Living forward. And Bourbon Slush.

"I rejoice in what I have and I know that fresh new experiences are always ahead. I greet the new with open arms. I trust life to be wonderful!" ~ Louise Hay

Quote entry from The Cottage House Facebook page.

I've heard a few gentle inquiries lately about my absence here. The truth is, I have lost a precious friend, and I am sad. But, I am someone who tries to live forward, so, I have been pushing on in my own way. I think most folks would say I'm as sunny as usual. The more perceptive ones know it isn't quite true. Perhaps the problem is I am a great believer in not hiding my emotions, so much as not letting them affect the way I treat people. I don't go in for being grumpy, or irritable. To put it another way, if I'm having a bad day, it shouldn't make anyone else have one too.
 So, the perceptive ones say "Are you okay? You don't seem quite like yourself." And, that is fine. I'm not quite like myself. I will be.
Life, for me, is not just about the good. It is about the bad that mixes in with the good and makes everything sweeter. Maybe I can say this because I have had precious little bad, for which I am grateful. And, I try to be thankful for what surrounds me. Beauty, love, wind.  Because there is a small slice of me always waiting for what is coming. I don't want to be taken by surprise. There will be bad in this life that is worse than where I have been. But, sweet, perhaps,  because I can still be there.
So, I live forward.
Yesterday I went to a Doctor's Appointment. It was on my calendar. Ohio Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. That didn't tell me much. Since my attempt to dent the wall in Kathy's indoor arena, I've had a lot of Doctor's Appointments. This appointment was made while my brain was still trying to recover from that shake up.. I don't remember making the appointment. Maybe I didn't at all. My Doctor's office probably made the Appointment, and someone told me about it. In any event it was on my calendar. So, I went. ( When you lose two weeks of memories, there are some mysteries in life). I sat down in the exam room, and the nurse asked me what I was there for. Good question. So, I asked her the same one. It turns out I was there to see the traumatic brain specialist.  Ahhh. Figures. Makes my question look pretty much like I need one of those. The upshot? He thinks my brain is okay. And, he thinks I should continue to wear a helmet. He might also think I need to practice counting change, I had some trouble with the "I give you a nickel, dime and quarter..."
As it turns out, in the same building as this Doctor's Appointment, was my best friend, working. Huz was on duty at the MRI unit. So, he met me in the lobby and gave me a tour of the facility. There are two magnets, a 7T and a 3T currently working. In the 3T magnet was a female St. Bernard with intractable seizures, so they were hunting for a cause for her troubles. Next up? A tortoise shell fat kitty with probable spinal lymphoma. I liked seeing the unit, so now I have an image to go with the tales from Huz.
Back home to Youngest and our project, stopping by at the Chebourg Bakery in Bexley for some gluten-free treats. Delicious. Perhaps my favorite was the Rosemary Corn Cake. But I also indulged in a S'mores bar and a piece of spinach and sundried tomato strata. Carb overload, I know!
The Fam is redoing the outside chicken yard. Last week, Youngest and I began dismantling the yard. It was only 8 years old, but really a mess, with rusted, hole-pocked chicken wire, patched with hardware cloth and baling wire. The boards were sagging, the door was cement blocked in place. It was a star-studded- hill-jack operation. Even the chickens were offended. So, on Saturday and Sunday, the family had a project. We got a lot accomplished, and are 3/4 or more done. We still have the top to finish, and then some finish work on the base and a few amenities. But it is looking much better. Here are some teaser pics from the weekend. I will post the final pictures when the roof is done!

Any project where the whole family can be busy and I get to use my air compressor is a good project.

Bonus when the kids can learn some basic framing techniques.

Giving Youngest a paintbrush and can of paint is dicey. Even in the chicken yard. The boy is creative.
 

There is much to look forward to. I am horse-looking again. My chicken house is going to be pretty. I have wonderful friends. Justfab is going to send me a wicked pair of boots for the fall. I might get to see my parents for more than 20 minutes this year. Eldest is a grand field commander. Middlest is gaining riding skills in leaps and bounds. Youngest is still my little buddy. Huz still holds my hand. A lot.  Bourbon Slushes are divine after working all day in the sun. For Angie,  I will share the recipe, courtesy of my mother, a thorough, seamless, somewhat mythical hostess:

Bourbon Slush

Mix together:
1 12 oz can of frozen lemonade, unmixed with water
6 oz can of frozen OJ, unmixed
7 c. of water
1 1/2 c. sugar
3 c. bourbon
2c. strong tea
Freeze. Scoop out and serve, a spoon in the glass works well for the delicious crystally bits!


Circles.

Last weekend, I sent Middlest off with her Pony Club teammates to Pennsylvania for "D"rally.

I followed in the early morning hours on Saturday, to arrive in time to watch her compete on Patches. It was another full circle moment.

I don't remember that much about my first D rally. I'm sure I was nervous. I'm fairly certain (if that day went like most others) that I fell off at least once in the proceedings. The equipment was a bit different, the mount was certainly very different. But much of what made Pony Club, Pony Club, continues today. Comforting, i'nt it?

Okay, this is me at a rally, early Pony Club years pour moi. You can tell it is Pony Club, because I am sporting my Pony Club Pin front and center on my helmet. (Still a requirement to wear your PC Pin at all PC gatherings, but now you must also wear your arm band with your medical information. They hadn't thought of that back then.) This picture is valuable though, in that along with my missing teeth, a testament to my tender years, I am wearing the de riguer in safety helmets of the time. That is to say, a plain velvet cap with a detached harness that slid over the cap and then buckled under the chin. I've tried to explain this to the current Pony Club kids. Well, now here's a picture. Also, on the subject of safety requirements that have changed, I am either heading out or just finishing Cross Country phase of the competition. I am not wearing what is now required- a safety vest that protects your chest, back and spine to some degree when flying over fences in the open. Also, if you are very observant, you will see my crop in my hand is a pointy metal thing- no longer found because of the propensity for pointy metal to make damaging contact with eyeball.

 Still, in Pony Club, there are still stringent requirements of knowledge, care and ability. There is still the teamwork ethic, and the non-interference by parents....well, that is a bit relaxed, I must say. They now allow a parent "coach" for the D level (least experienced) kids and they also have a "C" Advisor ( a "C", or more experienced Pony Clubber that can help the D level kids in the barns during their competition).
The venue was different, naturally, as I competed in the Metropolitan Region of Pony Club- which was southern Connecticut, Long Island and parts of New York. Middlest is in the Mid South Region, which is parts of Huge. ( As far as I can tell, western PA, northern OH, and WV. )

This is me in very early horsey years. I am mainly including this picture because of the adorableness of  my best friend and neighbor, Tommy. Peanut might have been sporting a jaunty feather, but Tommy had the hat.

And this was the earliest picture I found of me on Frosty, maybe this is my first competition with him? I don't recognize the barn in the background. But, to me, of note are the helmet, once again, but this was pre-detachable harness. This was when we just used an elastic strap like on a party hat. Also, I am tickled by the too-short jodphurs without knee-straps (which leads me to believe this was not Pony Club, for that I would've needed the knee-straps) and the jodphur boots, which were ancient even then, and had no zipper or laces, but instead had a leather piece that wrapped around the ankle of the boot for security. The best, though, might be my "riser pad" under my saddle, which appears to be (and no doubt is) a hunk of cushion foam hacked out of an old sofa with a penknife. Classy improvisation.

I share these parts of the circle with you because they make me bewildered- it was a long time ago, but also because I love circles!
Now, it is Middlest's turn. And what a nice turn it is.
The D Rally was held in Pennsylvania, in the stomping grounds of my ancestors southeast of Pittsburgh. The grounds of the Rolling Rock Estate and home of the Rolling Rock Hounds Pony Club hosted 7 teams for the competition. Boy, was it beautiful!
Extra special was the visit to the event by my one and only Auntie! Aunt Sib and her (and my) dear friend, Donna came down for the afternoon to politely cheer the kids on. (Pony Club and Golf tournaments are similar in their subdued applause). It was so great to see them both, and I felt so fortunate that they were able  and willing to come watch Middlest and sit with me.
The first part of the competition was dressage.

Middlest and Patches looked beautiful, and made it through the test with competence. Middlest was not wholly pleased with her performance, but that leaves room for improvement!

After dressage, they move to stadium jumping, which is jumping obstacles in an arena. This is a large departure from my previous riding career. Stadium was always done last, after the Cross Country phase, but at some point since then, the cool heads of logic have prevailed, and if you are not successful in taking your horse over obstacles in an enclosed arena, they do not permit you to attempt the jumping of challenging obstacles out in the open. I would guess this does make for fewer injuries and many fewer calls of " LOOSE HORSE!"

Middlest and Patches were successful in their negotiation of the stadium course and were all smiles on their way to cross country.

All Smiles.

Then, out to the cross country course. Bye baby. Good luck. Be safe, have fun. No sense in worrying, momma, no sense. (this was my mantra).

They had a great time, and a clear round. Altogether a great showing!

Meet the team(s)

Katie (C Advisor), Kaylee, Kelly, Lainey, Jamie, Hannah (Team 1)

McKenna (mascot) Middlest, Katey, Rylee and Michaela (Team 2)

Team 1 wins the first division in both Horse Management (their scores kept all day long for their presentation, teamwork, preciseness, knowledge, and care of their horses) AND first place overall in their division! Sizzle.

Middlest's team won the Horse Management for their division and placed third overall.
I am most concerned about the Horse Management score, so for that alone I am so very proud of all these girls!

WAY TO GO MIDDLEST. Nice circle.

Brass tacks.

So, school has begun! This is the kidlets getting on the bus yesterday, just predawn. For the first time they are all on the same bus. 6th grade, freshman in high, and a senior. We have traditionally taken a photo with the grade year held up by the child. This presents some difficulty for Eldest who attempted to borrow two fingers from Youngest.
This is really too early for me. Predawn. I am evidently neither healthy, wealthy nor wise if the old adage is true. Also, no worms for me. But this year, I thought I'd try. My thinking is thus; if I can drag myself out of bed earlier, I could really get some stuff done! I could do sunrise yoga, or clean the chicken house before my first cup of tea. I could watch the sunrise as I weed a garden, or find the vacuum. A whole extra hour in my day could be awesome! Or, dangerous.
See, with my extra hour this morning, before that first cup of tea, before the chicken house was visited, let alone cleaned, I made a decision. I now know making decisions in the predawn may not be a strong suit. I decided to color my hair. I had bought a box of color in the late winter, when I was so tired of brown I couldn't stand it. And yet, being awake at the time, did not open box, but put it in the bottom of a drawer. I know there are lots of women who successfully color their hair. I am not one of the legion. So, this early morning, I took my perfectly acceptable post-summer blonde, foamed up my head per the picture in the instructions as the sun came up. Then the morning sun got to shine on my head so newly brassy, so grandly brassy it could lead it's own Disney parade. I won't call it "orange" because I don't want orange hair. If I did want orange hair, I might term it thus. I am most certain I will not hear any "Oooooh, I love your hair! What did you do?" But I might hear the last bit there. So tomorrow, should my ambitions stretch to rising again in the predawn to see the kids off on the bus, I have forsworn decision making altogether. Perhaps it will save me from painting my dining room a very chic black, or volunteering.
In the meanwhile, if you pass me walking down the street (technically impossible, but it sounds good) be sure to toot your horn- especially if it's a brass one.

"Statefar" a.k.a. The Ohio State Fair!

Once again, we packed up a sheep and headed for TBC(The Big City)  and The Ohio State Fair! This is a biggie in the fair biz. Texas might be bigger, Iowa might be better, but we have not only a butter cow, but a chocolate pig.

I, sadly, had made the decision to not ask for another day(or 5) off so that I could attend all the doin's at The Ohio State Fair! But, this year it was not an untenable decision, as Huz was not in China, but made himself available to be the OAP (Oldest Available Person) to make it all happen. On a Friday morning, Eldest and I left at a rather early hour to get her to The Ohio State Fair!, as she was doing her ambassadorial duty as a Ohio State 4-H Ambassador. This left Middlest and Huz to get the sheep and the sheep accouterments up into Blondie and to TBC- the venue of The Ohio State Fair!

Of course, we are not the only ones showing up in TBC with livestock, so getting in and getting unloaded is an all morning affair. I was able to help Middlest get Finn buffed a bit on the sheep stand(a hour of shaving picking, straw picking and general removal of "VM"-vegetative matter, followed by hand shearing the belly wool, and feminizing her legs, blocking her body and de-fuzzing the wool)before I headed off to work. I was sad to go, as Showmanship was in the evening, and I was going to work like heck to see if I could get back, with little hope. In fact, I was on fire at work, efficient and on time, but, alas, Middlest entered the show arena before my last appointment had arrived. I missed showmanship, but she was brilliant.

Here is the judge sizing up her technique. She was the lone showman showing in "breeding style", and I believe it may not of been the judge's cup o' tea, as she didn't place as high as her superior skills warrant (the unbiased opinion of someone who was not even there....)

The next morning was the Junior Sheep Show. I was at work. Again. But Huz was an excellent OAP, and Middlest had plenty of support while she showed Finn off in the Natural Colored Class. 

 The Ohio State Fair! has a band that marches around continuously, playing and doing a clappy dance move.

The sheep barn at The Ohio State Fair!

The Wiener Truck at The Ohio State Fair!

In the poultry barn, there are many cages of show birds and then, about 800 random geese and ducks. This is one of Middlest's favorite places to hang out at The Ohio State Fair!

The other place of choice is in the cattle barns at the Johnson Land and Cattle Company stalls, where Middlest's friend and teammate, Emma, can be found.

While all the sheep showing is going on, the wool show is also in progress. It is not as lively. Middlest took two fleeces with her this year to The Ohio State Fair!

 Eldest worked as a 4-H State Ambassador for three days straight at The Ohio State Fair! This is her "Super-Ambassador!" pose.

And, in the wool show, Middlest brought in a third place ribbon for Cesar's fleece! YES! Way to go Middlest! (and Cesar...)

Now, you may note there is a lack of mention about Youngest at The Ohio State Fair! That is because he was not there. Nope. The week before The Ohio State Fair!, Eldest and I had driven Youngest to the border of West-bygod-Virginia and Maryland, to hook up with Poppie, who was transporting Youngest back with him to Wing and Wing for a few weeks of Sailing Camp.  Summer Splendor!

Upon arrival on the Eastern shore, Youngest was soon joined by his gen. The cousins arrived en masse to cheer on Cousin Helen, who had decided to enter the junior division in the "Quick Draw" at the St. Michaels Plein Air Festival. Not only did she draw quickly, she sold her work! Wowza! (The artiste is left side, top).

Then the bulk of the cousins sped off once again, to let the campers do their thing. Youngest and Cousin Bea were the intrepid adventurers, spending 8 hours each day sailing about the Chesapeake.

The Miles River Yacht Club Dance was held for the sailors.

 Youngest was given the "Skillful Skipper" award for always being ready to go, helpful to others and generally indefatigable.

Back at Wing and Wing, he was rewarded by crabs entering the traps! Here he is with his early morning crab boil.

Poppie took the sailors out on Pagan, the boat on which Poppie does twice weekly races.

And Yummie didn't do much, she just looked good.

( I had to write that because anyone who knows Youngest knows that is the truth. Youngest never gets up before dawn to check the crab traps, and see if the Yum-Vee will start up for a race around the property, or for a bike ride, or for something to eat, or to put in the kayak for cove exploration, or a swim in the pool, or to find a partner to play insert game here...never. Yummie didn't have to spend her days packing up PBJ's  for the Yacht Club lunches, and as the OAP of the sailing school. She wasn't looked at with hopeful eyes that she would make crab cakes (without onions) with the picked crabs, or for mixing up Kool-Aid, or help in finding water shoes, sunscreen, and "where did I leave my hat?" and "Can I bike to the post office for the mail yet?"  Surely not.)