Week in Review

Well I stuck with my resolution of last week.... I got on the eliptical each morning for 30 minutes before work and got out of bed each morning without hitting the snooze once. Did not exercise Friday, but was on the run all day long. It was a cool rainy day and I was able to meet my new care receiver and visit an elderly couple at the retirement home then hang out with my mom and get some chores done. I left the house at 8:30 am and got back home at 6:30 - a full day.

Mr. Skinner is such a sweetheart!

I met Mustang and her daughter Cory for a short ride on Saturday. I took Dixie out and we rode for almost 3 hours at the Ravines. Aren't Cory and Beauty just the cutest? Here's some more photos of them.... notice the Valentine artwork? Beauty's isn't as noticeable, but she had plenty of glitter and paint on her rear end too.

Cory posing with Beauty

Today for Valentine's day, Bobby and I skipped church services, picked up my mom, then picked up some KFC and we all went to visit Bobby's mom in Newberry. We had a great visit and on the way home we stopped by to see a home that was redone by "Extreme Home Makeover".

Jenny took her mare out for a 16 mile loop at Jennings State Forest today - her last opportunity to get a training ride in before she takes off for the Florida Cracker Trail Ride next Friday evening. She's getting very excited now and getting her stuff ready to go.

Oh NO ..... Yes You Canvas !

Oh NO! - I know I've been gaining my weight back , but there's nothing like a photo to bring it on home. I went to look at a horse for sale for an on line friend of mine on Friday. Of course when I got on the horse I had a picture taken so I could send it to my friend..... Oh my word....is that really me up there? My jeans look like they are about to burst.

Anyway, after checking out the horse, Mom and I had lunch with Traci and Mike Woodard at a new bar-b-que restaurant in Middleburg then spent the rest of the day shopping and messing around. Traci "hammed" it up in front of the restaurant.


Saturday I got to ride with friends from the Jacksonville Equestrian Center to Pope Duval Park. We rode for about 5 hours including our lunch stop. Poor Cathy got slung off of Busta pretty hard when he spooked and just missed getting totally dumped into a big muddy puddle. As it was, she hit her noggin pretty hard and got mud in her face, nose and mouth. Thank goodness she was wearing a helmet! You can see additional pictures that our friend Mustang took here.Saturday nite was spent with my work friends, Karen , Martha and Maria, a friend of Karen's and my sister Robbin at a really cool place called Yes You Canvas. It's a studio where you go and paint a picture to take home. We took wine and snacks, had a really good time and all came home with a picture to hang on our wall.

Sunday after church I decided to start early with my Lenten commitment for this year. No more PROCRASTINATION and started by doing 30 minutes on the eliptical before I started puttering around for the rest of the afternoon.I'm hoping that by the end of Lent I will have created some good new habits at home and work by not procrastinating. I have always churned out piles of good work when I have a deadline looming but I want to create good work consistently. Wish me luck!

Everyday Life

On Friday, I went riding with Marilyn and her newest mule Bonnie to put some more hours on my daughter's horse for her. I miss riding my own horse, but it's for a good cause..... 'cause she needs to get in shape for that week long 120 mile Cracker Ride..... har har har :-)

Saturday, Bobby and I attended a day long Leadership Seminar at our church - Mandarin United Methodist Church. It's good to feel like your opinion counts in the future of your church.

On Sunday, we did our regular routine..... Sunday morning church services, then out to lunch with the family, then I took Mom to Walmart. I almost despise going to Walmart, but you can't argue with the prices.
Today I made a day trip to Norfolk, VA for a meeting and saw snow for the first time in about 5 or 6 years. Probably the first time they've seen that much snow in a while as well!

Blue Skies and Great Friends

Stylin stands tall after hearing a gunshot

We had a wonderful 5 hour ride on the other side of Jennings State Forest on Saturday. After the cold weather of the last couple of weeks - a sunny 65 degree day was perfect. Six of us had a blast, walk/trot/cantering through the woods and playing in the puddles. It was me, Jenny, Marilyn, Susan, Mustang and Shelly. Traci was all set to come as well, but had a flat tire on her truck at the last minute.

Jenny and Maybe

Here's a link to the great pics that Mustang took for us.

Bonnie and Clyde

Mean People

I enjoyed another great 4+ hour conditioning ride on Maybe this past Friday, but returned to the parking lot to find my passenger window smashed and my purse stolen. Same thing happened to my riding partner's truck as well, but she had taken her wallet with her on our ride. What a way to end a ride.....we didn't let it ruin our day though. The mean people that got my purse went right to Walmart and got about $500 worth of merchandise and gas before I could cancel my check card. Still working through the red tape to get my money back and all my identification and stuff replaced.

On a good note, we had an awesome healing prayer service at our church tonight - I should have prayed for those thieves.

Baby, It's COLD outside !

We've had a week of record breaking cold here in North Florida - I'm not really whining too hard because I know other parts of the country are a lot worse - but enough is enough. We've got at least 4 or 5 more days of 20 degree nights and 40 degree days.....that's not what most of us live in Florida for. :-)

My daughter has decided to participate in the Florida Cracker Trail Ride this year so I'm gonna to help get her pony in shape by riding her on my Fridays off. I took her out for the first time yesterday and met my friend Marilyn for a 4+ hour ride in Jennings State Forest. It might have gotten to 40 degrees but it was misty and rained lightly on us a couple of times. We did have a good time though and I was bundled up enough to keep warm. I only took one picture with my cell phone at a potty break stop.....this is Maybe dressed up in my saddle and gear. I figured if I was going to put hours on her, I wanted to be comfortable and she is close enough to her mom Stylin's shape for the saddle to fit her fine. (oops..didn't realize till now that I didn't get her cute little head in the picture).

I was supposed to ride Stylin today, but I just couldn't get motivated to ride in the cold today - it's still in the 30's.

Family, Friends and Fun

Mom, KD, Robbin and Shelly

The Tungett family at home (Robbin, JT and Tim)

Shelly and KD on a hike

I've had a wonderful Christmas holiday! My neice, Melinda came down from Nashville the week before Christmas and it was fun to have her around the house again. (She stayed with me a lot when she was attending college at Flagler in St. Augustine several years ago.)

Bo, Shelly and Melinda

Then, her mom (my sister Shelly) and her youngest brother Bo came down Christmas eve and stayed for almost a week. It was so great to have all three of us sisters together for the holidays.

Shelly on Dixie - Bo on Maybe

We spent a lot of time just catching up, and had a wonderful Christmas morning and traditional Christmas dinner at my sister Robbin's house. During the time that Shelly was here, we were able to go on a couple of nice walks, visit a local museum and go riding.

Shelly on Dixie

I skipped church on the Sunday after Christmas, joined my daughter Jenny and left the family to their own devices to join my riding friends for a 5-1/2 hour ride at Guana River Wildlife Management Area. It was a cool day and just perfect for a long ride with old and new friends.

Mustang, Pinky, Cathy, Traci, Susan, Me & Jenny

View of Ponte Vedra Lake

After all the family had left, my hubby Bobby and I joined our good friends for a New Year's horse camping trip to McCulley Farms along the Withlacoochee River. Bobby hasn't gone camping with me in a while and it was a blast to have him there. He doesn't ride anymore, but loves to tend to camp and keep the fire burning. We had so much fun riding and spending New Year's eve on the farm dancing to the DJ's tunes, playing pool, hoola hooping and hanging around the pot belly stove. Richard McCulley and his father TC converted their old chicken barns into horse barns and one is set up as a "party" barn where the food is served, tack auctions and get togethers are held. We always have a great time when we camp there! We didn't take many pictures, but I love this one of a little girl and an old dog that I snapped with my cell phone.

Happy New Year !