Garden

I thought I would post a few pictures of our garden for this year. We have a 4 x 8 raised bed and a few rows next to it.



Last year the only things that lived were the squash and zucchini plants. This year we've had a small amount of peas and a few squash with everything else still growing and really green. I have high hopes for the tomato plants, they are already bigger than last year's plants ever got. It's been really hot the last few weeks so I've been waiting for everything to die. I've been watering every two days and that seems to be sufficient while we have triple digit temps, when it was cooler I could wait another day between waterings.



If things work out well we will be adding one more 4 x 8 bed next year. Since we have to be very careful with our water usage we can only add one bed at a time until we are sure we have enough water to keep the plants alive.

Tagged

I've been tagged so here it goes...

1. What was I doing 10 years ago?

I had a 2.5 year old and a newborn and was working at an insurance company as an underwriter. It was a bad time for us since we were living in a dumpy rented house in a less than great area. I went back to work when Malachi was 6 weeks old so I was often depressed.

2. What are 5 things on my to-do list for today (not in any particular order):

I'm supposed to have a list?
I need to sew, the stock in my store is really low (which is a great thing!)
I need to get in touch with the farrier for Amigo
Laundry
Sewing
Sewing :)
It's too hot to do much else :)

3. Snacks I enjoy:

Most things milk chocolate, peaches, any type of bread

4. Things I would do if I were a billionaire:

Move
Get rid of all debt
Support missions of my choice
Get a few more horses :)
Help out some friends

5. Places I have lived:

Newport Beach, CA
Lake Forest, CA
Amboy, IN
Hotchkiss, CO
Lake Isabella, CA

6. Jobs I have had:

Waitress/Trainer
Gallup Poll interviewer
Newspaper delivery driver
Insurance underwriter
Math teacher

7. 6 Peeps I would like to know more about (in no particular order)

Marie
Cheryl
Elizabeth

I'm not sure who has already been tagged so I'll leave it at 3 :)

Amigo

We have a new addition to our menagerie. Amigo is a 10 year old Arabian horse.



He belonged to an older woman who recently died and her grandchildren didn't want him. He is gentled and did well during the hour Lorna rode him this morning. Even though he hadn't been trailered in 3 years he walked right into our trailer for the long ride (90 miles) home. The guy we bought him from breeds and trains quarter horses and didn't want this particular horse since he has little use for a gelding. He was open and honest, answering each question we had and riding the horse so we could watch what Amigo could do. He was quick to point out all of his horses' faults. It was a great buying experience for us.



The guy wasn't able to catch Amigo but I was able to walk right up to him and Lorna put the halter on him. Amigo gets along great with Ginger and he enjoyed the first of many grooming sessions when we got home. Lorna will start working with him tomorrow since it's been about 3 years since he's been really ridden. He needs to build up some more muscle and get used to being ridden daily. Once we know him a little better Malachi will be able to ride him.

No Reservations

We watched this movie tonight and I have to say that I really enjoyed it. It was sweet, simple, and clean. There was no nudity,no bad language, and only one scene that alluded to the couple having a physical relationship outside of marriage. Since it was about cooking it made me really hungry :)

We really needed to watch something fun and uncomplicated since we spent the day sitting at a yard sale in triple digit temps. The kids only sold $9 worth of junk for all that effort but strangely they are ready to do it again next Saturday.

Arggg!

I keep wondering how many things can go wrong in one day...

I ordered some fabric for my store back on May 12th; it shipped out 2 days later and I still haven't received it. It was coming from Canada and got lost somewhere. I called the fabric place last week and had them put a trace on the package. They promised to call back on Friday but didn't. I called Monday to see what was going on. I got a call later that day from Canada Post who asked if I had received my package. The guy was really nice and said he would let the shipper know the package was lost. I talked to the owner of the store on Wednesday who said she would be shipping out a replacement order yesterday. We decided to try UPS this time so I gave her my street address. Today I received an email from Canada Post saying they received a package for shipment. Problem! The address is the one for UPS and not the post office since they refuse to deliver here! I called the shipper again and explained the problem, they were hoping to catch the package. I'm thinking I won't be ordering from them again unless I can't find what I want anywhere else, their customer service is horrid!

Not 2 hours later I received a UPS email for a different shipment from an Ebay seller, the address was wrong! They forgot the street name. When we called UPS they said we had to contact the shipper since the package hadn't been picked up. We didn't catch them in time so I'm really hoping UPS gets it here. We are in their system for address problems, and misaddressed packages usually get here okay, but it's frustrating!

There were a few more minor hiccups today that were added in. I figure I've had my share of frustration for the month so it should get better :)

June Gymkhana Video

Paul finally got the video uploaded as you can see. I had no idea the camera picked up sound as well as video so just ignore the commentary in the background :)

June Gymkhana

Saturday was the last show of the season. The next season begins in September so we have 2 long months without a horse show.



Saturday had it's ups and downs. Lorna and Ginger did great overall. They got 5 first places in their division and one no time. The no time was for a broken pattern, that was the down of the day. Since Lorna had enough rides as of the last show to earn her belt buckle for the year she was able to concentrate on just having fun and improving her times and control. I know that next season she will be working on cleaning up her rides, the faster she goes the more difficult it becomes.



Malachi added to his stash of money from manure scooping and is now seriously considering the purchase of his own horse. The horse market may be soft but we haven't been able to find anything that would work for him in his price range. We are considering adopting a mustang since the kids' riding instructor also trains horses. The adoption fee added to the training fee is within his reach and he would have a great horse that would serve him for many years. We still have a bit more considering to do since we would have to build a special corral to comply with the BLM regulations.

I learned how to record videos on our digital camera but haven't been able to upload it as of yet. Our connection is too slow so Paul is gonna try it at Starbucks later today :)

Comfort

There is a great comfort in attending the Divine Service and knowing the liturgy being used. We found a church that we feel we can live with. We've attended a number of times but yesterday was the first time I've really felt comfortable there. The church uses different liturgy settings depending on whether they are celebrating the Lord's Supper or not. Right before we started attending, the pastor and organist decided to teach the congregation a new setting to be used on Communion Sundays. For the past couple of months they have been learning the first setting in LSB, yesterday they went back to the setting from TLH.

Even with stumbling over the changes in the confession and creed, it was so comforting to use something familiar. Instead of wondering what was coming next I was able to concentrate on the words. Since the pastor doesn't want any one setting to become rote he will be using this setting on the 2nd Sunday and the other one on the 4th Sunday with something else on the rest of the Sundays.

Since this church is still over an hour away we cannot attend every week. We've been attending twice a month, on Communion Sundays, and I can now look forward to the 2nd Sunday of each month.

Another Dress

I've had this fabric for a couple of months but just got around to finishing the dress.



It's the same pattern as this dress with the new bodice supplement I purchased. This one closes with two drawstrings instead of buttons. I have to admit that I prefer sewing this bodice over the one with buttons; I just don't like doing buttonholes even though my machine basically does them itself.



Lorna was able to wear it to church this morning and we found that if you slouch while sitting the bottom drawstring likes to pull open. Since you are supposed to wear period correct underpinnings you don't have to worry about exposing yourself but it still looks bad. I added an hook and eye at the bottom drawstring to alleviate this problem. It also keeps the dress from opening when little brothers pull on the ties :)

Car repairs

The timing belt in Paul's car broke without warning yesterday. After having it towed to a mechanic and having it diagnosed, it looks like the belt took out a couple of valves as well. Of course it's not covered under the warranty. This is after we payed for the yearly registration, replaced the windshield, and fixed a leaky oil seal over the last month. The car was still a great deal but I wish we could spread these repairs out over a year instead having them all happen at once.

Thankfully we have had 2 calls on the old horse trailer we recently listed for sale. I'm hoping to have it sold before the repairs on the care are finished. Our life is never dull :)

Passions

We all have our passions, things that we believe really strongly in and want to share with others. Over the years I've learned that instead of telling people you know the answer to their needs you can only offer what has worked for you. You offer it without making any assumptions about whether it will work for them or if it is the best course of action in their particular situation. You don't denigrate their current practices and dismiss what others have found that works.

We all have differing resources and abilities. The perfect solution for one person isn't going to necessarily work for another. Assuming that there is only one solution is naive at best.

Those of you on Loopers understand what I'm talking about. I have to say that I'm happy I finally said something and I now know for sure that I'm not alone :)

Who knew?

Who knew a whoopee cushion could be used to make music? Malachi has treated us to music using his new toy as an instrument. I had no idea a whoopee cushion could be educational as well. He is finding that different boxes can change the sound into something really gross :)

For anyone keeping track of gas prices across the country, the Shell in our town is now at $4.40 for 87 octane, 15 cents more than last weekend, and diesel is up to $5.10!

10!

We celebrated Malachi's birthday last weekend. Technically his birthday was yesterday but since we had a 3 day weekend we took advantage of it.

As we were planning our activities I was surprised at how many things were closed. We knew we wanted to get out of the valley because it was overrun with tourists. We had planned to go to the county museum on Monday but it was closed so we ended up going to the movies instead. We saw the new Indiana Jones movie, it was perfect for a 10 year old boy!

Yesterday on Malachi's actual birthday we celebrated with dinner and rice crispy treats since he doesn't like cake.



His favorite gift was the whoopee cushion his sister bought him. We are all being treated to gross sounds and lots of laughter!

May Gymkhana

Lorna was able to ride in the May show held last Saturday. She did great! She moved up into a higher division in 3 of her times. That means her times were too fast for the division she was riding in before. She continues to far surpass our expectations with this horse that she was scared of last August.





Malachi continued with manure duty making $25 with the extra tips he got for working in the 100+ degree weather. Paul and I even helped out by setting up courses.

We ended up the day at the museum in town since it was the weekend for "History Days". The hot weather made for a low turnout but we enjoyed the little we saw.



Oh and I'm happy to announce that my store made it's first sale this week!

Differing priorities

Two days in a row Paul was pulled into a discussion with 2 different people about choosing a church. The first was a co-worker who happens to attend an LCMS church we tried attending. Due to their practices we have chosen not to return. The person he was talking with asked if we had any luck finding another church. This led to a discussion about what we are looking for. What Paul noticed was that the criteria we have for finding a church is very different than the person he spoke with. We are very concerned about what is preached, practiced and confessed by the congregation. The other person was more concerned about finding people his own age and believed that the practice wasn't as important. Since he confessed something different than what the church teaches he is also not as concerned about what they believe.

The conversation today was with an acquaintance over lunch. She asked us about where we attend and what religion we are. We always get these looks when we answer this question. The woman said she wasn't non-denom even though she attends one, but she attends her church because it has a wonderful youth group. She said that this was more important to her.

When did church become about activities? I cannot understand why anyone would want to attend a church when they do not agree with the teachings. Over and over again we have spoken with people who say that it doesn't really matter what the church teaches but it does matter what kind of activity, youth group, "insert a program here" is offered. When did this become the criteria for choosing a church? Both of the people Paul talked with mentioned that the church was too judgmental. What it boiled down to was that it is not the church's place to apply the Law. It's more important how you feel, about being included, and having a good time. It's about inclusiveness. It makes it difficult to talk about this subject when you seem to be speaking different languages.

Stuff and Housing

Yesterday on the way to a doctor's appointment for Lorna (3+ hours of drive time each way gives you lots of time to talk), Paul and I were discussing this video. As we are constantly looking for ways to get rid of more of our stuff I found the video interesting. In short, it talks about how goods are produced and sold and the repercussions of our current way of doing this.

As we talked I realized how much happier we are as a family since we don't seem to always be looking to buy more stuff. Of course we all want things but there isn't a pressure to buy and spend and accumulate junk. We don't watch TV much, a couple of hours on Friday night sometimes, so we aren't inundated with commercials urging us to spend and buy. I'm constantly aware of the size of our home so even if I'm tempted to purchase something I rarely do because there is no where to put it.

That led us to discussing the size of houses. We drive through some really nice suburban areas on the way to the doctor. The houses are newer and huge. I cannot even imagine what I would do with all that space and I would probably feel the need to fill it up with junk. Did you know that the average size of a home in 1950 was just under 1000 square feet? The average home size in 2005 was over 2400 square feet! That more than double in a time when the average family size is less.

I was thinking about the size of our kitchen the other day. It's pretty small and wasn't meant to handle a full size refrigerator. When we first moved into this house I just couldn't image what I would do with so little space. At this point I've gotten rid of all but 2 pans, 1 griddle, and a small set of pots. We have 2 sets of dishes because I couldn't make myself part with the set received as a wedding gift and a few other things. We own a blender and a toaster but no other small appliances. I've found that our necessities really do fit in the kitchen even with the loss of the 5 drawers that are blocked by the refrigerator. I know that if I had all the latest and greatest gadgets we would need a kitchen twice the size of the one we have.

Where am I going with this? I'm not even totally sure but I do think that the lack of time everyone complains about is related to this topic. I'm going to go out on a limb and say that many of the time-saving appliances contribute to our lack of time. All that stuff means we have to have some place to store it and all that space has to be cleaned and kept up. The extra time invested in cleaning and upkeep takes away all the time (if not more) we save by using the things in the first place. I'm not advocating we through out all modern conveniences and go back to the pioneer days, but I do think that too much stuff can be harmful. Maybe instead of thinking about how much stuff we can keep we should think about what the least amount of stuff we really need is and go from there.

My New Store

I spent the last week setting up my new store.
If you know anyone who uses or wants to try reusable cloth feminine products please send them my way!

Lessons

Malachi had his first horse riding lesson today.



He was all smiles, had tons of fun, and stayed on the whole 2 hours. The horse he rode is a gentle gelding who is well-trained. He got a chance to practice a few gymkhana events with his sister and then rode through the neighborhood for the last half-hour.



Lorna had a good lesson as well. Ginger bucked once but Lorna stayed on. Considering Ginger hasn't been worked very much over the last few months due to Lorna's surgery, it was an excellent lesson. The instructor is very trusting, here she is working with Lorna on her pocket (the distance between you and an obstacle). She just stood there as Lorna steered the horse around her at a trot and lope.

Saturday Project

We were finally able to get back into the forest today.



Malachi loves to play in between jobs.



It was a good day for cutting, the weather was really pleasant and we found plenty of downed trees to cut from. Next month we will be able to cut standing dead wood and the fun really begins.

We found that cutting on a hill made for a good first trip out since the kids were able to just roll the logs to the road where I picked them up and stacked them in the truck. The day was a reminder of how out of shape we all are, it was hard work and we are all exhausted. It's the same each year, the first few trips are really difficult but it gets easier as the season progresses. We seem to be really sedentary during the winter and spend a month getting back into shape so we can do everything that needs to be done.

Tomorrow Paul will start the property clearance which is due by June 6th. For those who don't live in a wild fire area, we have to clear 100 feet around any structure on the property. You can have sparse plantings but no brush. The fire department drives by every property in the valley to make sure the clearances have been done properly.

Isolation

It's amazing how quickly I got used to having a vehicle during the day. Last November we purchased a 2nd vehicle due to fuel costs. The savings in fuel more than paid for the car payment and our insurance went down. Since then I made it part of our weekly routine to take one day a week to go to the library, market, and post office. Even though I didn't have any lengthy conversations with anyone it was nice to just get out into town and see a few familiar faces. With the cost of fuel I've had to give up my little trip and I miss it! It's amazing how quickly I have become accustom to something so trivial. This combined with the possibility I might not actually get to join the Sweet Adelines group I started attending 3 weeks ago due to the financial commitment involved makes me feel really isolated. When I think about how quickly I became addicted to outside contact I'm amazed. Just 6 months ago I didn't have the ability to go out and do anything and I wasn't bothered at all. It's funny how quickly we can become accustom to new things and not even realize it. At least we still get to go to Lorna's gymkhana group and lessons.

At the same time I'm beginning to feel more and more of an outsider on an email list I've belonged to for 8 years now. I'm not sure if it's because I'm interested in different things now, the tone of the list has changed, or just a little of both. I just feel like I don't belong anymore. The subject of the list is rarely discussed and I don't have a whole lot of interest in the things that are talked about so it leaves me deleting most of the mail anyway. Not a big deal in the grand scheme of things but maybe it's adding to the feeling of being isolated.

I have found that overall I am feeling more and more content here though. Sewing projects and lots of fluff books have definitely added to my sense of well-being :)