You will be missed =(

The McDonald's french fry...

Truly a food sent from the heavens. When fresh, possibly one of the best food groups E.V.E.R.! Well, maybe not the best, but close, especially when considering fast food!!! Hot, crispy and salty, enough to settle any craving, putting a smile on my face to last the day.

I must bid you adieu, my favorite snack. I may come for a visit once in a while. Just remember, this hurts me way more than it hurts you!

Oops, he did it again... and again!!!

You know... I knew that the bad feeling I had when Drew was plowing up my driveway was there for a reason. Yesterday, we left to go to town to run some errands. We had gotten about 2 1/2 inches of rain, and the weather was still pretty dreary. But, we took a chance. The last time it rained, our driveway was a mud hole, sucking the life out of any vehicle taken on it for several days. But Drew fixed it.

Or did he???

Back to the story. The weather was nasty, but we had some driving to do, so we took a chance on the driveway and took my little Escape. Surprisingly, it went the whole way out then back in without getting stuck!!! It was a bit slippery, but no tow rope was needed, so it was a success none the less!

Drew brought home his work truck the night before last, knowing that he had to make a trip to Andalusia for some tractor parts. After we returned from our errands, we loaded up in that big, ugly Dodge to head out. Halfway down the drive... you guessed it!

S.T.U.C.K.!

Right away, this pisses me off, which in turn pisses Drew off, throwing him into one of his award winning temper tantrums (one of these days I will video tape one, when he doesn't know what I am doing... such entertainment, but also the point where I shut up!!!), getting the truck stuck even deeper in the mud. He sets off for his 1/2 mile walk down the drive, back to the house, through the original mud hole (creek) which is REALLY deep right now, to get his truck. He comes spinning back, attaches the tow rope, and makes me pull him out. So now, we have 2 trucks in the middle of the drive... no... they aren't both stuck. We park the red Ford, and both get back into the work Dodge, and head off again. It wasn't 25 yards later... you guessed it... stuck AGAIN!!! Not once, but TWICE!!!! Hahaha!

By now, Drew is so mad I worry that his head might explode right off the top of his shoulders, and I am trying so hard not to laugh my ass off, because I know that if he sees how entertained that I am, I will end up dead in a ditch somewhere (only kidding!). Again, I am left in the truck while Drew goes to get the other one. Luckily, he doesn't have as far to walk this time, nor does he have to venture through the creek. Same deal, Drew comes back and I pull him out. By now, the driveway looks like a redneck mud slingin' hole. And now, the new rule is, if it is raining and slick, the work truck is no longer allowed on the drive. It is the only vehicle that gets stuck. Probably because it is a Dodge!!!!

We went to Andalusia, dropped the work truck off at the farm and came home. Nope, the other truck didn't get stuck, and we even tested it again last night when we went into town. Now Drew gets to fix the driveway again. I am so sure that he is looking forward to that task, but maybe the 3rd time is the charm.

Because I can't keep it a secret forever...

Drew and I have been trying to get pregnant for a year now. We have succeeded several times, but unfortunately my body has failed each time resulting in miscarriages. Just recently, my obstetrician sent me to a perinatologist, who ran some lab work.

The diagnosis? Insulin Resistant Diabetes due to underlying Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS). Bad... yeah. Except the insulin resistance is completely reversible. I have more blood work in a couple of weeks, and then I will start a medication called Metformin. If I don't do something about this, I run a very high risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

What does this mean? TOTAL LIFESTYLE CHANGE!!! I will have to completely change the way I eat. Too many carbs mixed with Metformin can make me very sick. I need to lose some weight. I won't go into how many pounds that is... we have set a reasonable goal. I gained so much weight in the last 18 months, and now it has to come off. I hate looking in the mirror, and I am sure Drew is embarrassed by me, so by losing weight, everyone wins! I need to exercise more. The walking and playing with the ponies is no longer going to cut it. Now I have to get serious. Some friends of mine have recommended Jillian Michaels '30 Day Shred' to get me started. 30 minutes a day guaranteed to make me cry. I can't wait (uh huh).

So now you know. If you see me with potatoes or bread in my hands, call me on it!!! I may get mad, but I will thank you for it eventually!!! =)

updates...

It has been a week or so since I have updated. For that, I apologize. But what I can't help is nothing really interesting has happened lately. We met up with my sister and her husband on Saturday night at the Boggy Bayou Mullet Festival. We had a lot of fun. The people there are definitely worth watching! Such a drunk fest, and all those rednecks really start to lose whatever 'klass' that they might possess. One guy in particular for example. Drew and I were at a food vendor, waiting on fresh potatoes to be cooked, and this guy, severely inebriated popped up beside us. The vendor was working at the grill in front of giant turkey legs and meat kabobs. He was wobbly on his feet, making the scene even more comical.

Drunk dude: Can I taste the leg before I buy it?
Vendor guy: Uh, it kind of doesn't work that way...
Drunk dude: Why not?
Vendor guy: I can't really take a piece off of a whole turkey leg.
Drunk dude: Why not?

(by now, Drew has already walked away, laughing. I had to stick around to see what happened)

Drunk dude: Just a little piece of skin... come on man.
Vendor guy: Fine, this piece is over cooked anyway (and then he gives me a strange cross eyed look)

Drunk dude starts with cooking questions to Vendor guy.. How do you know when it is cooked? Are you the one who cooks it? So you are the grill guy? Is that what you do, grill? And it goes on and on, until finally he begins discussing`the chances of this vendor catering for him, and the vendor quickly sends him to a very large (and I do mean VERY) man in the back of the tent who is sitting at a table peeling potatoes. Can you say pass the buck? I don't blame him... but it gave us a giggle.

Also at the festival were some other vendors and booths. Someone was even trying to sell duct tape purses. Unfortunately I missed that one. The food was cold and overpriced, but tasty as far as fair food goes. The weather was awesome! All in all, a good time. I hadn't been in about 10 years, and if I don't go for another 10 years I think I will live, but it was so nice hanging out with my sister!

What else? Oh, the monster!!! Wow he is growing up fast. We officially named him 'Jasper', which seems to be good, considering he acts more vampiric by the day. He plays all of the time now, everyday figuring out something new. My peaceful nights are now long gone. Yesterday, he learned to climb onto the bed by himself, so about the time I doze off to sleep, he climbs up and starts playing with my face, or chewing on my toes. When I am wide awake, he plays for a bit, then curls up in a blanket and goes to sleep, leaving me alone, struggling to find sleep once more. Then play time starts up again about 4 a.m. I put him on the floor, he gets back up... over and over and over. He and Belle are still separated for a couple of more weeks, but one day, he just might be looking at a closed door at night!

He still drinks from a bottle twice a day. This isn't normal, but it makes me happy. He eats food by himself out of a bowl, but he refuses to drink water, so for now the bottle is necessary. He screams bloody murder and runs around chasing me when it is bottle time, assuming the position on my lap before attacking the bottle with such fervor that you would think his life depended on it. He chews on it and growls at it, and then sucks down about 40 cc's of formula (now mixed with water, ha ha) in about 15 seconds. Done, then a few big burps and he is off like a rocket to play land again. I have been trying to keep his growth progress with photos, but here the last few days, he moves too fast, making for a really blurry picture. So I get him mostly when he is down for a nap. Just in the last week, Jasper has grown into his head, so he no longer looks like a big headed alien. He is starting to mature into a cat. Oh it goes by so fast. Drew and I are planning on building him a kitty condo soon.
Not this one exactly, but something he can climb and scratch on, which will save furniture. Drew is good at stuff like this. A couple of years ago, he made a giant jungle gym out of PVC pipe for our bird Ivy. She loves it!!! We attach all kinds of toys for her, and I change them out so she doesn't get bored. Anything to keep a really loud bird occupied!

Nothing planned for this weekend as of yet. Maybe work on the front fence, maybe ride... who knows. It is supposed to rain tonight (YAY!!!) and we so desperately need it.

Such a little monster....

One thing about kittens is how fast they grow. It seems like every day they learn something new. Our little one is growing up. Not only has he doubled in size the last week, but he has gotten a lot of personality. Instead of wobbling around to get from point A to point B, now he hops. If it moves... he attacks it. If it doesn't move, he climbs it. He sucks on the bottle as if his life depends on it. Zero to 30 cc in 5.4 seconds. If he were a sports car, he would be a best seller! He crouches behind pillows in stealth mode and waves his tail back and forth like a panther hunting. It makes me smile.

I still haven't completely decided on a name. He still acts like a little vamp, he even bit my neck yesterday as he was curled up under my hair on my shoulder, which is now recently his favorite spot. I had been tossing the name Jasper around, but a friend of mine suggested a Volturi name, which might be a little more fitting... I will have to do some research. You know how people spend months naming their unborn child? Well, for me, naming a pet is sort of the same thing. Not an easy process. When a kitten is very very young, they just lay there. Then, as they get older, more and more personality surfaces and I can name them accordingly. Sure I could name it Fluffy or Tiger or something generic. But that isn't always the easiest thing to do. Better to let them earn a name I say.

Belle is starting to get curious about the baby now. Always lurking and waiting for her chance to get nose to nose (and then attack, I'm sure). I still have to keep the two separated. At least for another couple of weeks when I can have little one tested for the icky stuff, like Feline Leukemia and FIV. Both very nasty illnesses. If it turns out that Kitty has them, I won't toss in the towell. Nope, too late for that. But he will have to be a barn cat... granted a very spoiled one =).

He has learned to crawl out of his nest, not that he stays there a lot, but still making it difficult on me when he is. It's a pretty good set up if you ask me. A nice big laundry basket with a heating pad, soft towells, stuffed toys. But now he likes to crawl over the side. He wants next to his Mommy (me), and usually that is fine. But when I am cooking or cleaning he shouldn't be underfoot. I dreamed his tail got vacuumed off the other night. Popped of like a lizards tail. And as much as I would love him sleeping in the bed, he just isn't big enough yet (can you say steamroller!).

He can be so sweet one minute, and then a total terror the next. I think he has split personalities if you ask me. Sitting on my chest gazing lovingly one minute, then trying to eat my face the next. It was cute at first... then it started to hurt, so now I have to scold him. He will figure it out... eventually.

Next step... teaching to eat on his own and litter box training. So far, he isn't that bright. It should come natural, and he should be doing it already. Nope. Couldn't be so lucky. With this one it is going to take some work. I know a few tricks. This isn't my first time bottle raising a critter. I will just have to go to the back of my mind and dust off the cobwebs.
Nothing but cute, y'all. =)

Heaven!

Do you know what one of the most beautiful sounds in the world is? The purr of a content kitten. Yes, the little monster is worming its way into the deepest depths of my heart (like you had any doubt of that!). It has been 2 days since Drew brought this bundle of cute home, and he has changed so much! (the kitten, not Drew)

Yesterday, he started purring. Kind of off and on at first as he tried to figure it out, but by golly he has it down pat now. And it is such a sweet sound. He is eating much better now (took a while to learn the bottle), and responds to my voice. He curls up on my chest and falls asleep by my heart. He has an evil side too. He will stare at me when I talk to him, and then run up to my face, grab it in both paws and latch his teeth on to my lip. Cute the first time, now... not so much. Kind of like a mini vampire... (yes, I am still obsessed), without the blood. In the book Twilight, the author, Stephanie Meyer, writes about one of the Cullen vampires that has a bit of a problem. You see, the Cullens' are 'vegetarians' as in they don't feed on humans. But this character fights a daily battle with the urge toward remaining on the preferred diet. His name is Jasper.

Although it may take days, even weeks for him to 'earn' his name, right now Jasper kind of fits. He attacks his bottle like a mad man on crack (yes, crack is whack). He is learning to play and looks like he will have an awesome personality. SO inquisitive, always watching what is going on, and so, so lovable. It is amazing to me how tame this wild kitten is. Luckily, he is so young, otherwise this would be a nightmare! Another week, and we would have been in trouble. Belle still isn't very happy with being kicked out of the bedroom, but it is necessary to keep them away from each other until I know the monster is disease free. Dutch is playing guard dog... protecting the little one at all costs (truth is, he likes the kitten formula).

Day by day, I will watch this little guy grow. Uh oh... he's up again... time for a snack!

Trust him, he says...

Remember how mad I was when Drew plowed up my driveway?? But he told me to trust him, right? Well it was soft and scary when it was first done, and then it just turned into a dust pit as we went longer and longer without rain. I remember being tired of hosing the back of the truck down, begging for the rain to come.

Well, it came. About an inch. Not much, but enough to do the damage! Now don't get me wrong, I do love the rain, I am so not complaining about that. BUT... when I am lying in bed at 6:30 in the morning still half asleep, the last thing in the world that I want is a phone call from my husband saying, come pull me out, I am stuck. Yep... trust. He told me the rain would pack it down, make it smoother. He told me that it wouldn't get muddy, especially since he went to the extra trouble of sloping it so nicely for the water to drain. Yet, here we are.

Now there are mud holes and ruts in my driveway. When it dries, it will be even rougher than it originally was. Back to the drawing board. As it stands, you need 4 wheel drive to get in or out of the property. Which would be okay, if we had two 4 wheel drive trucks. Nope, we have one, and Drew has to go to work. So for 3 days I have been stuck here, with no way out... yearning for McDonald's french fries. (I am only kind of kidding about the fries) I guess this weekend, Drew will be back on the tractor, correcting the mess. I didn't get on him too bad! I just looked at him, shook my head and said, 'Fix it.' I think his feelings were hurt enough that it didn't work as planned, so it was best that I didn't completely deflate his ego ;).

Speaking of mud holes. The original mud hole actually fared well. As in it didn't turn into a giant mess! So at least it wasn't a total loss. The grass is happier, and the dust has settled. And best of all, I got 36 hours worth of relaxing rain. Nice! Looks like it will be a busy weekend.

Hubby brought home a bit of trouble today...

Yep. I was sitting at the house, enjoying the storm and I get a phone call.

Me: Hello?
Him: Hey Baaaby...
Me: What's up?
Him: I found something that you might like to raise as your own.

Uh - oh... he has been threatening to bring home a baby deer for weeks. I have no where to put it, and hunting season starts next week. Just great!

Me: Ummm, what did you go and do?
Him: Well, it's all alone in the rain, and the dogs were gonna eat it. I wouldn't even tell you if this wasn't it's last hope.

My mind is racing right about now... what is he talking about? Why is the guilt getting laid on so thick?

Me: Just tell me.
Him: It's a baby kitten.

(AWWwwww!)

Me: How big is it?
Him: The size of the palm of my hand. It's eyes are open so it wasn't just born, but it's little.
Me: Where's its mom?
Him: I don't know, but it was out here on the ground and it will get eaten if I don't do something. You want me to just leave it here?

(NO!)

Me: But the mom might come back.
Him: I don't think it will... there is nothing for a cat to eat. It has to hunt if it doesn't want to starve.

(well, duh! That's what barn cats do...)

Me: What about Belle? I can't let her anywhere near it until I can make sure it doesn't have any diseases. Is the mom wild?
Him: Probably... I don't know.
Me: Is it old enough to eat on its own, or does it need bottle feeding?
Him: I don't know... it has little nubs where its teeth are coming in. I'll be home in a few minutes. It's storming out here.

::end call::

So Drew, brings this baby home to me. When Tazzy died, I told myself that I wouldn't get another cat until Belle went to the rainbow bridge. I wanted to spoil her and let her live the rest of her life in peace.

He walks in the door, and in his hand was a tiny ball of fur with 2 giant baby blue eyes. My heart melted. So I dug out the baby bottles and heating pad and went to the feed store for kitten formula. You can't resist this kind of cuteness.

I am guessing he is about 3 weeks old. I will isolate him from Belle, and in a few weeks will take him to the vet for some blood work. Say a little prayer that it all turns out alright. Didn't expect this to happen, but I am kind of glad it did... ;)


He even looks a little like Tazzy as a baby!

Rain!

I love the rain. It sings to me like a lullaby, and gives me warm fuzzies inside. It makes me happy and relaxed and thankful. So when I noticed on the weather channel that we were going to get rain this week, my heart lept!!!!

It started slow, but that is a good thing. Remember my plowed up driveway? Well, it is a sand box now. 1/2 mile of dusty, sandy, better watch it or you will get stuck hell. I can't begin to tell you how tired of hosing the back of my truck down, just so I can see through the window. Slowly, but surely, that much needed water is soaking into that mess, calming that angry dust bowl. The air smells crisper. The grass in my pasture is getting happier. My horses are cooler.

It is supposed to storm tonight. An 80% chance as a matter of fact. I have my bedroom window cracked so I can listen to it. If I am really lucky, there will be thunder and lightning. If I am unlucky, the creek will be a mudhole again. It's a toss up, really. A no win situation. But I will side with the rain. Bring it on, let it come. I won't be sad!

An update, huh???

I would if I could. Not a whole bunch has been going on. Drew has been working long days bailing hay, coming home, eating, bathing and crashing. Hunter was over here last weekend. She is totally Ms Sassafrass these days, making me absolutely dread her adolescent years. The unpacking is done, and I have been spending lots of time with the horses. I have also spent a lot of time reading... Can I just say 2 words???

Edward Cullen...

Never in my life have I loved a vampire more!

I have always enjoyed reading books. For as long as I can remember, I have been a big reader. So after hearing about the 'Twilight' craze for a few months, I did some research. It looked interesting. A girl falls in love with a vampire and the vampire doesn't kill her. No big deal. Nothing that surprises me. Until I opened up the first book in the Twilight series and began reading.

All I can say is wow! My imagination running wild as I envision myself as the lucky Bella Swan. Cold, strong kisses from my soul mate Edward. Four books, in succession, one right after the other. It was like taking crack, my heart thumping harder and harder with each page turned. Wondering what would happen, how would it end.

It ended all right. All pages read, soaked into my now vampire crazed mind, never to be the same again. I now catch myself wondering if Drew can become immortal. But you know what? 2 months. In 2 months, Edward comes back to me... on the big screen. I will be there, waiting for my next hit...

The girls have arrived!

One of the best things about living in the country has got to be the horses. I haven't always lived in the country, but I was blessed at a very young age with equine friends. My mom was a true horse lover, and Daddy always teased that I was 'brainwashed in the womb'. My mom once told me her story of her desire to have a horse when she was growing up.

She had it all figured out. Mom was raised in a house full of sisters. My grandfather did a lot of woodworking, and had a large shop outside of the house. Mom's plan was to clean a section of grandpa's shop, and use it as a stall to keep her horse in. How would she dispose of the 'waste'? Well that was the best part! She would just vacuum it up. Unfortunately, my grandparents didn't share the same dream as my mom, and mom never got her horse. Until I came around.

Looking back, I think my parents were really smart. They found something that would teach me responsibility. Something to boost my confidence. Something to keep me away from the boys when I got older (yes, it really worked!). I spent more time at the barn than I did at the house. I spent hour after hour grooming, cleaning stalls, riding. I learned that animals need care, and my happiness revolved around the happiness of the horses. I found that I had a talent with them. I prepared for horse shows, competing on the weekends, and on the days that I just wanted to get away, I would hop on barefooted, and ride off into neverland for the day, coming back only when I absolutely had to.

As I got older, boys did eventually come into the picture. But, in all honesty, I was a late bloomer. When I hit adulthood, I moved around a little bit, trying to find myself, leaving my equine friends in new homes. That didn't last for long. Horses are in my blood, and I needed to have them close by. And so I decided right there, that unless I absolutely could not, I would have my horses. And I do. I have 2 right now. (and Drew has one, but this isn't his story!) Both are registered Quarter Horses. They have excellent bloodlines. Both will have a home with me for as long as I can, if not the rest of their lives.

Decision to Invest
'Onique'

Imastorminpocopower
'Stormi'


Welcome Home, Girls. Glad to have you back!