Earning his keep

A few months ago I visited the Humane Society looking for a "tough looking" dog to make would-be theives consider other homes. The dog I went to look it refused to even look at me when I said his name. I started walking the aisles. This goofy Coon dog mix begged me to let him out. I really considered that insane, but did it anyway. He was silly, hard to focus and such a puppy. He was skinny as a rail, had tattered ears and did I mention SILLY? I liked him, but wasn't sure. While I was thinking my son, Duncan, grabbed the dogs cheek. It wasn't the kindest of grabs, Duncan was stressed and overwhelmed. The dog wagged his tail and kept "smiling" away. I looked the dog in the eyes and said "welcome to the family".
We picked him up a few days later from the neuter surgery. We renamed him "Moves Like Jagger" He is goofy, annoying and needy, but he LOVES his boy. He kisses Duncan goodnight each night, he let's Duncan walk him in the woods and he is patient when Duncan is overwhelmed. If Duncan says "Jagger" or "Wags" he comes running. His only job is to be Duncan's dog so he earns his keep. He was meant to belong to my boy! He also is a heck of a snuggle buddy and I kind of like him!

Three heads are better than one?

Okay so my arms weren't long enough to get a good picture...but the fact that Duncan was giggling when I took this makes me smile. I think this might have been Easter Sunday.

A great man

Well, it has been ages since I last posted. With Duncan off from school for the summer I have been busy with the business, him, the horses and life. I have still made a point to be Thankful on Thrusday, but haven't managed to post about it here. I am sorry I have been missing.

I am more sorry today that I am posting for this reason.

Saturday morning I was informed that Friday July 9th, my farrier (horseshoer) passed away. To many, this would seem like an unlikely reason to be overly sad, but he was a fantastic man. His name was Wayland Arney and he was also my friend.
I will share my memories of him here:
Wayland was so respectful of clients that most are shocked when I tell them he smoked, because he didn't in front of them. He loved my son, not in spite of his disability, but as if there was none. He told me a mere 10 days before he died "Life is short, do what you want". He smiled often, and the smile lines around his eyes, said it wasn't a new thing. He couldn't say enough good things about his daughters and family. He was loyal to those he loved, to the point of being willing to fight for them. He helped me to get a truck and trailer and in a way, made it so that now that he is gone I can find a new farrier even if I have to haul to them. He was loyal to a fault, even when my horse was a difficult case, there was drama or whatever, he came when he was needed. I believe that there are just people with whom we click, and because of who Wayland was, he was that person to alot of people. He didn't talk constantly and wasn't verbose, but when he spoke he was truthful and what he said mattered, well unless it was a joke and he was harrassing you!
I will find someone to shoe my horse, I hope they will do a good job, but my horse will never be as good without him and I will never forget him. Like all the too short relationships in our lives, he changed me forever. In his case for the good!

Goodbye Wayland...you were truly awesome!

Thankful Thursday

While I a obviously Thankful for the little guy perched upon said mare, today's grateful is for
my horse. She turns 18 this year. She has problem hooves, she is a red-head and she isn't a 'snuggler'. Those are things I would NOT change for the world....b/c look at her. She and I had ridden five miles and I come home and she happily excepts pony ride time for Duncan. She is a very sensitive girl. If you were to womp her in the sides she would likely gallop off, but for Duncan....she lets him do it all day and ONLY breaks into a trot when I say so. Even if he is yelling 'trot trot' at the top of his lungs, as he is likely to do often. :D

She is a great mare and I am blessed to have her.

Holiday crazy?

I maybe go a bit overboard.
Saturday night I made my family heart shapped pizza.

and Sunday we had heart shaped Pancakes. (I wasn't the oNLY one)

Actually, I love doing this for my family. That is Duncan's little plate before I put his syrup on...and covered his eggs/cheese with Salsa. He LOVES Holidays!

Special Ornaments Volume 1

Each of my trees has a few very special ornaments. Most of the special ones go on my family tree which has a 'non-theme' theme.

The woodland tree on my sunporch, seen here last post, has just a few 'special' ones.

First is an ornament Duncan "made" in school when he was in 1st grade in art class. They pressed real pine tree parts into clay. I think it is genius, I think he probably actually was able to help with most of this project and I love it.

The one below is a beautiful REAL leaf that was gold-plated. It was a gift from my dear friend Daryl several years ago. It is from main and each year as I take it out of it's box I see the gift tag she put on it (taped inside the box) and am reminded that these friends MAKE Christmas for us.

If you have some special ormanents share them with the rest of us. I think unpacking those memories is one of the best parts of the season.

Fantastic in Fall Colors

Our farm is beautiful in all the seasons. However, her finest apparal seems to me to be her oranges, yellows and reds. Maybe since we first owned her a year ago in Fall it is more noticable to me.
I snapped these photos a few days 'post-peak' here in Indiana, but my Maple tree had started throwing gorgeous yellow-orange leaves in huge quantities.
Covering our cottage in a crown of jewels just for the season.
While I was snapping those photos, Duncan was trying to move around his pumpkins

and enjoying the best part of Autumn. The leaves!

The trees are now, two weeks after this photo shoot, nearly bare and the leaves in questions merely brown mulch-to-be.

Peak color, Fall beauty and all it entails is SO brief that I think we almost MISS it every year.

Did you enjoy it this year? Are you?

The crows weren't even scared!

Of my little man Saturday! Are you?

A fall visit

Fall break was last week. My cousin and her five (5) kiddos came to the house to play. There are basically NO photos of the older boys, because my husband has a playstation 2. BOYS!

Here are Duncan, Venyua and Pupstar enjoying the hay.

Here is Duncan showing Kadeza HIS log.Venyua and Bing enjoying some 'log time'

Niyah, Kadeza and Duncan skipping down the driveway....and my cousin, Sabrina has her head in my viewfinder! :D

For city kids they took to our place like it was home. I was happy they came! I hope they come again soon!

Feeling Leftout!

I have a decorating conundrum. I see all of your Monograms and I love them.

(like this simple on on Joy's blog)
http://joysofhome.blogspot.com/2009/02/served-on-siver-platter.html

I want them in my home....but..... there are two different last names at our house. My son and I are hyphenated and my husband is not.
DH would need a big "M" and D and I need our "R". What does a girl do?

My thoughts are...TWO of us are Rs so I could do that, but would my hubby care? If I do "M" people become even more confused as I explain ALL THE TIME that my hyphen makes my name one long word alphabetized in Rs not Ms.

I have ignored rude people about my hyphen and am proud to have married both our names as well as our selves...however, THIS one silly thing irks me.

Any advice fellow bloggers?

Miss Emily

Our neice, Emy, had her birthday party this weekend. Well, apparantly there were THREE parties, but we went to ONE!

I think she must have gotten 400 PINK items at one sitting. LOL

She is now a big six year old princess and I realized that despite being 'the baby' of the family she is turning into a big girl. She made pudding to share with Duncan, shared toys with him and let him ride her new birthday scooter (also pink, btw).

Happy Birthday Emy!

Need I say more?

My hubby will kill me for posting this, but I adore this picture. Jay loves a good nap and Star loves HIM! Could she be any happier? the REAL question is: How do men sleep whe that laundry above his head needs put away? Also, was that 'pillow' folded a few minutes ago? LOL

Impelled!

I have been lax at posting, mostly because the Duncan bear is out of school. I contemplated writing about my 'resolutions' for this year, but most of those our 'typical'. Lose some weight, go to the gym more, renew my passport, ride in some clinics, compete in a horse show, pay off more debt, read the bible and pray more.... you know the drill.

Today the idea for a topic skimmed across the waters of my mind as I contemplated a letter to write to Grace (Our Compassion sponsor child in Tanzania). I often contemplate the effect that what we consider mundane, must have on her. For instance, my home is likely as large as her 'school'. We have pets we raise for 'fun' and not profit or food. I have a horse and am not some sort of royalty. So I contemplated a photo I could send her and thought about blogging about those thoughts. I blew the skimming thought off the water and went back to more 'serious' thoughts, like how many dogs do I have to groom tomorrow?

Then I came into the shop and found a post at the nestingplace and her 'resolutions'. Within her resolutions she mentions that if you are reading this (having internet) you are wealthier than 96% of the world. The skimming thought, plopped right down into my mind and began to ripple the surface.

I have had many times that God reminds me of how blessed we are. I once sent Grace a 10 dollar (yes TEN) gift for her Birthday through Compassion. I got a sweet letter and a photo of her with a suitcase and a new dress. I didn't think much about the suitcase until I read the letter. She was going on about how she got herself a new outfit and a box to keep her clothes in. I thought she meant a dresser until it hit me. That suitcase, odd colored and 'carry on' size actually made her WEALTHY among her own family. Noone else in her family had such a thing. My ten dollars bought her a dress she would wear for a school year and then some and a suitcase. We do not realize just how wealthy we are!

I contemplate that Grace's home is probably smaller than my sunroom and she lives there with her siblings and parents.

Today as you are thinking 'serious' thoughts about all you must do, count your blessings.

Here they are!

The eggs my girls (or girl?) have given me this first week of laying, one more tomorrow and that is a good half dozen in a first week. Impressive ladies!

Here is the D-bear getting ready to go out in the cold. He got this warm overalls for Christmas last year. He LOVES them, he loves getting in them and loves playing outside in them.

Last but not least, here is the new addition to our family! Duncan named her Google-dot-com, which sounds like Boogledotcom (all one word). :-D Google was dumped on a pal and she asked if I wanted a barn kitty. Well, I was gonna get one in spring, but how could I resist THAT! She already loves my boy....little worried about how scared she was of the horse!

Trick or Treat

Duncan with a mouthful of candy (ALREADY?!)The highlight of my night was trick or treating with my son. A few years ago the anxiety he experienced about T/T was more than he could handle and we didn't even go. Last year we went to two houses of people he knew. This year he wanted to go, he went and we went to strangers homes, even. He was laughing and saying 'trickertreat' and thank you. I was thrilled with his progress. Days like this I want to thumb my nose at the doctor who said he woudln't ever talk. Pfffffffffffffffft Doc! I squeezed several days worth of life into this one single waking day. I worked a few hours, loaded up mattress, box springs and dresser. When my hubby arrived home we went to deliver those things, fed the chickens and were attacked by those 'faux' lady bugs. Then we drove home to take Superman trick or treating. We get all that done, eat some dinner and put Duncan to bed.
Jay stayed here (old house) and I went to the new house to paint. I got a coat of paint on Duncan's blue wall (that's two primer coats and a regular coat and it still says MORE), painted the stairwell wall, scrubbed the stairs with TSP (ewwwww) and sucked up two thousand "lady bugs" with the shop vac.

It feels good to get some stuff done out there and then I drank Generic soda out of my good wine glasses. Leaving the new house I walked outside, shut out the lights to see just how many stars there are in the sky. Thank you God for those lovely stars! I heard the sound of coyotes singing, crickets playing and my chicken girls clucking happily in their sleep.

Then on the drive to spend just one more night in my old house I saw two families of deer. One family (doe and two 'teenagers') stopped and stared at me as I went by. I slowed and looked at them as they looked back. So beautiful. Then I had someone tailgating me and something in my said 'do NOT slam on your brakes on this guy". Good choice, Chez, because he was a cop. I got pulled over. Officer asks for my license and registration, I ask "why am I being pulled over"? He says "your license plate lights are out" He didn't even give me a warning, I honestly think he was looking for Halloween drunks and used my plate lights as an excuse. When he saw me covered in paint specks and completely sober he decided he could do better!

So, was that an eventful day or what?

A long hard day!

Okay, admittedly I have had and will have worse days, yet today still had enough stress for a month of Sundays.

It started well. I got D'bear on the bus, started some laundry and called my realtor. We drove out to take a last tour of the house before we close tomorrow. I still didn't have a number nailed down for my down payment and other costs. I was running around moving money when the mortgage guy called and said the mortgage insurance company had 'changed their rules' over the weekend. We would need $2400 more!

I managed to make a very hard phone call to my aunt and get the money. Our closing has been moved to later in the day tomorrow and I am praying that we are good to go. It scares me to no end that I will have no 'cushion' when we do this. I will be a little scared until we refill that emergency fund and return the money to my aunt.

So, here is the picture out the back door of the 'new place', God will it will be mine tomorrow.

Gift for my neice and Tagged

I will show you the complete finished project when I take a picture, but I have been running crazy so I keep forgetting to take it.

My neice Alexis is going to be 12 on Monday, which also means I graduated from Purdue 12 years ago in December. I call her Lexi so much I almost accidentally bought an "L" for her initial thing! :-D

I rarely see my neice as my brother and her mom are divorced. I actually stayed in Indiana after she was born because I wanted to be a role model and good auntie to her. I would call it a 'fail' except she KNOWS I am here and when she has her OWN say in the world she will seek me out. I have always treated her with respect and let her have her own spirit. I remember when we were putting the giant Clifford (big red dog) on Duncan's wall. I drew it, outlined it and asked Lexi and her brother Zack to fill in the big areas with red paint. They acted as if I was giving them keys to the vault. Their mother worried that they would mess up I finally told her I would rather have it 'imperfectly' done by them than PERFECT by some stranger. She still worried but she let it rest and let them finish despite concerns that I might have to start over. LOL It will actually hurt my heart when I do have to paint over that Clifford when we move! :-/

Well, I honestly have to admit I tried to call Lexi's mom and see what colors she was 'into' now but noone answered. My brother would be unlikely to know so I went and started with paper I liked. I found light pink paper with gray 'raining hearts' motif and went from there. I did a tassel for her in 'wilder' colors and more TWEEN style than Would normally suit me....but here they are!

I really do like the end result even though it isn't my personal style. I hope she likes it! I hope she will always know just how much I love her and that I am always here for her.

I was also tagged by Deb - Garage Sale Gal... Thank you Deb

So without more delay:

I have to tell seven things about myself you may not know

1. I have inappropriate laughter issues. When I am at a loss for what to do and I want to scream or cry, but that seems like it might be TOO much for me...I laugh. I tell jokes, I tell stories and I crack up usually UNTIL I cry.

2. I am the friend who nags! My good friends and I encourage each other. So if you say "Hey Chez, I want to remember to get my passport this year" I will ask you ALOT have you done it yet! (DARYL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!...have you done it yet?)

3. I am not afraid of snakes or spiders. I know that is random, but alot of people are. I do not ENJOY a snake 'showing up' when I dont' expect it, but am not afraid of them.

4. I am a SCUBA diver. I have my PADI advanced Open Water certificate and I got the second cert. IN Australia on the Gt. Barrier Reef

5. I have lived several places but MOST of my life has been within forty miles of where I was born. I think things like: "I want to live someplace near the ocean" then a Hurricane hits and I say "Oh I love Indiana"

6. I prefer to have a few GOOD friends more than a bunch of people to hang out with. People that will help you move! (hey guys...could you not live so far away?)

7. If you listened to my MP-3 player you would be SO confused. I have country, rock, pop, rap and christian music.

Since I don't know if some people want to be Tagged I will Tag Daryl (new to blogging) and if you guys want me to tag you, let me know and I will link up and add you.

So Daryl at Fair Winds consider yourself Tagged!

A few finds

Well, I have had some 'retail therapy' this week at Goodwill. I found several things and I just thought I would share two that I kept watching. I prayed they would stay put until they were half off. I am such a bargain hunter that I have a 'mental price' and if it is higher I won't get it.

The first time I saw this picture of Dogwood trees and Nuthatches was a few weeks ago, I fell in love, but it was marked nine dollars and I just couldn't spend it while saving for down payment money. The birds are SO cute and dogwood trees were my mom's fave and I keep my eyes out for anything that FITS my style that happens to have them.
So Monday I wandered in and Ta Da still there and HALF off. I got it for $4.50. :-D That is a good deal! I also picked up the bird that matches for 99cents.
Then I found this mantle clock for TWO DOLLARS! I have removed the back, the glass and pulled off the weird black 'fuzzies' someone glued on. I am debating how to proceed, but I know I will paint it and I have a plan for the glass. The paint (black) on the back is peeling. I have traced the opening and am going to find a way to cover it and maybe even be able to change it seasonally! :-D

I will post some of my other finds later, but tonight I am tired from long hours of dog grooming, errand running and a carb-loaded birthday dinner at my dad's home. The gravy lesson was productive, let's just see if I can do it myself in a few weeks!

Goodnight blogpals!

Birthday blessings

While yesterday was truly hard with losing Ruby and all that entailed. I still can count my blessings. Without the obvious I have a house to live in kind of stuff I will get to the meat or cake of the matter.
My husband woke up early and made me a cake. It stayed uniced most of the day, as he was at work, but he came home, frosted it and used chocolate chips for words.
I also received several cards. My hubby's sister and her family sent those adorable little bear cards. My grandmother sent me one I forgot to photograph along with a check. I put the check in my savings account and I intend to use that money for my downpayment. Along with money my other grandma (deceased) kept for me for YEARS. I will feel as if they had a part in buying my home.

I got call after call and I think I may have used up all my cell phone minutes in one day? :D


I had to reschedule dinner with my dad and his wife until Thursday, b/c DH was working and I didn't want him to miss Pork Chops and Gravy. My dad makes the best gravy EVER and I asked that for my b'day he teach me to take mine up a notch. Mine is good, his is the stuff of legend...and I am not sucking up he has no internet access! LOL


When my day was over and I was exhausted my neighbor Karen came across the road with a gift from Randy and her. What a lovely pitcher, I can't wait to put it in my dining room in my new home.
Last, but actually first to get here was a gift from my pal D'Gaye. Along with the pumpkin and doily she sent me the following picture is all the wonderful things she sent me. I love you too, girl! She is also the one who got me drinking that wonderful Godiva Dark Chocolate hot cocoa....mmmmmmmmmm!
So her package included those really cool candleholders, silver colored coasters, a potato baking bag (for micro), an adorable sign, a cookbook and some really fun summer napkins for lunches on my back deck next year! I am still amazed at the pals I have made in my grooming world!
My good friend Daryl, who is as postally challenged as me....sent me a card, we are always sending late! LOL She knows me so well, so she is sending me money to go buy BULBS for my front yard. I intend to put in some Daffs, Crocus and maybe Tulips. I love this as a gift, b/c I will be able to enjoy it now and then again when they bloom in the Spring.
Last but not least...I tried my hand at making a tassle last night. I used a little bird I got at Goodwill and I don't think it is bad for my first attempt! I will never be a pro, but sure was fun! Thanks for being a part of my day!


EDITED: to add, D'Gaye says coasters are aluminum!

Great Grandma Roe

Gramma Roe has been gone for quite some time. She lived alone into her early nineties. I remember the cool way her stairs would creak under my feet at night. I remember her down mattresses and the way the roof sloped down over the bed I would sleep in.

Another thing I remember from her home is THIS GUY. My grandma gave him to me a few weeks ago when I as at her home. I do not collect cobalt blue, but isn't he gorgeous and he really does look outstanding on Gramma Roe's hutch.

Grandma also gave me this, I will find a seperate place for it at the new house.

I love the hutch they are sitting on and I need to get it 'fixed'. I just can't decide whether to have it restored or not...decisions decisions... (not the missing veneer under the swan) and dust that became one with a bad finish job.