November 2018

WOW, big storms in the East, fires in the West, here a normal boring day. We went to physical therapy. Things are fine in AZ. ELLEN, TRUDY, & ARK, did you get a lot of snow today? Hope you're all OK.

Good grief, I have to get in gear, Santa will be coming soon.

God bless..................

Tried to mail the 3 boxes ups and about died when told the price....160 dollars. Took to post office it was 106 buckaroos. mmm. Next year i send cash and let jessi shop for the kids.
Went to a meet and greet....met some new campers and the food
was great. Took dogs to dog park for a run...they enjoy that.
Now watching tv....ho hum.

Glad to hear that TL is progressing well after his surgery.

The big snow was north and east of me. We only got about half an inch that is very slowly melting off. It's just a week or so early for it to be this cold, but everything is fine here.
It's been a while, but we've had good snow as soon as mid-October before.

No snow here. We had ice yesterday, a 3 1/2 hour power outage, but the ice had melted by evening. My horses weren't amused, they had to stay close to the barn all day. Today the mud started drying up after the inch of icy rain yesterday and Saturday will be in the low 50s with actual SUNSHINE!!

We are going to Pandapas Pond Park Saturday with Ivan and probably riding about 5 miles with a couple of friends. Ivan hasn't been ridden since the last time we went there 2 weeks ago, so he should be frisky... ...He should be okay, he has been very cooperative in recent times.

Good news....I think: None of my horses are limping this week! Daisy and Areion are doing well on the grazing muzzle diet. Only Cactus Jack managed to get his grazing muzzle off one day this week. How he gets it over those ears is beyond me. Areion is doing a lot of bucking and running out in the pasture lately. The vet said to not ride her until she loses weight, but she is sure acting like it wouldn't bother her much. We won't be taking her back to the vet until sometime in January or early February, so she may get off working until then. I don't think she minds much. I think she has lost a little weight, but the scales are at the vet school, so I don't know for sure yet.

This has been an entertaining afternoon.................10 kids running, playing, screaming down the way.
It was really cute, all under five. It was music to my ears as we don't have little ones anymore.
They must be having early Thanksgiving. It's quiet now as they might be eating or napping
.
I now have the little three yr old grandson of neighbor trying to play tennis with his grandpa. It's
a riot to watch, he throws the ball to Grandpa. When he throws the ball, he swings the racket with
his other hand. Now he's chasing the dog. LOL Grandpa is picking up tennis balls. Oops, tears. He was running pell mel and fell. They just went in the house. Well, nosey me doesn't doesn't have little Johnny to entertain me now.
Oh well, he'll be back out.

Having a good day here..............

I am home with less hair. Today was haircut day. Then a cousin and one of her friends and I went to lunch at one of our favorite places. We visited a while after lunch, then I headed for home. It was an uneventful trip, but very dreary. Low dark clouds all the way. The last half hour there was light rain, but not enough to slow me down. It was a good day.

ELLEN - Quite a long time ago you recommended some silk long johns, I think. Can you repeat the recommendation? The temps dipped abruptly to 14 the other night, and, while I've balked thus far at the prices for the silks, the shreds my old long johns are edging me closer to buying. Right now I'm wearing a pair of old sweat pants under my jeans. They work very well, actually - though they're not what you might call slimming...

We got our first snow here yesterday, about six inches. Today I'm creaky and sore from getting all put away and readied before the storm -- chairs and glider and table off the deck, snowblower out of barn and into woodshed, small scooter into barn spot where snowblower was, tomato cages and hose into cellar, a supply of wood and kindling into house. Managed to start both scooter and snowblower to move them, a great triumph, and, in between all, scratching my head helplessly at the six inches of water pooling outside and inside my low-lying cellar door. There's a drain there, but it's both broken and plugged, and I don't feel up to wrestling with it just now...Going to hope that all that water just sinks into the soil before freezing solid. So far it looks like there's so much water inside that it warming what's outside. (Furnace and water pump are in no danger.)

So I ran the snowblower after the snow stopped falling, and then my neighbor, bless him, came on his John Deere backhoe and cleared both my driveways.

Last Saturday, a different neighbor organized a crew that came and stacked my two cords of wood into my wood shed. Can you beat that? Six people in an hour-and-a-half. I owe all those folks a lot of home made pies.

I know I don't post much anymore, but I DO READ here just about everyday!!  

No news from me that is thrilling and exciting.  I think I mentioned / hinted that I was blessed with a UTI back in mid August that was the starting point and has since lead to some surgery to finally be scheduled coming up on Tuesday. (Enlarged prostate)  Its been a real train wreck of an experience.  To summarize it … Im on the tenth or eleventh catheter since August 19 … continuously.


I finally gave up on getting any surgery on schedule and went to my family doc. for advice.  She got a REAL SERIOUS look on her face and within 5 minutes time another urologist office was calling me to confirm when I could be seen. (I was still in my family doc office).  Ive had about a week's delay from that phone call to being on schedule for surgery.


The problem has been the "scheduling" (with first doc) of operating room, etc. since mid Sept. when we decided surgery was necessary.  Yeah,... right ... Dec. 5 for surgery!!  This was through one of the two LARGE medical networks here in Winston-Salem.  


Im going to a different doctor ... different hospital ... different town ... different attitudes towards patients.


I really like the first doc and his staff and the outpatient hospital where they did a biopsy ... its the "scheduling" that was a problem.  Ill let them know on Monday that they can erase my name from their records and give some other long suffering patient my "scheduled" time in their OR.


We REALLY have some serious issues with "health care" in this country today ... and I intend to let the large health care/medical system know how much Ive been hurt and suffered because of their "scheduling" practices.  Again ... doc. is a good guy but its all the rest of the system that has fallen down.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++


Got my shop/barn building painted "barn red" this fall.  It was a pale green.  Now, the next project will be to get a new roof on the structure and hopefully that'll keep the building structure sound until the "next owner" takes it.  lol!!  I just don't want our kids to have to deal with it.


We have PLENTY of firewood long since cut / split / dried / stacked in shed ... Im guessing 6 - 8 winters worth.  I haven't had to fire the stove yet ... been too warm during day and not really too cold for very long over night. I just need to get the wood trailer loaded and backed into the basement ... will do that after this surgery stuff is overwith.  THAT has even kept me off the Kubota and mowing the yard.  Cousin Mike (lives across the driveway from us) has mowed our yard a few times to keep it from looking too ragged!! Carol has mowed parts of the yard a few times, but she is really timid about the tractor.  


She has been working diligently on a scrapbook of the tour she made in Oct. to Italy.  It was a week long tour starting in Rome and finishing in Milan.  I did NOT go ... would have been too strenuous for me with lots of steep walking and besides, I was/am dealing with this prostate situation.  She had a wonderful trip  and is doing another fantastic scrapbook.  WE want to do Ireland ... Iceland ... and I still want to visit near London where my 11th and 12th greatgrandfathers are buried.


Stay warm my friends and pray for California fire victims.  My daughter, Miss Laurie, lives about an hour south of the Paradise fire and says they can smell / see smoke from that fire.


My love to all ... Rick


(forgive, please, the ranting)

Rick, I do hope you can get your surgery done and over with and start feeling a lot better.

Beech, what I bought about 13 years ago was made by Carol Davis Sportswear.  Sadly, she became ill and couldn't find anyone to continue the company, so they are no longer available.  However, look for long johns made of Power Stretch or Polar Stretch fabric.  I think the ones in the link below might be pretty close. These seem to have the fleece feel next to the skin with a smoother outer side that makes it easy to put outer clothing over it.  
I still have the one original suit and it is just as good as it was when it was new.    
https://www.rei.com/c/underwear/f/fet-polartec

ELLEN:
 Happy Hairless Day!   I have taken to cutting my own hair in recent months.  I can never get it cut nicely by others and decided I couldn't do much worse.  And it does grow out eventually....    
 I found my "Seal Suit" after losing it all last winter.  Since it is black, it was hiding in the closet under some dark clothing.  It will be put to work this year.  Too bad about that company going out of business, it is a really good product.

BEECH:
Please send your very kind neighbors here!  We have a couple of cords of wood lying in our yard that we still haven't stacked up in the woodshed.   Sorry about your snow, yucko.  I do like your neighbors.

GRAYMARE:
 Your neighborhood sounds nice.   My neighborhood's kids are all grown up and got jobs now.  I used to have some handy helpers, but not anymore.  I guess I will have to wait for grandkids to arrive.   Good news about TL's knee.  Was that his second knee operation?

TRUDY:
 Sorry about your snow, too.  ewwww.....We got ice and lots of rain this week, but no snow.  Worked for me.   I can't believe Ace is old enough to not appreciate snow, although I understand it for me.  

RICK:
 I am sorry you are having health problems.  I agree about the medical community needing to get their act together.   I am changing dentists for the same reason.   I hope your surgery goes well and you recover quickly.  Congrats on getting your barn painted, I bet it looks nice!   We aren't mowing here now, that season is over for us.  


We took Ivan to Pandapas Pond Park today.  It started out pretty chilly, but eventually got up to 53 degrees with lots of sunshine.  Ivan was in his go-go mode .  He knows where the trail head is and when he gets tacked up, he is ready to get there NOW.  We did a lot of circling in the parking lot waiting on the other horses to get tacked up.  After we got on the trail he was just fine.   It was muddy and slick and the creeks were high, but the ride was still very nice.  Ivan was the first across the higher than usual creek, the others were reluctant.  There is a drop off getting into the creek that was a little intimidating.   Funny how he is brave about some things and not very brave about other things.   I think Ivan knows that once we come back off the trail, if he gets in the trailer he will get home sooner.  He jumped right on.  It was a fun day.

Well, damn! I did it again: hit some wrong button and lost a whole message all ready to post.

So now I'll be SHORT! And write it in WORD first!

ELLEN - Thanks for the long-johns info! I went to the site you recommended but got so overwhelmed by all the options there and elsewhere (while trying to fit my wicked girth) that I ended up throwing up my hands and ordering a not-perfect pair from L.L. Bean. Not cheap but usually trustworthy. Will let you know Tuesday.

RICK I love hearing about all your doings -- and send you hugs for the health part. I was thinking of you this morning because I went out for breakfast with a friend who's battling both leukemia and a concussion -- but she's also a feisty old soul who absolutely can't be restrained, so we had a good time. We ended up being joined by two other friends, one of whom, a nurse, has also been recovering from a concussion (she's also raises beef cattle, and whacked her head slipping off one of her tractors), so there was some fruitful exchange of information. And it was comforting for all, I think, to be among friends in that cozy small-town atmosphere that I love. Sharing is good.

ARK I look at your latest pic and start posting in my chair! I can hear the creak of leather and smell the saddle-soap... Thank you!

I hope all of you are having good weather today. It's very nice here................71 I think.

RICKSTER, hope you can "gittrdone" and feel better soon. Also, prayers for Laurie and all involved
in that fire. I can't imagine the horror of the people affected.....then murders down in Thousand Oaks and another huge fire down there.

TL is doing well............still hobbling but feels well.

ARK, thanks, as always, for sharing your pics. Lookin' good.

Bye for now..............blessings for/to all.

ARK … Where the pasture used to be is still raggedy looking and could stand another mowing. I also use the mower to chop up leaves and there are plenty to be chopped. I'd rather chop them up and leave them than to vacuum and remove. Its a way of adding nutrients back to the yard as well as giving me an excuse for some seat time on the Kubota. If things go well with surgical recovery, I should be able to start on that in another couple weeks or so.


We were just informed tonite that our "non-cooking" daughter … Jillian … wants to "cook a bird" for T-giving so I guess we will be doing that. What special plans do others have??

Love to all … Rick & Carol.

Our snow is going going gone.  It was sliding off the roof in HUGE clumps.  Made Ace so nervous with all the big thumps, I had to give a tranq to calm him down.  Scared me too, the house actually shook when a couple avalanches came down.  One of the draw backs of a aluminum roof and 12" of snow on a roof that wasn't ready for cold weather.

I did a first yesterday.  Went to a purse bingo. Who knew there were purse bingos?   Didn't win a thing, Bingo is not my thing, and the price of the purses knocked me out.  Some of them were over $500. One of them was more than I paid for my Bob Mashall saddle and it was ugly to boot.  Give me my little old Stone Mountain purse and I am happy.  My freind Dee won a hot dog and a coke.  HAHAHAHA  She was mad.  Rita won a wallet that was $300.  $300 for a tiny wallet can you believe that????  I'm still in shock at the prices.

Rick:  So sorry to hear about your health nightmare.  It's like that everywhere.  My poor 87 year old neighbor was jerked around for 6 months before they did his heart surgery.  He still isn't right and needs more surgery but has to wait again.  Sad stuff.

Not doing much for Thanksgiving, our friends are having their holiday dinner on Saturday and we were invited.  I'm going to make 2 pumpkin pies to take along.  On the actual holiday, just going to make a little ham, nothing fancy.  Not a turkey fan and Saturday will be enough turkey for me.

         

Happy Birthday, ELLEN!!!!





         

That's a riot.................HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ELLEN, and many more!

God bless................

Happy birthday Ellen!

Rick...i will hum that things go smoothly in your future and you will feel better. Keep us posted.

Trudy...i never heard of purse bingo. Glad your sniw is melting.

Ark i love to see pics of your rides. Donnie needs to get his knee fixed....Harrys went well and he doesnt regret it at all.

Thank you, Everybody. 74 sounds so old when I hear it, but I don't feel that old.
Ark, that is a really funny cat picture.
My cousin gave me a kitchen torch, which I have wanted. Now, I just have to figure out how to use it.

I've never heard of purse bingo either, but it sounds very expensive. My idea of an expensive purse was the last one I got which was $44. I thought that was a lot. My taste in purses is very simple and small. My current purse is about 9X9 square and very flat. I can keep everything I need in it.
When we were in Lexington we went in the gift shop at Keeneland. There was a purse in there that I thought was about the right size and color. I looked at the price tag and then very carefully made sure I didn't touch the purse. $800.
I'm glad that there are people who have done well enough to afford that kind of luxury, but I'm not one of them.

I take handmedown purses from grand daughter...she dies have good taste....likes western blingy ones.

What is a kitchen torch?

Going to go play some games this afternoon at the club house. Then dogs to the dogpark afterwards. Such an excitin day.....we sat around a campfire last night with a dozen or so campers with drink of choice...mostly hot chocolate...got into low 30s. Swapping stories. Was nice.

CB, a kitchen torch is just a small butane torch that you can use to toast the sugar on top of crème bruleé or other similar dishes.  It isn't something I NEEDED, just wanted.  A regular butane torch like plumbers would use, would work just as well, but they are bigger.
One example I saw was to take an orange, split it in half, sprinkle sugar over it, then toast it with the torch.  I'm going to sprinkle some sugar on my sugar cream pie and torch that.  
Sometimes, I get English muffins, butter them, then put brown sugar on top and put it under the broiler.  I can use the torch instead of the broiler.


We have some sand hill cranes around here. They are the strangest looking birds when they are flying. They look like a long skinny stick on the front and a long skinny stick on the back, with big wings in the middle.

Trudy, did you watch Dancing with the Stars? Were you satisfied with the winner? He sure wasn't the best dancer. Entertaining, yes. Dancer, no.

ELLEN:  HAPPY BIRTHDAY a little late. Nope, I haven't been watching DWTS since my boy Maks left, he was my reason to tune in.  I have been watching the Juniors though and some of those little kids can really dance.  Stevie Wonders son is on it and Stevie performed a song while his boy danced the other night.  Very cool.

At the purse bingo I thought I was in an episode of the old Roseann show.  A lady seated behind me had Troll Dolls on her bingo cards & a row of colored markers all lined up like little soldiers.  We were howling.  I use the same purse until it falls apart, purses are not my thing, I do have a summer and winter purse and thought I was really classy.  HAH what did I know?????  I would be afraid to leave the house carrying a $1500 purse.  I'm just an old farm girl who stuffs her cash in her jean pockets.  LOL

TRUDY, I keep my cash in my jeans, also. I don't carry bags of $ so a pocket works just fine. And,
I have room for lipstick, also. I'm good to go.

We have moved Thanksgiving to Saturday..........it opens up for more people. LOL, should be good.

Folded laundry, washed floor, and getting ready.................Oh goody, it's too much fun!

God bless.

By the way, if I won an $800 purse at purse bingo, I wouldn't know what to do.............
I couldn't even sell it. No one I know has that kind of $ for a purse........maybe E Bay.
LOL

I have two relatives that are big into purses. They change purses with almost every outfit. I change purses when the one I'm using wears out. The one before the current one finally broke the strap. I got a new strap and continued using it. One day, I really looked at it and realized how ratty it looked. Then, I started shopping for one just like it; found a similar one after a couple of weeks.
Like you gals, I often stick money in my pocket and don't carry a purse at all.

I'm sure that most of you are busy cooking and getting ready for Thanksgiving. I will go visit relatives tomorrow - and eat too much as always.

Happy Thanksgiving! Be safe in your travels and dont eat too much!....ahhww heck...go ahead!

Enjoy!

We are having a huge group of campers at the event center...here at the rv park. Huge building...half is the event center with full kitchen..restrooms and then go into entryway thru another door and swimming pool...hot tub for 12 and exercise room and showers\restroom. Has an outside patio with a fire pit also.
Anyway everyo e signed up on a sheet of paper what they were bringing. The park is supplying the turkeys and gravy.
We will see how it goes.