Life Lessons...

OK...I know I've been among the missing lately.  I know I'm supposed to be head-over-heels in love with my new mare, Ellie.  I know I'm supposed to be loving every minute of every day.  I know I'm supposed to be making the most out of what I have...blah, blah, blah.

First of all, we have been giving Ellie too much grain especially since she is living a life of leisure.  So she became quite a basket case and I haven't even ridden her yet.  Also she doesn't know any ground work (re: manners).  So we hired a trainer after much stressing and fussing and lose of sleep on my part.  He is wonderful but doesn't want me to film him.  He has been out here twice and Ellie is beginning to respect our space, lunge properly, lead properly, set her hindquarters, and give to pressure.  She is still not comfortable around his flag which consists of an old car antenna with a crinkly flag attached to one end.  He hits the ground next to her with it and she is at the point where she just shivers but doesn't move her feet.  He can then touch her all over with it pretty much...again sometimes she flinches but she can tolerate it.  She now lowers her head to put her halter on.  She stands quietly for him.  She is easy to catch in the field.  So we are making progress.  He is almost at the point where he will have us work with her.

Brings me to the second point.  I think I am still very reactive to losing my Dommie.  Ellie isn't him.  I haven't been riding because I don't think (and the trainer agrees) she is ready.  Spring is flying by and I have been somewhat depressed by all these events happening in our lives.  I'm supposed to roll with the punches but sometimes...everything just sucks.

Did I mention that she has gone into heat twice in three weeks?  And Duke thinks he is a stud so we have to separate them?

Stud Muffin

Ellie in her stall

OK enough complaining...Noah is home from Australia and I love having my boys here.  My sister Faith is coming Monday afternoon for a few days!!!!  I really am happy about her visit.  This is the sister who went across the country on a train with me!  It is always so much fun to have her here.  We can make triangle scarves, go to St. Lawrence U bookstore which has fabulous coffee as well as fun stuff to buy, walk downtown, cook amazing meals, stay up late talking and sharing a bottle of wine.

Had my 6-month checkup with my oncologist who said that if it were him he wouldn't have any more CT scans because I have already had way too much radiation.   So that's that.  And I can keep the port in for another couple of years.

Life Lesson:  when stressed...take a nap.
xo

My Ellie

Well, Ellie doesn't know much about lunging, that's for sure.  Whoa doesn't seem to be in her vocabulary.  And I think we were expecting more than she could process at this point.  And we need a rope halter that fits her instead of the nylon one but Dommie's is too big and we haven't had a chance to get another.  But leading her has improved after only a couple of times and I have contacted a local trainer who is recommended by my riding instructor.  He will get us started in a couple of days.  Meanwhile, I am riding Duke.  sigh.  And when they are out of sight of each other there is all this hollering back and forth.  But they need to get used to being separated.  Tomorrow Duke and I are going out on the trail and field and I'll lock her in her stall.

Meanwhile, I'm weaving a new scarf (so much calmer than horses!!) and working on a chenille scarf warp (still in design mode) for a customer.

Ellie happy in the big field!

Hope everyone is enjoying the beautiful weather!

xo

Ellie...

Well, first we did a free lunging session in the morning which was a complete disaster.  Ellie only wanted to eat grass and when I harassed her to run she first had a completely lovely suspended trot and when I lowered my pressure she didn't pay any attention and started galloping faster and faster around in smaller and smaller circles...totally freaking out and freaking me out because I had no way to stop her...I have never seen a horse move that fast.  Never.  So finally she stopped and I clipped on a lead rope and we walked until she could calm down.  phew.  Then I put her back in the paddock.  OMG.  That didn't work.

Then later that evening after dinner we took her out to the arena again and put her on a line and had a very gentle time of it.  She was sweet and mostly walked because I didn't want to rev her up again.  So at least we ended on a good note for the day.  Oh the learning we are doing!  Ellie doesn't know anything about personal space (and staying out of mine).  My wonderful trainer and friend, Nancey, is coming over this morning to help me.  Yes.

Ellie in her stall for the night.  She loves the window.

The sky was amazing last night!

Gary gently lunging Ellie...

Another beautiful day and I'm loving life!

xo

I Bought A Horse!!

Woooooo Hoooooo!!!  I bought a horse...a very young Appendix mare with front shoes...I know, I know I said no mare and no shoes but sometimes you have to give a little.  And she is only 5 and hasn't always had shoes so I feel confident that she will be able to go without.  Oh yeah...I said no mare.  Well...Duke will be very happy.  Maybe too happy.  Might be hard to separate them but we'll just have to see.  Duke, by the way, has always been sort of stand-offish but lately he has started coming when I call him and liking some attention.  That will probably all stop when the girlfriend shows up.  This horse looks so skinny to me, too.  Especially since I'm used to chunkos.  I better work harder at my diet so she doesn't collapse under the weight...

So all of a sudden we have to do some work around here...like getting electric to the barn and fence.  Picking up stones...fixing some boards in my outdoor arena...and the gate is hanging from only one hinge out there.  Going to be a busy weekend.  And I don't really know when I can get her here...have to talk to the hauler but I'm sure it will be next week sometime.  I am so excited but it is coming out in a crabby way...

They called her "Dressed in Chanel"
and her barn name is Elle...but we will call her
Ellie

And Noah called!!  He has landed in NYC and will be coming home tomorrow sometime!  YAY!  Haven't seen him since January when he left for Australia.  Such a nice gift for Mother's Day!

Hope everyone enjoys the weekend!
xo

Why I do what I do...

I love weaving and I love handling beautiful threads.  I love designing and making things other people can enjoy.  And sometimes you come across lovely someones who make all the difficulties so worthwhile...

See the sweet little buttons and the embroidery??  The lettering is making me swoon.  Sending love to all my amazing customers...you know who you are.  You keep returning to purchase my scarves...you send me emails telling me about your lives and you support me in so many ways.  You add a richness to my days and you are in my heart when I design.  Thank you.

xo

Horse Hunting...Birthdays...Weaving...

I know...I've been missing lately.  So much going on and not wanting to spend too much time on the computer.  Went down to see my Mom for her 92nd birthday.  That was good.  She actually looks better than she is feeling, however.  Her mind is going.  She asks the same thing over and over.  She forgets a minute after you tell her something.  But it was sweet to spend a couple of days with her.  Brought her to the grocery store where she does really well walking with the cart.  Brought her to church.  Went out to lunch.  I just wish it wasn't almost 6 hours away!

 Then home to Gary's birthday.  We gave up wheat so I made little individual cheesecakes without any crust.  It was yummy and just enough.  

Last weekend we drove to Geneseo (4 hours away) to look at some horses.  That was totally exhausting.  I am so out of shape and those horses needed some leg to pay attention.  After riding 6 of them I was done...completely done.  They are not like Dommie, that's for sure.  They are all jumpers and I feel that they lack sensitivity.  But it could be that because the one I liked (the first paint in the video) (and no that isn't me riding) was a lesson horse he might be a little shut down.  And if he had one owner he might lighten up.  He is a thoroughbred paint.  I don't know...Every horse in the video was there for me to try.  Amazing.  The horse in Rhode Island, Cash, certainly raised the bar though for any other horse.  But he is 18 and has to have shoes and I need barefoot so even though I really liked him I don't think I can afford to keep him.  

So I am still looking...meanwhile I'm working on a scarf for one of my favorite customers...

So...weaving has become my solace since I can't ride...

xo

Shopping for Horses...

Well, thanks to Karen of This old house 2, We drove to

Rhode Island on Saturday to look at a horse.

 Tupper Lake, NY.  No spring yet...

Narragansett Beach, RI.  Does my heart good

to walk in the sand, listen to the waves...

So once we got to RI we checked out this

amazing, amazing Barn.

Yes, with a capital

B.

This place was so amazing I'm nervous.

The horses have more clothes than I have.

But we didn't get any pictures of the place

which was dumb.  But we were saving 

batteries for video...Anyway, his name is

"Cash" and at this point all I could see was

his tallness and he had on a blanket.

Not much to go on and I'm not used to

tall horses.

And that was it until the next day.  

Got a motel room, ate, drank some

wine, Watched part of Mulan on TV, slept.  

Next morning we showed up (Easter!) at 9 and

met one of the trainers, Alicia. And we

spent the next couple of hours playing.

She rode, I rode, another girl jumped him.

We hung out, asked questions.  Cash is so

gorgeous and tall (very tall) and so nice and

patient and willing.  So of course now I want to

buy him where before I was sorta thinking no that this

was a mistake dragging Gary all the way down here.

Mostly I was surprised that he was so much fun. 

Gary says I was grinning the whole time I was riding.

Now we are back home, trying to figure out if

he is the next horse for me and if he could be happy

up here in the North country.

Too bad this is not me riding him but Gary says

I never told him to take pictures when I was

riding.  sigh.

Karen, thank you.  It was really a lovely experience!!

xo