Cowgirl Up

Flu Hits Home

noreply@blogger.com (Syn) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 23:34:00 +0000

A flu went through half of our household so far. I said "a" flu, not "the" flu that has so many people panicking. I'm just getting over it now. What I'd like to know is...

How come moms don't have sick days to take when they're sick? When I get sick, my responsibilities don't go away. I still trudge through the necessary ones, as miserable as I am. I'd like at least a few sick days per year and two weeks vacation please! This mom needs better benefits!

:)

Best Christmas Presents

noreply@blogger.com (Syn) — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 21:25:00 +0000

With 40-something days left until Christmas, I'm late. Usually by now, I've started organizing Santa lists and tracking down the most inexpensive way to make my kids' wishes come true.

This year, the lists include some electronics like MP3 players and cell phones but surprisingly, there are several books on the list too. Unlike last year, the list of video games they are hoping for has decreased substantially. Is this the end of the video game rage in my home? I sure hope so! If there is one toy that irritates me more than others, it would have to be video games. I much prefer to see my kids reading than playing video games!

My Mare Loves the Cold

noreply@blogger.com (Syn) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 18:15:00 +0000

We've been waking up to frost on the ground and now they're calling for snow showers tonight. I'm not ready yet! I enjoyed the cooler than normal summer. It was fantastic. That doesn't mean I want an early, cold winter too!

I told my husband I wanted to move to where it was warmer - about 75 - 80 degrees year round. Like that's affordable eh? A lot of people head south for orlando vacations this time of year. I can't say I blame them (or all the snow birds who do it regularly every year). It's cold in the north!!

My horse, JeeNee, absolutely loves this cooler weather. She gets really spunky and active the colder it gets. While the other horses go into the run-ins out of the frigid temperatures, she's out running around in it. When it snows, she actually paws at the snow flakes in the air! I really need to get a picture of that! I miss it every single time. One of the negatives about not having our own land to keep her on. What I wouldn't give to have her in my own backyard.

No Courage

noreply@blogger.com (Syn) — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 23:03:00 +0000

Rex died 14 months ago and I have still not rode. I don't think I have the experience to ride my mare and really don't have any confidence that I'll stop being neurotic enough to do it successfully. With Rex, he was so well-trained and so sweet that I had some fear but not a huge amount of fear. My daughter is riding so we are at the stable still but I have yet to get back up on a horse.

I was talking to my husband about it the other day. He asked me if I'd lost interest in horses. It's not that. With three kids in soccer and three in cheerleading, I have been running constantly six days a week so there hasn't been any time since school started. We used to get to the stable several times a week but it's been hard to get down there enough recently. Getting older, I worry about getting seriously hurt (or worse) with four young kids to raise. I could get some cheap term life insurance rates to add onto our current policies to make sure they were financially taken care of but I worry that I won't see them grow up. I want to see them grow up.

So I have no riding progress to report. I've not been riding in over a year.

Cell Phone Reception

noreply@blogger.com (Syn) — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 22:45:00 +0000

I love living in a rural area but one negative is that there aren't enough cell towers in the area for good cell phone reception and it takes longer to get other technology (like faster internet connections). When we go to my in-laws house, I can't even use my cell phone from there. There is NO reception there. I'm sure they'll get it in time but being as rural as they are, they'll be on the bottom of the list.

It's funny how much I've come to depend on my cell phone for phone, texting, and internet access. With my newest phone, I even have GPS capabilities so this directionally-challenged individual doesn't get lost anymore!

Bittersweet Shopping

noreply@blogger.com (Syn) — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 23:45:00 +0000

Speaking of shopping (well, I was in my last post), today was the first time we'd shopped in a mall in 3-1/2 years. I'd forgotten how cute some of the clothes are (got used to just seeing Wal-Mart clothes). How cute all the small, trendy clothes were...with "small" being the bothersome word there.

I SO wish my thyroid would kick in gear so my metabolism would go back to normal. I want to wear those smaller sized clothes again without having to use weight loss pills at this point. While it was fun, it was a little bittersweet too. You don't realize how nice it is to feel good about how you look until you seriously don't like looking in the mirror anymore.

Soccer, Mall & Stomach Aches

noreply@blogger.com (Syn) — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 23:44:00 +0000

Three of our kids had soccer games this morning so we spent 3-1/2 hours at the soccer field, all in the cold, part of the morning watching soccer in the rain. How miserable!

Then it was off to the mall to find a dress for my oldest daughter's first dance for middle school. We have the dress, shoes, and jewelry. I still need to get her a masquerade mask because the girls are supposed to wear them at the dance.

Then we went to dinner at a place called Fricker's (sports bar/restaurant). We've never been there before and it's across from the mall so we popped in. Ugh. It was not the best place in the world for food. My stomach is hurting...feels like I've had a colon cleanse instead of dinner! The ONE time in the last couple of years that I ordered a drink with dinner and it was nasty too. I seriously doubt we'll be heading back there again.

First Ride After Two Months

noreply@blogger.com (Syn) — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 01:16:00 +0000

My daughter hasn't been on her horse in two months. Between cheerleading for her, and soccer and cheerleading for my other three kids, there have been activities scheduled daily! Around school and homework, it didn't leave any extra time for riding lessons. The activities are starting to wind down over the next two weeks so it's opening up time again.

She did great though. It didn't take long to get Tequila back into it. It was a good feeling watching them ride.

Good News on Grandpa

noreply@blogger.com (Syn) — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 01:11:00 +0000

He went in for a check up and he doesn't need another stent! He had a heart attack a couple years ago and has had many stents put in since then. His tests were so good this last time, he doesn't need to be tested again for two years. Great news!

We've been really worried about his health since his heart attack. It's slowed him down a lot but we're just happy he's still with us. They live too from a hospital and if his heart attack had been any worse, he probably wouldn't be with us right now. I think I'd be getting trained to use an AED. Living away from civilization definitely has its positive points, but being away from prompt medical treatment when you need it is a definite negative!

Musical Family

noreply@blogger.com (Syn) — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 00:59:00 +0000

My daughter is in her third year of playing flute for band. She's exceptionally good.

My son is in his first year of band at school and is learning to play the drums. We had to look for a snare drum kit for him at school. I had no idea what I was looking for, what material they should be. I could click on a link for stainless steel drums and not know I was in the wrong place until I checked out the web site. We found him a nice snare drum kit for band class (my husband knew what to look for).

I'm learning to play guitar. At my age! You should hear this old lady plug her electric guitar in! I'll sound better when I know more than You Are My Sunshine and Amazing Grace, lol.

My husband has played guitar most of his life and is recording music right now. My two stepkids both are in band (one clarinet and one guitar). My middle daughter sings (and wants to learn guitar and piano). My youngest daughter wants to play saxophone. I'm not sure why she said saxophone. She's four and I think she just likes the way the word sounds.

Painting Cement Floors?

noreply@blogger.com (Syn) — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 18:45:00 +0000

Does anybody know how to paint garage flooring so it's not slippery? I'd like to make it look like brick or stain it in some way but I'm not sure how. May just end up tiling it. We don't actually use it for our cars so we don't need to worry about drips from the cars.

I'd like to do this to our basement floor too where our family room is. I think it'd look nice painted with a brick pattern or stained. It has to be dog-friendly, able to withstand dog accidents and muddy paws so carpet is definitely out!

All American Quarter Horse Congress in Columbus, Ohio

noreply@blogger.com (Syn) — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 18:40:00 +0000

Who made it to Congress yet this year? We haven't and since we're totally broke, we're not likely to make it this year.

It runs from October 2 - October 25, 2009 if you still want to check it out. For more information, click here. It's held at the Ohio Expo Center, found at: 717 E. 17th Avenue, Columbus OH 43211.

Unemployment Rates Rise

noreply@blogger.com (Syn) — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 14:10:00 +0000

Unemployment rates are expected to rise again. I thought this stimulus was supposed to prevent all of this! I wonder if this means the horse industry isn't going to come back anytime soon either. I guess if you're in the market to buy, it's a great market for you!

New York state unemployment is in the news today. New York City unemployment is now at 10.3 percent. When will things start to get better?

We have a lot of updating we need to do to our house but I hesitate to spend money when we already live on a tight budget when the economy is so unstable. It doesn't seem right to price things like a Grohe faucet when times are tough. I feel like we should be saving all our money in case things get even worse.

House Update Status

noreply@blogger.com (Syn) — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 13:53:00 +0000

Most farmhouses have a mudroom. I need to create that same concept in our house, which isn't a farmhouse or even in the country. I need flooring that can take a bunch of kids and muddy dog traffic. I'm looking at one-piece vinyl flooring or floor tiles that clean easily. A one-piece sheeting would mop up easier but I love the look of tile.

I did get my kitchen painted finally! Maybe after the painting is done, we can concentrate on getting the rest of our flooring. I'd love for this house to be finished but this economy is taking its toll on everybody. We've lived here over three years and it's not done yet.

Durango Taillight Covers

noreply@blogger.com (Syn) — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 12:36:00 +0000

I drive a Dodge product and want to look for Mopar parts for it. I want some taillight covers for my SUV. Living out in the country, I see it frequently around here. I like the way they look but I wasn't sure about how it would affect the person driving behind me. Does it inhibit his or her viewing of my brake lights when I use them? I don't want to get rear-ended. Does anybody have taillight covers?

Back and Forth with the Weight

noreply@blogger.com (Syn) — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 00:08:00 +0000

Back and forth, back and forth. It's what my weight does. Just when I think the weight is starting to come off, it's back on again! It's SO frustrating to go from a size four to barely a ten. Sometimes it doesn't bother me but when somebody else notices the weight, then I feel bad.

I'm slowly changing over my thyroid treatment so *fingers crossed* that this will help. A lot of people start looking for the top diet pills but I need to try fixing my thyroid first and then seeing where I'm at.

Five-Way Vaccine for Horses

noreply@blogger.com (Syn) — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 16:49:00 +0000

My mare is due for her five-way vaccine and the local pet supplies store has been sold out of them. I found it at Jeffers (online) for even less than what the local place here sells it for. When I buy it locally, it's taken from a refrigerated environment. So I'm not sure how they keep it cool though during shipping. I am going to have to place a call and find out before I order it. Does anybody know?

Hubby not Bob Vila (or even Tim Taylor)

noreply@blogger.com (Syn) — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 16:42:00 +0000

Finally got the husband to somewhat commit to finishing the redecorating of our kitchen. We gutted it a year ago and put in new floors and kitchen cabinets. We also added a dishwasher (it'd been nine years since I'd had one and with 4 - 6 kids, that's a long time) and an over-the-stove microwave. We have to finish the walls and ceiling now.

I've been waiting for him to start it since there's a little rough work that needs to be done first but was getting ready to start it myself (and when that happens, you know I've lost all patience). He doesn't like to do home improvement stuff without his dad but his dad is only here a couple times a year. That's a long time to wait to do what needs to be done in the house.

I was looking at the backsplash area and was deciding between some type of tile, like a stainless steel tiles or just paint. I've decided on an olive paint but I'm still kicking it around in my head to add tiles down the road when we have the money.

Season's End

noreply@blogger.com (Syn) — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 22:39:00 +0000

Autumn is almost here. With the cooler weather, comes friskier horses, especially my Clyde/Paint Cross who loves it cold. We are partway through the football and soccer season and hoping to have more time for our horses when it's over. There's something going on every day of the week (usually more than just one something).

College football is underway too while summer sports end. Well, except for golf if you live in the southern warmer states, like Myrtle beach golf, or are a diehard fan of the sport and will get out there in the cold weather. Here's hoping the Ohio State Buckeyes have a great season!

Thyroid, Hormone Levels & Health

noreply@blogger.com (Syn) — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 13:28:00 +0000

I am waiting for a new thyroid medication to arrive soon and for the first time in a long time, I feel a little hope that I might be able to manage my thyroid disease better than the endocrinologists have so far. I am not interested in synthetic medications or removing my thyroid (unless I absolutely have to).

What I am hoping for:

...the brain fog to clear up.
...my short term memory to come back.
...my hair and skin to improve.
...the itching to stop.
...the weight to fall off as my hormone levels optimize so I don't need a weight loss supplement.
...my goiter to go away.
...my thyroid nodules to shrink.

That's a pretty tall order, isn't it? With the right dosage of thyroid medication and appropriate supplements, my fingers are crossed!

I am also reading about bioidentical hormones and it is really interesting reading.

"To Do" for School

noreply@blogger.com (Syn) — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 13:08:00 +0000

School has been in session going on the second week now and it's been busy between school, homework, a break-up, soccer for three kids and cheerleading for two kids. One of my kids also managed to sprain her wrist so she's in a splint for awhile (and not able to ride her horse unfortunately).

I have made it about 90% through my school "to do" list but still have a few things left to buy (paper towel, kleenex, and a flash drive). Our school does a fundraiser for flash drives but I was also looking at this site for a Corporate flash drive to see what that was about. My 12 year old would love a custom flash drive for school! I also have book fees to pay for three of the kids. It's a neverending round of money out the door it seems like (I thought our taxes paid for this stuff?).

Making it a less material Christmas this year

noreply@blogger.com (Syn) — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 00:34:00 +0000

I had to explain to our oldest yesterday that "Santa" is on a tight budget this year so they are going to have to restrict their holiday lists because this year isn't going to be like last year. We definitely have to reduce the amount of money we spend this year. The economy is hitting everybody and it's definitely hit us here too.

I was surprised to hear that they were wanting another video game system (considering we just bought them one last Christmas). It seems their dad had told them we'd get them one. Oops. Not this year.

I was looking at all the different Bell products (bell tv HD receivers and gaming remotes) but I think adding anything else to our HD television is going to have to wait a bit unfortunately. Maybe next year, we'll see some improvement in the economy. I sure hope so.

Camping

noreply@blogger.com (Syn) — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 23:41:00 +0000

A festival for Labor Day is moving into town as I type this, getting ready for the weekend. Everybody drives their RV's in and parks them on the grounds and sticks around all weekend long.

My husband and I were taking a walk around the park where they set up, talking about the different RV's. My husband didn't think he'd like to do something like that but the trailers we were seeing were pretty old, not like the fifth wheel my sister has. I explained to him that my sister's was more like an apartment and seemed really comfortable. The ones we saw at the park were pretty ancient but hers is new with the rv warranty still fresh.

I could definitely camp if we had something like my sister's! It has all the comforts of home.

One Year Anniversary of Rex's Death

noreply@blogger.com (Syn) — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 19:44:00 +0000

Yesterday was the one-year anniversary for Rex. He died a year ago yesterday. He was my daughter's horse but I was just as attached to him as she was. He was such a wonderful guy! It still tears me up. I haven't rode since he died. He was the last horse that I rode. It broke my heart and took all the joy away. I don't know if it is just not wanting to get so attached again when they can leave you so unexpectedly or what. I'm going to have to dust myself off and get back on but it's hard. Look at how wonderful he was:

I didn't tell my daughter about the anniversary date. I thought about going to where he was buried with her but she was torn up for awhile when he died and I didn't want her getting upset again. I'm not sure I did the right thing but she feels things so deeply that I didn't want to open up a world of hurt for her again.

Mom's Going on a Road Trip

noreply@blogger.com (Syn) — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 19:38:00 +0000

I created, update, and host a web site for a local horse rescue. I also take many of the pictures and videos for them. There are a couple horses a little road trip away that they want to add to the site. That means I get to pack up my video camera, Digital SLR camera, and smaller digital camera and take a road trip to get some pictures and videos of them. We're going to do it while the kids are in school (which starts in about two days thank the gods!). It'll be the first time I'll have been anywhere for any length of time without the kids. Considering it isn't THAT far away, that's kind of sad. Mom needs to get out more!

I believe one of the women who handles a fair share of the rescue will be driving since I've never been there but just in case, I need to get one of the auto accessories fixed on my SUV. The rubber flap on the running board I use to get in and out of my truck is coming off and when I'm driving, it flaps and hits my car! It's so annoying!