Goodbye 2009 - Here comes the new decade!

Well, today is officially the last day of 2009 and we are moving into a new decade. I can't say I am sad to see 2009 go as it's been a long and hard year.

My friend Tammy posted about the new year in her blog last night, and listed her good and bad things kinda like a poem...always been more of a prose writer myself, although I do love to read a good poem, I promise not to attempt that here...you are after all my friends!
While it has been a hard year some good things have come out of it.

* Despite the tough economy, both my husband and I still have jobs. His company did SEVERAL rounds of layoffs and each time he escaped. Yes, he is still working in Odessa and only home on weekends, but in a time when so many have NO JOB, he still gets a paycheck every week so while I'd rather have him home, we have just learned to make use of what time we have together.

* All of us (Mike and I and Ashley and Wesley) are healthy. Yes, I had my kidney stone incident back in September but it could have been MUCH worse and overall we all feel pretty good...that's a blessing.

* I have developed some brand NEW friendships and expanded some others, that's always a benefit. On the professional front I've also been re-establishing some relationships there that I am enjoying.

* My mom has finally decided to move closer to us. She just lives in Garland which is technically not that far away, but Mike and I both have hated the living situation she is in there and over Christmas with us she finalized her decision and will soon be coming over here for a weekend so I can help her hunt for an apartment...I can't wait. I am an only child, so since My Dad has never had anything to do with us my Mom is all I have and it will be nice to have her closer so we can see her more.

* Our furry children are all healthy. That includes the cat Sylvester, Rowdy the dog, Bubbles and Bobby the goats and of course my dearest arabian mare Amira. While we lost our beloved dog Bear earlier this year and that broke my heart, I now cherish the memories of him and see what a great job he has done in giving our dog Rowdy a good start in life. Bear taught him the ropes and did a great job. Amira had some rough times this year too with the cellulitis and leg injury that kept her on the "injured reserve" list from June through September, but she's back to her old self now and I'm so happy. I did sell Gypsy and she's now in a wonderful home in Lubbock with a family that dotes on her and treats her like the thoroughbred queen she is! I loved Gypsy, but did not have the time she deserved and I couldn't have found a better home for her!

Of course 2009 still presented some tough challenges.

The toughest of which is my job which has become pretty miserable. Sales are of course down for us like they are for many consumer businesses right now, but the company has placed the blame pretty much on us in the field. I am working more hours than ever before, constantly trying new things, seeking input from colleagues but not getting results. NONE OF US are doing well,so that at least helps me know it is not ME!

I know the economy WILL TURN AROUND and already seems to be showing signs it is trying to.

But what I am no longer able to deal with, is the environment which has turned so negative and condescending that I dread each work day...something I have NEVER done before. I just can't take the 70-80 hours a week any more and must do something to get a better balance for my health and my family.

I have never been the complaining type about my job, regardless of what kind of job it is. I like to work hard and do MORE than what is expected of me... but you can only be beat down so long.

I have been wanting to get back into the recruiting field for some time but only recently started investigating that as an option. While the economy is turning around...hiring is still tight and I have the added disadvantage of being in the same job for the last several years.

Because of my job title District Sales Manager, many companies think that all I want is management or sales and that I'd not be happy with a recruiting position...but I know in my heart I would! Sure I'd eventually like to move into management in staffing / recruiting but I know sometimes you have to be willing to take a step backward to go forward...just have not been able to convince a company of that yet!

Mike had been told this would be his last week working in Odessa but it looks like he is there for at least another month. While we were disappointed, he is still working so we will take it in stride.

Tonite we are going to a New Year's party with some dear friends...in fact it's my friend Erin and her husband Scott...who are the ones that first introduced Mike and I just about 10 years ago! It's a small, intimate kind of get together, the kind I like. I will be happy to usher 2009 out the door.




I am very optimistic about 2010, despite the challenges of 2009. The economy DOES appear to be turning around for real this time. Hopefully that will enable me to land a new job with new opportunities!

I will be turning 40 in March and while I sometimes get bummed about that...I'm also reminded how many folks have TOTALLY STARTED OVER after the age of 40...I don't have to do that thank goodness!

Today I'm working on my goals for 2010 - I do not do New Year's resolutions as we know how those last, but having goals for the year always seems to keep me on track...I'll post them soon.

In the meantime...BEST WISHES FOR A SAFE AND HAPPY NEW YEAR AND HERE'S TO HEALTH, WEALTH AND HAPPINESS (not necessarily in that order) in 2010!

Full day of riding!

This past weekend Amira and I had a wondful full and diverse day of riding. We started out with a Dressage lesson with Carrie at the Keller arena which went well. We worked on some new patterns and techniques to help me get a quieter handle and soft control with Amira and I was impressed how well she picked them up. Also worked on some suppling excercises to help her be more flexible and that really made a difference in how she moved.

It was pretty cool and VERY windy there so Amira was VERY up and full of herself. Kept trying to take the bit from me and run off to do her own thing, but the pattern work Carrie put us on really helped to re-focus her on the task at hand and it was a very busy and productive lesson.

I am sure Amira thought when we were done and I loaded her back up into the trailer that she was done for the day...boy was she in for a surprise! After our lesson I went up to my friend Toni's house near Decatur and we played up there for the afternoon.

When I arrived she and Tammy were practicing shooting as Tammy wants to try Cowboy Mounted shooting. While I don't really plan to try it, I did want to see how Amira did with the gunfire and so I walked her up in hand to the arena and watched while they practiced and she did well. She did jump the first shot but after that quietly watched what was going on. Toni offered to let me shoot, but being as I don't even know how to shoot...I said maybe next time. I am not much into guns myself but was sure fun watching them.

I did saddle up as Toni has a obstacle playground and we practiced the obstacles there and it was all sorts of fun. You name it she has an obstacle built for it.

Then Amira got to try her hand at pushing around Toni's cow Baxter. Toni actually hopped on her firsta and rode around a bit and Amira seemed relaxed so I wanted a shot at it too! Here is a pic Tammy took of us pushing the steer around.


She flattened those ears back at him and at one point even reached out to nip him on the butt as he was not moving fast enough! I did not let her nip him as Baxter is a pet and just a sweet old fella...did not want to torture him too much. But I was very proud of her as she really did not show fear towards him. Just gotta figure out how to get her in a pen full of them and see she can push them around just as well. While I have no interest in shooting off of her...I would love to do some cattle work. Maybe sorting, or maybe something else, just enjoy pushing around the cows! I used to really enjoy it on Kaahli so it's my hope Amira and I can do it too eventually.

When all was said and done we loaded up and headed back to the barn...only to get caught in some traffic by downtown for the Christmas fireworks show...thankfully Tammy suggested getting off on 820 and going the long way...which really ended up being better as while it was a few miles longer 820 was moving where 35 was NOT.

It was a great day of horsey stuff...pretty varied for Amira...going from dressage saddle and lesson time to shooting and chasing cows...but she gave all of it her best and I was very happy with her!

Am also happy this is a short week as maybe I'll be able to get some more riding in!

Turkey Terror !

Okay...that little bird we all love to gobble up at Thanksgiving has officially stricken TERROR in my heart!

For the first time EVER I actually have to cook Thanksgiving dinner.

Have always gone over to family of some sorts and just had to bring something to contribute. And because mercifully, my family knows I HATE to cook, they always assign me something like dinner rolls, or a pie that I can just stop by the grocery store and pick up...it's safer for everyone that way.

But this year we will be having Thanksgiving dinner at our house...just Mike and I and Ashley and Wesley...maybe my Mom too as she's been invited but of course I've not heard back from her yet...she waits until the last minute for EVERYTHING!

I am actually kinda looking forward to the smaller dinner with just Mike and the kids. My inlaws are spending the Holiday at their land in East Texas as that is where we usually go. She does a great big spread and it is always great, but think a small at home dinner will be nice too given that Mike is still working in Odessa during the week so the kids and I don't see much of him.

But let's get back to that TERROR...

First terrorizing thing was making the trip to the grocery store to buy all the food. Sure I should have done it sooner...but given I did not know until Monday night this was happening at our house...and I work late every Tuesday I was not really left much choice.

ANYONE BRAVING A GROCERY STORE THE DAY BEFORE THANKSGIVING SHOULD GO IN FULL BODY ARMOR...those people are crazy! The poor store employees MUST be on zoloft or I just don't see how they make it through the day with out their poor heads exploding! Lots of respect for those folks after today!

Luckily, the store made it pretty easy to find all the stuff I needed...am sure I have forgotten SOMETHING critical...which I will discover tomorrow...but thankfully Kroger is actually OPEN tomorrow...but I'll be sending Mike into the line of fire if we need anything then!

I called my friend Tammy as I have no clue how to properly cook a turkey. She shared with me what she said was her tried and true secret...oven bags. So I've got oven bags, turkey the roasting pan and all the trimmings...not to just figure out how to get it all cooked (not burned) and come out at the same time.

Had to do a thorough fridge cleaning when I got home with all the stuff as my fridge is tiny and was already brimming with stuff...some of it WAY past its glory days! Finally got it cleaned out and all the stuff in there.

Now, thankfully today is actually a work day for me. I am working from my home office but I AM actually working (other than the break to brave the lions at the grocery store) so hopefully that will keep my mind off of the task at hand tomorrow.

Ashley, my 16 yr old stepdaughter has been recruited (more like drafted) to help me tomorrow...thankfully she's never done this either so the two of us will be blissfully ignorant together.

Just remembered one thing I forgot...great big bottle of wine...not for the dinner...FOR ME!

Dancing with the Stars- a confessional

Okay...now that Dancing with the Stars season will be over tonite with the announcement of who the winners are...I figured it was time for me to come clean and confess something.

I started out watching this season rooting for Michael Irvin. I've always been a big Dallas Cowboys fan and LOVED watching Emmit the season he was on...but while Michael was the "playmaker" on the football field he just did not have what it takes on the dance floor...he sure tried though.

Very soon I gravitated towards a new favorite and have followed them through out the rest of the season...giving them ALL MY VOTES each week and that was DONNY OSMOND AND KYM JOHNSON. So where's the confession part you ask?

When I was a little kid from the time I was about 7 or 8 until middle school...I had the BIGGEST CRUSH on Donny Osmond. Donny's favorite color is purple...so guess what color EVERYTHING of mine had to be then? Donny and Marie posters wallpapered my room...and I watched the "Donny and Marie" show faithfully. To be quite honest I'd forgotten all about my crush until I just became so enamored with watching them dance and rooting for them!

Okay...it does not hurt either that Donny Osmond is the consummate showman...46 years in show business means even without professional dance training...he can put on a show! Plus I just liked his whole down to earth approach and the fact that he was having so much fun! Not to mention how demanding this show is on them in addition to their Vegas show and trying to keep up a family life...I have a lot of respect for ALL THE CONTESTANTS as they are working their butts off!

So, no matter how it all ends up tonite, Donny you and Kym got all my votes again last night and I have had a blast watching you both all season!

Now just pondering who they'll pick for NEXT SEASON????

Texas Trail Challenge at C-Bar Ranch

Okay...so it's been a couple weeks, but at least I'm blogging about it! The weekend of Nov 14-15th I went to the FINAL FOLLIES Texas Trail Challenge at C-Bar Ranch down in Valley Mills Texas. I had heard great things about the trails here but the stories just did not do it justice...it was breathtaking there from the moment I arrived!

I arrived too late Friday afternoon for a ride so just set up camp and enjoyed visiting with everyone.

Got up bright and early Saturday morning and walked Amira and Jim Edmondson the photographer caught this great shot of Amira grazing with Alice's horses as we chatted in the morning mist. I loved this so much I've ordered an 8 X 10 of it to hang in my office...when I finally get a "real" one at home.





Soon Tammy and Summer arrived and got set up and we were getting ready for the ride meeting and to head out on trail. It was a brisk morning but the sun was out and spirits were high! Got the horses checked in and then posed for a great picture with out trail partners.

Then it was off on trail. Because of Amira's cellulitis and leg lameness issues over the spring and summer this was her first competitive event since April...so I knew we'd be a little rusty. She had some goofy moments settling in to work but did not too to bad for being off for several months. Of course we blew the easy obstacles and got the hard ones...but it was a fun ride with great trails and great friends. I rode with Tammy and Summer and also with Amy Martin and her new horse Knox and we had a nice ride.




Seemed like before we knew it the ride was over and we were finished and awaiting awards while careing for our horses and ourselves. I went to this ride totally for the purpose of having fun and seeing friends...not a competitive goal in my mind at all. So went to awards to cheer on my pals, as Amira and I were so goofy, I KNEW we'd not placed. Imagine my surprise when the got to our division and called Amira and I for SECOND PLACE!!! Guess the old girl was not as rusty as I thought.

Even more exciting was that FIRST PLACE went to Tammy and Summer who REALLY deserved it! If you have to come in 2nd place....it's always great to have the person that beat you be a good friend and they totally deserved it. Even better they were RESERVE HIGH POINT for the ride and won a great trophy halter to show for it!

After awards we shared a nice potluck dinner and then went back to await Barb and June from our barn who were coming in that night to do the driving trail challenge. Tammy and Summer were also going to do the DTC.

Barb and June arrived and we helped them get their horses (mini's) set up and soon went to bed!

Sunday morning was another nice morning but warmer than Saturday which proved tough for some of the ponies who were quite hairy with their winter coats.

I helped one of the judges Linda Courts at an obstacle that day and our obstacle was a bow tie timed pattern...proved easier than we thought in some ways but was a blast to watch the carriages complete the course.

Tammy and Summer did not have as good a day in the driving challenge as the wheels on poor Tammy's cart literally collapsed, unable to handle the demanding terrain. Summer kept her head though and all were okay but disappointed. They'd been having a GREAT drive and would have placed very well had they been able to complete.

At the award for the DTC all the drivers had great things to say about this first time event and shared great feedback to improve upcoming events. It was one of those weekends you just HATE to see end...but soon we were packing up and heading home...counting the days until the next one the end of January!

Why can't the weekends be LONGER?

This past weekend was a great one...but as all great ones are...was just TOO SHORT.

Mike is still working in Odessa during the week,so that means I only see him Friday-Sunday each week. And it always seems like so much of that time is taken up doing errands, chores, and laundry so he can head right back to Odessa Sunday evening. He and I are both already quite tired of this...but being as it's either work there or have no job he does what he has to do. His company has already had several layoffs this year so he counts himself lucky to still have a job.

I had this past Friday off as a vacation day as I was originally supposed to go to a competitive trail ride up in Stillwater Oklahoma. But a couple months ago the ride got cancelled because of some issues with the park menagement so I ended up with a vacation day and no real plans!

Mike and I took advantage of that to sleep in that morning and just have a leisurely slow morning together after the kids went to school. Then I headed to the barn to do barn chores and he headed out on his errands for the day. Since it has rained for most of the past month here I had a lot of pen cleaning to do as only in the past 5 days has it started drying out...so most of my day was spent shoveling poo...glamourous I know but I just enjoy being outside and around the horses so it's really not that bad.

Tammy just could not stand to be locked up on such a pretty day so she took off early and we got in a nice ride and surveyed what damage all the rains had done to our pasture trails and started making plans for what we will need to do in order to get them back in shape. During the fall when the trees are bare and weeds dead we want to get some new trails cut and reclaim some that have been overgrown.

Friday evening I just hung out at the house and did stuff there but headed back to the barn on Saturday as I had lots more to do. Then back home to do more chores...get the picture how this goes...I'll spare you the boring details!

The weather all weekend was just gorgeous. Got another great ride in yesterday while Tammy drove Summer in her cart out in the pasture.

This coming weekend is the Final Follies Texas Trail challenge http://www.texastrailchallenge.com down in Valley Mills and I'll be riding in it on Saturday with Amira and then on Sunday they are doing a driving challenge and Tammy will be driving Summer. Amira and will be volunteering that day as since she's already accustomed to carts being driven around her (which spooks many horses not used to it) we can ride safety or help shuttle scorecards or something.

I've kinda been out of the competitive mode lately and really been enjoying JUST RIDING my horse for fun and not worrying about obstacles. So we are probably a bit out of practice but we will see how we do and just plan to have fun.

Sure am hoping they get local work for Mike and his crew to do soon as I'm ready to stop being a "weekend wife" and have my husband home full time...not sure how this will all work with the holidays approaching but the bottom line is we will do what we have to do to ensure he keeps his job. Turning it over to the Lord in prayer as he's the only one that can really change things.

Back in the (dressage) saddle again

Well, yesterday I took my first dressage lesson in a year and a half! And I had A BLAST!!!

Never really intended to get away from it, but after we moved the horses to the barn we are at now it's just been so hard to get back up to Keller on lesson days. And I really did not want to find a new instructor as I really enjoy taking dressage from Carrie Ferrer as she makes it fun and applicable to the kind of riding I do on the trail in endurance and CTR.

I'd originally planned yesterday to go up to the Grasslands to ride in the SPIRIT HORSE RIDES FOR STRIDES which is a benefit ride for Spirit Horse Therapuetic riding up in Corinth...but I was so tired and exhausted when I woke up yesterday I just felt like it was more than I could tackle to get up that early and haul all the way up to the Grasslands and such.

BUT...with it being the first nice weather day in almost 3 weeks I KNEW I MUST ride somewhere! I had seen the Saturday dressage schedule for the Keller Arena where Carrie teaches and there were a couple spots open, and thinking I might rather just drive to Keller I'd emailed Carrie to see if any afternoon openings existed and she responded early in the morning that noon was open so I took it!

I warned Carrie while I was tacking up that it had been a LONG TIME since I'd even used my dressage saddle, let alone really practiced so I knew we'd be rusty. We got warmed up and started the lesson and after being a little resistant at first Amira got to work and we were pleasantly surprised to see that BOTH AMIRA AND I remembered more than I thought!

Still have some of my same old weaknesses to work on...but Amira quickly settled in and stretched out for the bit and into a very nice working trot! I did better than I was afraid I would with my diagonals, but still need to work on not "nagging" with my inside leg and on my body position so I don't fall foward on transistions.

It seemed like our hour flew by and it was a great workout. About halfway through I remembered just how good a workout dressage is as I found some muscles I'd not used in quite some time! Told Carrie I'm going to commit to at least two 1 hour practice sessions at home in the dressage arena as it will really help get both us back in shape.

After being off all summer with her injury Carrie did say she'd noticed a bit less muscle in Amira's hips and rear that before so we're going to work on that as well as work on excercises to strengthen her back end.

Okay...here's the shocker...sit down.

While I really love endurance and competitive trail, I am quite honestly getting a bit burned out on the long drives to the rides and on always feeling like when I ride on the trails that I need to be conditioning or "working" on something. Tammy and I had been talking about this a few times lately and this made me really get to thinking. I'm thinking I might like to really focus more on dressage next year and might do that instead of attending so many rides.

My horse is supposed to be FUN for me and feeling like I am always working or training for the next ride has gotten old. So, at least for the next few months, my equine goals are to work on my dressage (for fun and fitness) and learn all I can about it. When I DO go out on trail to ride...I just want to RIDE...not worry about obstacles or conditioning, just enjoy God's country with the beautiful horse he has given me to do it with.

I even told Carrie it might be fun to eventually work toward doing a schooling show or something like that. Don't see myself as a serious upper level dressage competitor, but one thing I absolutely love about the sport of dressage is you are always learning and I'm starting at the beginning...so there is ALOT to learn and I think it's fun!

Already put the lesson days for November and December on my calendar and might even sneak in a couple in between if I can manage it with my schedule. And since I have a million pics of Amira and I on trail I will try and get someone to get some pics of us at our next lesson.

In the meantime, Carrie if you are reading this I will be practicing this evening...and I really enjoyed hooking back up with you yesterday...can't wait until next month!