Seeing Red and Blue

It's been a hell of a day... a hell of a week. But I'm going to shut up about my issues and talk about something fun... like Christmas presents!

Yes, I love the color red, especially in the kitchen. Well, unless it's blood. That kind of red is no good, but I received a gift for avoiding such mishaps. (By the way, the candle holder is an old light fixture I found in an antique store.)

But back to desirable red... I received this coffee press I've been lusting after and a coffee grinder with various settings for degrees of grinds and number of cups. (Thank you Steve...) I'm still perfecting the balance of coffee scoops to grinding moments, but the coffee is so much better than what you get from a drip coffee maker (or at least from my drip coffee maker).

I also received a tripod to replace the old one I had that has a broken leg and is so flimsy, I don't actually trust it with either my still photo or video cameras.

I received this awesome gift from my friend Cheryle. I'd been looking for a light fixture in various second hand stores to use for a bird bath or feeder but hadn't found a fixture that I liked. Cheryle decorated this one up with beads and included a cute little bag of birdseed with it. I'll need to build up the center so it's not too deep and slippery for the birdies.

As if that wasn't enough, Cheryle also made a plaque to hang on a barn stall for Luke. I love this!

Luke has been a real stinker lately about eating his food. I bought the wrong feed last month and ended up with something sweeter, different than the usual green pellets I've been buying him for the past eight years. So when I tried to switch him back to his usual feed, which is for easy keepers, he decided he wouldn't eat it. Since he's kind of a porker right now, no big worries about him starving to death, but still.

So besides doing eye medication for me, Cheryle has been trying to coax my fool horse to eat. The funny part was when I went out to the barn, Luke ate his usual feed without any hesitation at all so we thought maybe he was used to the old stuff again. But this morning, "Uh, uh," says Luke.

I'm thinking it's Luke's way to get me to come out to see him more often and feed him apples and bran and mollasses muffins. Dang, spoiled horse!

I guess he comes by his spoilation honestly. The Brew Babes got a rubber ring toy to play tug with for Christmas, Shy got a new scratching pad to replace the one she annihilated, and on the food and drink front, I received a couple bottles of organic wine, some cookies, butter brickle, and a small loaf of cranberry bread.

Yee haw!

On the cooking front, I recently made a recipe my friend Sue came up with that she calls Spinach/Egg/Quinoa Muffins (way different than Egg McMuffins). They are great for me as I can heat one up in the morning, slice it in half, and eat it open faced on my homemade bread with a slice of avocado on the way to work.

This bread, by the way, is nothing fancy, just whole wheat with flax but I used leftover whey from my last yogurt making adventure instead of the water that was called for.

I made yogurt again last weekend and it turned out better but I'm still having a hard time regulating the temperature and keeping it at around 110-115 degrees Fahrenheit for six hours. I added a bit of honey, banana, and walnuts to this bowl.

And this is the best chili I have ever tasted in my life! I sure hope I can do a repeat performance. I saved my Thanksgiving turkey bones and a one pound turkey breast, which I froze until I was ready to use it. I made turkey broth with the bones to use for my water, used the turkey breast for the meat, and added kidney beans, sliced tomatoes, onion, garlic, red and yellow peppers, chili powder, cumin, and red pepper. I kind of added seasonings until it tasted the way I wanted it so that will be the hard part to repeat, but it was awesome!

So there's the good stuff of the past week. A new year is coming. I don't have time for the blues.

That's Life... Ain't It Grand?

In the measurement world, we set a goal and strive to achieve it.  In the universe of possibility, we set the context and let life unfold.  -- B. Zander, The Art of Possibility

I have post on Vision and Verb today. I hope you'll check it out!

Warm Thoughts and Snowy Wishes

I came down with some sort of sinus, achy, exhausted thing on Christmas Day and have been laying low. Fortunately, I did get out on Christmas Eve and got to enjoy homemade pasta, beer and cheesecake with good company to boot. Eccellente!

I also got in a few pleasant walks with the Brew Babes before I was taken down.

I thought perhaps I had discovered Big Foot but decided this was probably someone with those crazy barefoot, minimalist shoes. Running with the barefoot feel is not my idea of pleasure. I need a lot of arch support and padding just for walking.

We also spotted a hornet's nest. Thankfully, no activity.

The festive scarfs are courtesy of the grooming place where Java and Latte got their toe nails clipped (I had a coupon.) I may take Java back for their "Four-stage Shedding Process," which sounded very industrial duty (and I have a coupon for that too).

(Java's scarf looked a bit faded in the sunlight so I embellished the color. A girl's gotta play with her Photoshop every once in awhile...)

It has been an unseasonably dry and dusty winter here in Minnesota. And I'd like to have a better attitude about it but it's making me very cranky.

We've had a few dustings of snow but then it gets up into the 50s, like today, and it's pretty much bye bye sprinkles.

Steve and I did a few skijoring exercises with the dogs on the street today. Latte pulled around a sheet of rubber with a rather confused look on her face. But I don't have very high hopes that we'll be skiing anytime soon. There is no snow in the foreseeable forecast.

I may end up biking the trails instead, but it's hard to fit in both dog and solo outdoor activities, except perhaps on the weekend, but even then, challenging. And no, I'm not attaching the dogs to my bike. Thank you very much for the suggestion...

I hope everyone enjoyed the holidays in whatever way you chose or were able to celebrate. If you were with people you love, that makes it good right there.

The Energy Crisis

On those days

When energy leaks

Do not fight it

But join the seep

You will find

A better day

Just give it up

Let sleep have its way

Sorry. Not exactly your cute Christmas present dollies... I was feeling artsy. 

I played a bit of magic with a bobber that the Brew Babes and I saw in the tree on our walk today too. A little bait of Christmas tree decor... (snort, giggle, snort)

The ducks on the river looked like they were feeling a bit of the chill. But the sun was a welcome sight and made it feel warmer than it actually was.

And most important of all -- a Luke update: 

I made the mistake of Googling "horses with runny eyes" and was frightened by the articles on horse owners waiting too long before calling the vet and having a  fungal infection turn into permanent blindness. However, the vet looked at Luke's eye this morning and determined that he had a blocked tear duct and allergies. 

He flushed the tear duct and left a salve to put into Luke's eye for ten days. Luke should be back to his old beautifully eyed self in no time!

And now about that energy crisis, I'm off to relax with a book and get to bed early... at least, that's the plan.

Chugga Chugga Chugga Chugga

It was up around 45 degrees today, unseasonably warm for this time of year. It's sad for me that this will be a brown Christmas but I did enjoy riding Luke outside with my friend Cheryle.

Before I rode, I noticed that Luke's eye, which has been weepy for awhile, is not getting better, and it looked bad enough today that I think a vet call is in order.

I haven't been too worried about it since it's typical for Luke to have watery eyes during the summer, when gnats and flies are so bad. And sometimes his eyes will get irritated by the hay he shakes all over himself.

This looks like something different. The tear duct area of the eye looks swollen and possibly infected, but hopefully, nothing that flushing and perhaps hot packs won't cure.

Yesterday was not quite as warm as today, plus it was windy. Steve and I took the Brew Babes for a walk to the Anoka train station. I wanted to show Steve the trail I discovered when I had to pickup my truck a couple weeks ago.

The trail isn't exactly what you would call scenic.

It's pretty industrial, but there were things to be noticed and photographed along the way. Like a tree that was recently cut down. The pattern and color of the rings were sadly beautiful. I hate seeing a tree go down.

And then there was this lovely sewer cover. 

And these metal studs securing a rail for the bridge that crossed the freeway. I think from the way things looked, that at  one point the trail had been a train track.

Now the train runs on a different path.

I think we may have also run across a spot where buried treasure lies as there was this mysterious "X" embedded in the river's ice.

We picked up coffee to warm ourselves at a place near the train station and walked over to the park and ride lot, where there were structures to sit inside, out of the wind. It was a bonus when we discovered that there are heaters in the ceiling.

I missed getting a picture of the Northstar Commuter Rail but an industial train came by while we were sitting. The dogs did a tucked-tail stare down, trying to determine just how dangerous the earth shaking monster really was.

I hope to go back one of these days and actually ride the train downtown or somewhere else along it's route simply for the experience of doing so. I sure do wish they allowed dogs though. But maybe the Brew Babes are just as happy that they don't.

The Sweet Spot

I'm looking for

A rhythm

Like hoofbeats

On rock

Like a rider

Who is joined

In the up

And the down

And the breath

And the heart

And in knowing

This is right

You know the feeling. Golfers and baseball players call it the “sweet spot”. It’s that moment when you get it just right. The longer you are able to hold and repeat that rightness, the more excited and happy you feel.

There has to be a moment, a feeling, that’s similar in living a life. But it can be as quick and as fleeting as the delicate lift of a perfect canter departure.

The next time, perhaps you think too much. You forget the feel. You're too much into your head and not in that intuitive place that simply knows.

A tricky balance this knowing.  Hit by a hurt. A loss of confidence. By fear. By a feeling of such aloneness.

So you sit. And you wait. And you hope. And you listen for the hoofbeats that are sure to come.

A Fairy Princess Story

The ice princess

Surveys her kingdom

She seeks out her trusty steed

To carry her on her journey

Perhaps they will jump onto a shard of ice

And float to New Orleans

Or they may simply stand on shore

Watching the ice burn orange

Rant and Roll

Okay, I tried to resist, but here it is – my whiny post. And it’s long and I don't even have any cute photos to throw in here.

I could just leave it at one sentence – I feel like crap. But no, I’m going to go on and on and on about it, because that's just the kind of woman that I am. Oh, wait, here's a photo!

First off, I’ve been trying to lose a few pounds and instead have gained two. I’m BLAMING this on the fact that my doctor thought my thyroid medication was too high of a dose, so since the dosage had only been raised recently, I went back to taking my previous prescription, which I still had on hand.

Well, it wasn’t long before I went from feeling jittery to turning Frankensteinish with dragging feet, hunched shoulders, crazy hair, and bloodshot eyes. Okay, so maybe my lazy thyroid isn't responsible for ALL of that...

First my mind was too busy and couldn't stay focused long enough to connect the dots. Now I feel exhausted and am pushing pretty hard to get anything done at all.

I have been on a new prescription, somewhere between the two previous dosages, for two days. Alas, no miracles yet, but I’m hopeful.

On top of that, my eyes have been hurting and blurry. I’ve been waking up to water balloons for eyelids that are a little tough to pull the shades up on.

I went to the eye doctor Monday. Don’t you just love the outerspace alien look you get after an eye exam? Did you know that dilated pupils are like setting your camera aperture wide open and your shutter speed super slow? Car headlights and street lights all take on a star effect that is very disorientating, not to mention blinding.

Perhaps I shouldn’t have been driving, but I had to run my December board check to the barn, with the Brew Babes as my copilots. I picked up cat food on the way and bought a doggie bagel for my girls to munch on as a reward for their patience.

Anyway, my eyes are not seriously damaged, which is a relief. They are just very dry and tired from winter, blowing heat, and staring at a computer. PLUS…

“This happens when you get older. Your lids produce less oil to lubricate your eyes,” my optometrist said sweetly.

Great. Another benefit of aging.  She gave me a free sample of eye drops to use twice during the day. At night, I pull out the big guns and use a thick gel to do a deep fluid coating. She also recommended wrapping a wet washcloth around a potato and heating it in the microwave and placing that on my eyes to sooth them and moisten the lids. Hey, I can’t make this stuff up.

Then the cherry on top, I dropped off my truck for an oil change this morning and to get the seat fixed. Something is shorted in the driver’s seat which then drains my battery. Pulling a fuse solved the battery drainage, but the windows and seat adjustments didn’t work. The thing that pushed me over the edge is when I realized the seat warmer didn’t work either. Winter with leather and no seat warmers?! Gasp!!!

So $240 later, I have fresh, clean oil and a functional seat. I hear that I also have a leaky rear pinion seal  and seepage from the power steering hose coming off the hydro boost. Whatever. Just the rear pinion seal alone is $250. Gotta love big diesel truck parts.

Did I mention that my Mini is leaking antifreeze? But very slowly when the seal is under pressure, so I’m trying to avoid going over 80 mph.

Money saving tip for the day: If you can spread your repairs out over time, go for it. Just keep monitoring all those pesky leaking fluids and refill as needed. Also, avoid owning two vehicles if possible. Where is Santa when you need him?

But hey! When I went to pick up the truck, I walked the Brew Babes with me because it’s only about two miles to the auto shop and it was gorgeous out! Funny how 30 degrees a couple weeks ago was freezing cold and now it seems downright balmy.

Anyway, we discovered a walking and bike trail that took us where we needed to go. It runs along the Rum River but is not very scenic because of all the industrial buildings. But still, it was nice getting off the busy streets and I now know where the light rail station is and discovered there is a new little coffee shop and antique store in a warehouse on the river near the station.

I plan to go back with my camera and take some ugly river and building photos and check out the coffee and antiques.

So there’s always something good to be discovered, whether you are dragging your ass around or not.
Oh, and did I mention I tried making yogurt from scratch last weekend with a heating pad? Well, not just a heating pad. There was milk and other stuff involved. It was kind of a fail, although I still ate it. I’ll write about that endeavor when I have a success to report.

Okay, it’s safe to come out now. The rant is over.

Words and Magic

Today I have a post on Vision and Verb on the magic of words. I hope you'll check it out.

Winter Walk

Attention: This preempts a previously planned post that sounded too darn whiny.

A winter walk

Lit by snow light

Quiet

Sssshhh

Hear the snow

And geese gathering

And ice moving

Creeeekkkking

And dogs wandering

And wondering

Sssshhh

Pause

Listen

Frugal Can Be Fun!

Here is proof positive that I'm not very good with money.

I own a horse. And he's looking kind of wooly too. And yeah, I left his sheet off after I rode so his sweaty self could dry a bit in the mild weather.

Nothing says spend, spend, spend like a horse does. Make that spend, spend, spend, spend, spend if you also show your horse. Showing means a high quality horse, lessons, trainers, show fees, special clothing, tack, travel... the list can be endless, depending on how serious your are.

Thank goodness I'm rarely serious.

But the fact that I'm not very confident with handling money and own a horse does not mean that I'm not frugal. It mainly means that I'm math phobic. And my brain freezes up when endless columns of numbers stand before my eyes and stick their tongues out.

I looked at various financial softwares awhile back to help me manage my budget. I tried one program that connects up electronically to your accounts and stores information on some cloud up there, which made me very nervous. But after I managed to set up an account, I couldn't get back in and customer support couldn't help me.

That spooked me for awhile from trying something else, but I have now loaded a program called "Moneydance". Such a fitting name...

The software can sync with online charge and bank accounts but I'm avoiding that for the moment. I'm happy that it allows me to set up my accounts manually on my computer and set reminders for when payments are due. I went in today and saw that it automatically took my reminder for Dec. 1st to make my house payment and pay my horse board and added those transactions in my checkbook ledger and deducted the expenses from the balance that I had entered previously. Sweet!

I can set up the software to do automatic bill pay but I'm sticking with doing that separately through my bank for now. I'm learning that baby steps are the best method for me to start something new, especially when there's fear of screwing up involved.

And get this! I added a category for "Writing" in expenses and income. I figure if you start to act like a paid writer, it will happen. Write? I mean, right?

But here's my real money saving tip:

I researched programs and looked at which ones appeared to have the best reviews and that fit my needs.  I don't overly trust reviews as anyone can write anything, and different people have different needs and preferences so I might hate something that CNET gave a five star rating to. So I like to see for myself.

I tried out a couple software programs for ease of use before selecting the one that made the most sense to how I think. I then did a search for coupon or discount codes. I found that by "liking" the software on Facebook, I could receive a 20% discount. So I saved $10.

I do this with most everything I buy: 1.) Research. 2.) Try out my top choices if I can 3.) Choose my favorite 4.) Search for discounts 5.) Buy

I'm patting myself on the back as I face my math/money phobia.  I will figure this all out yet, and when I do, I will have proved to myself that I can do this. Really, I can.

And I'm wearing my frugality with pride. (I love this thrift store sweater!)

And as for Luke, he's worth every penny I spend on him!