Tidbits. Mostly me whining, but sometimes it is necessary.

* Yesterday was a PA Day. My kids fought all day.
* They also wanted me to watch them bounce balls, ride scooters, draw, colour,  buy them expensive shoes, dance, exercise and go sledding when all I wanted to do was go to bed.
* I am in the midst of the winter blues.
* Jersey the dog was a bad boy. We have to make some difficult decisions.
* I miss my Daddy.
* I sliced my finger with a knife the other day.
* And then again yesterday.
* A new cat or two has showed up in our barn. We think one might be Blackie who went missing over a year ago.
* And the other one looks like the baby daddy to the many kittens birthed in our barn.
* I purchased Project Life stuff so I can start a new beginning in how I "scrapbook" our memories.
* I think my happy pills need to be increased.
* Lets have a group hug. Tell me everything is going to be OK.


This a Duke the horse.
He enjoys rolling in the snow.
And eating.
And smelling Cindy the girl horse's bum.

My Future Might Involve Living in the Woods without Electricity.........

It never fails.
Every year when the rush of the holiday season ends, I end up in a funk.
Funk=winter depression
This winter depression involves lack of energy and motivation, alot of munching on leftover treats and the need to sleep alot and live in my fat pants.

But then once in awhile {which isn't very often this winter}, we get a beautiful winter day and I thank God I am alive to live in it.
Because its pretty and fresh.
And Ike and Duke are big and beautiful....
...and eager to pull children around on their sleighs.




Sometimes I have to remind myself that not everyone can bring out the horses and sleigh and spend an hour or two doing something many would pay big bucks for.

Sometimes I have to remind my children how lucky they are when they complain about cleaning the barn.

But I never have to remind my hubby.


This is the life he was made for.

Actually, I am pretty sure if he could live the life that Charles Ingalls lived, he would do it in a second.

....and Jersey the dog would be right there beside him.

Animals are therapeutic.........ok.....not ALL animals.

Today when I woke up before the sun, there was frost on the ground....on the leaves still hanging on for dear life and on my flowers that were unbelievably still blooming.

This makes me sad.
For those peeps that don't know me, I will let you in on a secret.
I hate winter.
I hate cold.
I hate snow.
I hate wearing socks.

Dear Husband's Work.
Instead of offering him a position in Fort McMurray, Alberta, maybe you could relocate to Texas and then transfer him down there.
Just a thought.
From His Wife Who Hates Cold Weather

Because I was sad, I walked out to visit the horses, hoping they would somehow cheer me up.
Animals are therapeutic, ya know?
I completed a ginormous research project on that subject in college which totally proved it.
But that was before Jersey the dog and Cindy the pony.They are a few of the many reasons I need therapy.

Anyways, while outside (where I could see my own breath), I kissed and loved Ike and Duke.
OK,  just Ike, because he and I have a special bond.
A bond so tight that I can call him Ikey Wikey and even kiss his lips.
A bond so tight that I can get him to pose for photos.
I mean, look at this. He is totally posing.

Duke continued to eat.
And Cindy, um...is  snob.

Cindy the pony is that girl in high school who you really wanted to be friends with.
All you wanted was to hang out with her for abit so she could find out that you really are a cool person.
Cindy is that girl who all the boys follow around.

She is the girl who hangs out in the coolest hallway of the school and everyone goes to her because they want to be included in "her group".

She is the girl who turned her head the other way and pranced away with a little hair sway and butt wiggle.

God, I hated high school. Linking up with a few babes todayMadgeRural Journal   

Cuteness

Let me just give you a word {or two} of advice.
If you have a little girl who loves ponies and unicorns and all things horses, you must go out and buy her an equestrian outfit.
Just because it is the most ridiculously cutest sight you ever will see.

The gloves.
The boots.
The toobigforherbutt pants.
Ohmygawd.


I almost died from the cuteness.

And then, when she walked around like she totally "owned" the farm in her too cool outfit, I breathed in that moment.

That moment when her confidence soared and she worked it.
She didn't care if other people giggled or rolled their eyes{which we totally did not do}, because, in her brilliant little mind she was da bomb.

I love that.
And I love these boots.

My next goal in life is to find someone who can make her a Laura Ingalls {Little House on the Prairie} outfit.
Then I will braid her hair.
And she will march around this lil' farm, bonnet and all......with her pony named Cindy.

Rurality Blog Hop

Cindy

You know how you have your life planned out when you are a teenager imagining the perfect, blissful future?
I planned to have a dog and a cat.

BAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

I do have a {dominant/high prey drive/hyper/unpredictable} dog.....
....and four cats {who eat mice and birds and other wild critters}.

But I also have...
Two {huge/massive/ginormous} Percheron geldings....


annnnnnnnd.......

One pony named Cindy.
{hold me}

Yes.
Cindy the pony is our newest family member that the kids {and the hubby} just had to have.
She is 5 years old.
She was raised by Mennonites.
She transported Mennonite children to and from school every day.

She is small.
And pretty.

She is friendly.
And very fast.

Duke the horse hates her.
Ike the horse tolerates her.

And she doesn't care one little bit.

Dont tell my husband about this post.

I used to be a Veterinary Assistant.
I assisted during appointments, surgeries and even travelled to nearby farms for equine appointments.
I was never comfortable around horses.
Especially when holding the legs of a wound up, injured thoroughbred.

I remember standing there in my scrubs, holding on to the horse while we tried to get xrays, thinking that I didn't get paid enough for this.
I didn't get paid enough.
People who clean up poo, look at poo under a microscope and assist during sick equine stuff do not get paid enough.
Unless they are a veterinarian.

Anyways, the point of this story was to tell you that I love my horses.
I never really enjoyed the smaller horses because I found them to be strung out and very unpredictable.
But that could be because I was in scrubs standing beside the guy sticking them with needles.

Sooooooooooo.......... Percheron horses are my one and only equine breed of choice.
It's a good thing, because we have two.

Why, you ask?
I will tell you why.

Reason number 1
Their even temperament and good manners. Percheron's are known as gentle giants and Ike and Duke have proven to me that it is true.


Reason number 2
They keep the coyotes away. I mean, look at the size of their feet.


Reason number 3
Disney uses them. If they are good enough for the Disney parks, then they are more than good enough for our little 5 acre farm.

Reason number 4
They are gorgeous.
Their big heads, perfect ears, abundant manes, muscular body and dinner plate-sized hooves are...ummm....gorgeous.


Reason number 5
They have personality.
Ike likes to knock over fences and break out of his stall. Duke likes to eat while Ike chases cats. Duke likes to eat while Ike chews on the eavestrough. And Duke likes to eat while Ike rolls around in the mud.


Percheron horses are da best.
But I still wont clean up their poo.

This is me being all light and fluffy.

I was going to get all mushy and emotional in this post, discussing grief, love and moving forward.
But then I thought I would discuss Ike and Duke's bathtime.
Because that is all my sanity can handle right now.

Sometimes it is better to be all light and fluffy instead of all deep and...ummm.....profound.

Yeah.
Uh huh.

So......Ike and Duke enjoy rolling in the mud.
90% of the time they look like this.

And then once in awhile we spend some family time cleaning them up.
Some families have movie night or game night to enjoy some quality moments together.
Us?
We bathe horses.
I mean, c'mon.....look how happy my kid looks.......
Let me rephrase that.
Husband and the boy children bathe the horses.
I take photos.
And the girl child plays in the sandbox.

Nothing makes me happier than having clean children and clean, nice smelling horses.
Their shiny coats and shampoo smelling manes gives me more satisfaction than I should admit.
And, because I know their cleanliness will last approximately 11.2 seconds, I take pictures to document the moment.
Pictures of Ike drinking the water because it makes me giggle.
I enjoy giggling.
Remember?
Light and fluffy instead of deep and profound.
That's me.

Pictures of oldest child taking them for a walk to the end of the driveway.




And pictures of husband taking them for a run.


Animals are therapeutic.
And taking pictures of them running with your husband wearing green boots is even more therapeutic.