It's been another ordinary day.
One I want to remember.
Our family awoke to find the power out. Doug got up early to close windows at the new house, that had been left open just a tiny bit for ventilation. He also needed to start equipment and prepare to unload the hay truck when it arrived. Then my sweet good husband stirred up a pot of cracked wheat hot cereal for breakfast, on the stove top, which is gas and works without electricity. I did my usual, fixed a cup of vanilla tea, tidied up the kitchen, and prepared for the day.
A friendly snowshoe coyote hunter from Lewistown stopped to ask permission to hunt. He had his two Cur hunting dogs along to help, and was happy to meet our own Cur dogs. He tried to slip Annie a doggy treat, but she wasn't interested, so then he gave the treat to George. George politely accepted the gift, and as soon as the man turned his back, promptly spit it in the snow and ran down to see the other dogs.
Lunch was simmering on the stove top, chicken in barbeque sauce and brown rice. We were getting low on water by mid morning, so I had also melted enough snow to fill a stock pot with water to wash dishes.
I was talking with the kids and didn't hear the fridge motor when the power kicked back on, but did notice the toilet making a funny noise. Then saw a light on...then heard the fridge, which had been running a few minutes already. Power is a good thing.
After lunch, we grabbed four people for a short round of Dutch Blitz. I think Charley won, 'cause Janelle wasn't playing. She's the Queen of Blitz. That girl sure has fast fingers. Charley's usually a close second...
Okay so enough of the playing around, time to move horses. Ben and Janelle went out with a bucket of grain, and haltered two mares. When I got to the barnyard, a few of the colts that hadn't been paying attention finally realized they were left behind and came running in...so all I had to do was drop open a gate. Then the kids helped me sort through which horses needed to stay and which needed to go to the new pasture.
...and that one mile walk to the new pasture and back took at least an hour wading through deep snow most of the way, wow, let me tell ya, it's a pretty good workout! Each of us was leading two horses, well, actually, all but two were the colts. The horses were all kind of looking at us to see if we were actually sane? Seriously? And crashing through the next snowbank with us...
Arriving back at the barn I caught baby Autumn and played with her a little bit. She decided a lariat rope isn't scary at all, and she also thinks being scratched on the shoulder is the best! We did a little leading and following, and then I let her keep her halter and drag the rope. That way, next person who feeds hay can become Autumn's shoulder-scratching friend too.
The UPS truck had made it out to our place with four small and one large box - then it got stuck trying to leave. Doug helped just a little with the skid steer and started them on the road again.
It was nearly dark out when I got back to the house. Had two phone calls to return, one from the clinic about my latest lab results. Wha-hoo! I get to drop dosage on my meds again! Good deal. By that time it was after 5:00 so I will have to return the other call to the building supply store tomorrow. I'm trying to order a stainless hood with exhaust fan for over the stove in the new kitchen. So far, they have a size too narrow, and a size too wide, but not just the right size. There seems to always be some little complications.
My family was around the kitchen table noisily playing some more card games. All except Aaron, who wanted to mix food colors into sugar cookie dough for Christmas cookies. We made red and green dough, then Aaron carefully rolled and crafted and baked, two cookie sheets full of cookie wreaths, trees, stockings, and candy canes. Then he went off to take a shower.
I took the opportunity to get into the biggest package, delivered by our hardy UPS driver, unpack something Santa sent to Aaron, and wrap it up in metallic red and silver, since Santa's elves were too busy for wrapping, back at the workshop. They usually do seem to have too many other things to do you know.
After that I got out the slow cooker, a roasting chicken, and frozen chopped sweet onions. The UPS had also brought me a large box of fresh spices from California, so dried thyme, cracked brown mustard seed, and sweet onions got sprinkled all over the chicken and set on low heat for this family's next main meal.
Now I have to check my Facebook, catch up on any little random thoughts, big ideas, comments, everyday experiences, special events, and words of wisdom from some of the most important people in my life. You folks are important to me. Write lots. Write often. I never get tired of seeing what you have to say.
Yeah, today's a day I don't want to forget right away. I want to remember the sky being sapphire blue, filled with warm sunshine, a welcome relief from the recent unyielding bite of winter cold. I want to remember a favorite horse's calm eye and velvety nose... thick depths of a colt's soft hair coat, layers so soft under your fingertips... frosty white ocean of snow, dancing with sparkling crystals... the jokes and laughter of my precious loved ones, gathered around the kitchen table.
Just another ordinary day. It's an ordinary I would like to remember, beyond tomorrow, or next week, when the memory will surely fade away, blended into all the other ordinary days of my ordinary life.
Ordinary, wonderful life.
A life for which I feel thankful beyond words, and blessed beyond measure.
One I want to remember.
Our family awoke to find the power out. Doug got up early to close windows at the new house, that had been left open just a tiny bit for ventilation. He also needed to start equipment and prepare to unload the hay truck when it arrived. Then my sweet good husband stirred up a pot of cracked wheat hot cereal for breakfast, on the stove top, which is gas and works without electricity. I did my usual, fixed a cup of vanilla tea, tidied up the kitchen, and prepared for the day.
A friendly snowshoe coyote hunter from Lewistown stopped to ask permission to hunt. He had his two Cur hunting dogs along to help, and was happy to meet our own Cur dogs. He tried to slip Annie a doggy treat, but she wasn't interested, so then he gave the treat to George. George politely accepted the gift, and as soon as the man turned his back, promptly spit it in the snow and ran down to see the other dogs.
Lunch was simmering on the stove top, chicken in barbeque sauce and brown rice. We were getting low on water by mid morning, so I had also melted enough snow to fill a stock pot with water to wash dishes.
I was talking with the kids and didn't hear the fridge motor when the power kicked back on, but did notice the toilet making a funny noise. Then saw a light on...then heard the fridge, which had been running a few minutes already. Power is a good thing.
After lunch, we grabbed four people for a short round of Dutch Blitz. I think Charley won, 'cause Janelle wasn't playing. She's the Queen of Blitz. That girl sure has fast fingers. Charley's usually a close second...
Okay so enough of the playing around, time to move horses. Ben and Janelle went out with a bucket of grain, and haltered two mares. When I got to the barnyard, a few of the colts that hadn't been paying attention finally realized they were left behind and came running in...so all I had to do was drop open a gate. Then the kids helped me sort through which horses needed to stay and which needed to go to the new pasture.
...and that one mile walk to the new pasture and back took at least an hour wading through deep snow most of the way, wow, let me tell ya, it's a pretty good workout! Each of us was leading two horses, well, actually, all but two were the colts. The horses were all kind of looking at us to see if we were actually sane? Seriously? And crashing through the next snowbank with us...
Arriving back at the barn I caught baby Autumn and played with her a little bit. She decided a lariat rope isn't scary at all, and she also thinks being scratched on the shoulder is the best! We did a little leading and following, and then I let her keep her halter and drag the rope. That way, next person who feeds hay can become Autumn's shoulder-scratching friend too.
The UPS truck had made it out to our place with four small and one large box - then it got stuck trying to leave. Doug helped just a little with the skid steer and started them on the road again.
It was nearly dark out when I got back to the house. Had two phone calls to return, one from the clinic about my latest lab results. Wha-hoo! I get to drop dosage on my meds again! Good deal. By that time it was after 5:00 so I will have to return the other call to the building supply store tomorrow. I'm trying to order a stainless hood with exhaust fan for over the stove in the new kitchen. So far, they have a size too narrow, and a size too wide, but not just the right size. There seems to always be some little complications.
My family was around the kitchen table noisily playing some more card games. All except Aaron, who wanted to mix food colors into sugar cookie dough for Christmas cookies. We made red and green dough, then Aaron carefully rolled and crafted and baked, two cookie sheets full of cookie wreaths, trees, stockings, and candy canes. Then he went off to take a shower.
I took the opportunity to get into the biggest package, delivered by our hardy UPS driver, unpack something Santa sent to Aaron, and wrap it up in metallic red and silver, since Santa's elves were too busy for wrapping, back at the workshop. They usually do seem to have too many other things to do you know.
After that I got out the slow cooker, a roasting chicken, and frozen chopped sweet onions. The UPS had also brought me a large box of fresh spices from California, so dried thyme, cracked brown mustard seed, and sweet onions got sprinkled all over the chicken and set on low heat for this family's next main meal.
Now I have to check my Facebook, catch up on any little random thoughts, big ideas, comments, everyday experiences, special events, and words of wisdom from some of the most important people in my life. You folks are important to me. Write lots. Write often. I never get tired of seeing what you have to say.
Yeah, today's a day I don't want to forget right away. I want to remember the sky being sapphire blue, filled with warm sunshine, a welcome relief from the recent unyielding bite of winter cold. I want to remember a favorite horse's calm eye and velvety nose... thick depths of a colt's soft hair coat, layers so soft under your fingertips... frosty white ocean of snow, dancing with sparkling crystals... the jokes and laughter of my precious loved ones, gathered around the kitchen table.
Just another ordinary day. It's an ordinary I would like to remember, beyond tomorrow, or next week, when the memory will surely fade away, blended into all the other ordinary days of my ordinary life.
Ordinary, wonderful life.
A life for which I feel thankful beyond words, and blessed beyond measure.