Stick Horse Cowgirls

Well, we're in the last days of the countdown to our trip. I have decided not to call it "vacation," but rather "suspension of reality," for that is what we hope for. V and I both need a dose of fantasy for a while, and we intend on self-indulgence to the max. We are taking the laptop and cameras and hope to be posting often from our trip (we'll see...). We are excited about the dimension that our blogging offers us. It gives us a great opportunity to share our adventure--and adventures are always best shared. I think we are both having some angst about leaving--does anyone go away for a trip without worrying that she has not covered all the bases or that something dreadful will happen while she is away? My worry is the former: Have I written all the letters that need sending; made all the phone calls that need making; drafted all the pleadings that have to go out? My desk is a nightmare right now; something like this picture. V worries about her aili...

C's sister, "K," works every day with her, and she is known throughout the office for her "persnicketiness" on the subject of coffee vessels...here's her take: Having coffee is as much about the "experience" as anything; and choosing the correct coffee cup is crucial! When I have a large variety of cups to choose from, I have certain eliminating criteria such as, "too big", "wrong color", "wrong handle", and the worst, "wrong shape, lip thickness, and lip curvature!!!" I am not a fast coffee drinker, so if the coffee cup is "mug-sized", the coffee gets cold before I can drink it, causing multiple reheats in the microwave!!! This often requires a trip down the hall and is, quite frankly, not worth it. The perfect coffee cup is, of course, white or at least off white. If the cup is NOT white on the outside, it must at least be white on the inside. Why? the greatest amount of color contrast with ...

Horses were always a big part of my life. I gave my last three away just months ago, finding that as a single (somewhat depressed) person, keeping horses was more than I can do right now. But, still, they're in my blood. I know a lot about them and, as you can see, some of it is learning by experience!! A little while ago Four Miles North of Nowhere made a little mention of ordering up a harmonica. It set me thinking about the one and only time I decided to learn to play. I am musically-challenged in all areas, but thought I might could manage a harmonica. We ran a boarding stable to defray the expense of our horse hobby, an d we had quite a little cadre of trail riders. We’d meet at 5 a.m. on Spring and Summer Saturday mornings and ride the trails a couple of hours, adjourning for a late Waffle House breakfast. Those were the days!! Anyway, I thought I’d just add a little Western atmosphere to our rides by playing “Happy Trails” and other cowboy tunes as we ambled along th...

Just to let you know, Mother-in-Law is doing so well. She is using her cane and walks with a limp, but she’s a survivor and is going to be just fine. My biggest worry for her now is confinement. I have to work each day—sometimes long hours, even when I plan otherwise. This leaves her in the house for days at a time. And now I have this cruise with V planned (since last summer) and will be away for ten days. My son will be on premises during this period, but he works, too. One hurdle I want to see her get over before I go is driving. Last Saturday she drove the 12 miles of our country road into town. When we reached the busy thoroughfare, however, she pulled over and asked that I take the wheel. Following that we’ve had a cold spell so deep that she hasn’t wanted to venture out, and I don’t blame her. Weather is balmier now, however, and I hope she will log some miles this weekend. I’d love to leave knowing that she has the freedom to get in her car and leave if she wants to....

I was just reading Brin at messythrillinglife and pondering her last thought of hope in the new year to come after a particularly difficult year. If you have never read Brin's blog, I really encourage you to peruse her archives. "C" and I have often marveled at the depth, wisdom and insight that could come from a much younger woman! I think anyone who favors a Judeo-Christian moral tradition (by this I refer to how Christianity holds Old Testament teachings in reverance),could glean much from her writing. There is some really meaty material there--especially her Monday Moments !! I love her vintage decorating style too --and she will soon be writing an online column for AOL! She will be great! Life is really busy round here right now. I'm back at work after Christmas break, but still helping to tend the home of eldest daughter who is suffering from severe pregnancy complications. She has a condition known as Hyperemesis Gravidarum, and I also suffered from it, ...

Bet you thought this was going to be about some “ah-ha” moment in my life where I realized what is important versus the “little things.” Or where I finally understand how to juggle my busy workload and social life and home upkeep (which usually fall in exactly that order). Not so! This post is, rather, about the no-small-thing topic of striking the right mix of bed linens, a topic that is on my mind on these cold winter mornings. Bed linens (We call 'em “covers” in the South) are a big issue with me. I CANNOT sleep without the right ones. Do you know people who can sleep atop all bedding? You know, on a hot summer night, they lie exposed to the world with nary a sheet covering them? Are you one of them? Not me, I can tell you right now. I simply do not un derstand how someone can sleep that way—why, anything at all could get you! I must have something over me to sleep or I feel very insecure. Like, if a vampire was going to bite me, it would be because I don’t have a she...

RESOLUTION! re-zə-ˈlü-shən n. The state or quality of being resolute; firm determination. This is so trite, that I almost can’t bring myself to write it. After all, how cliché is the “New Year’s Resolution,” anyway. Still, I find myself sorely in need of one—and in need of actually keeping it, for once. This year I need to leave somewhere else 50 pounds of myself. Just gotta do it…There are things I want to do, and this extra part of me is getting in the way. I love food, no doubt, but what I have come to see is that in times of high stress, I turn to food for comfort. The problem is, it works…I feel better at those times, but that leads to extra poundage, which is now bogging me down. My biggest problem is at work, which is high-octane all the time. Here is the text of the Interoffice memo I sent to all my staff today: INTEROFFICE MEMORANDUM DATE: January 4, 2010 TO: ENTIRE STAFF FROM: C RE: 2010 office standard operating procedure update—no deviations! ____...