Sigh

What can I say?

 Happy Saturday

No Title

Remember writing checks? 

The DMV doesn't take debit, credit or cash. Checks only. Mark was getting ready to buy new tabs for the car. He looks serious. I write a check for hay and for stall bedding. I think that's it. Oh, also for Bill's services. Very few checks in a years' time. Another thing slipping away into history.

See, I do belong in the Dull Minnesota Women group!

Zucchini Plentitude

Deer ate my zucchini plant but it really doesn't matter. Yesterday Neighbor Bill brought several, plus tomatoes. I stopped growing peppers and green beans years ago because I get so many from him. I think I'll put zucchini on the list from now on. I spent the afternoon preparing zucchini boats, enough for two meals. Mark brought a huge eggplant in, it had been in hiding. I will roast it along with garlic, onion and tomatoes for roasted eggplant soup. I came upon that recipe maybe twenty years ago and am happy I did. It's so good.

BTW, there are tomatoes in there. Really.

There is a FaceBook group, Dull Minnesota Women. I don't use FB, but occasionally scroll through. I saw this in Groups You Might Like. I joined, although I'm so dull I will probably never use it. 

 

Rainbow After the Storm

We had a big storm last evening. 

Then this showed up.

We lost power at about 7:00 pm, which finally came on at 2:30 am. We didn't bother with the generator as it was already evening, candles and cellphone flashlights were enough. A large tree came down along the east pasture, completely squashing the gate and a bunch of large branches were scattered about the property. We haven't had a storm like this in a long time.

Other than the storm, not much happening in my corner of the world. Which is ok.

Bits of Stuff

Yes. A photo of a living room.

I was sitting in a chair facing the room, phone in hand, and for some reason took the photo. Maybe my subconscious told me - one day you can write about sitting in the room and deciding to take a photo. So here we are. The horse head facing the camera was the first trophy any of my horses won. Shaka, at his second show, won the hunt seat class at the Northern Minnesota Arabian Horse Show. The best trophy ever. This was the last year they gave out the horse head trophy, the ceramist moved. The laughing basset was made for me by a good-friend-I've-never-met. It was honoring my beloved Howard after he died. The slipcovered furniture is all Gatto's fault, naughty furniture scratcher. The lamp belonged to my mother. Now I have written about the time I arbitrarily took a photo of my living room.

 Food

Another go-to for me. I spent yesterday afternoon making tomato sauce, parmesan sauce and roasting eggplant slices. Resulting in an eggplant gratin. There's also Italian sausage in there, but it isn't necessary. Who would have thought a guy born and raised on a dairy farm in southwestern Minnesota would absolutely love eggplant? He is pestering me to make eggplant 'meatballs', he likes those better than the real thing. Imagine that! I have two plants so we are in eggplant plentitude at the moment. Mark is of Czechoslovakian  (Bohemian) descent but grew up in a community of, almost exclusively, Norwegian Minnesotans. He mostly knew Minnesota style Norwegian food. I guess sometime this week those meatless balls will be on the menu. That sentence could be a double entendre. In the meantime, the remainder of the gratin will be lunch.

We are in for some very hot weather the next few days. No sauce will be simmering on the stovetop for now. 

Ari

WF Airs Above Ground

1997-2014

Lori had asked for some photos undersaddle, so I chose some of Ari, as well as some of him as a young 'un. He was a Grand Prix potential, if I had continued pursuing it, but I lost interest in all of that eventually. His sire went Grand Prix. He was a wonderful riding horse, no spooks. If something bothered him he stopped. I'd hit the ground often enough from that quick Arabian side step and drop! I do have his brother, Ben. He has some spooks. 

I will occasionally post more undersaddle photos of various horses. I have a few!

Past Bumps Into Present

Just a coupla guys.

A dreary morning. We had rain yesterday and some this morning. No mowing in today's future. Life has been trotting along, which means time is flying by. Speaking of time flying, or flown by, my long ago friend I messaged awhile ago contacted me by messenger last evening. She was happy to hear from me and wants me to call her. So I will. I guess taking the chance was the right thing to do. It's been since about 1983. I guess that qualifies as a long time.

Knee High

Lori posted a photo of her first horse so I thought I would do the same. Knee High, my Belgian cross and the best horse in the world. I got him when I was a kid and he was middle-aged. We had some wonderful adventures together, in the days when a kid was simply set free to do whatever. My dad gave me some basic lessons, but otherwise, you're on your own, kid. I was driven to and picked up from the stable, but left there for the day. My father was a horse lover, which is how I was able to have one. I was probably nineteen in this photo and able to transport myself by then. I was interested in a barely trained pinto but was led to Knee High by my father's rarely-shown-to-me wisdom.

Knee High died an old man in 1975. It was about 17 years before I got another, Shaka. My wild child. That fellow was a handful and that is an understatement. He turned into a great horse full of talent. He loved me and the feeling was returned and then some. Then, the crazy journey began..........

Short

Gatto.....because there is never too much Gatto in life.

 Ask him.

Perfect Sunday

I got up late this morning with my whole body aching. I think I had stress even though I didn't feel it. It's strange what the body does. And the mind. I am a person who does well in solitude, but I don't think too much of it is good for anyone and I've had several years of too much.  We had a wonderful time with Kristina, she is a hoot! She spent over four hours here, talking and making us laugh. Mark is smitten! She does not look any older than she did twelve years ago. I had met her mother and grandmother during the time Kristina was riding here. She has fantastic genes. I forgot how tall she is! Still single and quite happy that way. 

She spent some time with Zing, the one she worked with the most. These treats, which she brought with her, have she and Ari on the package. The photographer sold the photo to Purina years ago and it's been on this treat bag about fourteen years. She has a great time showing people her stardom with the fabulous WF Airs Above Ground, aka, Ari. Ari was sired by Conversano II Aloha II, a Lippizan owned by a former trainer who worked with my talented Shaka. He was out of one of my Arabian mares, Sunspot Baby. He was a star. His light went out too early, the dreaded colic, in 2014 at seventeen. Anyway.....we had a wonderful time, lunched on salad and quiche, accompanied by focaccia and zero alcohol prosecco. On the clean screened porch. A perfect day.

Really?

This is the image that JD Vance and company hold in their small brains of "post menopausal women".

 Well, not exactly. Where are the grandchildren?

It Was a Pleasant Day

Not an attractive sight, my partially eaten dinner, but it sure was good. Mark picked up a carnita burrito at a restaurant west of where we live. I haven't had Mexican food in like, forever. This will become something we do on occasion from now on. The burrito is so large one is enough. When we celebrate an anniversary we do it big!!

Hay delivery is starting. I've often thought I would not want to be feeding a family with todays food cost. A couple of days ago I laughed at myself, I'm feeding 13 four-leggers that weigh from around 800-1000 pounds. Am I nuts! Feeding a couple of teenagers, no prob. Sometimes it's best not to get too deep into the details.

We had rain and wind last night. All is well today, except the humidity. That, not so good. I think I'll make a shrimp pasta salad, sans mayonnaise, for Kristina's visit, along with focaccia. Or a quiche. Shrimp quiche? I don't have company anymore, I'm out of practice. 

I was on FaceBook yesterday, someplace I rarely go. Since it was our anniversary I thought of my long ago friend who was one of our witnesses. I decided to see if she is on FB. She is, but hasn't used it since 2017. I sent her a message, which she probably will not see. I seem to be reaching backward these days. I recognized her instantly. Some people do not change much. Others, like myself, do. I wonder why? Her husband went to college with almost husband #2 and they remained good friends, so I think there was probably some friction in maintaining a relationship with us both. Things do change, but what the heck, maybe she will see my message.

And Here We Are

Forty-three years today.

 

Back to Our Regularly Scheduled Program

Back to cats.....

and food.

Yes, we have pasta in one form or another at least twice a week. There is always dinner if my pasta cupboard is full. I actually do have a pasta cupboard, no joke. I often made my own, but as with so many things, I have not for a long time. Why is it when we have more time, we don't use it? Or perhaps we use it differently. I spend too much time listening to books. Priorities change. The pasta I buy is good, why make things more complicated? Anyway, that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Mark is meeting a brother for lunch at a local BBQ establishment that has made a name for itself. I'm going to use some of the smoked pork roast on a ciabatta role with maybe some havarti for my lunch. Sounds good to me.

Kristina is coming to visit this Sunday. No one here was in a socializing mood after putting Dani down, so we rescheduled. I think I will make brownies. I have a recipe I really like and don't use. I don't make baked goods, almost never. I can bake, but then we eat it and neither of us needs to do that. This recipe makes a more cake-like brownie. Oh, how I miss the days when my body didn't know how to gain weight. Alas, it learned. Well.

It's a beautiful day, I think I will finish the last bit of lawn I didn't get to and enjoy the pleasant weather. 

Thank You

I want to say thank you for your kind words regarding Dani. She had been a hale and hardy horse throughout her life. She was a good saddle horse and all around easy to handle. Dani was a Half Arabian. The Arabian Horse Association recognizes crossbreds as long as they are at least one half Arab. Her dam was a Morocco Spotted Horse (RF Fleetwind), her sire an Arabian (Road Warrior). 

Dani died from colic, every horse persons dread. She wasn't coming out of it, only getting worse. So we called it and she was put down. Our neighbor used his backhoe to bury her in the horse cemetery. She leaves behind a paternal brother and a maternal sister.

So....life moves on. Thank you once again.

Dani

WF Wind Danser

1998-2024

 I helped her into the world and I helped her out of it. She now rests next to her mother.

Smokin'

I smoked a pork loin roast on the grill yesterday with applewood. It turned out well. There's a lot of it so we will be having smoked pork for awhile. It's Philly Friday at the deli so no lunch making drudgery for me today. Yippee!

I took yesterday off to recover from The Great Porch Cleanup trauma of the day before. Now back to the finishing bits of putting long ignored items where they belong. The cats are staying out of my way. There is no chance of mowing the lawn as the dew is as heavy as it would be with an inch of rain. Once again, it's a jungle out there.

Happy Days

Even the cats are having a party.

We have been having wonderful weather. It's currently 61F/16 C with a high forecast of 68F/20C. Since it's been cooler I decided to tackle the long neglected screened porch, commonly referred to as the Cat House. With a stretch of mild weather ahead I think the cats should share that space with us. It took all afternoon. I was overwhelmed by how bad it was. At the surface it was evident the space had been ignored but once into it I was really glad no one saw what I saw. The cats did not approve. Not one little bit. We used the porch all the time until the large, old tree shading it had to come down and the summers also became more humid. The combination made it feel like an oven. So, the inevitable happened. I ignored it. I paid for that yesterday.

I have no idea what I will make for lunch when Kristina visits. I've come to dread lunch. At least making it. It feels like a drudge. I have some shrimp, maybe I will have a revelation and come up with something using that, something easy as well as good. It's cool enough I can make focaccia. Ah, well. Trials and tribulations.

Hip Hip Hurrah

This once was a dining table. 

 Sheet pan meal. I am getting quite lazy when it comes to cooking. Fortunately, easy can also be flavorful.

I listened to the introduction of Tim Walz as the VP candidate yesterday in Philly. It has been a long time since I felt that pumped. I was actually pumping my arms and laughing hard. He nailed it and then some. This is why I chose to vote for him when he first ran for governor. There were three Democratic candidates. They sat with a reporter and answered questions. Two of them waffled quite a bit. He did not. He answered. That was it. We were in it for him. He is deeply disliked by a portion of Minnesota, which is not a surprise. I have found him to be a steady leader, one who is not infallible, but a person who tries and usually hits the mark. It says well of VP Harris to have chosen him.

Harris/Walz

It looks like we are losing our governor. I am sorry about that, he has been a steadying force. I know the right in Minnesota don't like him, surprise surprise, but he will be missed by most of us. 

Yesterday was stormy with a lot of rain. We are soaked. I managed to stay mostly productive, the usual laundry with some mess management added in for good measure. It's sunshine, 61F/16C and lower humidity. Finally. It's way too wet to even think of doing outside work. Which is fine, I've plenty to occupy myself.

Forward

Weather Report

Overnight rain. It's cooler but very humid, 93% humidity. A cooler week ahead.

I had mentioned a few weeks ago that I was going to contact my last horse trainer, Kristina. I last spoke to her in 2020 and last saw her in December 2012. She started working with Zing in early 2007, recommended by a trainer who wasn't traveling to farms anymore. She was quiet, serious, a philosophy major. When she let herself open up we used to joke about being a couple of barn philosophers. She once told me I was a retro hipster. Let's just say we were made to meet. Never mind she is younger than my son. I realized I didn't reach out to her, it was always she to me. I sent her a text a couple of weeks ago. I didn't get a response so I didn't know if she got it or what. A few days ago she responded. We had a long texting conversation, then yesterday she asked if she could visit. She's coming for lunch next Sunday. I am slowly working to open myself up. I have been disengaged for years, even before I became housebound. 

She and the first horse, Ari, a Lipizzaner/Arabian cross, were on a Purina Horse grain bag for quite awhile. The photographer owns the photos she takes and sold that one to Purina.

I am not the force she once knew and she is not the young twenty-something I knew. But I am I and she is she and we will have lunch, we will talk, laugh and reacquaint. One foot in front of the other.

I Am

Two more hot, sultry days and then relief is on the way. You know those commercials where the man is trying to keep people from turning into their parents? One of the issues is constantly talking about the weather. I think perhaps I need intervention. 

Since I found out about the death of someone I knew well nearly half a century ago I've periodly thought about what defines a person. This person was not the person I knew any more than I am the one he knew. If I had to give a brief synopsis of myself, what would it be? As is apparent, I have time on my hands for contemplation of life. I don't know anyone from my past anymore, other than my son and Mark. People slip away, although there are those who maintain relationships. My son is one of those people. He has friends still in his life from childhood and they will remain in his life. 

At one time the first thing I would have said is, I am a mother. I am still a mother, but not in the mothering way. Now it's simply a fact. I was just thinking I am a rescuer of dogs, but I'm not. Not anymore, yet that came to mind. The what was. What is? I am a sucker for stray cats. I am a caretaker of elderly horses. I am a lover of flower gardens and herbs. I am a baker of bread and a maker of meals. I am a reader of books, or these days more accurately, a listener of books. I am not one to be stuck in the details. I am still one who tends to jump before looking, the leaps are simply smaller. I am flexible and I am rigid. Neil Diamond just came to mind, 🎼 I am I said, I am said I.....🎼. Music, I am a lover of music. It still defines much of my life. I am lucky, I am married to someone who is my best friend. I am evolving.