Home(ward) Bound

     I love my home, I love being home, and there's just no place like home.  But there are times when I feel home bound, and need to get out or away.  One problem with having livestock is that it makes it very difficult to be gone over night.  Also, the recent rainy and then cold weather has made it undesirable to be outside caring for, or "playing" with them, or doing anything else.  So I sit here in the warmth, cozied up under a blanket by the fire, and I anticipate Britney coming home, and then the whole family going to Florida.  "Home" is where Mom is, so we will all be "homeward bound."

     I got up extra early Saturday morning and started in on Christmas cards right away.  Spreading cheer was a good way to offset the dreary weather we were having.  My right wrist continues to trouble me, and would kind of lock up occasionally... bad writers cramp I guess.  I took a few breaks during the morning.  I let the horses out of the barn later than usual and
put them on the back pasture,
avoiding the muddy paddock as much as possible.  They looked like they were skating out of the barn when I turned them out... but it was slippery mud, not ice.  I drained the 50 gallon fish tank that has been sitting empty in the office, cleaning it as I went.  Joe helped by dumping buckets of dirty water so I could hold the tube and keep the siphon going.

     Here are eight of the nine hens with Hercules, and Tiny is right in the middle of the mix.  I'm not sure what the flock is finding to eat out there.

     According to the weather report, mid afternoon would be the best time to ride, so I gave it a go.  Roni and I were out and about for almost two hours.  We ventured down a different field lane for a change.  I had the usual speed problems with him, but the recent jumpiness issues were not apparent.  His jingle bells only rang when he gaited, but no-one was around to hear us anyway.  I was well bundled up, but my toes got cold.  Once home, I put Roni in the round pen to roll, so he wouldn't get too terribly muddy.  The sand dries quicker and is easier to brush off. 

     I got my Christmas cards done by night fall, but still needed to write the letter to add to the envelopes.  I also needed to clean fish tank accessories, but was just too tired, so sat by the fire and read, waiting for Joe to come home so we could watch a movie together. 

     There has been a delivery error...
I don't see "cat" on the packing list.

     It was a busy Sunday that flew by... nursery, church, shopping, quick lunch, riding lesson, cleaning stalls and doing other farm chores.  My lesson started out shaky... Roni baulked at loading, I couldn't find a good place to park the trailer at Marj's, he was a muddy mess and took forever to clean up so I was late getting into the arena, and then when I put the bridle on and was ready to get on him, Josh pointed out I forgot to put the bit in Roni's mouth.  But, my lesson ended up going very well, in spite of the rough start.  Roni did great... better than ever before.  By the end, he gaited, without rushing or slowing down, doing a pattern around the arena, winding around cones down the middle and switching directions.  He was smooth and responsive and so much fun to ride.

     Many of us dream of a white Christmas, and we all want to be home for Christmas, but sometimes the two are in conflict with each other.

                                                           Joe helped me move hay down
from the loft after dinner.  I swept out the lose hay, gave hay to the horses and cows and came in to work here.  Dan missed his connecting flight in Chicago because his flight out of Minneapolis (where he had army duties) was late due to 15 inches of snow there.  Lucky for him, he got a ride with Valencia's parents and stayed at their place for the night.  Joe picked him up Monday afternoon. 
   
     There was a wardrobe malfunction during my Monday morning water exercise session.  One of the "Lilies" had a string, holding her straps on, come untied.  The elastic in her suit had already gone bad, thus the need for the tie.  Anyway, it got us started on a discussion about swim suits. 
How many do we have, how often do
we get a new one, how long should they last, and how much would we pay for a new suit.  I don't think there were two, out of the 15 of us, who agreed on all points.  Suits, like decorating, can be done up in all extremes.  This card was made by a friend of Marj's.  I found it funny... yet the reality of putting up Christmas decorations can be very difficult for some people, for various reasons.  Whether it is cost, space, time, physical ability, or desire... decorating and Christmas can be a very tough time of year.  It doesn't really matter how we decorate, or if we decorate, God knows our heart.   

     It was a bone chilling cold day, with the temperature never getting above freezing.  And with the 17mph winds/wind chill, it felt like 21 degrees most of the day.  Or, I might say it was a titanium plate chilling day... when it gets real cold, my broken wrist repair job feels frozen from the inside.  I only went out to clean stalls, do the feeding and watering chores, and move livestock here or there.  Hercules will come out of the small hole in the chicken coop door, but not go back in it.  I have to go out and open the door for him.

    
     We had our Christmas pot luck at Growth Group, so I spent the afternoon fixing veggies, and making a spread for the party rye/cucumber appetizer I was bringing.





     As always, the food was great and we all got our fill.  But better yet, was the fellowship.


    





     Tuesday morning's sunrise was seen behind the green, window tree lights.  The day was filled with beautiful sunshine, but had a nip in the air, and felt as cold as Monday.  
                                                            I stayed in the house most of the
day, writing our Christmas letter, working on this blog and contending with the dog.  She continues to exhibit weird behavior, slipping out of her collar and roaming the house or pacing.  She will stand and growl for no reason... or shakes like there were a thunder storm.  She does need more frequent bathroom trips outside, but I also think she is getting senile.

     I went into LeRoy to xerox our Christmas letter at the library.  They printed it, in color, at only a dime a copy.  Then I went to the Second Hand Store and bought five paper backs for a quarter each.  Now I am ready for the long drive to Florida and sitting on the beach.     

     When the sun went down and the Christmas lights came on, I was a aghast to see that half the string of lights above the dinning room window did not light up.  Ughh!  Dan dropped in at dinner time and helped us move the fish tank and stand (that I had finished cleaning) out to the garage. 

     Abbey investigating an empty bucket.  I worked at cleaning the office and moving some furniture to get the file cabinet next to Joe's desk.  I wanted to keep my desk chair in front of the window where I can look out at the bird bath and feeder.

     I was up at 4am Wednesday, having gotten 7 hours of sleep.  With the excitement of the holidays and all there is to do, I decided I better get going.  I added all the letters to my Christmas cards and took them to the post office on the way home from Water Lilies. I messed around with my new laptop, trying to figure out it's new format and what programs I needed to have Joe add to it. 

     I finished cleaning and organizing the office which now looks much larger.  After lunch I went to a Ladies Tea at the Christian Church in LeRoy.  The tea and Christmas goodies were great.  I also enjoyed the speaker who talked about her travels to Jerusalem and Bethlehem and the history of the nativity scene.  Once home I took Kaysha for a walk to off set all the sweets / calories I had consumed.  Dark was soon upon the farm and my motivation and energy plummeted.  I am thankful for Christmas lights which help brighten the nights that have gotten ohhh so long.
                                                              Thursday was sunny all day. 
I partly emptied and cleaned the ten gallon fish tank in the kitchen, and then treated it for ick.  The farrier came at 10:30 so I was out in the barn holding horses during their trimmings.  Roni started to refuse when Loren picked up his back right leg, but persistence from Loren and a quick pop of the halter from me and Roni shaped up and then did well.

     I have been keeping this petunia in the sun as much as possible and have been fertilizing it, to keep it blooming.  I hope it reminds Britney of beautiful Guatemala while she is home.

     Once Joe got home, I helped him strip the stalls of all the damp bedding and then refill with fresh new saw dust.  Now they should be easier to take care of while we are gone. 

     While out in the barn, I was moving some feed bins and a barrel, and look what I discovered where the barrel had been sitting.  Boo... these are too big for mice.  I am guessing rats.  Yew.

     Joe and I were watching a science show on TV when Dan and Valencia came over, with Charlie too. 

     After giving Charlie some lovin' I played with him while Kaysha watched.


      He was fascinated by the tree.



     Eventually Charlie stopped to rest and then Abbey moved in to get a closer look.

     In the meantime, Dan and Valencia were wrapping Christmas presents.  In this photo, Dan was distracted by Joe's new mini laptop.  Being short on sleep, I went up to bed before the fun was over. 

      It was another early morning Friday.  I guess when you go to bed so early, you can expect to wake up early.  The husband of one of our Water Lilies passed away Monday and the funeral was Thursday so the ladies talked about that.  We also talked about how precious, yet uncertain life is and the importance of letting those you love know it every day.  I had just learned that my Brother in Law's dad died the day before... so the reality hit close to home for me as well.

     I went out after lunch to clean stalls before heading to town to shop.  It was such a nice day, I decided to go for a ride before the dreaded shopping.  Roni was caked in mud again and took quite awhile to clean up.  But it was well worth it.
    

     We had a lovely ride, although I got cool when the sun went behind clouds and I turned into the wind to head home.  I had gone another new route through the fields northwest of us.  I followed the main creek and then took a farm road back to highway 150. 

     Traffic and parking were crazy at 4:30pm on a Friday, but I managed, and was home just after 7pm.  I did chores, unloaded groceries, ate a late "dinner" and couldn't stay awake to finish this, so went to bed. 

     Britney will be homeward bound tomorrow morning, and arriving here on Sunday.