It's Saturday, again. It's amazing how the weeks roll by! Once again I'm participating in Jenny Matlock's Saturday Centus. This week she challenged us write no more than 106 words and to include the words:
Sometimes you bend. Sometimes you break.
I'm not sure how this piece came about.
Perhaps it's just the season.
Jonathan was playing contentedly on the floor, totally absorbed in his work. Legos were strewn around him making concentric circles. Like waves catching the sun, they moved outward to take over the room. He’d comment, now and then, about his progress. “Nope, not you, Mr. Yellow six block, I need a Mr. Red four here.” He reached behind him, groping blindly. He picked up the spider that had been making its way through the Lego maze, instead of a block. Not paying attention he pressed the spider onto his construction. “Oh well,” he commented, as he discarded the mangled body, “sometimes you bend. Sometimes you break.”
If you'd like to read more responses for the Saturday Centus, click on the link below:
I mentioned my 'big' trip to the Doctor today. She asked if I was up-to-date on my shots. I commented that I didn't think it was still necessary to have special shots to go through the Panama Canal. She reminded me that a flu shot might be important, since I will be rubbing elbows with many more people than I see in a month around home. So, I left her office with a Scooby-Doo bandaid and an arm that aches just a bit!
Come chat with us!
How would you answer the following questions?
Take a few minutes to respond in a comment or on your blog.
I enjoy having a 'conversation'.
Complete your blog post (or comment) by asking a question of us.
Link your post to the Hobby Horse Blog Hop
by using the Linky Tool below.
Or...
Leave a comment with your responses to the questions.
Visit other participating blogs on the list
and respond to their questions in your comments.
Hobby Horse Blog Hop Prompts - Week 30:
Are you up-to-date on your shots?
What about your animals? What are your feelings about annual vaccinations?
If you could travel anywhere... where would you go? What sort of things would you like to do or see?
What are your preferred ways to travel?
My answers:
1. There are probably some other shots I should have. I can't remember when I had my last Tetanus shot, but I do think it's been within the last 5 years or so. I am getting to the age where I should consider a Shingles vaccine - from what I've heard, that's a condition I don't want.
2. After hearing about how Rabies exhibits itself in horses, and because there have been cases in my area, I made sure that my horses were vaccinated against it. But, with regards to most vaccinations, in my opinion, our animals are 'over-vaccinated'. I find it hard to believe that they need annual boosters throughout their lives, to keep them disease-free. I've also heard terrible stories about reactions to vaccines. When my animals were home bound and I knew that they were not likely to be exposed to diseases, I would often let their vaccinations lapse for a period of time. Whenever I knew that my animals were likely to be exposed, for example if I knew I was planning on taking the horses to a clinic, or taking the dogs to a dog park, then they would get their vaccines to protect them and to protect me from a possible legal ramifications.
3. I would love to go to Australia and New Zealand. I have always had a fascination for the countries 'down under'. I would want to be there for several weeks, at minimum, and would like to travel throughout the country. Seeing the movie, Rabbit-Proof Fence, made me want to explore the outback even more. Naturally, I'd enjoy seeing the outback from the back of a horse!
4. Although I enjoy the speed of air travel, the hassles at the airport and the discomfort of the seats makes it distasteful. I love traveling by ship - of course, it must cater to me, providing good food and entertainment - no working freighter for me! I think I am also going to enjoy traveling on the RV, since Mr. Dreamy has declared he won't drive more than 6 or 7 hours on any given day. It used to be that on long trips we would get in the car and drive at least 12 hours before stopping - hated that!!
How would you answer these questions? You can respond in comments, or you can participate in Patrice's "Chats on the Farmhouse Porch". It's a fun way to get to know friends in cyberspace. Oh, and speaking of fun - Wendell has chimed in with his answers. It is interesting to see things from a horse's perspective.
Wendell... can you get to San Francisco on Oct. 29? My son is getting married! You are the first 'person' in blogland that I've told that to! Shhhh! It's a secret! Don't tell! I think it would be great fun to have you in his wedding party!!
1. Please tell me a fond autumn memory. Or tell me something interesting you're doing now that fall is here. I used to ride to the hounds. Fox hunting takes place in the fall when the mornings are cool and dew covers everything (we even had lots of dew on the grass out here this morning). Morning mist would hang in the woods and the sun would filter through what leaves remained on the trees as we waited for the hounds to pick up the scent of a fox. There was something magical about the anticipation of a good run, the rustle of the leaves as horses waited impatiently stirring up the earthy odor. Too-to-too-to-toot! Tally-ho! We're off!
Here's a not-so-great picture of the
Genessee Valley Hunt - many years ago.
I'm in that mass of horses and people.... somewhere!
2. What's your favorite kind of cheese? I'm with Patrice.... just about any cheese is my favorite. But I guess, if you put a selection out for me, I'd take baked Brie over anything else! Yummy! 3. Have you ever been in a wedding, other than your own (if applicable)? I have never been in anyone's wedding... but, as I mentioned above. Son 1 is getting married! Woohoo! I guess I won't really be 'in' his wedding - but I think it will be tons better than dressing in a Bride's maid's dress. My heart will be so full! (My eyes, probably, too!) 4. Did you ever do anything as a child to earn money? (Lemon aid stand, crafts, mother's helper, chores, etc.) We lived near a golf course tee and would sell lemonade on occasion. My brother would also scour the golf course for lost balls and would sell them as well. Several times golfers would find balls they had lost on previous outings. They would laugh and gladly pay my brother the small bit of change he was asking for the golf balls. 5. Do you wear a watch? I haven't worn a watch for years. I probably quit using one about the turn of the century (doesn't that sound odd?!) when I realized that just about anywhere I was, I could see a clock: on the microwave, in my car, on my computer, on my cell phone, etc. But, I do have a lovely watch that my brother sent to me. It belonged to my mother. We think it was given to her by my dad on the occasion of their wedding. My brother had the works redone and the watched cleaned professionally. I treasure it - even though I have never worn it. Visit Everyday Rurality to join the chat.
I look forward to Jenny Matlock's Saturday Centus writing challenge. Recently, I have had the additional challenge of limited connectivity while we have been on the road. But today I was able to get out to the World Wide Web. Hello, there, world!
We were asked to incorporate the words, "blah, blah, blah" in our work of any style, 103 words, max.
Here is the true story of my work, before I retird from the rat race:
I go to work to go to meetings
Then I go home to do my work.
At least they usually have coffee
And the cookies are a perk. I never finish anything,
I'm rushing here to there.
I think I left my pen someplace,
But, Lord knows where!
I throw my notes upon my desk.
I answer just one call.
Then I grab the nearest notebook
And run to the meeting down the hall.
Blah, blah, blah the speaker drones on
While what I hear echoing inside my head
Is the growing, tedious list of things
I'll have to do tonight instead!
Fall is coming. The horses are shedding their summer coats and showing the first signs of new shaggy coats for winter. Our mornings have a fall-like chill that inspires me and brings me new-found energy. I love this season - but I dread that first snow fall!
Let's chat!
How would you answer the following questions?
Take a few minutes to respond in a comment or on your blog.
I enjoy having a 'conversation'.
Complete your blog post (or comment) by asking a question of us.
Link your post to the Hobby Horse Blog Hop
by using the Linky Tool below.
Or...
Leave a comment with the answer to the question(s).
Visit other participating blogs on the list
and respond to their questions in your comments.
Hobby Horse Blog Hop Prompts - Week 29:
How do you deal with a shaggy winter coat (on your horses!)? Do you blanket? Do you clip? Do you have a special clip you prefer? Do you let the coat grow to keep the horse warm on its own?
What's the most recent sign of fall that you have seen at your place?
Do you change decorations for the seasons? If so, has fall come out in your home?
Does your community have any special fall activities that you enjoy?
My Answers:
1. The Haffies were left with long, shaggy coats. When I rode them, I never went so far as to let them get too very sweaty - a little under the saddle and on the chest was taken care of by cooling them down after work, using a fleece cooler and toweling them. When I actively showed and followed the hounds my horses were clipped. I really liked the trace clip best, but a full body clip looks so much neater!
2. I noticed that the veins of the leaves on our Maple trees are turning red. Soon the leaves will follow.
3. I don't do a lot of seasonal decorating... but I do put some things around for fall, and then change that for Christmas items. Fall is my favorite time of year. I love the colors of fall. So, I have a few sprays of fake fall flowers, berries and grasses that get put around. I have a table cloth with fall leaves that I usually put on the dining room table and I have a little wooden scarecrow that goes outside by the front door. I have some other decorations, candles and baskets - but so far I haven't hauled them out.
4. My town has a barbecue cook off over Labor Day Weekend. I guess that's a fall activity. They sell roasted chili's and fresh corn-on-the-cob dripping with butter. There are commercial vendors of barbecue and then the contestants. This cook off is similar to what you see if you have been bored enough had nothing else to do but to watch Barbecue Pit Masters on TV. The contestants have a number of dishes they must prepare and they have strict time deadlines. We watched several participants running up to the official entry table at the last second. It was interesting to talk to one of the local contestants. He travels to a half dozen competitions, but others that were at the event go to events almost every weekend. For some, it is a full-time job.
This guy surprised me the other day. He was in my closet. I thought it was a bit of stray Australian Shepherd fluff, from 'you-know-who' and I started to reach down to pick it up. Bleech!
I don't mind insects and spiders - if I'm the one going to look for them. But, when they show up and surprise me - I am not a happy camper! I did spray this fellow - or I tried to. He was rather nimble and jumped under the hanging clothes. I really did not pursue him. So, for three days I made sure I turned on the closet light and looked where I stepped. Today I found his remains. RIP, Dreaming. You can now walk in the closet without worrying!
I just had to do this challenge... well, I suppose if you have the pictures in your personal archives, it's not that much of a challenge. So, technically, I am cheating! Sunday Stills is a weekly photography challenge. You can find more information about it by clicking here. This week's challenge was to post pictures of shadows of ourselves. Every once in a while I enjoy seeing notice what the sun does to my shadowy self and I snap a picture.
We are taking the RV on a trip this weekend. We found a local group of people who own RV's made by Tiffin, and we are joining a few of them for a 'rally'. We will be in Pueblo, CO and will attend the Octoberfest. I'll try to remember to take pictures so I can share our trip with you! (Is there anyone else out there who has "V-8" moments as you leave something, or drive by something, and you think, "Wow, I should have taken some pictures of that to put on my blog?!")
We are going to be staying at a State Park and we will have no Internet services. (This will be a test of our fortitude, for sure!) It is a challenge to post things from my iPhone! Heck, we may not even have cell phone coverage - who knows, with AT&T, which, as Mr. Dreamy likes to say, has 'no bars in more places!' So.... I'm just warning you that you may not see any new posts for a few days. (Did I hear someone shouting, "Hallelujah"????) Well, actually, I have scheduled some posts, but I will be limited on visiting your blogs and posting comments. I will catch up with you upon my return.
Oh, and just in case you were wondering.... this is not my RV (but our's looks like it) and I haven't been on this lovely road with the beautiful red rocks with my RV.... yet!
We had over an inch of rain yesterday - it was so very exciting! OK, my friends from SC can stop laughing at me! I know, an inch is a drop in the bucket for you! But, we haven't had more than a tenth of an inch of rain at any one time since the beginning of June. Our pastures have been reduced to dried out stubble and dust. It will be interesting to see if any of the grasses recover.
Our neighbor's paint horses enjoyed the cool air and the mud. Mr. Dreamy reported that when they were let out of the barn, he saw them bucking and kicking as they ran down the hill. Then.... they rolled! They are now sporting lovely mud coats. Yuck - glad I don't have to brush them!
Come chat with us!
How would you answer the following questions?
Take a few minutes to respond in a comment or on your blog.
I enjoy having a 'conversation'.
Complete your blog post (or comment) by asking a question of us.
Link your post to the Hobby Horse Blog Hop
by using the Linky Tool below.
Or...
Leave a comment with the answer to the question(s).
Visit other participating blogs on the list
and respond to their questions in your comments.
Hobby Horse Blog Hop Prompts - Week 28:
What do you like to do on a rainy day?
Is there a favorite food you enjoy in the fall?
How do you manage your horses on a rainy day?
My answers:
1. If I have the opportunity, I love to sleep in with the sound of rain on the roof. But, that rarely happens - sleeping in AND the rain! And, for me, 'sleeping in' means staying in bed past 7:00 AM. Another option is to watch a movie on TV or read a good book. Today I spent some time working down in the basement - we haven't organized furniture or unpacked down there since we moved a year ago. I think it is time to do something with that space!
2. I love pumpkin spice anything!
3. My horses had the freedom to go where they wanted to go in just about all weather. I have a paddock which has an opening into a run-in area in the barn. Each of my two stalls has an opening into the run-in area. So, horses can go into the stalls, stand in the run-in area, or venture out into the rain. Many times they would be soaking wet, even having the chance to be under cover.
to watch the video and have access to an interactive transcript of the talk if your preference is reading over viewing.
For me, it's not so much about adding minutes to my life.
For me, it's about living my life more fully
and contributing to the lives of others.
My personal quest is to be more conscious about practicing and boosting my physical, mental, social and emotional resilience.
Of those, the area I will need to work most on is the emotional resilience. Although I tend to have a "Pollyanna personality" and look on the bright side of life, I'm not convinced my positive emotions outweigh the negative 3 to 1!
It was hard for me to think with the BeeGees singing in my brain!
Visit Jenny's blog to read other responses to her challenge.
The dashboard clock confirmed he had just enough time to grab some flowers and stop by the jewelers. She need not know their anniversary had slipped his mind; but with the new project at work, things had been pretty hectic. He pulled out to pass....
.... he awakened one sense at a time. He could hear, and finally he could see. She was holding his hand against her tear-moistened cheek. Awareness dominoed in from his fingers and crashed into his heart. He turned his head and whispered, “I love you. With all my heart. It’s only words. And words are all I have to give to you right now.”
Today I stumbled upon a bargain. I walked into Staples to buy something else, of course, and found a package of see-through labels you could print on with your computer. I wasn't looking for a package of see-through labels you could print on with your computer, but I figured I might find a use for them... one never knows. So, I tucked them under my arm and proceeded to pick up the half-dozen items I originally came for. The package of labels, originally $22.49 was only $2.50!
But, it gets better...
Going through the ream of cash register tape generated by the sale, the clerk was quick to point out the $5.00 off coupon I could use if I were to come back within the next week and make a purchase of $25.00 or more. She pointed out the survey I could take online, and register for a chance to win a zillion bucks, or something like that. Finally she pointed to my form for a rebate of $5.00 on my labels. The labels I just purchased for $2.50. Now, that's a bargain!
Shall we chat?
In case you are new... or as a reminder:
Each week I'll post two or three prompts.
Choose one or respond to all. Don't forget!!
Complete your blog post (or comment) by asking a question of us.
Link your post to the Hobby Horse Blog Hop
by using the Linky Tool below. Or... Leave a comment with the answer to the question(s).
Visit other participating blogs on the list
and respond to their questions in your comments.
Hobby Horse Blog Hop Prompts - Week 27:
When it comes to your horse (dog, cat, husband, kid or anything else), tell about a bargain you were thrilled to find.
How about the flip side of that. Tell about a bargain you discovered that turned out not to be such a bargain after all.
Benjamin Franklin once said, "A bargain is something you have to find a use for once you have bought it." Your thoughts?
My answers:
1. Here's a bargain: One bargain that really excited me was the purchase of my Wintec dressage saddle. Again, like the labels I just bought, I wasn't really looking for a saddle. In fact, at that point I didn't even own a horse. I walked into a pawn shop, something I rarely do, and saw the saddle hanging on the wall. It looked like it had been used maybe a half dozen times. The price on the saddle? $79.00 When a salesman came over I asked him about the saddle. He knew nothing. At that point, I also didn't know about Wintec saddles. In fact, I think it was the first synthetic English saddle I had seen. I asked if he'd consider taking something off the price. After consulting his records, he indicated they could come down 10%. Yes, it was quite a bargain!
2. Here's not so much of a bargain: We decided we must install a water softener in our new house. The well water is full of minerals and is so hard, it almost cracks when it comes out of the faucet. We diligently did our research and had 5 representatives from different companies show us their wares and price a system for us. We finally settled on one and had the system installed. In this instance, the price quoted to us was less than that of other systems, a bargain. However, I do have to say that it wasn't price, alone, that sold us on this model. The salesman seemed especially knowledgeable and honest. He also turned out to be the installer - and this turned our bargain into no bargain at all. Maybe he is a better salesman than a plumber! When he disconnected the line that went to the refrigerator, installing a direct line from the system, the valve behind the refrigerator didn't turn off completely. He didn't know this as the water was turned off at the main valve when he did the switch-over. It wasn't until about 10 days later that we noticed that our floor was cupping.
We immediately realized that we had a small leak that had been dripping since the installation. We called the installer. He came and capped the pipe. We used fans to move the air in an attempt to help dry the floors and subfloor.
While we were gone, the wood continued to swell. Now there is an example of plate tectonics in our kitchen! We have a new mountain range in front of the refrigerator! It is so high, it is even pushing the refrigerator off the floor.
Our insurance will cover the repair of the floor... our beautiful floor... but we have a huge deductible to pay. No bargain at all!
3. Mr. Benjamin was so darn witty and smart. He's right. I have a number of things sitting around, gathering dust, that haven't been put to use. I guess, since I am not using the greenhouse, it wasn't a bargain! Since I never got the harness hooks installed in the barn, they probably weren't a bargain, either! Nor were the decorative metal stars, nor the
treadmill that still sits, folded up, in the basement, nor.....
I'd love to hear about some of your bargains - or perhaps about bargains that in hindsight, weren't such great deals.
