Just Horsing Around

Kelly & I took the horses out for a stroll. I got new aqua colored tack for Zip from my son & daughter-in-law for Christmas that I wanted to show off. Kelly got a new camera; so we can finally take some pictures to liven up this boring blog of mine : )
Two more days left of 2013!!!! This year just flew by...... I pray 2014 brings health & joy to all of you. We are going out for New Years Eve, the first time in YEARS!!!!!! We are taking the kids up to St. Augustine to Harry's for dinner. We won't be staying out till the New Year rings in but I sure as heck am going to enjoy myself anyway. I even plan on ordering a cosmopolitan cocktail with my dinner : ) I don't drink much but I'm splurging to celebrate 2014!!!!

This is a picture of me & my hubby the last time we went up to St. Augustine to see the Christmas lights on Dec. 9th, I'm addicted to that place - I LOVE it! If you ever get a chance visit that area do it : )
Until Next Time - God Bless!

December 3rd Already!

I am floored how quickly Christmas is approaching! I haven't started shopping yet for anybody but me : ) Yea, I bought myself a new computer.... My old one was acting up and I decided I needed a new one. To be honest I am on the old one more that this new one, she has all of my favorites listed and the volume is louder on the old one which I like for my music I listen to. As for my family, I bought Kelly that camera Target had on sale reg. $229.00 for $99, I'm hoping she likes it. I just have NO ideas for my son & daughter-in-law, I asked them to make a list of items they want but they haven't given me any yet : ( I guess I will be out there shopping all the way up till Christmas Eve again like every other year.
I have been hitting the thrift stores around here, I am really LOVING doing that, I sooooo enjoy it! I go by myself and take as long as I like to look around - no one to rush me and I browse. I have found a ton of clothes that I love for cheap! Now that I have lost about 50 pounds I love shopping for clothes again : ) I actually found a Ralph Lauren dress for $4.50, It fits me like a glove (My husband says it's too sexy to wear without him). He says he is going to take me out to dinner so I can wear it - Promises, promises.
As for school, it's going along. Not the senior year I had hoped for Kelly but she understands that this is it after we are done in June she will have to go looking for a job. We have really been focusing in on what it means to be out in the "real" world. One of the things we are working on the US states (we finally got The States dvd I had ordered - Thanks Nicole for suggesting them), We also go over how much apartments/houses are roughly in each state, what the job market looks like ect. I just wish she had a thought to a trade she could go into to make a living, she is in for a rude awakening when she gets out there.... 
The weather is wonderful down here today, a slight breeze and warming up to I guess in the 70's! I'm sitting outside with my new computer and just soaking up the razes - I always feel better when I can get outside and get some sunshine. Taking the horses out for a ride as soon as Kelly gets up, that child will sleep her life away if I let her!
Hope everyone has a wonderful day!
Until Next Time - God Bless!!

I Hate Guns!

What a day!
A neighbor down the street pulled over and took a pistol out and shot one of the wild pigs that have taken up residence at our house! I was outside reading when this happened and ran over to him screaming at him. He told me the pigs ran out in front of his van and he hit it. Now I was sitting out there I heard no brakes, no thumps, nothing - He just shot that pig! The poor thing was screaming his head off, the bullet hit him but didn't kill him - He was suffering. The guy picked the pig up by his legs and was going to toss him into his van. Kelly had joined me and told the guy to let the pig go but the guy didn't, he said the pig isn't going to make it. I asked the guy if he had a permit for that gun, I can't stand that everyone around here has guns! The jackass had his pitbull mix dog in the van can you imagine putting a bleeding pig in a van with a pitbull! Gosh Dam, How rotten can people be!!!!! Sometimes I just HATE people!!!!!
I feel so sick about it all, people are so quick to take a life : (
Until Next Time - God Bless!

Wild Pigs

These are the wild pigs which have been making our life a living hell!! We have had the police at our house a number of times because the neighbors our saying that the pigs are ripping up their yards and they think we own them. Ever person I have contacted to take them away wants to kill them. We have had boys running on our property trying to grab a pig or two even tho I have told them to stay off our property. They even used pepper spray on the pigs and were smoking in my goat pen which is full of hay - Yikes! The boys took down part of our horse fence I guess to get a four wheeler in there to make catching the pigs easier for them. We even found a butcher knife at the gate to ou horse pen, so we aren't sure what that is all about but we have had to worry about the horses too. It's just been crazy! I hate to even go out to town any more because as soon as they see the car go it seems stuff happens. Kelly was home alone one day when three boys just a tick younger than her were on our property - in the front yard no less. The boys are so brazen and not afraid of anything, the police office told me to call them when I see them in our yard but to be honest by the time the officer would get here they would be gone.... Anyway, my stress level has been on high alert.
Never a dull day I guess!
Until Next Time - God Bless!!

My Family : )

Food & Dvd watching

I totally hate food shopping!!!!!! I just don't know how some families are able to keep their food bills so low and I spend a ton! I have just my husband, Kelly & I and of course the dogs and I spend at least $150.00 a week. Just today I went to pick up dog food $19.99 40lb bag and then picked up just a few other items and I spent $75.00. I don't even buy organic produce, but I do buy alot from the produce dept. but I need to lower my food bill for sure!

Jumping to another topic, Nicole a blogging buddy suggested watching the dvd series of  Lark Rise and I am so glad she did! It was great, I really enjoyed that series. I like going back to days past, even tho things were a struggle back than people seemed to teat each other with respect in most cases. I am on a dvd kick of late - Netflix is my friend : )

Ever since my heat problems down at Daytona Raceway I haven't been feeling the same. It has been very hot here and very buggy, so I have been staying inside way too much. I think I need to get out and get moving again....

Hope everyone has a GEAT day today!!
Until Next Time, God Bless!!

Heat Exhaustion : (

Here I am at Daytona International Speedway, I took my son for his 24th Birthday on friday. It was very hot, I got heat exhaustion! It was so scarry, I was stumbling to the ladies room - I looked drunk. When I got in there I hung on to the bathroom sink and then I hit the floor. I guess I passed out for a second or two but I jumped right up and stated splashing water on my face. Before I got up I did see a lady walk out the door, she didn't even ask me if I was okay... I guess she thought I was drunk. Anyway, I prayed to God to get me through the rest of the day because I wasn't sure how the heck I was going to make it to even find the car in the condition I was in. He came to my rescue and after putting wet towels on my neck & sitting in the shade I recovered enough to finish out the day & watch the race - Praise God! It sure was a scarry situation, It was the first time in my entire life that happened to me.
Until Next Time - God Bless!!

Mini Check-Up

I was in Publix's (food store) picking up my new favorite thing to eat - "Chung's vegetable egg rolls"! I'm sure they don't really help with my losing weight when I dip them in duck sauce, but darn are they good : )
While I was there I saw a blood pressure machine and tried it  - Those machines have come a long way since the last time I tried one, they tell you everything now...
My blood pressure was 99/79 - it said that was normal (I thought 120/80 was normal?)
My pulse was 86
Beats 85 (not sure if this was heartbeats or what)
My body mass index was 25.51
My weight was 153lb for my height of 5ft 5in., it said I was considered overweight : (
I came home and weighed myself on my scale and sure enough with my jeans & sneakers on I weighed 153lb, when I took them off (I usually weigh myself just as I am getting into the shower) I weighed 148 - so my jeans and sneakers add roughly 5 pounds (who knew?).
Too bad those machines weren't able to take a little blood sample while your hand is getting squeezed for the blood pressure check and have it check your blood sugar too that would come in handy.
I will check my blood pressure the next time I go in to see if it stays in that range it was kinda fun like a mini check-up : )

Until Next Time - God Bless!!

You Gotta Have Friends

 I forgot to mention Kelly's internet friend Ashley came all the way from Michigan to spend time with her! It's funny how these two girls are SO much alike! We went out to Olive Garden with Ashley & her grandparents and then the girls went shopping and spent time chatting. I was amazed how two people could be so bonded even though they never meet each other in person before. They talk each night on skype (I think that's what they call it) while they play World of War Craft or one of their other favorite video games. It was such a great time meeting her, Kelly & I both wish she lived closer!

This fellow is Kelly's boyfriend Keith. He came to one of the horse shows Kelly was riding in to watch her compete. I got a chance to actually talk to the guy and he's seems like a nice young man. It is just so weird seeing him snuggle with her and hold her - I wanted to yell out "That's my baby your grabbing fella", but I stayed calm. He did get a tattoo (his sister is a tattoo artist and was visiting from Ohio and did it for him), It is SO not him - I think he regrets it big time. Kelly hates it, but he is the one who has to live with it. He is 20 ( I know he looks 16 ), It is so scarry being a parent of a girl, I just pray that they take things slow - real slow! I think I can take him down if need be : )

Until Next Time- God Bless!!

Working On Me Time : )

I have been really enjoying my "Me" time this month : )
I decided I wanted to get back into the things that I find interesting - zero waste, no waste food, getting rid of plastic, whole foods, things I can do to take better care of the earth. I have been watching a ton of dvd's:
Super Size Me
Hungry for Change
Food Stamped
Ingredients
Swee Misery: A Poisoned World
Queen of the Sun
The Botany of Desire
King Corn
America the Beautiful
Dive!: Living Off America's Waste

On the reading side of things:
Zero Waste Home
Trim Healthy Mama We have only read a few chapters in our book study of this book, but for some reason I am finding it very hard to read it. I seem to pick it up and then put it down and move on to other things : (
The Prevention Total Health System: Food and Nutrition
You Being Beautiful

I am happy to say by just removing most of the sugar from my diet and snacking on fruits and vegetables that I have lost weight : )  I started at around 178lbs. I am glad to say I am now down to 148 lbs.! I am hoping to get down to 135lbs., Maybe I can pick up some tips & ideas from all of my dvd watching & reading to make that happen : )

Until  Next Time - God Bless!!

Meet Mr.Gibbs : )

How are you all doing? Hope everyone is having a wonderful day today : )
We had sadness last night AGAIN, I found the last two chickens we had - dead. Not sure how these two bit the big one, but we will for sure never be getting any more chickens!
On a Happier note, We adopted this fine looking fellow from the Flagler County humane society. We named him Gibbs (We are NCIS addicts right now - LOVE that show), he is the most loveable guy you could ever meet! I wanted to get a side few to show you his beautiful makings but he had other ideas, he also has a bobbed tail which is so cool looking. We had hoped to let him outside to patrol the area for rodents, but now with the chicken killer still on the loose I don't want to risk having anything happen to him so he will be inside cat for now.

Besides watching NCIS, I rented a really interesting dvd called: "Hungry For Change"

from Netflix. I am going to watch it again tonight it is right up the same alley as the Trim Healthy Mama way of thought. I really NEED to kick my diet pepsi addiction!!!!! The dvd goes into to detail about how bad aspartame is for you, I need to let it go.....

Well Until Next Time - God Bless!!

Trim Healthy Mama Book Study

I have my copy of Trim Healthy Mama

book and am all ready for the book study Nicole over at Journey to Excellence is going to start the first week of June. This book is HUGE and covers a ton of topics it should be a great book study - Hope you can join us : )

Where To Start.....

Where to start......
Schooling: Belive it or not I think I have a good handle on the direction we are going to take for Kelly's senior year of schooling : ) We are going to finish up a few odds and ends from this year and head right into it after a short break. I signed up for edHelper, it has a wealth of info. to use : )
On my weight loss: Haven't lost anything further : ( But I haven't gained anything either. I guess the weight is shifting a bit because I am able to get on size 11/12 pants - granted they are tight, but I can button them : )
We had a stretch of rain last weekend and again our horse pen flooded out, the poor horses where standing in water which is never a good thing sooooooo we have decided to bulldoze our other acre of property and put up a fence for them to roam around over there. It's turning out to be alot more money than I had hoped - $600.00 just for the guy to bulldoze path ways to put up the fence and another $400.00 for barbwire & poles (Yikes).
Which brings me to the sad news - My daughter-in-laws sister who is just 52 years old is losing her battle against  her cancer. The poor gal has under gone chemo with her head held high and still they have found more cancer. She came over to me at one of the horse shows we were at and started crying telling me that she wants to give her horse Tango to my daughter-in-law if we would have room for him at our place, that she needed to know he had a good home..... I almost cried myself! She has been a police sheriff for many years hee in Flagler County and was two years away from her planned retirement. You wouldn't know looking at her she is dealing with an illness, she never sits down and is the first one out there helping the small kids with their horse runs during the Rough Riders shows. Not sure of what her plans are, but I hope she retires from the police force now while she can still do some of those things she wants to do that you always put off until next time - like taking her three year old grandson camping...... She is a tough cookie of a women and one of the good ones in this world, If you could include Cathy in your prayers I would appreciate it!
Until Next Time - God Bless!!

This And That : )

Hope everyone is having a wonderful week so far : )
Thank you for the Birthday wishes and prayers, I appreciate them!
Still struggling along with things, but I guess I just have to pull myself together.
On an up note I have lost ALMOST 20 pounds.... I started at 175 and am now down to 157. I told my husband that I lost 18 pounds and he looked at me and said "Where?" - Yikes! But hey, I know I lost it and I even have been able to buy a smaller size pants which has me jazzed : ) To give myself a pick me up since turning the dreaded 50 and feeling so dammed depressed, I went and had my hair cut. A little background on my hair, it was getting very long and I felt it looked like mama on the Addams Family show. I told the gal I wanted my hair to look like Farrah Fawcett's. I should have know I was in trouble when the girl who I don't think was much older than 21 looked at me like she didn't really even know Farrah. Anyway, I got home and Kelly says "Why did you cut it, it looked good the way it was?" than went on to say "It sure isn't one of your better haircuts, she didn't do a very good job at all". Then my husband comes home and says "I liked your hair before it looked sexy" - What the hell!
On the school front things are still off course, we just have never jelled this year at all. I just can not find anything that she is interested in besides her computer games she plays... At least my daughter-in-law signed Kelly up for Rough Riders, It is a horse show type thing. Kelly did great her first time doing barrels, poles ect. This week she will be riding Zip my daughter-in-law's horse who is much faster than Kelly is used to so I hope all goes well - I will post video of it if I'm not screaming of fright watching her run the course : )
Until Next Time - God Bless!!

Turning 50 Today

Well today I am 50 years old!! Gosh Dam I hate to even write that!
I think I can say this has been the worst Birthday ever..... I feel SOOOOO depressed : (
There was no special breakfest made for me, no balloons - nothing.
My son & daughter-in-law invited me down to their house this afternoon to watch the Nascar race and have cake, but I'm not going. I just seem to be crying all day today.
My husband is being such a jackass to me which is making the day worse.
I really wish my mom was still alive, I just need to talk with her.....
Until Next Time - God Bless!!

Back In The Saddle Again : )

How is everyone doing????
Kelly & I have been doing ALOT of horseback riding again which has been wonderful since the loss of my horse Roper. It really is AMAZING how God works... A few days after the death of Roper my neighbor mentioned that she wanted to get another horse and she wanted to give Zip (the fellow I am riding in the picture below) back to my daughter-in-law. Zip was Annie's horse for many years, her parents sold him a few years back to my neieghbor. It has been a dream of Annie's to get him back some day, Well you guessed it he is ours again! Annie & I share him : ) He is a dream to ride, Kelly & I go out for hours on end and just enjoy. It has been such a blessing in so many ways....
Until Next Time
God Bless!!

Look Who Turned 18!

My baby turned 18 years old on Feb. 19th.!!!!!
We had a nice party over at my son's & daughter-in-laws house for her special day.
My baby is an adult now : (
Time sure does fly....
Until Next Time -God Bless!!

What a Difference a Few Hours Makes

I woke up yesterday hearing my neighbor banging on my door at 7:30am, she came to tell me that my horses had broken out of their pen and were over at her house roughly a block over. I got dressed and drove over there they had already moved on but she said they had been there since around 6:30am. I drove around and couldn't find them! Kelly had spent the night down at my son & daughter-in-laws house so I had no one to help me look, I was starting to panic. I called another neighbor who has horses and asked if they were at her house, she said no but would help me look for them. I was driving home now to call the police and let them know when I saw Chance Kelly's horse come running down the road towards me. I got out of the car and got a rope on him, he was all upset neighing and pacing which really worried me because my two horse are NEVER alone they are always together. I called the gal who was helping me to meet up with me to hold Chance so I could continue to look for my horse Roper (picture above). Chance just kept neighing so loudly I knew he was really worried about Roper, I turned to leave them two after the gal got there and we saw Roper galloping down the road towads us. I as never so happy to see him until he got closer and saw he was covered head to toe with what I think was sweat and had no halter on. He looked terrible, I mean really bad! It had only been about 2 hours tops that they had been loose and most of that time they were eating grass over at my neighbors, so I was concered on why he would be in such rough shape. We walked both horses back to my house, as soon as Roper got into the pen he started to go down and roll - colic! We got him up and I gave him the tube of paste stuff that I have for when the horses get colic. The gal walked him easy since he looked so worn out I didn't think he had any energy left in him. I fixed the fence best I could and got my car then she had to leave for an appointment. Roper wasn't trying to go down any more so I was happy about that, I took some towels and started to dry him off. Then all HELL broke loose, he started coughing with his tongue sticking out and urinating. He was wobbling and I knew this was it, He was dying! Chance and I watched as my beloved horse hit the ground and took his last breath! I just stood there and bawled my eyes out, I couldn't belive it just two hours earlier he was alive and happy and here he was dead on the ground. I won't go into details on what in necesary to bury a horse, lets just say it involves a backhoe... I just couldn't stop crying all day. I just couldn't belive it had happened. To tell you the truth I keep looking out there and thinking it was all just a bad dream and he will be out there muching on some hay. Chance is taking it even harder than I am, he keeps neighing for him! It is the saddest thing all last night and this morning he cries for him, Kelly & I go out to him and try and calm him down but he just doesn't understand where he is... Okay before I start bawling again I will leave you for now.
Until Next Time - God Bles!!