A walk in the woods...

I've been raking my horse paths so I can see the rocks and then Gary can move them...

And along the way there are these amazing wild flowers but I have no idea what they are...



and these...

And of course I can't leave without a horse picture! Hi Duke!!!!

Now, I'm off to Camp Bravehearts for the weekend! This camp is for women who have or are dealing with cancer. There is white water rafting, high ropes, horseback riding, arts and crafts, a heated pool. I am NOT doing white water but maybe the ropes (NO zip line--I need stress??) and definitely yes to the horseback riding...So I'm off to meet new friends, good food, and then to my Mom's in NH because when I talked to her a couple of days ago, she didn't sound good--had a bad cold and seemed confused. I'll stay with her a couple of days and hopefully when I get back the north country will have DRIED OUT! Never saw so much water. In fact I have to take an alternate route downstate to camp because some of the roads are flooded! Closing my Etsy store for now, too. Be back mid week! Hope everyone enjoys the weekend and Happy May!

xo

Happy Spring!

Pretty cute for 90!!

Meg, Eileen, Kevin (with beer!) Faith, me, Maureen

Paul, Mom, Stephen

Me, Stephen, Meg

The Soon-to-be Travelers!! Me and Faith!

Wow, it's been a while since I checked in...I had a telephone interview with SSI for disability and the woman couldn't have been nicer. AND I didn't have to fill in the forms--she did that for me (I HATE forms). She told me it could take 3-6 months so I was resigned to waiting but knew that since I turn 62 in May my regular SSI (which I already applied for) would kick in by July...Not two weeks later they approved the application! WOW! My first real paycheck in 20 years...every month...for the rest of my life. And back pay for the past year. I'm looking into cancer clinics to jump start my diet or change my eating habits, or whatever. I also have a list of things.

--a new small barn

--coffee maker

--enlarge outdoor arena

--bulldozer for riding paths in woods

--culvert pipe for wet paths in the woods

--house siding

--kiln

--deck

--new riding lawn mower

--new glass door for living room

--new half chaps

--more riding lessons

ahhhhh...in no particular order. OK the barn thing is out of reach but a girl can dream!! And the coffee maker is definitely within reach! ha!

Wonderful time at my Mom's for her birthday and loved seeing and visiting with all my sibs. It was hard to say goodbye to the two brothers who live in CO. hmmm...

--train trip to CO

--water heater for washing horses

I'm having way too much fun with my list. And the train trip with my sister, Faith, going to Seattle is all set for June 14. She is picking up the train in Springfield, MA and I will catch up to her in Syracuse. So wonderful to have things to look forward to!!

Easter was beautiful here--went riding though the field was wet and couldn't get into the woods very far because of water but warmed him up and came back to the arena and worked his butt some (and mine). Then out to the woods to rake my paths and try to get stronger. Then over to friend's house for dinner! Today I'm off to Mary's studio (http://www.maryhardingjewelry.etsy.com/) to make more buttons. What I'll do with all these buttons I don't know! Maybe open another Etsy store...we'll see.

Alex off to his honor society meeting (in a TIE!)

Hope spring is good for all of you! Love it when it is in the 60s and no bugs! YAY!

xo

Sale Days, Sunshine Towels and Mom's 90th!!

Phew...too much going on lately...I applied for Social Security then they told me to apply for disability so I set up a telephone appointment for this past Monday. Everything is fine but going through all the doctor stuff and getting all the information set up for this appointment had Gary tearing up and later that night I had a meltdown. Still dealing with it. Though I don't really know why it is so difficult after the fact but there it is.

So...took off 10 towels though I usually wait to have them all woven--there are still probably 5 more on the loom to weave yet. But I wanted to get them in my Etsy store (which is closed right now). Then I decided in my quest to lighten up to have a sale--20% off everything in my shop. That way I will have some money for my next adventure which is a trip to Seattle with my sister in June on the train! Yahoo!!! Anyway, I have decided not to do my big craft fair in August and I also decided that once I get SSI I won't have to work so hard and I don't have to weave so much and I can get my guest bedroom back (right now it is also a store!) so I want to sell it all!!! And I only want to weave smaller things like my scarves and maybe towels instead of wraps and shawls. And I'm not going to weave a gizillion of them at a time. So that's where I am...And here are the latest Sunshine II towels.

AND I'm off tomorrow (was supposed to leave today but it was SNOWING) to visit my Mom for her 90th birthday. All my siblings will be there--all 7 of them. I have to leave Gary here but someone has to work! ha!

xo

Weaving vs. exercise...

These pictures don't have very much to do with this post but who cares...

Gary and I have been talking lately about how to keep me healthy...I need to weave less and walk more (or ride) but I seem driven to go back to the same old, same old that I did before I got sick...Weaving and working too hard. Not getting out enough. Convincing myself that none of this cancer thing really happened. OK maybe not completely but I do have a great deal of denial. I called oncology the other day because I saw in the paper that someone here (I didn't know her) had died of pancreatic cancer early March. There is no support group for us because we don't last long enough. So I told the nurse to give out my name to anyone who wanted to talk. She told me that there were two more just diagnosed. Geez...It seems like a lot for such a small place. Four already died last year before I knew them and I'm friendly with 2 others and now 2 more newbies??

Anyway, it's spring and with all that renewal I am determined to take better care of this battered body of mine! I have applied to Social Security because I turn 62 in May and the guy called me up and told me I should apply for disability, too. So I'm working on that. It would help us a lot financially and I wouldn't have to work so hard. Because right now I get maybe 3 good days in and then I'm exhausted and spend the rest of the week reading books and watching TV. So I need to find a better balance. Meanwhile, went riding yesterday, brushed both horses, cut Duke's mane (what was left after he rubbed off most of it this past year), and took these pictures after we rode...proof that they should only breed horses dirt color.

Well, it's Saturday morning and I'm off to Mary Harding's Studio (http://www.maryhardingjewelry.etsy.com/) to glaze some buttons...then I'll come home and ride...

xo