The art of randomness

I know I talk about the weather a lot here.  I talk about the weather outside of this blog too.  But, can I just say?  Again.  How absolutely beautiful our weather this year has been?  Our summer was hot. Very hot actually; but hey, that's summer right?  It's supposed to be hot.  But last spring was perfect and our fall is perfect.  We're still sleeping with our bedroom window open and we've had just a few fires in the wood stove to take the chill off the house.  We've had a few frosts here and there, and the days have been spectacular!  Simply fabulous in fact!  Sweater and jeans days and a light jacket in the mornings only.  *sigh*

We don't even have mud in the pasture yet!  O. M. gosh...that's one for the record books.

I feel slightly guilty about exclaiming the virtues of our amazing weather when down south of us, so many people and animals have been displaced from their homes.  Again.  All I can do is keep those in distress in my prayers.  And I have been doing that.  Prayers for all in peril.  It's utterly devastating and unimaginable to me how an entire town of roughly 27,000 people can completely disappear.  But that's exactly what's happened in Paradise, California.  So tragic!  My sister's husband's sister and family live in Paradise - or did live in Paradise.  Everything is gone.  I've seen one picture of a house surrounded by devastation completely untouched.  That particular house is owned by a relative of a lady who attends our church.  Wrap your head around that if you can.  If you have any doubt that God protects, I hope that convinces you.  I pray that He sends rain to put those fires out.  Soon.



It's 25 days and counting until we fly out to Miami for our cruise.  It's gettin' real folks!  I am so excited!  The bags are packed, arrangements have been made for the care taking of our beloved animals; horses, dogs, cat and chickens.  We've educated ourselves about the fine art of cruising, determined what is free and what is not free when onboard ship, decided on which excursions we'll be participating in, and which beaches we'll be lounging on...snorkeling the Mesoamerican reef and soaking up the rays.  And yes, I do realize the sun is quite intense that far south, so we've plenty of sunblock and bronzer in tow.  Cause I can only imagine how pasty white I'll be by December.  Suntans just don't last long enough, do they?  Oh, and lest I forget, where and for what we'll be shopping for!  New flip flops are in my future!  And since I lost the main diamond in my wedding ring over a year ago, I will be perusing the jewelry stores for a possible replacement.  If they're more expensive than I am willing to spend, then I certainly am not resistant to another gem stone.  My ring is gold, so no Turquoise.  :(  But there are so many other pretty colors to choose from!

And, since we're so close to Christmas I can use that as the perfect excuse to shop a little more.  Hoping to find some unique and fun little items for family and friends.  Okay, enough.  But you get the gist - estoy emocionado, pero solo un poquito!  :)  Well of course I've been practicing my Spanish! It's been years since I've been anywhere to have the excuse to speak it.  And I am soooo rusty!  That old saying? If you don't use it, you lose it.  So true.

We're getting so very close to my most favorite holiday of the year.  Thanksgiving!  I love that it's a day devoted entirely to being thankful for all that we've been blessed with.  A time to express that gratitude to God for His infinite blessings and comfort.  A time to sit down with family or friends and enjoy delicious food, have good conversations and laugh.  Oh how good it is to laugh with people you love!  There's no rush with Thanksgiving.  It certainly hasn't been overly exploited by the retail industry to the point of obscenity, like Christmas has.  It's all about the gathering, the enjoyment of simple pleasures and the people we love.  The perfect day to tell those people in our lives, just how important they are to us, and how very thankful we are for the presence of them in our lives.  *sigh*  Thanksgiving is the ultimate feel good holiday!

Speaking of Christmas, I've been watching a fair amount of YouTube videos lately (where did you think I got my education on the fine art of cruising?) and happened upon a young French lady named Justine and oh my goodness, I just love her!  She's inspirational, entertaining, educational (she's in the fashion design business), real, humble and oh, so French.  I watched a video she did last Christmas on how her family celebrates Christmas in France.  I actually cried tears of emotion and joy because those are the kinds of Christmases that I reminisce so fondly of, from my childhood.  It's so vastly different than today; at least in my life it is.  Christmas isn't spewed at you from all angles like it is here.  It hasn't been transformed into a giant money-making excuse of a holiday and thrust upon the world in all its' gaudy glory in every retail establishment in October like it is here.  It's quiet and respectful, traditional and spiritual.  There's lots of beautiful, seasonal music with Christian inspiration and family traditions revolving around food, drink, music, beautiful decorations and yes, some gifts.  I'm not anti-gift at Christmas.  I just don't like what I refer to as the pre-Halloween "christmas crap" that I see displayed at big box stores and parents over-indulging already spoiled children with so much cheap junk.  Gifts should be thoughtful and conservative.  That's how I would want to raise my children anyway, not about expecting to get, but in the giving; in the choosing of the perfect gift for that someone special - and the heartfelt joy of the "giving".  Maybe I need to at some point in my life, visit Europe at Christmas.  A quiet, snowed-in holiday in the Swiss Alps or a little chateau in the south of France perhaps?  Oh my...just dream a little dream with me, won't you?

Just in case I don't find the time to post before the holiday, I wish for you and your families a very, special old-time Thanksgiving.  I hope you spend the day with those you love the most.  May you enjoy good food, good conversations and lots of tear-inducing laughter.

May you be thankful for it all; and may you give thanks to the One responsible for all your blessings in this life.



Happy Thanksgiving!
Lorie and all of us at C-ing Spots

Hasta que nos encontremos de nuevo...be well!

All the news that is news

Gotcha!!  :)  

How's that for a catchy title huh???  

Sorry for the bait and switch, but there really isn't much of anything "news worthy" to report from my neck of the woods...how 'bout yours?

We've returned to our usual Pacific Northwest late fall weather pattern.  Yep, it's classic; grey, dreary, mild and wet.  But for the last week or so, we were blessed with sunny and gorgeous, albeit quite frigid weather!  I loved it!!  The mud was frozen, the horses' coats fluffed up and they looked like they were wearing LL Bean down parkas, and we were able to set aside our muck boots.  
Aahhh, it was glorious while it lasted.  But we knew it had to change.  No worries, you just gotta roll with what is.

I've finally filled my prescription for new reading/working glasses.  I'm quite slow, since April I've been carrying around this battered, ragged script from my eye doctor, but in a week or so, I shall be sporting brand new spectacles!!  I'm so excited!!  Yes I know, it seriously doesn't take much to get my juices flowing, does it?  

We made a trip to Costco last weekend and spent too much money.  I hate it when that happens, but the upside is we have enough food in our pantry and freezer to last us until *)!* freezes over...and I got new slippers!  Soft, cushy new slippers are almost as good as new socks.  One of those simple pleasures in life that just makes me giggle and wiggle inside!  :)  You dig?

We've been feeling blessed indeed, and just in time for Thanksgiving too.  One, if not my most favorite of all the holidays.  I just love it!  Firstly, it brings to mind all the blessings we have to be thankful for.  I'm a sucker for counting my blessings, as it just lightens everything and makes me feel good.  It really does change everything!  

Gratitude changes everything!!  Ah, how sweet it is...

So, in no particular order, here goes...

*  We're healthy, and finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel of these blasted colds we've been living with lately.  That's a good thing!

*  Our horses are fat, sassy, fuzzy, happy and healthy.  Can't beat that with a stick!

*  Our dogs are loved, pampered and spoiled...their favorite holiday is Thanksgiving too!

*  Our pantry, freezer and cupboards are full.  I don't think we'll starve this winter after all...

*  Our barns are full of sweet smelling hay for the "hay burners".  

*  Our wood shed is chock full of wood, and we're thankful that we don't have to cringe when the electricity bill shows up in the mail.  

*  We have a ton of wood pellets for our little pellet-burning stove on hand.  You know, for those days we require just a smidge more warmth, or we're just to blame lazy to build a fire.  :)  

*  Our roof don't leak!

*  We have lots of cozy, warm blankets to snuggle under in our bed!

*  We have jobs, providing us with the ability to "fend for ourselves" and pay our bills.  But...business remains frightfully slow at the clinic where I work, so if you're of the praying kind, would you please keep us (and my boss's family) in your prayers?  We need work man!!!

*  And as always, we firmly believe that God is in heaven and fully aware of our (and your) situation in life, and will handle all those messy details.  He's in charge and we have faith!!

As I said, we have so many reasons to be thankful, and to acknowledge where our blessings come from.  Give it a try, won't you?  Try it today, I promise you'll be surprised at just how much you have, and how many reasons you have to be happy.  

Count your blessings!!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!!

And so it begins

The holiday season.  In just a couple of nights, the little ghouls and goblins will be out in full force...begging for treats.  :)  We don't get trick or treaters at our house; not one single little monster in almost 20 years.  But of course, I have some candy on hand.  Just in case.  

With the weather turning seasonably cooler and much wetter, our thoughts naturally tend to focus on inside.  Cozying up the home, lighting spicy scented candles, fires in the wood stove and soup in the kettle.  This too, as much as the holidays we celebrate, are tradition for us.  

The horses are coming inside every night now, they're already accustomed to their new routine.  Sure doesn't take them long.  They've added longer, warmer coats and most are sporting a nice layer of mud as well.  *sigh*  Ladde in particular...chocolate-dipped and most pleased with himself.  

The farrier was out this week for their last trims of this year.  We pulled Missy's shoes once again for the opportunity to allow for foot expansion and better circulation.  And it's working...she has good, quality heel growth.  Her heels are much more open and no curling in and no under run appearance.  That's exactly what I had hoped to accomplish.  We're also going to try a new drug on the market that's supposed to work similarly to the drug Tildren; although much less expensive, it's specifically marketed for navicular.  It's an IM injection given in three different locations.  I ordered it yesterday and should have it today...can't wait to give it a try!  The manufacturer reports that we should have maximum improvement at about two months, so we'll see.  I'm hopeful, but remain realistic as Missy's diagnosis of navicular was several years ago.  But I have to try, she's a fun little mare to ride and has way too much life to stand around in a pasture.  I'll keep you posted.

Hope you're ready for the holidays because here they come!!!  I was in Walmart yesterday and their entire garden center area is full of Christmas stuff.  Uggh!  What is up with that!?  Every year it's crammed down our throats earlier and earlier...just makes me want to detach from the commercialism all the more, and savor the quiet peace of it all.  

Happy Halloweeney everyone!!!  

Raining horses and cows!!!

We've definitely gone beyond raining cats and dogs!  It's virtually a torrential downpour today, and it began last night and hasn't let up, even for a nano second.  The ditches are flooding, there's standing water in the fields and in our yard, and before long, the creeks and smaller rivers will be flooding their banks.  Have I mentioned lately just how much I despise rain?  No?  Well, ok...I hate rain!!!  I don't mind the occasional rain shower, or even a good gully-washer from time to time...but this is beyond ridiculous!

Texas?  Believe me when I tell you that if I could, I would...send a lot of our rain down to ya'll  I believe in sharing the wealth.

So, the horses are inside today.  My hubby cleaned their stalls before going to work this morning and turned them out with their morning rations while he worked.  They chose to huddle together with their butts to the onslaught of water and didn't even show any interest in their hay.  That's almost unbelievable, even to me!  But there they were, sappy little faces, heads hung low, butts to the weather and I couldn't take it.  I put more hay in their stalls and called them back to the barn.  Without any second thoughts, one by one, they wholeheartedly marched inside and went straight to their own stalls...and quietly began to eat.  It's a balmy 58 degrees today.  The weatherman says to expect rain and winds throughout the day, and for most of this week.  Oh boy.  There's some hope for a drier weekend, but that's a long way off.  We'll see.  I can only hope.

My boss is on vacation this week and it's been unbearably slow at the clinic.  I've done everything that I can think to do, and now I'm going to start working on some projects for handmade Christmas gifts for family and friends.  Like so many others, we've opted to check out of the holiday craziness.  There will be no "black Friday" shopping for this gal...no siree!!  Instead, I plan on staying home the day after Thanksgiving and work around the house.  I'll probably spend some time with the horses, keep a fire burning in the hearth and continue with Christmas gift making.  I might even indulge in an afternoon nap.  That sounds quite lovely to me.  You couldn't pay me to go out in a shopping mall, or heaven forbid, a Walmart!!!  I shudder at the thought!!  That's simply not the way I want to begin my Christmas season.  No way.  No how.

This Thanksgiving we're having a simple affair in our home.  Turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, gravy, homemade bread rolls and of course, there'll be pie.  You simply cannot have a holiday without the pies!  I'm baking an apple pie, a pumpkin pie and might possibly try my hand at a coconut cream.  Mmmmm, that was my mom's favorite.  I like it too, but if I were to pick a favorite kind of pie???  Well, I guess it would have to be either apple or marionberry.  Any old kind of berry will do, really, but marion or boysenberry is simply to die for!  I just love pie!!  They're my most favorite dessert item ever!!  My hubby's a cake man, but I'll take a pie any day.

I hope that however you choose to spend the Thanksgiving holiday, it will be done so in the spirit of thankfulness.  For that, my friends, is what this holiday is all about.  Being thankful and keeping in mind how we all are extremely blessed.  Be mindful of that, and give thanks to our Heavenly Father whose made all our blessings possible.  For as the Bible says..."all good things come from God".  I believe that wholeheartedly.  Blessings everyone, and Happy Thanksgiving!!

Lorie @ Cingspots

Hump Day reflections

Yep, it sure is, Wednesday again. Already. My dad always called it Hump Day because you'd reached the middle of the week, and the rest was downhill from here. Funny what you remember from childhood, huh?



And, it's Ground Hog's Day too. Did you know that a ground hog is also commonly referred to as a "woodchuck"? Yep, yep, yep...surely is. I just learned that today. Maybe that old saying that "you learn something new everyday" is really true? Hmmm...something else to reflect upon...simple minds, you know how that goes. Anyway, I digress...so, if Puxatawney Phil would have been drug out of his hole and held up to display to the world here - he definitely would have seen his shadow. (For - believe it or not - we have gorgeous sunshine and blue skies!!!!!) Hence, 6 more weeks of winter for us. Oh boy. But, since they were wherever they were back east somewhere, and they're in the middle of a hellacious blizzard...no shadow was seen. Hence, an early spring. There's always a silver lining, right?



I have many, many times before said that even though we (or I should say I) protest wildly about our weather - that in reality, we have absolutely nothing to complain about. I should go crawling away with my tail tucked between my legs (so to speak) for my incessant complaining about our rain and our mud and our grey skies! But, I won't - because I'm too busy being positively giddy at our good fortune and blessings of sunshine!!!!!!!!!!!! Can you say hallelujah???? :)



Anyway, back to reflections on Humpday...it's cold outside, but I like it!! The horses are fuzzy and all poofy and fat-looking. The mud is frozen. Hot dog!! The sky is this delicious shade of blue that I'd all but forgotten, and my spirits are higher than they've been in weeks. Aahh, it feels good!! I'm sorry for all you midwest to easterners...really I am! I hope the storm blows over quickly and your lives can return to normal...but, don't hate me because I'm happy, oh so happy, that we have sunshine! I feel like Scrooge must have felt like when he woke up from that long night of remembering and fortelling only to realize that he hadn't missed his chance at a wonderful life after all! It just amazes me what a positive impact the sun showing up has on me...truly awe-inspiring. It really doesn't take much to make me happy. Note to self** Maybe you ought to think about moving to a more sunny climate** Hawaii, anyone??



I had errands to run over the noon hour, so no walks in the park today for the poochies and me. But, I let the windows down in the car and the dogs got to shove their heads out and let their tongues hang and their lips flap in the breeze. Talk about simple pleasures...you just gotta love dogs! Have you ever noticed how many people smile at the site of a dog's lips flapping in the wind? Check it out sometime - it'll make you smile too!



Last night when we brought the horses in from the pasture, I noticed that Harley had a bad eye. First time in months. It was all swollen and painful looking. Poor little guy! I knew from experience that I'd have no luck getting his ointment inside the affected eye, so I just gave him a dose of Banamine to help with the inflammation and pain. This morning it was a little bit better, but not enough, so I had to give him another dose. Maybe tonight it'll be better, at least enough to allow me to medicate the eye itself. Just sucks! I wish there was more that we could do to protect his eyes from further damage, but without penning him up - I don't know what that would be. I want him to have quality of life...not just life, and that means being with his herd. But, being with the herd also means that from time to time, something's gonna happen and I just don't know what else to do. I wish someone made a soft helmet-type apparatus with firm, see-through bubbles that would protect the eye from trauma. I think that somebody probably spooked or bullied him and in his reaction, he banged his head on something. I really have no idea, but this is my best guess. *sigh* Too bad they don't have a bubble suit to encase a 1300 pound horse inside of...couldn't possibly be that difficult, ya think? So, if you're of the praying type, would ya mind including my Harley boy in your prayers? We could sure use some help, and we'd appreciate it a whole bunch. :)



Happy Wednesday, Humpday, Groundhog's day everybody!!!!



Blessings from cingspots

Into the future...

Time keeps on slippin, slippin, slippin into the future...it's another new year. 2011 - so hard to believe. I'll turn 51 this year and my hubby will turn 62. Damn. Where have the years gone? I'm not sure how I'm supposed to feel, but when I look back into my archives of memory - 50 was old in anybody's book! I don't feel old. Well, I feel older certainly; but not old. But then again, some days after putting in a lot of hard work, I do feel old - at least my body does! That's life though, right? Seasons of ones' life...I'm feeling like it's probably the beginning of fall. Still plenty of time before winter. One of my favorite lines from one of my favorite movies..."get busy livin' or get busy dyin'" Yep! Words of wisdom and words I hope to keep in mind and put to good use. However, some days when it's slow at the clinic and there's nothing to do...but be here - I do feel like I'm wasting my life away. My mind rationalizes that almost anything that I could be doing with my time would be more valuable than sitting here and becoming vegetable-like. Don't get me wrong - I am thankful for my job. I am thankful that I have a job that provides an income which we need. I am thankful for so many things, but I'm also tired of coming to this clinic day in and day out and just "being here". I find that at times I am guilty of wishing my life away...longing for the days when I no longer have to "report for duty", punch somebody else's clock in order to provide money for my survival. I dream of the day when my time is my own. What a blessing that will be!! I just hope and pray that I'm not too old to enjoy that freedom, and that I still have the means and the energy to do all the things that I only daydream about so very often these days...

Oh well, like dear old dad used to say; "you can wish in one hand and *@#! in the other, and just see which one fills up quicker!" :) I loved my dad...miss him all the time...God Bless his resting soul!!

So on that note (ahem)...moving right along...I'm surprised as all get-out that I'm actually writing a post on my blog; it's been a long time! September 21st was my last post! A lot has happened since then and I'm not even going to try and catch up now.

Fall has come and gone, and we're in the winter time now. Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years are behind us again, and I for one am thankful for that. Thanksgiving was just hubby and me at home. Quiet, yummy meal, but a little lonely. We had ourselves a merry little Christmas, but it too, was very low-key. Christmas Eve we were home, taking care of the horses, cooking and delivering home-baked cookies to our neighbors and visiting. Christmas Eve dinner was spent at my sister's house. Christmas Day was Sabbath and we went to church and came home and enjoyed dinner, just the two of us. The friday before New Years we went shopping (fun!) and were in bed by 10...exciting huh? I enjoy the holidays, mostly...but for me, the holidays and winter are times for too many memories, remembering loved ones that are now gone, reminiscing about the good old days and noticing that by comparison, things don't seem quite as good anymore. My bad. I know that this is a dangerous and slippery slope, and one that I shouldn't entertain nearly as often as I do...but with all the rain and mud, and the shortened daylight hours and the lack of outdoor physical activity...my brain goes into decline and I suffer from (for a lack of a better word) depression. I don't like that word. I think it's highly overused, but it's at least somewhat truthful. Sads, the blues...whatever...I hate winter in northwest Oregon - always have and probably always will. Another daydream of mine is trying to figure out exactly where I would want to move to, if I could actually move. I spend a fair amount of time working on this, and I've come up with several options...someday, somehow I'm gonna do it...or die trying!

Overall, we're doing well. Our horses are all fat, healthy, fuzzy and happy. Annie is perfect (as always) and our new puppy, Ruby is turning into a lovely young lady...Annie might disagree, but it is happening! Nellie died on September 28th and that is a long, tragic and sad story that I don't wish to relive. Suffice it to say that we miss her, and I am looking forward to the day when I get to see her in heaven...as well as a whole bunch of other people and animals whom I have loved in my life!

My boss is giving me a satellite dish for a Christmas bonus. We don't actually have it installed yet, but soon. We just have basic cable service and don't have many choices in viewing, but hopefully that will improve. We don't have plans to pay for additional channels, but we are looking forward to at least some more options in free channels. The Adventist church alone has nine channels I think, and they have some pretty good ones. We're looking forward to those and also the many radio channels that we'll be able to listen to. The reception at our house is really bad and just having clear radio reception will be wonderful.

I'm hoping to begin my winter arena riding soon too. I'd like to alternate between riding Ladde and Harley, as they could both benefit greatly from the exercise. Harley's blindness has progressed rather quickly. He still has a little vision, but not much. I was very worried about his safety being turned out in the pasture with the herd for a while, but lately he seems to be adjusting and I have relaxed about him somewhat. I continue to pray for his safety every morning and so far, so good. We take it one day at a time...that's all I know to do.

Hoping you all are doing well and wishing the best to all my friends in this new year.

Keeping the faith...
Cingspots, aka Lorie

St. Patrick's Day Really...it's March 17, 2010

Silly blogger doesn't let you change dates. It is St. Patrick's Day which of course, means it's almost spring...yippee!! This coming Saturday, is the first day (technically) of spring and Ladde's birthday. Wow, I can hardly believe another spring/summer season is just around the corner. Time sure does fly!!

I don't want to think about anything serious today, so I'm doing a blog medley. A post of some good times spent last summer. Just cause I want to think about happy days and not anything else today.


Pies!!! Ooh yummy!! This tiny little restaurant on the way to the beach that serves the best breakfasts. And, they also serve pie. All kinds of pies. This is a picture of the morning's baking...hmmmm.

The beautiful, blue Pacific near Newport. Nye Beach specifically. A great place to spend some time.

My beautiful friend...Miss Betty. I love you my wonderful little friend. (she's gonna kill me for posting her picture here!) We had a good time on our little weenend outing to the beach.

An artsy fartsy shot through the weeds. :)

Depoe Bay...what a glorious summer day!!!!

Another one taken at Depoe Bay / the ocean side, of some cool looking caves...

A crazy artist painting with his back to the ocean...not a very good idea at all. Hasn't he heard of "sneaker waves"? Whoosh!! and he'd be gone in a nano-second!!

Taken from "the wall" in Depoe Bay.

Not the greatest picture, but...this is a grey whale!! We had no idea we'd be whale watching that afternoon. They are just gorgeous!! I love whales. Once, years ago, my friend, Diana and I did a 20 mile "walk for the whales" walkathon for Green Peace. I thought I was going to die, but I made it. Talk about sore feet though!!

Some boaters who spotted the whales too.

Don't you just love exploring tide pools? This one looked especially interesting, but I didn't climb down the rocks to check it out. Just picture taking this trip.

An old rusty ship anchor. Would look totally cool in the yard of a little beach cottage, don't you think?

The actual "bay" of Depoe Bay. Remember the movie with Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russel, Overboard? This is where they filmed part of that movie, only the snobby Goldie referred to it as "Elk Snout". Love that movie!!

This shot shows the actual channel that the ships have to pass through coming into Depoe Bay from the ocean. Very, very narrow. Another movie tidbit...remember Jack Nicholson in "One Flew over the cuckoo's nest"? This is where that boat outing scene was shot where they stole the boat and went deep sea fishing. Didn't know you were going to get educated today, did you?

Here's a cute little guy mooching fish from one of the local fishing shops.

Depoe Bay again...different shot. Gorgeous day at the beach!

I love this bench! Just a little resting spot for shopping-weary husbands, I guess...

I love how the sun shines off the water in this shot. Not sure what kind of ship this was, but it's no fishing boat...

Someone's artistic carving...kinda cool huh?

More tidepools!! These ones were right on the beach, and we did get to do a little exploring.

Guess that's it for the beach shots. Betty and I had a wonderful weekend at Nye Beach. We stayed at the "Sylvia Beach Hotel", which years ago was the number one destination for honeymooners staying on the Oregon Coast. It's a very old hotel. All the rooms are "author-themed". We stayed in the Ernest Hemingway room...feather bed, tropical decor and more masculine than feminine. They have rooms of many authors and have journals written in by their guests over the years. Very interesting reading material. They also have a full library in the top floor, with a help-yourself kitchen, fireplace and in the basement each morning they serve a full course breakfast - chef's choice. Delicious food! I hope to do it again one of these days. Now, lest I forget...when I returned home, I had a care package from Chelsi. Very cool stuff!! This is the card that she designed herself and a handmade dishrag. I love it Chelsi!!

This is a picture of the loot that Chelsi sent to me. The wine was very good, the chocolate I dug into immediately, and the syrup was divine!! We would definitely enjoy getting some more of that!! Thanks ever so much Chelsi!! If you haven't already, you've got to check her out...Adventures of a Horse-Crazed Mind. She's a very talented writer, horse-crazy gal, like most of us and she's a multi-faceted gal who hales from British Columbia, Canada. Not to mention, what a talented artist she is. Go check out her blog, you won't be sorry!

Well, that's enough picture posting for one day. Wishing everyone out there in Blogland a very Happy St. Patrick's Day!! May ya be havin' a green one fer me!!!

Blessings from cingspots.

Just wanted to say a quick, but genuinely heartfelt "thank you", to all of you who left such kind and loving comments on my last blog posting about my sweet, Harley horse. His body soreness and cuts are healing up nicely after his run-in with the hay wagon. As far as the blindness issue...we're just taking it one day at a time. Thanks again for all the cherished prayers and well-wishes that were sent our way!! You guys are the best!!

Life in Limbo

Today is January 6, 2010. Amazing! My bright and shiny new calendar states that today is "Epiphany". I understand the definition of the word, or at least I think I do...pretty much; but what does that description have to do with today - this day? So...I looked it up. A divine manifestation. 12 days after Christmas celebrating the 3 wise men visiting the birth of the infant baby Jesus. I have honestly never heard of this "holiday" before. Hmmm, I guess we really do learn new stuff every single day.



So, anyway - it's been a while since I've posted anything on my blog again. Really not sure what's going on with me lately. Time goes by...as the song says, "time waits for no one" and surely not for me. I feel like I'm in a limbo of sorts. I've been feeling discumboobulated (is that a word?) and out of sorts lately. Thanksgiving...gone. Christmas, too has come and gone. New Years is over. Significant dates. But for some reason, they feel insignificant to me this year. Like I said, I feel somehow detached. Almost like I'm outside looking in. I don't expect anyone to understand because I certainly don't understand my feelings myself. *sigh* So strange. Please forgive my ramblings, but after all, this is my blog and I started this thing as a journal of the happenings in my life. A way of keeping track. So, I'm going to go over things and just put my thoughts and happenings of late into words.



Thanksgiving for my hubby and me was spent at my sister's house with the family. Oh fun. We cooked, we ate, I guess there was more, but nothing worth talking about. I have said for several years now that I have wanted something different for the holidays, not sure what, but different for sure. But, as usual we had dinner at my sister's with my side of the family. It was the usual. We arrived and the first thing we knocked on the door because it was locked. My brother-in-law answered the door with "don't you know this door is always locked?", then he hastily retreated to his chair in front of the computer where he was playing online poker. Aah, no I replied...wondering how else we were expected to get in...anyway, we proceded into the kitchen where we deposited our dishes. My sis was nowhere in sight...upstairs showering we were told. So, I visited with my niece for a while and my hubby sat in front of the television. The day unfolded, dinner was eaten and things deteriorated from there. An altercation between a great-nephew and his sister ensued, angry words were spoken and we went home. There were no words spoken of being thankful, no blessings mentioned and my thoughts about not spending Christmas here were cemented in my mind. My hubby and I went home where we spent the remainder of the evening in the barn doing the chores and being with our horses and our dogs. This was without a doubt, the best part of the whole day.



Life went on and before I knew it, another month had passed. I got off work a little early on Christmas Eve day. My boss gave me $300 for a bonus which was a really nice surprise since this past year had been so unusually slow and profits were down. I surely didn't expect anything, but was very thankful. I spent the afternoon wrapping the few gifts I'd bought for family members and delivered them to my sister's house. My niece Shelley was the only one home. We had a nice little visit, wished each other well and I headed for home. Christmas eve my hubby and I stayed home for the first time in many years. It was peaceful and quiet. Too quiet. We spent time in the barn with the horses, did the chores and had a simple, but delicious dinner of cheesey broccoli soup, homemade rolls and ham. Our son Justin and his family have recently moved to Idaho. They invited us to spend Christmas with them in their new house, which we would have enjoyed, but driving was really out of the question with the winter weather and the bald tires on our car. We considered taking the train, which seemed like a romantic adventure, but the nearest depot to their home was nearly 200 miles away. We were disappointed, but decided to make the best of it and enjoy the time relaxing at home. We enjoyed the day, but it surely felt unusual just being at home by ourselves. With both sets of our parents gone, it just didn't feel like a normal holiday. Too much quiet time alone leaves me feeling reflective, nostalgic and longing for days gone by, and definitely missing my mom and dad. I'm sure my hubby was having similar feelings, but he kept his thoughts to himself.



New Year's Eve we again, stayed at home. I worked all day and went home and spent the evening in the barn with the horses. It was nice, but unusually quiet. Again...too much alone time fosters thoughts that I'd just rather let stay below the surface. Gee, I sound so cheerful...

Anyway, fast forward to the present. We have just been going through the motions of everyday life. There's nothing really new or significant to report, which depending on ones' perspective, can be a very good thing. My hubby and I continue to go to work each day (of course, being thankful we have jobs to report to), come home to do chores in the barn each evening, a quick supper usually in front of the woodstove or television, and then off to bed...just to repeat again the following day. We are both healthy, again very thankful for this. My hubby is recovering from a very nasty cold bug which lasted for a couple of weeks, my back is on the mend (very, very thankful for this) which means that I can now begin shouldering more my portion of responsibilities where the horses are concerned and we are managing to keep our bills paid and food on the table. Hopefully, a friend and I will soon begin riding our horses at least once, possibly twice a week in a nearby indoor riding arena. That would undoubtedly bolster my spirits and generally improve my outlook on life immensely. It sure would do the horses some good too, for they surely must grow weary of being stall potatoes (or pasture pets) every single day with nothing to give them physical or mental stimulation.

We are thankful each and every day for our new woodstove. It does a dandy job of keeping our little home cozy and warm. Love it!! The only news in our winter-weary lives is that we have added two new dogs to our menagerie. Yes, we have 3 dogs total now! We're probably lacking good, common sense in this department, but whatever...they bring us joy. We've adopted Nellie, the black lab puppy from the local animal shelter and Jasper who's a 4-year old Golden Retriever that we adopted from Golden Bond Rescue of Oregon. We still have a slight question of whether Jasper is a keeper because he is completely naive around livestock which is proving to be a major pain, but we'll continue to work with him daily in this regard. Otherwise, he is a wonderful dog. I promise to post pictures of all the dogs very soon. As in every other area of my life as of late, I am remisc in my picture taking as well.

My head is swimming with possibilities for wintertime projects inside our house, but for some reason I can't even muster the energy to keep my housecleaning up to date, let alone some grand project. Hopefully, I will get the rest that my body and mind are obviously in need of and soon I'll be back on my game. I sure hope this is the case because I am seriously tired of feeling tired. My mom used to call this the winter doldrums or a case of the blues, although I don't feel the depression that so many winters have brought. Not really sure what I'm feeling, but I can freely admit that I don't like it...not one little bit. Out of sorts, in limbo, not in my game - whatever you call it - it's a drag.

Hope all my friends, readers, fellow bloggers are doing well. May we all prosper and feel blessed in this, the year of our Lord...2010 - or as the tweens are calling it - 20X - much more cool.

Cingspots over and out

Happy Thanksgiving

Wishing for everyone a blessed and peaceful Thanksgiving holiday spent with family and friends. May there be good food aplenty and a host of reasons to give thanks to our Father in heaven for our bounty of blessings.



We are travelling to my sister's house for the holiday, just a short jaunt from home. My niece and I have agreed to be the main cooks for this year's feast. We are planning on having a turkey with all the trimmings, bunches of buttery mashed potatoes with gravy (yum), homemade dinner rolls with (of course) real butter...and pies...delectable, homemade, delicious, pies. *sigh* My sis always makes chocolate and pumpkin. My hubby is making an apple (our favorite), and I'll be making a banana cream. I'm getting full just thinking about all of it.



But, other than the food and the gathering of family and friends, Thanksgiving is above all others, my most favorite holiday. I love the fact that it's so non-commercialized, and that there's no hustle-bustle involved and the "to do" list is so very short. Cook, eat, socialize, and above all else...be thankful. What could be better? I love it!! My hubby and I have a lot to be thankful for, and I feel so very blessed. It's a good life. The 4-day weekend doesn't hurt either. Oh yeah!!



One of the many blessings I'm giving thanks for this year is that all our animals are healthy and sound. Last year at this time I was worried about Ladde because he had a torn suspensory ligament...this year he's as good as new...not a smidge of lameness!!



So, remember...give thanks and be happy!!



"Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving"



Blessings, Cingspots


p.s. We got the woodstove in and it's awesome!! Another thing I'm thankful for. I took some pictures of it, but forgot my camera at home today...

Rodeo is another name for summer

We haven't gone to a rodeo for several years, but this year we attended the St. Paul Rodeo over the fourth of July weekend. We were seated in the nosebleed section. Second to the top row and as far as possible away from the chutes. We were under the covered section and were'nt able to see the fireworks display. Hmmm, interesting why they would charge the most for these particular seats. Live and learn friends, live and learn.

So, in no particular order since for some reason blogger will not allow me to rearrange my pictures today, here goes...

This is one of the pick-up cowboys. His horse was one of my favorites.

And this little gal should by now be familiar to you all - my little poochie, Annie. From last week on our noontime walk in the park.

One of the bareback bronc riders...

Here is a shot of some of the rodeo stock horses. Big-boned and fat. They know they're the stars of the show.

I think they're beautiful.

And my favorite event of them all...the bulls. I love the bull riding!

Open the gate, and don't make me say it again...cow boy...

Don't ya just love their attitude?

Yeee hawwww!!!! I love this shot - all four off of the ground!! Ride'em cowboy!!! Like I said before - we were as far away from the action as one could possibly get, but my little camera still did alright. Gotta love the zoom zoom zoom!

Here's a shot of the pick-up crew. My favorite little horse is the grey second in from the right. So cute!! I also like the bay horse on the right. That's always been my most favorite color of horse - the bay. I've never had a bay, yet... but Ladde's daddy was a beautiful mahogany bay with a big blanket on his rump. Gorgeous!! And in case you're wondering - Ladde's white. Go figure!!

Look at this adorable little horse doing his job for all he's worth!! Atta boy!!

I am one of those people who always worries about the little calves when they get jerked by the cowboy's rope...that's gotta hurt. That's probably why the bullriding is my favorite event. Those big old boys can take care of themselves...no worries! I figure the cowboys are there of their own choice. They can worry about themselves.

This is the picture of the crowd with the cheap seats. You know, the ones just to the side of the chutes. Like I said before - go figure!! Next time, I'm buying tickets in the cheap section too!

And, if silly old blogger would have let me arrange my photos how I wanted, this would have been the introduction picture. Very patriotic shot with "Old Glory" in the foreground there.

This was the halftime entertainment. My favorite part of the show all night. This guy calls himself the One Arm Bandit. For obvious reasons. His cute little paint pony was totally awesome. He'd jump up on the truckbed and then climb on up to the top of the trailer. So did the buffalo. The guy must be a heck of a trainer to get those buffalo to cooperate like that. They rode on top while the truck was pulling the trailer around the arena...and they dismounted while being towed too. Kind of scary because his horse had a bit of a misstep and almost went down on his nose while dismounting from the truckbed. Hopefully, in the future maybe he'll remove that part of the show for the safety of his loyal and trusting little steed. The buffalo were fun to watch. All around the arena, they had arborvitae plants in the dirt, and the buffalo did their very best to uproot and destroy all the vegetation. Too funny!!

Sorry for the blurred photo, but these buffalo are dismounting while the truck and trailer are in motion.

Let'r buck!!

Our weather has taken a cooling trend the last couple of days. We actually had a rain storm last night, complete with booming thunder. Totally awesome!! It was a nice little watering that the plants and gardens sure did appreciate. Today our skies are overcast and our high temps are supposed to be in the upper 70's. It feels quite nice for a change.

This past weekend we pretty much layed low. Stayed home all weekend and worked on projects around the house, yard and fencing. My hubby rode his horse Shad for a little while, but I chose to observe from the sidelines and give my horses a break. I even did a little reading. It was cool enough that a blanket over my lap felt mighty good. We even brought the horses inside the barn for the night last evening. They appreciated a good night's sleep and seemed to enjoy listening to the rain falling on the metal roof rather than on their heads. A little comfort was appreciated by each and every one. And, I slept soundly knowing that the horses were safe and sound in the barn. A lovely change of pace all around.

Blessings from cingspots.

Daydreamin'

Wow - I still have a hard time believing that it's actually summertime. It seems like I live my whole life in anticipation of summer and all the wonderful, wistful memories that it conjures up for me. Sometimes I think I spend way too much time in my head. I'm always daydreaming of all the lovely things I want to do, you know, when the sun comes out and the days are long and lazy and carefree. The trouble is they never seem to be long enough, and definitely never carefree.

I would love to spend a summer in a remote little town, maybe somewhere near the ocean, in a quaint little cottage where there are no schedules, no deadlines and no people. Well, some people would be nice, but definitely no crowds. I'd definitely take my dog, and would love to have my horse, but otherwise just me and some good books, good music, chilled wine and endless hours of nothing but time. Time to rest and rejuvinate; body, mind and spirit. Time to explore the possibilities. I cannot remember a day when I've awakened and had nothing but time ahead of me. Time to do whatever comes to mind. To be able to wile a whole day away if that's how I felt. The pure, unadulterated luxury of having time to oneself must be an awesome blessing. And, not to experience the guilt that always accompanies idle time. My mom instilled the very subconscious thought that one must always be doing something. Otherwise, that time was somehow wasted and was of no use. I wholeheartedly disagree. But alas, the seed was planted a long time ago and if I do take time for myself and do nothing if that's what I choose; I always feel guilty. I feel lazy and useless. Sure wish I could get past that, but I don't begin to know how. It's ingrained in the very marrow of my being to accomplish, to hurry and to do. At any cost. I am a human doing, not a human being. And...I am so jealous of people who have what I conceive to be more personal time than what I have. Silly, I know...but true nonetheless.

My hubby and I took our two horses and went riding last weekend. We camped in the Coast Range mountains for 2 nights and rode both days. The horses were very good. No competitiveness and no spooking. They were quiet and relaxed. My horse felt solid and true beneath me. It felt good. I'm not nearly as fearless of a rider as I once was, but I still love time spent on my horse. We even got to watch a fireworks display up there in the mountains. Apparently, a group of people across the river from us were having a celebration. They brought all kinds of amazing fireworks and even had a water tanker on standby - just in case. Even the horses seemed to enjoy the fireworks display. Annie, not so much. She went into the horsetrailer and got up on our bed. You know, where it was a little safer - and quieter. The days were long and very, very hot, but even so, the time seemed to slip by ever so quickly.

My tomatoes are growing really well. In fact, they may be conspiring to take over the world. The berries are all doing equally well. My horses do create good gardening soil. Must give credit where credit is due. I won't get many berries this year, probably not a lot next summer either, but I'm told by year three - I should have bunches of the sweet, juicy lovelies. Yum!! Here's another summertime memory - my mom's homemade boysenberry cobbler with vanilla ice cream. Oh my!! Words just cannot describe how utterly delicious my mom's pies were!! Even her cobblers were really just extra large, deep dish pies. With all that homemade, flakey crust that she whipped up without using a single measuring device...we would have promised the world to get her to make one. They were simply to die for!! I make my piecrust just like my momma did, but they still don't taste nearly as good as hers did. Never will.

I miss those summer evenings where we used to just sit out on the porch sipping a cool drink and talking and laughing. Time spent with family and friends are good times. It just seems like everyone is so busy with their own lives now to get together and just spend time. I guess it's so very true what my grandma used to say..."good or bad, nothing stays the same". That's both a blessing and a curse. I guess it just means that we need to enjoy life no matter what. Things just are the way they are, and the key to being happy and content is just to live in the moment. Squeeze every little drop out of life that we can, make a conscious decision to be happy. I do believe that happiness is a decision. We can and need to make the most out of the life, the circumstances that we find ourselves in at any given moment. For, in the blink of an eye - everything can change.

I haven't talked to my sister for maybe a month now. I've tried to call her numerous times, but she never answers her phone. And, she rarely calls me. She does, however send me countless e-mail messages that are forwards. You know, those endless jokes and religious messages meant to inspire that good feeling deep inside. Not that I have anything against those. I enjoy them sometimes, and then sometimes they make me emotional. But, if she has the time to do that, why can't she ever just take a minute to call me and talk to me? Or, even for that matter, send me a little personal note via e-mail? It doesn't have to be a book. Could be just a one-liner saying hello or asking what's up? She also disagrees with me politically. I couldn't possibly care less what she thinks about politics. But, I don't appreciate getting spam e-mails about how rotten our president is. Or, how much damage he has done, or will do to our economy and our healthcare system and the price of underwear. Hell, if you believe all that they say in those stupid propaganda political things floating around out there in e-mail land - it's O'Bama's fault for the declining moral fiber of society...and he's a Nazi too. Good grief!! I've politely requested time after time after time that she please stop sending me those kinds of messages. I don't like them, and I think they do nothing but stir up hate and feelings of discontent. Basically, you become a part of the problem rather than part of the solution. So...yesterday I receive another onslaught of forwards from dear old sis, and one in particular sent me over the edge. I responded with a big old message of my own pointing out everything in particular that I didn't appreciate about "said" message and asked her for the umpteenth time to please just stop!!! Now, she's mad at me. Oh well, guess she won't be calling me anytime soon. *sigh*

I need a vacation.

Remember what Carly Simon said..."these are the good old days".

Hoping we can all make the most of 'em...

Cingspots

Summertime Follies

Don't you just love summer? I do! And, I'm very pleased with summer so far. Not that I've done anything exciting, because that's not the case...we've been positively boring lately, but in a good way. We've been busy...keeping up with the yard work, weeding the berry patch and the tomatoes (which are growing leaps and bounds), watering all the outside flowers and making sure the horses all have constant water and fly masks on...you get the picture. Unfortunately, summertime no longer means a 3 month long vacation - going to work still has to take place (crap), but at least we have beautiful weather and longer daylight hours in which to enjoy the great outdoors. And, the horses are out on pasture 24/7 which means less work for us. I absolutely adore that!! We've been riding Ladde and Harley fairly regularly and they're coming along quite nicely. We will probably go camping over the 4th of July weekend at least 1, and maybe 2 nights and take the horses for trailriding. That's always fun.

Around here, besides numerous little fireworks celebrations, the big poobah is of course, the annual St. Paul Rodeo which takes place over the 4th of July weekend. It's an awesome rodeo and is about the only reason St. Paul, Oregon is even on the map. The tiny little town positively bursts at its' seams this time of year!! I think we might go, but probably either Wednesday or Thursday. If we do, I'll make sure and take some pictures to highlight the event.

It's been a while since I've posted to my blog, and I thought it might be kind of nice to let you all know that I'm okay...still kicking and all that. The boss and his family have left for the remainder of this week (Tuesday June 30th) and will return July 6th. They are attending our riding club's big annual Cowboy Campmeeting 2009 which, this year is being held in the mountains at Tamarack Springs, near Ellensburg, Washington. We were unable to attend due to several circumstances; lack of funds, lack of available vacation time, and the extended driving time to the location this year. I wish we could have gone because it's a blast. But, maybe next year it will work out.

Look what I made the other night. I know, it kind of looks like a disaster, but it sure tasted good. Yum!! It's likely I won't be making this luscious layered cake again anytime soon because it's incredibly labor-intensive. And...I generally cook, or bake only items that are easily created. So, it was very good while it lasted. It's white cake, layered with fresh strawberry puree, a creamy concoction consisting of cream cheese and real whipped cream and vanilla extract, and then decorated on top with whole, fresh strawberries. To die for!! And, I wonder why I'm not a thin woman. aack!!

Some of my wild roses which create a hedge along the fence in the front yard. They smell incredibly delightful!!

A beautiful sunset from the other night - gorgeous!!

One of the neighborhood "ladies". Isn't she beautiful?

One of our neighbors has an organic farm where they sell whole milk, free-range organic chickens, fresh eggs, goat's milk and goat's cheese. These ladies are the ones who do all the work. Such a pity...I'm thinking of helping them develop a labor union.

She says..."don't hate me because I'm beautiful". Such a flirt!

Whater you lookin' at? You talkin to me!?

This one's a might fussy...blame it on the hormones. That's what I do.

I've said it before, but it remains true...you just cannot improve upon God's artwork. Such incredible beauty, but the camera just does not do it justice.

In case I don't get the opportunity - have a safe and happy Independence Day everyone!! We do live in a fantastic country. We're not perfect, by anyone's standards, but personally I wouldn't want to live anywhere else on earth. God Bless the U.S.A!!!

Happy 4th of July!!!!

Cingspots over and out...