Wednesday, November 20, 2024

My daily therapy

Following are the daily photos with captions that I've shared on IG/FB starting November 6 through today, minus the four I shared in my last post and a couple I had already deleted. Some days I've shared more than one, as from the outing Stella and I took on Sunday (big horse blog update coming), and the day I posted the ferns and fungi. From here on, I'll include the photos from my daily IG/FB posts with my ~weekly posts here. As I said in my last post, looking for pretty/peaceful/positive things to post every day helps keep me sane in a crazy world, so this will continue for the foreseeable future!
Look for the light in God's creativity and love.

Still focusing on the light.
Some of the girls.
Still my big red goober, looking fine this fall.
The season that makes my senses sing!
Good morning!
TOTALLY worth the clean-up.😍
Full color or black and white? I enjoy both!
Friday night lights.
Our first time trying the OHC Mountain Trail course. SO fun–and Stella rocked every element!
Blessings of rain.
My beautiful Poppy–definitely a bright light in my world!
And that's a wrap! This morning I blew the leaves and debris out of the arena for the last (6th?) time this year. I love fall, but celebrate when the last of the Bigleaf Maples at the south end are bare. Now the horses can get out and stretch their legs, and I can school Stella, more often.
That's it for now from . . .

Monday, November 18, 2024

Choosing what to focus on

On November 6, I decided to start posting a pretty/peaceful/positive photo a day to Instagram (and sharing it on Facebook). Looking for said photo opportunities is keeping me grounded when the world around me is tempest tossed. Sometimes I see something that begs repeating (like a WWII PSA reel), but there's no point. I'd either be preaching to/commiserating with the choir (surprisingly unsatisfying), or provoking the rest (though never provoking thought, just reaction 🙄). As I commented on Leigh's blog, "I don't spend much time analyzing 'the world and its ways;' I live in it but that is not where my security or future is. I've read the end of the book; it's going to get a lot worse before the ultimate 'better.'" So I cling to the truth of which I testified like a flotation device, look for beauty in God's creation, and remind myself to aid "the least of these." In addition, having animals gets me outside and moving, which also helps my mood/attitude if not my knees. (MRIs of both knees are scheduled for November 26; appointment with Portland clinic is on December 5).
What say you? Should I post all my daily photos here on my blog as well? (I thought I had a link to my Instagram account at right but it seems to have disappeared; you can access it here, no need to have an account). You know I usually make and save more than one photo a day; I could share the others here and leave the daily photos there, or share all of them here. Or?

Right now you get what you get, as these are the only photos I had already moved to my laptop from my iPhone. Our internet is temporarily down at home and I have too much else to do to stay here at work for the wi-fi any longer. Give me your feedback so I know what to post when next I can!

That's it for now from . . .

Monday, November 11, 2024

Go, green!

What is that dark green I can see through the leaves from the front door?
Rick and Brian got all the metal siding they had (Rick miscalculated) installed on Sunday, two and a half sides worth. There is still much to do to complete it, but it looks like something now.


As does my sweater. I tried it on Friday to determine the length needed, and knit on. Before Sunday ended, the body was completed. I have two skeins left, one for each sleeve; perfect!

I went with green for Monday supper, too, making vegan Pozole Verde for the first time, with zucchini from this year's garden and some dehydrated tomatillos from a previous year's harvest. Brian and I like it; Rick wasn't thrilled. C'est la vie.

There is vibrant green in the landscape, even though fall colors tend to take center stage this time of year.


That's it for now for all the colors around . . .

Friday, November 08, 2024

Poppy in her prime...

...and then there is everything else. 
 
Last Sunday Poppy and I competed in another agility trial. The timing was perfect; because of the time change (and being scheduled to run at the end of the first, very large class), there was no early morning alarm or leaving in the dark. Instead, "fingers of God" (a much more beautiful term than crepuscular rays) beamed as we left our lane and headed down the hill:

Poppy was a rock star. After the first class in which she took a jump out of order which disqualified us in that particular class (CPE Agility features 'Standard' runs, plus classes that are categorized as 'Handler,' 'Strategy,' and 'Fun'), she was foot-perfect in her next three classes with three first place qualifying runs – and she nailed the weaves in all four classes (weaves are our shakiest skill). At almost five years old, she is beautiful, fit, mature, and responsive. After two years of agility trials and watching a LOT of other dogs and handlers run, I believe she is truly the best dog for me – and I try to be the best person for her.

While she is in her prime, I am not. My left (acute) knee has been getting worse again, so I upped my Aleve to twice a day and took my knee brace along to the trial, wearing it for my last two classes (without as much benefit as I hoped for).

Phooey on this; I will not go quietly to a rocking chair even if I do turn 63 next week! This week has been a flurry of seeking help. I was able to get a next-day appointment with my PCP, Rick ultrasounded both my knees (he thinks my left meniscus is messed up), I got a standing x-ray of both my knees (mild arthritis in my left, moderate in my right), and I contacted a clinic in Portland. Rick told me about the clinic, where he attended a seminar for both physicians and veterinarians, when I bemoaned to him that I needed a human medicine equivalent to him, trained as he is in equine locomotor pathology, advanced imaging techniques and non-surgical treatment options such as shockwave therapy, PRP, and stem cell therapy. Unfortunately such treatments, though offered by that clinic, are not covered by insurance, but we'll cross that bridge if I come to it. Rick sent them my ultrasound images; I'm waiting to hear back from them.
For whatever reason, Rick hasn't had much veterinary work lately. That's worrisome, but does give him time to work on the shop. He got the ridgecap on (just in time for the rainy week ahead) and has been putting metal on the sides.



Is he getting this done just in time for something else? This afternoon Rick learned that he loses his clinic lease in February. Oh joy; a total upheaval of his business on TOP of dealing with physical, family, and other issues....

To keep from drowning in a sea of stress, I make a conscious effort to focus on the beauty of nature and the God who created it. If my photos soothe you, too, all the better. No need to emphasize all the ‘awful’ in this world!









That's it for now from . . .