3 day weekend

What a gift that is! We got the grocery thing done last nite after work so now it's 3 days of doing whatever I feel like! And to start things out on the right note I watched Fellowship of the Ring and stitched after everyone else went to bed. I got alot done on Imbolc's cape. Today I'll watch Two Towers and work some more on her, and tonite I should get more progress done watching Return of the King. With a marathon like that i should get Imbolc into the biggest Qsnaps. She's very close now. It's still zero or below outside so not much horse training going on lol. But spring is coming, sooner or later, and better weather to be out in. We had 8 calves born so far this week (we have a herd of 50 Black Angus beef cattle) and my DH hasnt been getting much sleep cuz they like to be born at 4am it seems. This morning's arrival needed some tlc so into the basement he came with a heater blowing on him, and me at the stove thawing out colostrum while DH dealt with the mama, cuz it was a heifer and a hard delivery. We bought a new group of bred heifers last fall so it's a guessing game how they'll do calving. But this afternoon baby is fine and mama was checked out by the vet so she'll be alright. It's always good to hear that, and mama took right to baby and claimed him so they'll be fine. So far this season we've had 1 cow that wants to kill any human stupid enuf to get within 50 ft of her calf. She's on the short list, and as soon as things settle down she's outta here. DH wont tolerate aggressive cattle, and when she calved last year she wasnt near as bad, but obviously she gets worse with age lol. The others he can walk up to and pet and mess with thier calves without them fussing cuz they know him (lol me is another story, I am NOT a cow whisperer) . So the next month or so is gonna be busy for him so I probably wont see much of him when I'm home from work, cuz he'll sleep when he can. Oh well, it's just a temporary thing and he'd rather be farming than anything else. Next week should hopefully see the arrival of my show horse tack, headtall, reins and breastcollar. It's so cool looking, it's leather, light oil finish, with Texas star gold and silver conchos and loaded with silver spots too. Twista and Rohan will look awesome in it. I plan to order some matching conchos from a leather factory and deck out a saddle blanket to match. In the meantime I got a plain black leather show set and first chance I get i'll be taking that to the Amish to get spots and conchos put on it. I like to have my horses look fancy ;) , once they get out of the training gear. Twista will be ready this summer but Rohan is just a yearling yet, and Whiskey will be a yearling next month. But I like to get them thier own personal stuff. I spose I better go pop a movie in for the kids and one for myself and have some quiet time. Off to the stitchin now! : D

an update..

Well, since it's been so cold (10 below zero all week) I havent been out doing chores for very long, just too cold to sit out there and the horses might as well eat and stay warm. But then I've been in the house instead getting stuff done. I didnt work the entire weekend but had such a bad cold I didnt get any stitchin done either. So I need to catch up on lost time there. No idea how this wek looks for getting alot of stitchin done but I'm always hopeful. Imbolc is coming along, slowly, getting bits done here and there when I get a moment. What I long for is a marathon like I used to do-- watch 2 or 3 movies back to back and stitch the whole while, ah bliss. Lol, my kids were still babies when I could do that though. How times change. But tonite I plan to get some done before sleep, and this weekend too. She's so close to going in the big Qsnaps that I cant wait. Another 5 hours could move her there and so I gotta push for it, just piddly things left to get her there. After that it's just all those swirly skirts to deal with and the stitchin is done. Beading is my fav part (crazy I know) so I'm saving it to the very end as motivation. The other Celtics are starting to whimper since taking thier pics but I'm ignoring it lol. Samhain, being loudest cuz she needs a face, Lammas cuz I need to figure out the merge (I put 2 charts together, chop shop lol) Ostara cuz she needs progress and Lithia cuz she has only a few stitches done. I am SO ready for a finish, these have been on my plate for 3 years now and only Mabon is finished. but in all fairness, I hardly stitched at all in 2006. But once the conversion ones are finished, the origional ones are a cinch lol. I guess after Imbolc the closest to a finish is Beltane but I dunno, one of the others might yell louder. Hard to say, but I plan to have a very stitchy year this round :).

Well well well....

Another year is upon me and I'm still catching up on the old one. Have to make some changes around here to get more fun stuff done lol. The critters are fine, work is going fine, and the barn is mostly done- just little things left to do- but everyone is moved into it. Today it's a snowstorm so a good day to curl up with stitchin. I've been working on Imbolc, a conversion of LL Celtic Spring and she's about half done with the thread, I save the beads for last cuz it's my fav part. I made a New Year's resolution to do more stitchin, computer, and violin this year, and do the things I used to enjoy before life kinda took over. The job thing just leaves me so tired that I dont have the energy after chores, kids and house to get out the hobby stuff. But I have a peach of a DH who's taken over the house and chores pertaining to it, so when I get home I dont have to worry about it much. I just had 4 days off in a row, a near record, and got back to things I used to do daily, boy was it nice. I made alot of progress on stitchin, am slowly getting caught up on the BB's and stitchin news there, had some long sessions with my horses, and actually enjoyed cooking some meals cuz there wasnt any 'hurry, it's almost bedtime'. I finally feel like my old self! Gonna be hard going back to work again after so much fun time lol. I've been figuring out ways to make hobbies more convenient and for the stitchin that was to get a big portfolio bag for transporting the bigger Qsnap frames with the more progressed wips. Only the smallest frames would fit in a backpack and it didnt take long for the project to outgrow and in order to take a wip anywhere it had to fit. Now they can stay portable longer and I can work on them whenever I get a free moment. I'm hoping that'll make some finishes happen. The violin is a little more tricky cuz it's not a quiet hobby but I'm thinking if I can squeeze a catnap in right after work I would still have time before school's out and I dont have time for anything but kids. It's not something I can take out after the go to bed, tried that and they just stay awake listening. It'll happen though, the love for it hasnt dimmed any. The horses are coming along, Twista's rides have become few becuz of the weather but I still work with her, and continue to gear up for spring. I'm hoping to get a new saddle soon, man those are expensive, but I'll get there. Rohan and Whiskey are learning stuff as well too, they are so fun when they're babies. There's alot more space in the new barn but what could be an indoor arena is still a cattleshed till spring lol. But speaking of horses, it's time to go see what they're up to. :)

And now here I am again, trying to cram as much goofing off into a day off as I can. No riding today, as it rained last nite and drizzling today, so too slick. Twista's training is going very well, she will be an awesome saddle horse because she accepts new things as no big deal. She got over the bug spray thing in a week and now knows it's a good thing ;). There again, I just kept talking her thru it and she figured out the spray means no biting flies. I did not tie her up and 'make her deal' cuz that destroys trust, in my opinion. Making a horse freak out over something you want them to accept is just losing ground, cuz they can get in the habit of freaking cuz they anticipate trainer impatience. As I've said, I want mine to realize boogeymen dont exist so why fuss? ;). Slow and steady wins the race ;). And tacking up now only takes 5 minutes so I'm glad to see I can still get a horse ready to ride in that space of time lol. Her rides are going very well, she hasnt shown any oneryness or 'I wont' , so knock on wood, I hope to keep that winning streak. And she'll follow whomever she thinks is 'leading' her even though there is no physical contact. My 5 year old can now lead her anywhere without a rope on her cuz she's in the habit of going where she's told. She'll be the ultimate baby-sitter. Today I was planning to go ride her out in the freshly tilled fields, closest thing I have to an arena, but the rain kinda canceled that. So instead I got my homework done (back in school now) and now I'll spend the afternoon doing cross-stitch, yay! Finally, cuz it's been forever. I'm working on TW's Dragon Ride and plan to start Storyteller, maybe even tonite. I really missed working on a TW, it's been a very long while and i'd forgotten how vibrant they are. And also a little more complicated than a Mirabilia or LL lol. but that's ok too, cuz I need some form of escape while being stuck indoors on a fall day. There should be a rule against rainy fall days cuz snowy winter ones are coming up fast. Oh well, there's still some good to be found in a rainy day too ;). So for now I'm gonna go find it. Happy stitching to me!

Been a crazy summer..

..but that tends to happen round here. Now with just a few weeks left before school starts I'm finally getting into the swing of things. So many things left to do really and now I have a bit more time to do them. I havent been at the xs cuz of my work schedule and everything else but it's time to jump back into it. Enuf is enuf ;). It's been either scorching hot or storming, so outdoor things have to be adjusted for lol, and I've been doing the horse training in the evenings when it's cool, and I'm very pleased with how that's going. I have 2 main horses that I'm working on, and a third who's getting the basics down cuz she's a weanling. So, some intros.... My main project horse is a sorrel Paint mare named Twista. She's the first baby outta my stud and my Paint mare Chika's first foal also. Now she's 4 and while she's had all the basics she missed out on her riding training cuz she had a colt herself this spring. A 2 year old colt we had for awhile and then sold left us a momento to remember him by, and Twista had a 'loud' (beautiful uncommon Paint markings) sorrel Paint filly on March 3, '06, and we named her Whiskey and she's my weanling project. And now that she's weaned it's time to pick up where I left off on Twista. And that's going very well, she'll let me do whatever to her only bugspray is her 'Elmer moment' where she freaks so we're dealing with that. I dont tie up horses and make them deal with new stuff, I'd rather have them accept it as thier own idea even if it takes longer to accomplish. I think it helps to build trust. My other project horse is Twista's full sister Rohan. Rohan is a seal bay breeding stock filly, and that means she's solid colored but has Paint parents. Her only markings are a wide blaze and a hind sock. She's the first solid my stud has fathered and will be a year old in Oct. Her attitude is wonderful and I can do anything to her without her fussing or even batting an eye. Twista, Rohan and Whiskey will be my riding horses, they have a babysitter attitude and that will help once my kids are old enuf to ride. Whiskey is a bit more headstrong in that she wants attention NOW no matter what people are doing so that's something we're working on as well. She has to be patient and wait her turn. It all takes time, which is lucky cus I dont really have the facilities like a round pen or an arena. But things are moving along, and we hope to get a roof over a barn that's ideal for horses. It's built out of cement and was made for show-bulls, so the stalls are cement walls with iron bars at the top and all the feeders and waterers are made of cement as well, and totally bull-proof so it should hold up to horse use and be totally easy to clean. The back of each stall has it's own door to an outdoor pen. I tell ya, it was state of the art but the roof had fallen in 10 years ago. But now that we own the farm we're replacing it and Jeff will use part of it for his cows when they calve and I can use it for horses. I cant wait! It's gonna be so cool when it's done. But since my DH is doing most of the roofing himself it's gonna take awhile cuz he has other work as well. Tonite the game plan is to work more on Twist and just get her lounging under saddle. I haveta get things rolling with her so I can start riding again. Should be interesting....

Another storm hit us a couple days ago and since then it's been bitterly cold round here. Last nite it was -30*. Here that meant extra bedding for the cattle and horses to hunker down into, and my DH let all the outdoor cats spend the nite with our dogs in the basement. Lol, that was a rush cuz they know the routine and had been waiting to get in all afternoon, mostly to get the best sleeping places by the furnace. Then this morning nobody would leave, freeloaders! But cant really blame them, it's only 5* out there so I wouldnt wanna either. Nothing a shaking bag of catfood wont cure tho and they did show up for breakfast ;). Our Husky/shepherd dog Hooch was totally enjoying himself out in the powder, this is his kind of weather, but our lady dog Peanut thinks he's nuts and stayed indoors today, being her fur is short and the best sleeping spot isnt cat-covered anymore she had plans. Now since this is my weekend off my plans were to do some serious stitching. And last nite started off with an older wip, Middy actually. I havent worked on her in ages, mostly cuz the fabric is the recommended Permin linen, blech, but I started it before hand-dyeds came out and I knew better. But I still like the color with Middy so I'll see it thru. I needed a metallics fix and her wings fit the bill lol. i just wish I had done it on 28ct instead of 32 cuz the skin is over one, and I still have her arms to do. Today I hope to get the top part of the chart done minus beads. We'll see. Then I might switch back to a Celtic, Imbolc is still on the Qs and she could use another go. Or maybe another, who knows......

Sigh. No stitching on my day off today, cuz everyone but me is sick in my house. I have to work till next Tues so I'm hoping to escape it. Lol, not too hopeful on that but oh well. Maybe tonite after everyone is sleeping I can get some done. I was hoping to go thru stash on a day off but that can wait. There's s0me that I wanna dig out to work on that are specifically for our bedroom and living room and most arent started yet. Seems like the ones without a plan take precedence lol. The Celtic Holidays will be displayed in our hallway, or the back wall of the living room as those are the only walls big enuf to group all 8 together. And then Eowen of Rohan(with the horse) and Celtic Ireland will be grouped together somewhere as well but I dunno where. And Arwen/Aragorn and Arwen Evenstar will go in our bedroom, along with Mirabilias "Queen of Peace' 'Fairy Idyll' 'Sleeping Beauty' 'Cinderella' and Cross My Heart's 'Secret Garden Unicorns.' Lol, as to WHEN all those will get done and on the wall???? I have no idea but it's fun to imagine it lol.