Happy New Year's Eve

2009... bring it on. I cannot wait to start a different year. Not that 2008 was horrible. It could have been so much worse. "What does not kill you, makes you stronger"... right?! There were many fabulous times and many not so great times. Lots of worries along with lots of laughter. Here's to the less worries part in 2009.

Tonight we are going to have our annual NYE get-together with the Thomas family in Newberg. I cannot wait to see them!! It has been far too long. We can always count on the Thomas' for good conversation, food and wine :) They rock. And they got a Wii for Christmas... that is always a hoot!

Last night was so awesome. Nat spent the night with Grandpa and Grandma in Silverton. Jim and I went out for a belated birthday celebration of our own. We saw The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. What an incredible flick! I adored it. I cried my way through it because that is what I do best... but I loved it so much. After the movie, we went to a restaurant called Tina's in Dundee (right in the heart of the Oregon wine country). Our friend Lori had given us a gift certificate there. It was such a cozy little place, and the food was very well-prepared, local and fresh. It was just the perfect night. I love spending time with Jim so much... I really am the luckiest girl ever to have a husband like him. How cool is it to still be madly in love after 18+ years of marriage :)

This morning, I got my allergy shots. Ugh. Don't have to go for another three weeks! Woo hoo! I'm getting back to my maintenance dosage again, slowly but surely. Then I headed down south to pick up Nat. We hit a few sales at the outlet mall (very few) and then headed home. Jim and Nat just left for the barn to see the Memo girl. I should be cleaning up my kitchen and doing laundry but here I sit blogging away. Guess I know what I will be doing next. I will also whip up a dessert to bring to dinner tonight.

I will have to do a separate post with all of my resolutions for 2009. It will probably be a long list... starting with finding a new part time job. I have decided that I really need to do that, and work at my business on the weekends and evenings. I guess I will be out there looking for a job along with thousands of others who are out of work so wish me luck ;) If you know of any good leads, let me know. I really hope to find something I can do while Nat is at school. A tall order, I'm sure.

Happy New Year to you all. Be safe tonight!! xoxoxo

Merry Christmas Eve

We had an early Christmas Eve celebration at my sister's house in Wilsonville this afternoon. Because of the weather, we met early so everyone could be home before dark. No fun driving on ice and snow. It was a nice, relaxing day. We all made a bunch of yummy appetizers to snack on, opened gifts, then played a game of Holiday Charades. Lots of fun.

Made it home... no problem with the roads. Jim's truck is a good snow vehicle. Nat is watching It's a Wonderful Life on tv. I wrapped a few last minute gifts. Just got a call from Elise and it sounds like we should be able to get to the barn tomorrow! I'm sure that is about the best Christmas gift for Nat... to see her Memo girl after so many days.

It will definitely be a white Christmas tomorrow, despite the rain we got today.... the most snow ever in Portland on Christmas :) It is still a winter wonderland out there. When I looked out the window a few minutes ago, it was snowing again! The flakes are really heavy and wet and not sticking.

Tomorrow we will open our gifts here at home and have a nice breakfast. Jim and Nat will head to the barn for awhile, and then we will go down to Silverton to have dinner with my family. My dad is making his famous prime rib :)

I'm just loving all of the wonderful Christmas cards... thank you all so much!! Delivery has been spotty around here... we have had quite a few days of no mail service (including today). UPS and Fed Ex are really on our naughty list as well... we are missing some packages. Really ticks me off, but what can you do??

I am so grateful for all of my family and friends. Happiest of holidays to you all. Here's to the best year yet in 2009. I'm really hopeful that it will be a good one :) Christmas hugs to you all!

Cookie-Makin' Fool

What to do during a big snow storm?? Why, bake cookies of course!! And lots of 'em!

Here are our new favorites:

Chocolate Thumbprints with Chocolate Vanilla Ganache. OMG are they delicious!! Crunchy and sugary on the outside, soft in the inside. And the ganache... what a treat!! To die for. I had extra ganache so we were dipping the cookies in that before eating them ;)

I used this recipe but changed the ganache a bit. I used a teaspoon of real vanilla extract instead of the vanilla bean. Instead of using the food processor, I chopped up the chocolate and put it in a glass bowl. I dumped the warm cream mixture on top and let the chocolate soften a bit. Then I whisked it until smooth, adding the butter to it. Make sure you let the ganache set a bit before adding to the cookies so it won't be runny and messy.

On top of all of the snow we got yesterday is a thick layer of ice. Just a mess out there so it looks like another day at home. The entire Portland area is just shut down. Don't think I will be baking much though... I'm down to two eggs!! Darn!!

I also deep cleaned my (s)crap room/studio yesterday. What a mess it was. Seems like it is the room where everything gets piled up. I went through boxes of stuff that had been there since we moved in. It looks pretty darn good right now. Still more to do. Maybe I will do that this afternoon.

Nat is missing Memo something terrible. Feel so bad we cannot get up there. She was supposed to work at the barn this afternoon too. Windsong is on the top of Chehalem Mountain with a very steep driveway. They always get a ton of snow and ice. Thank goodness Janice and her family live up there so they are able to take care of everything. Not easy for them in this weather. I sure do feel bad for them.

Hope everyone stays warm and cozy today!!

Cabin Fever *w/update

Remember that post on Saturday... where I was wishing for snow and wanting a FEW days at home. Boy did we get a few days at home. School has been cancelled ever since and I have only left the house a few times. The first couple days were nice and now...

I AM GOING STIR CRAZY!!!

It is really getting old at this point. Poor Nat has not been to the barn since Saturday. I don't have chains for my car so there is no way I am going to attempt the Windsong hill. Forget about buying chains... everywhere is sold out. I've baked enough cookies and candies to feed a small army. Wrapped a few gifts. Did laundry (and even put it away!). Watched lots of movies and old Buffy the Vampire episodes. I even cleaned my house... a little bit. I still could do more cleaning but yuck. 

ENOUGH ALREADY! And guess what?  It is snowing. AGAIN.

I need to finish my Christmas shopping. I need to get allergy shots. I need to go have coffee with my friends and deliver their gifts. My girl needs to ride her horse. My girl also needs to get to school to deliver her friend/teacher gifts... not to mention get an education before having another 2 weeks off. Sigh.

Did I mention that this is GETTING OLD??

And get this... it snowed in Las Vegas??? LOTS of snow! What the heck??

Update: Okay, no more whining! I'm so glad to be home again after being out and about today. I was able to get allergy shots, run errands and even get Nat to the barn! Whew!

Winter Wonderland

We got quite the snow storm here in Oregon on Sunday. Usually when we get snow, it melts within hours. Not this time... we got an arctic blast of cold air along with it. There is still lots of snow on the ground and it is really, really cold!! In the 20's right now! We are supposed to get more snow tonight and tomorrow, as well as over the weekend. Crazy!

Jim took some pics of our neighborhood. I really love the rose pic :)

I ventured out this morning for my post-op appointment. The main roads are okay but the neighborhoods, side roads and parking lots are ice rinks! Everything went fine at my appointment. Healing nicely. Had to hit the post office with the rest of the world to send out an order. Insane! 

We are not going to the barn today. Guess we need chains to get up the hill. Elise will take care of Memo for us. What a lifesaver. We are starting to get cabin fever so I hope we can get up there to see the Memo girl soon.

Stay warm!!

Good Mail Day

Not only did we get a fresh batch of Christmas cards from friends and family, Natalie received two really cool letters from the United States Equestrian Federation!

She and Memo have won two Region 4 Championships for 2008:

Farnam/Platform USEF Horse of the Year, Region 4 Champion, Arabian Specialty Horse

Farnam/Platform USEF Horse of the Year, Region 4 Champion, Arabian Hunter Jumper

She will be getting some awards in January, and their photos will be in Equestrian magazine in March! Very exciting news at the Dukes house!! We are so proud of Nat and Memo!!

In other news, I'm feeling better every day. In major catch-up mode!! So much to do around here. I've been buried in laundry, housework and the holidays. Today I spent the majority of time in the kitchen making lots of goodies: candy cane hearts, fudge, Mexican Wedding Cookies, Chocolate Caramel Bars and Peppermint Chocolate cookies. Whew!

We are hoping for the snowflakes to start falling any minute here in Oregon... keep your fingers crossed. Another day or two at home would be a dream come true for me ;) Not looking forward to the Arctic blast of cold air to go with it. Hope our warm-weather-loving pony survives okay.

Off to hang up some Christmas lights around the house...

Blogging + Percocet

Could be an interesting combination. 

Had a minor day surgery on Thurs. Wasn't even going to blog about it. Thought it would be no big deal. I was kinda wrong.

Went to the day surgery center at our clinic's branch in Portland. What a great, professional bunch of people. Every nurse checked in on me every time they walked by my bed. They were thorough and caring. The anesthesiologist (sp?) was great. My doc was great. They all took good care of me. Jim took the day off of work to be with me. He was amazing too.

It took me awhile to come out of the anesthesia. I think we got home about 4:30. Took longer than I thought it would. Was in a lot more pain that I expected. I have been taking percocet as well as 3 motrin fairly regularly since I got home. The first evening/night was the worst.

Every day since has gotten better. I'm moving slowly. Still have pain. Lots of bloating and cramping. Sore throat from the breathing tube. The meds knock me out so I'm sleeping a lot. Haven't really eaten much. Maybe a good time to start that diet.

Jim and Nat have been the best. I am so lucky. Everyone has been so thoughtful with cards, emails, phone calls, texts and even flowers from Shauna. Elise has been taking care of Memo and picked up Nat from school on Thurs. I'm so blessed.

The surgery was something that I have wanted/needed to do for some time, and due to our insurance changing the first of the year, thought I should go ahead and get it done. Details are tmi!! No need to worry. I'm just fine.

Jim and Nat are at the barn getting a much needed break from waiting on me. I'm buried in a nest of pillows and blankets on the sofa with the laptop. Just woke up from a nap.

I might be a little late with Christmas cards and such this year. The decorations might not be up in time. Eventually I will be back to my old self and get everything done. 

Thanks again to all of you for your well-wishes. Love you all.

Bah Humbug

Can't even believe that tomorrow is December. I'm in major denial. I want this long Thanksgiving weekend to last just a bit longer. I can't seem to get in the Christmas spirit at all. I'm going through the motions but my heart is not there. Picked up my Christmas cards, wrote my letter, have been making and buying a few gifts... can't seem to find the joy or fun in it. I could care less about putting up lights, decorations or a tree. Bah humbug. 

I need to snap out of it!! Any ideas?

Thankful

I am thankful:

• For my dear husband and daughter. They mean the world to me.
• For my family and friends. I am truly blessed to have them in my life.
• That Memo is feeling better and almost back to her old self.
• For the peppermint mocha in my hand. The first of the season. Yum.
• That I did not have to get shots today. Still too congested.
• That I have a day off from the barn. Nat has an orthodontist appointment.
• For the stuffing I will eat tomorrow. My favorite :)
• That Shauna is getting a break from chemo. Alleluia!
• That I am finally getting a few orders. Not the deluge from last year, but I will take anything I can get with this sucky economy.
• For the sunshine today, even though it is cold. Lifts my spirit.
• For the 5-day weekend we have ahead. Sleeping in will be the best part.

I hope and pray that you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving. I am so thankful for you all. Even though times are tough, always remember the little things that make life so precious.

On the Mend

Memo seems to be doing better... she seems much perkier and is eating, drinking and pooping (tmi!!). She will have a long road to recovery... no work for awhile, special diet, meds, etc. Seems we are through the worst of it. I am almost afraid to type that out though! What a week it was! Sigh.

Tonight Natalie finally gets to see the new Twilight movie with a friend. Jim and I will go see the newest James Bond movie at the same time. It will be nice to escape for awhile. We all really need that!

Hope everyone has a good week! More later!

He's Famous

You can see my sweetie twice in this video. 

This summer, Jim did a dual-sport ride up in Shelton, Washington which is on the Olympic Peninsula. He is the guy styling on the black and gold BMW and the white and gray riding gear. Looking quite handsome if I do say so. He is towards the beginning in a water crossing and at the end saying that he had a great time.

Waiting to hear how Memo faired the night. Elise and Janice offered to take the night shift again. Bless them.  I got home about 8:30ish last night. Memo shows glimpses of feeling better, and then does something that makes us worry again. Breaks my heart.

I am heading out to McMinnville (hour drive?) to get a special supplement for Memo, and then I will be back to the barn to meet the vet. I hope it is not another cold, long day at the barn. My asthma is really bothering me... my chest feels really tight and full. My nose is running and my eyes are red and puffy. Allergies suck.

Keeping fingers crossed that we get a quiet, uneventful weekend.

Some Good News...

... from Shauna. So glad to hear that her CT Scan was good. Alleluia!

Memo is "stable" but not much better. Looks like the vet will be out again today.

I am not getting shots today after all. Too much exposure to allergens this week at the barn. Feeling very crummy and on the verge of having asthma issues. Too big of a risk of having anaphalaxis so I can wait a week. So relieved. That is the last thing I need to deal with right now.

Will keep you posted on the Memo girl as much as I can. Thanks for all of the phone calls, texts and emails. Means the world to me.

I will leave you with a pic. Can't wait to see this smile again:

UPDATE: Some of the blood work is concerning the vet. Said if we wouldn't have done the fluids yesterday we would have lost her. Starting her on some antibiotics now. Just got Nat from school, stopped home to dress warmly and get a snack, and now heading to the barn again.

Memo Update

Just spent another cold night at the barn. Memo is not doing well. The vet was with her all day and administered 40 liters of fluids, and she will be back in the morning. Janice and Elise offered to do the night shift of checking on her every 4 hours. They are life savers. Please keep Memo in your prayers and thoughts... Nat too. She is a wreck. Maybe you should throw Jim and I in that prayer too. Thanks.

The Not-So-Perfect Birthday

We had such lofty plans for yesterday... riding lesson after school, come home and make Nat's favorite dinner (chicken scampi), eat creme brulee for dessert, maybe watch the new WallE movie she would get for a gift. 

Nah. Didn't happen.

We made it to the barn. Nat did her lesson.... which was pretty much in slow-motion. For those of you who know and love Memo, slow-motion is not really in her repertoire. She prefers fast forward, not mellow and despondent. After her lesson, we took her temp and it was elevated. Her gums were a yucky shade of yellow instead of bubble gum pink. Not good. 

She just hasn't been herself since Sunday night when I had the pleasure of walking her around for 3 hours (Nat had homework). It has been obvious that she did not feel well, but really didn't have the symptoms of her normal colicing.

After dragging my feet for as long as possible, I finally had to call our vet. She arrived about an hour later and took care of the Memo girl. It seems she had a small intestine colic, not the "normal" large intestine colic. Not going into the gory details, but she was "tubed" and the vet also did some blood work. Hopefully she will be just fine.

Jim joined us at the barn after work. He is such a good dad. At about 9:00PM, we finally left the barn and headed into town for a late dinner. Made it home about 10ish, Nat opened her gifts without much fanfare and jumped in the shower. No candles on the creme brulee. Maybe tonight. If only we could have had an extra hour or two of sleep this morning... we were really dragging.

If only 14 could have been a little more joyous for Nat. It broke my heart to see her in tears at the barn... so worried about her horse. She loves Memo so much. If only the check for the vet bill could have gone towards new boots that she needs so much or for upcoming holiday gifts. Horse ownership is such a big sacrifice for us all. I hope and pray that it is all really worth it... but when I see Nat wrap her arms around Memo it sure does seem like it.

My Birthday Girl

Tuesday is a big day around here. My baby girl will be 14! How did that happen?! Thought it would be fun to visit birthdays past:

Here is 2000. Nat's 6th birthday.

Here is Nat as a big 7 year old, with chocolate cake all over her adorable face:

Love this pic of 9-year-old Nat with Carley, Alex and Taylor:

In 2004, she hit double digits:

2006. So grown up with her stylin' glasses and short hair:

2007 was a biggie! Nat was an official teenager and horse owner:

So proud of the young lady that Natalie has turned out to be. She is wise beyond her years, but still has such a young, fun-loving spirit. I am so proud of how hard she works in school and on her horse. I am so proud of how she treats her friends. I am so proud of her independence, her self-confidence, her grace, her perseverance, and her outlook on life. I am so proud to be her mom.

Happy birthday, my dear Natalie Jayne. I love you with all of my heart.

Long Time, No Blog

Busy, busy, busy. I really feel like a taxi driver most days. Seems like I am running all the time. Today I am off to the post office, to get shots, to have lunch with a friend, to pick up Nat from school and then to the barn. Whew. Tonight Nat has a couple of Pony Club friends coming over to work on organizing this weekend's educational meeting. Somehow we have to fit homework and dinner into all of this.

Natalie had yesterday off for Veteran's Day. She enjoyed the morning hanging out here at home, while I went to coffee at my friend Teri's house. Her new home is so lovely, and it was great to visit with her, Kimberly and Shauna. Nat and I spent the afternoon running a few errands and then at a riding lesson.

We are getting quite the storm here... lots of heavy rain and wind. Would give anything to be able to stay at home with a hot cup of tea to ride it out. No such luck.

Off I go... Happy Wednesday everyone.

Thursday Update

Seems like I don't have anything exciting to blog about... just slogging through our week. Lots of barn time, doctor's and dentist appointments, and other normal happenings this very rainy week.

I did get a play date with Shauna on Tuesday. A college friend of hers was in town and I got to play along. What a fun time we had! We hit Moonstruck for a chocolate chai, Noah's for a bagel, went for a walk, and then to Pho Van for lunch. Sheila is a pilot and has those great benefits of jumping on a flight whenever she has time. Boy do I miss those benefits from my days as an airline employee.

Tomorrow is my monthly coffee date with Robanne :) More yummy chocolate chai in my future.

I haven't posted much about cooking lately. I'm still cooking... we haven't eaten out much... but I feel pretty uninspired. Lots of Trader Joe's stuff saving the day. Tonight I will make Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo from scratch. Last night was beef & bean flautas... I guess I also made those from scratch. I'm really missing my CSA :(

I'm thinking that we have a fairly quiet weekend ahead. Nat will need to get to the barn, and she and her friends are going to see the musical at school. Can't wait to sleep in! I've been dragging this week and can't seem to get enough sleep. I did get a chance to exercise a few days and thought that would help but not so much.

Have to say that I am so excited about the election. Here's to HOPE and CHANGE! Yes we can!

Get Out the Vote!

Please do not forget to vote today!!

And for some thought-provoking reading... check this out!

Happy Halloween

Nat snagged a 35 pound pumpkin at the patch this year! That is our rule... you have to be able to carry it! My goodness, she is so grown up these days. She carved it last night... with a pi symbol ... pumpkin pi... get it? Such the math geek ;)

Today we slept in... another in-service day for the teachers. I will take Nat to the barn so she can have some quality time there. Tonight she has a party with school friends. Jim and I are on our own to hand out candy.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the family of Jim's college friend Jason today. He lost his wife to a heart attack on Wednesday. They have three boys between the ages of 8 and 12. It is just so tragic and wrong. 

Please treasure each and every day and make the most of it. You just never know. I have made a vow to walk again as much as I can (Jim and I walked last night), and I am on a mission to get rid of clutter in my house and life. I just can't keep putting things off. 

Happy Halloween to you all!!

I Can See Clearly Now...

I finally went to the eye doctor and got new glasses!! Actually, I got 3 pairs of glasses!!

These are my new distance glasses. I should be able to see a lot better when I am driving now... especially at night.

I hate pics of myself but I do like the glasses. They are red! More of a cranberry color, I guess. The temples have a vine-like pattern. I'm also digging that they cover up the circles under my eyes! Mostly ;)

I also had new lenses put in my old reading glasses. Hopefully the new RX will help me to not get headaches when I read.

And the third pair are prescription sunglasses. I have never had polarized lenses before on sunglasses. They are amazing!!

The eye place I went to is so cool! It is in Sherwood and called Eye Impressions. It has an espresso bar too... called Eye Love Coffee! How cool is that??!! The gals in there are super-friendly and they have a great selection of frames.  I highly recommend them!

I just got home from the dentist. Exciting. Not. This afternoon we are hoping to sneak to the pumpkin patch... didn't get that done last weekend. Keeping my fingers crossed that Jim can sneak home a bit early and go with us.

Our beautiful fall weather seems to be coming to an end. Today is cold and foggy. The sun is supposed to come out later on this afternoon though. The rain is supposed to be here just in time to go trick-or-treating on Friday night :( Ugh.

Sunday Ramblings

Had too much wine with dinner... feels so good unwind after such a crazy but fabulous weekend! This could end up being a very interesting post ;)

Had the BEST time with my dear friend Shannon and her husband Alan on Friday and Saturday. She is just one of the most fun people ever, and I am so blessed to have her in my life. On Friday, we had lunch together and then went to the Rose Garden and Japanese Gardens (if you have never been in the fall it is a MUST see!!). They also came over for dinner on Friday night... great conversation and lots of laughs! So fun to revisit the good old days of college and sorority life!

On Saturday, we went to Portland's famous Saturday Market (so great for people watching and eclectic handmade crafts). Had a fab lunch at Besaw's Cafe in NW Portland, then headed out to the Columbia River Gorge. Once again, the most spectacular fall foliage you can imagine. Stunning! We had such a fun day, and it was so sad to say good-bye to them.

Today, we had lunch with some more old friends! Our dear neighbors from when we lived in Minnesota, the Myhre's, are staying with my parents for a week. They came up to the barn with us to meet Memo, then I drove them downtown Portland so they could see some sights. It was so wonderful to get caught up with them again. If only I could see their daughters, Lisa and Stacey, too! Definitely need to plan a trip to Minnesota again :) Bumming that I forgot my camera!!

I'm in denial that tomorrow is Monday. Hopefully we can find some clothes to wear... I need to do laundry desperately!! 

Thanks so much for your concern for Memo. She is doing great, and was back to her sassy self today :) Such the drama queen she is!!

I will leave you with a pic of my little ninja.... this is Nat's choice for her Halloween costume this year. She will be off with her friends this Halloween night, leaving us to hand out treats on our own. I will try to see if I have a pic of Jim with his Halloween costume that he picked up at Saturday Market. He will surely scare off the kiddos... lol.

Good day that ended badly... (w/update)

Nat had the day off of school for conferences. We started our day by sleeping in! Doesn't get much better than that. After lazing around this morning, we ran some errands and then headed to the barn. Nat and Memo had a lovely ride outside... gotta love the perfect fall day in the outdoor arena. 

While Nat was riding, I got the BEST phone call!! My dear friend Shannon from Chicago called saying that she was in Seattle! Just hearing her voice lifted me up. She and her husband had to make a quick business trip to Seattle. The cool part is that they are driving to Portland tonight!! We will get to see them tomorrow and Saturday before they fly off to vacation in California.

I have known Shannon since my freshman year of college. We spent hours together in the computer lab. So glad that I had her to suffer through Computers 101 together! I convinced her to rush my sorority and we have been friends ever since. A few years ago when I had to attend a convention in Chicago for work, we made it into a family vacation too. Jim, Nat and I had the best time touring Chicago with Shannon and Alan! Natalie saw fire flies for the first time ever at Shannon's house! She is one of those friends, even though you haven't seen her for years, it is like you saw her yesterday! I can't wait to see her again, and get caught up on her life.

Conferences went great. We were the only ones to sign up for a conference this evening so we had extra time with her home room teacher. He is a great guy and is genuinely concerned about Natalie's well-being at school. It was a very productive meeting.

And now for the bad part... as I was finishing up making a very late dinner, we got the dreaded evening call from the barn. Memo is acting all colicy tonight :( Jim and Nat scarfed down their meal and headed to the barn. Luckily, Nat does not have school tomorrow in case it is a late night. I hope she can come out of it okay without calling the vet. We definitely do NOT need another vet bill right now. Ugh. What a way to ruin a perfectly nice day. I'm on call to take the next shift if it gets too late. Ugh again.

Pretty please be okay, Memo. Pretty please.

Update:

Nat and Jim got home about 10:30. Not too late. They gave Memo some banamine and walked her around. Elise helped them too, and mixed up a really wet mash to feed her. By the time they left, she had been eating and pooping and didn't seem to be in pain. When she colics, she is in obvious pain and will not eat or poop. She also likes to lie down and you cannot hear any "gut sounds". It is really scary! The walking around usually gets things moving. The banamine gives pain relief (I believe). The mash is wet and oily to get things moving. If things don't improve with all of this, we usually have to call the vet. She has had to "tube" Memo a couple of times before... it involves a plastic tube running down her nostril to her digestive system with a water and mineral oil mixture to get her system moving. When that does not work, it can mean surgery. I hope we never have to do that!! We once had to haul her to OSU vet hospital but the trailer ride seemed to help her!! And there you have it, my version of a colic. I'm sure Miss Pony Club Natalie could give you a more accurate description ;)

Deja Vu

I'm sitting in the waiting room at the VW dealership. Wait a minute... wasn't I just here? Why, yes, I was. And I wrote them a darn big check too. Ugh.

Hopefully this will be an easy fix though. I have a headlight out. Jim tried to replace the bulb this weekend, but that was not the solution. Nothing is ever easy. Ever.

At least I have a comfy chair and free wifi. Whew. And it is postponing my trip to the allergist to get shots. That is a positive.

Our weekend was pony club mania. I survived the meeting in Eugene... but just barely. Had another meeting on Sunday but that went really well. It ran long though, so no time for our fall pics. Maybe next weekend... if the weather cooperates.

This morning is cold and foggy. I'd much rather be home with a hot cup of tea.

We are off to the barn after school for another lesson. Memo was in a MOOD yesterday! Haven't seen her like that for a long time. She was a PAIN and kept trying to rear up. Scares the crap out of me when she does that. Hopefully today will be better. Elise ended up getting on her to give her an attitude adjustment. It took awhile, but she finally started to cooperate. I wonder if the cold, windy, rainy weather put her in a mood? Hmmm. 

Nat has a short week of school... off on Thursday and Friday for conferences. I cannot wait to have some down time, and I'm sure she is looking forward to that as well. We have been going way too hard lately.

Tomorrow I am going to have lunch with Jim at Intel. We are meeting with the benefits folks about our health insurance, etc. Time for open enrollment and we want to check our options and double check some stuff. 

Yesterday I had lunch with my friend, Kimberly, at the cafe at the Oregon College of Arts & Crafts. Such a good place to eat... everything is homemade and yummy! So good to get caught up with Kim... it had been way too long. She always makes me laugh :)

Guess I will take advantage of my waiting room time and surf the net! Have to admit it is nice to have time to kill. That doesn't happen very often.

On the Menu

Here was/is my menu for the week:

Monday:

Burgers

Mac & Cheese

apples/pears

Tuesday:

Chicken Pitas

Greek Salad

Hummus

Wednesday:

Asian Noodle Soup

Spring Rolls

Thursday:

Homemade pizza

salad

Friday:

Tortilla soup

quesadillas

watermelon

Will wing it for the weekend. Loving the cooler weather so I can work soups into my menu plans. I could live on soup!

I did my grocery shopping at Winco (one of those bag your own kind of places) this week. So much cheaper than my usual Haggen (spoiled rotten yuppie suburban store). Still not so crazy about some of their meat and produce so I think I will still hit Costco and Haggen for those. BUMMED that I will not have my CSA box anymore. Totally pouting about that. I'm really on a mission to cut my grocery costs. I am pretty good about making things from scratch but I can do better. Wish me luck! I'm such a food snob!

Lots going on this weekend, of course. Friday night is a dance at school. Nat is bringing her horsey friend Sarah (not a boy, hurray!!) along so she can meet all of her school friends and see ACMA. Saturday I am going to Eugene for a regional Pony Club meeting with my friend Lori. Sunday is a PC unmounted meeting about cleaning tack the right way. Nat is helping to teach. We also want to sneak out and take some fall pics. That has turned into an annual tradition and the trees are so pretty right now. Unfortunately, I do not have my new glasses yet! I really wanted those to cover up the dark circles under my eyes ;) Oh well.

Speaking of glasses, I'm getting stronger reading glasses. I'm also getting distance glasses! My eyes are definitely getting worse, but she said they were not bad for a 41 year old. What is that supposed to mean?! Feeling so old these days! Ugh!

Off to do some work and clean my house!! Got a request for a catalog from Georgia yesterday. Kinda cool.

See ya!

Smokin' Hot Deal

Just heard about this on Slashfood.com!! You have to check it out. Don't forget to type in the word "EIGHTY" when checking out in the promotion code box. The deals are going fast so go NOW! You can get up to an 80% discount on restaurants in your area. I believe it expires tomorrow at 1pm. Unreal!! So excited!!

Last CSA Box :(

This week we will have onions, pinto beans (dried), Jonagold apples, beets, carrots, sugar pie pumpkins, ornamental corn and gourds. Our last box. Sigh. Will miss it so much.

Nat wants to dry the pumpkin seeds. The Pioneer Woman made these yummy pepitas. Not sure her pumpkin butter would be a hit around here though.

One of Jim's co-workers gave us a big bag of fresh tomatoes yesterday. They are like candy to me! Just love them! So nice of her!

I guess I will attempt to make chili with the pinto beans, but I can honestly say that I have never used dried beans! It will be a new experience for me. I'll let you know how it goes.

Jonagold apples are one of my faves. So yummy! Might need to go up to the local apple farm and get a bunch more to make caramel apples. Shauna, Teri, Kimberly and I had a big caramel- apple-making day a couple years ago. We dipped them in homemade caramel, then in chocolate. To make them extra fancy, we drizzled them with white chocolate. Just sinful!

I'm off to run a bunch of errands, and to get allergy shots. Oh joy. Catch you later!!

More Birthday Girls

We have two birthdays to celebrate in our family this weekend.

My mother-in-law, Hettie, has her birthday tomorrow. Wish we could be in Las Vegas to help her celebrate! It was so great to spend time with her in Idaho.

Monday is my sister Heidi's 40th birthday. We will be celebrating tomorrow at a German restaurant in Mt. Angel. 

Happiest of birthdays to you both, Hettie and Heidi!

The Good Stuff

After kind of a tough week, I thought it would be fun to reflect on the good stuff that has happened lately.

I had so much fun with my scrapbooking friends when they came to Oregon from all over the country. I was so thrilled to show them some of my favorite places... especially the Columbia River Gorge and Multnomah Falls. I am so grateful for their friendship.

Last weekend, my friend Sam and her daughter, Tawnee, came down from Gig Harbor for a visit. It was so nice to hang out with them. On Sunday, I got to have coffee with my bestest (yeah, I know it is not a word but I like it ;) buddies... love you Sam and Shauna!! Having you both together just made my day!!

My girl has had the worst cold. She is a trooper and went back to school today. Luckily, she has tomorrow off. Hopefully she will get some much-needed R&R and feel better soon. This year, they put her school portrait on a CD so I thought I would share it with you. What a stylin' kid, eh?

I had two coffee dates this week... Wednesday I met with Robanne and today with Darcie. It was so good to get caught up with them... I treasure their friendships :)

Nat and I are cozy here at home for the rest of the day. I am sipping on a cup of decaf green tea, listening to the wind blow and the rain fall. Autumn is definitely here in Oregon. Love it!

Should be a fun weekend. Nat is meeting some school friends at the mall in the morning/early afternoon tomorrow. She has pony club up at DevonWood in the evening. Saturday is a sleepover birthday party for her friend Logan (and it could be date night for me and Jim!! Yahoo!). Sunday we will be celebrating my sister's 40th birthday... more on that later :)

Bummer of a Day

It was pouring rain when we got up at 6:30AM and the day has gone downhill from there.

My kitchen sink is clogged up, and Jim tried to fix it this morning before leaving for work but no go.

I had to get allergy shots, and they surprised me with a flu shot as well. Goody. Turns out, I was supposed to be going every week for shots but they forgot to tell me. I was supposed to do that after my last anaphalaxis. Oops.

I stopped by the grocery store to get a few things, and when I got home I got a call from Natalie. She has been fighting off a cold and it was just too bad to stay at school. She is so miserable, poor girl. So she is home now, just took some cold meds and will climb in bed. No riding lesson for her today. Guess I will be making chicken soup for dinner.

I'm pretty wiped out from my shots, so maybe I will try to catch a nap this afternoon too. Yeah, right. Like that ever happens ;) I just might though!

Oh, and I am still in mourning over the bill to get my car fixed yesterday... $1800!! Great timing, eh? Ugh.

When it rains, it pours. Here's to some sunshine and a brighter day tomorrow.

Happy Birthday, Ginger!

Happy 7th Birthday to my dear sweet Ginger bun. Okay, I know I told some of you that she was 9. I was wrong. I had a senior moment ;) She is still really dang old for a bunny.

Both girl and bun are pretty small here, eh?

Bun has always loved me best :)

Nat did 4H with Ginger for a few years, until bun developed a cataract. Plus her darn ears like to stand straight up and not go down all floppy-like. Not suitable conformation for a Holland Lop. She is special... but we love her :) Nat even won a costume contest with Ginger at the Washington County Fair one year... they were both cowgirls and even had their pic in The Oregonian. You haven't seen "cute" until you've seen Ginger in a cowgirl hat. Nat looked pretty darn cute herself :)

Love this pic of her in the backyard.
These days she prefers sprawling out under the computer desk in the office. Nice and cozy and warm down there.

But most of all, she loves cuddling in her mommy's arms. I kinda like that too :)

A birthday shout-out to my sis-in-law Alison too! Hope you are having fun on your cruise!! Happiest of birthdays to Ali and Ginger!!

Well no wonder she bucked...

So Memo was evaluated by our vet yesterday. It is always a good idea after a horse experiences trauma (lesson learned after Memo and Nat fell at Inavale) to have them looked at by a vet. That little incident when the horse and rider crashed into Elise and Memo at Nationals did her no favors. She could tell exactly where the impact happened, and how Memo twisted and turned so she would not fall on Elise. She was really out of whack! Poor girl.

The vet said what a good horse we have, to have performed so well for Nat after that happened. So proud of our Memo girl. She is such an athlete... to keep going through the pain. Wow! She also said how it helped that Memo was in such good shape... all the hours in the saddle really made a difference.

Memo and Nat are quite the team. They always overcome so many obstacles together, and they truly love each other. Hopefully Memo will be much happier now after her treatment. Nat will go out and spoil her with treats, do some stretching, and give her some horsey tylenol for a couple of days. Then they will be back to work... what they both love best :)

Happy Saturday, everyone!

Just do it...

It is important. Vote. Your country depends on it.

Crazy Morning Already

Jim was up at 4:30AM to get ready for his 6:00AM flight to Santa Clara for work. Elise has been borrowing my car (long story) so she came and took Jim to the airport. Very nice of her. Would have been hard for him to take his motorcycle... especially now that it is raining.

After Jim left, I kept having dreams that I was already up! So weird! Luckily the alarm went off and I came to my senses. Got Nat going for school and we were off... to sit in traffic! There was a traffic light out on our route... cars backed up forever! Just barely got Nat to school in time... literally with 2 or 3 minutes to spare. Hate that!

Poor Nat is still frantically trying to get caught up after missing a week of school. Tonight she has a 3-5 page research paper to do for science. From start to finish. Elise will have to ride Memo today, I guess. 

Jim will be home tonight. I will pick him up from the airport around 5:15. What a long day for him. Love that Intel has the shuttle right out the Hillsboro airport though. Makes life so much easier than flying out of PDX.

We are looking forward to a fairly quiet weekend. Sam and Tawnee will come down from Gig Harbor on Saturday morning. I told her that we were planning on sleeping in, and that Nat has lots of homework. She was fine with just vegging around the house for the weekend so that is good. 

I'm having a second cup of tea... hoping that helps to wake me up so I can get going with my day. Still so much to do around here. I'm still unpacking! Ugh... will it ever end??!! I got distracted with some work stuff... had an order, did a catalog for people who do not like to order on the internet, and got one last ad done for the holidays. Now I am looking forward to LOTS of holiday orders :) Pretty please!!

Can't wait to have coffee with my bud, Robanne, tomorrow. Then we will head to the barn after school to see Memo. She is getting evaluated by our vet to make sure that little crash didn't mess up her last chiropractic treatment (oh please...no more vet bills... keeping fingers crossed!!).

Tea is done... off to continue my crazy day. Toodles!!

CSA: Week 16

Just a couple more deliveries to go. Will miss it so much :(

This week we received onions, potatoes, acorn squash, tomatoes, Gala apples, peppers and carrots. The carrots are gorgeous with long green leaves. Will have to save some of those for Memo. I LOVE acorn squash, cooked with some butter and brown sugar on top. The apples look just perfect... it will be a struggle to decide to eat them plain or make an apple crisp. I swear, there is just nothing better than a garden-fresh tomato. I haven't made baked tomatoes yet this season... I cut them in half and add some bread crumbs, Italian seasoning or fresh basil, and some parmesan to the top. So delicious. I'm a big fan of tomato/basil bruschetta too!

This week so far we have had:

Tacos/rice/beans

Philly steak sandwiches/crash potatoes/nectarines

Tonight is chili/cornbread/salad. Will probably just wing it the rest of the week.

Still dealing with the aftermath of our trip. I think the washer and dryer have been going 24/7 and I'm still not done with laundry. Ugh. Today we will get all of Memo's stuff back to the barn and Nat will do a quick ride. We gave Memo a couple days of vacation to recover from the long trailer ride. I still have a bunch of "piles" sitting around that need my attention too. I really just want to crawl back in bed. Pretty darn tired still. We all worked so hard!!

Natalie worked on homework for probably 7 hours yesterday, trying to get caught up. Feel so bad for her. She still has a 3-5 page research paper for science due by Friday that she hasn't even started. Lots of late nights ahead this week, I'm afraid. She said that it was all worth it though :)

Nationals in Pictures

On the road trip to Idaho. Nat and Elise with their sippy cups of hot cocoa ;)

Hanging out in the stall relaxing from our long journey:

True Love:

Idaho Horse Park Arena:

All three girls hanging out eating lunch. Memo preferred her hay to Sonic slushes and cheeseburgers. Although she was big on apple juice this trip!! When taking a horse to a new place, it is good to flavor their water so they drink plenty of it.

Taking a break for some fun mini golf at a cool place called Boondocks. We also rode the go-carts and played arcade games.
Going all zen at the Thai restaurant:
The gangsta braider. Nat is really getting good at this whole braiding thing. Maybe she can pay her way through college braiding horses :)

Last minute wiping off the boots before going in for a round. They look gorgeous!!

Meeting our sweet niece, Grace. She is going to be a horsey-girl, I just know it.

A photo session after all the classes were done. 

What a cool place for a horse show. We'll be back in two years!! Can't wait!

I will post the link to the jumping pics when they are up. Jim wasn't allowed to have his big camera in the arena. They threatened a $1000 fine and being escorted off the premises for any lens over 2". What a crock. The photographer did get a few good shots so hopefully we will have those soon.

There's No Place Like Home

Whew. We made it!! What a relief. You should have seen Memo when she got off the trailer... she was neighing and nickering like crazy! So happy to be back to the barn she knows and loves, and so thrilled to see all of her old buddies. Once she got into her paddock, she rolled around on the ground, ate lots of grass and drank lots of water. What a good pony girl.

We had a good drive home. Had some issues with lights on the truck and trailer, so we decided to wait until dawn to head out. The girls crashed out in the backseat and got a few more hours of sleep. Jim was a great driver and took good care of us :) I tried to doze but didn't have much luck. I was very happy to find a Dutch Bros. Coffee in La Grande, OR! Hit the spot and helped cure my headache.

What a great trip we had. Nat had the "best time of her life". So thrilled she had a great time. She was so proud of her Memo girl... and she should be so proud of herself. That girl has so much talent and determination. Couldn't be any more proud of her. We are all going to start saving our pennies so we can go again in two years!

We have so many people to thank for this trip. So hard to know where to start. A huge thanks going out to the Winter family for letting us borrow their truck and trailer. Gave us so much peace of mind having Diana along for the trip there, and loved having that big diesel truck for going over the Blue Mountains. 

Elise... what a great trainer, friend, and adopted daughter. She is a blessing in our lives and we love her to pieces. So much fun to have around and such a caring and helpful person. You rock, Elise!!

A huge thanks to Grandpa and Grandma Dukes, and to Uncle Jason, Aunt Marie and Gracie for driving all the way to Idaho from Las Vegas to be a part of Nat's cheering section. It meant the world to us all that they could be there. It was so fun to share in Gracie's first horse show... can't wait 'til she rides her first pony :)

Big hugs and thanks going out to Shauna for taking care of my sweet Ginger bunny. That just meant so much to me, as you know how much I love my dear bun. You are the busiest person I know and you still make time to help others. Thanks, Shauna.

And a HUGE thanks to all of you who made donations to Natalie, or gave her jobs to earn money for her trip. You are all so thoughtful and generous! I cannot even believe how blessed we are to have such amazing friends and family. Thanks from the bottom of my heart!!

Will try to post photos tomorrow. What an adventure we had! Just amazing! Thanks again to you all. We are so grateful to be home safe and sound, and to have had this experience together.

Time to Head Home

Natalie and Memo had great classes today. Both of them were relaxed and calm for their Hunter Hack classes... except for one little buck right in front of the judge ;) Silly Memo. She is so spunky ;)

There were 15 and 16 entries in her classes. The bummer part since there were not 20 entries or over they only picked a Top 8 instead of a Top 10. Nat placed 9th... no ribbons again.

Her last class was the best. No issues on the flat work and the jumping round rocked. They looked so relaxed and happy. We really have no clue why they were not in the Top 8. Very disappointing.

No junior riders placed again today :( And guess who won all the classes today... the New Jersey dude :( Sheesh.

Natalie was really proud of her rounds today, and handled herself with so much grace. So stinkin' proud of her. She was really riding with the big boys (and girls!) this show. What a trooper. I really think she was robbed in her last round!!

Tonight we will be packing up the truck and trailer, and also going to the Mini Prix and Parade of Champions. We are all exhausted and in awe that it is over.

Elise is an amazing trainer and mentor for Natalie. It has been an honor to have her along this week as Nat's adopted big sister :)

Here's to no drama on the trip home. I'll check in again when we get home, and post some pics of the trip too.

Just know that in 2 years when Nationals come back to Idaho we will be there again! Nat will knock 'em out then :) 

Arabian Working Hunter Results

Our day started at 4:20AM. Ugh!! Too early!!

Jim took Nat and Elise to the barn so they could feed and braid Memo. I caught a few more minutes of sleep, and then we had showers and headed back to the barn by 6:30. Nat and Memo did their schooling round right about 7:00AM. They had one refusal at a jump with lots of purple flowers on it, but the rest of the round looked good. The jumps range from 2'6" to 2'9".

Nat and Memo had plenty of time to go back to the barn when they were done before the start of the classes. They were ready to go for the 8:30 start time, but when they returned to the arena the warm ups were still going! They were really, really behind schedule. They had to wait quite a long time to go. Memo was pretty annoyed. They went in right at the beginning once the classes started. And guess what... Memo still didn't like those purple flowers :( She refused again. The rest of the round was great though. Purple is just not her color I guess. Her second round went lots better, but still knocked a rail down. Otherwise, it was really nice.

The competition was pretty fierce. Lots of gorgeous horses and mostly adult riders. Unfortunately, Nat and Memo did not make the top 10 and were not called back for the flat class. Nat was pretty bummed out, but handled it gracefully. Not one junior rider was called back :( 

There is a male rider (early 20's maybe?) here from New Jersey who is still considered "Amateur" even though he wins everything! He literally does! Open and amateur classes. And he also wins the reserve championships since he is always riding at least 2 different horses in each class. We have watched him win every single class in the Hunters!! All categories. And the annoying part, is that he won two of the championships today on a horse that looked lame to us. Whatever!! He has been national champion in some of the classes 5 years running. Time to move up the pros, mister!!

Nat is hoping that tomorrow goes better. She is new to the Hunter Hack world, but I know she will do great. Memo's half sister was in the Top 10 for Half-Arabian Hunter Hack this afternoon! So cool!

Jim's parents, brother, sister-in-law and our new niece made it in on Thursday night. So nice to have them here to help us cheer on Team Memo :)

We are cooling off in the room, the girls are getting showers, and tonight we will all go out for Italian and some good wine!! We don't have to be at the barn until 7:30 tomorrow. That will be nice :) Nat should ride either late morning or early afternoon. Then the fun begins... packing the truck and trailer up for the trip home on Sunday. That will be another early morning and long day. Can't even believe how this week has flown by.

Eventful Morning

Elise had a schooling round early this morning. We left the room at 6:00AM! Memo was fed, tacked up and ready to go by 7:00.

Had some drama though. Elise had called her jump in the warm up ring. Another rider lost control of her horse and slammed into Elise and Memo. Elise was knocked off of Memo!! Luckily the footing was soft (and muddy!!). We knew something had happened when they walked into the arena... Elise was covered in mud. Memo was very shaken up and was a nervous wreck during her schooling round. By the end, Memo seemed calmer and didn't refuse the jumps.

Felt so bad for them. So glad that Elise is okay... Memo too. We will have to do some relaxing schooling out in the warm sun this afternoon to calm her down.

I had visions of that happening with Natalie with all of her show clothes on! Ugh. I'm so glad that I didn't see it happen or it would be replaying it in my head.

Tomorrow will be the big day... Nat's first rides. Hope they go well. Tonight Jim's family will be here. It will be wonderful to meet little Gracie, my new niece. We are excited to take her to her first horse show :)

Another Idaho Update

Things are good here. Nat and Memo have had great schooling the last couple days. Memo just loves being here.

We changed rooms and are so grateful. Lots more room. Nat is on a rollaway and Elise is on a hide-a-bed but so good that they each have their own beds. We have a little kitchen so we stopped off to get some groceries for breakfast. Nice to have some healthy food! We have been lucky to get some great meals so far but feel like we are over-eating. Luckily we walk a ton at the Horse Park.

The alarm is set for 5:30AM. Elise has a training round at 7:00AM. We are on Mountain time here so we are really off our schedule. We are hoping to come back to the room for naps when we are done :)

About to lose power on the laptop so I better sign off. Nighty night!!

We Made It!

Had a very uneventful trip to Idaho. Whew... no drama ;) 

Idaho Horse Park is a fabulous, huge venue. We are just taking it all in and doing LOTS of walking. Memo has settled in beautifully. She is drinking her water, eating lots of grain and hay, and is feeling quite cozy. She really loves to be a show pony.

Today they did some schooling (in the big event center!). Elise got on her first and worked out the sillies. Nat got on and did a great job. Must say that once again, Memo was the sane one when compared with other Arabians. There are some really CRAZY horses (and riders!) out there. I was absolutely appalled to see riders without helmets and one lady even had sneakers on!! WTH?? Cannot even tell you how many times I was holding my breath watching some of the riders jump. Just downright scary. Oh, well. Just makes Nat and Memo look all that better.

Our hotel room is uber-small. Kind of disappointed in that, but it is clean and quiet with a killer high powered shower so that is good I guess. It is in a good location, close to great restaurants and coffee shops.

We are off to goof off for awhile... maybe a movie or mini-golf. Margaritas and Mexican food are also on the agenda.

Just wanted to give you all a quick update. Will post again soon I hope!!

Idaho or Bust

The truck and trailer are mostly packed. Just need to throw in a few bags, the hay, and the horse and we are off.

We are hoping for "wheels up" at 5:00AM!! It will be a short night, but hopefully will pay off by getting through Portland before rush hour and getting to Idaho at a decent time to get all settled.

Had a great weekend with all of my TCC scrapbooking friends. Lots of good conversation and laughs. What a great bunch of gals.

Too tired to write much more. Guess I should get to sleep!!

We will have the laptop along so will check in when I can.

On the home stretch...

So glad that it is Friday! Nat's last day of school for awhile. She has been contacting each of her teachers to get make-up work. So far, only a few teachers have gotten things together for her. Kind of frustrating but I'm sure she will be fine.

We will be spending lots of time at the barn this weekend. Memo will need to be ridden and get a bath. Natalie and Elise will be packing up food and hay tomorrow. Sunday we will be packing up the truck and trailer. My list is a mile long... hope it all fits!! It is one thing to get our family packed up for a week, but adding a horse to the mix is crazy!

Natalie and her friend Zoe worked for hours last night on a project for Social Studies. They will have to get together again on Saturday night. I sure hope they are able to finish up before we leave.

Monday will be here before we know it. We are shooting to leave at 5:00AM to miss traffic through Portland. 

Gotta run and start another crazy day.

Mid-Week Update

It was a blast having Annie and Ben here!! A friend dropped them off at the barn on Monday on their way back from the beach. They were able to catch Nat's lesson and meet Memo, then we headed to our place. My parents, Heidi and her family joined us for dinner. We all pitched in to make a yummy Mexican dinner. When we were dishing up dessert and Annie was looking through the basket of different teas, she said "I need herbal tea since I am PREGNANT!!" How cool is that??!! We are so thrilled for them and know that they will be the BEST parents!! They spent the night at our house, and the next day it was fun visiting with them and then going out for Thai food for lunch. It is always so hard to say good-bye. We always miss them terribly. Guess we will have to plan a trip to Colorado for next spring/summer to meet the new baby!!

Nat and Memo have continued to work hard. This week she will have four lessons, as well as a Pony Club mounted meeting at DevonWood. Just can't believe we leave on Monday!! So much to do yet!! You should see my list... scary!

This weekend will be a treat since a bunch of my scrapbook friends will be coming into town from all over the country. We don't really have any scrapbooking planned, just time to hang out and play tourist. I hope to be able to fit in as much time as possible with them. I am taking a bunch of my scrapbook stuff to the garage sale at Life's A Scrapbook in Sherwood this weekend! Lots of good deals, folks! Shauna and Laura will have stuff there too.

Off to start my crazy day... hoping for some R&R in Idaho.

CSA this week

This week we will have summer squash, cucumbers, hot peppers, eggplant, melon, fresh beans, apples and/or bartlett pears, and onions. I thought this was week 13, but they claim it is 14. Lost count somehow. Only 4 boxes left :(

Here is what I fixed for meals last week:

Spaghetti/salad/bread

Tacos/fruit

Fried Rice/Gyoza/fruit

Chicken Fingers/oven "fried" zucchini/fruit

Fajitas/chips and bean dip

Homemade Pizza

Cheeseburgers/oven fries/fruit

Lots-o-comfort food. Everything was homemade except for the spaghetti sauce and gyoza. They were from Trader Joe's. It was a crazy week, and didn't have much time for anything extravagant.

This week I will be using what I can out of the fridge and freezer, and of course from the CSA box. Don't want to spend a bunch on groceries right before we leave.

Off to get Nat and then to the barn!! Can't wait to see Annie and Ben tonight!!

This rocks!

Is this Tina Fey or Sarah Palin? I sure can't tell a difference!! LOL

Check it out!

So cool...

Please watch the video on Cathy Z's blog.

It put a smile on my face!!

Happy Saturday! Go play!!

Date Night!

Nat is spending the night at her friend Cassie's house. Their friend Madie will also be there. I'm sure it will be horsey, fun-filled night for them.

I'm finally getting around to making fajitas for dinner with the yummy CSA peppers and onions, and then Jim and I will catch a movie. We have tickets to see Burn After Reading. It looks kinda goofy but pretty darn funny. And it has George Clooney and Brad Pitt!! I'm a big Frances McDormand fan too. Looking forward to a fun and relaxing night.

This weekend will be lots of prep for our trip to Idaho, as well as cleaning the house for company. ANNIE is coming on Monday!! Woo Hoo!! She and Ben are home from Okinawa, and are currently looking for jobs in Colorado. Here's a blast from the past (2003!!):

Annie graduating from Pacific University:

Annie's wedding shower:

Annie and Ben's wedding (Annie's sister Rachel in the pic):

Annie is like a member of our family. We have missed her and Ben terribly!! So good to have them back in the states :)

Never Forget

I remember this day 7 years ago as one of the worst. Still can't even fathom that it happened. My friend, Laura, wrote a very touching post that was such a powerful tribute. Thanks, Laura.

I pray that nothing like that ever happens in our country again.

Just got back from a walk and coffee with Shauna. Another gorgeous morning here. LOVE this time of year. And being with that girl just cheers me up. Thanks, Shauna!!

Yesterday, I had a "poor me" day. Not sure why, just in a bad mood I guess. I had to get allergy shots. Ick. I tried to do some very minimal "retail therapy" but not sure it really helped me out... just made me feel guilty. I hit Ross Dress for Less for a cheap fall purse and new sunglasses. I also hit the local Assistance League Thrift Shop and found some rockin' brand name sweaters. Love that place!!  Luckily, I am doing much better today. The walk, hanging with Shauna, the sun, and a coffee drink from Borders have left me in a much better frame of mind ;)

Today we are off to the barn again... should be short and sweet though. Memo had a chiropractic treatment yesterday so she is on vacation for a few days. Nat needs to do special stretches with her as well as her give her some horsey motrin type stuff. She is also "horse-sitting" for a lady from the barn while she is on vacation. Nat is going to give Dundee an extra-special grooming, put sunscreen on his nose, and give him lots of love and treats. So nice of Julanne to support Nat's trip to Nationals by giving her this job :)

Thoughts and prayers going out to Laura's son as he has surgery today. I hope it goes well, and that Lucas has a speedy recovery. 

Sooooooo happy that tomorrow is Friday. Bring it on!!

CSA: Week 12 *Updated w/Pic*

This week we should have summer squash, cucumbers, sweet peppers, fresh beans, onions, tomatoes, muskmelon, and Gravenstein apples and/or Bartlett pears. 

No potatoes. Sigh. Guess I will have to stop by the little produce farm store nearby that specializes in potatoes.

Haven't heard the term "muskmelon" for awhile. West Coasters usually call it "cantaloupe". A blast from my midwest past.

Will plan on making fajitas with the sweet peppers and onions. Always a hit. 

Shauna and I have walked the last 2 mornings. Go us! Tomorrow she has a ct scan so we will have to wait until Thursday to go again. So glad to get this back in my routine. I had so much energy yesterday.

We are living at the barn lately. Elise is back from Canada, and they had a great lesson with her yesterday. Funny story... there is a donkey at the barn temporarily. Memo is in LOVE with the donkey!! I think she wants to be his mother. His name is Abe and he is adorable and really LOUD!! They were neighing and braying back and forth. Hilarious. Memo could hardly concentrate on the lesson... she kept looking over at Abe. Luckily, when she was finished she got the paddock next to him. Adorable. We will have to get some pics. I'll try to get some today at Nat's lesson. For good pics, you will have to wait for Jim to get back to the barn ;)

Menu Planning?

Do any of you plan your menus for the week or just wing it? I seem to do a mix of the two.

I'd like to say that I scour the grocery store ads and plan my meals based on what is on sale. Not so much. Occasionally that happens, but that is not the norm.

I seem to have the same stuff that I stock in my freezer and pantry. I usually get my meat at Costco, as well as some other staples once a month. I shop at a grocery store or Trader Joe's at least once a week to get everything else. I count on my CSA box for veggies.

I keep a list of dishes that are part of my regular rotation. That helps to refresh my memory, especially when I get in a cooking rut. Every once in awhile, I just have to try a new recipe (or four!)!!

I thought I would start posting my menus. This week I will list the meals that I made this week. I didn't plan them, they just kind of happened.

Day 1:

Chicken Quesadillas

Rice and beans

Chips and Salsa

fruit

Day 2:

Cheeseburgers on the grill

Potato leek soup

fruit

Day 3:

Meatball Subs

Greek salad

fruit

Day 4:

Meatloaf

Oven fries

Green Beans

Day 5:

Chicken sausage & veggie kabobs

corn on the cob

homemade mac & cheese

Day 6:

BBQ ribs

Green Chili potatoes

sauteed veggies

strawberries

Day 7:

pork loin w/peach jam

rice

veggie/fruit

Let me know if you would like any of my recipes. I'm anxious to try the pork loin tonight... I got some really ripe peaches in my CSA box so made them into jam quickly or I would have lost them. I think the jam will be yummy as a glaze on the pork loin. Will make it on the grill.

Things are good here. Friday night, Natalie and I watched the Stand Up 2 Cancer program. Powerful stuff. Saturday Natalie and Hayley had a group jumping lesson with Janice. So nice to hang w/Robanne (twice in two days!). Last night we watched two episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. LOVE that show.  Today Nat is having a friend from school go along to the barn. They will work Memo, then give her a bath. Dad has barn duty today so I will be doing laundry and cleaning house. Fun... NOT. Nat is working on homework as I type this. Spent a fair amount of time on that yesterday too. The fun begins :)

Have a good week everyone! And thanks so much to all of you who have sent checks and given jobs to Nat. We leave for Nationals two weeks from tomorrow!! Wow!