In the Sisterhood!!

I certainly never expected to meet so many wonderful people when I started this blog last fall. I didn't even know what a blog was for pete's sake. But...now I do, and I would miss it dearly if I didn't have this little avenue of friendships. I admire and dearly love getting to know all of you that I've been fortunate to meet. It's been so much fun!! I've gotten pearls of wisdom, daily inspiration, understanding and so many laughs.

Carolynn over at A Glowing Ember gave me this lovely award the other day. I just love it!! I love what this award stands for and I do feel like I'm a part of a wonderful "Sisterhood"! Thank you so very much Carolynn!!! If any of you haven't yet met Carolynn, go check her out. She's a lovely gal with a beautiful style of writing...and she's my 37 Day Challenge Buddy. At least she's had no trouble keeping her end of the bargain anyway. I've been rather lacksadaisical of late because of my stupid toe...but I will keep slogging away. I tried to do a link here but failed. So, sorry you'll have to do it the long and tedious route...but it will be soooo worth it - I promise!!

I will pass this on to a few of my favorite blogging sisters, but I vow to learn how to do those stupid link thingys first. Sheesh!! I learned the other day from Michelle, another blogging gal, but I waited too long to give it a go...and now I've apparently forgotten how!!! Grrrrr!!! I know, I know, it all seemed so very simple, but it escapes me. So many of you have tried to help me, and I still don't know how. No worries...I will prevail! I will!!

I accomplished a couple of things today. One, got my taxes mailed - phew!! That feels good, one less thing rattling around in my mental "to do" list. And...I've finally made a choice on the Hawaii rental cottage. I await the final details. God willing, we have a decision Houston.

Well, must run!

That's it for now at cingspots!!!

What a difference a day makes

Hi all. I feel quite tired today for some reason. I decided to opt out of the daily walk that Annie and I usually take over the noon hour and instead did a couple of errands and came back and have caught up on some of my favorite blogs. It's almost time to go home and my plans are to go straight out and bring the horses in; get them fed and snuggled in for the night and head back inside for some fireside lounging. My hubby and I went out for dinner last night in a celebration (of sorts) of my birthday. However, by the time I got home from work, I was feeling like just staying home and turning in early. Always amazes me just how quickly my moods can go from very good to very subdued. There are so many things or variables in our lives that are just not in our control. I am ever so slowly learning to realize that I cannot change some things no matter how very much I wish and pray that I could. I just need to pray and trust that everything will be okay and will work out however they're supposed to. Our daily lives are all about our choices. Good or bad, right or wrong. Each one of us every single hour of every single day makes our own choices. And someday, each one of us will have to account for every one of our choices that we alone have made. I have for a long time lived with something that I have always thought was intolerable. However, by not making choices we actually do choose something don't we? My indecision has set me upon my chosen path and I have endured. I have been changed and continue to evolve with every new day that I remain. I trust and continue to have faith that I have and will continue to be just where I am supposed to be.

On a completely different topic, I am going to switch gears again. I seem to do that a lot, don't I? Quite some time ago, my wonderful friend Sherry at Fern Valley Appaloosas endowed me with an award which so many of you have also received. And then again the other day, my blogging buddy Callie at Midwest Horse blog honored me with the same award. I have been somewhat distracted of late and have neglected to post this award. I wish to thank both of these wonderful ladies who thought highly enough of me to grace me with this award which is all about attitude and gratitude. Something which I strive for excellence and sometimes maybe even achieve. I'll take some honest credit for trying. So...thank you gals. I consider it an honor to include you as my new-found friends and humbly accept. Another reason I've had for not posting this award before now has been the rules attached. I don't do well with rules, never have and probably never will. I'm supposed to pass this along to 10 other worthy (in my humble opinion) bloggers and post links to their blogs, etc. I think that by now most of you have probably gotten this award already, so I will not be passing it along to anyone except my near and dear friend Betty over at Panther Creek Cottage Blog. She is one of my most dear friends and I just love her.

So, if any of you would like to stop by and say hello to my friend, her blog address can be found on my sidebar blog roll. I'm sure she would love to have you stop by and leave her a comment from time to time. She's an awesome lady who I've loved and admired for quite some time.

Oh, and right now would be an awesome time to check her out. She has posted a video of herself and her dog sledding down the road she lives on in the snow we had recently. She's a hoot!!

So, here's my very first ever lemonade stand. There sure has been a lot of talk about lemonade-based drinks around here lately. (Think margaritas, my friends) Do you think we're longing for the good old summertime and wishing we were a-sippin' something long, cool and slushy, lemony good poolside in the sun???

Hmmmm...I'm thinking we need some heat and some sunshine for all of us, wouldn't you agree???

So, there you go Betty!!!! I choose to share this award with you my girlfriend!!!

Blessings my friends from cingspots

Tuesday Toodles and other such stuff

Cool huh?? Lovely Lisa at Laughing Orca Ranch has graced me with this award. She's a great gal and right about now could sure use some company. She's layed up for a short while tending to a knee injury, so make sure you jump on over there and grace her with your presence!!

And this one too!! Thanks ever so much Miss Lisa, I really appreciate your clever wit and interesting topics. That's my favorite part of her blog, you just never know what to expect. This award here is for "Keepin' It Real". The portrait is of the infamous Marie Antoinette - I think they beheaded her, didn't they?? Yikes!! All I have to say about that is be very careful who you offer cake to...

Cake is apparently very dangerous stuff...

I'll leave you to digest that tidbit and just move onto other stuff. Another fairly slow day at the clinic. However, things do seem to be slowly picking up. That's a good thing. My brain, however is not functioning on all cylinders lately. Might have something to do with my lack of sleep of late, but with the help of sleep aids, I did sleep like the dead last night. Woke up feeling very disoriented and just wanting to sleep some more. I'm going to try and turn in early tonight and get myself back on keel. I need to start getting more exercise. Winter is bearing down on me and I definitely need to get into some sort of routine and get moving. That would be of infinite help, I'm sure. In short, nipping the winter doldrums in the bud before they get too out of hand. If anyone has any valuable insight pertaining to how they keep themselves on track during the long winter months, please do share your advice and thoughts on this subject. They would be very much appreciated. In other words, I need all the help I can get!!

This weekend, I plan on going to Costco and checking out their eyeglasses department. I just recently got a renewed prescription for reading glasses and need to get busy and get them ordered. I think that might be why I've been having so many headaches lately. I thought maybe my blood pressure was out of whack, but I don't think that's it. I think it's just simple eye strain, what with all the reading and computer work I do, it's very likely.

American Idol is back starting tonight. I have never been able to figure out just why I love watching that show so much. But I do - I love it!! There's very little on tv anymore that I do like, but I'm a sucker for American Idol.

Well, enough for now. Stay high and dry everyone!!

Blessings, from C-ing Spots

A Quickie and passing on of Awards

I'll just bet that I got a few of your attentions with the quickie part there, didn't I? Well, get your minds out of the bedrooms will ya? That's not the kind of quickie I'm referring to here. I have been very busy here this week and really haven't had a chance to try out the link project or the passing on of that award that had rules attached to it. I love receiving awards, as many of you probably do also. It's a little bit of recognition that someone out there reads and maybe even appreciates our thoughts and the time we've taken to put them into words.

So, here goes nothin'. At the risk of offending the blogger police and some of my fellow readers, I am going to do something here that goes against the grain. I am going to change the rules on the passing on of this "Superior Scribbler" award that Karen aka gtyup of Life at the Rough String gave me last week. Thanks so much!! If you have'nt already, get on over there and check her out!!
But, in order to do this properly I need more time than I have now, or possibly in the forseeable future, so I am going to give a list of my five recipients without providing links directly to their blogs. Hopefully, most of you have already seen their blogs anyway, but if you haven't, their addresses can be found on my blog roll. I am apologizing in advance if this offends anyone, but I always have been a bit of a rebel and have never, not even once in my life done well with rules. (sorry mom and dad) So without further adeau, here are 5 of my favorite blogs to read, and in my humble opinion, definitely worthy of receiving this award:

1) Fern Valley Appaloosas - I just love her and her wise and heartfelt style of writing. Her stories always find a way at touching my heart. She also has spotted ponies, which I am terribly fond of as you all probably know.

2) PonyGirl Rides Again - She always makes me laugh and she is one heck of a good teacher and is stupendous at narrating her beautiful pictures. She also has a spotted pony who is a "ham".

3) Lisa at Laughing Orca Ranch - She is a fellow horsewoman, has a beautiful and brightly colored Paint horse and is a wonderful mom. She is very unique in both her writing style and her never-ending choices on a variety of subjects. She is also the first person to ever follow my blog.

4) Melanie at The Knutson Family - She is another fellow horsewoman and she has beautiful Arabians with those big, soulful eyes that I love and admire. She is an amazing mom and has also returned to school to further her studies. My hat is off to you Melanie! You have more on your plate than I would ever want to try and attempt.

5) Kacy at All Horse Stuff - Here is yet another fellow horsewoman (see a pattern here?) and she rides an amazingly beautiful Thoroughbred mare named Wa. She is a true dyed-in-the-wool Oregonian who rides in any kind of weather and is extremely brave. I admire her on many levels, as an amazing woman, as a wife to her beloved hubby and to her kind and generous heart.

And since I'm breaking the rules here, I'm going to throw another winner into the mix (what the heck)!!

6) Gail at On the Farm - Gail is a most unique individual and her sense of style keeps me in stitches much of the time. She has a couple of beautiful ponies herself, and like me doesn't get to ride them nearly as often as she would like to. I enjoy her writing very much and appreciate her honesty, her down-home values and her obvious love of much of what I hold dear to my heart.

To pick up your award, check out my post from last week and copy to your blogs. Congratulations to each and every one of you!! You all brighten my world and soothe both my heart and my spirit. I am humbled to be included in your social circle of Blogdom. With God's good grace and some luck, may we all meet face to face someday and have a cup of coffee and a great conversation! Maybe we'll even get to ride together - now wouldn't that be a hoot!?

Have fun girls!

Awards and Such

My little friend Lisa over at Flying Orca Ranch in New Mexico has honored me once again with a beautiful award. Hey thanks Lisa!! You're such a sweetie and you have a very nice way of making me and others in Blogland feel very special. I think it's beautiful and it just makes my day!! Now, if I was a very clever blogger like everybody else out there...I would be ever so gracious and provide a link here to Lisa's blog...but, I don't know how to do a link. Several people have tried to explain to me just how to do this, but I still don't know how. *sigh* Some things just escape me, and technology and *&!*# links are a couple. I refuse to go into all the details here and now describing just how many things out there in this big old world that "escape" me - you know, I just don't get it! I am not a scholar or something - not a rocket scientist either. So there! I've admitted to everyone out there in the whole stinking blogsosphere just how totally inadequate I am at soooo many things. sheesh! I actually feel better that I've admitted some of my shortcomings to you all. A confession, if you will. I feel so much better!, like a hundred pounds lighter or something...okay, I am totally full of it here - I only wish I could feel like a hundred pounds lighter. Now I really digress...actually I'm starting to feel a little bit depressed here; or something...heck, I just don't know what I'm trying to say here at all. Did I take my meds this morning??? hmmm...just can't remember.

Oh well, I am just going to change the subject. Yeah!! That's it, let's discuss something new, shall we? Am I scaring you yet??? Well, just try and imagine how it must feel to actually be me and have to live with this brain and this imagination and this body all the time. Oops!! There I go again with the digression thing. (deep breath) I feel better now. Forgot what I was going to say...oh, I don't even know where I'm going with this here.

So, I shall post a couple of pictures here for your viewing enjoyment and try to move along.

Here's Ladde making a funny face - guess he didn't approve of something on the menu that night. hmmm, silly boy.

Here's Kadie looking ever so sweet, but kinda spooky with those eyes...

Here's Merlin, our llama dude. I don't remember what he was doing, but he was probably contemplating doing something to annoy Ladde or maybe Harley whose stall is right next door. He's pure ornriness, that llama!

Now, you see this look? I know this look - I've seen it before - many times. She's saying in an irritated tone: "Just put down the food. and back away. slowly. Dadburned fool human always foolin' around when she knows I'm starving here!! I'm the one who deserves the award! That's right! An award for all my patience, that's right...dagnabbit it all to heck anyway!! *sigh* " I'm tellin' ya - it sure must be tough being Siri and havin' to put up with my tomfoolery every day. Look at those cute little polka dots on her lips - ain't she so cute??

And this picture is an example of Llama dude showing no patience at all and helping himself to the food straight out of the roach coach!! Impatient old cuss anyway!! And you know what else?? He don't smell so good. Nope...and when it rains and he gets his wool all wet - shooowee!! He just plain stinks!! I mean goodness all to gotion, that boy smells like a moldy old frito chip done gone bad...or something like that - it's plain hard to describe, but trust me - it ain't purdy.

And would ya just look at this??? The picture of sweetness and as innocent as the pure driven snow!! Pffft!! And if you believe that!?, well then, have I got a deal for you! Seriously though, I love this guy - he's my baby boy - I watched him be born. Tis the truth!! I spent about 30 minutes kissin and a-lovin' on this face when his back half was still inside his momma! Yep, Scooter decided this giving birth business was a whole lotta work and she was gonna take a break! So she did. And me and Harley took some time gettin' to know each other so to speak. He will always be my adorable baby boy! Ahhh, sweet memories to be sure!!

What er you lookin' at??? I didn't do nothin'!! I was just gonna look at the hay alright???

Oh...here's my sweetheart Annie. I think she's so beautiful - I just love my dog, my little moochie poochie. She's a momma's girl...nobody else's, just momma's doggie. She goes to work at the clinic with me everyday. When I go to bed, Annie goes to bed. When I'm getting ready for work, Annie is always right at my heel; or watching...wherever I go. Watching tv, yep you got it - her bed's right beside my chair. My forever and ever-so-loyal pal. And right here, she's got something else on her mind...the ball. Her one prized pocession - that derned ball. See that concern on her face, and the little worry crease over the eye...the ball must have rolled near the cat. Annie is very careful around the cats. She's learned that sometimes you just can't trust the cats. Yep, she's learned the hard way about them cats. Never trust a cat.

Playing with the ball. What in the world could possibly be better??? It takes so very little to make this dog happy. I sometimes fear for her well-being because this ball is showing it's age, starting to look a little ragged around the edges and new ones are simply ignored. Nope, they're just not the same. At all.

Oh how sweet!! This is one of our many cats, Mister with his arm around TJ. He's a very loveable cat and every single cat we have absolutely loves Mister. Heck, even the horses don't mind him. He's a pretty cool dude. And this is the only cat that Annie almost trusts...almost.

And here's Harley again. He's looking a little sleepy, and probably wishing we'd finish up already and turn out the lights and just go away...he gets all sweet and syrupy and loveable when he gets sleepy. I just love this guy. The story's not the same in the morning when he wants to go out though...nope, not the same at all. He's had all night to dream up mischevious plans and is eager to set his plans into motion. Just open the door and get out of his way - there are many pots to be stirred and miles to go before he sleeps...

Well, I guess I've rattle on long enough and probably scared the daylights out of any readers who might happen along. I do tend to be somewhat scattered in thoughts sometimes...I've long ago accepted it and just learned to go with it. It's much more fun that way!! And anyway, it's simply not my fault - far from it dahhlings!! It's Lisa's fault over there at Laughing Orca Ranch who gave me an award today and got me all excited and...and...and...!!!

(((((Hugs to all from that crazy woman at Cingspots))))