Making Progress and Product Testing

I had a great week and weekend. To start off with, I exercised 4 days in a row at work - haven't done that in a long while.  Worked half a day on Friday, then Bobby and I went to a dinner party at a friend's house.  I actually made an appetizer to take instead of cheating and swinging by the store. 

On Saturday I rode in Jennings State Forest for almost 6 hours with another group of friends.  It was a breezy, slightly cool day and I got to check out the back side of a loop that I've never completed  before. I was excited to try out my new Go-Girl device that I had purchased on line.  Go-Girl is a funnel that allows a woman to pee standing up and I was really looking forward to not having to drop and squat in the woods this time.  I had practiced at  home and thought I had it down pat.  NOT...  :-)  I waited until I had to go too badly then tried to use the thing without pulling my pants down enough.  It was so funny and I giggled while I was almost wetting my drawers.  Poo -  I wanted it to be as easy as unzipping and going.  It's still a good product if you don't want to sit on a port a pottie seat and even for going in the woods.  I should have practiced in jeans instead of jammy pants.

 Then Saturday night, Bobby and I attended a small wedding in Jacksonville Beach then went to dinner with the wedding party at the Sawgrass Marriott.  Sunday was church, lunch with Mom, hit a couple of stores then headed back home to do some serious poop scooping in the horse pen.  Ended my evening with a long hot soak in the tub with a cup of hot tea and a good book.  (If you like easy, entertaining mysteries, you might like the Hamish McBeth series by M.C. Beaton.  I love them ! ) All and all a busy and productive weekend.

A New Year ~ New Opportunities

I spent New Year's Day doing what I love most......riding my mare Stylin with my friends.  A lot of us were still fighting colds and my poor hubby was too sick to come camping with us, but we all still had a great time.

I'm taking a leave from being a Stephen Minister for a while and figure out where my volunteer time should be spent. 

Although I'm not making any resolutions, I want to become more healthy this year and rid myself of some excess poundage.  I'm looking forward to the cross Florida Cracker Trail Ride that I've signed up for at the end of February and would like to be a little lighter by then to make things easier on my horse and on my knees.

Here's to a healthy and happy new year!

Family Time

Jenny and Joel

We had a really relaxing Christmas Day at our house.  It was low key and enjoyable....we decided to have brunch instead of a traditional Christmas turkey dinner.  I made sausage gravy and biscuits (well...Mary B. made the biscuits- I just baked them) and cheesy hashbrown casserole. My daughter made personal size spinach quiches and my neice Melinda made some pumpkin bread with cranberries.  It was a really nice change of pace.  After opening presents, Bobby and I drove to Gainesville to visit his mom and sister.  Bobby's daughter, Carolle is in town this week also.... its been good to see her again.

We've all got Christmas colds and have been laying around on the couch and taking cough medicine.  The weather has still been getting in the twenties during the night - way too cold for me and it was too cold and wet for me to get a ride in this past weekend.

         

I left work a little early and joined Robbin and Melinda at the Cummer Museum this evening.  Free admission on Tuesdays.  They have a lovely english garden on the river and always have some great art displays.

Robbin, Me and Melinda

We're going camping for New Years at one of our favorite places - McCulley Farms.  Looking forward to checking out Jen and Joel's handiwork on my trailer.  They insulated and put up paneling in the goose neck so I can stay toasty when we camp without electricity.

Christmas Countdown

I had a semi busy weekend taking my mom for some last minute shopping, attended our company "Holiday" party, and got a solo ride in on Sunday afternoon. Everyone is busy or out of town, so Stylin and I ventured off on our own.

My neice, Melinda, came in from Tennessee last night and we had a great time catching up over some bowls of nice, hot chili with my sister and my mom. Melinda will be staying with us until the new year and we're excited to have her back for a little while.

Hope everyone is staying warm where you are - we've had some unseasonably cold weather ourselves here in North Florida. Merry Christmas !!

Oh what fun it is to ride ........

My riding buddies and I had the most fun weekend ever at 7BarL Ranch in Live Oak, Florida. It was our end of the year Cowboy Christmas party and campout. Marilyn planned the whole thing for us and had a schedule laid out including ride out times, eating, partying, gift exchange, fire side sharing, cowboy church and lots of fun games.

This is my daughter Jenny and her mare Maybe competing in a relay race.....can you tell they are both competitive? :-)

Here's Traci and I battling for the ball in our "polo" game.

Susan had special bandanas made for each one of us to commemorate the occasion.

And this is Cory on her Mustang, Rocky

Grab a cup of your favorite beverage and check out the plethera of pictures taken by Mustang (Cory's mom), Shelly and Traci at this LINK

American Cowgirl

Thanksgiving Weekend

We had a big family reunion type Thanksgiving dinner at a local park. It was so much fun to catch up with our cousins and no one had to have a crowd at their house.

Bobby and I ripped up some old, nasty, stinky carpet from our back porch and hauled it to the dump. Now we need to clean up the concrete floor and paint it. We've been talking about it for ages - it was nice to finally have it done.

I got to ride Saturday and again on Sunday after church. Rode Dixie on Saturday with my friend Cathy, then took Stylin out on Sunday afternoon to meet Mustang and Shelly. Both days were beautiful! I love my friends and my horses!

I bit the bullet and had Stylin shod all the way around today. Her hooves look good and hopefully we'll see an improvement in her toe cracks and being able to ride on different surfaces.

Here's a cute picture of Jen's little mare Maybe.... she loves attention and let me decorate her with this hay string .