Parts is parts..Pieces is pieces...

Ever had one of those days? Yeah. Me too.

I remember that commercial...talking about chicken patties and what they are made of.  Me? I wonder what people are made of. What makes someone so...oblivious...for lack of a better word? My heart torn and laying in pieces, and not even any inkling of responsibility. Is life meant to be so?

My heart grieves for those in Boston who were there, those who lost loved ones. I don't understand the mind of someone so wicked and so evil they would involve innocents. Is life meant to be so?

I pray for you. Because, my misguided fellow human....life is NOT supposed to be so. And someday, whether you want to believe it or not, each of us...every single one us will one day stand before the Lord God Almighty and account for each and every action and reaction we had while on this earth. Someday, you will bow and bend your knee to Jesus Christ and I hope, I hope that you will be doing so knowing Him as your Saviour.

Father, please. Please be with those who are grieving. Be with those who have been maimed and whose lives will never be the same again. Give them comfort and strength. Let them feel Your presence and know You are with them.

Why do I DO this to myself?!?

I am a bargin hunter.

I have admitted a majorly moving force in my shopping habits. I <3 LOVE <3 getting something wonderful for just absolutely pennies on the dollar. I have been shopping GoodWill and Salvation Army, Saint Vincent DePauls and any other "thrift store" within a 100 mile radius of whatever location I am currently living in.

It is a passion. Okay. I will confess. I DO this for a specific reason.

Horses do NOT care what you are wearing. That is one reason I love them so much. They do not care if you have on makeup or the fact that your hair resembles a cross between Don King and the alpaca down the lane. They just are happy to see YOU. Especially if you have hay in your arms. (Which is another reason I love horses. They NEVER complain about what you fix for dinner. I have had horses for many years and not once, not ONE SINGLE TIME has any one of them looked at what I gave them for dinner and stated, "WHAT?!? HAY for dinner AGAIN???) But I digress.

So WHY, if horses do not care what you are wearing, would you go out and buy jeans for $70.00 a pop? Okay so those jeans DO have those little lifty thingys in the nether regions that help you to look a little more like JLO and less like that fallen cake you took out of the oven last night, but hey. FOR 70 BUCKS??? The only thing that is going to happen to those jeans is whatever horse you are working is going to slime them. Big Time. (Notice the capitals. Important to pronounce capitol letters.) So I buy my jeans at GoodWill or Salvation Army or some random thrift store for the awesome price of $3.99. Which means if I do this long enough, I don't feel guilty when that blue moon shines and I actually find some awesomely wonderful terrific amazing dress that just HAS to hang in my closet because I never GO anywhere to wear it. I am totally excused for paying $300.00 for that dress because for the last 25 years I have been frugally buying jeans for $3.99 a pair.

Totally makes sense to me.

What doesn't make sense to me is Ebay. Or actually why I ever bid on Ebay. Do not ask. I do not have an answer.

Maybe I have a tad bit of a self torture complex. Maybe I like the lovely color of gray worrying about it causes my hair to turn. It could be that I am just adventurous and hopeful. Or it could be that I am a total idiot. One thing I have learned in my Ebay experiences. NEVER, not even EVER bid on something that is a week out. The waiting will kill you. You will work your fingers to the bone checking that items status on the computer for an entire week. Ask me how I know this.

But I did it again this week. I found something I wanted in the worst way, because the one I HAD got damaged in a freak accident and as it is something grande expensive that I use on a constant basis,  I really do need to replace it. And NO. I am not telling you what it is, because then you can go on Ebay and bid against me. I may not get that lovely, longed for item. It could end up in your house and not mine. I know. I am selfish that way.

I have exactly 2 days and 16 hours before I will learn that 3 seconds before the auction closed, some random person from Muncie, Indiana out bid me by 1 cent.

I will never make it alive.

I can clearly NOT choose the wine in front of you...

My eyes feel like they have grit in them.

 I am SO flippin' tired, my EYES feel like they have grit in them. Of course they could feel like that because they actually HAVE something in them, (and not just my finger), but I really think it is because I am SO tired.

This land of cyber thoughts and digital scrapbooking, blogs and websites, Etsy and Ebay? I feel like I am up against Vizzini. I have absolutely no aptitude for such things, so I can clearly NOT choose the wine in front of me. But then again, there are all sorts of DIY website building thingys, so I can clearly NOT choose the wine in front of you. And let's take Pinterest where they actually want you to VALIDATE (or some such rot) your website before they tell everyone it is your website on your pinterest page. Really? I might be odd, but with this day and age where everyone is sueing everyone, I am not going to claim a website that is not truly mine. So I can clearly NOT choose the wine in front of me. WHERE is that validate thingy anyways? And don't EVEN get me started on FLASH, which, by the way, is going by the wayside and being replaced by HTML5.

So while I am trying to figure all of this out and getting more and more frustrated as I go,  I SUDDNELY had an epiphany. (Only took me an entire month to have this epiphany!)

I don't enjoy doing this. I hate it because I don't ENJOY doing this. No wonder my eyes feel like they have grit in them! I am not spending one more flippin' minute trying to figure out how to migrate all my stuff all over the web to one spot. I am hiring the most-awesome-digital-magician-person-company to do it all for me. Genius.

Which gives ME time to design what I am awesome at. Which gives me time to do what I enjoy doing most. And so I can clearly NOT choose the wine in front of you!

I have one custom order I am currently working on. I have 3 outfits that need to be hemmed and 1 outfit that requires the rhinestones to be set. I have 3 more outfits cut out and ready to be sewn and I have just finished the design of 5 others and have written down 4 ideas that are currently playing pin-ball in the back of my mind.

 I am clearly, once and for all, choosing the wine in front of ME.

So watch for my new site, blog and shop to move to one spot. But most of all, watch for my fabulous (equestrian) show fashions to appear, not only in my Etsy shop, but in arenas all over the place.

Vizzini would be proud of me.

 

He IS risen indeed!

Today is the day we here in the United States of America take time out to remember and celebrate the most mystical event in history. The overcoming of death, and the ressurection of my Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

Such a sobering event and one that is not easily understood. Quite simply? It is unfathomable. But some things, we were not meant to understand. Some things were meant to be accepted by faith.

Today, for this blog, I am plagurizing one of my most favorite Bible teachers, Dr David Jeremiah. His words on this most awesome day, say what I would long to say to you....


Will Power: I Will Not Cast OutAll that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out.
John 6:37
A thoughtful Christian entertains no greater question than how to discern and do the will of God. As a man, Jesus Christ had the same challenge. But He had no doubts about God's will for His life: "For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day" (John 6:38-39).

The will of God for Jesus Christ was that He (Christ) would not fail to bring a single soul, chosen by the Father and given to the Son, into the eternal kingdom. That was the impetus for Jesus' words, "All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out" (John 6:37).

Two implications bring great security to the Christian: If you belong, by faith, to Jesus Christ, it is because you were chosen by the Father. And if you belong to Christ, you will always belong to Him. There is nothing you have done or will do that would keep Jesus Christ from accomplishing the will of God for His life -- which means He is keeping you secure for all eternity.

David Jeremiah



My eternal prayer for you, is that today, TODAY...you will hear His voice. The voice that is calling YOU. Please. Hear Him!

In His love,
cate                                     

                                               

Boo and Leia's Big Adventure

Adventures rarely turn out the way you anticipate them to. Why IS that?

The Big Day arrived and we were prepared. Riding pen? Check. Saddles? Check. Decorations? Check. (Actually, CHECK times a million!)  Fairie Costumes? Check. Horses? Double check. Unicorn horns? CHECK.

And so it began. The set up...just about the time the wind began. And I felt SOOOO bad! We were unable to set up the back drop for the photos, for fear that it would be a safety hazard and konk someone on the noggin when they were riding. Still, even though we were not able to set all we had planned up, the attendance was good and I think everyone had a good time. Below are a couple of my favorite photos...

 

 

About 3/4's of the way through the affair, our sweet Leia seemed to be having some real problems, so we had to pack up and head to the vet at Four Mile Vet Clinic. Luckily, Dr Sadie was there and was able to help. Leia endured approixmately 1/2 hour of intubation and Dr Sadie was able to UNblock a blockage that had lodged itself deep in Leia's esophagus.

 

Prior to Princess Leia coming to live with me, Leia experienced an accident that almost cost her life. In the barn that she was boarded at was a small bolt in-between the barn and the fence and like most curious little horses thinking the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence, Leia reached her head through the fence and barn. When she pulled her head BACK through that opening, the left side of her face caught the bolt and created quite a mess.

 

 

 

The resulting injury was a gaping wound that was unimaginable, one that was so deep, you could see her jaw bone and teeth right through the opening. Leia spent days and nights at the vets and during the healing process, the vets had to take quite a bit of muscle and flesh to keep her from getting infected. It was a scary time, but she pulled through not only through the diligence of the team of veteinarians, but of her conscientious and loving owners. Leia was left with a scar that runs from the corner of her mouth, up her jaw, almost all the way up to her eye!

 

Even though Leia made it through all of this, she still has residual problems. Due to the muscle mass and nerve damage that she suffered through this injury, Leia often has problems chewing her food correctly  and does not realize it because she cannot FEEL it. The result is, she sometimes chokes and coughs her way through her meals. On this particular day, she simply ate too quickly and swallowed something that was not masticated properly, causing a blockage. It took some time and patience and a lot of skill, but Dr Sadie was able to remove that blockage!

 

We are still learning Leia's limitations and needs due to this injury, so we watch her pretty closely, but I can tell you that after this, ALL of her food will be broken down into small bites and moistened, almost to a mash so as to avoid anything like this happening again. She is way too sweet a soul to ever risk losing her! I feel very blessed indeed to have been able to add her to my "herd", and although I know it was difficult for her original owners to find another home for her, I am SO glad they chose to do this and that Leia came to live with us here at the ranch. She has stolen my heart away! I hope that you fell in love with her this past weekend as well!

 

Thank you all, for your concern and prayers for our sweet Leia and for making our outing to the college SO much fun. We look forward to seeing you again and are keeping our fingers crossed that we will be invited back to the college for next year's carnival!

 

Blessings to you all!

 

cate

 Boo and Leia

 

 

 

 

 



It doesn't happen often...

It does not happen often.

Or at least it does not happen to ME all that often. As a matter of fact, I can count on one hand how many times it HAS happened to me.

And to what am I referring? Falling in love. Not just love as in a guy/girl thing, but true, unconditional love of the horsey fashion. The kind of love that for no explicable reason, you just know you would never, ever part with this particular horse.

When I take a horse home to live with me, chances are, they are with me until their life on this earth is over. It takes a major catastrophe for me to RE-home a horse I have brought home to my barn, but without a doubt, there are a handful of horses that I would never part with come hell or high water. Until recently, I had only known 3 horses that fit that bill. One, my beloved Czeerz. Two, my clown Houdini and Three, my precious little Mossimo. Czeerz passed away recently and took a large part of my heart to heaven with him. Mossimo went to heaven not long after Czeerz, and I still grieve his loss. At times I am sure I hear his little greeting whicker in my dreams. It has been difficult for both Houdini and I since those devastating losses of our dear friends, but recently, I inherited 2 new horses that, although they will never take the place of Czeerz and Mossimo, certainly fit in the category of, "They will never leave my care".

Boo and Leia. I have fallen totally and irrevocably in love. My heart has once again been stolen by something so pure and honest, so true and honorable, at times, to watch them play in the arena, simply takes my breath away. I love all my horses, but Boo and her gentle spirit and kindly eyes just melts my heart when she comes running to greet me. And Leia...my little Princess Leia...oh how my heart leaps when I see her toss her mane when she is showing off for me.

How is it, that I have been SO blessed? I certainly don't deserve such a blessing. But I am SO grateful that it has come my way once more. I wish I had the vocabulary to describe what or why this has happened, but were I able to do that, I think it would reduce this wonder to something just ordinary and mundane...and as we all know...nothing of the heart is either of those.

Boo

Leia

 

I am sorry for those who have never had their heart stolen by such a sweet thief, for I cannot imagine anything that could compare. I hope and pray, that someday, my dear friend, you too, can experience all that horses can bring... 

I think my brain is about to explode...

How difficult can it be? Oh. My. Golly. Famous last words. NEVER say those words...not EVER.

I have always considered myself to be creative.

I mean, for REALS, I am a farm girl. I can fix anything with hay string and duct tape. I have made umpteen show outfits that require a graduate degree in creativity so that they stand out in a crowd. I am the QUEEN of Halloween costumes and my Christmas decorating is legendary. I have participated in prestigious, CREATIVE art and craft fairs and shows. My gardens have been the envy of friends...

But put me in front of a computer and ZAP! It is gone. I think my brain is about to explode. For the love of mike or pete or what'shisbucket...I just want to have an awesome blog background and do some digital scrapbooking! Someone just shoot me now. We will ALL be happier.

Or it could just be that this stinkin' computer connection is like working with dial-up. I have SO much to do and so.....I think I will just go to bed.

Thank goodness tomorrow starts my weekend which means...I can sleep in. At least until the horses begin to wonder where their hay is and start stampeding.

Sweet dreams, y'all!

Girl Stuff...

I didn't leave work tonight until 8:30 pm. Oh. My. Golly.

Of course it would have helped if I'd finished my notes BEFORE I left to go shopping with a girlfriend BEFORE we went to Bible Study. Oops.

So I had to stay and finish those pesky little notes Medicare requires to be written within 24 hours of treating a patient. I love my work.

It has been FOREVER since I have actually had a friend, (and TIME), to do all the little things that make a friendship so much fun. One of those things is shopping on the spur of a moment and a shoestring budget. GoodWill, here we come!

Dude. I got the freakin' CUTEST little jacket! (Like I NEED another one?) But this is made from the neatest fabric, all fuzzy and warm, and is embellished with this wonderful tea stained lace and 3/4 length sleeves. Stunning with a cami, jeans and boots. Now if I only had a place to wear it to. My other great clothing find was a terrif white blouse to add to the 15 I already have hanging in my closet. But hey. You can always pair a white blouse and jeans with boots and look like a million bucks. As long as you don't spill anything. Believe me when I tell you, spills always look better on a white blouse. Then I found a Brambly Hedge pattern book, just like the one I lost in the flood! AND some purse candy in gold for that wonderful slouch bag that I love so much. I feel rich because all of this and it was less than $15!

It is the little things that make life enjoyable.

Verse for today...

Phillipians 4:19
"And my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus".

Boy has THIS verse ever been taken out of context in the past! Look carefully at what it says...


"And my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus".
IN GLORY...not in earthly wealth. Sometimes you have to have a tad of discernment when watching these tele-evangelists...

Makes you wonder, eh?!

Warm Arizona vs Cold Colorado

I never thought I would hear this Arizona girl say this, but here it goes...

The high is forcasted to be 56 degrees today. YAYNESS!!! It actually feels WARM outside to me! Especially after the -4 of yesterday! Holy cow. Maybe I am finally acclimatizing, eh? Never say never...

There was an article last night on Tim Tebow and how someone spotted him in Arizona, practicing his throwing arm. So now there are rumors he may be traded to the Cardinals this season. Of course, he may be just like me and longing to be in a warmer place. Still, if given the chance, I don't know that I would choose to go back to Arizona. I love where God has me and what He is planning for me, although I wish He would send me a DVD of the "what to do next and how to do it" variety. Dude. I'd even settle for a VHS. I just want to do the right thing.

Which brings me to a wonderful verse He brought me to today. Joshua 1:9 which states,

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go".

Wise and comforting words. Whether you are me, you or Tim Tebow.

Oh what a beautful morning!

This video is from one of my favorite musicals...Oklahoma! It is EXACTLY what I am feeling today. Even though the sky is gray with snow clouds and it is flippin' FREEZING here...it is still such a beautiful day. Rejoice! And be glad in it!

 

(The horse isn't bad either.....!)