Itty Bitty Hooves

The Big Green Box

My son came into my office today carrying a huge box and saying what did you order now? I looked at it with surprise because I wasn’t expecting anything, and saw IZEA in big while lettering on the side: Ah a surprise from IZEA! How cool is that? It must be a 4th of July special surprise for posties because all of the contents were red, white, and blue, and picnic oriented. That is one of the really GREAT perks of working with IZEA the parent company for PayPerPost and Social Spark. The promotion also centered around the new ‘Social Spark’ emblems, and aside from the cool cup holder that bears IZEA emblazoned on it the rest is ‘Sparky’ related.

The big green box cometh:

Inside were all the makings of a fun-filled 4rth:

This is the item that scared the pants off me, and made me scream:

I’m assuming that’s a frisbee, but it folds up really tight into that little pouch that’s laying on it, I went to pull it out and it snapped into full form like one of those snakes in a can. Scared me gray I tell ya.

But there’s always the cool ‘Wild Spark’ Barbeque sauce:

And the item that will probably get the most use, the cup holder:

Lots of other fun little things inside too like the fold up paper 4th of July fans, and the flag banner, and a couple of IZEA mints, which were gone in a flash.

Thanks IZEA for being such a really fun and surprising company to work for!

Sign Of Hope

i just had to share this picture with you. With all of the rain we’ve been having up here–nothing like the horrible floods in Iowa and Missouri though, I’m so sorry for all of you in those heavily hit areas–I thought this picture was so beautiful, and such a symbol of hope as well.

For The Record–No Longer A Test

THIS is so cool! It has probably always been an option and I just didn’t know it. You can create a post on here, edit the timestamp for a future time (an hour, a day, a month) and the post will show up when you programmed it to appear. I have always know you could post date a post to an earlier time/date, but not a ‘future’ post. That’s just excellent. Apparently Blogger allows it now too. So I can make sure there are posts scheduled for every day if I can manage to type them up, if I’m going to be gone for a day or so. What a neat thing.

If this works it’s cool. I just found out that Blogger added a post function that allows you to create a post and schedule a time for it to show up on your blog. I’m seeing if Word Press’ timestamp will allow that too. So basically, this is a test. It is only a test. If it proves to work, I’ll post to tell you all about it.

Our Horses

Here’s a vide of the horses on our farm. Hope you enjoy. I love making these videos. I have to get one done for the goaties… and maybe just for fun, all the new kittens too!

Get Credit For What You Do

I saw a commercial last night that made me laugh. Then I got to thinking about how it really does tie in with all that I do. The commercial was this guy booking a flight on a plane for a business trip, then he hands over a credit card to pay for it with little kitties on it. The attendant looks over at him and says ‘and you said this was a business trip?’

I don’t suppose I would have really thought about it before. The kinds of business I have are small, self run, but even the farm has expenses as we all know too well, that sometimes require a little ‘help’. Last year I got a credit card that is strictly business. It has the farm name on the front, and isn’t a ‘cutsey’ card with kitties on it either.

It may, or may not make a difference to a cashier, or other recipient, but it DOES help me keep my expenses for the farm when its used in its proper place for taxes and records. It helps a lot that it’s a low interest credit card. I really suggest anyone looks into a ‘dedicated’ business credit card for their farm. It has come in really handy in many circumstances. Make sure you do your homework though and get the best deal for what you pay for. There are a lot of ways online to investigate what’s available.

Check out the Credit Card Club to see what they offer in business cards, travel and gas reward cards and much more. Come to think of it, I sure could use the gas rewards type cards now. Going to shows is a real cash drain with gas prices the way they are today.

The Kitty Circus

I brought one of the barn kitties in to show my mother-in-law today. She just loved it. They’re about six weeks old now and at that really fun, crazy, cuddly stage all at once. I LOVE the kitty stage. They’re so much fun to watch. Once they get older they aren’t nearly as playful anymore. It still happens, but only once in a random while. At the 2 month or so area, it’s non-stop. We got these kittens early, mom is very friendly, and didn’t mind us playing with them. So we really have got them tamed, and friendly. Now… the two babies in the house… boy when the ‘cute and playful stage’ hits there, it’s going to be a real circus. But fun!

SHAKEDOWN video

I made a video trailer for SHAKEDOWN, my new novel release today! I hope you enjoy it. I think I have almost as much fun making these as I do writing the books:

I Entered A Contest!

I’m not usually the contest type. I think that’s partly becasue I rarely win. I can’t say never, but it’s really rare–and the big ones, well, so far never… but I have hope. You see this one is kind of important to me.

I’ve been working really hard at losing weight over the past 9 months. I’m halfway to my goal (no, I’m still not going to give you any idea of the numbers, haha). Being where I’m at, however, really starts to bring the entire picture into perspective. Okay, I was fat, I’m losing the weight, but what do I do about the rest of the picture? I need a makeover. Not a simple ‘dimestore’ type either. Head-to-toe, hair, face, clothes–the works.

Don’t get me wrong, I love who I am, but at 46 years old, I need a lift. A new ‘life’ to go with my new ‘lifestyle’. ArteFill has a contest now that’s totally FREE to enter–and easy. Fill out a simple form, write a little essay about why a new make over is important to you, and you are instantly entered into their contest that runs from now until the end of July. The ArteFill Makeover contest is worth a whoping 10 THOUSAND dollars! Yep, you read that correct. It’s the big gun that many of us who have passed 35 on the lifeline need. A boost into the second half of our life. Hey, it’s a new beginning.

I know I could use a new beginning. I feel brand-new with my better feeling, lighter self, now I’m looking forward to a new style to go along with it. Yeah, I wanna be stylin’!

Thanks to the great folks at ArteFill, I might be stylin’ in no time.

The Great Cat Fight of 2008

It’s still going on—but now I know why.

Thank Heavens.

For awhile I was sure my cats had just gone insane. Two formerly loving cats who co-existed without complaint for years suddenly decided to do battle with the warzone being my entire house. I’d about had it until…

Yesterday I was searching in my usually unbothered upright file cabinet deep in my office closet when I looked down to see my black cat ‘Spooky’ all curled up on the bottom shelf. That is no surprise. That bottom shelve with its deep recess has always been her little ‘hidy-hole’. This time, however was a little different. This time I saw a dingy white thing curled up by her stomach. At first I thought it was the dingy, dirty little white ‘rat’ toy that came with the scratching post. The two cats had long ago severed the toy from the post, and dragged it about the house until it looked like hell, but they still love it, so I don’t throw it away.

This little dingy white ‘rat’ was squirming though. EEK… my mind couldn’t figure it out for a second. Either they toy had come to life, or it was a real rat she’d found and decided to take to ‘bed’ with her and play a bit… or…

A few days ago my mother-in-law who is living with us while she undergoes cancer treatments suggested Baby (the other war monger) might be going through a false pregnancy, and thinking she was protecting babies…

nope.

Wrong cat.

And NOT a FALSE pregnancy!!!

There curled up with my black cat were two (upon closer inspection) little white/gray kittens. Well, little in that they are babies, but danged HUGE for their approximate age. No wonder Spooky had all of a sudden the last month or so looked like she was finally ‘filling out’. Yeah right… well I had liked it because she’d always been such a lean (not skinny, just lean) cat, and she’d begun to look like a well-fed housecat for a change… Oh brother. Well, she’s lean again. Haha.

So–now at least, there is a reason for the war, and poor baby who I’d blamed for the way it seemed she was always being the aggressor, really was just defending her poor self from Spooky who doesn’t want her anywhere in the house at the moment. She’s holed up in a nook above my cabinets in the kitchen, poor thing, the ONLY place Spooky will leave her alone.

I saw her this morning though, attempting to come out, and Spooky once again cornering her. I rescued her, but she’s so thin. Now that I know exactly where she is hiding, I’ve put some food and water up inside the ‘nook’ so hopefully she’ll at least get something to eat. Poor baby.

So once there were two—-now there are FOUR.

I need a valium. What am I going to do with FOUR house cats? LOL