Oh Christmas Tree.....

Well, a few days ago I posted about going to pick up our Christmas tree in Toxaway. I figured I'd do it justice by posting a few pictures of the finnished product.

I had to bribe Nicholas with a treat to sit by the tree. Ever since we brought it in the house, he has been sure it is going to attack him. He had just worked up the courage to walk by it and then I added all the moving creatures around the bottom. You can imagine his dismay when he noticed they were there. Hopefully he will adjust to them.

Even though it takes up the majority of our den, it is a lovely tree. I like it a lot. We had to use ladders to reach the top for the lights and the ornaments. I have never had a Christmas tree this large before. I can finally sit on the couch with Boo and the dogs at night and admire it.

Here are a few more cute decorations around the house....

Short Bus

Welcome home Short Bus! Yesterday Townsend and I traveled to South Carolina to look at a horse. We took the trailer with us. We had a good feeling about it.....

Thank goodness we did! We came home with a horse! We are very lucky to have a wonderful contact in SC named Laurie. She is so great at finding wonderful horses. She has a great eye for the good ones. We bought a lovely little horse from her for camp last year.

Shorty (as we are calling him) is very green but oh so sweet. He is fun to ride and I can't wait to start working with him consistently. I think that he will learn his job willingly and quickly. He is a really good boy. He is already settling in well at camp. His new pasture buddy is Redford. So obviously, he is a big fan. I mean really, who isn't a big fan of Redford?

Hopefully I will be able to ride him tomorrow. I figured I'd give him today to settle in with his new home. I'm so happy to have a new project pony to work with. I still miss Truman every day. But I know that life goes on and I still want to continue riding. Its what I love and its who I am.

Winter Wonderland

Today was the first day of snow this season! After dealing with so much snow last year, I must admit I'm not the hugest fan. However, I'd be lying if I said that I didnt think it is beautiful. I was happy to see it today. It was just a tiny amount. Not enough to freeze the roads or get in my way at the barn. Just enough to make it really feel like Christmas time.

This afternoon, Boo and I went to a Christmas tree farm in Toxaway. It was so fabulous! I just didnt realize how pretty it would be with snow on all of the trees!

After much careful consideration, we finally decided on a fairly large one.

The farm owner was a super nice guy. The farm has been in his family for decades. After he helped up cut down the tree we loaded it onto Boo's car. There was a small little cabin on the property. He invited us inside to warm up by the wood stove. We even toasted marshmallows! Ahhhh I do love these mountains and the people who live in them.

Today I am Thankful for FAMILY

For Thanksgiving weekend, I traveled home to Greenville. As much as I despise packing, loading up the dogs and driving in the car for 6-7 hours, I love going home. I love seeing all my friends that I never get to visit. And I love the comfort that I feel from going back into the home that I grew up in. But most of all, I love being with my family.

On Thanksgiving day, we headed to Pine Level to visit with my mom's family. They are a wonderful group of people who I never get to see enough. I love them so much. Its a shame I only get to see them twice a year. I guess twice is better than none at all.

I don't think I'm the only one who had fun at the pond. Nick and Sally had a blast too!!

Leo

We just got a new horse in yesterday at the barn. His name is Leo and hes a quarter horse paint cross.

He is on trial for a couple of weeks. I am looking forward to working with him. He seems sweet and is very cute. His owner was teary eyed when she dropped him off yesterday. I take that as a good sign. If she just pulled him off the trailer and handed him over to me without a second glance I think I wouldnt be as intrigued by him.

Today I turned him out to let him meet a few of the other horses at the barn.

I'm hoping he'll get along with Redford and be his new pasture mate. He was pretty cute and curious out in his paddock all morning. I can't wait to get my leg over him and try him out!!!

New Book

I have recently started a new book. Its called Beyond The Homestretch. It is a really sweet book written by a woman who helps retired thoroughbreds find new homes. Each chapter is about a different horse who has come through her program. It is amazing to hear about each one. They are all different in so many ways. This book is helping me deal with missing Truman so much. It shows me that there are still so many wonderful horses out there who have so much to give. I know that one day I will get another one. Until then, I am thoroughly enjoying hearing about all of these fabulous ones. If you are a sucker for Off the Track Thoroughbreds, this book is for YOU.

Pepe' Le Pew

Last night during feeding at the barn our darling little retrievers managed to both get sprayed by a skunk. If this had been the first time this had happened this fall, perhaps we wouldnt be so annoyed. However, we have been battling with this feisty little monochromatic creature for several months now. After we finnished bathing and scrubbing the stinky dogs outside the barn in the dark while it was raining....yes, I said raining....Boo decided he'd had enough. So, we set up the Have-A-Heart trap with some tasty catfood inside. Would you believe it-this morning we found a skunk in the trap!!!! I managed to grab a camera to capture his transportation and release into a lovely new home.

Here's Boo getting him out of the truck. We had to cover his little cage with a tarp so he wouldnt be startled by the sight of us and spray!!!

Ever the nerd, Boo was outfitted in rubber boots and safety goggles...

He had to tie a piece of twine to the trap door so that when the trap was opened, he would be far away from the little stinker (pun intended).

It took him some encouragement, but Mr. Pew finally came out and ventured out into his new home!!

I hope this little fellow enjoys his new home. I sure don't want him back at the barn!

Compost

So, about 2 years ago I found out about the glory that is composting. It is the greatest thing EVER! We bought a compost bin last year.

But if you don't want to buy one, you can make one as well out of wire.

It is amazing what you can put in compost. It has cut down our kitchen waste tremendously. We put vegetable scraps, moldy bread, paper, dog hair, egg shells, coffee grounds (including the filter), paper towels, egg crates and even the dirt that we sweep up off of our kitchen floor! We just cleaned out our garden and put all of the dead plants in our compost. We put dead leaves from our yard as well. It is so much fun to watch things break down and turn into "black gold" as a lot of gardeners call it. It is just magical! We used it in our garden last year and it was fabulous.

I encourage you to have a compost bin or pile in your backyard if you don't already. It is just wonderful. Even if you don't garden, it is great for just cutting down on kitchen waste. I have gotten quite a few family and friends to start composting and they all love it too!

I can't say enough great things about it! And it is TOO easy!

Pumpkin Bread

So, there is a really silly pair of "Pumpkin People" at the bottom of our road. I was inspired by them to bake some pumpkin bread!!!

Here is the recipe for it if you're feeling inspired as well....

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan.
Whisk together:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp grated or ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
Combine in a small bowl:
1/3 cup of milk
1 tsp vanilla
Beat in large bowl until fluffy:
6 tbsp (3/4 stick) butter, softened
1 cup of white sugar
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
beat in one at a time:
2 large eggs
Add and beat on low speed just until blended:
1 cup cooked or canned pumpkin puree
Add the flour mixture in 3 parts, alternating with the milk mixture, beating on low speed or stirring with a rubber spatula until smooth and scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary.
Pour the prepared mixture into greased pan and spread evenly. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean (around 1 hour). Let cool in pan on a rack for 5-10 minutes before unmolding to cool completely on rack.

I had a slice of this today with a cup of coffee that had pumpkin spice creamer in it. DE-lish.

Hot Pepper Jelly

Today we pulled a TON of peppers from the garden! I don't care what anyone says...gardening is a BLAST. I love to be able to have so many tasty fresh things from my yard!

I looked up a few recipes online and picked one. It was pretty easy once I finnished chopping up all the peppers. The hot ones were tough! My eyes are still watering!

I love canning things! I have so many things stored up for the winter already. I'm also planning on giving a lot of friends baskets full of hand made items for Christmas. But this pepper jelly is so tasty, I might not want to share! Its super tasty on top of cream cheese and a cracker.

Here's the recipe:

2 1/2 cups of finely chopped red bell peppers
1 1/4 cups of finely chopped green bell peppers
1/4 cup of finely chopped jalapeno peppers
1 cup of apple cider vinegar
2 (1.75oz) packages powdered pectin
5 cups of white sugar
*rinse and drain the peppers after chopping*

Place all chopped peppers in large saucepan over high heat. Mix in vinegar and pectin. Stirring constantly, bring mix to a full rolling boil. Quickly stir in sugar. Return to full rolling boil. Boil 2 minutes stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Skim off any foam with metal spoon. Quickly ladle jelly into sterilized jars filling to within 1/4 inch of the tops. Cover with flat lids and screw bands tightly. Flip jars upside down and leave for 45 minutes to an hour. Check tops afterwards and make sure jars are sealed.

ENJOY!!!!

I saw this on pintrest and tried it out. It seriously WORKS!!! Its like I have a mini green onion garden on my windowsill in the kitchen! Love it!

The next time you have green onions, don't throw away the white ends. Simply submerge them in a glass of water and place them in a sunny window. Your onions will begin to grow almost immediately and can be harvested almost indefinitely. Make sure you periodically empty out the water, gently rinse off the roots and then refill with fresh water.

Who I Am

Yesterday I decided to ride Redford for the first time in about 2 months. I don't normally like to go on trail by myself. I don't feel like its very safe. However, this was Redford. And Redford is wonderful. As soon as I was in the saddle, I was overcome with emotions. Happiness to be on him again. Sadness in missing Truman. Through everything that happened with Truman, I was very lucky to still have Redford. We have been together for 5 years. Its crazy to think its been that long. Sometimes, I feel like I just got him yesterday. He really is a cool horse. I certainly miss jumping and showing with him, but he still has so much fun in him. He is always and will always be a good boy.

When Truman died, I didn't think I'd ever want to ride again. My heart was broken. It still is. I'm getting better every day. And I'm starting to realize that its ok to always have a spot in my heart that will be for him. I know that I will see him again. Being on Redford made me realize that I will never stop riding. I will always have horses in my life. They are good for my heart and soul. They make me realize how much there is in this world to be thankful for. I will always be a rider because thats who I AM.

The Green River Race

Yesterday, Boo participated in the Green River race. It was a really great day and well worth all the effort that he had put into it. During the last few weeks leading up to the race, I could tell he was a bit consumed with thoughts of the race. Lots of practicing on the river, careful planning of which lines to run and endless watching of paddling videos.

We had many friends come from out of town for the race. The hike in (and out for that matter) was much harder than I had remembered!!! But it was completely worth it to be there at the race cheering Boo on. He was one of the last racers and watching all of the others was really stressful for me. When he finally came down the rapids, I was so very proud of him. He really is amazing at paddling and I rarely give him enough credit for how talented he is. He did so great!!!! I have a sore throat from cheering so loudly for him.

But I truly think what impacted me the most about the race was how many friends came out to cheer Boo on. He had a fan club at the very top of the race all the way to the very bottom. We even had one friend who drove here all the way from Indiana (somewhere around 13 hours!!!). Seeing them there and hearing them congratulate him afterwards made my heart melt. We truly are so very lucky and blessed to be surrounded by so many incredible friends. I know that we are so loved by so many. It makes me get teary eyed just thinking about it. Few people are as lucky as we are to have such a huge family of friends up here. Very few.

CANTER

After researching many different organizations that help "Off the Track Thoroughbreds" find new homes. I chose CANTER since they seem the most thorough with their placings and they also have barns that work with these horses in North Carolina. I put up a sign at the sale that said that I would be donating 10% of all income from the sale to Canter. I have been tallying up all of the checks and cash that I deposited from the sale. From this, I will be able to send Canter a check for $200!!!! I am beyond thrilled about this! I am so happy that so many people like my work and purchased pieces. I also am hopeful that more people will place orders with me for custom work. 10% from all of those pieces will also go to Canter. If you are interested in more about Canter, here is their website:

www.canterusa.org

I love that this organization is finding homes for so many amazing horses. They all need homes so badly. I can't imagine how hard their lives are on the track. But with Canter, they are able to have happy long lives with their new jobs and new homes. I hope that one day I will be able to adopt one. I had a blast with Truman. I know that one day my heart will be open to another. I miss him every day, but there are more smiles than tears now. I have hope for the days to come......

Christmas Sale

Well, all in all, the Christmas sale was a huge success!!!! Not only did I sell a ton of artwork, I got to visit with so many wonderful people that I have not seen in a very very long time. It was so nice to see them. Almost every single person I talked to said how sorry they were about Truman. It is so nice to know that he was on so many people's minds. I feel very blessed to have so many incredible people in my life. I know that if I feel this loved, he must have felt it too. And honestly, thats all I ever really wanted for him.

Paintings

I have lost count of how many paintings I have done in a week. I have decided to put my nose to the grindstone for this sale that is coming up next weekend. I also think that I have thrown myself into this work because it is a lovely distraction for me. Every day gets a tiny bit easier. I miss Truman so very much. I know that I always will. But at least I am able to start moving on bit by bit.
Today a friend of mine sent me a text message. She said it made her think of Truman. I think it is very fitting:

"Death leaves a heartache no one can heal, but love leaves a memory no one can steal."

Beautiful little family

Boo finally made me get out of bed this afternoon and take the dogs on a walk with him. I was very reluctant, but when I finally got out there it did make me feel a bit better. Today has been a blur of crying and agonizing over the fact that Truman is really gone. My heart hurts so badly. I miss him so much. I just feel so cheated that I only got to have him for 1 year. He was my dream. I had such big plans for the both of us. And now hes gone.
One part of our walk was pretty steep. I slipped and almost fell twice. Both times, Boo was there to catch me. And immediately afterword, Sally and Nicholas ran to check on me. I think the only way that I'm going to get through this is going to be with their help. My mom described them today as my beautiful little family. I think shes right.

Goodbye, my beloved pony

Today, I am writing the most difficult words I've ever had to utter. Last night, we had to put my precious horse Truman down. He had adhesions in his colon from his surgery which caused him to relapse into a very painful colic. I never understood the concept of a broken heart until last night. I miss him so much and I still can't believe hes gone.
Thank you to everyone for your wonderful support and kind words. Sometimes I guess life just isn't fair.

Bunnies

I have started working on a series of bunny paintings and I just love them. They really make me miss my old cranky rabbit I used to have. I'm not going to lie....if these guys sell at the end of the month, I'll be sad to see them go.