We are not ready to be grandparents.

We lost our daughters dog this weekend. We were dog sitting and my husband and I thought it would be a good idea for him to take the dog to the ranch and let him run. Not a good plan. At all. He jumped out of the truck and was off never to be seen again. Everyone we know is looking for him so hopefully we will find him. He is chipped(not with a GPS chip - do they even do that?)has his chip tag and has his rabies tag on. He is a bird dog and I imagine that he is still chasing birds. The dog is absolutley over the top about chasing birds. I keep thinking he is going to get hungry pretty soon and find some nice humans to feed him and hopefully they will do the right thing and turn him in to the local animal shelter or call the number on his chip tag.

I had been visiting with a friend on Saturday - the day before we lost the dog - and I was telling her how I wasn't ready to be a grandmother. One reason I am not ready is because none of my children are married. That really needs to come first in my book. And since none of them are even close to getting married - none of them are even dating anyone seriously - I think I am safe for the time being. As long as they don't ask me to watch their pets. Ugh.

When the time comes I really do want to embrace the grandparent thing. Right now it makes me shudder a little. Like taking that nasty cough medicine with expectorant.

Working Cows & Peanut

I have been taking some lessons from an older gentleman trainer on working cows. I take Semper and Miss Lily, first I ride Semper then I ride Miss Lily. Semper is coming along but Miss Lily is really getting it! I am pleased with her progress in only 2 lessons. She just gets it. That brings me to a dilemma. The more cow stuff I do with Semper the heavier and more pushy he is getting. I can't figure out whether he likes the cow work or if he is just completely annoyed by it. Do I just concentrate on reining with him and use Miss Lily to do the working cow horse stuff with? Do I continue to work cows with him and just "raise my expectations" as TL is always drilling into my head? Is it enough that at the ripe old age of 11 he is where he is and that should be good enough? Or should I expect him to continue learning new stuff constantly? When do you say "this is enough for this horse"?

I have a colt that I call Peanut. Peanut is 3 and at least a solid 15 hands. He is a big bodied colt and has a huge motor. Peanut got his name because when he was a little fellow he always had his penis dangling. Always. I even thought he might have something wrong with him and he couldn't control it because he always had it hanging low. I took to calling him "penis wrinkle". I know that sounds disgusting and inappropriate but it just kind of stuck. One day while I was at the ranch several of my great nieces and nephews where there and they asked what his name was. I started to say "penis wrinkle" and got about half into "peeeee" and I realized just how bad that would have sounded coming out of a 5 year holds mouth and I quickly changed, mid stream and said "peeeeeanut". Fast thinking on my part.

I sent Peanut to a trainer (not TL) for 90 days a year ago and it was a disaster. I took him home put him out to pasture and hoped he would forget his first encounter in becoming a saddle horse. I rode him once while he was with the trainer but the poor thing hadn't a clue. I was super disappointed and annoyed. This spring I brought him home with the intentions of riding him several times a week. Good intentions but no follow through. A few weeks ago I got on him and had my husband lead me around just to feel him out to see what he was thinking or if he was thinking. He was really quiet and willing so hubby let him go and I walked around the pasture for about 20 minutes. He was fine but just didn't have a clue as to what I wanted from him. I got home from work on Tuesday and for some reason decided that today was the day that I was going to take him for a ride. I saddled him, lead him up the street to the field where my good friend Ruth and I have been riding once a week. She has a really nice TWH that is a great trail horse and very quiet. I lunged Peanut, got his mind around working and got on. He was great! He walked out really nice, his guide is non existence but he is easily corrected and responds quickly. His feet do get stuck to the ground and he doesn't want to go forward but with some coaxing - ok alot of coaxing - he starts moving again. He didn't spook at anything which I was hoping (and dreading at the same time) that he might. I wanted to see if he was a "spook and buck" or a "spook and run" or a "spook and stall" kind of horse. He is saving that lesson for me for another day. Having Ruth and Briscoe there made both Peanut and I relaxed. I think he may be my Tuesday night horse!

Update on my weight loss and the episodes

Quick recap. I had weight loss surgery in June 2009 - poster girl for weight loss surgery. I came through it with flying colors, made good choices, lost weight, felt great.

Surgery number two was colic surgery in March 2010. Ouch that was some seriously painfully stuff, came through surgery great but things didn't quite heal the way they were supposed to.

Surgery number three was to fix what didn't heal right in surgery number two.

For a woman who is never sick or goes to the doctor I have done more than my share this year. At my loswest weight I was 123 lbs. I have been told that my skin color was bad, that I was pale and looked pretty sick. I never really felt like I was seriously ill. I have never been seriously ill, so how was I supposed to know that is what it felt like? I knew I was thin and the throwing up thing was beyond uncomfortable but I never really felt like I was THAT sick. It was more of an inconvinence than anything.

I am back and feeling great. My strength is back, my color is back, I am sleeping good, eating good, life is good! I went to my doctor and he is happy with where I am at. He did say that I could gain a few pounds and I would look a little better but health wise, I am doing great. My weight loss goal was 150 and right now I am at 130. I have never thought that the numbers or the way you look matters. It is how you feel. I have a ton on energy, my riding is better, getting on and off is so much easier for me and the horse! Moving is so much easier, moving fast is much, much easier. Walking, shopping, etc is fun now. I used to hate shopping, walking the mall or trying on clothes. Even though they would fit, it was a pain. I still am not excited about shopping, I would rather go to a tack shop than a dress shop, but it isn't as bad as it used to be. Even after all the ups and downs I would still do it again. My only regret it that I didn't do it sooner.