What I do …

barn (Photo credit: Extra Medium)

OK here is the deal with foaling out a mare, NO two are EVER the same! You cannot go by the shape of the belly, the bag, or her behavior. Being on foal watch is why I have been slack on my blog posting. Heck, I haven’t even had time to read other blogs or freshly pressed. And do you want to hear the kicker … this isn’t even MY mare that has caused me to get 10 hours sleep in the past week. And no, I do not board horses. Or at least I don’t get paid for boarding horses. This mare belongs to someone else (family member). He hasn’t been here to see his horses, a total of 4, since January. Yes, he knows that this mare is very close to foaling and instead of visiting last weekend, he went fishing. Worthless, yes worthless in my eyes. The sad thing is that I can’t control what he does any more than I can control this mare foaling. I can only control what I do. And what I do is … I take care of horses. I put their well-being above my own. I don’t know this mare per say, but I know that she is a nervous wreck and needs someone to assure her that everything is going to be ok. And, since she has an owner who won’t take care of her … I will.

You see, I don’t think that we ever really own a horse. I think that they are sent to us when we need them the most. I know that when my “Big Boy” left me, his “soul” went to someone else who needed him more. Horses are just on loan. Though their spirit remains with previous owners, their soul moves on. Speaking of “that” spirit … that is why the mare is now out of the pasture and here at the barn with me. Last Friday night right before dark it hit me that I had to go to the pasture. When my husband asked where I was going, I told him that I needed to go to the far pasture. Why? I had no idea. When I got to the gate, this mare was standing there scared to death. She was biting her sides as the baby was kicking around which was visible when his hoof would push her side out. I opened the gate to go in and she was having none of that. She walked out of the pasture and proceeded to walk swiftly the quarter of a mile to my barn. No halter or lead, she knew where she was going and nothing was stopping her. I followed behind her in the golf cart. Remember, she has never been to my yard or barn so how did she know where to go? I know it sounds stupid but I swear my Big Boy was leading her.

This mare is supposedly a mean alpha mare to hear her owner talk. She has been nothing but a big baby since “coming home” to my barn. I have no idea when this mare will foal. I know that we are closer every day that passes. I apologize to her daily that her owner is not here to take care of her. She stands quietly and listens as I call him some very choice words. Her eyes are terrified but I can see a very sweet soul. I will continue to be here for her because that is what I do. I will be with her when it is time for her to welcome her baby into the world. I will be support or even help if she needs it. Why? Because that is what I do. It is what I believe to be right. So this week I have learned a lesson. Horses come to us when we  need them and … horses also come to us when they need us. So for as long as she needs me … I am here. That is what I do.

 

Thank You Michael for 14 Years …

In 1999 I imagined …

It would be a beautiful spring day. I would be a little nervous but excited to start the rest of my life. I would be so in love. I would close my eyes and remember a blind date that had set all of this in motion. The long walks on the beach as the sun was setting. Getting lost on one of those walks resulting in a panic attack. The way he would react would be perfect. I would be a sweaty mess by the time that we found where we parked.  In his eyes, I would still be beautiful. To him, I would be Beautiful, always.

He would be very mechanical. I love a man who can make things new again. Someone who could take something that someone has discarded and use his talent to make it beautiful. My first car was a classic mustang. How romantic would it be if he would restore a classic mustang, build it with his own hands, and smile as he handed me the keys.

We may or may not be able to have children. If we got pregnant 5 times and have five babies, he would be a nervous wreck … but happy. If we got pregnant 5 times and lost all 5 babies due to miscarriage, he would be supportive to let me deal with each one individually. I could cry on his shoulder asking why this has happened. I wouldn’t expect him to have answers, but he would feel my pain and even hurting he would remain strong.

He would understand my love of animals. He would know that if a stray shows up it will get a warm meal and probably be home for life. He would care for the animals if I was unable to. He might say that he hates dogs all the while living with 5 or 6 of them at even given time. He would understand my connection with horses. He would understand that I am much happier mucking stalls than cleaning house.

My need for creative endeavors and not being able to sit still would be amusing to him. He would enjoy watching me jot down notes in my to do notebook and never expect even half of the items to get done. I make notes, lots of notes. I love organized clutter. My creative juices don’t flow…they overflow.

He would appreciate my love for my family. He would understand that if my parents called and needed me I would be on the road to get to them. He would understand that my Mom is my hero and I am and always will be a Daddy’s girl.  He won’t think that it is strange that I talk to my parents on the phone at least 4 times a day.

I would love him like no one has ever loved him and I would feel the love reciprocated. When he was strong, I could relax and when he was  weak I would step up and be the strong one. Our marriage would be important and we would make sure to never take each other for granted.

14 years later all of this has come to fruition. I celebrate my anniversary today with my husband. He has been all of this for me and more. We have had our ups and downs (every marriage does). But we work daily to make our marriage better and better.  I love him more today than I did 14 years ago. I look forward to many more years with the love of my life.  Thank you Michael! I love you all the stars in the sky.

 

The Wonderful World of Social Media

Image via CrunchBase

Daily Prompt: The Social Network

Do you feel like you “get” social media, or do you just use it because that’s where all your friends and family are?

Absolutely, I get social media. I get that so many folks (that I am friends with) use Facebook to air dirty laundry, bash people, and promote themselves. Whether it be a status update or a quote/picture, you know that by previous posts they are still trying to push the knife in just a little bit farther. What makes me laugh is when they post, “I wish people would mind their own business”. Really? You put it out there that (names changed to protect the “innocent”) Bobby is cheating on you with Sadie Sue and you hate him, but you love him so much yadda yadda yadda. Of course, there are people who are going to reply. Heck, they reply to EVERY post on Facebook! So yes,  please share every detail about every second of your life and then get mad because people are in your business. “Who would have thunk (more of my southern slang) it”, as my Dad says.

The thought crosses my mind to delete them as a friend. Yes, with one click of the mouse, click, that person is “deleted” or “blocked”. But, let’s be honest there may be a time that I need a “drama fix”and I can always count on Facebook. I don’t think that I will delete her until I find out if Bobby chooses her, Sadie Sue, or both.

I’m not bashing Facebook. I have reconnected with friends from my past and enjoy it when they post pictures of their families. It is fun to chat with folks that you haven’t talked to (or even thought about) in twenty years. I also enjoy posting a few pictures every now and again. But, folks who update their status every time that they sneeze or post a picture of the hairball that the cat just coughed up drive me crazy. In their defense, it WAS me who accepted their friend request. I guess hindsight really is 20/20.

Twitter is a different story. I remember setting up a twitter account years ago when tweeting was not the thing to do. I maybe tweeted once. I didn’t quite understand the concept then and I don’t know if I do today. I don’t remember my log in information and honestly don’t feel it necessary to go through the process of retrieving it. I don’t twit or tweet or whatever they are calling it these days.

So to summarize, I turn to Facebook when my life is running short on drama. But honestly that doesn’t happen too often. Today being April Fools Day I read posts that I hope were pranks but, knowing my fb friends I can not be certain. I saw six positive pregnancy test pictures this morning. One was posted by a 73-year-old Grandma of a friend. I seriously hope that this one is NOT a prank. If true, I am sure that her granddaughter will be posting about something other than Sadie Sue and Bobby.

My Money’s Riding On The Dark Horse

This post is for the Trifecta Writing Challenge.

This weekend we’re asking for exactly 33 words including an idiom somewhere
within.

 

“Always bet on the dark horse” he said.

“Why” I respond.

“He has the most to win and the most to lose.”

Win or lose, it’s all about how you play the game.

 

Me VS Baby Back Ribs … I WIN!

So here is how this started …

I went grocery shopping yesterday. We needed basically everything and I had my list corresponding with my coupons and I was not going to buy anything that was not on sale. Well … I must applaud myself because I didn’t buy anything that was not on the list. Barbeque sauce was not on sale, therefore was not on the list. CRAAAPPPP! Babyback ribs were on sale and were on the list and this would be my first time EVER trying to cook them. Now today, after dreaming about these ribs all night, I get them out to marinate them (do you see where this is going?) and realize that I have NO barbeque sauce. Yes, a rib with only a dry rub is good, heck great even, but in my dream I needed a bath towel to clean up after partaking of my ribs. I want babyback ribs slathered in sauce and it running down my fingers, face, etc. Yes, I could get in the truck and make the 28 mile round trip to the grocery store but that was NOT on my list of things to do today. So I improvised and it turned out great!

I am going to list the ingredients. I don’t know the measurements of each. Sorry, I was mad and just slinging these things in a sauce pot. I will list them in the order of what I used the most of. I am definitely making this again and will measure ingredients the next time and am even considering mixing in my bathtub and bathing in it. It is REALLY that good! But for now just roll with it … Here is the recipe for my CC Barbeque Sauce. I haven’t decided if that stands for Coca Cola or Cookie Charm 🙂

Ketchup
Coca Cola (not the diet stuff)
Brown Sugar
Grated Onion
Dijon mustard (I didn’t have plain mustard, it wasn’t on sale)
Worcestershire Sauce
Salt
Pepper
Minced Garlic
Chili Powder
Apple Cider Vinegar (FYI I put too much of this at first so I had to add more sugar to balance out the flavor) Ain’t nothing a little sugar can’t handle 🙂

I let it cook low and slow and y’all it is BETTER than any sauce that I could have bought, on sale with a coupon, had it been on my list! I ate it straight from the spoon. I am going to mix up a big batch and put in pint jars. I will never buy store-bought BBQ sauce again! Thank you Bi-LO for not having KC Masterpiece on sale yesterday!

Now here is where it gets ugly. My husband comes in and asks what smells good. I proceed to tell him of my great invention and he begins to google coca cola in bbq sauce. And of course, there is A recipe for a sauce that includes coca cola … on you guessed it … FOOD NETWORK! I am always a day late and a dollar short. The recipe is somewhat like mine but not so much. I bet mine is better!

I mopped it over the ribs after it had cooled a bit, wrapped the ribs tightly in aluminum foil, and cooked for 2 hours at 325 degrees in the oven (I don’t own a grill). Well I do own one but that is a story for another day. I wanted my first try at BB ribs to be in a more controlled environment aka my kitchen. Then I opened the foil, gave the ribs another healthy dose of the CC sauce and let them cook another hour uncovered.

They were better than in my dream! YUM! Up until today the thought of cooking ribs has really intimidated me … hence the dream last night. But, today my friends I came, I cooked, and I conquered! I will be sure that babyback ribs are on the grocery list every time that they are on sale.

Thanks to Billy Bob

Daily Prompt: Trading Places

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be a member of the opposite sex for a day? What do you think life would be like?

 

There have been many times that I wished I was male (a smart male, not like the ones that I am about to tell you about). Before I started writing, the jobs I held were mostly sales and managerial.

Women in the Car Sales Business…

Remember, this is taking place in the South. While some of the customers felt more comfortable dealing with a female,  others would come in and want to speak with the “manager” because surely a lil lady- yes I have actually heard that phrase – could barely start a car much less know enough to sell one. OH, this is when I would get pissed.

I wanted to say look you backwards ass jerk, I know more about this car or truck than you ever dreamed of knowing.

Thank God I had a manager who could see my blood pressure rising and would step in not because I needed help but because I needed a moment to get it together to deal with Billy Bob and his Linda Lou (who just stood and smiled because she knew her place as his Ol Lady, he said this, YES out loud). REALLY? But, I had to remain focused on selling a car, not screaming at this woman. “What in the world is wrong with you? You let THIS half ass man degrade you?” I couldn’t think of what she must have gone through in the privacy of her home, if he was this big of a Jackass in public. OH well, back to selling, I am not a social worker.

It didn’t take long for the BB and LL to realize that I was not your ordinary lil lady. I take anything that I do very seriously and I have a mechanical knack with fixing cars. By the end, I had Billy Bob begging to buy a car from the lil lady who knew nothing about cars. And, I had him well aware that if he didn’t stop addressing my breasts instead of my face when he looked at me, we were going to take it to the parking lot and find out who the “Real Man” was. I was REALLY good at my job! I am sure that it didn’t, but I was hoping my standing up for myself might show LL a thing or two.

Then there was my boss, who was simply amazed that when a check engine light came on in one (or many) of the cars that he purchased, that I could diagnose the problem faster than his mechanic.

Oh lets not leave out the mechanic, who had the same backwards attitude as Billy Bob when he met me for the first time. But in just a few days, he would come and ask my opinion when he was stumped on installing a mass air flow sensor, oxygen sensor, or simply diagnosing a problem. He was a little bit – I use that term loosely- brighter than Billy Bob.

So yes, in the car business, some days I wished that I had male parts … because that would somehow have made me smarter. But most days, I loved being female and showing them just what this lil lady was capable of.

Hello, My Name is Missy and I’m a Blogoholic

 

 

I have discovered – ok finally admitted – that my time management skills truly suck! It’s not my fault! I sign into WordPress every morning and this page “blogs I follow” pops up, it is all downhill from there. I can’t help but to click on every new post! In my defense, I do get my outdoor chores done before I ever turn on the computer. Horsework before Housework is a motto that I live by. I mean really … one must have priorities right?

I was sitting in front of the computer screen this morning wondering where I “surfed” before joining WordPress. I honestly can’t really remember.  I would look in on yahoo news, Facebook, ???? Now, I have a one stop shopping process if you will. WordPress blogs give me the top news and usually share my opinions or at least something to get my mind going. Then there are the “guilty pleasure” blogs that are pure humor or a bit risqué. A look into someone’s private life in the daily living blogs, appeals to my nosey nature. The selection goes on and on! I have to read EVERY post, it is important not to miss out on every tidbit of information … Or so I tell myself. These bloggers have no idea (and don’t care) I’m sure, how they are impacting my life and keeping me glued to the computer screen.

That dang little follow+ button has been my downfall. I decided I wanted to start a blog for me and my joy that comes from writing. I had no idea that I would find myself reading much more than writing. It is almost noon and my to do list is full today. I must reluctantly turn off the computer and get busy!

Deja Who?

Daily Prompt: Deja Vu

Have you ever truly felt déjà vu, the sensation that you’ve already had the experience you’re currently having?

I’ve been here before
I know what is to come
The end will be of no surprise
It plays out in my head

I’ve seen you before
You are not a stranger
Eyes I never forget
That smile burns my thoughts

I can’t over this urge
The need to run
Is there somewhere to hide
I look for shelter

There is no escape
The end always the same
I will see you again
This is no dream

My deja vu moments usually manifest that feeling that I have met someone before. It takes “never met a stranger” to a whole new level. It always feels a little strange. For days,  I rack my brain trying to rationalize the situation.

I’ve had to have met this person in the past. The memories are just blurred.  Were they in my dreams?

I rarely come to a rational conclusion … so the experience is filed away … Deja Who?

Click Here to Harvest Crops

FarmVille (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

Daily Prompt: Idyllic

What does your ideal community look like? How is it organized, and how is community life structured? What values does the community share?

If you have read my blog, you know that I love my little piece of heaven known as home. I am completely satisfied living on my little farm surrounded by critters. I socialize much better via this blog. I love reading posts, replying to comments, checking email, then closing my laptop to head out to the barn. My ideal community would involve many animals and few people. I have learned the hard way that people let me down, while animals do everything to try to please and comfort me.

My idyllic community would be somewhat like Farmville. I mean what could be better than planting and harvesting crops in as little as two hours.  There is an abundance of animals that reproduce daily with no problem and people only visit the farm to “help” by watering, harvesting, and or feeding the animals.

The people in my community would help one another when needed and share with one another so that no one would ever be without. People would be genuine. And most importantly they would mind their own business. The citizens of my community would never think of causing unnecessary drama.

I realize that I will never be able to plant or harvest with the click of mouse.  Cows and horses will never reproduce babies in 12 hours.  I must be content with the community that surrounds me. It may not be perfect, but it is mine. Neighbors do pop by to help one another. Most of my neighbors are genuine and I have come to terms with the fact that they will never mind their own business. And, what’s life without a little drama?

Please Vote for Lesley

This is an amazing blog! She is living her dreams and helping others to do the same! Well done, Lesley Carter, well done! I took a few minutes to go and vote for Lesley. I hope that you will.