"If the world were merely seductive, that would be easy. If it were merely challenging, that would be no problem. But I arise in the morning torn between a desire to improve the world and a desire to enjoy the world. This makes it hard to plan the day." — E.B. White
My super lovely and generous mother treated us to a quick family ski trip at Wisp.
We all loved it and wished for more time together.
And more sunshine on the slopes.
Here we are trying to smile.
Kinda hard when our faces don't work.
It really felt like a Saturday Night Live or Monty Python skit.
After becoming frozen to the ski lift seats on the ride up (somewhat sheltered by the tall trees), you'd get off and feel like someone just threw a whole box of snow in your face
and turned on the wind machines. Truly, it sucked my breath right outta me several times.
But we were always smiling by the bottom of the runs!
Even the steeper blue slope where dear Uncle Ben had to ski Sarah down between his legs!
The poor Farmer had elected not to ski while recovering from a shoulder rotator cuff injury earlier in the season when he slipped on the horse trailer ramp.
(We've taken to calling him Bob Dole with his arm crossed over his chest!)
Instead of skiing he schlepped us and all our gear back in forth from slopes to cabin.
He even bought some great tire chains to aid our pathetic VW in the snow.
Farfegnugen my hat! That car is awful in snow!
But inside the cute cabin was very warm n snuggly!
And on our last day the sun decided to appear.
Probably inspired by this twinkly lady!
My Grandma Cherie who we met for lunch on the way home!
She's nearly 95 and so bright and loving.
The perfect ending to our family trip.
Our running joke at the top of the slopes had been;
"we're too old to need more character building so this must be fun. Right?!?"
Can't believe I said it. My kids will be shunned at school.
The Farmer tries. He loved PLAYING football in school.
And our kids love playing with him...
But none of us are real good at sitting still and watching tv...
Still, last nights SUPERBOWL WINNERSdid pull us in!
Mainly for the commercials
For the team spirit and come from behind determination throughout the season.
This morning I even helped my kids dress in purple n black and dyed their hair purple
dontcha just love Sarah's new ratface she uses for special pics?! :-(
That's it for my team spirit. I'm just not cool. And we don't own any jerseys.
Since I can't talk football, let's talk commercials!
This Budweiser ad was extra special to me.
You see our stallion is 1/2 Clydesdale and looked just the same as a foal.
And to seal the deal ~
He ALWAYS plays chase n race with me as I drive up our lane alongside his pasture!!!
He's extra super duper smart and loving, my "Manny."
K, maybe a bit of mommy pride but many others have said it too.
tears. I could never let him go.
I tried to sell him as a foal but my heart wasn't in it and all the professionals around me (vets, farriers, trainers) said I was a fool as he was the perfect sporthorse cross.
Then he nearly died as a 2 year old from a gas colic.
Luckily I was right there teaching and heard him thrashing, got him to the university horse hospital and he had surgery that seemed to be a huge success.
(If you don't count the initial $3500 cost and ALL the subsequent vet fees etc
but who's counting, right?!)
Have ya heard the one about how to make
a small fortune in the horse business???
Start with a large fortune! ;-P
(and NO, I've never had either. I'm just another crazy, broke horse lover!)
Then Manny had an allergic reaction to the antibiotics after coming home.
Every. Day. For. Weeks. he'd colic after eating as his guts were now soo inflamed.
I had to inject him FAST to ease the cramping and PAIN. Every. DAY.
I couldn't bear it. I suffered beside him.
Nursing him night n day for weeks while running a business took years off my life.
I finally took him to my dear friend and vet's farm to be put to sleep.
He was a rack of bones but still had a huge heart and will.
Not only did my vet, Francie Luther, not put him to sleep...
She secretly nursed him back to health for weeks and refused to charge me for it.
more tears
It took another year for Manny to make a full recovery, during which time I boarded him at the awesome Shamrock Farms with Jim Steele and his great staff.
(Never mind that it was owned by Art Rooney, owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers!)
xo They helped me get many gorgeous Manny Babies! xo
Mountain Man(aka Manny) and his son Magic Man
I used to say I coulda owned a BMW or Manny.
I drive a VW.... ;-}
and race my heart up the lane counting more blessings than money!
Loved this security camera catching goodness ad (the "desert race" not so much!)
Can't leave without touting the Dodge Farmer ad!
“And on the eighth day, God looked down on his planned paradise and said, “I need a caretaker.” So God made a farmer,” the late conservative radio broadcaster Paul Harvey says in the clip.
“God said, “I need somebody willing to get up before dawn, milk cows, work all day in the field, milk cows again, eat supper, then go to town and stay past midnight at a meeting of the school board.” So God made a farmer,” the narrator continued.
So instead of overpaid football stars, let's toast the farmer in all of us.
Wednesday The Farmer and I went foxhunting and were sweaty and steamy as we started preparations, but soaked and shivering by the time we had all the critters tucked in that night.
Horses were equally confused as we tore blankets off, then threw them back on.
Bathing off mud in the am, hot mashes for dinner!
Monsoon rains led into snow squals...
66 degrees dropped to 26!!!
All this makes for LOTS of extra chores.
Right now I'm pampering my family w/cocoa n cookies,
Kids got a last minute day off from school due to snow!
Love seeing them cuddled up together watching a movie!
but rest assured the critters came first...
The horses are bundled like bugs in TWO rugs!
The goats are snuggling in their straw
'til I woke 'em up!
Only the chickens and guineas appear to be indifferent to these swings...
Time to throw more wood on the fire...
The Farmer works HARD to gather n split ALL our firewood so we pay NO heating bills!
IF I can step over the piles of animals sleeping in front of the woodstove!
Excuse the wood ashes n such from cramming wood in the stove nonstop!
Shhh...cammo kitty doesn't want to be seen sleepin on the job.
Now I'm off to curl up too before heading back out to start chores all over again.
