Itty Bitty Hooves

Aggravated and Agitated

It’s been a long day. First I got ripped off royaly. It was my own fault. I didn’t follow my own advice. Never pay someone to tell you what they are offering, even if it seems like a good job prospect. If you have to pay for it - THAT’S how they’re making their money. I’m tired too, and well a woman so this particular time of the month is not a good one for me, everything aggravates me. A friend of mine gave me a hard time last night, and what might have been passed off as just one of those things made me more angry than it should have. What do you do at times like that? Not much I suppose. I told my daughter this morning when she called me crying over something that really was nothing at all–you have to learn to laugh.

20 Minutes!

Okay, I’ve always known the diet ‘tip’ about eating slowly. Taking the time to really digest the food and even realize you’re eating it. It always made sense, but I just read something that really floored me–an important reason for eating very slowly at meal time, even putting your fork down between bites, is that it takes the stomach TWENTY MINUTES to know it is full. I’m not sure what that says about our stomaches, lol, kind of slow I guess… downright stupid, but at the same time, it makes even more sense to really take your time eating. I’m not sure what part of our survival instincts are brought into play with that delayed realization, it must have served some purpose at some point in time but it sure isn’t necessary any longer.

Chew slow and lose weight. LOL

Peaceful Gazing

I let the mares in one of the pens into the barnyard to graze this morning. The lawn gets high in there and it’s kind of silly to mow it, but it’s more than just that. There’s something about the sight of the horses in there just peacefully grazing that gives you a complete feeling of wellness no matter what is going on in your life. Any animal really. I could go on about scientific studies and we’ve all heard about how pets improve our health in a variety of ways, there’s just no way to argue it, they do. Just by being there. Oh there are a million things they do throughout the day to make an even greater impact, and there’s nothing like petting a purring cat, or a loving dog to do wonders for your nerves, BUT the really don’t have to do anything at all, even let us pet them, all they have to do is –be. Just like the mares. They weren’t doing anything with me, I wasn’t touching them, they were just ‘being’ and it was the most comforting, soothing, peaceful sight and it just calms the soul to witness it.

There is a new study out by the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Science that says the daily recommended amount of water does not specifically have to be water. That would be good news for a lot of people, although I’m not sure they mean sugary fluids like pop, and such anyway. But that means I can count my coffee in the morning as a part of my fluid consumption for the day. I think I’ll still shoot for my 8 cups of water per day though. I’ve been managing that. At least it’s good to know that I’m over with my coffee.

Cats Have a Short Memory–and they can’t count

This is really rich, an article’s headline on Yahoo this morning stated that Feline Memory is found to be fleeting…. no kidding–I could have told you that. I have cats, one in particular who will lay on me, or next to me on the couch and get so sound a sleep that she’s completely limp and will begin to fall off the edge. I’ll try to keep her from falling but of course sometimes you just can’t, and I swear she will hit the floor then give ME the evil eye as if I’d PUSHED her on purpose. That cat will go away and avoid me for a good half hour to an hour, then she’ll be right back as if nothing happened and she just loves me no end.

Of my three house cats, you’d think their lives were ending or at least that each time they get sprayed with a flea spray that I’m using up one of their precious lives. They’ll run and hide almost an entire day after an episode like that. I suppose that using up one of their lives counts a lot worse than pushing them off a couch. After their self-imposed exhile though they’ll be right back to their normal routines as if nothing happened… until the next time when the whole thing gets repeated.

It is obvious though that cats can’t count either. I mean I’ve sprayed them WAY more than 9 times.

Dancing To A Different Tune

I know it’s probably not politically correct but I’m kind of laughing here over the headline that Michael Vick is going to plead guilty now. Oh sure, now he’s going to plead guilty since he’s found out that a couple of his dog fighting comrades were planning on testifying against him, and pleading guilty themselves. A few weeks ago he was determined to plead innocent of the heinous charges levied against him. Funny how fast an innocent man will change his tune when there is someone who is going to speak out against him. What’s really sad is that someone with that kind of money would stoop to such a vile sport. Not that there’s ever an excuse for it but come on, this is a man with the world in his pocket and he has to do something so destructive?

Bomb Shelter Dogs

Oh my goodness is it raining. For the past few days it’s been thunderstorming. I’m so happy I could cry. All this rain will help so much in getting the hay we need for the winter, at prices we can pretty much afford. It sure hasn’t made my dog very happy though. Poor Sylvia is a ‘bomb shelter’ dog. One that hides under a piece of furniture like it will save her if the house falls down thanks to the thunder. You have to wonder how an animal can get to the age she is (10) and still be afraid of thunder. It’s not like she was ever hurt by a storm, or left out in the rain. Even when she was at my sister-in-laws nothing ever happened to her. My last Dobie Twister was just like that too. She lived her whole life with us and was still afraid of thunderstorms. They never seemed to get the idea that all that noise wouldn’t hurt them. This will be one heck of a long week for Sylvia. It’s supposed to storm all week long. I’m thrilled–she’s a nervous wreck.

The Great Outdoors

I love to sit outside and enjoy the fresh air, sunshine, and all the animals but right now I’m religated to either sitting on an old wood bench in the back pasture, or a picnic table in the barn yard. I don’t even have a patio set in my back yard anymore. I did have a swing at one time but one of the goats I used to have kind of did a way with it. I’d love a really classy teak outdoor furniture set. I think I might even get it eventually because we’re going to section off the backyard so that no animals can get into our ‘private’ area, and yet we can still enjoy watching them from where we’re sitting. It might get done this year, but I’m counting on it for sure next summer. It will sure be nice not to get splinters in my backside from that wood bench anymore.

Books

Being a writer means I am a reader by default. Well at least it should mean that. I am anyway. I’ve always loved books. Just about any genre, style, catagory appeals to me. The only ones I don’t care too much for are historical romance types. I like other romance genre stories, I’ve even written a few, just not the regency, or historicals. My most recent one that I’ve written is a dark fantasy and I just submitted it today to a publisher. I actually wrote it over a year ago and I’ve just been sitting on it all this time, I figured it was about time to get it out there into the big bad world. The book I’m reading now is the second in a religious fantasy trilogy. What types of books do you like to read?

Camera fun

Here’s another picture I took with my digital camera

I love digital cameras, you have to wonder what we did all those years without one. When they first came out I was skeptical. Not being a true ‘geek’ in any sense of the word new things scare me a little, but I finally buckled and bought one when the prices were more managable. Wow, what was I so afraid of? They make life so much easier, and there’s no waiting. I adore my camera and it’s a few years old now. I’ve heard from a friend who tried to by my exact camera because she liked the pictures I got with mine that they don’t even make my model anymore. Well, no big surprise, just like computers, tvs, and anything electronic the moment you walk out of the store with it, it’s obsolete–but it still works!