the end of August

Its the end of summer and it feels like it. July is so the beginning of my most favourite season - with all the heat and humidity and beach, lake and pool days. There is rarely any respite at the end of the day and the nights are complete with open windows and the ceiling fan going as we go to sleep in a 30C room. I love it.

August marks a change. The dawn is darker and the nights get cool. The evenings are noisy with the sound of the crickets and all my afternoon hacks with Ace are heralded by the crickets and the grass blowing in the still hot daytime breeze.

I can feel summer slipping away and as usual I almost welcome it. Ahead is Fall with all its beautiful colours, corn, Thanksgiving, Halloween, pumpkin spiced everything. Starbucks is clearly feeling it too as they released their Pumpkin Spiced Latte just this morning.

The pool ended for the season, much to all the sadness of the staff. I found this awesome photo of it in 1972 (top left).  This year the deck was painted and the colourful signs made it feel like a little tropical oasis in our community.

 We went on a sunset filled dog walk

This rock was left on our driveway with instructions to keep or rehide. We re-hid it for someone else to enjoy.

My tomato and cucumber plants are starting to bear goodies

Chloe and Paul going for a run

England in June

So we went to England as a family and it solved a whole ton of thoughts and "things"
Firstly both the girls were not excited to get on the flight there, as it was a night flight, over the ocean and they werent arriving at MCO. Cue meltdown by Lily 2 hours in as she fought a desperate desire to go home, not be on the plane, feeling sick. It was the exact same as it had been on I95 in the middle of the night almost a year prior to this trip. Only this time, she couldnt get out.
I thought that had been bad, this was worse and I felt awful for her. Westjet staff rocked as they tried to help and eventually she fell asleep.
Ace and I had been at a horse show all day, in fact I left him there to be brought home by friends, so I had planned a glass of wine followed by a nap on the plane. Neither happened.

Chloe had her own perceived turbulence issues, so no one enjoyed the ride, so to speak.

On arriving in London Gatwick, the girls were massively unimpressed by the rudeness of people and we arrived at Angies tired and feeling somewhat culture shocked.

In a nut shell it was as usual in following: driving, grocery costs, eating out. Loved all that. We had a little Yaris hybrid that sucked compare to the Ioniq frankly but got us around ok.
We went to a couple of amazing lunches in a beautiful barn conversion on a golf course with lots of rabbits everywhere, so cute. Saw nannys house again and and Lily and I walked down the concrete strips and I reminisced about life there as a child and she listened. We saw the changing of the guard at Buckingham palace and trailed 8 miles around some of Londons sights, ending at Borough Market which was pretty cool but by then we were too tired and foot sore to appreciate it.

The weather was hot! Although it cooled down at night. And it was what I can only describe as a sharp heat. No hot steamy soft heat that I love in NS. It was strip your skin, no ozone layer about, bright light heat.

I had almost a whole day with my good friend Karen in Tunbridge where we indulged in White Stuff and had a lovely lunch. It was like old times. It was so very hard to leave her.

We saw dad and auntie Sue who made us delicious cream teas which we ate in her beautiful garden. We ate out with Pauls dad and had a great family BBQ.

 My brother and Claudia <3

The Howe family BBQ

 Dad at Auntie Sues

Dad and the girls at Auntie Sues

An Auntie Sue cream tea

Met some of my oldest besties at a pub garden and took the girls to the Crawley Mall. As usual Paul hated it there and so did the girls so we left there fast.
I got to spend most of a whole day with my brother and his most lovely girlfriend who I adore.
I had a lovely 2 zen-like hours on a Sunday morning talking horses with one of my oldest horse buddies. I miss Jane tremendously.
Chloe hung out most days with her oldest BFF.

But...all in all we were pleased to go home again. The girls are not British anymore and missed their NS home.  I chilled a whole lot more and spent more time than usual but it was still one of those squeeze everyone in trips, as much as you can.

 At the Oak Barn Restaurant in Burgess Hill - highly recommended

One of our evening walks in Horley

England - our green and pleasant land 

Bahama Bay dreaming

Its been a long time since we were last soaking up the heat in Florida. I know this because of how much I think obsess about being there. I pretty much know that as soon as we land in MCO and go through the habitual rental car pick-up, complete with the usual side of order of ChikFilet that I will be in heaven.
Landing in Florida and picking up rental cars is as ingrained in our makeup (both as just the two of us, later with babies and toddlers and now with the girls as they are) and hasnt deviated. It is both tiring and frustrating and necessary. It also is right at the start of being in our favourite place, making it hard to beat. Its hard not to love that first drive out of the parkade in your rental right at the start of the week. Its hard not to feel joy as we join the afternoon traffic on the well known route to Bahama Bay (I have no clue of the route by the way, but Paul can recite it anytime)

Right now I am wishing it was soon. I want to be there so badly I could sob.

Outside its 27C, finally. Its been a long cold wet Spring and we are all tired of that. And now summer is here in dazzling heat and humidity and there was no space in between for the required Spring cleaning of our dusty house from pets and wood fires. I need to get on it.

I also have a show prep ride tomorrow and a musical ride prep ride on Sunday and packing for next weeks Monday to Wednesday trip down to NH for work (no complaints there, truly!) followed swiftly by a horse show next Saturday. Roll on June.

I am going back to my Don Henley music and Bahama Bay day-dreaming!

A May update

Its been a little crazy of late and I havent been able to update so here are some of the highlights of May:

Ace:
Ace and I attended the first CNHP show of the season and mentally I was in a great place. Ace was, as usual an awesome partner at a show and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. I managed to block out everything in my head but him, the sound of his footfall, his breathing and mine combined, the course and my coaches words and we absolutely NAILED our hunter over fences courses. It was smooth and flowing and he was great and off the forehand (first time ever). The stretch up to the final diagonal line and oxer was so long that we were able to have an entire conversation - I was saying "here it comes, our last one" and he listened and jumped it, perfectly.
No speeding up, no run outs, no refusals, no silly crap, just all round perfect.

On the Sunday I saw the Lancers horses arrive and Ace, with his spotless tack, shiny coat and glittery browband fit right in with them. He was, as I said at the time "with his people". It was a weekend to remember.

The Cat3:
On Lilys birthday we went down to spend her birthday vouchers on ridiculously expensive markers in Michaels that are the current big deal, gotta have item. On the way home I was online perusing Facebook and came across the posting from PetValu about the SPCA adoption day that they had had. The last kitten was remaining who had not found his fur-ever home. Against all better judgement we went to look.
"Flounder" was sleeping off an exhausting day but we got to hold him anyway and the whole family, sans Chloe, fell in love. Lily especially.
We went to A&W for the planned burgers and debated about how ridiculous it was to add to our fur-family given the costs of pet insurance and general vet costs, led by Chloe in her full-on "got to be sensible" rant. Lily said little as usual but I know her and she was broken hearted. She requested that I told her when he was adopted so that she knew. We went home and Paul went back with the cat basket, whilst I walked the dogs in the downpour and questioned our sanity.

He brought back Flounder who was renamed Milo and so we became the #Cat3 (after the key West blogger I follow who has the #Cat5, in the spirit of hurricanes). Lily was the closest to breaking down that I have ever seen. Hes a cuddle-bug like Misty was, and also way too confident for his own good. For me, I have some heart-stopping moments when he "pulls a Misty" at 3am with his requests for cuddles or when he climbs on my shoulder in the same way. I had forgotten what its like to have a cat like this.

The reset button

The last two Sundays have seen me and the dogs adventuring for our morning walk in pastures new.
I decided to start walking in new neighbourhoods, along new roads, in new subdivisions, with the dogs on-leash, anywhere thats within a 15 minute drive.

Its been very therapeutic.

The dogs dont pull for one. They wait until I let them out and then walk pretty nicely actually for dogs in a new place.

I arrive with all my weekly "issues" and then by the time I get back to the car, all seems to be resolved with me.
I am at one with the world, my particular life and most importantly grateful.
I am grateful for my job, my family, my spot on the planet, the animals in our home, the horse in the barn, my riding, my friends, the view, the bird song, the weather (whatever its like), my past, my present, my plans....

I reset to notice everything around me. The birdsong, the sound of the woodpeckers, the breeze, the homes, the view, the trees, the smells, the sound of water, the gravel under my feet...

I get back in the car and arrive home to make Sunday brunch of bacon, eggs, homefries and fruit.
Its all good.

Easter 2019

Its been the weirdest and strangely most awesome Easter ever.
Firstly we had Easter Sunday on Good Friday. This was necessary since our friend Steve was working on the Sunday and we all wanted dinner together. A tiny (teeny tiny) part of me battled momentarily with the notion of "supposed to be having fish on Friday" and then it was gone. I dont allow myself to be governed by Catholic rules on a daily basis so why start now? And if He really does exist then surely He would understand anyway, purely due to the concept of eating together. And besides, I am yet to be convinced that Catholic rules are any more important  than any other faith.

So, we had Sunday dinner on Friday and it rocked, by far the most delicious I have had in a very long time.

Following dinner the teen and tweenage contingent moved in and the house was turned into an epic "all nighter" for Chloes birthday. We went to bed, they made a noise, and ate....

Saturday morning found me at the barn at 8.30am as I had calculated that due to the "all nighter" that actually likely meant they crashed by 4am, I safely had until about 11am until they rose and shone and went looking for breakfast. I had big plans for Chloes birthday breakfast that included bacon, eggs, homefries and cinammon rolls and wanted to be home. But I also wanted to ride, so 8.30am it was.

It was quiet in the barn and I had a lovely ride. Its a weird place, the barn.... I can drive there feeling exhausted and as I turn into the drive I am overcome with a new energy just to be there...

Breakfast went as planned and the friends left which meant we were headed for the mall so that Chloe could hit her favourite stores to support, yet again, the notion of "easy come, easy go" Two hours later and we had jeans and bath and body works soap and tops and shorts and a good time.

Sunday was chilled, the girls had Easter baskets, I walked the dogs in a new neighbourhood to shake it up a bit for us all and saw Ace for an afternoon fix. We then had pizza for supper which is an absolute first for Easter Sunday.

Tomorrow I am back to work and frankly, three day weekends should really be the new rule.. or would it remove the magic?

at the end of 21DFX

Still doing it. I am still rising with the dawn (and it really is dawn light now as we travel towards summer - except for that 25cm of snow we had last week! - reasonably quickly)
I am now at the end of 21DFX which is 21 Day fix Extreme which I loathed so much when it was first introduced to me and now rather love.
I am now consistently down below another line on the scales and staying down, although I still have at least 20 pounds to go. Non scale victories are the return of my abs and a reduction in under arm additional me, thats leaving :-)
I get up without fail at 5.15am every day except Sunday and kick my own butt in my workout. I still feel accomplished and am pleased, I dont love it particularly but I cant imagine not doing it now, like I couldnt go to work without cleaning my teeth (or bed for that matter).

I can now run the flights of stairs at work and sometimes not feel the burn. I can do 6 burpees now and about 5 very pathetic push ups. The rest I am winning at more.
I still hate burpees and hate push ups.

Last week hubs finally had his gall bladder removed. This was after 5 days of continuous pain that started with a scope and a trip to emerg. It ended in another hospital, on an IV and  with a distinctly yellow hue. Hes now healing from an apparently tricky gall bladder removal. I, after spending time at the hospital, am now back at work and also doing all laundry, walking dogs, cleaning cat litter, making meals, cleaning the house, bringing wood around, making the fire and cleaning snow from the driveway. I have also now had the tires changed on two cars (yes I am keen that its the end of winter, it HAS to be!)

Its been tough. I had no idea how much he did until now.

Vacation -wise : The Westjet app on my phone has a veru handy countdown feature that I rather love telling us the number of days until England and Orlando. I look at it daily.

So... I think I will do another round of 21DFX and see where it takes me... I have a number of clothes I want to wear again....