Ok, we let her open some tonight

but the rest are for the party on Sunday

    

Isn’t she the sweetest?

Happy Birthday Maggie!

Has it been a year already? So a year ago today, most people were watching Katrina roll in, but I don’t think we heard much about it till later because we were thinking baby’s coming. Everyone kept calling to see if I was ok, and I’d say yes I am fine I am resting in the hospital not realizing they were wondering if my home had been washed away. I don’t think most of my friends realized I was in the hospital because of having a baby and not because of the hurricane. Mike has a test at the firehouse tonight, so we are having the party next Sunday so friends can come. Maggie will have to wait for her presents.

We went to my friend Penny’s three year old’s party yesterday. It was a pirate themed party so we made Mike dress up as Jack Sparrow (eye makeup and all) and bring Gilbert. And of course I forgot my camera again, but Sharon got a shot for me although Maggie doesn’t look too thrilled in the picture. I don’t have many really good pictures of him as a pirate. Maggie had a blast crawling around and eating food and playing with all the little boy’s presents. She’s a party girl, thats for sure. I told her she has to wait for next weekend.

lessons for Rhiannon

Ok, I think I have a solution for my problems with Rhiannon. I called Diamond P Equestrian Center to talk about lessons. Diamond P is a training center for medieval gaming like jousting. They have experience with draft horses, which is the main key. I talked to the trainer and she said I could bring Rhi out and she’d take a look for $20. That’s a steal compared to some dressage trainers. Plus if I showed up at a dressage trainers with a draft I’d probably be laughed out of the ring. That will give me something to work towards too. I do think she has potential to be nice horse, but she’s not as fun for me to ride as Ponti. Check out their website, www.dpeq.com

Horse trading

My friend Jess has a really nice horse for sale. He is a Saddlebred, trained first level dressage and knows all the exhibition tricks like spanish walk, bowing, and rearing on command. I haven’t been down to ride him, but I get the impression his personality is more like Ponti’s, a little hot but under control. I would be tempted by him if I didn’t already have 3 horses. Part of me is tempted to offer Rhiannon for sale and go get this guy. Rhiannon is not exactly an easy horse to train. She wants to please, but at the same time the boss mare attitude gets in the way, and draft horses aren’t exactly athletic either. The amount of work she needs before she really starts earning her keep has me daunted. But she’s such a pretty horse too. It’s really Mike’s decision, she’s his horse even though I am the one who has to do the training. Well if you know anyone who wants a dressage or circus horse, let me know and I’ll pass word along to Jess.

religion and philosophy

I don’t know that anyone is really reading too much here anyways so I might as well wax philosophical just for the fun of it.  This is the weird stuff that keeps me up at night that makes Mike want to kill me.  We went to Pagan Pride day today.  It was fun, we met some cool people, and it made me think.  I like stuff that makes me think.  See I’m not pagan really, but I like some pagan stuff like fairies and unicorns and herbs and tye-dye tee shirts, and a little yoga is good for anyone, and certianly the history and mythology.  They played a very interesting film on the Spanish Inquisition that is as important for a Christian to know about as a Pagan.  I’m Christian, I’ve read my Bible cover to cover twice, and I know why I believe in it.  Some Christians are so threatened by people who believe differently and I think that’s stupid.  If you know where you stand to begin with, then you should learn what other people believe too and then you can at least have an intelligent conversation with people without insulting them or looking ignorant.  I think I would like to read the koran some day too.  It would be interesting, and I don’t hide when the Jehovah’s witnesses come to the door either.  If they want to talk, lets talk.  But the thing that really bothers me is why does it sometimes seem that the non-Christians are easier to get along with than Christians?  A good friend is a good friend, no matter what their religion.  I have gay friends too, does that make me a bad Christian?  I don’t think it does.  I guess I have a little bit of bitterness towards some Christians from my “proper” upbringing.  I know that’s not what all are like, but its hard to fit in with some good proper Christians when you like dressing up like a pirate and really get into Halloween.  Not that I don’t have good Christian friends, but sometimes I think I get some funny looks, and I’ve never cared much for changing my personality just to fit in.  Course there is C.S. Lewis and Tolkien, they are my heroes (well along with Einstein, but that’s a different topic).  Well, those are my thoughts for the day and I hope I didn’t insult anyone.  Maybe tomorrow I will wish I hadn’t said all this, but I am told that’s what bloggs are for and right now I feel better saying what’s on my mind and now I am going to bed.

Circus pictures

 I have to set right my earlier post.  Apparently Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Baily’s has more than one touring group and one is a full sized three ring circus.  Shreveport got sent the smallest group, but that’s ok, it was still very enjoyable.

Maggie got kissed by this guy, but I missed the shot.  That’s her in the bottom corner of the picture.

The ring master, I heard he was on the amazing race, but I never

followed that show.

 

Dancing away

 Tired out and going home with an overpriced suvenier

Yard sales and the Circus

Maggie had an exciting weekend. Got to love second hand shopping for kids stuff. She got a huge box of 12 month cloths, a couple pairs of shoes, a little tykes sliding board and a picnic table. You know that little tykes stuff is way too expensive in the store. Her birthday’s coming up and I wanted to get her a sand box like the plastic turtle one I had as a kid (and I think its still in my mom’s yard- those things do last forever) but Toy’s R Us wants $60 for the thing and I am sure that is without the sand, I doubt my mom paid that much for ours.
Mike got us free tickets for Barnum and Baily’s circus Saturday night. It was really fun, but that’s another think that has changed a lot from when I was a kid. I remember it being a full 3 rings with parades of animals everywhere and so much going on you couldn’t watch it all. This was one ring, no lions or tigers, 2 elephants, 2 clowns, some horses and a couple dogs and the trapeze artist was having some difficulties. But the clowns were actually funny and Maggie held onto the back of the seat in front of us and danced the whole time so it was worth going to. I’ll put some pictures of her up when I get home tonight.

Superglue works really well on glass

Over the weekend Mike found a website for a lady that sold stuff like candles and herbs and other “New Hopey” type pagan related items, so we took a drive out to see her. Not that we are pagan or anything, we just like the unique items and the good smelly stuff that you don’t see every day. The lady was very nice and we spent 20 bucks on some oils and a quill pen for caligraphy and a pretty blown glass ball that was all purple and pink that I thought would look nice hanging in Maggie’s window. Well we came home and got to doing things and the ball got left on the table and of course the cats got to running around and the ball broke. Well point of the story, I was really impressed with how well superglue held the glass together. I was still able to hang it in the window and Maggie was standing in her crib talking to it when I got her up this morning. I didn’t try it with the glass humming bird feeder which also fell and broke. The humming birds are angry, they keep staring in the window at me. Shadow is on her way to the vet this morning to finally get spayed and I am hoping she will settle down now.

life as usual

Not a whole lot new really. Mike may be transfering dealerships again, something that seems to happen every few months, from Ford to Lincoln which really is within the same company. He thinks he will be happy with the move. Maggie seemed mad at the world last night. Her teeth maybe? She just wanted to throw everything, including pots and pans. She’s been into playing ball lately, its her favorite game. Future athlete possibly. She didn’t eat much dinner last night, she even fed the dogs her animal crackers. Snowy the rabbit is starting to get the get in cage on command down. She’s been chewing her way through the baby gate though, but thats more to keep Maggie out than the bunny in anyways. Haven’t done much riding in two weeks, its just too hot. Ponti comes in for dinner all sweaty and I don’t know if its just from standing out there in the sun, or if she really gets to playing. Its no fun to ride a sticky horse. I really should ride Rhiannon, but that’s more like work. Did get some gardening done, Walmart had Caladiums on clearance for $.99 so I got a pot to go under the pine tree. I want to go back and get a few more if I can scrounge up five bucks (yes that can be a challenge on occassion). I need to clean out that bed first though. The people who lived here before us made some effort at landscaping, but then never followed through and I end up pulling up the dead stuff they planted before I can plant anything of my own. I am trying to salvage and replant a couple of bushes that look like they are trying to be Azaleas, I have no idea if I can save them or not but it can’t hurt to try.

check out links

I put up a page of links yesterday. Definitely check out our friend Yuri’s site Barony Raven’s Nest. There are some pictures of me and Mike up there in the gallery under prince and princess. Aside from family, this group is what I miss most about New Jersey. I also put some better pictures on the animal page for Snowy, Gilbert, and Jack. I need to get a picture of Ponti doing “big smile” if someone will hold the camera for me. Mike says I have some spelling issues, but now I can’t find them, so I’ll appoligise (I’m sure thats spelled wrong too) now- I was never good at spelling.