A reason to celebrate

July 21, 1984 - July 21, 2014

Yesterday was our 30th wedding anniversary.  Wow!!  I can hardly believe it myself.  We were so young...hahaha...I'll bet that's what everybody says!  But it's so true.  Looking through our pictures, we were so young and hopeful for our future together.  We're still hopeful, and thankful, but we're older, wiser and fatter.  *sigh*  I hate it when that happens.  Don't you?  Oh well, whatever.  I'm much more comfortable with myself, with who I am and I'm content.  Well, most of the time anyway.  I never, ever could have said that about myself 30 years ago.  Not even.

So, we celebrated by going out to dinner and eating too much.  But, boy was it good!!  News flash -  that's how that happens!  Getting fatter, I mean.  :)  Totally worth it.  Dinner was delicious.  Company was delightful and cozy.  Yes, cozy.  That's how it feels when you've been married to your best friend for 30 years.  I love that.

Life is good.

Last weekend we were busy.  A dear friend gave us her firewood that she wasn't planning on using.  Score!!  I'm guessing we got about a cord of fir...we'll definitely use it!  And we got a little over a ton of 2nd cut alfalfa for our older horses.  Last winter was the first year we added a flake of alfalfa to their evening ration and they blossomed.  Now they expect it...and of course, they deserve it.  It's a simple little thing that gives them so much pleasure.  How could we not?  It smells so good!  Our alfalfa farmer says that in 2-3 weeks he'll be putting up the 3rd cut, and we plan on getting maybe up to a half ton of that too.  He's only charging $7 a bale for the pure, leafy stuff so I can't resist getting a little bit for my Kadie girl.  She had her 30th birthday on May 24th of this year and I say, why not?  It's only money...

Our truck is in the repair shop.  Again.  We've never been able to truly figure out why it's running so roughly.  It doesn't want to idle and will die unless you pop it into neutral and give it the gas.  Such a pain!!  This time, it's at the Dodge service shop.  Time for the big guns.  To date, we've done a tune-up, new plugs, oil and filter change, new battery, new idler actuator and maybe that's it.  I forget.  Now they're replacing the EGR valve and OC sensor which together are supposed to adjust the air/fuel mix and hopefully, that will do the trick.  It obviously has a vacuum leak and the mpg has taken a serious dump; I can smell strong gas fumes when it tries to idle, so...fingers crossed.

My car though, is running like a top again.  And my sweet hubs gave the old gal a thorough detailing the other day and she is looking good!  Well, as good as a '97 Taurus can look anyway.  :)  My mom's old car.  I called it the granny mobile and my mom didn't like that.  At all.  She said,  it's "sporty".  Well okay, I guess it's a little sporty.  It has a rear spoiler after all.  :)  I concede momma.  You were right.  You usually were.

So between the auto repairs, the home renovations, paying for a year's hay/alfalfa supply, taking a week of vacation and paying for the caretakers...our savings account is all but gone.  Finito!!  Easy come - easy go right?  Well, truthfully?  It goes a heck of a lot easier and faster than we can save it.  Oh well, what's a person to do?

I choose to look at the silver lining.  Our vehicles are old, but they're paid for.  Everything requires maintenance, right?

Our horses are happy, healthy and fat.  Their years' supply of food is safely tucked away in the barns and it's all paid for.

Our humble little home is looking wonderful.  I'm loving the new and improved look.  We still need to finish installing the trim board around the bottom and re-install our pellet stove in the living room...but hubby's bringing home pictures of granite selections tonight for a decision on the hearth.  That is a perk of the trade.  Free is a very good price.  :)  See what I mean?  Always be thankful.
I seriously doubt we finish this project until the weather turns bad.  Summer time is just too short not to enjoy.  We have better things to do right now.

Then...on to our bedroom!!!!!!  In my mind, it's already done.  My breezy, coastal retreat awaits...

I'm thinking of getting a quote on having a small front porch built on our house too.  Right now there's nothing, and that would be a nice improvement.  My hubby's gonna kill me if I don't stop.  :)

This coming weekend we're attending the wedding of a friend, and it promises to be a heckuva shindig!  Ceremony, food, music and dancing.  I love weddings!!  What to wear????  So many decisions!!

And then the first weekend of August, we're going camping.  Just the hubs, our horses, our dogs and me.  My favorite - just us.  Not sure where we're going yet, but that's another entertaining little chore.  And with my last week of vacation time, I'm thinking maybe the beach...oh, how I love spending time at the beach.  *sigh*

Summer is so fleeting...must enjoy...

Blessings all,
Lorie

p.s.  winter is the time for saving money - summer is the time for spending.  Am I right?

:)

Cowboy Camp Meeting 2014

We spent a week in a glorious meadow at the base of Mt. Adams in Washington state.  Fellow members of NW area riding clubs joined for a time spent in the wilderness, with our horses, friends, family and for spiritual renewal.  It was wonderful.  Just went way, way too quickly.  *sigh*  Whether times are wonderful or routine, the days and weeks blur one into another for me.  Sometimes I believe that the hand of God has turned up the speed on the passing of time.  Like that old song goes..."it might be hard for the devil to do, but it'd be easy for You".  

My missy in her little space

Putting up the tent

Our glorious view

The ladies watching our men work.  :)

My honey relaxing in camp and Annie enjoying ball time

Little Ella heading back to her camp site

Annie, pleased she has Buddy's ball

Up goes the first flag

Up goes the second flag

My guys at the "big tree"

The station we judged for the trail competition

Good job of turning her horse in a box, using 1 hand & a snaffle bit

Sunset over Mt. Adams/Buck Meadow

Yummy breakfast omelette - boiled in a bag.

Out kitchen

Ella on her "decked out" lady

On the trail

My girl listening to me...

Ladde and my honey

Me & my girl after a long, dusty ride in the mountains

Nice trails and cool trees

Sabbath morning worship

Some of our musical entertainment

My hubby in his new hat

feeling peaceful and thankful

our club's banner

cherished friendships were forged

lives committed to Christ

showing happiness from within

baptism #3

Sweet little Ella lovin' the cute (and patient) pony

super cute!!

We really had an enjoyable time.  Trails were abundant and most were cooled by the dense forest of trees.  The weather was just about perfect; sunshine, a few clouds and a glorious breeze.  My only complaint is that it ended all too soon.  We left late morning on Sunday and I had to be at work the next morning, followed by a dentist appointment that same afternoon.  Good grief - am I glad that's finished!  It always amazes me just how long it takes to prepare for a trip like this...and poof!  It's over before you know it.

So, it's back to life as usual.  I've started regularly combing the homes for sale again...life is just too darn short to have so little free time.

Oh, and Ladde and Missy couldn't have been more perfect.  I think they enjoyed themselves as much, or more, than we did.  :)

Hope you're taking advantage of every single minute of this glorious summer!

Lorie

Enjoying the simple pleasures

May and June are typically my most favorite months of the year.  I love just about everything they have to offer.  I've been trying to take time, personal little moments out of every single day to just pause.  To be quiet and reflective; and to be thankful for everything in my life that I have to he grateful for.  

And when I look around...there's lots and lots of blessings.

And speaking of blessings - here's a big one in my life.  

Ladde is now 18 years old...I can hardly believe it myself.  He is as happy as he's ever been; I believe, because it's always been apparent to me that the big guy's always wanted a mate.  His very own little woman.  And he's finally got her...they're pretty much joined at the hip.  

The happy couple.

Ladde and Missy

Missy is another blessing I'm thankful for.  Since my boy Harley went blind, I had no horse to ride; and that's just not right.  I had Eagle to love on and to work with, but he wasn't ready for riding.  Then like a gift from heaven, Missy came into our lives.  We weren't looking for another horse, but she has become very important to us.  She's my main riding horse until the beautiful Eags and I start sharing the trails.  And she is a fun little horse to ride!!  She and I get along amazingly well and she pretty much does everything I want with no problems at all.  She's a good girl...and I love her even more because she loves my Ladde, and that has made him soooo happy!

The happy couple

Big, bold, beautiful...Ladde

Eagle..."swoon"  I adore this horse!

Sweet, sweet Harley horse  :)

The "other" happy couple...celebrating 22 years together in May.  Shad is not Ladde's sire, but he is his "dad" and Kadie is Ladde's dam and "momma".  

True love, always and forever.

Eagle's beautiful butt.  Hubba hubba!!

Eagle's soft, and oh so beautiful eye.  :)

We spent a chilly, damp Saturday afternoon "river sittin'" with dear friends...good times.

Our beautiful "wall of roses" in our front yard...wild and so sweetly scented.

Wish I had scratch & sniff - it's heavenly!

Our natural hedge of old garden roses.

Our little garden.  It's gotten bigger since I took this photo.

Tomatoes and zuchini - yum!

Our little herb garden.  Dill, cilantro, sweet basil and thyme.

Looks like a good berry crop this year!  Marionberries and raspberries.

:)  And our tiny wheat crop!!

Jessie & Lakota at Perrydale Trails

Me, Jessie and our girls out for an afternoon ride.

Me and Missy at Perrydale Trails...fun afternoon!

Atta girl !!  3rd time saddled.

Takin' a break

"modern day cowgirl"

Last week a few members of our riding club got together and headed out to Perrydale Trails.  There are acres of riding and lots and lots of obstacles to try out.  It was an enjoyable afternoon spent with good friends and good horses in a beautiful setting not far from where we live.  I was so very proud of Jessie and her mare, Lakota...first ride outside her pasture and only her 3rd time being saddled.  Kudos Jessie!!!

I rode Missy and had a very nice ride, but had forgotten to give her some bute, so had to take it easy with my girl.  She did fine, but was a little bit sore for a couple of days afterwards.  Next week when we head out for our week-long "cowboy campmeeting", we'll have Equioxx on board.  It helps keep Missy comfortable and is easier on her tummy and kidneys than the bute.  Anything for my little partner!!

My hubby will be riding Ladde, who seems fully recovered since he had his tendon sheath injected with HA and steroids a couple of weeks ago...we're so excited and are really looking forward to a little "R&R" in a beautiful setting with good friends and our horses.

We got all our hay (20+) tons safely stored away in the barns for the year.  What a relief!!  The hay is beautiful, sweet-smelling and green; and most importantly, the horses heartily approve.  That always makes me happy.  :)

I went to the dentist for the first time in something like, 17 years.  I can hardly believe it had been so very long.  Had some x-rays and an exam, and it wasn't too bad.  I have a couple of tiny cavities, I need a thorough cleaning yet, but had the hard part done.  A root canal, new crown and a molar extracted...if that isn't incentive for brushing and flossing - I don't know what is!  When all that stuff is finished, I want to have my teeth whitened.  That will be my final reward for having to undergo such anxiety over dental work.  I really do hate it!!  My dentist didn't use gas, which was a drag since I get so stressed and worried.  I'm always waiting for that shooting pain, which didn't happen, but my jaw is still a little sore from being jacked open for 3ish hours.  Youch!!  I'll be making payments for about 2 years, but at least it will be done.  Seems like a new bill always pops up when we get one paid off...story of our lives.

*sigh*

Such is life, I guess...

Anyway, I'm thankful to have accomplished so much already this year.  I can cross off a couple of things on my "hopes for the new year" list.

My sweet hubs will be turning 65 this September and is a newly-enrolled and insured member of Medicare...old farts insurance club.  :)  But again, we are so thankful that he finally has insurance coverage.  As of September, it will be almost 3 years that will have passed since he had medical coverage.  Talk about a cause for concern!!  We really didn't worry much though.  It was one of my reoccurring prayers of protection, and as we all know...prayers do indeed, get answered!!

So many blessings and so many reasons to give thanks, every single day.

Hope you all have a fantastic Independence Day weekend!

Lorie @ Cingspots