For the Love of Air Conditioning

Here's little Chicklet, passed out on a nice cool air-conditioned floor:

She had a bath today so she's all fluffy. Look at her toes! When she waddles around, they remind me of toddlers pajama feet!

The Axe was good riding today- no lameness at all. The farrier called & is coming tomorrow morning-YAY!

Boneless pork sirloin roast & potato spears on the grill. And more corn. Very yummy. I'd take pictures but then Bob would think I'm weirder than I really am.

Good horse news!

Jodi watched Axe trot out this morning on a lead line and thought she looked sound. SHe suggested riding lightly to build her back up again. I spent a good part of the late morning waiting for the farrier to show up; I won't know until tomorrow if he did or not. I'm going to ride her tomorrow regardless. Hopefully we'll have no residual panic issues in her stall. I got a break-away safety cross tie so hopefully that helps. There is little to no swelling in her pastern, and no heat on any ligaments or joints.
Today for lunch I marinated boneless chicken thighs in a teriyaki sauce then grilled, and had rice on the side and corn on the cob. It all came out good, but I quickly remembered why I don't like dealing with chicken thighs- so much waste from trimming off fat & icky stuff! Plus you can't get it all off. Nothing chewy as I ate, but my mind was on all the ickys that i knew were lurking amongst the crevices in the meat. Maybe if someone else had cleaned them, I would have enjoyed them more.
Then we watched the Drew Barrymore "Cinderella" and sweated..................... In a perfectly platonic way- due to the humidity.

A Fine evening:

A splendid time was had by all I think; I know I personally gained about 5 pounds! We had so much delicious food (but unfortunately, no pictures- I totally forgot the camera!):

For hors d’oervres:

Cheese & crackers by Deb, our wonderful hostess; her talented quilter/finisher friend Cheryl made a blue cheese/blueberry/pecan spread; I contributed some fruit skewers & yogurt dip; Jane brought bruschetta; Joanne made chili taco dip.

For entrees:

Carol made an antipasti salad; Joanne made sausage, peppers & onions; Jeanne made baked ziti and a pot of meatballs & sauce; they also brought Bertucci dinner rolls; Jane made a chicken,mushroom & spinach bake.

For dessert:

            Linda made orange brownies, and I made vanilla cupcakes.

Please pardon me if I forgot you or something you made! I think I DID forget something, but it escapes me- I think an hors d’oerves.

Everything was SO delicious it was difficult to control myself!

Thank you so much Deb for generously opening up your beautiful home to our evening of debauchery! Little does the average person know how wild & crazy we stitchers can get – even without the liquor!

In horse news, the swelling in her ankle has gone down a lot, almost back to normal. Still no heat, which is the best part, meaning it's not inflamed or infected. I worried about that all day, and the fact that I can't ride. The blacksmith comes tomorrow, and hopefully she'll be well enough to take being re-shod. I'll also be able to trot her out on a lead rope so he can assess the "damage"- whether it's a problem higher up her leg.  Please keep your fingers crossed for me and Axe.

We missed Nancy terribly:

Her bunnies wouldn't let her out of the house with the sangria.

Worry, Worry,...

Emily went up to see Axe last night and pointed out some swelling I had missed- it's her pastern, which is the section of leg below the fetlock (ankle) and above the top of the hoof.  Here. So I worried about that all night. And I had thought all her scrapes were looking & healing well. ;(  So I'll have to hose or ice that down as well.

I'm leaving work early to take care of her as tonight we're having Stitch & Bitch at Deb's house for our 2nd annual Summer-Fest (I'll have to come up with a better name). I made vanilla cupcakes with chocolate frosting and some fruit kebabs with yogurt/lime dipping sauce. I'll try to bring a camera.

 

Yay- the Supreme Court affirmed that there is, indeed, a Second Amendment and that it allows me to own a gun. I was beginning to think I would have to start planning my move to Ireland based on some of their other rulings this week.

I need to get back to work.

TTFN

Worst Horse Mom EVER

I didn't post pix last night because Axe had an accident last night, in her stall, before I rode. She was on the chain tie, and spooked at something that caused her to throw her head up & back. Because she was restrained, she frightened herself, and fought to pull back harder, until she broke her halter, and fell back against the side of her stall, then down to her knees. She couldn't get her footing- her feet kept sliding out from under her, which made her panic more. I keep wincing still remembering how many times she tried to get up then splayed back down, until she was lying across the threshold of her in-and-out door. She caught her breath, then stumbled up & out, falling yet again. Finally, she was up trembling, with nicks and gashes all around. Lynne & Jody helped me by hosing her down, cleaning everything well. She started eating some grass finally, and walked out Ok, and put weight on all 4 legs.

I went back up after work, and repeated the hose down and betadine wash. She has a couple of bruises too on her belly. I iced one for a while. The other had a scrape across it, so I didn't want to make it wet after I sprayed it with antibiotic. I felt SO helpless watching her thrash in a panic- I was afraid to step forward & grab her halter in case I got kicked. I ordered a break-away tie for her stall- if she pulls too hard, it separates the velcro, and she's free.

She's been very good and calm at the new barn, but she's not used to some of the noises and startles when she can't see the source. Emily noticed it last week.

*DEEP SIGH*

Here's FOS progress:

Getting close!

Here's my June ornament:

That's DMC 4210 floss. 40 ct. linen "Lentil", stitched over 2.

Yada Yada Yada...

nothing much going on. Had some good rides on the Axe; yesterday I felt horrible though- exhausted to the point of nausea, every muscle & joint below my bust ached. I fell asleep on the couch around 8:00 pm, woke up around 10 pm, and up to my real bed and slept thru 'til around 5:30-ish, then back to sleep until 7:00. I felt much better, especially my aches.
Mowed some lawn tonight (to no ill effect, as of yet).
Friday night I started a Milady's Smalls Quaker Christmas ornament (this). I'm using the recommended 40 ct. "Lentil" fabric, but I'm using one of those DMC variegated flosses in a cranberry-ish color. I'll get a picture tomorrow (I hope)- I'm too sweaty from mowing right now & this room is getting too warm.
I also mended Axe's pink fly sheet, as she's ripped her new silver one. That'll mean a trip to the laundromat to wash it first. I think i have a couple of other blankets I can wash too.
Well, if I go now, I might get some stitching in before I crash.
TTFN

Fruit of the Spirit progress:

Nice to see everything is spelled correctly at this point. Way to go.

A Finish!

"Snowflakes" by Little House Needleworks

32 ct. Belfast Linen "Natural"

recommended Crescent Colors flosses and Weeks Dye Works substitutes

I'll do this now...

Since tomorrow I probably won't be able to move my hands: after Emily rode tonight I volunteered to help unload the hay truck, as in,  semi-tractor trailer load of hay truck, like to the order of over 400 bales of hay load of hay truck. With no gloves and a short sleeved shirt. For over 2 - 1/2 hours.  Can we talk stupid?

Here they are, my pretties:

Before

 

 

 

 

 

 

During:

 

 

 

 

 

 

And after.

So whatta ya gonna do about it?

Yeah- I know I keep promising to write. Well I get busy. And tired. And rinse & repeat.
Busy day Saturday- Dianne & Jen's baby turned one. A's so sweet- we got there at 4:00, and when we left at 8, she was in her jammies having a bottle. Not a single off-key squeak out of her all day! Such a GOOD baby!
Sunday I picked up Bob and we drove around looking at cars. He's having a heck of time trying to find something. Everyone wants way too much for 18 year old 8 cylinder trucks with over 200K miles on them. One guy in New Bedford was asking $1650 for such a vehicle. Bob offered him $1500 in cash on the spot, even though he thought it only worth about $1200 & the guy turned it down saying "Oh I need the other $150".
As Bob left, the neighbor asked if the truck wasn't what he wanted and Bob told him he was interested, but that the seller turned down the $1500, which was too much as it is. The neighbor went ballistic. Turns out the neighbor is the seller's landlord, and the seller owes him 3 months back rent- $1500!! The neighbor said "I'll get him to sign the title over to me and I'LL take your $1500!!!"
Anyway, Em came home last night and we went over to ride the Axe. She was very good, but a bit peppy. I had given her Sunday off. I got on for a quick lesson and Em even had me go over a cross rail! And I didn't fall off! I haven't jumped since I was about 17. So I guess I can go another 30 years before I have to do that again!
I worked on Snowflakes last night until the thunderstorms made Chicken curl up under my armpit and start licking my hand for pats on the head. Then I couldn't sew anymore. I'm close to finishing it! YAY!

Photos!

Here's progress on FOS:

And Snowflakes:

And stash:

Each design gets more "Do this first!"

That's a cut of LSL "Lentil" for the Quaker Christmas Smalls.

 

 

 

Petunias (still alive???!!!)

Random Question:

Do earlobes grow longer as you age? That's been bothering me lately, as I look at my boss's ears and see how long they've gotten.

Drip, Drip, Drip...

That's the sound of all the sweat dripping off me; it's in the 90's and very humid. I even put my window A/C in my computer room- earliest ever.
Axe was hot out in the paddock when I went to visit, and wanted to come in out of the bugs. After dropping Bob off at home, I went by to see if she needed to be hosed off, but she was nice & cool. There's a very pleasant breeze coming in the back of her stall. She hadn't drunk a lot of water unless Sandy topped off buckets before she left. I have to shuffle piles of dorm stuff around in here, and maybe I can set up the cot so I (and the hairy black critters who live with me) can sleep in here and maybe stitch!

News Just IN!

Today is National Donut Day!

Go out and have one........or three!

If horses could smile:

Ms.Axeu would be grinning ear to ear. She was so funny last night: her stall has a back door that opens up to a small paddock outside her stall. Jodi let her use it for the first time yesterday because she took her horse, who has the same set up in the adjacent stall, to a show. (She wants to be around to monitor things when Axe & Diesel are turned out side by side for the first few times.)

She was outside when I stopped in before stitching, but came in when she heard me. Then, when I didn't give her any food, she went out again. Then she came back in & went out again, just to show me that she could! I swear, she was like a 3 year old with a new toy- "Look what I can do!"

Lynn, one of the other boarders, said she had been doing that all after noon- watching her ride outside, then going in when she went in.

When Axe first came off the track, Dianne let her have a run-in, where she could go in & out of her stall at will. This helped chill her out, and calmed her down from life at the track.

Here at Jodi's, this is the first time in 5 or 6 years that she's been able to have a run-in. If horses could smile with happiness, Axe was doing just that last night.

Axe at HBF: "I wanna break out of this hell-hole!"

Things we need to know:

Firstly, here's the remains of the cake:                            

It was extremely moist, almost dense, and rich. Great chocolate flavor, but I couldn't detect the Guinness. I will definitely bake this again, but maybe try 2 layers.

 

My ornament:

"Quiet Night"

by Erica Michaels from the 2007 JCS ornament issue on 28 ct. jobelan "Thyme" with on hand flosses : WDW & DMC

Stash:

BBD "Rites of Spring" with the 32 ct. belfast Linen "Country Mocha" & WDW floss for it.

 

 

 

 

Self-explanatory

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                               

Milady's Needle "Quaker Christmas Smalls"

I'm looking forward to doing these. Maybe June ornament?

 

 

 

I decided not to photo Snowflakes- it's rolled over too far on the scroll rods. I will try to finish promptly then take a picture.

Random Appropriate Quote of the day....

There is a very fine line between "hobby" & "mental illness."

-Dave Barry

Silly Me:

I forgot to say that not only did I finish my May ornament, but I also worked on Snowflakes. Didn't have time to take photos though, because...........................

I made a chocolate cake for stitching night! Of course I was going to make frosting but someone needed frosting for some cookies she just had to have a couple of weeks ago, and I was out of confectioner's sugar. If I can get to BJ's at lunch and get some sugar, I'll try to whip up some frosting before I head over to Deb's. Otherwise we'll have to rough it.

If any of my fellow bitches (See- I'm including myself in that!!) read this this morning, could you let the others know? I don't have anyone's email addresses here at work. Thanks!

If I'm any kind of woman I'd also photo the cake too. It's the Chocolate Guinness cake from Cookie Madness.

Fancy that..

From Stitch Bitch, who got it from Hip to be Squared:

What is in the back of your car?
horse equipment; hay chaff (lots), and baling twine

What color is your toothbrush?
White with pink grips
Name one person that made you smile today?
Jodi- new barn owner because my horse is loving it there and so am I!

What were you doing at 8 am this morning?
Drinking coffee, starting the office computer
What were you doing 45 minutes ago?
going thru blogs
What is your favorite candy bar?
Milky Ways
Have you ever been to a strip club?
Yes. More than once. My ex-husband got a "kick" out of taking me. Schmuck.
What is the last thing you said aloud?
""Night, night, honey"

What is the best ice cream flavor?
Anything with coffee ice cream, fudge swirl, nuts and brownie bits

What was the last thing you had to drink?
Polar Springs Seltzer Lime
What are you wearing right now?
Flannel jammie pants and a long sleeve tee

What was the last thing you ate?
Tortellinis with Parma Rosa sauce
Have you bought any new clothing items this week?
nope.

When was the last time you ran?
Well I had resumed my walking routine as a precursor to resuming my jogging routine about a month ago, but sleep became more important since then. I jogged crossing the street last night.

The last sporting event you watched?
The Preakness

What is your favorite flavor of popcorn?
Kettle Corn
Who is the last person you sent a comment/message on Myspace?
I don't do Myspace. I have no friends apparently.

Ever go camping?
Unfortunately, yes.
Do you take vitamins daily?
yes-acidophilus and vitamin C.
Do you go to church every Sunday?
Nope
Do you have a tan?
Just a farmer tan (only on the arms below the T-shirt sleeves)
Do you like Chinese food over pizza?
WTF??? Sacrilege!

Do you drink your soda with a straw?
I don't drink soda

What did your last text message say?
I told my daughter how much board is at the new barn, which is quite a bit less than what we'd have been paying had we stayed at the old barn.

Are you some-one's best friend?
Yes
What are you doing tomorrow?
Back to work, but it's stitching night!!!

Look to your left, what do you see?
A pile of fabric atop a barn doll-house thing.

What color is your watch?
Black strap, silver and teal blue around the digital face.

What do you think of when you think of Australia?
great open spaces and kangaroos

Do you use chap stick?
No- it's too dry; i use Blistex lotion every night at bedtime.

What is your birthstone?
Ruby

What is your favorite number?
3 and 5, which means I also like 8
Do you have a dog?
Yes
Last person you talked to on the phone?
Bob

Have you met anyone famous?
Don't think so; at least not anyone so important that I can't remember

Any plans today?
Always the stitching, and riding

How many states have you lived in?
one

Ever go to college?
Yes.
Do you dye your hair?
No but I really should; it's more gray than brown these days

Biggest annoyance in your life right now?
Gasoline prices
Last song listened to?
"Beverly Hills" by Weezer

Can you say the alphabet backwards?
No.
Do you have a maid service clean your house?
Sadly, no.

Are you jealous of anyone?
Deb, owner of my LNS. She gets to stitch every day.

Is anyone jealous of you?
Why?

Do you love anyone?
Yes
Do any of your friends have children?
Virtually all of them.
Do you eat healthy?
Not really.

What do you usually do during the day?
Work and obsess over the stitching I'm not doing

Do you hate anyone that you know right now?
I would have to say that there's one person I do hate, but I no longer have to deal with him, so PAH!
Do you use the word 'hello' daily?
I think I do- wait- yes I do when I answer the phone at work.

What color is your car?
Silver
Do you like cats?
yes

Have you ever been to Six Flags?
I got to be a chaperone for a school field trip there

How did you get your worst scar?
The family legend says just before my first birthday, I copied my older brother who was 3, by pulling the kitchen drawers out to climb up for the cookie jar on the counter. I then lost my balance, dropped the jar which broke, then fell on top of the shards and sliced open my chin to the bone. Was rushed to the hospital, and stopped a funeral at the church up the street when the police saw all the blood coming from a screaming baby. Apparently all the excitement caused my mother to go into labour early and she gave birth to my younger brother, on MY birthday. So my 1st birthday photos don't have my parents in them- my aunt handled the cake thing. And it was ALL MY FAULT!

It's A Wonderful Life...

Emily came home to ride, so I didn't have to, nor do I need to go up & check on Ms.Axe becuase she's getting excellent care---kitty at the keyboard---there she goes! Back again...no..down OMG she's SO fat! HArd fat!

The lawn is mowed, the checkbook balanced, and bills are paid.

So I'm FREE tonight! No grain to make; Em went to her Dad's so he can fix her car...I'm living large! I may have to sit down and STITCH!  First I shall walk down & get my lottery ticket.

I'm outa here!

My Nostrils are FLARING!

in total frustration at Norton Internet Security and how much frikkin' system resources it sucks while running a scan!

Anyway- deep calming breath...... and exhale.......

here's my jackpot from Ebay:

beautifully wrapped in tissue: an assortment of The Thread Gatherer's Silk 'N Colors and Soie d'Alger, which I didn't know was mfr'd by Kreinik. The seller also threw in a card of Coronet Braid #4 in Silver. I want to stitch something new right away! I haven't had supper yet, although I was back from the barn by 7:00. I took a call from Emily, who wanted a cookie recipe, then I had to finish mowing the lawn. Now I'm computer-ing. And drinking a Guinness which will probably end up being my supper as I know Bob will call as soon as my chicken is cooked. (I tell ya- he has radar!) Em's coming home tomorrow to ride.

PS:

I'm trying to post more often!

AHHH!!!!

So this is how it feels to not have to worry about the horse every day & night!

She was relaxed as could be, tucked right into her (green- not brown!) hay. I went up this morning to ride at 10:30; she had been out in the grass (real grass, with clover, not that weed garbage at HBF) paddock- about 1/2 acre with a big oak tree in the middle and shade along the side, since 6:30 am, by herself. She was in horsey heaven!

I was prepared though and brought a carrot & some candy canes as bribes to get her in. The crinkling noise of the mint wrapper does it every time!

She was a little spooky in the indoor. It has a white plastic roof, so it kind of glows inside. She kept looking out the doors as we rode by, as if to be sure all that grass would still be there when she was done.

The two other ladies who board there have been very welcoming and complimentary of Ms. Axe, as has Jody the barn owner.

I must say, but Ms. Axe is a very polite girl!

So far, I am thoroughly impressed and pleased with Axe's new digs. I really think we're both (and Emily, too) going to like it there. And what a worry lifted off my shoulders! Ahhhh!!!!