Ready to Garden

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Kerry, my handyman, was here all day and one of the things he did was put my new Mantis (which was still in the box) together for me and got the gas and oil mix into the little thing and got it started.  We played with it a little and it is quite easy for me to handle.  So I'm ready to garden!!!  I can think of lots of places to dig up around here!

I had a big list of things for Kerry to do around here.  (My summer list)  He got a lot of things done that he could do now.  Some things have to wait till it's drier and later in the summer.
Bob, my brother-in-law is coming up this next weekend to put together my chicken tractor coop.  I'm going to see if we can go get some lumber so he maybe can build me a couple nice raised garden beds too.

Monk got groomed today and is all fluffy and smelling really nice for a few days any way.
Tomorrow I'm going to spend at the barn.

Good night all.

Shirley

Mish-Mash

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Happy Sunday Everyone

I stayed home and got some mundane things done around the house.  (Like wash, changing beds, and vacuuming!)  You know, exciting things like that.

I did get my hummingbird feeders out, made nectar, filled them and hung them outside.  The male hummers should be looking around for a good place.  The male comes up from the south first and establishes a territory.  They most often return to the same place if there's food.
(At least that's what I've read.)

I repotted my seedlings that I had started.  They have been hardening off outside this past week.

 

Tonight I had a mystery meal.  I had gotten two containers out of the freezer, one marked and one unmarked.

The unmarked one turned out to be good baked potato soup.
I hate when I forget to mark things.  I always think I'll remember but I never do.


My dear Rocky has been feeling good the past couple weeks and is eating good and hardly limping so I am so thankful for that.

Bye for now.

Shirley

Vaulting on a Lunge Line Clinic

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We had the best, most educational and fun clinic at the barn today.

It was called "Demystifying the Lunge Line and Vaulting Lesson"

Here's Stephanie on Echo demonstrating.  Then lots of people got to try walking and trotting.

Echo was such a good boy.  As you can see, he's found his niche in life!
             

Here's a new young rider.  (9 years old)

An adult rider who's lost her confidence.

An accomplished (brave) rider!!

Vaulting on a lunge line (with a good instructor) will benefit anyone, no matter what age or riding ability.

Wow, maybe I should try standing!!

Aw . . .No!

Shirley

Finally . . . . Spring!

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Yes, just within the last week or so, things are sprouting up like crazy.  We had one 80 degree day (a fluke) and I think that did it! 

The grass grew 4 inches in 2 days!  Bruce, my lawn mower guy, mowed my yard for the first time yesterday!  I told him I was so glad to see him with his mower instead of his plow!!

I started some seeds indoors a few weeks ago and they're now outside in the sun and today some rain.

Here's some more spring things around my house.

I got new cushions for my chairs on the deck.  They're reversible.

The barn cats follow me when I'm outside.

This is Pepsi

This is Angel, the mother cat.

I'm really looking forward to gardening season this year.

Shirley

2 Weeks With My Sister Sue

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Well, first of all, it went too fast.

Of course we didn't get done everything on our list to do but we did a big chunk of it.

We'll get to it next visit.

She comes to visit me because it's too hard for me to go there.  The reason being is the number of animals I have.  (dogs, cats, chickens and horses)  Michele can't come here and stay because of her pets and her photography business.

  Sooooo, it would cost me at least $45/day for a pet sitter.

That's OK for a day or two but not for a couple weeks!

We went out to eat more than half of the time she was here.  I don't do that by myself and they don't go out to eat all that much when she's home so it's a treat.

We had lunch and tea at Miss Molly's Tea Room which is so nice but some how I failed to take any photos!!  I don't know how that happened!

But here we are at the Cheesecake Factory.

Those are take home bags as the portions are huge.  Plus we each ordered a piece of cheesecake to take home too.  (Of course, you can't go there without getting cheesecake!!!!)

We were in Crocker Park to go to the Apple Store so I could buy my iPad!!

I love it.

I need a new desktop iMac too which I'm going to get in a few weeks.

The wonderful thing is that you take your old Mac in and leave it a couple days and they transfer everything over for you and will wipe the old one clean so I can give it to my son.

That alone is a HUGE reason to get your Macs right from the Apple Store.

It doesn't cost anymore to buy them there and you have the wonderful customer service and the instruction and classes any time!

Besides going out to eat a lot, of course we went shopping  : ))

Mostly Target, Walmart, Thrift shops and antique shops.

We went to the barn to visit the horses and take my lessons a couple times.  Sue doesn't ride.  She never got that "horse gene" thing.  However I passed it on big time to my daughter Michele  : ))

We visited my son and his wife and my grandchildren one day and also went to Michele's house to help her with her studio.  She has redone a lot of things in there and it really looks great now.

So, Sunday I drove Sue halfway home and Bob, her husband, met us at the Waffle House for breakfast and we "make the exchange"!

She'll be back to visit in the summer.

Sue has a little Pekinese that misses her a lot when she leaves her.  I keep telling her to bring her along but I think she thinks my dogs will eat her!  (which they wouldn't of course) but her dog would bark a lot and would have to be in a crate whenever we went anywhere.

Here's Annie

Shirley

Update on Rocky

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Rocky is doing OK.  Better than last week when he was vomiting and unable to eat.

Dr Gebhart changed his nausea medicine to something that they give to patients on chemo and it seems to be working along with some Pepcid.

It's so hard to see your beloved dog get thinner and thinner and realize there's not too much you can do about it.

He has osteosarcoma in his upper left humerus.  He isn't young enough or would he be able to stand amputation and chemo so I will keep him as comfortable as I can for as long as I can, with plenty of love.

Today was the first day he has eaten some canned dog food.  The other days he could only tolerate some homemade chicken soup and dry toast.

I've prayed to God that this cancer be completely cured but I also put him into God's hands and I will do whatever I can do to make the rest of his life the best it can be.

I love him so much.

My daughter came over to see him yesterday and took some good photos of him.

http://mzphotography.net

Keeping Busy

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My sister, Sue, is here visiting for a couple weeks.  We are keeping busy.  I planned some places to go that we haven't been too and wrote them on my black board in the kitchen so I wouldn't forget!

We're going out to eat often as always but to places we have never been to before.

Here's my sister.  We were eating supper at Quaker Steak and Lube.  It's new in Medina.  I had never eaten in one before and really liked the food and fun atmosphere.

We also did some thrifty shopping at Volunteers of America and GoodWill.

 I finally found a purse I like.  It has a lot of compartments but isn't real big.  I think it's cute.

Especially cute when the price tag was $1.91!!!!

I also got this pretty quilt for $13.00.

At my favorite little antique store I got these things.

I always love these wooden carry boxes for flowers in the summer.

I have one almost like this tea pot already but couldn't pass up this English Sadler one for $15.00.

and a pretty new little tea cup and saucer.

We stopped at Target and Marshalls also.

I'm babysitting my grandchildren one day a week this summer so I got them both little garden gloves to help me in the garden and I got myself a new pair too!!

I know this isn't the most interesting or verbal post but I'm just trying to keep busy.  Tomorrow it's either shopping or going to the barn to ride with Michele.

Rocky had pretty good days yesterday and today although today his appetite isn't very good.  At least the Pepcid has kept him from vomiting anymore.
Please if you all think of it would you say a little prayer for Rocky.
His Hct is already dropping so he doesn't have much energy but he is a senior and sleeps a lot anyway.

I love you Rocky.


Shirley

Bad, Sad News.

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I don't even want to write this but maybe it will help. 

Rocky, my 12 year old English pointer started to limp on his left front leg a few weeks ago.  I thought he had slipped and pulled a muscle or maybe hurt his shoulder.  It would come and go and then he had a couple real painful days.  I have pain medication for him and he is fine some days.

Yesterday I took him to the vet to have his shoulder x-rayed and the news was the worse it could possible be.

He has osteosarcoma in his upper leg; the head of the humerus.

At his age he is not a candidate for amputation and chemo.

He will get all the palliative care and all the pain relief that is possible to give.

My Rocky . . .

I've had him since he was 6 weeks old.

I can hardly stand this.

I'm so glad my sister is here with me these couple weeks.

Shirley

A Blue Mosaic

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I thought I'd join in on the "Anything Blue Friday" since blue is one of my favorite colors and I have lots and lots of blue things.

http://thededicatedhouse.blogspot.com/

Here's a little mosaic I made of some recent photos.

The first picture is my grandkids on Easter.  (taken by my daughter)  I put the link to her photography site at the bottom.

Second picture is a recent afternoon tea and the third is a new "tea" quilt I found at a little thrift/antique shop.

Have a great weekend.

Shirley

My daughter's site:

http://mzphotography.net

First Morning Post!

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Well, actually it's noon, but I didn't wait till evening.

I had a late start this morning.  I was supposed to set my alarm for 7am and forgot.  I woke up to my cleaning lady calling me from the back door.  It was 9am!

Yes, I have a bi-weekly cleaning lady.  

Don't think bad of me!!  I've always had someone to help me out.  House cleaning is not something I like to do at all so it always gets pushed back and pretty soon I just get overwhelmed!  This way, I know, that it won't get too out of control!

Truth be known, I'd rather be out cleaning the barn than cleaning in the house!!!

Crazy right!

I've had several different people and some different companies through the years. 

The really good ones seem to move on to something else and the ones I'm not satisfied with, I don't keep for long.  I'm really not that picky but they have to at least clean better than I do!!!

I want my wood floors done by hand.  Believe it or not there's not many that are willing to do that and use mops which I think just pushes the dirt around.

I have a really nice woman, named Elizabeth now.  She's really good and I hope to have her a long time!

I'm also really happy to have some help this time of year when the dogs are shedding!!!!!!

Monk's hair is falling in clouds even though he gets groomed often and brushed everyday!

Elizabeth works for a little private cleaning service.  She is willing to do anything I ask besides the basic cleaning.  Like helping me clean the windows or laundry or even cleaning out the refrigerator!!

I don't ask for any extra things normally but it's nice she would do it if I wanted.

Sooo, I'll post while Elizabeth is here and then I have to go out and do my chicken duties, (change their water, make sure their feed is full, check for eggs and clean out their "poop board"  (That's a long thing like a big little pan that's under their roast in their coop.  Actually I use an old long plastic toboggan!)  They poop a lot at night when they're on their roost.  

Also there's the constant letting the dogs in and out, and in and out, and in and out!!

Then I have some grocery shopping to do and I have to run to the post office.

I was at the barn all day yesterday and rode and tomorrow is my weekly riding lesson.

See, no time for housework  : ))

I'm so thankful that I found Elizabeth!

Shirley

Posting

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No, not posting on a horse, I'm talking about writing on my blog.

I've got to start posting in the morning.  Waiting till evening doen't seem to work for me.  I fill up my days with a lot and by evening, I'm too tired to think of posting!

My mind won't even start to think of things to say . . . it's just saying, "Go lay down on the couch and watch "Dancing With The Stars".  My back is hurting a lot and sitting at the computer makes it worse, as does bending over and picking up heavy things, which I seem to be doing all day.  My life seems to always involve carrying heavy buckets of water!!  

It used to be when our horses were boarded at the last barn and we had to do practically everything ourselves if we wanted it done right.  But we are at a wonderful barn now where everything is done right and all we have to do is play with our horses!

Now I'm carrying water buckets for the dogs and the chickens!

I brought in some forsythia branches and put them in warm water.  I hope they flower for me.  I need a little sign of Spring!

They say it's coming by the end of the week!!!

OK, It's time.  I'm going to take an Advil and go lay on the couch.  DWTS starts in 15 minutes.

(Oh shoot, I have to drag the garbage cans to the road yet!!)

Shirley