Haven't been around for a while, more on that later....

but I just had to share this:

Slate on the current mess

New horse

Finally found a new horse for Ali. She bought a nice 3 year old Thoroughbred gelding just this morning. Plain bay, very green but with a sweet disposition and built nicely. They are well suited and she should have a blast with him.
And now we can both do something with our weekends besides looking at sale horses.

Sunday update

No change this week. 185
I am actually ok with that. Part of getting control of my weight is stopping the up and down swings.
I was a little more active this week, but did not watch my eating as much as possible and had some fast food. A little leads to more. This would normally have led to a weight gain.
This week, no fast food and keep upping the activity a little at a time.

Good luck to everyone and hang in there, don't get discouraged, this isn't easy.

Sunday update

I did lose a little, but I don't know exactly when.
A few months ago my weight was edging up to 200. I made some changes, the healthiest one being that I stopped eating lunch from McDonald's in between appointments for work. My weight dropped to 185 a few weeks ago and I hadn't weigh myself since then until today. I am at 183, but don't really know when I lost those two pounds.
I am calling this the beginning.

One step toward healthier...

I started a Tai Chi class. It meets once a week and is a very basic class. I have tried Tai Chi on videos but it is difficult to know if you are doing it correctly. I have checked on a few classes but they are huge and expensive. This one is just 8 people and affordable.
Tai Chi can help with stress reduction, focus and balance. All necessary to make life changes.
The first class was fun, I felt uncoordinated but I think everyone did. I am looking forward to the next class.

Bloggest Loser

I am joining a blog group for weight loss and healthy eating...Bloggest Loser. I have been losing weight since I got really determined about it and this brand new blog looks like it might be fun. It is not a dieting site, more just a supportive group. It is just getting started so we will see how it goes.

After almost two years off from serious riding and getting closer and closer to 60, I really need to get in shape NOW if I am going to ride well again. I feel like it is now or never and the older I get the harder it is to stay fit. See my post from back in July...I have lost 20 pounds since then, but need to lose much more. Most of my friends are not overweight so I don't talk about what I am doing or not doing much with them. I'm supposed to talk in this post about how I got overweight, but there wasn't one single 'cause.' I have just gradually put on weight over the years since I turned about 40. It is just harder to stay active enough to keep my weight down and my eating habits have not changed enough. I was motivated to stay in some sort of shape for riding but I have been without a competitive horse for 2 years in September and honestly just let myself go to hell. That's the honest, no excuses story.
If you are interested you can join this group, or just follow. There is a button in the sidebar.

we were all so young, so passionate and so sure we could change the world...

deep breath, in...out

things to do this weekend

horse hunting with Ali

some laundry and cleaning

paint some watercolour greeting cards

list some earrings on Etsy

build the necklace that I designed and see what it looks like

read, watch TV, sleep, drink coffee (reminder - get whipped cream for super coffee)

do NOT stress over people that I don't understand and don't want to.

creating our own world...

I have had my knickers in a twist over the health care reform "debate." The fear mongering is way over the top, the sense of entitlement is astounding, but the worst, the very worst is the people showing up at town hall meeting with guns.

This over the top behavior and the daily new media analysis there of is out of control. My reaction to it was a huge amount of negativity of my own.

I have and I will continue to write and call my representatives to voice my opinion about what they should do. I am open and honest about my views on this issue.
But I am over the so called debate.

The American people will get what they want and deserve and I include myself in 'they.' If they really want real health care reform they will make it happen and if they want to step aside for a loud mouth with a gun who wants to intimidate them into shutting the hell up....then they will get more loud mouths with guns making decisions.

We all make our own world.

new horse?

We may have found a new horse for Ali. This is a 6 year old Thoroughbred gelding, off the track for a few months. He has a wonderful temperament, an ok trot and a lovely canter. The owners were willing to negotiate a price and he will get checked by the vet this week. Pending a good report, she has a new horse. This is the kind of horse that I had hoped she would be able to move up to next year after a season of eventing on Josie, a more solid and safer mount. This is a different kind of ride than she is used to, but she says she is ready to make the commitment to learn what she needs to learn. Her riding skills are not an issue, it's just a big step from a stock type horse to an off track thoroughbred.
This guy reminds me a little of my horse, Scotty, when he was just off the track. A little confused by his new job but just friendly and happy and willing to give anything a try.
Green horses are a challenge, but they are also a great learning experience. They don't lie to you and they can teach you a lot while they are learning at the same time. They are not for green riders. But experienced riders with enough patience can have a blast with a green TB.

Here's hoping for a good vet check.

Edited to add: this one didn't work out. We will just keep looking.

horses, some unwanted and some loved

There are many unwanted horses in the world. Abandoned, neglected, mistreated, starving.

And there are horses that are loved, cherished and looked out for. They are partners, friends, companions and obsessions.

This was Scotty, love of my life. Scotty died of colic 22 months ago. Healthy horse in his prime one day, dead the next. Colic.


And this happened to one of my students and a friend yesterday. This lovely horse was rescued from a bad situation last year and had become an athletic, happy, trusting partner.
Yesterday in 6 hours she went from happy horse to dead. Colic. Her name was Josie.
It is devastating, hearthbreaking and strikes without warning.

Because of Scotty's death I was in the right place at the right time to rescue this lovely mare from a bad situation. A year later she is happy, healthy and becoming my new partner.
I hope that something worthwhile comes from Josie's death. Otherwise it is a lot of suffering for nothing.

I got mine, so screw you...

"The New York Times and Wall Street Journal's world-wide newsbox lead with new polls that show the American public is growing increasingly concerned that an overhaul of health care would have a negative impact in their own lives. The NYT highlights that the percentage of Americans who describe health care costs as a threat to the economy has gone down in the past month, suggesting that the public isn't buying one of President Obama's central arguments for the plan. The WSJ points out that last month respondents were evenly divided on the merits of the overhaul but now support has declined, particularly among those who are already insured."

Slate Magazine

anybody placing any bets on this mess?

HAVE to get back in shape!

I have been slowly losing a little weight, but I somehow need to get motivated to get back in shape. I have had a year and a half of goofing off and being lazy and at this age it feels almost impossible to work back into some semblance of physical fitness.
Riding Nina at a walk does not require any fitness.
Today I got on a horse during a lesson. Horse was being a stubborn mule and the rider was so frustrated. So I got on. I am in such rotten shape that pushing the horse to be obedient for about 10 minutes had me puffing. So sad.
I just need to leap out of bed in the morning and work out, instead of dragging out of bed, waiting impatiently for the coffee to be ready and then sitting like a zombie sucking down coffee.
Sounds simple......OMG.

speaking of sound

Blackmore's Night

What a sound! Makes the hair stand up on the back of my neck!