Don't Sweat the Small Stuff

Our adventure on Christmas Eve really shook J and I up.

There we were all stressed about getting to town and the grocery store before it got (more) crowded so we could hurry back home to finish wrapping when we'd come upon our neighbor, on the other side of our road/fence line, trapped underneath his Rhino.

The neighbor, without a shirt, only in sweats and slippers, had jumped into his rig to go check the mail at the end of his road which is down 10 acres on the other side of his property.  I'm sure he thought he'd only be gone for a few minutes.

While backing up he'd turned too quickly and the rig had gone over.  His leg had been pinned and seriously broken.  It will require surgery in the upcoming week.

While we'd been cozy in our home wrapping packages and looking at the rain/snow mix outside, he'd been out in the weather, trapped and unable to move.  We only came upon him as we drove down our road to the store.  J happened to look out across the fence line to the neighbor's house and see the rig turned over.  That was over two hours after he'd flipped it.

The day took on a different color after our experience.  Getting to the store and beating it back to finish wrapping wasn't important after fire/aid arrived and we left the scene.  And because we'd had a good dose of reality, the rest of the day and every day since have been like a golden miracle we are grateful to have.

Both of us have noted that we initially had some trouble sleeping afterwards.  We've discussed the event often as it still pings around in our heads.  But one thing that stands out since that day is, don't sweat the small stuff. 

And we don't.

Santa Was Listening

Look what I got for Christmas...

The Buffalo Purse I wrote about a few Posts back - Santa was listening!!  :)

Hope you and yours have a Merry Christmas!!

Christmas Eve - A Change In Perspective

Christmas Eve and a change in perspective...It wasn't supposed to be a Post I'd write today.

I got up early today, trying to be calm and unstressed because I put off wrapping a single present and here it was, Christmas Eve.  I found myself very focused on every move I made.  No time to waste movements today!

I wrapped until early afternoon but still wasn't finished.  Yet I had to stop.  I told my husband that we must go to town NOW, to the grocery store before it got crazier than it probably already was (it was).

As we headed down our private road J suddenly stopped the car, jumped out and started running.  I was immediately irritated as in, "What the HECK are you doing?!!!  We NEED TO GET TO THE GROCERY STORE NOW".

And then I heard the screams....

Our neighbor across the fence line was screaming out to us in agony.  He had flipped his Rhino and was trapped underneath.  He was soaking wet and in shock.  Home alone, he had been there for hours in the 38 degree rain.

I grabbed my phone and ran after my husband.  The neighbor's foot was trapped under his rig.  My husband, a big guy, was able to lift the rig up and free the leg but we didn't have the manpower to push the rig upright.

As I ran to the scene I pulled off my cozy fleece jacket and we got it on the neighbor.  Unfortunately, as I did so the neighbor's dog thought I was being aggressive and bit me in the rear.

Fire arrived and with my husband's help they got the rig upright.  Medics took it from there and with my jacket still on him we returned to the house to get me another one. 

Finally we were off to the grocery store but suddenly it wasn't a big deal.  We found ourselves deflated and going with the flow for the rest of the day.  A day which turned out to be lovely.

The neighbor's family brought my jacket back tonight with mighty thanks for our coming upon their son, who has a broken leg.

Evening and dinner were spent with C and the Christmas tree in the "new" living room, listening to music, talking and relaxing.  Our event today sure turned our entire day around...not that I'd like to have that happen again soon!

Prince - Our Christmas Gift

Prince on November 3rd, the day after I brought him home: 

Starved

 

 Beaten up by his former owner's (fat and sleek) horses

 

Muddy and neglected

In a daze from lack of food

 

Prince on November 8th:

 

Starting to feel safe and mentally coming around

Always hungry



Always eating

 

Prince (and Bob) on December 18th:

 

Still always eating

 

Haunches and spine are now filled in.  Bites are healed.

 

Alert, happy and relaxed

 

I'll soon be preparing to ride Prince, starting with ground work.  When I swing my leg over his back you will be the first to know.  In the meantime this year my family and I are all grateful to have Prince in our family. 

 

Last spring we sadly said goodbye to The Goldens.  It's nice to see one out there once more...

 

Prince - Our Christmas Gift!

 



 

 





Waiting Out Winter

When I reflect on the most asked question I've received from readers/family and friends in 2012 it has to be, "How is Bob?"

I will forever remember 2012 as the year of I can't ride/I can ride/I can't ride...Bob. 

I'm aware that this has been a source of frustration to many of my friends who, bless their hearts, have missed my companionship on horseback.  But there is nobody who has felt worse about the on-again/off-again reports than the woman who is writing this Post.

I'm not going to go back into the history of 2012 and the journey Bob and I have been through together.  It's all here in my Posts. 

I will pick up where we last left, with my new shoer coming to start the process of reconfiguring Bob's feet, shod in the past so long that they were a cause of his tripping/stumbling/falling.  And me anxiously awaiting his visit so that I could return to riding Bob.

My (new) shoer arrived and all went well.  But he was concerned about how long Bob's feet were.  He termed them "extremely long".  When I told him I hoped to start riding Bob lightly after this first visit he advised me to wait. 

He told me that it will take at least three trims before Bob's feet are where we can ride without issues.  That means the end of March; i.e., Spring.

Sigh...so there I went again, thinking I was going to start riding Bob only to determine that isn't going to happen right away.

On the bright side, I'm not much of a cold weather rider these days since I need to invest in some winter riding gear. 

So I will wait out winter and look forward to riding Bob in the warmer spring weather!  In the meantime, I have Prince to think about (more on him in my next Post).

Horse People/House People

I've been missing.  Why?

Well....

I'm horse people.

I have never been house people.

While my girlfriends talk about what accent color to paint a wall, I'm thinking about what kind of saddle pad will look best on my horse.

Yes, I am Horse People, not House People.  Yet...

Right before Thanksgiving our daughter who has been living with us since she graduated from college raised an issue.  It was about the wallpaper in our house.

When we moved here seven (can it be that long?) years ago we KNEW we were moving into an outdated house.  But being Horse People, I looked OUTSIDE the windows.  Of course I knew the wallpaper was ugly but the rolling pastures outside the windows made up for it.

This year C put her foot down and challenged me about the wallpaper, specifically in our living room - looking pretty bad these days since Tuna started using it for a scratching post.

C said she'd give me her time and labor if I'd work beside her.  The goal?  Get it done before the holidays; (i.e., her annual Holiday Party).

I took her up on the challenge and early on the day after Thanksgiving:

This may look like paint but it is beige wallpaper, which asks the question why in the world didn't they just PAINT the walls beige instead of covering them?  The wallpaper extends inside the window frames of all five living room windows.  In this picture C is about to start the project - the steamer she used is on the table to the right (and was a great tool).

As she starts to remove the paper I start my part of the task.  My job was to pick up and bag all of the pieces she pulled down (ugh)!

This wall was fun (for me).  I got to rip the first layer and she removed the rest.  Unfortunately, my height was a bit of an issue...

 

Day Two sent us to the store to purchase paint.  That was kinda fun, getting to pick a color.  Once home C started the painting.  She did trim and I rolled.  We were quite the team.

On Day Three Husband arrived home from the cabin and helped us with spackling/patching.  But then...

My work crew disappeared, off to their 'real' weekly jobs, leaving me alone with a half finished room and loads of displaced stuff all over the house as well as a confused Tuna who couldn't figure out what happened to her scratching post.

What did I do the first morning after they returned to work?



Went into my Horse People mode, having a quiet morning cup of coffee and watching the horses (thru the fog) outside the living room window!  But truly, the week flew by and although I attempted to paint I found my part time job and horse care didn't leave me much time.

 

The following weekend dawned with All Hands on Deck and...

 

On week three we finished in time to get our tree and enjoy the room a few days before C's Holiday Party.

 

I will always remember the family that all pitched in and pulled together as one unit to bring out this room's beauty.

 

And although I may be Horse People, I'm thinking that maybe there just might be a little House People in me after all because I'm already thinking about the wallpaper in the family room.

 

Yet I revert back to Horse People quickly and easily.  My next post...some of you have been asking...an update on Bob and Prince.

 

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