Weekend To-Do List

It is going to be a dark and stormy weekend in San Francisco, leaving me with more free time than usual. The Child is at her dad’s and The Man will be working all day on Saturday, so I think I’m gonna do some stuff.

1. Spend some extra time at the barn and take a ride or two in the rain.
2. Super clean the kitchen and do a little decorating in there.
3. Super clean the bedroom and do a little decorating in there.
4. Work out until I fall down – watching my heart rate skyrocket on my shiny new heart rate monitor.
5. Grocery shopping and cook ahead for the week.
6. Church on Sunday.
7. Go to a thrift store.
8. Attempt a fantastical artistical project using the big box of fabulousness mailed to me a year ago from Arkansas. Yes… I do believe the time has come.
9. Oh…. and I feel the need to plant some things and add some living green things to our home.

Happy Weekend everyone! May you all be well, safe, happy and healthy.

Giving Thanks

We certainly had a great Thanksgiving Day and a half! I sure hope you did, too!

Our merriment started on Wednesday night when we went to see the Blackhawks get beat to holy hell by play the Sharks.

As soon as we got home at 11:30p I headed to the kitchen. I didn’t think I would last long because I was so tired, but the next thing I knew I had finished the cranberry relish, cubed and toasted bread for stuffing, baked a cake, made sweet potato pie and cleaned the kitchen.

Our fridge was packed to the gills!

I hadn’t broke out my trusty Kitchenaid sidekick since last Christmas. Oh, how I have missed her! I shan’t keep her out of commission that long ever again!

I was back up at 6:30a to bake the sweet potato pie, make stuffing, make frosting and set the table.

At 9:30a, done with all my cooking except what had to be done right before we sat down, I slipped out for a nice ride.

Boy am I thankful for the ponies – especially our pony, Fiona. She’s a special little beast. She’s incredibly sweet and gentle and a joy to handle from the ground – but get on her and she’s a firecracker! The big horses can’t keep up with her cracked-out-pony speed walking  The day was so gorgeous that I was back in the barn before I realized I didn’t take my camera. That’s ok… it was amazing to have a couple hours break from Thanksgiving preparation to be with the wee one for a wonderful trail ride. (Next time the mud ball will get a bath!)

While I was gone, The Man was busy cooking his first bird. He did a great job! He even made his mom’s traditional stuffing. (I love him!)

Because we had some guests that usually eat vegetarian and gluten-free I really had to put on my cooking/thinking cap. It was SO FUN to have to think and be creative in my cooking. I actually glanced at recipes!!

I even took it up a level and it’s all vegan and gluten-free! And it was DELICIOUS!! I stumbled upon 2 new concoctions that will surely be seen again – the sweet potato pie topped with candied pecan crunch and tofu cutlets with creamy mushroom sauce. YUM!

I know that our guests enjoyed it!

Let me take a moment to tell you how much I love Scott’s friends. His best friend John and his parents are great. And I’m not sure I could love Steve and Nancy any more than I do! It was really a great bunch!

And to top off a lovely holiday the freeways were deserted this morning. It took 11 minutes from our house to the office.

Thank you!

What a short week…

Sorry that I’ve been slacking, but there has been a lot jam-packed in to this short week!

Last weekend I took advantage of the extra time off and had some quality time with my favorite equine, Fiona. The day could not have been more beautiful:  71 degrees, not a cloud in the sky, no wind, and very few people.

Tuesday night was Back to School night, and Wednesday was The Child’s first softball game. We were all very excited!  She is the only 6th grader who made the team (all the others are in 7th and 8th grade) so we were nervous that she would be terribly disappointed if she didn’t play and/or if they lost and she did play…

Thankfully Coach Covey put her in during the 5th inning and she got one at-bat. It was a fly ball caught quickly – but she connected bat to ball, and she hustled through first base and never looked back. All in all, a good effort

Thanks to a generous pitcher allowing them 9 walked-in runs, The Child’s team won their first game 12-1! Assistant Coach Scott was very proud, too

And is it just me, or does The Child actually look A LOT like me here?

And we have very good news (yes, more!)  Last night we officially became approved adopters through NORCAL Golden Retriever Rescue! We’ve been interviewed, our home has been inspected, and now we wait until the perfect dog for us comes along! After all, our beautiful new house just won’t be complete until it has beautiful, golden hair wafting around and adorning the furniture

Pony-a-Go-Go

After two days of rain and wind, the sun finally decided to come back out in San Francisco. I headed to the barn bright and early (well, 10 a.m. – about as bright and early as I can muster these days) for some quality equine time.

Two days of sitting in a stall is not in Fiona’s nature. Standing still or walking quietly is also not in her nature. After some maniacal tearing around in the arena we headed out for a short and sweet frantic trail ride. I did get her to stand for a brief moment – long enough for Susan to snap a pic that would give one the impression that Fiona is a relaxed ride

Even after a good gallop – good for both our hearts and minds – she still had a full tank of gas. *sigh* Maybe tomorrow I’ll actually be able to wear her out.

Now I’m off to shop for some pony sedatives!

Oh no – the wheels, they are a’turnin’

T. Boone Pickens’ wife just bought 2,000 wild mustangs.  Hmmm…  I think they should hire someone to evaluate and start good candidates.  I’d love to pick out some outstanding individuals to be embassadors for many disciplines:  jumping, field hunters, eventing, stock seat and of course, dressage. 

What a fantastic opportunity to have a large population from which selective breeding could preserve the best qualities of their Spanish blood, and create a commercially viable breed that is less likely to end up on a double-decker bus to Mexico en route to a Frenchman’s plate. 

From this...

... to this

 And who wants this job?  ME!!  (mostly because I want that – right above!)

I’m off to figure out how I can get in the Pickens’ good graces.  You may be laughing – but if you are you clearly don’t know me too well.

The view from my weekend office

Oh.

My.

God.

Today the weather was just…. UN-F*ING-BELIEVABLE.  Seriously.  I just spent 4 hours outside and it feels like how July must feel in places that have sunny summers I’m wearing a tanktop, jeans and Blundstones and feel like I’m going to keel over from the heat.

I taught two superfun lessons and had this lovely view to gawk at whilst standing in the arena.  I thought I’d be nice and rub it in share.  Yes, that is the Pacific Ocean. 

Before you resent me too much it’s usually fog to the ground with gale force winds while I’m trying to shriek at my students… but not today.  Today was divine.

So, so, so very sad

Less than a week after being short-listed for the Olympic Eventing team, my most favorite (famous) horse in recent history, Theodore O’Connor, had to be euthanized following an accident at home.  “Teddy” was not really a horse – he was a pony with a heart twice the size of the biggest horse.  He mopped up his competition even as they towered over him.

Karen O’Connor, when she was still Karen Lende, was among my first equestrian heroes.  My room was plastered with pictures of her riding The Optimist.  Then she married the dashing and brilliant David O’Connor and they became US Equestrian Team royalty.  It was an unforgettable honor to meet them both at a clinic in Woodside.  They were totally real, incredible teachers, and so super nice.  They treat their horses as their family.  Karen wears a belt with the bridle tags from all of her past competition horses – a daily tribute to the horses that made her who she is today.

I was SOOO looking forward to watching one of my favorite riders, on an amazing pony show the world that we DO have great talent here.  The ultimate underdog:  an American on a short little mutt, showing up those with the finest European pedigrees.

Such a tragic loss…  I can’t imagine the feeling of sadness at the O’Connor barn. 

   

 (all pics courtesy Team O’Connor)

Congratulations to Beautiful Aunt Susie!!

Yesterday Susan was awarded her colors from the Los Altos Hounds!  I think that must be IS some sort of record:  she’s only been a member two or three years!