Oh Well, Tomorrow is Another Day

The elections are over. No, my person didn't win but that's OK. Now it is time to move past the heat of the moment and concentrate on other important issues. Such as:

1 - Why does Wal-Mart start loading in the Christmas decorations before Halloween is even over? It is so hard to find turkey decorations unless I want mistletoe hanging over their heads. I want each holiday to have its own moment in the sun. Is that so much to ask?

2 - The Northeast, who got socked again today with another nor'easter. We should all pray for a quick restoration of services, especially for heating as the temperatures begin to drop further. It will be a long time before the Jersey Shore returns to their glory days.

3 - There's a blog hop coming next week! For those of us who are unfamiliar with the concept: over two hundred authors / bloggers will be devoting their columns to Autumn, and its importance to each of us. More importantly - there will be prize drawings on every blog, PLUS 3 Grand Prize Swag Bags drawn from comment posts on all sites. Be sure to visit - you never know what writer's can give away!

4 - This year is rapidly drawing to a close. That means it's time for holiday television shows and sale circulars. But this year why not try to spread cheer to someone less fortunate than yourself. Volunteer at a shelter or soup kitchen, donate blood to the Red Cross, adopt an older dog or cat from a shelter, organize neighbors to collect items to send to those ravaged by Superstorm Sandy. Remember to give back - it is the gift no amount of money can equal.

America is, in my honest opinion, the best country on the face of the earth. Why? Because where else on this planet can over 100 million different people cast a ballot based on their personal convictions without fear of retribution or their ballot not counting. We need to look back at the ideals our Founding Fathers set on paper. True so of them are antiquated and not relevant today, but the basic principles still stand:

"We the People, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, ensure domestic tranquility; provide for the common defense, support the general welfare and secure the blessings of Liberty, for ourselves and posterity to ordain and establish this Constitution of the United States of America."

Tune In Next Week...

 

 

 

Next week I will be among the several hundred authors / bloggers participating in this Blog Hop. I must confess this is my first 'rodeo', so to speak. While I blog quite a bit and on a variety of subjects, this time I am joining others on a topic. I'm excited!

As I have often stated, opinions are personal and not everyone agrees with everyone else.  But that's what makes the world so interesting. Discussing and arguing, freely exchanging ideas, ah the possiblities are endless. But enough about that.

 

What do you love about Autumn and Fall? What does it remind you of? What about reading? Do you think it's a good subject to read? Well, as authors, we are always ready to share our Autumn stories and why we love snuggling in the cold. *wink* Starting on Friday and ending on Oct 22nd, over 200 Authors and Bloggers will share their favorite things about those sexy men we know and love.

And while we do that, we are EACH doing a giveaway. Yep. There will be over 200 giveaways on each blog hosted by that Author or Blogger.

But that's not all....

We have THREE grand prizes. You as a reader can go to EACH blog and comment with your email address and be entered to win. Yep, you can enter over 200 times!

Now what are those prizes?

1st Grand Prize: A Kindle Fire or Nook Tablet

2nd Grand Prize: A $50 Amazon or B&N Gift Card

3rd Grand Prize: A Swag Pack that contains 10+ paperbacks, ebooks, 50+ bookmarks, cover flats, magnets, pens, coffee cozies, and more!

Plus - each blogger will also be doing a drawing for their own give aways

Check back in on November 9th and let's hop around together!

Happy Halloween!!

Just a quick note with my thoughts on the current issues around the country:

1) - Hurricane Sandy - Truly a monster of a storm when you can be affected by the storm more than 1000 miles from the center of the storm. I am glad all my family and friends are safe, and my thoughts and prayers go out to those not as lucky. Having gone through more than a dozen hurricanes in my life, I am glad that another area of the country go socked for a change. (Not really - I hope everyone knows that is only a joke!)

2) - Election 2012 - I promised my family I wouldn't get on a soap box about the elections, so much as I would love to sound off I will only say this. Don't forget to vote. It is a right many people have died protecting. Do not use that right without being informed as to each candidate's positions.

3) - Halloween - I hope everyone has a safe and fun Halloween. The Charlie Brown special has been played, the pumpkin's have been extinguished and I took my grandson in  love out for his first trick or treat. He was dressed as a Transformer. It was magical.

Don't forget to join in on the Autumn's Harvest Blog Hop, sponsored by Carrie Ann's Blog Hops! Be sure to leave a comment to be entered into a drawing to win a $10 Amazon gift card from me, and entered to win the Grand Swag Prize through Carrie Ann. Dates for the hop are November 9th through November 12th.

Something From Another Life...

i don't normally cross my blog audiences, but this time I will make an exception. For those who don't know, I volunteer at Blue Skies Riding Academy, a 501c(3) non-profit horse rescue and retraining facility. I posted this on my rescue blog "Vincent and the Big Adventure."   I apologize for an inconvenience this may present. My regularly scheduled snark will continue next week.



Yesterday was the Blue Skies Riding Academy's 2nd Annual Fall Festival. We had a bounce house, games, pony rides, the fire department came out, and concessions were fabulous. It was a great day and lots of fun. While the event was fun for everyone, the meaning behind not so pretty. Winter is coming, it's time to prepare for the lean months.

When you work with rescued animals, the need to raise funds is constant. As long as the economic climate in this country remains volatile, the volume of animals needing help will continue to grow. With each save, the need for money to feed these innocent bystanders grows. Whether assisting cats, dogs, or horses the people and groups working with these fringe survivors are heroes. We see things which would appall most people.

BSRA saves horses. We bring them to a place of love, we feed them and heal their physical wounds. Once they are well on the way to recovery, the instructors and volunteers begin identifying their previous training. Interesting isn't it, we have these animals, who have come from many different backgrounds, and we only know what we can learn from watching and riding them. Some have little to no training, like Daisy. Others we know were racehorses, such as Oakley (Chilean Princess) and with a few there is only silence. A black void where only our imaginations dare to venture.

Once we know each animal's training, we build on that to restore their jobs to them. Horses need their jobs, it is their part of the unspoken contract between man and beast. We provide the food, shelter, protection and the animals help plow our fields, carry us to market or to war, provide a friend to listen when only a strong silent type will do. We build relationships with them and they with us. Part of that relationship is to swear they will never end up hungry and scared again.

Drought has caused the prices of hay to rise dramatically. The grains which go into commercial feed have risen as well. With the economic putting the squeeze on everyone, rescues are relying more and more on donations to keep rounds bales in the pastures and feed in the buckets. Forgetting reseeding pastures for spring; if it is between buying seed or buying grain, you buy what grain you can and seed when there is extra.

I don't usually use my blog to solicit funds, but harsh times call for new measures. Rescues need help, regardless of what area of the country you live in. $7.00 purchases one square bale of hay, $50.00 one round bale. We have 25 horses, and go through 100 square bales a month. There are 6 active pastures, that means 12 to 18 round bales per month. That does not include grain, supplements, farrier visits, vet trips or chiropractic. Sometimes it gets a little overwhelming.

So, as we enter into fall, knowing the holiday seasons will soon be upon us, how about sharing a little love for your local rescue? When you go shopping, add an extra bag of dog or cat food for the county animal shelter. $14 can feed our herd of horses with hay for one day; $20 would include hay and grain for one day. But any amount is needed. If you live in other parts of this great nation, look around. There is a struggling rescue in your area, working tirelessly to save the innocent from man's neglect and abuse. If you don't have money to give, volunteer! Just coming around these animals will restore your inner strength, your faith that we have a greater purpose on this planet.

If you would like to contribute to Blue Skies, there is a pay pal button on our website: www.blueskiesridingacademy.com. And stop by sometime - identify yourself as a patron, and come meet the magnificent beasts who owe you their thanks. It will change your life.

Politics, Religion, and the Great Pumpkin

Well, it's that time again - Election Time. Normally I don't practise politics in mixed company (Democrats and Republicans), but I thought it might be interesting to put my opinions down on paper; forgetting the cardinal rule in our family - Never discuss politics, religion or the Great Pumpkin.

Now I know you are wondering what the heck the Great Pumpkin has to do with politics. It doesn't. But he invokes strong opinions, just like the other two subjects. I have discovered people are very vocal about their own opinions regarding politics and religion.

Party-wise, I will say upfront I am a registered Republican. Do I vote a straight party ticket? No. Do I blindly adhere to all the planks of the Republican platform? No.. Do I use my brain? Always.

The greatest gift we enjoy in this country is the right to choose our leaders. But it can also be our weakest link. When it comes time to elect the men and women who will spend our hard earned money, it seems lately people are not studying the facts behind the rhetoric. News Flash People: not everything candidates or their commericals say is true. Both side stretch and distort until without research it is impossible to tell fact from fiction.

This is on purpose people! If it is hard to check the facts, people won't do it. Let's face it, as a society we expect the newspeople to check our facts for us. Second News Flash - newspeople are not neutral! There was a time when journalists reported the news without bias, but that ended with CNN. Both sides report things as they see them, which may or may not be accurate depending on which side of the argument they agree with.

So, what do I believe it? I believe in America, not as a political system, but a country built on the premise that with his own hands, a man can go from indentured servant to prosperous businessman. A country that said it didn't care where you came from or who you were - this is a land of new beginnings.

I want a conservative approach to giving away my money. If a country doesn't like us, why should we try to buy their friendship? How well has that worked for us so far? How about we take some of those millions going overseas and spend them right here at home, where the money is truly needed. Remember the adage - charity begins at home? I don't think Congress does.

I think government should stay out of healthcare. I favor a strong military as a deterrent to other countries thinking we are sitting ducks for another 9/11. While I personally object to abortion, I will defend to the death a woman's right to make her own decisions. It's called free will, and if it's good enough for our Creator, it's good enough for me.

Our tax system isn't fair to any of the classes, and the small businessman is being squeezed. If all that stimulus money had gone to the companies who create jobs, it would have gone to the small local businesses.  And, no matter how you re-name it, wealth redistribution smacks of the basic tenents of Communism.

For more than two hundred thirty-five years, this nation has survived internal strife, war on our soil and across the oceans, civil rights battles, and anti-war demonstrations. But I am afraid that apathy by our own citizens might be the downfall of the greatest democracy / republic the world has ever seen.

So in prepartion for the November elections - do yourself and everyone else a favor. VOTE!

Wait..What..Not Again!

As June progressed, I finally got all the turnip greens out of my garden, and it seemed things were well on their way to a fabulous summer. I peeled and chopped and canned zucchini and summer squash while dreams of mountains of beans, rivers of sweet peas and bushels of tomatoes danced him my head. Once again, Mother Nature had other plans.

That's right - we have another drought on our hands. Just as my corn was tasseling and the bean pods were plumping, the rains went away. For more than three weeks, not a drop fell from the heavens. When the grass starts crunching under your feet, then you know it's dry out there.

So, I harvested my cucumbers (apparently they like it hot!), and squash and monitored the damages. Both my helpful hubby and my father-in-law pronounced my garden dead on more than one occasion, only to see me harvest baskets of potential pickles. My corn popped inside the husks but the beans popped out in full force, leading to a basket so full I had to have my son carry it to the house.

At last I relented and pronounced the harvest done. Some seeds were extra prolific (Squash of all kinds, cucumbers, pole beans) while others never ever popped through (carrots, peppers, peas). But for what did come up I reaped gold.

My final tally for the first Reece garden is: 20 quarts of beans, 15 pints of pickles and pickle relish, 5 quarts of summer squash and onions, 10 pints of lemon honey jelly, 8 pints of zucchini pickles, and 3 quarts of pickled butternut squash. All in all not a bad haul.

The tomatoes came in slow and never in any great quantities, so I just shared them with friends and co-workers. We got 5 full grown pumpkins, which were ready by the end of July. I am saving mine for Halloween. The biggest failure was no watermelons. I love watermelon in the summer. This year I had to resort to grocery store melon. Boo.

I gathered seeds from all the produce that I could and I intend to try again next year. No winter garden, I'm not ready to fight another battle against turnip greens. No, we are going to plow, rake, plow, rake, and hope for cleaner dirt next spring. I had a lot of fun, recalled a lot of good times with my father, and I wouldn't trade a callous or twinge in my carpal tunnel for anything else. Good times from the simplest thing - a new memory to join the many from childhood.

Thanks for listening to my summer saga. It might not sound like all that much fun, but trust me. It was a blast.

Spring Showers Bring...Road Trips

Once the great Turnip Green disaster of 2012 was averted, I thought for sure my garden was on its way. Seedlings were popping up, squash and cucumber vines began sending out their first runners, and my pumpkins appeared to have been set into pure fertilizer. Visions of fresh vegetables danced through my head at night, and on Sunday mornings I couldn't wait to be on the road to measure the week's progress. Then - another crisis.

From Mother's Day until Father's Day, I was out of town. Not for business, not for fun, but for family issues. First, my 92 year old mother lives with my brother and his family. My sister-in-law was getting a well deserved break and would be gone for two weeks. Since my brother has odd hours (he's a doctor), my sister and I decided to split the assignment between the two of us. So for ten day I 'baby sat' my mother. It was wonderful.

I had always been a Daddy's girl,. My mother and I get along, but I'm a strange child (it says so in my baby book). Only when my dad died early did Mother and I finally come to a mutual place from which to base our adult relationship. When she could no longer drive herself around, my brother moved her into his house in South Carolina. It was the best thing (did I mention she is 92?) and we all agreed it was time, but afterward I discovered it hurt.

Spending ten days sitting with my mom, talking, working crossword puzzles, watching every game show on television, fixing her meals - it was glorious. For really the first time in my adult life we related and bonded and discussed past history which cannot be undone. When Memorial Day weekend rolled around and it was time to go home, I was so sad I didn't even listen to the radio the entire three hour drive. I wanted to just savor the moment.

Well, the next day I returned to my little slice of vegetable heaven, only to discover nothing had been done in 10 days. Okay, in gardening terms, ten days is an entire season. The weeds were taking over. I lost my carrots, my lettuce, my peppers, everything that wasn't a squash, pumpkin, cucumber or beans had simply been overwhelmed. For five hours I pulled and grunted and cursed (again) my city-slicker hubby, but as the sun began to sink over the horizon there was a semblance of order in my plot.

Then, less than a week later, my aunt died. Back out of town I go, knowing that when I returned there would be more weeds to wrangle, plus they were cutting hay that week. I prayed no one would run over the pumpkins, which by this time had already started to bloom. Returning six days later, I raced up the expressway only to discover - more zucchini and summer squash than Carter has Little Pills (obscure 60's reference - look it up!).

When I say zucchini, I mean green blimps! These monsters were at least 7 pounds a piece and as long as my arm. Nothing close to the grocery store zucchini. My first thought was: did I plant the wrong seeds? But then I looked at summer squash and they were enormous yellow pillows! You think I am kidding? One summer squash made a casserole that fed three people for four days! My hubby asked if I bought the seeds from some mutant source. They were huge and they didn't stop coming for weeks. Even my usually eager town friends were saying no thanks, we've had enough.

Harvesting everything that was ready took two extra large storage tubs from Wal Mart. After some more weeding (those turnip greens were stubborn little twits), I left knowing that upcoming weekend I would again be out of town - this time for a family wedding in Ohio!

Well, the gardening fun didn't stop there. Next time, we will discuss who knows more: my city boy husband, or me?