Well, Jung In should be flying in about an hour (Washingtons time), she has to change planes in Philadelphia, I hope they have the airport clear by the time she reaches there. She should arrive here around 8:45 am our time... I cant wait to see her....going to be a good Christmas, now we just need Linda here to share with us also...:(

YAY! I got to talk to Linda yesterday. It was so good to hear her voice, I miss her so much. Wish she could be here for Christmas to join Jung In being with us. Snowing here today, looks like we have maybe an inch or two by now, have to work 4-12 today, hopefully by the time i come home it will have stopped.

catching up

Saturday, Windy and cold, took Aunt Dottie and Carol out for supper, I had hot dogs and beans, Fred was surprised by what i ordered because i dont usually eat beans, but I saw another man with them and thot they looked good??? I ate the hot dogs and a portion of the beans but not all of them. We had a nice visit anyway.
Sunday, went to Church, havent been there for a while due to work schedule, I miss it. It was nice to see everyone and see the advent candles being lit.
Monday, Woohoo!! I finally got to ride Bud, the temps were in the 30s and no wind. The driveway was a little slippery but the snow had softened up a bit so i got to give Bud a little workout by trotting in the snow. I thought I would play it safe and take him down over the hill on the snowcovered grassy part rather than the icy driveway. Well..... he spooked at something and we went about 3 feet sideways in one big step/jump, thought i was coming off, not only did we take that big leap but also was slanting downhill and he decided to turn quickly around to see what it was that he thot was so scary.. anyways, had a good ride. Hope to ride again tomorrow afternoon... I was actually able to get pictures by bringing the camera with me and riding over to Freds workshop where he and my friend Kristen were turning pens. I had to yell pretty loud for him to come out, gave him the camera so he could get some pictures..

finally a day for riding

Wicked windy here the last few days, flags are blowing straight out. Bud is spooking all over the place, i guess he doesnt like the wind...?? It was only 21 degrees this morning, plus the wind chill... i dont really want to know how cold it was...at least the sun is out today tho.
Went out to dinner with Freds sister and her husband, had a good time, the chopsuey i ordered was a little too spicy for me, drank some milk when i got home.
Have the wood stove cranking today! Love wood heat.

moon over trees, cone covered in snow, sun rising over barn

random shots after storm

Barn in first storm of the season, Bud munching, my tire track in driveway taken from ground level

follow the tracks and what do you find?

wow its been a week since i last wrote anything, I lead such an exciting life... Have been riding Bud for half an hour or so with the lights on, he is doing pretty good with that.
We are possibly going to get 2-4 inches of snow tonight, working til 2 and was planning on going to mall after work, I have never driven a front wheel drive before, so it should be fun for the first time in the snow.... yeehaw!

Thank goodness for friends that look my way when driving by the house. While I was at work and Fred was who knows where, MR. Bud decided to go thru the fence. My friends happened to spot him in the driveway where he wasnt supposed to be. They rounded him up and put him in his stall. Thank you, thank you, thank you, living near a busy road its not good to have a loose horse.
Got a text from Jung In and her brother isnt able to make it this year, oh well, maybe next year. She is still coming so thats a good thing!

Black Friday shopping!!!! those people are crazy, if i cant find a bargain throughout the year, i am definitely not going shopping at 3 am to look for one. It was POURING rain yesterday, ponds and rivers are rising, good thing it wasnt snow we would have been buried! Looks like its clearing up today, get home by three, hopefully get in a ride... then I really need to get to housecleaning--not my favorite job---never has been even when i was little, i would rather be outside working than in the house and it obviously shows.... oh well, I hope people come to see me not my house.. :)

Good food, good friends, good husband, so much to be thankful for!

Stayed up late last night watching Game Plan. It was pretty good. While watching it I heard a noise which sounded like my cell phone going off, I thot, its after midnight who could be texting me this late?! I went to check the phone and much to my surprise it was Jung In, our former exchange student from South Korea . She is going to school in the state of Washington, she came here last year for Christmas and last time I talked to her she thought she would be going home for this Christmas. Things have changed, she will be coming here! Yahoo! Not only that her brother wants to come visit us for Christmas also while she is here.... should be a great time together. So what I am leading up to is, its Thanksgiving and I have so much to be thankful for. Freds and my lives have been enriched by two wonderful girls from foreign countries and we still miss them. I am so glad God brought them into our lives.
I am so thankful for Gods unconditional love, good friends- new and old-, good food, my job and a roof over my head. There is so much bad stuff in the news it is nice to focus on the good stuff once in a while..... so Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Came home from work, put all the lights on outside, brought Bud to barn saddled up and went for a short ride up and down the driveway, went to ride him out back of the barn and I realized when he came to a sudden stop that i had left a big blue tarp on the ground out behind the barn. He didnt want anything to do with it. So, I got off , led him out to it folded it up , dragged it away from him and then he walks up to it and puts his nose on it , so i guess it wasnt as scary as he thot it was... the big goober!! By that time i was getting a little chilly, so I called it a night for him. Fred had cleaned his stall and actually cooked a pot roast in the crockpot with potatoes and carrots even.... Miracles still do happen here at the Perkins household....:) Have Monday and Tuesday off, hope to get some riding or driving in. Showers possible on Tuesday tho.
Going out to breakfast with a friend tomorrow morning....

Well, I didnt hear from Linda, I didnt get to ride, but i did get to clean Buds stall, and then brought him in and gave him a GOOD grooming. He sure needed it. I think he could find mud anywhere. Plus with him being a male he seems to have a lot of smegma(?) on his underside and on his back legs.... YUCK. Used a warm wash cloth and cleaned him all up. Gave him a good massage and combed out his mane and tail, put hoof dressing on his feet and of course Fred had left him cookies in his grain bin. So Bud got pampered today, but it felt good just to spend some time with him in the barn.

BEAUTIFUL weather the last few days! Havent taken any pictures lately because by the time i get home its dark. I hate to be at work when it is so nice outside.. oh well, 7 more years maybe and i will get to enjoy everyday off!!! Hope to hear from Linda tonight, we miss her. May get to ride Bud later today even if i have to put the lights on the back side of the barn. Need my horse therapy!

didn't get any riding or driving in like i had hoped, but got a lot accomplished outside, I could live with this weather all year, no hotter and no ice

"flew" home from work, put on barn jacket, brushed and saddled Bud, put all the lights on the outside of the barn, rode for about 20 minutes, then it became too dark and too foggy, I dont like it getting dark so early!! Bud behaved himself which is a good thing.

Wish I could have got a picture, but what a beautiful sunset. Purples, reds, pinks , God is certainly quite an artist!

After working today, came home expecting to split wood. Much to my surprise and delight our friend Bruce was here helping Fred. They already had one full load and lots more all split on the ground. So I unloaded and stacked the first load in the cellar and went back and filled up the second load. Fred and Bruce unloaded that one while i cleaned Buds stall... Thank goodnes for friends that like to do manual labor. Saved my elbow from hurting as bad as it usually does when doing wood, now my house is nice and toasty!!!

A day of rest for the women for a change!

Spending some quality family time with Aunt Dottie and Carol, took them out to dinner Sat.night, good food, good company!

First time I have taken Bud on the beach, he did very well. I was happy. He did like to look and check out everything!

Backside of the barn, Myself and Lori taking Bud for a drive out back

A miracle happened today. I got Fred on Bud. I want Bud to get used to being led with someone on him and listening to me on the end of the lead rope. This was the second time Fred has been on him since we bought him. I'm hoping it will happen again, but won't hold my breath, especially with cold weather coming. Fred was cold today. After leading Bud and Fred up and down the driveway, I got on to ride. I took Bud thru all the pastures , weaved thru the cones, around the barrels, trotted and cantered up the driveway, then I rode behind the house out to the future pasture behind the barn. Bud behaved very well. I have still yet to venture out to where he threw me off last year, but we will get there eventually. Since there are no other horses here now for him to worry about being with, I'm hoping I will be able to ride him out there with him listening to me.
Sarah J was taken to the equine hospital in Rochester today, Fred and i went up to see what the diagnosis is, turns out she has an abcess in her left foot, they got it to drain some today and hope to do more to it tomorrow and to see if there is still anything in the foot that may have caused the abcess to begin with. When I came home to bring Bud in, he was smelling my jacket all over, I think he recognised her smell on me.

Wow, November 2 already, the other night i came home from work around 5 and was planning on riding Bud, as I was watching him run loops around the pastures I wasnt so sure I wanted to get on with that much energy under me.. I dont know what was spooking him but he was covering some ground! So I cleaned the water tub, refilled it, picked up the hoses for the winter, cleaned his stall, then still had a little daylight left so saddled him up and rode for about 10 minutes, just enough time before it got too dark. This is the time of year when i wish i had an indoor arena or at least a lighted place outside to ride.... oh well, gotta ride as much as i can weather permitting... have a great week.

This is my friend Beths'(who will always be in my heart) grandson who she never got to see. He is a handsome little boy.

The big black beast went on a diet and turned into

a little black beauty!

Fall sunsets and foliage

The shirt is actually laying on the back of the recliner, it is not my chest looking that big! Bought this shirt at Deerfield fair.

Patiently waiting our turn, going down to put a golf ball into the top of the cone, We got 3rd place! Wahoo! It became too cold so I called it a day!

Its a long way to that bucket, I didnt stick the flag in deep enough so it fell out so we didnt get a time. We had fun tho.

Whew, busy day today! Fed and put horses out, unloaded and reloaded dishwasher, made chopsuey, gathered up returnable bottles, packed up the horse trailer to take Sarah J to a fun show tomorrow. Put food and soda in fridge in horse trailer so Fred and I can have something to eat while waiting for different classes. Fred was nice and did stalls for me today, I guess that could be called my anniversary present. Looking forward to a fun day tomorrow.

Tomorrow is the 17th and it will be my 17th anniversary of wedded bliss??? :)

The Princess is being a Witch the last couple of days, last night they went at it, and this morning she was pinning her ears and moving Bud everywhere, there was some squealing and kicking going on so we have separated them to their own pastures for the day. Time out!

brave or stupid? she certainly was talented