July 2024

Jul 3, 2024

Home again and Buddy seems to have gotten over his aversion to sitting on my lap at the computer. I guess I've been gone enough that he's decided to make the most of my time home.

I'm thankful that life seems to be settling down for my oldest and the grand children. By the beginning of June, after traumas over the past year, the kids finally starting sleeping in their own beds again and mommy is able to use the restroom without kids shrieking in terror because she shut the door and "left them alone" (they are 3 and 5 and this hadn't been an issue before). We are super thankful for the healing!

"Dad", who had been out of their lives for a few months, has been granted joint custody, has been given an official parenting schedule, and is willing to have communication with everyone again. We are all very glad about it! It has been a nervous transition with a lot of co-parenting details yet to work through, but there are high hopes that life will be smoothing out again.

My oldest has found new help with yard work and will, hopefully, be getting house keeping help again soon. Although we have not minded the extra income of temporarily filling these positions for her to pay for the extra visits, I really need to prepare the shed for hay and clean out the barn (whenever it stops raining!), clean up the basement now that Bob has the water dried up, and possibly get back on track with my own goals... we'll see how the rest of this week goes before planning too much...

Jul 4, 2024

Buddy woke me up this morning. I looked over at the alarm and saw that Bob had not set it and it was past time to get up. So, I hurry to get the day started. Five minutes before Bob typically leaves for work, I look over at him and he is casually watching TV and still in his pajamas!

So, I ask: is today an off day? He says: It's the 4th.

oh.

So, I've had my excitement for the day...

Jul 8, 2024

Some days, I feel like my gears are disconnected and I watch as my plans fall apart.

I tried to start my outdoor chores early, but the mosquitoes chased me back indoors.

I went to rotate the laundry, only the washer didn't finish and needed a restart.

I spent a good half an hour trying to place an order on a particular website. I finally gave up. I'll try again tomorrow.

I expected a 2 yard dumpster to be delivered this afternoon, but the garbage man came and went and it seems to be forgotten. (I was just sent a message that it will have to be later today )

The chores are getting done a little at a time though... I am almost done mowing the weeds (it started as preparation for getting hay, but I've gotten a little side-tracked in that department ). Then, there is the weed-eating and cleaning the old hay out of the shed.

It feels like cleaning the basement is becoming a never ending job, but we have been running a dehumidifier for a week to pull more moisture out of everything and surely cleanup will go faster once the dumpster arrives... I have to limit my cleaning time as there is a fast growing mold making itself known (making it easier to know what has to go and what needs more attention) and too much exposure aggravates my allergies and asthma. I am trying to hurry the process as much as possible though in hopes to prevent spores from getting dispersed through the entire house.

Well... I guess I better get back to spinning my wheels...

Jul 9, 2024

I have a rough decision to make... a few days after the water in the basement dried up, two of my saddles looked like this. I cleaned them with a strong vinegar solution on Friday (not recommended for leather, but should have killed the mold) and an enzyme acting leather cleaner on Saturday. Today, the mold is back. Sigh Do I admit defeat, realizing that the bacteria must be deep inside the saddle, or try cleaning them again?

Jul 11, 2024

I think everything that molded is out of the basement now There is still a ton of clean up to do (scrubbing the floor, wiping down walls, etc), but the most important part is done. And the hay shed should be as clean as it's going to get this afternoon.

Next, I'm off to visit my oldest again... I told Bob I feel guilty for leaving so much undone, but he said not to. This relatively short trip is for fun and has been scheduled for months - we are going to attend a Terri Clark concert! (and, Bob says, No. He would NOT like to go... he will happily stay home and take care of the critters! )

Jul 14, 2024

My youngest just got back from a trip to see his Dad in Oregon... It appears he brought home a new yard ornament.

oh boy.

Jul 17, 2024

Yesterday was our 7th wedding anniversary

Bob surprised me by taking the day off of work so we could spend the day together

We decided to order a digital starmap in celebration. As Bob was looking it over, he asked: can it have a different background? something different than plain white.

Since it was a digital file... the answer was: of course!

Then, we chose a different circular frame and upgraded the text...

We love it!

Next is to decide what size of print we want to frame.

Jul 18, 2024

I am usually very careful to have hay delivered when I have a few nice days to work with. We have had a lot of extra rain days so far this year, which has made that a bit more challenging than usual. Still, it looked like it would be fairly clear so I accepted delivery on a small (less than 90 bales) load Monday night.

It must have sprinkled a little because Tuesday morning the top layer was wet. No big deal. I let them dry and put a few bales away Tuesday afternoon. While working, I noticed some clouds headed our way and asked Bob to tarp the trailer for the expected sprinkle... We did NOT expect the heavy, blowing downpour that arrived 10 minutes later. No biggie though, Bob had the hay tarped...

Wednesday morning, I went out to put more hay away only to find that our heavy tarp did it's best, but we had more rain than it could handle and water seeped through. So, I started arranging a few bales at a time to allow the sun and breeze to re-dry them before putting them away. Some were too wet, so they are in small stacks outside to be fed first.

It has been a slow process that I am still working on today. Fun.

I am very thankful for the hay guy that lets me borrow the trailer though - otherwise, this would be more of a disaster with the hay absorbing even more moisture from the ground!

(For those who do not know... wet hay can quickly mold and become inedible to horses. Plus, wet hay can build up heat and cause a fire! This is why I am being so careful checking each bale and making sure they have dried out before putting them in the shed.)

I hope to finish today... more rain is headed our way!

Jul 23, 2024

I have the flu.

Today, I am thankful for my steam tent. I used to have a wood heated steam room right outside the back door in California, which was nice. But, this one is even better... you don't have to build a fire in the cold while you're sick. AND, I get to watch TV while relaxing.

Jul 25, 2024

Yesterday, as I lay in the recliner not being able to do any thing but breath, I started feeling very frustrated. I have not achieved any of my goals for the year with so many health issues and I am sick. Again. I have also been gone so much this year and now July is nearly over! I was seriously considering discarding all of my dreams of sharing our horses with others as they just keep getting pushed aside anyway.

I reminded myself of the many blessings we have received this year despite the setbacks and the verse came to my mind that starts off "Seek ye first..." (Matthew 6:33)

I realized that I have gotten a bit off track and my #1 priority - the ultimate purpose and my central core value - is to glorify God in whatever path He chooses for me in this moment. Yes, I have goals and plans, but they are not the most important.

Phillipians 4:12 came to mind. Paul was content in prison and even shipwrecked. I'm sure that those felt a bit discouraging to him! At the very least, I'm sure he certainly didn't have those things on his goal list. lol So, I relaxed a bit.

Then, last night, my health started to improve and we received a special visitor... someone wanted to spend time with the horses! The Lord does send encouragement when we need it. Today, I am still coughing (probably will be for the next week ), but I feel more optimistic. There are still several months before winter sets in to achieve some of those goals...