DB's first love- Tabasco

From the time I first met DB it was apparent he had one true first love- Tabasco. Since that time I've come to embrace that lowly bottle of fiery orange sauce and even took to carrying a small bottle in my purse in case of emergency...

Emergency you say with doubt! Oh, but it is! Imagine the moment when some poor waitress must tell DB that their restaurant is *gasp* out of Tabasco!!! Or even worse! That they would inexplicably not carry it!??! Just picture DB's insolent expression of incomprehensibility. But wait... it gets even worse! Imagine when that waitress offers him some *cue scary music* other brand! Cant you just see DB's horrified expression... the incredulous way he spits out the words, "Franks Red Hot Sauce" and then turns his head to shudder with disgust.

Tabasco is an absolute necessity on eggs, hash browns, all meats, burgers, sandwiches, salads, soups, and virtually every other food (except things sweet) that DB eats.

And so concludes the story of DB's first love, Tabasco and so completes this collection of Sunday Stills.

Cue the "Awww"s... It's a Kitten...

I'd like you all to meet Tony...

Unfortunately, Tony is not my kitten.

Though I'd happily make him my kitten if his Momma would be so kind as to turn her back for just a moment while I slip him in my pocket and sneak out the door....

This face is just too cute to resist....

You know who else is cute?

Tony's big brother Diesel the Beagle....

That little itty bitty spot about mid-way down the trail would be Diesel. He accompanied Hawkydog, his Mom and I on a hike this afternoon.

Diesel may be little but that little dog is a mighty fierce walker....

But then so is this guy....

Hope you all have a great weekend!

Riding Lesson #3 with Pics

Riding lesson number three! And once again, I almost died. Once again, I absolutely loved it. My number one recommendation for those thinking of taking up the sport of English riding is to- for heaven's sake- take a months worth of cardio classes first!

(Just call me "Stumpy")

Of course it doesnt help that I'm grossly out of shape. But for the first time in along time I feel like I am on my way to feeling good, both physically and mentally. It just sucks that it take so damn long to get to where I need to be! A very kind fellow horseman, friend and photographer was around this evening to take some pictures of me riding. I've posted two of three. The third was just... not... flattering....even though it was a really nice photo.

That pretty paint I'm riding is Dustin, he's such a sweetie, I just love riding him. It's a good thing too because I find it difficult to stay on the top side of this guy and breathe at the same time let alone do some of the simpler things like directing, posting and keeping my hands up (which I'm not doing in the above photo.) Did I mention that it is necessary to breathe while riding? Funny thing, that.

Do you find it hard to ride and breathe at the same time?

Love,

Stumpy

Vacation Destination Recommendation? Hey! That rhymes!

My Mom, sister and I are pondering one of life's great questions...

Where we're going to go to escape the gray doldrums of this West Coast weather. We're planning a trip for the first week of March and cant decide where we'd like to go.... only that where ever it is there must be sun, nice warm weather and sandy beaches.

One of the biggest factors is cost. My mom is awesome at shopping for deal online but because havent focused on one specific area it has made it more difficult for her to narrow down our options.

There are a lot of cheap packages to Mexico but as my Mom and I love to cook (and because we are all pretty fussy eaters (and I dont drink) we've decided against an all inclusive (food and beverage). Also, I'm not crazy about grocery shopping in Mexico. We also agree that we'd prefer to be on the Caribbean side and not in a place that is jam packed with tourists.... but safety is of issue too.

Which is why Hawaii is at the top of our list right now.

But we cant decide which Hawaiian Island (or which city on which island) would be our best bet. Our plan for Hawaii is to rent a place through vrbo.com (vacation rentals by owner), as well as rent a car and to cook our own meals. The prices of flights right now are not great but we're going to wait and see if something comes on sale.

Miami, Texas, Bahamas, and the "eastern" destinations are an option but as we're on the West Coast we'd have to consider travel time.

Does anyone have a vacation destination recommendation? Hey! That rhymes!

Speaking of Eye's I Love and Ladybugs!

This dog... he's got my heart for now and forever.

In our home, all creatures great and small are welcome...

....well almost all creatures.... I dont usually welcome insects.... however, I've never quite been able to bring myself to kill a ladybug... unless you count sucking them up with the vacuum (but I like to think that they dont really die when I do that)....

Even LuLu doesn't seem to know what to make of them...

Here is LuLu sniffing out a ladybug....



Here is the ladybug sniffing out LuLu....

(Note Pingu watching (from the Kleenex box) in the background.)

When you find a ladybug in your house do you sweep it up and toss it out the door, leave it alone or *gasp* kill it?

**No ladybugs were harmed in the making of this post**

Jewel Pictures- As Per Your Request

I was able to get out today and ride Jewel, my lease horse. It was the first time all week (and in the five rides (yay!!)) that I've been alone at the barn. While I've really enjoyed all of the people I've met and have relished in being able to talk horses for hours on end, I have to say it was really nice to just spend some one on one time with a horse.


And I cant think of another horse (besides my mare Abby) that I'd rather spend time with right now than Jewel- she is a genuine sweetheart and every bit a mare- perpetually hungry, has "something to say" and avoids hard work but ultimately very willing to please and a love bug.

Look at that face! How can you not want to lay your cheek against that muzzle?

I love that Jewel has such expressive eyes.

Jewel is about twice as chunky as she appears in the above photo. I was surprised at how little she looked in the pictures when I uploaded them.

That eye really won me over. I am going to have to work really hard not to fall head-over-heels in love this one...

She's a gem.

The English Saddle- An instrument of torture.

Today I had my second English riding lesson....if you could call what I did "riding". While I absolutely loved every minute of it there is no doubt in my mind that the English saddle was designed as an instrument of torture (for the out-of-shape rider). I am not going to claim to have stoically bared the pain- I actually called my instructor "evil" at one point... though of course she is anything but. I am actually thrilled with my instructor , she is really nice, very good at directing me through a problem and blessedly encouraging. I like her- even if she did make me ride two point until my legs burned, my knees shook and my expression became set in a look that can only be defined as, *I am going to die, sweet-mother-of-.... holy shit, I'm going to die! "

Did I mention that I loved every minute of it?

Good!

Though I have to admit that at times I was really frustrated with not being able to meet the physical demands of riding.... with being unable to will my protesting muscles into the right position. But it will come with time. And because I rode hard and pushed my body to the limit today, I'm one step closer to getting to where I want to be tomorrow. And that feels good... even if my legs are gettin' fit to stage a strike :)

I am going to see my lease horse, Jewel tomorrow and will be sure to get some pictures to post. I might have to walk to the barn like a eighty-year-old bowlegged cowboy but by god I'm getting on a pony again tomorrow if it kills me!

Till then. Cheers! *downs two Advils*

I dreamed I blogged in my Maidenform Bra!

Well I am just stunned at the results of my latest (but not creepy) poll. For those of you who dont know I have this weird little inner voice that has a peculiar obsession with poll topics.... it's like this... I'm doing the dishes when, for the umpteenth time, I knock over the dish soap that DB insists "goes" on the windowsill. I think to myself that most people would think that the dish soap "goes" under the sink and in my desperate search for validation I consider putting a poll on my blog asking, "Where do you keep your dish soap?". But it doesnt end there. I then think this is really a question of "Does your husband have a say in household affairs?" or maybe better yet, "Who is the neat freak in your family"..... or "Do you have a dishwasher?", "Did you grow up with a dishwasher?", "Do you worry about dishwashers being eco-wasteful?", "Do you try to be eco-friendly?" and it goes on from there. It's weird. I know. But once my mind get's to thinking about poll questions it runs out of control.

Hence my latest poll. My question, the last in a series that started with DB complaining about the natural disaster site that is my underwear drawer and that ended with this odd thought about how women do up their bra (back or front). And see! I was right to be intrigued because I would NEVER have guessed that the solid majority (65%) do it up in the front and then slide it around to the back! I would have laid good money on the results being just the opposite. But maybe that is because I'm a "in the back" girl. That doesnt sound right.

In looking for pictures to go along with this post I found a site with advertisement photos from the Maidenform Bra's ad campaign of the 50's and 60's that featured the line, "I dreamed I _______ in a Maidenform Bra!" I think these ads are adorable! Here is a link to where you can order prints of those shown here and many more!

What would you dream of doing in a Maidenform bra?

Girl Out of the Honky-Tonk

Ever heard that expression, “You can take the girl out of the honky-tonk but you cant take the honky-tonk out of the girl?” Well…

When my DB and I first got together I proudly called myself a redneck. I had the love of jacked up trucks, mud rallies, beer-drink-boys, “shootin’ shit”, small towns, rodeo, country music, and to top it off I had a mouth that could put a sailor to shame…(okay so maybe a few of the above could be true today). I remember when we headed out to our first dinner function together, it was a formal affair at a very nice restaurant in the city and I was young enough that my hands shook with nerves as I got dressed trying to figure out how to play the high-class woman when I was nothing but a small-town girl. If it was one thing I knew- these boys wouldn’t be impressed by a vintage Coors shirt cut too short or my cowboy boots with genuine horse shit on the heels- oh no sir-ee!…

I put on everything new- tall, strap back pumps, a black and oh-so-sexy power suit cut to my shape topped with enough bling at my ears and throat to make it all look Hollywood glam. I felt like Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman…only minus the whole hooker bit.

My stomach was a knot of anticipation thinking that unlike Viv there was no handy concierge for a last minute “what fork is what” lesson and to make matters worse we were running late, the car was waiting and I was missing the back to my earring. My nerves, already frayed, decided this minor problem rated as certain catastrophe and so I set madly about the house looking under every table and chair for a not-so- proverbial needle in the haystack. The only thing standing between me, the perfect outfit and my least thread of my sanity was that itty bitty piece of medal. DB, in typical unsympathetic male fashion called to me “I am getting in the car. Forget the damn earrings. We’ve got to go!”
Panic set my cheeks flaming as a cold sweat broke out over my body. My search continued- it had to be here! But it was no use. Just then- an idea!

Not a moment later I was floundering my way out the door, my feet slick with sweat and teetering like a new foal in too- high heels.

I settled back in the plush leather seat, gasping at the cool air-conditioned air and waited for my pulse to return to even. DB turned in his seat to look me up and down with unconcealed awe. Seeing that look was worth all the effort- and then some. He leaned over to murmur huskily in my ear, “You look like a million dollars”. As he pulled back his eye fell on my earrings with a smile, “Oh you found the back?”
I shook my head and grinned- half sheepish, half smug, “Not really but I made it work.”
There was a glint in his eye- he knew me all too well, “What do you mean?”
I just turned, smiled real slow and said, “Honey, you can take the girl out of the honky-tonk but you cant take the honky-tonk out of the girl.”
I fingered my ear and cocked my head so he could see. There, wound neatly around the end and holding my earring firmly in place was the unmistakable gray of the always handy, but rarely handsome duct tape.
That night, whenever my nerves got the best of me I only had to think of my earring taped to my ear- Red Green style- to remind me of who I was.

Today I felt much the same as that night so long ago.

This afternoon I had my first English riding lesson. Before I left for the barn I was a bundle of nerves, feeling out of place and out of sorts. I didn’t have the right clothes, boots or gear. I knew from previous experience that half-chaps, (a leather sheath that protects your inner calve from being chaffed by the stirrup leathers) could mean the difference between a good ride and a distracting pinch or sore. I fretted between spending the $45 for a pair or holding off until I was sure this was something I’d do more than once.

This afternoon I had a fantastic riding lesson. It was incredible. I loved every single minute of it. The horse was awesome, the instructor, amazing and I had FUN to boot. And through it all I took some small comfort in knowing that I wore my favorite, unforgivably ugly and distinctly western boots and under my jeans- redneck half chaps….more commonly known as vet wrap.

It's Raining Horses!!!

I signed a lease today on a mare named Jewel!!!! I am SO excited!!! AND I've ridden two times in as many days and I'll be three for three tomorrow! How happy am I? THRILLED.

Pictures will be soon to come on Jewel. She is about 14.2, bay with a bright white star, built like a brick shite-house and as cute as a button. My English lesson is tomorrow AND I was offered another horse to ride last night.

When it rains, it pours.... It's rainin' horses baby!!!

Britches, Half Chaps and Helmets, Oh My!

On Monday I'm going to the dark side.... That other world filled with britches, half chaps, and helmets, oh my!

My bum and this....

will meet.

Be afraid. Be very, very afraid.

On Monday I am going to take an English lesson...and not the kind that involves a bunch of verbs, nouns and spelling bees. And guess what I am not even that nervous about it! What I really feel, oddly enough, is... liberated. Because I have placed absolutely NO expectations on my ability to ride well on Monday. As a matter of fact, I am virtually guaranteed to suck. And that, for me, comes as a welcome relief.

Why?

Because I have a driving ambition when it comes to reining... I want to be good... no, great! I have idols that I want to emulate. I have a fixed idea in my head of what I want my body to be doing...even if I cant seem to get it done. And most importantly, I understand how badly I suck at reining...because I have a clear idea of where I want to be... and just how far I am from being there. Sometimes I even want to do something right soooo bad that I get in my own way.

Which is why my lesson Monday will come as a welcome relief. All I have to do is show up and try. That's it... just try, learn, have fun and broaden my equine horizons.

How do they say giddy-up in the English world? Tally-ho!?!

Dirty Bunny

(1)

Wow! The comments made on my post "Breed Profiling" is the perfect example of why I love to blog! I am grateful to have such reasonable, intelligent and sincere people to reflect ideas off of and with whom to debate the endless questions, concerns and controversies of the crazy world of horses!

It seems the overwhelming sentiment of our collective comments was that a horse must be judged and treated as an individual.

While I agree, absolutely, that one should never count or discount a horse because of his breed, I believe that those stereotypes exist for a reason and can be used to our advantage.

(2)

Is it our resistance to racism and (human) prejudice, stereotyping and profiling that makes us feel defensive about applying negative qualities to a breed? I too have actually taken (mild) offense to a strangers comment that they "hate" a particular breed. I too feel the need to defend such statements with examples of those horses who have proved the exception. Even if it is my own biases! Why, just recently I considered leasing an Appaloosa! and even once made an offer to purchase one despite my (generally) ill-favored opinion of the breed. I am always willing to consider and find merit in the individual but that certainly doesn't mean that I'd go seeking an Appaloosa if were in the market to purchase!

For example, I own a lazy Australian Cattle Dog (Blue Heeler). I've known other lazy Blue Heelers. But when my Mom, a mildly active and over worked mother and wife, went looking for a dog I didnt recommend she look for a Blue Heeler, despite my experience with those dogs that defied the the reputation of their breed.

(3)

Breeds- by definition- are collective stereotypes...our human effort to selectively reproduce animals that are homozygous (alike) in qualities.

Have you ever had an experience with a horse, dog or any kind of animal that turned you off of a breed or species- even though it was the faults of the individual, not a common fault of their breed?

For me it is Poodles. I know they are smart, athletic and amazing dogs but when I was a child my Grandmother's friend had a poodle that used to harrass and bite me (until one I day I bit it back!) and my Aunt had one that would pee while standing on it's front legs (I found this disturbing for some reason). To this day I cant seem to get past my poodle prejudice ... then there was that thing I saw that time with the (aptly named) "Dirty" bunny and the cat... cant shake that one either... but I'll leave that story for another day!

Any animal prejudices of your own?

***
Be sure to vote on my bizarre (but not creep, promise!) poll question!
***

(4)

Today's pictures are inspired by Pioneer Woman's "sunset" photo contest! Which is your favorite (1,2, 3 or 4)?

Breed Profiling

A family I know who has been boarding "outside" horses at their farm for a few years now has recently decided that they no longer wish to take on Thoroughbreds. It is not (at least entirely) for lack of respect or affection for the breed but instead due to a trend they noticed in the added expense, attention, and headache that their past Thoroughbreds clients have generated.

Some people, being equal opportunity enthusiast would take offense to applying breed profiling when selecting potential boarding clients but as someone who has boarded "out" (at large barns with a variety of breed types and large turnover numbers) for the better part of my adult life I actually have to support her decision as I too have noticed trends in different breed types.

For instance, most smaller quarter horses, ponies, and even draft and draft crosses require half (or even a quarter) of the calories needed to sustain the average larger thoroughbred (of course every horse is an individual and I am speaking very generally here...and yes, that is my attempt to be diplomatic). The quiet blooded breeds tend to be more content to hang out in the field, causing less trouble- generally not pacing fence lines, weaving, cribbing, and stirring their stalls into a manure mash. Some breeds, you must admit, are hardier than others- being less fussy about feed, less prone to digestive issues, injury, accidents and sensitivity to the elements, (bugs bites, weather etc.) ....of course, the exception proves the rule (diplomacy).

If I were trying to make an (ever allusive) buck in the boarding industry I think I too would use breed profiling as a starting point....because really how is that any different than breed profiling for positive traits. like endurance, speed or cow sense? Why is it that even I, who doesn't hesitate to show a marked bias for a certain breed *cough* Quarter horse *cough* still feel so guilty for admitting to not preferring (or dare I say disliking) a particular breed? For example Appaloosas (excluding My Boy and Rusty and any other reader's Appy....of course:) are not my favorite horses... It doesn't matter that I come by that honestly- having caught nothing but shit and abuse from every single solitary appy I've ever thrown a leg over) I still feel it is disrespectful...or somehow wrong to admit a... prejudice against some breeds?

Do you have a breed prejudice?

Sleep Talkin' Man

For those not easily offended by bad language or sexually suggestive comments there is a pretty entertaining blog that has recently "gone viral" that I think is pretty damn funny...

A wife blogging about her sleep talkin' husband. Check it out.

Tuesday on the Bayou

A picture I took last week of the bayou (we call it estuary) in my hometown.... this reminds me of one of my favorite songs, written by George Jones and Meryl Haggard, that I first heard sung by Alan Jackson... the first lines read...

"Wish I were down
On some blue bayou...
bamboo cane stuck in the sand
but the road I'm on
dont seem to go there
so I'll just dream and keep on being
the way I am"