *laugh*) that I struggled to get my computer and phone to sync, which was supposed to be easy-peasy but developed digital hiccups, yet our refrigerator and oven are deteriorating in perfect synchronicity? The oven has either a malfunctioning keypad or "box". Naturally, both items are heinously expensive to replace, and (of course) there's no way to know for sure which one needs to be replaced (replacing both would be more than half the cost of a new oven). As a result, we're learning to do the "new math". Baking at 400 is done at 399 (the zero doesn't work) and setting the timer for 40 minutes equates 39:59 (because the 1, 4, and 7 don't work either). Pretty annoying, but until I win the lottery (and HaHaHa) I can afford to be annoyed more than I can afford a new oven. The refrigerator has decided it would rather be a freezer, and for some reason it has started freezing anything we put on the bottom shelf. [Photo inset: my duct tape stash - DH calls it 100mph tape}

Surprisingly, DH, his work schedule and the weather all cooperated (a rare happenstance, that ;o) and I was SO thankful considering the twelve foot weeds in the pasture. Too bad the sprayer had a flat tire; one which had no desire to air back up. The tire was unwilling to be removed, a small war ensued, and many bad words were snarled. (Jen bailed in the heat of the battle ;o) Didn't I say I was waiting for the other shoe to drop? Kerplunk. Of course by the time the tire was repaired it was too doggone dark out to spray. Why was I even surprised? The chainsaw has also crumped, which makes perfect sense since DH and I found another tree down in the far back corner of the pasture. It is on the fence (where else?) and though it didn't break - whew! - it did compress it, so we need to get it off before you-know-who finds it and decides to see if Mr. T. still has a vegetable patch in his yard (I am, of course, referring to Mad Max, who else?) While we do have a second fence beyond that one, you can't be too careful when dealing with a hoovenile delinquent, and I'd rather be sane than sorry (and no, that wasn't a typo *grin*) [Photo inset: messy, but you can see how the fence is compressed and just see the trunk in the top left corner of the photo]

One of the things that did go well this week was I got to shoot a bird (bwahahaha ;o) No, no, no, not that kind silly! Anni, if you're 'listening' - I got him I got him I got him! The Cardinal. The one I've been stalking for months. I swear, any time I stepped outside, sans camera, he was right there. If I had the camera with me, he was gone in a flash (HA that was a good one ;o) He'd stop just out of sight and start singing. Mocking me. I know that's exactly what he was doing; the little cretin. I'm pretty sure I've taken about a hundred lousy photos of him, although I think I did get one other shot that wasn't too awful awhile back. Actually, I suppose we had considerably more than just one thing. This is as far as I got with my post this week. Why? Because DD and her entourage have been here for most of it, and she's been helping me with the patio project (excuse me for swearing).
Between DD, Kimby and our pint-sized volunteers (this post), we've gotten quite a bit accomplished in the past two weeks *WOOT* Here is a photo update of our progress (along with a couple of other random and irrelevant shots because, well.... because ;o)

Random like this tiny Carolina Wren who finally paused long enough for me to grab a hasty shot with the camera. They're almost never still, but they are SO cute!

Okay, okay, back on task here. DD helped me lug the half barrel planter around to the patio and I planted some Zinnias in it. Maybe next year I can put a knockout rose in there (that's what I wanted to start with, but the checkbook said NO *laugh*). Have to say I do love the mixed colors and blooms though. Aren't they pretty?

I finally hung the welcome sign my Mom bought me forever and a day ago next to a hanging basket with some Summer Purslane. I'll take an updated photo once it grows a bit more - it's very pretty too. Should I add that people will be coming from the other direction, so that's why it's backwards?

The entourage supervised from their favorite place on the planet: the big drum. I think they like feeling "tall". Faith seems to be saying, "What? We're sunning." (the lawn mower has also been acting up; can you tell? The dogs almost completely disappear in the grass - we can only see their tails ;o)

We got the outhouse sign hung (remember my Picture Happy Potty Post? Click here if you missed it) and the hose minder up. Now I just have to finish painting the sink so DH can hook it up and we can have water! *WOOT* Not the best shot, but you get the idea...

I tried to capture a bird perched high up in the tree top, but he took off. I still got him, but it's definitely not the crisp, clear shot I was looking for (guess I'll take it, though ;o)

The best thing? I finally finished painting the horse DD cut out for me a REALLY long time ago and we hung it up by the sink. I've got another neat welcome sign made out of horseshoes that I think I'll put up there (we want our visitors to feel really, really welcome *laugh*). We also moved one of Bella's pedestals over by the sink so little kids could borrow it to wash their hands after visiting the horses. I think she did an awesome job. What do you think?

I have to say, we were all pretty doggone (hee) worn out by the end of each day. We got quite a bit done; though there's lots left to do. I really hope there aren't any horrible errors and/or typos in this post, as I have not been very diligent in my proofreading this week (I'm pretty doggone tired myself). If I've made any, please accept my profound apologies. As for now, it's time to get back to work. *groan*

Have a blessed week everyone!

July? JULY?!? What do you mean it's July? Where the heck did June go?? Oy. I think I have whiplash. *facepalm* I can't believe the summer is half over already! Well, at least for me it is. Seems the PTB's (Powers-That-Be) have once again changed our school calendar and we're back to work at the end of July. Probably wouldn't have been so bad had we not just finished up the school year in the first week of June. *sigh* I feel like I've spent the whole month running around like a lunatic and have precious little to show for it. Outside of wearing myself out, that is. My grand plan (and hahaha, right?) was to spend most of June outside playing *ahem* working with the horses and finishing up outdoor projects, then migrate indoors to work on our online stuff because it just gets so doggone hot outside in July. And what in the world was I thinking, making plans? Raspberries! As I mentioned in last week's post, the temperatures here have been bizarrely high and the heat indices were off the charts so I reluctantly flipped my summer around and started on the indoor stuff. Has it been crazy hot at your house? A week or two ago, I started working on our website (a behind the scenes total overhaul) and wouldn't you know it? Now that I'm hip deep in edits, the temperatures have dropped back into the normal ranges, so you know what that means. The website might have to wait a bit longer *rubbing hands together with glee* 'cause it's GAME ON. I'm coming to get you Maddeus Maximus! Mwah-ha-ha-ha...
[photo inset: A droopy little dragonfly who stopped to rest for a bit on a nearby post at feeding time when it was so heinously hot. I know just how you feel buddy ;o)

THIS is the gate for Max's stall; broken in several places and hanging drunkenly from its hinges. Isn't it lovely? (I'll interject an apology here for the obnoxious weeds in the background. We've had quite a bit of rain recently and they are currently thriving - it's on "The List" *sigh*) You'd think it was 500 years old as sad and broken down as it is, but it's not. No, this is a relatively new gate. Its two predecessors (which were constructed using 2x4's) met fairly quick and untimely deaths, so the third generation replacement (this one) was constructed using far sturdier 2x6's. Yes, well. Although it has lasted longer, this gate was also doomed from the start due to a certain BLOCKHEAD WHO WON'T STOP STANDING ON IT!!! *snarl* I am, of course, referring to Mad Max; our resident hoovenile delinquent. Sometimes that boy just makes my eye twitch. I think it's a safe bet to say that everyone within a 50 mile radius of the farm knows that there is a "mentally challenged" and mischievous nitwit named Max, who is in constant trouble, living somewhere in the vicinity. I say this because I bellow it with annoying regularity; generally along the lines of, "MAAAAAAX. ARRGH! What is WRONG with you? HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND?!?" If I weren't so all fired certain that there was an amazing equine buried under all that idiot I would have drop-shipped him to some remote village in the Tibeten Mountains by now (Timbuktu is passe and besides, just think of all the climbing he could do. OVER THERE ;o)

How to describe Max to the unitiated? Did you see that nice hole in the panel on the previous photo? That, was compliments of Shadow's hoof; Max aggravates him constantly. He has figured out how to "roll" his head sideways over the top of the panel and bite Shadow in the boo-tay. I yelled at Shadow for two straight weeks to quit kicking the panel before I finally caught that sneaky snothead in the act. UGH. Max would definitely qualify as the annoying "little brother" that Shadow never wanted (this post),  He is spatially challenged. He is the arch nemesis of Cinnamon and destructor of the divider/round pen panel (this post). He suffers from advanced stage BCSS (Bull-in-China-Shop Syndrome). He killed Larry, Moe and Curly... (this post). He talked Champ into staking midnight raids on Mr. T's vegetable garden at the top of the pasture. Little booger even found a way to sneak into the fenced off area where we store the new hay (caught on video here). I could go on all day, I think. I suppose if you wanted to get technical, we could call him a therapy horse. After all, he certainly does aggravate everyone to the point we need therapy. *grin*
[photo inset: Max, standing by the water trough outside his stall and pretending he can't see me. Not a remarkable photo, perhaps, except that I had just left that little miscreant locked inside his stall. MAAAAAAAX!]

DH has been stockpiling lumber for the boy's stalls; again. With all of my medical misadventures, we got a little financially sidetracked for awhile. Unfortunately, they will need to be completely redone. When we built them the first time, we had gotten a great deal on some culled pressure treated lumber, that was supposed to have been fine (outside of aesthetics). Do I even need to finish that thought for you? *sigh* It has NOT held up well at all; the walls are pretty much falling down around the horses as we speak. One of the things on the list for the boys's (or is it s'? I never remember that one) new-new stalls is a "climbing wall" for our perpetual problem child. I've already got the plans, and I'm hoping that will keep him from killing off any more gates, panels, and/or stall walls. I'm also going to introduce him to Bella's pedestals as soon as we get the riding area fixed. It didn't weather that horrible wind storm we had too well (this post) and part of the fence is down. Somehow, I have the feeling that Max will take to pedestals like a fish to water ;o) Speaking of pedestals, I really wish I'd had my camera with me the other day when our farrier was here. He had raised a brow at the condition of Max's gate (and stall) as he began filing his front hoof (for my non-horsey friends, the farrier put his foot on a metal tripod kind of like this one). No sooner had I finished my explanation of Max's annoying tendency to stand on everything around him, when Max suddenly lifted his other front foot from the ground and stood straight up on the farrier's stand. I could have sworn I heard him say "WHEEEE" before the stand tipped over and he was back on the ground all but shrugging and looking at us like What?!? As the farrier and his assistant stood there gaping (poor man had apparently only thought he'd seen it all), I simply hung my head. You know, as much as I love to talk sometimes there are just no words to be found.
[photo inset: The top of the gatepost by the girls's stalls - isn't that cool? I love wood!]

I'll sign off with a few photos I took at feeding time yesterday. DH found a squirrel sitting by the fence for me to photograph, but by the time I'd grabbed the camera the little gal (right?) was already on the run up a tree. I got what I could, which was basically: Going...

Going...

Gone! Well most of her anyway, eh? ;o)

Believe it or not I did manage to get one more shot - although the little hussy was all the way at the tippity top of a [very tall] tree keeping an eye on DH, who was tapping the trunk trying to get her to move so I could find her through the lens. I almost went over backwards getting the shot, as I had to lean back pretty darn far; and wouldn't that have been special? Not to mention totally me. *laugh*
AHA! Found her:

This week's random thought: If you're ever interested in learning to use essential oils, start with Lavender. Amazing stuff: great for bug bites, making insect repellent, soothing burns, treating poison ivy and rashes, softening your hair, strengthening eyelashes, ingrown toenails (stops the hurt), and preventing/treating muscle cramps. I mix a drop with my foot lotion and it has stopped the awful cramps I kept getting in the arch of my foot. The horses love it too; totally relaxes them. Weird, but true ;o)

Have a blessed and safe Fourth everyone - thank you so much for reading [this far] and I'll see you next week!