I am Goldilocks?

011So it is Sunday night and I really don’t have much to say.  Why?  Because somehow I have not been in the saddle since Friday.  Friday was an awesome day to ride.  Temperature was near 60 degrees and the sun was shining – one of those Goldilocks kind of days – not too hot and not too cold, but just right.  The weatherman told us that we were going to get snow Friday night into Saturday morning with snow showers all day Saturday.  I hear there was a dusting of snow north of us and some heavy snow showers south of us, but we received nothing.  Not a single flake.  I wish I could be that wrong at my job and still have a job.  Geez.  We did have cold rain Saturday morning and crazy cold winds today.

Am I becoming a bit of a Goldilocks in my old age?  I mean I could have ridden yesterday since it was just cloudy by the time I made it to the barn, but I opted to love on the boys and hand out treats instead…I could have layered up and ridden today, but opted to just hand walk Ike instead of wrestling with my tack and the stiff, cold leather.  Is it a bad thing to be a bit of a fair weather rider?  I’ve done my fair share of bad weather riding.  I’ve been mounted when it started snowing, sleeting and raining.  Been on my horse when the lightening started lighting up the sky.  Had the runny nose and tearing eyes from pollen or cold winds.  Had numb fingers and toes and chapped lips.  Almost suffered heat stroke in the middle of the summer.  I have decided that it is more than okay to be a weather wimp.

Before the cold weather returned, Ike and I had a great ride on Friday.  I love the rides where everything flows.  Transitions are easy.  There is no nagging to get the rhythm I want.  My half halts seemingly are given at the right moment.  I would like to say that Ike and I are starting to “get it.”  Instead of being a horse and a rider, we are partners.  What an amazing feeling that is.  We will continue to have our Goldilocks days where I do too much or too little when asking for an up transition or my half halt is more like a halt.  I will continue to wimp out on the really cold days, but I promise that this rider will continue, in spite of the weather, to swing her leg over Ike’s back to be the best she can be, runny nose and cold toes and all.

Happy Valentine’s Day

Heart Wreath

Have you ever wondered what to do with all those ribbons that you and your horse(s) have earned over the years?  Not the really pretty end of season ones or the coveted neck ribbons, but the average, every day schooling show variety that you have piled in boxes in the closet.  After a while, you run out of wall space, so the older ones get pushed aside to make room for the new ones.  I pulled out that pile of ribbons and decided that I was going to make a Valentine’s wreath with the red, white and pink ribbons.  I embellished with some pompoms and ribbon from the local craft store to fill in the holes.  Don’t look too closely or you will see all the flaws.

I did get in a quick 30 minute ride this afternoon.  Ike was relaxed and all was going well until the local terror on his four-wheeler arrived home from school.  I could feel Ike tense up and the game plan had to be changed in order for the rest of the ride to be a productive one.  The plan changed from riding some of the Training Level test movements utilizing the whole arena to working on walk/trot transitions and 10 meter circles at the end of the arena closest to the barn (the safe zone).  Yes, yes, I know Ike needs to learn to work with distractions, but why risk it on Valentine’s Day when no one else was at the barn?  Better to be safe than sorry and fight the battle another day when there is someone to dial 9-1-1.

Ike tried hard to focus on our work.  We ended up working at a slower trot rhythm on a 10 meter figure eight.  The smaller circles force me to ride every step keeping my reins at the proper length.  That is no small feat for me.  I’m notorious for letting my reins get too long – hard to give an effective half halt with a floppy rein.  Riding the smaller circles helps me help Ike to keep all body parts on the one bending line; it is not uncommon to see us losing a shoulder or the hind end as we cruise around a 20 meter circle.  Now I know we aren’t suppose to turn on cruise control on any size circle, but who doesn’t have those momentary lapses (Olympians, Grand Prix riders, more focused amateurs) – I’ve got nothing to lose by admitting that I lack focus sometimes.  Can’t really get mad at my horse when he does the same thing.  Like I’ve said before, we are a work in progress.

Tucked Ike in for the night with some Valentine’s Stud Muffins.  Tomorrow looks to be another good day for riding.  Saturday is questionable, but thankfully I’ve still got a pile of ribbons to repurpose.  What shall I make next?

Got Ike tucked away in his stall with some special Valentine’s treats.

Hip to be Square

Ikes kind eyeOur lesson this week was all about square turns or in our case squarish turns.  It was all about moving the shoulders by using effective and appropriate leg, seat, and hand aids – code for half halting at the right time before getting a close up view of the fence. This is one of those exercises that Ms. C told me can be done from the halt, walk, trot, or canter.  When executed correctly, it would help Ike stand up in his shoulders rather than falling in or out and leaning on my thigh.  Ms. C decided that indeed I would try it at all gaits during this lesson.  Say what?  Did she really think that Ike and I could successfully execute a square turn at the canter?!  I had visions of crashing into the fence and black-and-blue knees, but agreed to try.

Our turns on the haunches as well as the square turns at the walk and trot were not half bad.  Did I really just say that?  Who would have thought that Ike and I would be proficient with this?  I could believe that Ike is fully capable of performing the exercise.  I cannot believe that I was able to corrrectly give a half halt more often than not and make the square-like turns.  I still have to be careful not to overuse that inside rein that I cling to like a security blanket.  But given the progress we have made, there is hope for us yet to escape the purgatory of the lower levels and make it to Second Level where you can’t hide from your inability to perform a half halt to influence the horse’s movement.

And then it was time to try the canter…I have to say I was a bit intimidated by this exercise at the canter.  To date, most of our canter work has been on circles and riding the short ends more like half of a circle.  To date, we’ve been lucky not to run into the fence as we careen around the short end.  That turn onto centerline at the canter in Training Level Test 3 at H?  We are lucky to turn in the vicinity of H and not topple the rails of the dressage arena.  We’ve spent the past year trying to avoid hitting the fence with my knee and now we were going to canter a straight line directly to the fence, execute a square turn, and then canter another straight line.  Um, sure, why not.  What is life if you don’t live on the edge sometimes…good thing my health insurance is paid up and covers knee surgery.

We let Ike have a break with some free walk and then I gathered the reins to restart the exercise.  Picked up a trot tracking left and executed a few square turns to remind Ike what we were doing.  Asked for canter right after one of the turns.  Ike’s stride is big and the fence was quickly approaching….half halt, sit tall, step into my inside stirrup, press right thigh to saddle and right rein to neck, let go a little inside rein (no, no, I don’t want to) and ta da!  We made the turn and were now cantering along the fence.  My knee was still intact, but no time to gloat since the fence on the short end was coming up.  Repeat aids and make another square turn.  And then Ike said that is all I can do and we transitioned back to trot.   We then attempted and successfully performed the exercise with the right lead canter.

What was amazing to feel was, by riding truly straight lines rather then bending lines, how uphill Ike’s canter felt.  There was no leaking out or falling in, just pure, upright movement.  Yes, yes, I know that is what the canter should be even on a bending line, but big boy and I are still a work in progress.  I would never have imagined us doing this exercise a year ago.  So that leads me to wonder, what will we be able to do a year from now?  Stay tuned to find out.

Think Spring!

004As I write this, winter storm Nemo is invading New England.  I hope everyone is safely at home and all their animals are also sheltered from the blowing snow and wicked cold.  Virginia was spared and my emerging daffodils, peony tips, and Rose-of-Sharon buds are thankful.  Seeing my flowers begin to return to my garden beds reminds me that spring is not that far away.  If we can make it through February, any winter weather that decides to visit in March usually doesn’t stick around all that long.  Good thing since I’ve seen some dressage schooling shows on the calendar for March, and by April, winter is just a memory and we can look ahead to pretty days spent at the local show grounds.

I’ve spent some time looking at the available shows and trying to plan Ike’s second show season.  He spent his inaugural year doing Intro classes at licensed and schooling shows and then transitioning to Training Level only at schooling shows.  Because of the classes and shows we entered, I didn’t have to empty the pocketbook to obtain my USEF Membership, my USDF Participating Membership, Ike’s USEF registration, and Ike’s USDF registration.  Since our goal for the coming year is to qualify for the USDF/GAIG Region 1 Dressage Championships, I had to bite the bullet and empty the checkbook to get us street legal for licensed shows.  I’m now scraping together the funds to enter the necessary shows in hopes of qualifying.  I’ve also got my checklist of things to get done before our first scheduled outing on April 29, 2013:

1) Get the trailer inspected.  The inspection sticker expires this month, so hopefully the weather will cooperate and it will get done so that we are safe to travel.

2) Clean out the trailer dressing room.  I’m really not certain how the chaotic state happened, but every time I open the door, I cringe.  Okay, I lie, I KNOW how it happened, but I’m just in a deep state of denial that I actually let it happen.  I am so anal about everything else at the barn that it is so wrong to let the dressing room exist in such a state.  Unfolded blankets, a Christmas gift bag with trash, unidentifiable packages of stuff, and none of it where it should be.

3) Try on my show clothing.  Need I explain why this is necessary?  I did already purchase a new pair of white gloves for this year.  The ones I have been using since 2007 are the color of dirty street snow and it is time for them to retire.

4) Condition and polish my boots. Dreadful, but necessary chore.  I’m seriously considering paying the local shoe repair place or a Marine to do it for me.

5) Tame Ike’s mane.  Yes, there will be a spa day coming up soon.  I openly admit that I am not proficient at pulling and thinning a mane.  I compare it to plucking my eyebrows,  I do the bare minimum to prevent unibrow for fear that I will overpluck and be left with bare skin where hair should be.  My greatest worry is that I will pull too much mane in one place and not enough in others leaving no alternative but to roach it and pray for quick regrowth.

6) Work on my half halt.  Practice centerlines.  Improve our up and down transitions.  Work on my half halt.  Improve our stretch down trot.  Learn half halt timing.  Perfect our circles.  Square halts.  More half halts.  Hmm, there seems to be a preponderance of work on my end in this entry.

7) Do something really nice for my husband.  Without his support, I would not be on this journey with Ike.  Without him, Ike and I would be hacking to shows.  Without him, shows would be lonely.  He is our greatest cheerleader.

8) Organize my paperwork.  All our necessary registration paperwork, rule books, vet certificates are shoved into a file box.  It is all in one place, but that place is my home office and that will not help me when I’m at a show scratching my head while trying to remember membership numbers or test patterns.  Guess I need to accomplish task #2 or fear losing this paperwork in the chaos.

9) Measure my whip.  How awful it would be to put in the ride of a lifetime to only have it negated by a whip that is 1 centimeter too long.

10) Take time to breathe and just spend time with Ike.  While time in the saddle is important to success, I believe the real partnership bond forms with time spent out of the saddle.  The new spring grass will be here soon enough.  I will steal some time to find a quiet spot at the barn and let Ike graze while I stroke his neck and back and remind him how lucky I am to have him in my life.

Back in the Saddle Again

023So when you hear the phrase, “Back in the Saddle Again,” what musical act pops into your head?  Is it Gene Autry or Aerosmith?  The right answer?  There really isn’t one.  What does matter is that no matter what keeps you out of the saddle, that you get yourself back into the saddle as soon as possible.  Your sanity is at stake and you don’t want to mess with that.

I attempted to ride on Saturday, but the footing was less than ideal since the moisture in the blue stone had frozen and there was absolutely no give to the footing.  After 20 minutes of mostly walk and some light trot work, I toss in the towel and called it a day.  Sunday was a sunless, cold day and I just wasn’t feeling inspired.  Monday I spent the day out-of-town with my newest puppy while he had Femoral Head Ostectomy on his right hip; basically the head of the femur is fractured by something or someone and needs to be removed.  [Here comes my soapbox speech.]  The poor boy was returned to the local SPCA with this injury and the former owners said nothing during the intake.  Seriously?  Some people should not be allowed to own animals.  I saw the x-ray – there was a lot of force behind whatever hurt him.  I hope I never meet the people who did this.  Luckily, the surgery went well, and he should have a full recovery with no lasting limp.

So after life’s diversions and my lack of motivation for riding in the cold, Ike and I got right back to it today with our weekly lesson.  Ms. C declared that it was Lateral Day.  Ugh – it is relatively new to Ike so mistakes are common.  He doesn’t hear the bump of my leg so the hind end trails…only to be exaggerated by the fact that I forgot to half halt that outside shoulder so it is steaming ahead without the rest of the body.  Then we switch directions only to find that we have the opposite issues tracking the other direction.  More information to process and store.  I also had a challenge today trying to establish a steady connection and throughness, so it made giving aids for the leg yield more challenging as I fought the giraffe neck and an unyielding back.  Why was it challenging?  Because a certain horse who I shall not call out needed to poop, but would not.

When we do manage to get all pieces and parts working together, Ike has a really nice reach to his lateral steps.  There is a flow to the movement and it feels effortless…ah, that is the feeling I strive for with every stride and every stride of every ride.  Guess I’ll just have to keep getting back in the saddle to see if we can find it again.

You Know You Have a Problem When…

019Just the other day I had to admit to my husband that I might have a teeny tiny little problem with boots.  He smirked at my deliberation on Facebook about what to do with my windfall Smartpak gift certificate.  Should I be practical and buy essentials or splurge and buy another pair of boots??  Bet you can’t guess what I decided to buy.  I had the full and loving support of my friends who also provided some additional boot choices for consideration.  I still maintain that my riding boots really shouldn’t count when determining if I am just a lover of the boot or someone who requires an intervention.

My riding boot collection includes two pairs of Ariat tall boots- the really good pair that only make an appearance at licensed shows and the pair that have seen better days but are still serviceable, my Mountain Horse winter boots, my brand new and oh-so-pretty Dublin Pinnacle boots (thanks Smartpak!!), my rubber boots, and my paddock boots which I don’t think really qualify as real boots since they only cover my ankles.  My “fashion” boot collection has a fair number of pairs (I dare not reveal the actual number to protect the guilty) with the crown jewel being my Frye boots that joined the family a year ago.

I will be the first one to admit that what boots I wear won’t make one hill of beans difference in how I ride.  My feet might be warmer with my winter boots and I might look just as cute as I can be with my new Dublin boots, but I will still struggle with my half halt timing and Ike will still lean on my right leg with that strong right shoulder.  Too bad that they aren’t magic boots like Cinderella’s glass slipper.  Slip on your “glass boot” and magically be transformed into a Grand Prix rider who has their bronze, silver and gold medals and numerous national titles.  If you believe that, I’ve also got some magic beans to sell you that will make your horse move like an Olympic mount.

My Olympic contender has been full of himself my past two rides.  It could be youthful exuberance or more likely due to the charming children on their four-wheelers and the Wizard of Oz worthy winds that have returned to the mid-Atlantic.  Dear charming children, must you rev your engines every time you ride by my horse?  When your four-wheeler won’t start one day, I will claim to know NOTHING about why not.  I do not know how that engine doodad ended up in the manure pile.

Half halts and sit trot have been my saving grace with these rides.  Thank goodness Ike is really starting to understand what a half halt is even though I am still not fully understanding why I cannot perfect my timing.  Being able to work in sit trot for longer periods of time has allowed me to keep a steadier feel of Ike’s mouth (read – better connection) which has helped my half halt efforts.  Staying in the saddle also helps me better catch Ike’s efforts to bolt when the engine’s rev or the wind gusts…doesn’t help every time, but more often than not I can shut down the go before it happens.  There is that split second before the explosion when there is the stiffening of the muscles as they prepare to spring into action.  If I am paying attention and can feel that moment and half halt or even down transition, Ike will obey the request.  He might not like it, but he will do it.

Although the winds will continue to blow over the next three days along with some snow flurries and the neighborhood children will be out terrorizing the horses, I will be in the saddle sporting one of my many pairs of boots and attempting to master the ever elusive half halt.

It’s a Game of Chutes and Ladders

003Today I finally had last week’s lesson, and for me, better late than never.  Ike and I require regular adult supervision to keep us on track and our reins at the correct length.  So glad that Ms. C does not migrate south for the winter – she might not be happy about it, but I know that I am so very thankful that Ike and I can keep up our lessons through the winter rather than scratching our heads wondering if we are making forward progress.  Our second show season kicks off in three months, so we really don’t have any time to waste.

After today’s lesson, I can assure you that our upward progress is stifled by my inadequacies as a rider – we have to claw our way up that ladder rung by rung.  Yes, it is true, poor Ike must tolerate my digressions in his quest for fame and fortune.  How will the boy ever make it to the Wellington Dressage Master’s competition when his owner is so easily distracted by a runny nose and cold fingers?  Ms. C and I discussed some of the rides while we did my lesson; she used them as a guide for my wayward skill set.  While they are a library of how to ride correctly, I could be the poor soul who they trot out to demonstrate what not to do.  One of these days I’m making it over that wall to the other side where the proficient riders live.

One of the discussions today was about rein length.  I marvel at riders who manage to keep a steady connection even while holding two sets of reins.  I feel like I am always adjusting the length and my contact is on again, off again.  My fear is that Ike will learn to tune out my fidgeting and we will be damned to Training Level purgatory.  Ms. C assures me that I am improving and that now that Ike is steadier and stronger, I won’t have to constantly grope for the right length which sends us down the chute and back to Intro Level.  Our sit trot work today proved that I can find the right length of rein when I set my mind to it.  Start on a trot circle to the left, establish the correct bend and flexion, and once things are stable, half halt, step to the right, and re-establish the new bend and flexion for a circle to the right.  Up the ladder we went…

We were half way up the ladder today when we took an unexpected detour down the Runaway Horse Chute.  Ms. C said she could almost see Ike planning to slide down that particular chute.  I bumped Ike with my legs to ask for just a bit more trot.  Ike took that opportunity to leap into the canter and before I could say “wh—-” we were off to the races.  Abandoning any finesse, I used the full body brace to gain control.  Phew!  That will get the blood flowing.  Of course we were at the bottom of the chute and back at Start.  Time to start over.

We abandoned all thoughts of canter and continued to work on our trot work as well as the suggestion of shoulder in.  Please Ike, could we just make it up one ladder successfully?  I will then take you back to the barn for the rest of your dinner.  That must have been good incentive because we ended our lesson on a positive note with the successful climb up the walk/trot ladder.  Ike’s walk was dynamite – the boy really should be able to pull at least an 8 on that walk.  Our transitions were peaceful in the up direction as well as in the down.  Ike even listened as we attempted shoulder in to the right and left.  His rider almost led them down the Overbending Chute, but Ms. C was there to save the day and prevent one final descent.

So many ladders to climb before show season kicks into high gear.  I am going to try my best to avoid any chutes that will send us back to Intro tests at schooling shows.  Ike says he is promising nothing.  He kind of liked that wild ride and isn’t certain why I don’t encourage more of that behavior.  I think he has been talking to his brother too much.

We head out this weekend for our first clinic of 2013!

Rider’s Block and Writer’s Block

003Well, well, well, there hasn’t been much to write about this week as far as barn activities.  After getting cocky and riding four, yes four, days in a row over the long holiday weekend, the weather has decided to take me down a notch and keep my feet on the frozen ground.

Temperatures have hovered in the 20s during the day since Tuesday, and we had our first snow of the season yesterday.  I know my friends to the north would scoff at the wimpy winter we have had in Virginia.  Yes, even the hint of winter weather has us rushing to the store for milk, bread and toilet paper.  I never did understand this trio…where are the hot chocolate and marshmallows?  Did you not have a spare roll or two of toilet paper on hand already?  It isn’t like we will be snowed in for weeks on end.  People also rush out and buy shovels when the weatherman mentions the “s-word.”  Umm, what did you do with the one that you bought two years ago?  It isn’t like they go bad.

The 2-3 inches of snow that came yesterday was Ike’s first “big snow storm.”  What a momentous occasion for the big man.  Would he try to hover above the ground like he did during the one snow event (<1 inch) we had last winter?  Ms. C ended up bringing the big weenie back to the barn until the snow melted later that day.  I should not have worried.  Ike marched out of the barn like a horse on a mission and never really gave the snow much thought.  Ms. C said at one point he had been pushing the snow around (most likely looking for buried hay) and his entire muzzle was covered in snow.  Ah, one of those Kodak moments that I wasn’t around to see.  Bummer.

So what does one do when barn time is stifled and it is just way too cold to even be outdoors for long periods?  I cleaned out my files and shredded a trash bag’s worth of paper.  I organized my USEF, USDF, and Ike’s paperwork…well, okay, I gathered it all together and put it in one box.  That counts right?  I shopped on the Smartpak website trying to decide what to do with my windfall from Horse Junkies United.  Seriously thinking about getting the Dublin Pinnacle boots (http://www.smartpakequine.com/dublin-pinnacle-boot-9029p.aspx) even though I know my husband will tell me I have lost my freaking mind.  I attended my local dressage chapter’s annual banquet and collected Ike’s end of year awards – Champion at Intro and Third at Training.  Not bad for a horse that could barely canter a circle last April.  And my husband and I adopted a cute little mutt named Brownie from our local SPCA.  Why not add some chaos to the house with a 13 month old young dog?

Brownie and Spencer Jan 24 2013                                                                               Brownie (in front) and his brother Spencer

We have one more day of cold temperatures and possible snow – I never believe it until I see the actual flakes – last week they said we were getting 6-8 inches and we ended up with just wet flakes with the cold rain.  A veritable heat wave will be here Saturday with a high temperature of 40 degrees.  That should be enough to melt the snow and thaw the arena for some walk/trot work.  Having withdrawal symptoms from lack of time in the saddle – I need my riding fix!  Those centerlines aren’t going to straighten themselves…

Life is a Rollercoaster Ride

Ike in stallWhew!  What a weekend it has been and we still have one more day to go.  The past three days have felt like one of the giant rollercoasters at Busch Gardens except I’m blindfolded and can’t tell what is coming next.  Why do you ask has life been like a rollercoater?  Well let me fill you in on the goings on about town:

The weather has been unpredictable this winter.  Last weekend we were in the high 60s, we then had rain for five days ending with the threat of 6-8 inches of snow.  Luckily the weather forecasters got it wrong and all we received was some sleet and wet snowflakes mixed in with the rain.  We then had winds worthy of the Great Lakes, temperatures in the 20s, and then back into the 50s today.  Tomorrow there is a chance of snow showers with the high Tuesday predicted to be 24 degrees.  I vaguely remember one rollercoaster that gave me whiplash.  This weather pattern reminds me of that ride.

There is a rollercoaster at Busch Garden’s that Fabio rode years ago.  Yes, that Fabio, the one with the flowing hair and lack of shirt.  Anyway, the coaster made the climb to the top and as it descended, a bird hit him smack in the face and gave him a bloody nose.  I haven’t had a bloody nose, but I sure do feel like I’ve been smacked around after attempting to adopt a rescue dog.  One group took 8 days to deny our application, smack number one.  Another only allows you to meet dogs for a few hours on Saturday afternoon.  Yet another wants your social security number…why not just ask for my bank account numbers and passwords as well.  I didn’t even let them take a swat.  I just looked elsewhere.  We finally have a hopeful meeting tomorrow.  All paws and hooves and fingers are crossed that we don’t get smacked again and end up with a black eye.

One thing you can say about rollercoasters is that if you ride the same coaster 100 times, the ride will be the same every time.  The same speed, the same tempo, the same turns, the same loops.  Consistency is there.  When riding Ike, we do not yet have that consistency from ride to ride.  On Friday, our trot was steady, but our canter was a bit strung out.  During our lesson on Saturday, our trot rhythm was a bit more erratic (that is because Ike’s rider was not sharp with her half halts), our left lead canter was First Level quality, and the right lead canter was Marmaduke-like.  Today, our canter would have only been acceptable on a cross country course with no jumps.  I remind myself that Ike is only 4 years old.  F-O-U-R.  Expecting the ride to be the same every day is setting the bar way to high.  That is our goal, but it could be years before we get there.  If I were a stronger rider, we might get there sooner, but since I can’t change my skill set with the wrinkling of my nose, we will just keep plucking along.

And one last thought about this rollercoaster ride…once a coaster is built it doesn’t continue to grow.  Ike on the otherhand, is growing like a weed fed by MiracleGro.  Good thing I’m not afraid of heights!

alison

Blogger Love

versatileblogger111

When I started blogging almost a year ago, I had no idea whether or not people would read it, like it, or follow it.  That wasn’t the driver in the decision to start writing.  It was just a way for me to chronicle the progress and special moments with Ike, my newest equine family member.  You think to yourself that you won’t forget any of the special moments, but trust me, the older we get, the more likely we are to forget things.  The blog would be my way of documenting everything, so that when I am old and senile, I can look back and say, “Wow, I actually did that?!”  The pictures would be the proof that I did indeed ride horses.

Many thanks to Mellchan and Sparrowgrass for nominating me for this blogger award. You can check out their blogs on WordPress at   http://mellchan.wordpress.com/ and http://sparrowgrass.wordpress.com/ .  I have found that  reading the blogs written by others  is and interesting way to discover people with similar interests as well as folks with more diverse interests.  In the end, we are all just regular people who just enjoy sharing our thoughts and experiences.

According to the rules of the award, I should tell the people who nominated me 7 things about myself that they don’t already know.  Hmm, here we go:

1) I like to eat the cookie dough more than the finished cookie.  Yes, I know it is bad, but I continue to do it;

2) In my opinion, wine should be a food group;

3) Snakes terrify me thanks to the rattlesnake at the National Zoo trying to strike at me through the glass;

4) I secretly want to be a professional organizer;

5) If I didn’t own horses, I would spend my time gardening;

6) I have a serious problem with boots – my husband claims to have discovered my stash – I deny everything; and

7) I cannot whistle, not one lick.

Finally, I am to present this award to 15 deserving bloggers.  So here are my picks for blogs for you to check out:

http://janetfoy.wordpress.com/

http://goodcooks.wordpress.com/

http://mymagicshoes.wordpress.com/

http://dannigirl2013.wordpress.com/

http://www.horsejunkiesunited.com/ (There are over 20 equestrian bloggers at this one website…including yours truly….and I love all their adventures.)

Thanks again for the recognition!