determined to cabbage onto some needed grocery items (and pup food), i set my plan to be at our trusty Wal-Mart no later than 7:30 this morn'. well, apparently some poor soul decided to have a wreck up on the highway, so my well thought plan didn't go into action til about 9ish.
i dislike goin' to the store but not coz i consider it an undesirable chore. i'm that annoyin' person who smiles at everybody & says hello. the one that helps the eldery and otherwise inferred obtain the high & low stocked items. the one that loads up their dog/cat food/bleach, etc... ya know, the heavy schtuff. truly i'm not anti-social. folks jest make me nervous, but i'm a big girl & can handle such pressure.
i'm perusin' the most pitiful of "fresh" veggies they've to offer. nope, no desire to buy beat up, shriveled onions, avocados, taters past their prime ~ aha! bluberries 2 fer $3, strawberries $1 each! now that's what i'm talkin' about! not shriveled or yet past their prime :) i spend 30 minutes goin' through 'em til i find the 2fer that's jest right and the strawberries with the most promisin' outlook of lastin' more than 2 days in the fridge. i've my baby spinach, arugola, and other various lettucy items. happy with my choices, it dawns on me that i'm almost outta balsamic vinegar, no crime, but while at the store...
i come around the corner cautiously as always, no near misses. all of a sudden one of the blueberry containers abandons ship??? what the heck? the lil darlin's are rollin' amok all over the place! i grab the container & start scoopin' 'em off the floor lest someone take a slippery ride. ask a cute lil "experienced" lady to wait jest a sec while i clean up my mess. she thanks me fer save passage. have all rounded up & back in their lil container and then to my dismay missed 2 and rolled over 'em. surely i've some puffs in the satchel, ah yes indeed! finished cleanin' up the mess, put the puffs in the container with the disobedient berries.
finally get to the checkout with a sigh of relief, whilst keepin' a sharp eye on all berries on board. there's a gentleman, his wife & a sweet lil baby girl about toddlin' size ahead. the fella was such a good dad. he was holdin' her in one arm while balancin' a bag of treats and unloadin' the cart all at once. and we gals think we've multi-taskin' down! was nice to see the interaction as she'd tell him, "no, this one" when he'd reach in their cart. he'd take what was needed and calmly explain why it was done over her choice, she didn't cry or throw a fit, jest said "okay, daddy".
when it became my turn, i reckon it was obvious that the one pack of blueberries had a hiccup along route (darned puffs gave it away, but didn't wanna get 'em mixed up). the lil gal who checked me out asked if i knew that it was there. explained the situation to her and she said "oh, i'll jest throw 'em in the trash - go get'cha another". told her that i couldn't do that, had to pay fer what i "broke", lol. 'sides, a good washin' & the birds'll be most happy.
twas thinkin' to myself, that wasn't half bad. helped some folks out. made a mess, cleaned it up. only spent 2 hours huntin' schtuff. what a pleasant experience! then i went through the last set of doors while exitin' & the darned thing fell off it's track :( once finally home & groceries unpacked/refrigerated/frozen/put away, i realized i didn't make it home with my chapstick, which was an essential coz i'm out......
Saturday, August 4, 2012
the dawnin' of a new day
as i force myself into awakenin' (okay, i'm not much of a mornin' person & i still don't do people til i've been up fer an hour....) i watch the sun as she crests the horizon. a firey orange openin' to her day. a calm still, the soft calls of horses, yawnin' pups, the cat stretches slowly and gives me an evil eye. much bird activity this time of day, too hot to search fer food later. the waterfall & pond need a referee as they fight over it's domain.
i throw open the back door (well, front door to us) the pups go out in a flash. sleepy cat sits on the mat inches from the doorway, still yawnin'. i'm wonderin' if we both got the same amount of sleep? dogs from all around have broken the silent beauty of the mornin', which brings me dismay.
find myself hollerin' "quiet!" to dogs far & wide. am i concerned with wakin' up a neighbor? heck no! it's their dogs that started it. then a sinkin' feelin' hit as i heard sirens on the highway, comin' from town. oh no! someone's wrecked :( i'm in high hopes that they survived. many don't it seems. amazin' how mornin' glare on pavement can blind one's eye, or a quick look down brings one to the too late knowledge an antelope or mule deer has decided to cross the road. they blend so well with the barren pasture lands their nearly impossible to see. much sadness fills my heart. i say a quiet prayer....
have done my g'mornin' with the horses, fed 'em their breakfast, handed out scratches, tended the outside dogs. said hello to a horny toad, 3 frogs who'd yet to bed down fer the day. much to my surprise, i found in the pasture places where a rain drop or 2 fell on it's sandy existence. many apologies, Mother Nature, ya tried so hard to bring it to me.
i return to my haven (aka backyard) to water the flowers, check the pond, feed the fish. no hummers to greet me. have they moved on? have my attempts to keep 'em supplied with nectar failed? what's that?? oh my! a lil yellow finch! haven't seen one out here in a few years, so i run into the house to fetch the camera. illusive lil fella, must be pic shy coz i scouted fer him a good 45 minutes to no avail.
off to the garden, where the cardinal flower vines have entwined themselves amongst the fencin'. with any luck, we'll be covered in tiny red flowers come fall. perhaps my beloved hummers will return fer that show....
i throw open the back door (well, front door to us) the pups go out in a flash. sleepy cat sits on the mat inches from the doorway, still yawnin'. i'm wonderin' if we both got the same amount of sleep? dogs from all around have broken the silent beauty of the mornin', which brings me dismay.
find myself hollerin' "quiet!" to dogs far & wide. am i concerned with wakin' up a neighbor? heck no! it's their dogs that started it. then a sinkin' feelin' hit as i heard sirens on the highway, comin' from town. oh no! someone's wrecked :( i'm in high hopes that they survived. many don't it seems. amazin' how mornin' glare on pavement can blind one's eye, or a quick look down brings one to the too late knowledge an antelope or mule deer has decided to cross the road. they blend so well with the barren pasture lands their nearly impossible to see. much sadness fills my heart. i say a quiet prayer....
have done my g'mornin' with the horses, fed 'em their breakfast, handed out scratches, tended the outside dogs. said hello to a horny toad, 3 frogs who'd yet to bed down fer the day. much to my surprise, i found in the pasture places where a rain drop or 2 fell on it's sandy existence. many apologies, Mother Nature, ya tried so hard to bring it to me.
i return to my haven (aka backyard) to water the flowers, check the pond, feed the fish. no hummers to greet me. have they moved on? have my attempts to keep 'em supplied with nectar failed? what's that?? oh my! a lil yellow finch! haven't seen one out here in a few years, so i run into the house to fetch the camera. illusive lil fella, must be pic shy coz i scouted fer him a good 45 minutes to no avail.
off to the garden, where the cardinal flower vines have entwined themselves amongst the fencin'. with any luck, we'll be covered in tiny red flowers come fall. perhaps my beloved hummers will return fer that show....
Friday, August 3, 2012
clouds abound!
as the sun begins it's dippin' beyond the horizon to greet dusk, the magic begins ~ highlightin' the clouds in wonderous hues.
ponderin'....
as i sit here with my salted gatorade (yes, i know it's got salt but my body requires more), ponderin' the universe i'm somewhat tempted to snap a pic of the moon. not yet in it's fullest state fer the month, but with a dustin' of dirt it's purty neat lookin'. kinda a dirty glow surrounds it.
after 2 hours of thunderin', lightenin', 50mph winds, perhaps 3 drops of rain actually made it to the ground. i did not bear witness to these drops, but mom said it was on her back door...thus far it's been 27 days without moisture. temps anywhere from the mid 90's to 105+ the past couple of months. it's given "drought season" a whole new meanin'. the monsoonal rains that doused the western side of the state & the central mountains seemed to elude this part of the country, once a great grassland.
we sit in great anticipation as storms grow, watches/warnings go into place. alas, it breaks up before it gets to our neck of the woods so to speak. regains it's energy about 8 miles east of here & clobbers the west texas high plains. that green eyed monster overcomes me when that happens. i've never been jealous of anythin' or anybody. this is a new feelin' that i'm not quite sure how to deal with. jealousy does not suit me.
i dislike it in others. what am i to do?
then there's my ranchin' bud about 60 odd miles or so north of here. bless his heart, he'll call and ask if i'm gettin' that cloud he sees. he's not fared any better. we must not be livin' right. the extended drought weighs heavily on his mind. he hauls water to cattle at least twice a day. the winds will not blow fer him it seems, thus his wells will not pump that precious liquid to quench their thirst. there's no mesquite beans this year fer the cattle to fatten on. no moisture prompted their growth. there's talk of takin' torches out to burn the thorns off the cactus so the critters will have somethin' to forage this winter. yet, the fear of startin' a fire loom heavily. i wish i could ease his & so many others of this burden. they've culled their herds to the smallest numbers they've carried in almost 30 years. it's a sad time fer all.
seems all i can do is sit here & ponder....
after 2 hours of thunderin', lightenin', 50mph winds, perhaps 3 drops of rain actually made it to the ground. i did not bear witness to these drops, but mom said it was on her back door...thus far it's been 27 days without moisture. temps anywhere from the mid 90's to 105+ the past couple of months. it's given "drought season" a whole new meanin'. the monsoonal rains that doused the western side of the state & the central mountains seemed to elude this part of the country, once a great grassland.
we sit in great anticipation as storms grow, watches/warnings go into place. alas, it breaks up before it gets to our neck of the woods so to speak. regains it's energy about 8 miles east of here & clobbers the west texas high plains. that green eyed monster overcomes me when that happens. i've never been jealous of anythin' or anybody. this is a new feelin' that i'm not quite sure how to deal with. jealousy does not suit me.
i dislike it in others. what am i to do?
then there's my ranchin' bud about 60 odd miles or so north of here. bless his heart, he'll call and ask if i'm gettin' that cloud he sees. he's not fared any better. we must not be livin' right. the extended drought weighs heavily on his mind. he hauls water to cattle at least twice a day. the winds will not blow fer him it seems, thus his wells will not pump that precious liquid to quench their thirst. there's no mesquite beans this year fer the cattle to fatten on. no moisture prompted their growth. there's talk of takin' torches out to burn the thorns off the cactus so the critters will have somethin' to forage this winter. yet, the fear of startin' a fire loom heavily. i wish i could ease his & so many others of this burden. they've culled their herds to the smallest numbers they've carried in almost 30 years. it's a sad time fer all.
seems all i can do is sit here & ponder....
Thursday, August 2, 2012
to geld or not to geld? that is the question....
 |
| whiskey pete |
what's the difference, one may ask? it's quite simple actually. a bunch relies on disposition. i've met jest as unruly, snotty, bitin', kickin' mares & geldings as i've met stallions. then there's the "herd" connection. this meanin' that if they are taught by some grouchy mares, a lead stallion or a cranky geldin' (who's task is to babysit a mob of undisciplined youngsters as part of his retirement plan) proper etiquette, they are likely to be most pleasant lil stallions. then there's the human factor. one can accomplish the latter without the aid of a herd by becomin' the herd leader. one doesn't have to be mean or cruel to accomplish this feat. it jest requires good timin' (3 second rule) and consistency... kinda like potty trainin'...
i've 4 beautiful studs out in my pasture. by no means was it the intent to keep 'em that way. the hubs grew up on a ranch and feels they only serve one purpose: to breed. he's had the displeasure of bein' around the unruly, bitin', kickin', prima dona's who've been catered to all their lives. his family has the same distaste at the mention of "stud" and are most digruntled by my lil quartet.
 |
| jake prior to the drought, when pasture was plentiful |
i groom my horses, trim their feet with the aid of no halter nor lead. we have a trust and bond was developed. i've no fear to sit underneath a 1,000 lb stud and give him a once over with a rasp. doesn't raise a hair on the back of my neck, sends horrors through the spines of others. am i bein' cocky? no, i'm not claimin' braggin' rights, jest explainin' the relationship i've with my lil herd.
anyhow, drought has been set upon us. pastures are burnt, the landscape is filled with the brown dormant feel of a winter. cacti are shriveled & pleadin' fer passerby's to stop & give 'em a drink. it's a most pitiful sight to once was a vibrant grassland filled with life. everybody who knows anythin' about horses acknowledges that they graze....22hrs a day...7 days a week...365 days a year. our sandy soil compacts this trouble. the horses will literally pull clumps of grass out, root & all. this makes it most difficult to put 'em out on pasture (trust me, at $150 per 1/2 acre to replant in native grass once proceeds with great caution, and that's jest the cost of the seed!) regardless of their sex. |
| cheeto, talkin' with the girls in better times... |
 |
| cisco out fer a romp : is that annoyin' lil thing nippin' at me really a dog? |
 |
| jake and that unruly mane |
yes, perhaps that's what we'll do this fall/winter. too darned hot (104 degrees jest today, thanks to a cold front) and would bring many more bitin' flies to dish 'em misery.... yepperz, fall it is. think i'll call the vet & see what can be scheduled.
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
"free" lunches and other such programs
i heard it used jest the other day, "free" lunches at a park area. good place fer youngun's to meet up & converse durin' the summer months away from school.
hmm... back in my day (not that many years ago) we packed a picnic lunch & headed to the park. it wasn't free, but was affordable. the youngun's played, then ate, then played some more. wonderful concept. they tired from all the monkeyin' 'round and slept well that night.
it sorta gets my feathers riled at the mention of "free" anythin'. com'on folks! nothin' is "free". someone, somewhere is payin' fer this schtuff. if ya don't need it, let someone else take advantage of such generosity. what's wrong with packin' yer brood a lunch & showin' up fer these outdoor "playdates"?
perhaps what's wrong is that we've become a society where the "norm" is "free" breakfast & lunch at our schools. youngun's who bring theirs or pay fer what the school provides are the ones who are now looked upon as if there's somethin' wrong with 'em. how'd this happen?
i'm not against feedin' anybody that's hungry, but let's get it straight that it's not "free". i've watched these youngun's wolf down their food without even a thought as to what the heck it was, jest tryin' to fill that empty void in the pit of their stomachs. i say the parents should carry much shame! food is one of the most basic of needs, fer pete's sake. rent, utilities, food. not cell phones, internet and satellite/cable tv. not auto's with spinnin' wheels, mani/pedi's (whatever happened to doin' yer own nails??), more tats than can be counted on both hands, contact lenses (ok, that's a pet peeve of mine...if yer not workin' to buy, glasses ya shall get!), leather furniture (seriously?? i am most disgruntled with "rent to buy/own companies"), etc.
where does all this "free" (aka, doesn't cost the user anythin') schtuff come from? taxpayer dollars & there sure as heck aint nothin' free about that, now is there?
hmm... back in my day (not that many years ago) we packed a picnic lunch & headed to the park. it wasn't free, but was affordable. the youngun's played, then ate, then played some more. wonderful concept. they tired from all the monkeyin' 'round and slept well that night.
it sorta gets my feathers riled at the mention of "free" anythin'. com'on folks! nothin' is "free". someone, somewhere is payin' fer this schtuff. if ya don't need it, let someone else take advantage of such generosity. what's wrong with packin' yer brood a lunch & showin' up fer these outdoor "playdates"?
perhaps what's wrong is that we've become a society where the "norm" is "free" breakfast & lunch at our schools. youngun's who bring theirs or pay fer what the school provides are the ones who are now looked upon as if there's somethin' wrong with 'em. how'd this happen?
i'm not against feedin' anybody that's hungry, but let's get it straight that it's not "free". i've watched these youngun's wolf down their food without even a thought as to what the heck it was, jest tryin' to fill that empty void in the pit of their stomachs. i say the parents should carry much shame! food is one of the most basic of needs, fer pete's sake. rent, utilities, food. not cell phones, internet and satellite/cable tv. not auto's with spinnin' wheels, mani/pedi's (whatever happened to doin' yer own nails??), more tats than can be counted on both hands, contact lenses (ok, that's a pet peeve of mine...if yer not workin' to buy, glasses ya shall get!), leather furniture (seriously?? i am most disgruntled with "rent to buy/own companies"), etc.
where does all this "free" (aka, doesn't cost the user anythin') schtuff come from? taxpayer dollars & there sure as heck aint nothin' free about that, now is there?
the woes & cons of celiac & crohn's
after years of maladies in which no one could/would explain, i was diagnosed with both about 5 years ago. i was thankful that's all it was, celiac & crohn's. never mind the fact that both ends of the intestinal tract were under attack ~ it wasn't lethal, so i felt most fortunate. after all, one jest has to watch their diet..... right?
i became diligent in my pursuit of the gluten free, perused page after page after page of recipes in search fer edible goods. havin' never been one to eat "unhealthy", this disease caused much dismay. how'd i get it? what caused it? how does one "fix" it? the answer? they don't know, gluten and there's no cure. i did not feel deprived as i've never been much of a bread eater anyhow, but i still miss those darned Ritz crackers slathered with peanut butter! those who have this disease have learned by now that gluten free dough is most temperamental, hard to roll out and does not produce a "flaky" anythin'. i know, i've followed the recipes to a "t", thinkin' that somehow i'd messed up only to find pic's someone had posted of their "lovely, light biscuits" or crackers only to see that in their minds they perhaps had light & fluffy. the reality (pic's don't lie) was that they all look like lil dried out clumps of clay :( my pursuit continues on. i've met the challenge of a loaf of bread. have come up with a combination of flours that doesn't require the schtuff bein' frozen on the 2nd day. mine'll make it jest fine & be fresh 'n light fer 4 full days (in the fridge) before requirin' such a thing. i'm most tickled with myself. but, i still can't make a decent biscuit (aka: light & fluffy = falls apart, the others are jest dry & crumbly). i'm from deep southern roots, this is catastrophic indeed!
the latter, crohn's, seems like a truly simple fix. no risk of cross contamination (as one has to watch fer with the celiac), jest don't eat more than 14g of fat per day. (*note, this is the max that my body will tolerate, i believe all that suffer with this disease has their own threshold).
simple enough, right? i joined the various associations to stay informed. found myself lost in a sea of folks in support groups. we gripe, we complain, we console, we counsel. we swap medical horror stories, bash the doc's that are clueless and have become our own health advocates. we share our lab reports, analyze 'em, discuss options. recipes fly from one end of the earth to another, this extended "family" has saved my sanity!
then comes the realization that STRESS triggers both into ugly action. now, i live in denial when it comes to stress. have always been told "it's all in yer head". well, they were wrong, mine centers in my gut. i can deny it, ignore it, pretend it didn't happen and within 2 days i've taken up residence in the master bath yet again....
i've learned that it hurts other folks' feelin's to be the cause of yer stress. an odd response, perhaps. my tactic? "no, the thing that'cha did/or said didn't stress me out. my reaction to the thing that'cha did told my gut to be stressed." sure wouldn't want others to feel at fault, right? is there logical in this? no, but makes 'em feel less helpless i reckon.
it's become a familiar, yet viscous cycle. i am well. i keep purty active with the critters/house/property. i eat, i go to town, i take road trips, i live.
then i'm not. i have crash 'n burns, my "pet" name fer an "episode". i lose 10-20lbs in 3 days. i'm horribly ill. i talk to dead people. i have no muscle left. my blood pressure plummets (averages out to around 70/35 durin' these), i am finally so dehydrated that i can leave the confines of my bathroom that i make it to the doc's. they do blood tests, saddened by the results. white blood cell counts through the roof, kidneys tryin' to shut down, liver outta whack, etc. if i'm lucky & it was a "light" crash 'n burn, i leave with jest prescriptions fer steroids & cipro... when it's a heavy one, it's 2 shots of rocephin, 1 mega shot of steroids and both prescriptions. they've learned that i will NOT go into the hospital - period. i'm a strong-willed person on that matter. i recover.
and live goes on!
i became diligent in my pursuit of the gluten free, perused page after page after page of recipes in search fer edible goods. havin' never been one to eat "unhealthy", this disease caused much dismay. how'd i get it? what caused it? how does one "fix" it? the answer? they don't know, gluten and there's no cure. i did not feel deprived as i've never been much of a bread eater anyhow, but i still miss those darned Ritz crackers slathered with peanut butter! those who have this disease have learned by now that gluten free dough is most temperamental, hard to roll out and does not produce a "flaky" anythin'. i know, i've followed the recipes to a "t", thinkin' that somehow i'd messed up only to find pic's someone had posted of their "lovely, light biscuits" or crackers only to see that in their minds they perhaps had light & fluffy. the reality (pic's don't lie) was that they all look like lil dried out clumps of clay :( my pursuit continues on. i've met the challenge of a loaf of bread. have come up with a combination of flours that doesn't require the schtuff bein' frozen on the 2nd day. mine'll make it jest fine & be fresh 'n light fer 4 full days (in the fridge) before requirin' such a thing. i'm most tickled with myself. but, i still can't make a decent biscuit (aka: light & fluffy = falls apart, the others are jest dry & crumbly). i'm from deep southern roots, this is catastrophic indeed!
the latter, crohn's, seems like a truly simple fix. no risk of cross contamination (as one has to watch fer with the celiac), jest don't eat more than 14g of fat per day. (*note, this is the max that my body will tolerate, i believe all that suffer with this disease has their own threshold).
simple enough, right? i joined the various associations to stay informed. found myself lost in a sea of folks in support groups. we gripe, we complain, we console, we counsel. we swap medical horror stories, bash the doc's that are clueless and have become our own health advocates. we share our lab reports, analyze 'em, discuss options. recipes fly from one end of the earth to another, this extended "family" has saved my sanity!
then comes the realization that STRESS triggers both into ugly action. now, i live in denial when it comes to stress. have always been told "it's all in yer head". well, they were wrong, mine centers in my gut. i can deny it, ignore it, pretend it didn't happen and within 2 days i've taken up residence in the master bath yet again....
i've learned that it hurts other folks' feelin's to be the cause of yer stress. an odd response, perhaps. my tactic? "no, the thing that'cha did/or said didn't stress me out. my reaction to the thing that'cha did told my gut to be stressed." sure wouldn't want others to feel at fault, right? is there logical in this? no, but makes 'em feel less helpless i reckon.
it's become a familiar, yet viscous cycle. i am well. i keep purty active with the critters/house/property. i eat, i go to town, i take road trips, i live.
then i'm not. i have crash 'n burns, my "pet" name fer an "episode". i lose 10-20lbs in 3 days. i'm horribly ill. i talk to dead people. i have no muscle left. my blood pressure plummets (averages out to around 70/35 durin' these), i am finally so dehydrated that i can leave the confines of my bathroom that i make it to the doc's. they do blood tests, saddened by the results. white blood cell counts through the roof, kidneys tryin' to shut down, liver outta whack, etc. if i'm lucky & it was a "light" crash 'n burn, i leave with jest prescriptions fer steroids & cipro... when it's a heavy one, it's 2 shots of rocephin, 1 mega shot of steroids and both prescriptions. they've learned that i will NOT go into the hospital - period. i'm a strong-willed person on that matter. i recover.
and live goes on!
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