Economy Crunch Really Hurting

It seems like everybody is looking for jobs right now.  I know I need to find another source of income from home myself.  I've been looking online a bit but really need to buckle down and get going.  The holidays slowed everything down and I spent more time doing holiday and family stuff and less time working.  It'd be nice if it could always be like that but I really need to find some more income.  It's time to do some job searches and see what pops up.  I'm luckier because working from home, I don't have to stay with employers locally.  I can do a Philadelphia job search and see what comes up!

My husband just isn't getting the hours at work and hasn't been this past year. It's been tough.  I'm beginning to wonder if we are going to need to sell our horses.

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New Year's in the Boonies

My sister and sister-in-law are driving down on Thursday to spend New Year's Eve with us.  Leaving the big city to come here to the boonies!  Most people would be doing the opposite I think.

Everybody is very excited! I don't have the right electrical outlet for motorhomes so they can't bring their motorhome. Maybe next summer they can bring it down and park it at a local park and then I can drop all the kids off with them for the weekend. Kidding!

I hope everybody has a SAFE AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

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Horse Presents

I buy presents for the horses. Is that odd?

I just finished my holiday shopping for our barn owner, horse trainer, and for all the horses who live at the stable. I have a few more things I'm waiting on for our kids I ordered online and I still need to pick up a couple of small gifts for the neighbors and then I am done! Well, I also have to address a billion holiday cards and get gifts for family far away packed and mailed but then I'm done. Oh yeah, and the wrapping! Who can forget all the wrapping? I also have to plan dinner. I guess I'm not almost done. I didn't realize my "to do" list was still so long!

I know I'm supposed to hope for a white Christmas but why? The tree lit with presents underneath, excited kids wanting to tear into their gifts, and being together is all I want. The snow can just stay in the north away from us. Which reminds me, I also need to pick up furnace filters before the furnace kicks on around the clock. Is my work ever done? I don't think so!

I hope y'all are enjoying the hustle and the bustle of the holiday season and find some quiet time to just relax. I'm hoping to find some of that myself soon - maybe on December 26th!

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Less Weight in the Saddle

I wrote a long time ago about wanting to lose weight so I'd feel more comfortable riding. I just could not lose a pound no matter what I did because of my thyroid medication. Why doctors insist on synthetic thyroid medications when the natural desiccated thyroid works better for some people is beyond me. I switched myself to natural thyroid medication and lost ten pounds recently! That's a third of what I wanted to lose so I'm on my way. I haven't had to research the best weight loss pill and at this rate, I probably won't have to.

Great new for me, my health, and the horses' backs. I felt a little guilty. It's that I'm hugely overweight or anything and I'm tall so I can carry it OK but I'd just rather not.

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Oldest Going to Hit Teen Years Soon

Life as I know it is almost over. My daughter is almost officially a teenager and boy does it show! Instead of hair ribbons and dolls, I'm going to be shopping for acne treatment. Boy what a difference a couple years make.

She's a cheerleader, rides a horse, and is in total awe of the Twilight series and all the boys without shirts in the New Moon movie (that's when I knew childhood was being left behind). I wonder if the horse will get left behind along with the hair ribbons and dolls or if it will be lasting love for her.

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I'm the Grinch So Far

Winter is here. I was beginning to wonder if it was ever going to get cold (and you can be sure I was glad it hadn't for so long). It's getting down below freezing this weekend for the first time so this will probably be the last of my flowers in the flower pots. I'm amazed they made it this long!

Everybody is getting ready for the holidays and I can't seem to get into the holiday spirit. I don't know what's wrong with me. I usually look forward to all the online shopping for the kids but with money so tight, all I do is worry about that online shopping now. Kids' toys are expensive and when you buy for six kids, oh my!

Just call me "the Grinch" I guess. That's what I'm feeling like so far.

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Electrical Fence

What is the best electrical fence to buy? I've seen regular wire. I've seen a coated, white wire. I'm not sure what's best or most cost effective.

I've been looking at electrical supplies trying to figure out the average cost per acre for fencing in pasture, but I have no idea. It's a definite necessity because my half Draft will lean on the fence and push her boundaries if she's allowed to.

It only takes one zap to remind her why she shouldn't do that. I know I shouldn't think it's funny but when she's leaning on the fence and it's turned on, it's funny watching her take off away from the fence. I'm a bad horse mommy.

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Is there a family guide book to consequences?

The big stable sleepover has come and gone without any pre-teen tantrums because she was grounded and couldn't go. I wish she could have gone but with the list of things my daughter had done that she shouldn't have, there was no way I could let her go. It wouldn't teach her a thing. As she struggles her way from teen to adult, I hope she learns respect and responsibility.

I'm sure we'll have to get through some stomping, door slams, and "I hate you" comments thrown my way before she grows to adulthood. I better brush up my skills on how to take the door off the hinges so when the door slams in my face, I can take care of that little problem right away.

Taking away privileges is the only thing that I can think of doing that will work right now. I'm not sure what other parents do and I don't have a family guide book to tell me. I'm sure I'll make plenty of mistakes along the way.

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The Smoky Mountains Are Calling Me

I want to move to the Smoky Mountains. We had an opportunity twice to move and both times we refused because of my stepkids. It would be too far away. They don't pay any attention (none, zero, zip) to their siblings and very little to their father so in retrospect, it probably wouldn't have mattered all that much as unfortunate as that sounds. We should've looked into cross country moving companies and just done it. It would have changed nothing with my stepkids and we'd be living where we wanted to.

We could always hitch a trailer, load our horses and go. Except now the job market has dried up so we're stuck where we are at. Maybe I'll get to retire there...in 25 years.

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Artcarved Wedding Bands

My husband works in a machine shop so his wedding band doesn't go to work with him. When he comes home, he rarely puts it on because the band is too uncomfortable he says. I found something to fix that as an anniversary gift idea!

They're called artcarved wedding bands. They come in a simple band to a more intricately carved band. Then he'd have no excuse not to wear his wedding band anymore.

I can't complain. I haven't worn mine in a few months either. When we married, I was a size 4. I'm not anymore and it felt snug so I took it off until I finish losing weight (which I'm on my way now). I'm hoping to be able to put my wedding set back on my Christmas.

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I did it! I met first weight loss goal!

I've posted before about my desire to lose weight because I'd feel more comfortable on a horse. I've been trying for awhile but my thyroid was making it very difficult for me. Well, hopefully that's changing! I've broken down my weight loss into three goals and as of yesterday, have met the first of the three goals! Yeah for me!

I did it by adjusting my thyroid medication. I always knew it was my thyroid (hypothyroidism slowed my metabolism WAY down) but it took awhile for me to figure out how best to treat myself because the doctors would just keep on with the same synthetic T4 medication, keeping me overweight. I couldn't keep on that way without having to look elsewhere for ways to lose weight, like researching the best fat burners since my metabolism wasn't working right.

I'm glad the first goal is met. I hope the weight keeps coming off!

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Latest Riding Pictures with Tequila Sunrise

She's such a pretty horse and the more she is rode, the more willing she becomes. Plus, she loves her booty scratches when it's done.

Pretty soon, riding is going to be only at a minimum because it gets too cold. We're trying to get in weekly lessons for as long as we can and then Tequila will become a pasture pet for the coldest months of the year most likely (unless we get warm-ups in between the cold fronts).

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When parenting isn't fun!

The stable where our horses are boarded have a once or twice a year sleepover for all the girls who board and take lessons with them. This weekend happens to be the weekend for it and I have kids who are grounded! I don't want them to miss this sleepover because it doesn't happen very often but grounded means...grounded.

I hope kids don't think parents enjoy grounding their kids because there's nothing fun about it. I've been going back and forth over this in my mind for the last two days trying to figure out if they've done enough to make up for and get one of their privileges back (sleepovers) or if I should harden my heart and refuse. It keeps me from worrying about my normal health/weight problems so there's that. Instead of looking up phentermine, I'm struggling with parenting stuff. From a personal standpoint, a night of quiet from teenage angst would be nice. When kids get grounded, the parents seem to get grounded right along with them. Where is the fun in that?

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Combine Takes Out Power!

Only in the boonies would this happen - a combine took out an electrical pole or some type of electrical unit and took a big part of town and the country off the electrical grid for several hours. I had to have parent-teacher conferences for 45 minutes in the dark with my daughter's teachers. Since I can't stand one of them, not having to look at his face wasn't a bad thing. A blessing in disguise!

I'm not sure if they activated the emergency alert system but it wouldn't have mattered because the television was off. I doubt they did. It was mostly just an inconvenience. I'm sure our small town cop didn't even have to come into work to direct traffic since there are only a few traffic lights here.

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Flu Hits Home

A flu went through half of our household so far. I said "a" flu, not "the" flu that has so many people panicking. I'm just getting over it now. What I'd like to know is...

How come moms don't have sick days to take when they're sick? When I get sick, my responsibilities don't go away. I still trudge through the necessary ones, as miserable as I am. I'd like at least a few sick days per year and two weeks vacation please! This mom needs better benefits!

:)

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Best Christmas Presents

With 40-something days left until Christmas, I'm late. Usually by now, I've started organizing Santa lists and tracking down the most inexpensive way to make my kids' wishes come true.

This year, the lists include some electronics like MP3 players and cell phones but surprisingly, there are several books on the list too. Unlike last year, the list of video games they are hoping for has decreased substantially. Is this the end of the video game rage in my home? I sure hope so! If there is one toy that irritates me more than others, it would have to be video games. I much prefer to see my kids reading than playing video games!

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My Mare Loves the Cold

We've been waking up to frost on the ground and now they're calling for snow showers tonight. I'm not ready yet! I enjoyed the cooler than normal summer. It was fantastic. That doesn't mean I want an early, cold winter too!

I told my husband I wanted to move to where it was warmer - about 75 - 80 degrees year round. Like that's affordable eh? A lot of people head south for orlando vacations this time of year. I can't say I blame them (or all the snow birds who do it regularly every year). It's cold in the north!!

My horse, JeeNee, absolutely loves this cooler weather. She gets really spunky and active the colder it gets. While the other horses go into the run-ins out of the frigid temperatures, she's out running around in it. When it snows, she actually paws at the snow flakes in the air! I really need to get a picture of that! I miss it every single time. One of the negatives about not having our own land to keep her on. What I wouldn't give to have her in my own backyard.

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No Courage

Rex died 14 months ago and I have still not rode. I don't think I have the experience to ride my mare and really don't have any confidence that I'll stop being neurotic enough to do it successfully. With Rex, he was so well-trained and so sweet that I had some fear but not a huge amount of fear. My daughter is riding so we are at the stable still but I have yet to get back up on a horse.

I was talking to my husband about it the other day. He asked me if I'd lost interest in horses. It's not that. With three kids in soccer and three in cheerleading, I have been running constantly six days a week so there hasn't been any time since school started. We used to get to the stable several times a week but it's been hard to get down there enough recently. Getting older, I worry about getting seriously hurt (or worse) with four young kids to raise. I could get some cheap term life insurance rates to add onto our current policies to make sure they were financially taken care of but I worry that I won't see them grow up. I want to see them grow up.

So I have no riding progress to report. I've not been riding in over a year.

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Cell Phone Reception

I love living in a rural area but one negative is that there aren't enough cell towers in the area for good cell phone reception and it takes longer to get other technology (like faster internet connections). When we go to my in-laws house, I can't even use my cell phone from there. There is NO reception there. I'm sure they'll get it in time but being as rural as they are, they'll be on the bottom of the list.

It's funny how much I've come to depend on my cell phone for phone, texting, and internet access. With my newest phone, I even have GPS capabilities so this directionally-challenged individual doesn't get lost anymore!

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Bittersweet Shopping

Speaking of shopping (well, I was in my last post), today was the first time we'd shopped in a mall in 3-1/2 years. I'd forgotten how cute some of the clothes are (got used to just seeing Wal-Mart clothes). How cute all the small, trendy clothes were...with "small" being the bothersome word there.

I SO wish my thyroid would kick in gear so my metabolism would go back to normal. I want to wear those smaller sized clothes again without having to use weight loss pills at this point. While it was fun, it was a little bittersweet too. You don't realize how nice it is to feel good about how you look until you seriously don't like looking in the mirror anymore.

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Soccer, Mall & Stomach Aches

Three of our kids had soccer games this morning so we spent 3-1/2 hours at the soccer field, all in the cold, part of the morning watching soccer in the rain. How miserable!

Then it was off to the mall to find a dress for my oldest daughter's first dance for middle school. We have the dress, shoes, and jewelry. I still need to get her a masquerade mask because the girls are supposed to wear them at the dance.

Then we went to dinner at a place called Fricker's (sports bar/restaurant). We've never been there before and it's across from the mall so we popped in. Ugh. It was not the best place in the world for food. My stomach is hurting...feels like I've had a colon cleanse instead of dinner! The ONE time in the last couple of years that I ordered a drink with dinner and it was nasty too. I seriously doubt we'll be heading back there again.

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First Ride After Two Months

My daughter hasn't been on her horse in two months. Between cheerleading for her, and soccer and cheerleading for my other three kids, there have been activities scheduled daily! Around school and homework, it didn't leave any extra time for riding lessons. The activities are starting to wind down over the next two weeks so it's opening up time again.

She did great though. It didn't take long to get Tequila back into it. It was a good feeling watching them ride.

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Good News on Grandpa

He went in for a check up and he doesn't need another stent! He had a heart attack a couple years ago and has had many stents put in since then. His tests were so good this last time, he doesn't need to be tested again for two years. Great news!

We've been really worried about his health since his heart attack. It's slowed him down a lot but we're just happy he's still with us. They live too from a hospital and if his heart attack had been any worse, he probably wouldn't be with us right now. I think I'd be getting trained to use an AED. Living away from civilization definitely has its positive points, but being away from prompt medical treatment when you need it is a definite negative!

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Musical Family

My daughter is in her third year of playing flute for band. She's exceptionally good.

My son is in his first year of band at school and is learning to play the drums. We had to look for a snare drum kit for him at school. I had no idea what I was looking for, what material they should be. I could click on a link for stainless steel drums and not know I was in the wrong place until I checked out the web site. We found him a nice snare drum kit for band class (my husband knew what to look for).

I'm learning to play guitar. At my age! You should hear this old lady plug her electric guitar in! I'll sound better when I know more than You Are My Sunshine and Amazing Grace, lol.

My husband has played guitar most of his life and is recording music right now. My two stepkids both are in band (one clarinet and one guitar). My middle daughter sings (and wants to learn guitar and piano). My youngest daughter wants to play saxophone. I'm not sure why she said saxophone. She's four and I think she just likes the way the word sounds.

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Painting Cement Floors?

Does anybody know how to paint garage flooring so it's not slippery? I'd like to make it look like brick or stain it in some way but I'm not sure how. May just end up tiling it. We don't actually use it for our cars so we don't need to worry about drips from the cars.

I'd like to do this to our basement floor too where our family room is. I think it'd look nice painted with a brick pattern or stained. It has to be dog-friendly, able to withstand dog accidents and muddy paws so carpet is definitely out!

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All American Quarter Horse Congress in Columbus, Ohio

Who made it to Congress yet this year? We haven't and since we're totally broke, we're not likely to make it this year.

It runs from October 2 - October 25, 2009 if you still want to check it out. For more information, click here. It's held at the Ohio Expo Center, found at: 717 E. 17th Avenue, Columbus OH 43211.

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Unemployment Rates Rise

Unemployment rates are expected to rise again. I thought this stimulus was supposed to prevent all of this! I wonder if this means the horse industry isn't going to come back anytime soon either. I guess if you're in the market to buy, it's a great market for you!

New York state unemployment is in the news today. New York City unemployment is now at 10.3 percent. When will things start to get better?

We have a lot of updating we need to do to our house but I hesitate to spend money when we already live on a tight budget when the economy is so unstable. It doesn't seem right to price things like a Grohe faucet when times are tough. I feel like we should be saving all our money in case things get even worse.

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House Update Status

Most farmhouses have a mudroom. I need to create that same concept in our house, which isn't a farmhouse or even in the country. I need flooring that can take a bunch of kids and muddy dog traffic. I'm looking at one-piece vinyl flooring or floor tiles that clean easily. A one-piece sheeting would mop up easier but I love the look of tile.

I did get my kitchen painted finally! Maybe after the painting is done, we can concentrate on getting the rest of our flooring. I'd love for this house to be finished but this economy is taking its toll on everybody. We've lived here over three years and it's not done yet.

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Durango Taillight Covers

I drive a Dodge product and want to look for Mopar parts for it. I want some taillight covers for my SUV. Living out in the country, I see it frequently around here. I like the way they look but I wasn't sure about how it would affect the person driving behind me. Does it inhibit his or her viewing of my brake lights when I use them? I don't want to get rear-ended. Does anybody have taillight covers?

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Back and Forth with the Weight

Back and forth, back and forth. It's what my weight does. Just when I think the weight is starting to come off, it's back on again! It's SO frustrating to go from a size four to barely a ten. Sometimes it doesn't bother me but when somebody else notices the weight, then I feel bad.

I'm slowly changing over my thyroid treatment so *fingers crossed* that this will help. A lot of people start looking for the top diet pills but I need to try fixing my thyroid first and then seeing where I'm at.

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Five-Way Vaccine for Horses

My mare is due for her five-way vaccine and the local pet supplies store has been sold out of them. I found it at Jeffers (online) for even less than what the local place here sells it for. When I buy it locally, it's taken from a refrigerated environment. So I'm not sure how they keep it cool though during shipping. I am going to have to place a call and find out before I order it. Does anybody know?

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Hubby not Bob Vila (or even Tim Taylor)

Finally got the husband to somewhat commit to finishing the redecorating of our kitchen. We gutted it a year ago and put in new floors and kitchen cabinets. We also added a dishwasher (it'd been nine years since I'd had one and with 4 - 6 kids, that's a long time) and an over-the-stove microwave. We have to finish the walls and ceiling now.

I've been waiting for him to start it since there's a little rough work that needs to be done first but was getting ready to start it myself (and when that happens, you know I've lost all patience). He doesn't like to do home improvement stuff without his dad but his dad is only here a couple times a year. That's a long time to wait to do what needs to be done in the house.

I was looking at the backsplash area and was deciding between some type of tile, like a stainless steel tiles or just paint. I've decided on an olive paint but I'm still kicking it around in my head to add tiles down the road when we have the money.

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Thyroid, Hormone Levels & Health

I am waiting for a new thyroid medication to arrive soon and for the first time in a long time, I feel a little hope that I might be able to manage my thyroid disease better than the endocrinologists have so far. I am not interested in synthetic medications or removing my thyroid (unless I absolutely have to).

What I am hoping for:

• ...the brain fog to clear up.
• ...my short term memory to come back.
• ...my hair and skin to improve.
• ...the itching to stop.
• ...the weight to fall off as my hormone levels optimize so I don't need a weight loss supplement.
• ...my goiter to go away.
• ...my thyroid nodules to shrink.

That's a pretty tall order, isn't it? With the right dosage of thyroid medication and appropriate supplements, my fingers are crossed!

I am also reading about bioidentical hormones and it is really interesting reading.

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"To Do" for School

School has been in session going on the second week now and it's been busy between school, homework, a break-up, soccer for three kids and cheerleading for two kids. One of my kids also managed to sprain her wrist so she's in a splint for awhile (and not able to ride her horse unfortunately).

I have made it about 90% through my school "to do" list but still have a few things left to buy (paper towel, kleenex, and a flash drive). Our school does a fundraiser for flash drives but I was also looking at this site for a Corporate flash drive to see what that was about. My 12 year old would love a custom flash drive for school! I also have book fees to pay for three of the kids. It's a neverending round of money out the door it seems like (I thought our taxes paid for this stuff?).

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Making it a less material Christmas this year

I had to explain to our oldest yesterday that "Santa" is on a tight budget this year so they are going to have to restrict their holiday lists because this year isn't going to be like last year. We definitely have to reduce the amount of money we spend this year. The economy is hitting everybody and it's definitely hit us here too.

I was surprised to hear that they were wanting another video game system (considering we just bought them one last Christmas). It seems their dad had told them we'd get them one. Oops. Not this year.

I was looking at all the different Bell products (bell tv HD receivers and gaming remotes) but I think adding anything else to our HD television is going to have to wait a bit unfortunately. Maybe next year, we'll see some improvement in the economy. I sure hope so.

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Camping

A festival for Labor Day is moving into town as I type this, getting ready for the weekend. Everybody drives their RV's in and parks them on the grounds and sticks around all weekend long.

My husband and I were taking a walk around the park where they set up, talking about the different RV's. My husband didn't think he'd like to do something like that but the trailers we were seeing were pretty old, not like the fifth wheel my sister has. I explained to him that my sister's was more like an apartment and seemed really comfortable. The ones we saw at the park were pretty ancient but hers is new with the rv warranty still fresh.

I could definitely camp if we had something like my sister's! It has all the comforts of home.

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One Year Anniversary of Rex's Death

Yesterday was the one-year anniversary for Rex. He died a year ago yesterday. He was my daughter's horse but I was just as attached to him as she was. He was such a wonderful guy! It still tears me up. I haven't rode since he died. He was the last horse that I rode. It broke my heart and took all the joy away. I don't know if it is just not wanting to get so attached again when they can leave you so unexpectedly or what. I'm going to have to dust myself off and get back on but it's hard. Look at how wonderful he was:

I didn't tell my daughter about the anniversary date. I thought about going to where he was buried with her but she was torn up for awhile when he died and I didn't want her getting upset again. I'm not sure I did the right thing but she feels things so deeply that I didn't want to open up a world of hurt for her again.

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Mom's Going on a Road Trip

I created, update, and host a web site for a local horse rescue. I also take many of the pictures and videos for them. There are a couple horses a little road trip away that they want to add to the site. That means I get to pack up my video camera, Digital SLR camera, and smaller digital camera and take a road trip to get some pictures and videos of them. We're going to do it while the kids are in school (which starts in about two days!). It'll be the first time I'll have been anywhere for any length of time without the kids. Considering it isn't THAT far away, that's kind of sad. Mom needs to get out more!

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Flouride in Drinking Water

I've been reading lately about the negative side of having flouride in your drinking water. Among other things, it is said to block the absorption of iodine, which can lead to thyroid disease (which I have). I'm glad our town doesn't include flouride in the tap water, but if yours does, I hear there are water filters you can buy to remove it.

You know, since we moved here 3-1/2 years ago, I haven't noticed a decline in my children's teeth either. In fact, not one of the four of them have had any cavities at all. They are still getting it from their toothpaste, but it makes you wonder if putting it in the tap water is really making any difference in terms of tooth decay while it causes other health problems.

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Neurotic Mommy

Being out in the country, having ATV's seems to be the norm rather than the exception. Seeing how I am from the big city (born in Detroit), I'm not quite used to seeing kids on these types of recreational vehicles or racing vehicles. I even have a hard time with seeing kids on tractors, which I do see, but I wouldn't let my kids even push a lawn mower. All I see is "danger, danger" flashing at me.

According to an article I read at Consumersaffairs.com, 16,200 children were treated by medical personnel in 2007 in mower-related injuries. I'm neurotic on top of being a parent so I choose not to take that chance.

We have a midget race track in town that people come to from all over, children included. They race around this track in these little cars and yes, some do get hurt. It blows my mind. If my kid wanted to race, I think I'd feel better if he or she were in a larger vehicle like a yamaha rhino 660 over a tiny little car with very little around him for protection.

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Disney Free on Birthday?

Did you know that your child can get into Disney free on their birthday if you're planning orlando vacations anytime soon? I didn't know this but a friend of ours just said they were taking their child there on their birthday because of that. I looked it up and it's true. The Disney site says if you register the birthday during 2009, admission is free to one of the theme parks. If you're thinking of going to Orlando and you can arrange it around a child's birthday, sounds like a great birthday present to me!

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Child Support for Horses?

How irritating! Read about it here.

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Great iPod Touch or iPhone Apartment App

When I bought my iPod Touch, it was for the sole purpose of listening to music. That was the extent of what I planned for it. After getting it, I was surprised at the number of iPod applications there were that were fun and/or useful!

There is an iphone apartment app that you can use to search for apartments free! Grab your iPhone or iPod Touch and hit the road in search of your new digs. It's called MyNewPlace and it's easy to use. Input the location you want to search in (city, state or zip) and search. You can see the different criteria (number of bedrooms, pet policy, etc.) and even check out photos so you get an idea of what the apartment looks like before you get there (or cross it off your list of apartments to see if you don't like what you're seeing). It's free and a timesaver!

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Blog Traffic

I blog and part of being a successful blogger is having traffic on your blog. Some people use social networks, others use forums, and some search for the best web directory and list their blog or blogs on directories to direct traffic.

I get a lot of traffic from search engines and I have a regular number of subscribers to my different blogs that bring back regular traffic. This is one thing I should work on though - bringing even more traffic in.

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Sadness for Daughter

While at the health food store today, they were collecting money for a child that had Leukemia. My 12-year-old daughter saw it and it made her sad. Children shouldn't get cancer. It's not right, but you hear a lot about it unfortunately.

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Horse Videos of Our Horses & More

To see videos taken of our horses or the horses at the stable over the last couple of years, I've added some of them here.

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JeeNee's Feet

JeeNee used to be able to skip every other farrier visit to the barn but her feet seem like they're breaking down earlier this summer for some reason. It's not been overly dry so I'm not sure why.

She has those big clydesdale feet and I want to make sure her dinner plate-sized hooves stay healthy. I'm wondering if I should buy her some type of supplement to put in her feed for her hooves. I'm not sure what to buy though. I have the stuff that looks like motor oil to brush on (for the life of me, I can't remember the name of it right now).

Her feet have always been bare.

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Back From Vacation

Our vacation is over. I enjoyed seeing family but I REALLY loved my bed when I got home. I could do without my living room furniture and didn't have withdrawals over not having a computer for six days but I appreciated my bed after eight hours in a car to get home!

We traveled to Michigan by car to visit my side of the family for a couple of days and then my husband's side of the family for a few days. We had 4 - 5 kids in the car with us (depending on what part of the trip we were on) and y'all probably know that traveling with kids can test your patience. It did ours at times.

I was glad to be home but it got my husband and I talking about finishing what needs to be finished in our house so it is presentable to people when they come over - like painting walls (this is HUGE and will make a big difference), building a small "room" around the monster furnace we had installed last year so we can finish our family room that the furnace is in. I'd love to look at copper kitchen sinks but we planned wrong. I should have picked the sink at the same time I picked my counter. It wouldn't go with my new kitchen countertops. They do have some that would work in our small bathroom that needs to be remodeled as well though.

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Minor Annoyance During Vacation

We have to see the ex when we pick up my stepkids. I haven't seen her in four years (hubby usually does that by himself thankfully). I'm not stressing over it a lot or anything...don't need to run out and get a life insurance quote because I'm going to give myself heart problems over it. It's just a minor annoyance (she's just a minor annoyance in our life...like a fly). I was just hoping to get through the next four years without having to deal with her at all. The last four have been so nice!

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Vacation Plans

We'll be heading out on vacation really soon. My sister is due to have her baby on the day we arrive. We were hoping she'd have her tonight or tomorrow so we don't miss seeing the new little arrival. It'd save my sister from sending out so many baby announcements too.

Our horses are taken care of at the stable. Our goldfish is going to the neighbor. Our dogs are going to the kennel and our snake will be just fine without us here for a couple days. No worries!

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Our Dog Has Some More Time With Us

The vet visit for our dog today is over. She has a partially collapsed trachea so she is probably always going to cough. She will be more prone to infections like bronchitis. It's not time to put my old girl down yet so I am relieved. We can manage this right now.

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Thoroughbred For Adoption - Salt and Pepper Annie

I made a video today for a thoroughbred at a local rescue that has gone up for adoption. If you know of anybody interested, she's beautiful.

If you'd like to know more, check her out here.

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Road Trip!

We're planning a driving trip to another state soon to visit family. With four kids, it makes for a tight fit (and sometimes a long trip). I was thinking about renting a rv and making the trip much more comfortable. I wonder if we could bring our dogs if we did that? It would save kennel costs for three dogs. It might be worth it. Would it save on bathroom stops too (can you use the bathrooms while the rv is actually driving)?

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Riding Lesson Progress

Quick Update:

Tequila and my daughter are doing great together! She's riding Tequila every week and they're coming along nicely together.

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Who's Started Christmas Shopping?

I am seriously considering that I need to start this summer. I've never started that early before but with money as tight as it is, it would save us the huge financial crunch we'll have at the end of the year if I spread it out starting about right now.

I was looking at heart jewelry for the older girls, specifically bracelets or necklaces. I came across this heart ring that I love! I know I'm not supposed to be shopping for myself but I can online window shop!

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Horses Meet Technology

When I think of riding, I think of country, laid back, relaxation, away from the business of day-to-day life. What you see now, that you didn't see years ago, is everybody pulling out their iPhone while riding to check messages or teenagers all gathered around in a barn texting. Better make sure you buy the necessary iphone accessories to protect your phone if it's going to get roughed up at a barn or while riding.

Being with our horses is a stress reliever for me. However, that doesn't stop me from having my phone with me at all times for emergencies. If I can check email and text too, it's a bonus!

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Dress Like A Cowgirl

Did you know that Cowgirl Chic is all the rage right now? I love my red cowgirl boots personally. I'll love it even more when I can wear my red leather jacket in the Fall to match! Sometimes I feel like I'm getting stares when I'm wearing them out in public but who cares right? I wear what I like!

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Product: Equine Scratcher

I received an email this morning about a product called the Equine Scratcher. It is a relatively inexpensive product that allows horses to scratch safely so they aren't tearing themselves up. The short video for how it is installed and how horses use it is here. I've seen it for sale from $31 - $35 so far.

I can see how our Tequila would love something like this since she loves scratches! Did you see the video of that I posted a few weeks back?

They claim the Equine Scratcher is safer for horses. What do you think?

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Auto Insurance Rates

Who do you think has the best auto insurance rates? I've used the same automobile insurance company for probably 15+ years. I think I have decent rates but then I wonder if I should be getting auto insurance quotes just to make sure, at least every few years.

In your experience, who has the best automobile insurance rates? I want to call a few places and get quotes but I'd like a short list to go from. They should also do homeowners insurance as well. What do you think?

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Piercing Child's Ear Without Pain

My four-year-old braved the guns and had her ears pierced recently. She'd been waiting until she turned four (which she did last month). There were two grandmotherly women working who did the piercing. They took out the antiseptic wipes and put on the latex gloves - - I was waiting for them to pull out a lab coat and put that on too! It all seemed very "medical" like. I don't remember the latex gloves when I was a kid getting my ears pierced. Considering some people just use a needle, ice, and a potato, the more sanitary conditions where she had her ears pierced is a good thing.

She didn't cry or even say "ouch" or anything. She said it didn't hurt which was a relief (even though I used cream on her ears they use when giving children blood tests so they don't hurt, I wasn't sure if it would work for the ears). She's very proud of her new ear rings.

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Rescues on the Web

With the closing of slaughter plants, there has been an increase in horses needing a good home. Rescues are overburdened and low on funds doing all they can to save all the horses they can. The Internet is a great resource for finding horse rescues if you are interested in adopting a horse that needs a loving home.

If you are a rescue and aren't on the Internet yet, it's simple to get yourself a web presence so people can find you easier. Check out web design resources such as web site design orange county.

If you are a person who wants to help out but aren't looking for a horse personally, find a local non-profit rescue and donate if you can. If you don't have the money but have some horse experience or extra tack in your barn, perhaps donating extra tack or a donation of some time helping out would be a great way to give without it costing you anything.

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Diamond Girls

I found this beautiful horseshoe shaped necklace that any horse lover would to have so I thought I would post it here. Isn't it beautiful? I think it would make a great gift for a Sweet Sixteen whose love is horses.


Then I was looking through the white gold anklets and came across this really pretty ankle bracelet with a Pave Moon. I love ankle bracelets. They are so feminine.

I love everything that sparkles (I am definitely a diamond girl) and these two pieces are beautiful. I found them at Lauren Klein. They also carry men's jewelry, earrings, rings, fashion jewelry, and engravable jewelry.

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Testing from phone.

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Electronics on the Fritz

I have all of these videos I've taken at the stable of the horses, lessons, etc., but I don't know what to do with them. I can't transfer them onto a DVD because my laptop keeps overheating every time I do. I really need a new computer. While we're at it, I'd like an entire home entertainment system - flat screen television, stereo system in a nice stereo cabinet, DVD player, etc. My stereo system is on top of my hutch, which I can't reach. My DVD player stopped working a few weeks ago (the kids are rough on them I guess). Our electronics are all on the endangered list but the economy still stinks. While it'd be great for retail for us to replace everything, my bank account would need CPR!

Earlier today, our smoke alarm was going off for no reason. That's battery-operated so it can't be on the electronics hit list like the rest of our electronics but I'm starting to wonder just what is going on here!

Whatever is going on, I hope to be able to put all the videos on DVD eventually to have. They're taking up too much room on my hard drive. Plus it'd be nice for my daughter to have when she's older.

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Ohio Horse Shows

If you're looking for resources for horse shows in Ohio, here are some resources for you:

• Ohio Horse Shows
• Equine Affaire
• Ohio State Fair

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My Butt on a Clydesdale Cross

I wanted to lose weight before I rode JeeNee this year. She's half Clydesdale so it wouldn't hurt her any but I'd feel better about it. My thyroid has made that impossible though. Well, my thyroid and my doctor who doesn't know how to treat it (those complaints are on my thyroid blog).

I don't know what to do. I can't take anything for it without knowing how it'll react to my thyroid medication. It doesn't matter what a diet pill review says because I just don't know how I'll react (since I'm one of those odd ducks who react differently than they expect to medications if my medication reaction history is anything to go on.

JeeNee can definitely carry me. I'd just prefer she carry less of me!

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Latest Pictures of Tequila

Tequila is doing great! My daughter loves her so much. Doesn't she look pretty in her halter/bridle? She borrowed it from my horse, JeeNee. We got it from Sunset Halters. My daughter is going to get a blue and black one for Tequila I think. When they get Hunter Green, she'll probably get that one too.

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Only Hearts Club Brand of Toys for Horse Loving Kids

I just found a great site for toys for my horse-loving girls! I searched all over the Internet the past two Christmas's to find horses and other horse-related toys for my daughters who all love horses, like a lot of little girls do (and their mothers too). I just came across the Only Hearts Club brand that has the cutest toys! Now I can start shopping for Christmas early this year.

If my little girl, who has been carrying a stuffed horse around non-stop, sleeping with it, putting it down for naps, and giving it its own spot at the dinner table (with REAL food) is any indication, she'll definitely still be into horses come Christmas.

Seriously, she had pizza sitting on my dining room table for her horse tonight at dinner. She even had the horse in its own chair, which I took. Mom wants to sit down at the dinner table too!

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Letting Go

I am slowly letting go of my neurotic need to watch every riding lesson my daughter has. Like me being right there would prevent her from being hurt! I guess it's not just a neurotic need...I do enjoy taking pictures and videos of her lessons but there is only so much I can do with hours and hours of videos of her lessons. She prefers me to be right there but it's time to back off a bit. I can still see her from the other side of the farm where I sit but she can't see me seeing her.

I am taking the time to read a book or check email on my cell phone (where would we be without cellular phones). Eventually, I am going to have to let go of my little girl I guess. I'm slowly starting (trying not to hover ALL the time...just some of the time).

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Burt Reynolds getting award (against horse slaughter)

Burt Reynolds is getting the 2009 Safe Home Equine Protection Award on August 6, 2009. It's being given to him for his protection of the wild and domestic horses in America and his opposition to horse slaughter.

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Is horse slaughter humane or brutal?

Is horse slaughter humane euthanasia or do you consider it a brutal act?

Do you consider the euthanizations (putting to sleep, put down, putting out of its misery) that shelters perform on dogs and cats, 9.6 millions animals per year, humane? Don't our tax dollars pay for the animals put down at county shelters?

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Beach Rides in Wilmington, NC

Have you ever had a beach ride with your horse? I never have. It seems like it'd be really nice. I was looking at this farm in Wilmington, NC who offers them. Their pictures are beautiful. The beaches there are just gorgeous.

If you're interested in Wilmington NC real estate, it looks fantastic. I've never been to the eastern side of North Carolina, only the western side in the mountains but I'd sure love to go.

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First Halter Class

My daughter will go to her first show in mid-June with Tequila. She is showing in the halter class. I'm a little nervous for her. I've never done anything like this before so I'm not sure what to do or how she'll feel if she doesn't place where she wants to. Our trainer will be there with us the entire time though so all I really need to do is relax and let them do their thing. I don't do well with "relaxing" though.

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Car A/C Would Go Out During Summer Heat

I was driving to the stable last week, hottest day so far this year, and my fan stopped working on my air conditioning. I'm just getting a little trickle out of the vents. Great! So, I roll down the windows and suffer (yes, suffer, because I don't do well in heat) while trying to figure out how to come up with the money to get my car's air conditioning fixed. Then yesterday it starts working again! Huh?

Today, it gets into the mid-80's and it's not working again! GRRR!!!! So I have a short in there somewhere - just for the front motor though. The vents in the back of my truck are working just fine (for my passengers since it doesn't reach up to the driver...sad for me).

I don't know how I am going to pay for this car repair. I mean, I know it's not like I'm replacing Ferrari parts or anything like that but still! It'll be a hot (and cranky) ride this summer if I don't though. I get light-headed in the heat so I have no choice.

What great timing! Things always seem to go wrong when you can least afford for them to. I wonder why that is. We have a horse show to go to in a couple weeks so I better get it fixed before I haul the kids to it without air conditioning...what a miserable ride that would be.

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Tequila Loves the Butt Scratches

Here is the video I told you about in an earlier post. This is my daughter's new horse, Tequila. She LOVES to have her butt scratched. Her head gets moving all over the place...it's so funny. Here it is:

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Busy Summer

So I am trying to plan all the different lessons and stuff this summer. I didn't realize how busy this summer was going to be until I started trying to figure out the schedule.

We have riding lessons for my oldest. My middle daughter is going to start riding lessons. I have to fit mine in there (if my old body can take the abuse). Then two of the kids are in cheerleading in the Fall which starts practicing in July, flute lessons for one, swimming lessons for three, and then workout time for my husband and I to do together. Soccer will hit in August sometime I think. Whew!

In July, my stepkids will be here so then there'll be six kids to take care of instead of four. My sanity is going to take a beating this summer I think.

Geez! Between all the running around, riding and working out 2-3 days a week, I am going to need some serious down time and decent sleep at night. I'll fit sleep in there somewhere between this schedule (except our mattress is bad so there may not be any hope for a good inght's sleep)!

My husband HAS been complaining about our mattress (OK, it is 14 years old so I guess he has a right to complain) so if I "give in" to his complaints and make him think it is his idea, maybe we can have a comfy bed this summer. I don't know how to shop for mattresses though. Firm, soft, water (ok, no water...though hubby likes them and had one when we met that mysteriously sprung a leak), perhaps a sleep number bed...how do you choose? It would definitely make for a better night's sleep so I could handle all these daily activities without becoming a grouch.

The kids get out of school in two days. I only have to make it through the next three months right with my sanity intact?

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My Daughter's New Horse - Tequila Sunrise

Last year, on August 21, 2008, my daughter's heart broke when her horse, Rex, died unexpectedly. It was devastating to her to lose him. She'd been through some rough times in the previous year and she came out of it with her strong bond with Rex. She was happy again with Rex. Rex had such a personality that I wondered if there'd be another horse with so much character.

It's been nine months since Rex passed and she's been riding Tequila this year, our trainer's mare. They've been learning together (Tequila hasn't had formal training as she'd been a broodmare previously but she has such an easy going personality that it didn't seem to matter). The extent of Tequila's riding experience was when the girls at the stable would jump on her bareback with just a lead rope and ride her around in a parking lot at a show (she's great at shows for halter). Tequila wasn't going to have anymore babies so it was time for her to become a riding horse.

Bree has been the one riding her...first on a lunge line with the trainer and then, quicker than I expected, on her own. I didn't realize it until last week but Bree has been the only one to ride her for training. It's a great accomplishment for my daughter. As expected, Tequila was easily trained for riding and my daughter can now say she helped "break" a horse for riding ("break" isn't the right word...Tequila wants to do what you want her to do). They bonded beautifully.

Tequila is a unique horse in her own, funny way. I'm working on the video to post here to show you what I mean (she's hilarious). You'll have to check out the video when I get it posted.

Anyway, the point of all of this (sorry, I got to rambling), is that Tequila's owner (our trainer) gave Tequila to Bree after her lesson this past Wednesday. Tequila Sunrise is now Bree's horse. She was finally ready for another horse and now she has one to love again. They work well together and love each other. Here they are:



In June, they will go to their first horse show together for halter.

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Horse Night Light

I was online looking for a jasmine candle for my mother-in-law when I found this horse night light that my horse-loving daughter would really like on the same website, Colonial Candle. Actually, I think all of my kids would like one of these in their bedrooms.

All the redecorating in my children's bedrooms has come along nicely. As usual, our bedroom is the last one to be redecorated.

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Can I ride a horse if I'm pregnant?

Can I ride a horse if I'm pregnant?

That's a question a lot of women ask their doctor if they are avid riders and pregnant. Seeing how we are waiting to see if a little accident results in my needing to know whether I should be worrying about this or not in a few months, I looked it up. The answer varies with who you ask.

Most everything I've read so far says it is ok if you are an experienced rider on a steady mount. Of course, you shouldn't be jumping large jumps or anything like that as your center of gravity shifts with your body changes. You'll find yourself eating dirt.

The opposite side of this debate is that riding a horse is considered a risky sport to begin with and risky sports are off-limits while pregnant because you can fall off. You can get kicked. You can get jarred a bit while riding.

I am not an experienced rider and my horse is not a dead head to ride so the answer, for me, would be no. I am also a bit clumsier when pregnant (I've managed to fall during every pregnancy on my own feet). I am also highly neurotic about safety so I wouldn't ride whether I was experienced or not. That's just me. The risks aren't worth it to me because no matter how experienced you are, accidents happen. I just read of one on a forum where an experienced rider fell off her horse and was kicked while in her second trimester. Others enjoy riding until they aren't comfortable to do so anymore.

If you are pregnant and wondering if you should be riding your horse, check out Obgyn.net here and do a search with your question. You should definitely check with your own doctor! I'm not sure if I am going to need it yet. We had a hard time getting pregnant with our other kids, but like my husband said, it'd be our luck when we weren't trying to get pregnant. Oh well. If it happens, he or she would be welcomed with lots of love.

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New Tack from Sunset Halters

I received my new halter bridle from Sunset Halters for JeeNee the other day. I ordered it in black and coral. It's a really nice one. I can't wait to see her in it this week. I'll take pictures, of course (I am rarely without my camera). If you want to see what it looks like, click on the link in the first sentence and check it out. It's SO pretty and looks wonderful on my girl.

I will get pictures! It's been mega-crazy these last couple weeks with school getting out this week for my kids. They cram every school musical, field day, band concert, etc. into the end of the year that they can. Multiply that times four kids and we are super busy!

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When the Diagnosis is Cancer

Since I just had a thyroid biopsy done on Monday to check for cancer in three solid nodules on my thyroid, cancer has been on my mind a little more than usual. OK, a lot more than usual. Statistically speaking, my results should be negative unless it's just not my lucky day.

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New Horse

What my daughter doesn't know yet, and we are going to talk to the trainer and let her give her the surprise since she is giving the gift to my daughter, is that my daughter will have a new horse soon! Losing Rex last summer was SO hard. I still get choked up at times. However, there comes a time when you have to move on (says mom who seems to be having a harder time of it than her daughter...I'm lecturing myself here...don't mind me).

Stay tuned for details!!

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Decorating Daughter's Room

Did you know that Mary Kate & Ashley have a line of area rugs? I didn't. I am looking for a country type rug (horses, horse shoes, etc.) for my daughter's bedroom and I found this adorable area rug for my other daughter's room from Mary Kate & Ashley. Unlike my horse-loving daughter, my middle daughter is really girly. Their line of rugs would be perfect for my middle child. Now back to shopping for a rug for my horse-loving daughter...

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Is Twitter for Sale?

Do you Twitter? It's the new thing to do, gaining momentum everyday, which is actually a big surprise to me.

On The View today (you know that show where most of the women gang up on one and argue - oops, I mean, debate - so much so that you can't hear what any of them are talking about. Like a bunch of angry birds squawking at each other...hey, they're twittering at each other. OK, bad joke.

Back to The View, Biz Stone, a co-founder of Twitter, told audiences today that Twitter is not for sale. Apparently, rumors abound that Google, Microsoft, and others are wanting to buy them. That's right. Hang onto it long enough, Biz, so the price goes up nice and high and then you can retire young. Good going, Twitter owners! With the popularity of Twitter increasing, the sale price can only go up, at least for now. Boy, I wish I had the knowledge to do something like this.

If you'd like to follow me on Twitter, follow me and send me a tweet!

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Mine That Bird Wins - 2009 Kentucky Derby Upset

Calvin Borel riding Mine That Bird wins the 2009 Kentucky Derby. With 50-1 odds, he won with a 6-3/4 length victory. Mine That Bird's trainer is Bennie Woolley Jr. The news reports say he hitched the horse to the back of his pickup and drove there himself from New Mexico. This same trainer won two years ago with Street Sense so maybe those surprised by this win shouldn't have been.

In second place was Pioneer of the Nile, Musket Man was third, Papa Clem fourth.

I know a lot of people like these races but I worry - not only about what harm may be occurring to horses trained so early and hard but about the horses that aren't money makers who get left to hope for a rescue to come get them.

There are a lot of thoroughbred rescues if you want a thoroughbred. If you are looking for a thoroughbred in the west central Ohio area, check out Salem Ridge Thoroughbred Rescue.

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Thyroid Results are a Disappointment

Well, I received my thyroid lab results back today and I was very disappointed. Because my doctor uses the "old" recommendations for hormone levels instead of the newest ones since 2003, they consider my thyroid levels "normal" and won't be adjusting my medication. Talk about wanting to break down and cry! I haven't felt like myself in years. Now I will look for a different doctor - somebody who will listen to me instead of just look at the lab results.

I was so hopeful in getting my medication adjusted to get my memory back and losing this weight. Maybe I should just pop a diet pill everyday for a little metabolic help. My doctor sure hasn't been any help.

You can read more about my thyroid woes on my Healthy Me blog. I've put all my levels and such there.

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Do Horses Equal Zits?

For some silly reason, I thought when I outgrew the turbulent teenage years, that I would leave behind acne as well. I've been disappointed to find out I was wrong. Getting all the dust and dirt on my face at the stable, or on my hands and then touching my face, certainly doesn't help. I always feel so grimy when I leave the barn. I've also found that when I use products on my face to clean or moisturize, it causes me to break out more. Why is that?

Apparently, I haven't found the cleanser for the best acne treatment. My problem is I don't know what to look for. I have no clue.

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Love this Picture!

Jeenee & Daughter

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Is the economy affecting your horse?

Times are beyond tough all around us right now with the economy the way it is. Where is the light at the end of the tunnel? I am hoping to see it soon. Trying to keep shelter over your family's head and food on the table is becoming more and more difficult for many people. People are not only losing material things or insurance for their family (get an insurance quote here), but their sense of security as well. That is scary.

The human factor aside, what about the animals? Are pets being taken to the vet less often? After all, if it is between paying for an annual dog vaccination OR groceries for your child that week, putting food in your child's mouth would come first. I wonder if the humane societies have seen an increase in pets dropped off this year due to struggling families in financial crisis.

What about your horse? If you aren't lucky enough to have your own land, you are likely paying boarding fees. When times get tough like this, how do you justify paying horse board over your mortgage? I would imagine there are plenty of people who have given up their horse(s) already or are considering it.

Have you had to choose between your horse and yourself/your family yet?

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Wrong Medication Dosage Kills Horses

I previously wrote about the 14 horses that died a few days ago here. The latest news I can find on the story is that the number of horses dead is now to 21 and that the wrong dosage of medication is to blame for the deaths. A Florida pharmacy is blaming the vet for giving them incorrect information. It's still under investigation.

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Happy Birthday!!

JeeNee turned five on Monday. I bought her apples and carrots as a treat (like the horse treats and sugar cubes aren't enough). I actually bought enough for the whole stable so they all get to share in her birthday treats.

Happy 5th Birthday, JeeNee!

Today is one of my daughter's birthday too! Happy birthday to McKena, my sweet little girl. She is getting a new bike, a fish, and a High School Musical birthday cake for her birthday. My two oldest kids are using their own money to buy her an iPod Shuffle. Sweet kids huh?

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Working From Home

I am looking for other ways to work from home. A friend of mine is doing fantastic with working from home so I know it's possible!

I was considering selling life insurance from home. I passed the class for it but then didn't pursue the next step. I didn't realize that you had to buy the leads yourself. I figured when you work for a company, they supply you with what you need to make them money. It didn't make sense to me that I would have to buy my own life insurance lead to make the company I would work for money.

Speaking of life insurance, I just remembered I have to call our insurer about ours since we changed banks and our payments are automatically deducted from our account. I almost forgot!

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14 Thoroughbred Horses Die Before Polo Match

14 thoroughbred horses unexpectedly died before a polo match in Florida on Sunday. This happened at the International Polo Club Palm Beach in Wellington. Necropsies and blood tests are being performed to find out why.

How awful. It was a shock when our Rex unexpectedly passed away last August. I can't imagine seeing horses dropping like flies. Very sad.

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Maximum Weight Your Horse Can Carry

I have been wondering about maximum rider weight for your horse and how to know what that is. I have a draft cross so it's probably not something I need to be concerned about unless I plan on ballooning up in weight but it's still on my mind because I don't want to add an extra burden to my horse regardless of her breed.

I looked it up and here is what I found:

It depends on several factors: the horse (breed, conditioning, conformation, bone structure), how far/long you will be riding, what else the horse will carry besides yourself, etc.

Did that answer your question? It didn't answer mine.

There are a couple of ways you can try to determine the maximum weight for your horse to carry. These are:

• Your Horse's Weight Divided By 6 = Max. Pounds Horse Should Carry
• 20% Rule for hard riding (20% of your horse's weight) or 30% rule for leisurely riding
• Measure your horse's cannon bone (the circumference below the knee). Take the horse weight + rider weight + tack weight and divide that total by the cannon bone measurement. Then, divide that result by 2. The recommendation is 75 - 85.

So, that is what I found online on how to determine what weight your horse can carry. It doesn't tell me whether I should be looking up diet pill reviews yet but it gives me a better idea on what my horse should be carrying. I hope it helped you too!

If you know of other ways, please feel free to share them!

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100 Posts & Over 7,000 Visitors

I just hit a milestone. I just hit the 100 post mark on this blog (one of my newer blogs) and have had over 7,000 visits to it! That averages to 70 visits per post...not bad.

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Horse Pictures

My daughter rode a different horse for the first time the other day. She took a lesson with my stepdaughter who was here on Spring Break. My stepdaughter rode our trainer's horse and my daughter rode a horse that belongs to another girl at the stable. She is well-trained and sweet to ride. It was good for my daughter to ride something different. She learns something new every time she does this. The lesson went well but she missed Tequila so her next lesson will be on Tequila.

Then there is my dirty girl. She turns 5 tomorrow. She should have been a pig for all the dirt she is always covered in. Her legs are really thick (sure wouldn't want to get kicked with one of those again...yes, it happened once before after we first got her but she's much bigger now). Even though she is bigger, I am too (unfortunately). She looks good but I look like I need to look into a weight loss product. Her most favorite hobby is eating. No matter the weather and no matter that all the other horses have run into the run-in to get out of the weather, she can be found with her head in a round bale, lol.

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First Ride on Tequila Picture

Here is my daughter after her first ride on Tequila. Obviously, she's happy with how the lesson went.

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Want to toss computer out the window

I know I said in my last post that I would post pics from my daughter's first ride on Tequila but my computer keeps overheating and shutting down on me every time I try to download them from the SD card. When we bought this laptop, they told us it would be good for all the pictures and video I like to take. In reality, it's been nothing but trouble in those areas but especially for video.

I've been looking at wholesale computers, wondering if I need a new computer. The one I have should be fine but it's definitely not doing what the retail store told me it would do. We bought it from a well-known retailer and the salesperson obviously lied. My husband bought his computer online and his has been perfect for him. I think I am going to look online and see what's available rather than trust a salesman at the store where I bought this one again.

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First Ride on Tequila

I introduced Tequila a few months ago here. She is our trainer's horse. She hasn't been rode a lot lately as she's had a few babies but she is very sweet, gentle, loving, etc. and she was a sweetie when she was being rode previously. Now that she's done having babies, she's recently been started back to work.

Bree had a lesson this week and our trainer suggested she take a longe line lesson on Tequila! When I told Bree about it, she got SO excited and then she got teary. She was so happy.

This evening, she had her longe line lesson on Tequila and they both did wonderfully. I took pictures and video that I will post once I get them downloaded.

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The 9-12 Project

If you are watching the news or reading the newspaper and not liking the direction our country is heading in, what our government is or is not doing, and the legacy of debt they are leaving for our children and grandchildren, you aren't alone. We've gone off track on what our country is about, what it was founded on, what was good about our country and it's damn scary to me.

The 9-12 Project

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Daughter Back in the Saddle

The first lesson after a frigid cold winter...getting back into the groove again.

My baby is the one that looks like a cow out there.

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House Bill 418: Horse Slaughter in Montana

House Bill 418 (to allow horse-slaughtering plants) has been approved by the house in Montana. There are people who feel strongly about horse slaughter, both ways. Currently, there aren't any horse slaughter plants in the United States, but HB418 would allow private plants.

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Spring Clean-Up

Onto better news...spring is roaring down upon us. I am SO happy to see warmer temperatures coming our way.

I see everybody outside, bringing patio furniture out of storage, cleaning sticks and leaves up out of their yards, and raking their flower beds. I don't have to take our patio furniture out of storage because my husband never put it away. I was so worried that I'd see rust on it but (so far), there isn't. I better plan on getting some patio furniture covers to protect the furniture from the rains so more moisture on top of being left out this winter, doesn't cause my furniture to rust. (Besides, I doubt my husband will put all my furniture away before the next winter so I really better think about finding covers to cover them.)

My horse, JeeNee, loves this weather. She is frisky and playful. She'll slow down once it gets hot (the clyde in her loves the cooler temps, not the hot temps) so that will be when I ride her - when she is slower and more level-headed, lol.)

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When do you sue?

Y'all just read a little about the disabilities my son was born with, likely caused by stresses and harassment during the pregnancy that I endured. Likely but not definite which is why she wasn't arrested! (Very disappointing.) I often thought about obtaining a lawyer and going after this individual civilly because criminally, there wasn't enough proof to get her thrown in jail beyond a reasonable doubt.

If you live in Washington and need a Seattle injury lawyer for personal injury, wrongful death, or auto accidents, I just came across this site that can help you. I wonder what the statute of limitations are for something like what my son was born with and his years of therapy (and if I would be able to get my son some restitution for everything he's gone through). Then I would have to explain to him that somebody hated me so much that they would harm him and that would be so hurtful for him. Whether you believe in karma or soul judgment, eventually what comes around goes around. I have to believe that because criminally, a person got away with assaulting a pregnant woman.

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Childhood Disabilities Caused By Others

Having a child with a health problem due to somebody else's behavior can be heartbreaking. My son was born with several disabilities and the doctors said it could have been caused by the huge amounts of stress I was under while pregnant with him (getting punched in the lower back while pregnant might have had something to do with it too).

You see, when I was 4-1/2 pregnant with him, my husbands ex-girlfriend's sister thought getting in a pregnant woman's face and threatening her in front of the children was the right thing to do. I went into premature labor for several hours immediately following this event. We were finally able to get it stopped, the police were called, and warnings were given. There were a couple months there full of stress handling this situation with the appropriate agencies. Then when I was nine months pregnant at my stepdaughter's dance recital, I was punched in the lower back immediately after this same sister walked by me. What type of person would PUNCH a pregnant woman in the lower back where the baby sits? (The type of person who should be on Jerry Springer?) There were no cameras around or else I'd have had the person who threw that punch arrested in a heartbeat.

Believing that this person's actions caused my son to go through years of therapy was (is) maddening.

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JeeNee's Leg Being Treated

JeeNee's leg is being treated with Wound-Kote. It turns her leg in that area purple, and the first time it was used on her, she kicked out (it stung) but if it will prevent any bacterial infections in her leg wound, she's a big girl and can take it.

I can attest that it stings. After I bought it, I sprayed it to make sure it was working and didn't see it so I put it closer to my face. I was able to see that it was purple and the can was working. Then the wind kicked up and it came back at me in my eye. Yup, it sure stings!

Sometimes, I can be a ditz.

However, she is running on the leg. It doesn't appear to be giving her any problems. She took off from one pasture to the next the other day when she saw her hay being delivered to her. I wouldn't want to hear her huge clip clopping feet running up behind me if I have food in my hands.

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Ten Essential Foods - The "Super Foods"

I stopped to check out the diet supplements when I was shopping the other day. I even picked one up to read the box before putting it back. I just don't know enough about them, or how they would interact with my thyroid medication. I didn't see Lipovox there. I think that's found online.

There is some information about Dr. Perricone's "super food" claims about ten essential foods that provide what you need (as seen on Oprah). I missed that episode but there is a product called Lipovox that claims to have these ten essential foods plus more:

• Brazilian Acai
• Cayenne Pepper Fruit
• Garlic
• Soybeans Isoflavones
• Barley
• Wheatgrass
• Lactobacillus Acidophilus
• Alfalfa Sprouts
• Flaxseed
• Buckwheat
• Green Tea Extract
• Salmon Oil Powder
• Alpha Lipoic Acid
• DMAE
  
  

I've seen some of these as individual supplements but never in one pill. Have you any experience with Lipovox?

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Phew! Horses Sure Can Worry You

My horse had a small cut on her back leg on Saturday that looked like it had a little pus dripping from it. It looks clean this morning so that is a relief! She was cantering yesterday on it so it isn't bothering her either.

Phew! I have no idea how she did it but she shouldn't worry her mamma like that!

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To ride or not to ride?

I found this horse plaque at the local country store today that I picked up for a friend of ours who had a bad week last week. It is a horse's head and says:

To Ride or Not To Ride?

What a stupid question!!

She is a HUGE horse lover so I hope it cheers her up a little.

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Work at Home Prospect Dried Up

I am running out of time to decide whether I am going to get my insurance license or not. I have a couple more weeks and then it is too late to take the state test without retaking the class again.

When you can inquire on any type of insurance online anymore (home, auto, travel insurance online), I don't see a lot of need for a work-at-home insurance agent. Besides, the person who was going to be my boss ended up being a bit of a head case so that killed any ambition I had of working for him and paying for the state tests.

I wanted to do it so I could make a full-time income on a part-time basis, working around my kids' school schedules and horse time. I'll find my niche eventually right?

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Horse Spring Fever

My oldest daughter is getting anxious to ride again. We had such a bitter, cold winter so she didn't get much riding in at all. She has a bit of spring fever. My horse, JeeNee, gets a bad case of spring fever if she's not worked through the winter. She is calm most of the time but spring gets her motor going. The first time taking her into the arena after having a couple months off, she is full of you know what. The first spring I had her, I actually ran under the fence to get out of the arena, she was so full of it and seemed to enjoy running at me and scaring the "you know what" out of me. The second spring, I held my ground (while practically shaking in my boots). This is the third spring coming up so we will see what happens this time around. She is older now and has had more training so let's see if she acts like a lady or an ADHD horse, lol.

I was looking online for cold weather gear that will make riding possible next winter (because I feel guilty about the amount of time our horses get in the winter now), and just being at the barn for longer periods more enjoyable, and I found these winter work gloves at this online site that sells safety equipment. They are supposed to keep your hands warm but allow for greater dexterity than a lot of regular winter gloves would.

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