It's Amazing What You Can Find in the Ozarks

So, my amazing husband and I ventured down to Branson, Missouri, to see what we might find in the after Christmas sales. There were a few shops that I definitely wanted to visit. Simply Barbara and the Burnlington Annex were top on my list. We didn't find anything that I couldn't live without, mostly because I bought my favorite things before Christmas.

We then decided to catch a movie. Well, Branson is the place for live entertainment. Movie theaters are few and far between. As a matter of fact, we only found one and it only had three movies playing. None, of which, interested us.

However, during our quest, we found yet another outlet mall with additional stores. A giant Tuesday Morning was there. All Christmas items were 50% off. Naturally, I had to purchase next year's Christmas cards. After Christmas is the only time to shop for Christmas paper products. Besides, with the economy what it is and with ample coupons available, I've decided that I just don't want to pay full price for anything anymore. After spending a mere $32 in Tuesday Morning (WOW! I got a bunch of stuff for $32!), we meandered around the outlet mall. When...to what should my wander eyes should appear.....but Mossy Oak Mudslinger!!!

OF COURSE, I had to partake in that bit o' excitement!! AND...I had to get photographic evidence of my adventure! My husband, in complete chagrin, was forced to take my picture. Unfortunately, he lacked the two quarters to make the encounter a 100% success.

Lucky for me, a visiting family o' hillbillies was passing by. The patriarch of the bunch did have the change and ran over to Mossy Oak Mudslinger and inserted 50 cents o' fun for me. Squeal with delight and butter my biscuits!

Yee HAW!

What fun! Now, don't you wish you could try. Mind the warning though....Do Not Leave Your Child Unattended. Good thing my husband was there.

More Baxter Pictures

Little baby Baxter helping his daddy.


Big boy Baxter napping in momma's arms.


Pumpkin Baxter at Halloween 2008.


Baxter not hip to the pumpkin hat.


Sleepy Baxter wearing his sweater. My husband says he looks like Mickey Mouse's Sorcerer's Apprentice.


Baby Baxter and Buddy Jake.


Baby Baxter and me.

Baxter

Only the After

My momma came to visit for a week. In that time, she and I did a tremendous amount of redecorating in my house. All the while, my husband was out of town. He only had a vague notion that the bedroom was to be painted.

The "before" pictures were overlooked, but let me describe my bedroom. There were curtains of a color that blossomed somewhere between dirty pink, dusty rose and mauve. To add that "finished" touch, there were matching pom-pom tassels with ecru stitching dangling from the valances. The combination pink matched the blushing cheeks of the maiden being pushed on a tree swing by little Lord Fauntleroy that graced the gray wallpaper in typical french provincial style. Not wanting to spend three years slumbering in a room covered with knickers and knee socks of latter day fashion, it was decided that the wallpaper had to go. Using a recipe for wallpaper remover that momma got from HGTV, we soaked the walls with laundry softener, water and soap. It made the job easier, but no less time consuming.

Once the paper was gone, a paint color had to be chosen. Round one was a dreadful mistake. What was supposed to have been a deep rich eggplant hue turned out to be concord grape purple. Lots of discussion was had before an earthtone brick color was chosen. It turned out great! I love it. New curtains were hung and the water stain on the ceiling was covered. The end result is a warm and cozy retreat were I can slumber snuggled in my bed.

The bathroom on the second floor was a dreadful mess. It is a small room, but the previous owners had decided that a dark stained oak vanity cupboard was appropriate. There was a side shelf that extended from the sink to the wall above the toilet tank. The placement of that section of counter top prevented access to the internal workings of the toilet. That posed a problem when the innards began to ware down and it became necessary to replace them. Not to worry, momma and I had a plan. There was also an over sized oak medicine cabinet with mirror. Turns out it covered a smaller cutaway hole for a smaller inset medicine cabinet and a previous cut hole for a previous light fixture. The fixture that sat above the jumbo medicine cabinet was to be removed and replaced with a more fashionable one that would better fit the smaller space and new mirror sans cupboard. The vanity was also history. It was replaced with a small pedestal sink. We opted to save the faucet to help keep the costs down. Now that the shelf above the toilet was gone, all the inner working could be replaced and a space was created for a cabinet that matched the new mirror. Not to forget paint. The previous pale tan was covered with a light green and a new shower curtain, window curtain and towels finished the project. The bathroom, as redone with a little help from a hired handy man cost $11,000 less than the Re-bath professionals wanted. Frankly, I like what we did and am pleased with the results.

Again, Accurate

JUST A HORSE

From time to time, people tell me, "lighten up, it's just a horse" or,
"that's a lot of money for "just a horse".

They don't understand the distance traveled, the time spent, or the costs
involved for "just a horse".

Some of my proudest moments have come about with "just a horse".

Many hours have passed and my only company was "just a horse", but I did not
feel slighted.

Some of my saddest moments have been brought about by "just a horse" and in
those days of darkness, the gentle touch of "just a horse" gave me
comfort and reason to overcome the day.

If you, too think it's "just a horse" then you will probably understand
phrases like "just a friend", just a sunrise" or "just a promise".

"Just a horse" brings into my life the very essence of friendship, trust and
pure unbridled joy.

"Just a horse" brings out the compassion and patience that make me a better
person.

Because of "just a horse" I will rise early, take long walks and look
longingly to the future.

So for me and folks like me, It's not "just a horse" but an embodiment of
all the hopes and dreams of the future, the fond memories of the past, and
the pure joy of the moment.

"Just a horse" brings out what's good in me and diverts my thoughts away
from myself and the worries of the day.

I hope that someday they can understand that it's not "just a horse" but a
thing that gives me humanity and keeps me from being "just a woman/man".

So the next time you hear the phrase "just a horse" just smile, because they
"just" don't understand.

Ride A Draft

I also thought this was accurate.

The Reason I Ride

I thought this was accurate.



A Simple Statement.

I ride. That seems like such a simple statement. However, as many women who ride know, it is really a complicated matter. It has to do with power and empowerment. Being able to do things you might have once considered out of reach or ability.
I have considered this as I shovel manure, fill water barrels in the cold rain, wait for the vet/farrier/electrician/hay delivery, change a tire on a horse trailer by the side of the freeway, or cool a gelding out before getting down to the business of drinking a cold beer after a long ride.

The time, the money, the effort it takes to ride calls for dedication. At least I call it dedication. Both my ex-husbands call it 'the sickness'. It's a sickness I've had since I was a small girl bouncing my model horses and dreaming of the day I would ride a real horse. Most of the women I ride with understand the meaning of 'the sickness'. It's not a sport. It's not a hobby. It's what we do and, in some ways, who we are as women and human beings.

I ride. I hook up my trailer and load my gelding. I haul to some trailhead somewhere, unload, saddle, whistle up my dog, and I ride. I breathe in the air, watch the sunlight filter through the trees and savor the movement of my horse. My shoulders relax. A smile rides my sunscreen smeared face. I pull my ball cap down and let the real world fade into the tracks my horse leaves in the dust.

Time slows. Flying insects buzz loudly, looking like fairies. My gelding flicks his ears and moves down the trail. I can smell his sweat and it is perfume to my senses. Time slows. The rhythm of the walk and the movement of the leaves become my focus. My saddle creaks and the leather rein in my hand softens with the warmth.

I consider the simple statement; I ride. I think of all I do because I ride. Climb granite slabs, wade into a freezing lake, race a friend through the Manzanita all the while laughing and feeling my heart in my chest. Other days just the act of mounting and dismounting can be a real accomplishment. Still I ride. No matter how tired or how much my seat bones or any of the numerous horse related injuries hurt. I ride. And I feel better for doing so.

The beauty I've seen because I ride amazes me. I've ridden out to find lakes that remain for the most part, unseen. Caves, dark and cold beside rivers full and rolling are the scenes I see in my dreams. The Granite Stairway at Echo Summit, bald eagles on the wing and bobcats on the prowl add to the empowerment and joy in my heart.

I think of the people, mostly women, I've met. I consider how competent they all are. Not a weenie amongst the bunch. We haul 40ft rigs. We back into tight spaces without clipping a tree. We set up camp. Tend the horses. We cook and keep safe. We understand and love our companions, the horse. We respect each other and those we encounter on the trail. We know that if you are out there riding, you also shovel, fill, wait, and doctor. Your hands are a little rough and you travel without makeup or hair gel. You do without to afford the 'sickness' and probably, when you were a small girl, you bounced a model horse while you dreamed of riding a real one. Now you are there. I ride.

--Author Unknown

Baxter Settles In

Baxter loves being loved upon.



My husband says I spoil Baxter too much.

Sydney

My precious girl, Sydney, died last week. It is believed she suffered from lymphoma which had invaded her liver and pancreas. She had lost 1/3 of her body weight in 3 months. In spite of a valiant effort, she just couldn't take it anymore.

I miss her terribly.



She was Baxter's snuggle buddy. He was lucky to have spent a few days with her.

Baxter Comes Home

There is a pet store just down the road from we live. The best part about this pet store is that they encourage folks to pet the puppies. Well, I'm not one to ever pass up the opportunity to pet a puppy, I take advantage of this practice about twice a week, maybe more. Fridays are the best days to go because they get a new shipment of puppies every Thursday.

Well, this miniature schnauzer has been at the store for several weeks. Other schnauzers have come and gone while he has remained. I've been petting this little guy for weeks. Because he is an older puppy, 3 months, and has been there a while, his price kept going down. When his price finally reached the lowest amount at which he would be offered, I started in on my husband.




Now that our daughter has decided to move out of the house, my amazing husband is beginning to suffer from empty nest syndrome. He, contrary to his gruff exterior, has a very soft spot for little fuzzy animals. This puppy snuggled in his arms and gave a little puppy kiss with his puppy breath and my husband's shell began to crack.







Last night didn't take much effort, as I have been begging for weeks and weeks. Finally, he relinquished his "NO MORE PUPS! WE DO NOT NEED ANOTHER DOG! WE HAVE THREE ALREADY! NO MORE ANIMALS, PERIOD!" position and said the baby could come home. YES!!

Kadance Comes Home

Day before yesterday, my sister and her family delivered my most amazingest mare of all time. Apparently, the reports of a 15 minutes trailer load was replaced with an hour-long event, but eventually, my mare was loaded into the trailer and driven from Oklahoma to Bois D'Arc, MO, without further incident.

Once she arrived at Green's Acres, she settled in immediately. No worries, what-so-ever. All was good. Then, after several minutes of love and pets and lots and lots of sniffing, I released her into the pasture. It took several more minutes before the resident herd decided she was worth investigating.

The omega horse, a chestnut named Jewel, was first to approach and attempt to establish dominancy. Kadance, being a non-aggressive horse, allowed Jewel to huff and puff. The rest of the herd came galloping across the pasture and everyone participated in a game of chase. The dominant mare, Vegas, took charge and put Jewel in her place while the alpha gelding, Shooter, asserted himself. Then Willie discovered that Kadance was a mare and apparently coming into estrus. When some horse ran Kadance away from the herd, Willie was right by her side protecting her from the others. Where Kadance went, Willie followed with Shooter not too far away. By the time the horses were brought in for the night, a triad, Kadance, Willie and Shooter, had formed.

The next morning, Kadance had a visit from the ferrier. No worries. The trim was successful. After a repeated introductions to the fly mask and velcro, Kadance was release into the pasture without incident.

Later in the afternoon, I retrieved my most amazingest mare and put her through all seven Parelli games. She performed brilliantly and I couldn't have been happier. Not wanting to ask for too much on her first day at the new barn, I released her back into the pasture. And who was eagerly awaiting her return.....Willie! As soon as I opened the gate, he dropped his weenie and started huffing and puffing. No sooner than I had released her and closed they gate, he started rubbing his head and neck along her back and rump. She was not at all put off by his behavior. A few squeals of delight later, he mounted her and stuck that weenie right on in. She stood perfectly still for him. What a tramp I have!

I had been advised that Willie is a proud cut gelding, but I wanted to make certain that I wasn't going to end up with a second horse. I asked the barn owner/operator, Brenda, if we were sure Willie didn't have to goods to back up his claim.

She said she had seen the same actions earlier that day and called Willie's owner to verify that Big Willie's family gems were a distant memory. The overall consensus is that Willie is in fact truly sans gonads.

This morning's adventure with Kadance was a disappointing failure to load her into a two-horse straight load trailer in a timely manner. Not wanting to hold up everyone's scheduled trail ride, I opted to stay at the barn and play assorted games with my girl.

We had a pleasant morning grooming, playing Parelli games and riding around in the pasture. On the far side of the pasture, hidden behind tall trees and shrubs, the neighbor's place is home to chickens. The unseen source of clucking and squawking and subsequent calls for the dog to "come here" were confronted with ease.

Deciding to end my morning on a good and positive note, I praised my most amazingest mare and took her back to her pasture. No surprise....Willie was eagerly awaiting her return. The closer we got to the gate, the longer his weenie. Within seconds of her release and my exit, he started rubbing her body with his head.

As I returned to the barn, Kadance trotted off with Willie's nose right behind her.

In the Beginning

In preparation to this move, an inspector came out to the house to determine the approximate weight, size and shape of our household goods. This information was relayed back to the packers and movers so that they know what size and how many of what boxes they would need in order to move our stuff. So, when the inspector came to my Mexican pot, I told him that it was fragile and one of a kind and irreplaceable. I asked for a crate to be built to ensure that it would not be broken during transport. He informed me that a crate would not be built and that the packers would take care of it.

So, when the packers showed up, they took one look at the pot and told me that they would not pack it. I told them I wanted a crate to be built, they said they would not build one and that the movers would wrap it in shipping blankets.

When the driver/mover showed up, he took one look at the pot and asked why the packers didn't pack it. I told him that I wanted a crate built but was told it would not be possible and that he was to wrap it in a shipping blanket. He said the packers should have packed it and he then called the main office and requested a packer to be sent out immediately.

When the packer arrived, she looked at the pot and wanted to know why the packers had not packed it. Again, I told the story of my wanting a crate built, but being told blankets would be used. She said she would take care of it.

Into a wardrobe box it went. Then lots and lots of paper was stuffed inside the pot and some paper was stuffed along the sides. Unfortunately, no paper or bubble wrap was placed on the bottom of the box prior to my pot going in. It seems to me that almost a whole package of paper, which must have weighed ten pounds, was put on top of my pot and then the box was taped shut. With a ballpoint pen, the box was labeled "fragile vase."

When our goods arrived in Springfield, I was concerned for my pot. When I finally discovered the box, I carefully opened the top and was immediately suspicious as my pot didn't appear to be as tall as it should have been. I removed the heavy paper from the top and cut open the side of the box. The damage made me sick to my stomach. My one-of-a-kind, irreplaceable Mexican pot was crushed. The manner in which it broke, makes me think that it was dropped. The whole bottom is in pieces. That's when I noticed that no care or caution had been taken to pad the bottom of the box.

Until a claims adjuster can come to my house and visually inspect the damage, I have to keep it. Seeing it in pieces in my dining room hurts my heart. I loved that pot. The topper is that I made a special request to have a crate built. I repeatedly told all of those involved in the moving process that it was fragile and should it be damaged, I would never be able to replace it.

Alas, this was not the only casualty of this move.

This is the "After"

This is the "Before"

Preparing For The Move

Our house in Kansas has been rented. Phew. That is one less thing to have to worry about.

After several trips to Springfield, and having gone inside many, many, many houses for sale, we were able to decide on an older home very near the university. Phew. One less thing to worry about. Now, I just have to worry about the packers.

Our preliminary moving inspection went very well. We have nothing out of the ordinary that should cause our packers any troubles. We sold lots of extra stuff at a garage sale. Not only does that limit that amount we have to move, but also the weight. I'm not for sure exactly what our weight was, but I suspect we were pushing the authorized amount. Our next move should not even come close to weight allowance as we will be down another kid's possessions.

I am hoping to make this next house a bit more organized than our current house. Instead of cardboard boxes in the basement, I had some cupboards built specifically to house all the linens left over from my mother's Bed and Breakfast. Not having been able to seen them over the last year, I forgot what I had. Talk about "Out of sight, our of mind." Not anymore.

My wonderful husband is still talking about when we move back to Kansas. So, unless something spectacular comes out of Springfield, we'll be returning to our current digs. With that said, I'll keep the landscaping endeavors to a minimum. It's a bummer because I really wanted to jump into the garden society. I have amazing ideas, but I don't want to put all the effort and money into a garden that will be abandoned in three years. Of course, I say that now, but you never know. I could easily change my mind.

In preparation for the move, I have done the whole space bag thing to my extra towels and blankets. Man, it really makes a HUGE difference. If only I could space bag my dishes. That would be something cool.

I also washed the outside furniture and sun-umbrella. Yuck. They were very dirty. Not anymore, which will make it nice to unpack on the other end.

With my husband on leave and school out for the summer, we do have some free time. So, my fabulous husband suggested a trip to the Omaha Zoo. Woo Hoo! I love the zoo. But first, we stopped at the Arbor Day Farm in Nebraska City, NE. That place is way cool. There were some very tall, yellow flowers.





Anybody know what kind of flowers these are?

After the nature walk, we went into the nursery where we were given two Blue Spruce seedlings to plant. My grandpa Bob highly recommended planting trees. Unfortunately, I don't care for Blue Spruce as they have very sharp needles, but I'll plant them anyway. Naturally, I haven't decided where to plant them, yet. Maybe here in Kansas, maybe there in Springfield. That's a decision I'll make later.

The Zoo was great.



I asked several employees what kind of background and education they had. I think it would be terrific to work at a zoo. I'm all about animal health, welfare and enrichment. I can't think of a more wonderful job.

So, once we get to Springfield, I'll apply for work at the Springfield Zoo. I also plan to apply for a position at Animal Paradise. That place is a wild animal safari park. Of course, I'm not ruling out the Rutledge-Wilson Farm. I would love to work there. Those folks really need my experience and expertise and they don't even know it. Hopefully, the city will approve funding for another full-time position and I can help them create an amazing agritourism place. Wherever I end up working, be it a pet shop, dog kennel, zoo, animal safari place or even the public school department as a substitute teacher, Red Barn Farm will always be the NUMBER 1 place for me.





I love that place. If we do end up returning to Kansas, I'll be back there, giving tours and doing chores.

4.0 GPA

Another semester finished and my grades are amazing! Yep, three A's. And wanna know what I'm going to do with it? Well, not nursing school.

I came to the conclusion that I would rather work on a farm or in a barn cleaning up after animals than in a hospital cleaning up after people. There is a city operated educational barn in Springfield, but unfortunately, they do not have a position available. It is possible that a seasonal position will come available in the fall, but in the meanwhile, I'll have to find something else. There are plenty of kennels and puppy stores in the area. I think I'd like to see if I could get on with a doggie daycare place. Any day that involves playing with pups is a good day.

Perhaps, I might be able to find a horse barn that would employ me to pick up poop. I'll just have to wait and see.

Two Out of Three

Of the three courses this semester, I have completed two of them. Medical Terminology was only for one credit. I finished the requirements for that class several weeks ago and received an A.

The final for Medical Assessment was a head to toe assessment of a patient. My wonderful husband graciously volunteered to be my patient. Actually, I volunteered him, but he readily accepted the position. Of 170 possible points, I earned 169. The only thing I forgot was to test for skin turgor. Something very simple. I just didn't even think about it. I'm glad that class is finished and that I earned an A.

My only remaining class is Nutrition. The instructor is thorough, but I knew that from Microbiology. I have only two tasks left to complete. One is the class written project about healthy weight loss. I'm simply writing it. Everyone else is doing the research. Of the information submitted to me to date, this will not be an in-depth discussion. I'm thinking it will be an overview of healthy options. The second assignment to complete is an online timed test covering minerals. As I did not score as well as I would have liked on the online timed test covering vitamins, I'm concerned about this test. On the vitamins test, I earned myself 42 points of 50. Basically, a crap score. I wrote a note to the instructor inquiring as to how badly that score impacted my overall grade in the class. He indicated that I'm still well within the A range. Phew! My status on the President's List is still secure. Not that it matters to anyone other than myself.

I've decided to not to attend nursing school. I know, I know, I know. This was a difficult decision to make. Thankfully, my husband agrees with my choice. I've decided that I want to work for the city at an agritourism farm. I'd be much happier asking children if they want to pet a baby chicken. I've spoken with those who run the operation and they have indicated to me that once the city approved that money to fund an additional employee, I'm on the short list of potential staff. In the meantime, I think I'll seek employment at a dog kennel/day care. I just love the animals. Maybe, I'll take advantage of my husband's faculty position at the university and take a class or two. I'm thinking animal husbandry.

That Saddle

Okay, the saddle is a wee big at the withers. So, until I get a riser pad, I'll be riding without a saddle. The problem now is that my local tack shop, doesn't have riser pads for western saddles, only english saddles. I suspect I'll be forced to order one. Hopefully, I can find one that fits. It's not as if I can have Kadance go try one on.

Anyway, I rode my girl this past Saturday. This was the first time since my fall. I was very nervous. Kadance did well, as her trainer said she would. I guess I was lacking confidence. The pain of my fall and the subsequent rehabilitation is still in the fresh in my mind. It took a few minutes and a lot of reminding to breath before I relaxed enough to enjoy myself. Kadance was a champ and was not in the least bit concerned.

So, today I played with her for about an hour and then took a lesson with her trainer. It was amazing. Still bareback, we asked Kadance for a trot and she gave it. The very first trot with a rider! She is so smooth. I was able to easily sit her trot. Even when she got going a bit fast, I had no difficulty with her. Her trainer and I are both impressed with her progress. Concerned that my knee brace might be causing her some irritation, I lifted my leg up near her shoulder. Woohoo! That was something new that she wasn't exactly ready to experience and she bolted. I, however, remained right where I was and ended up flipping over her backside and onto the ground. As I was airborne, I focused on remaining relaxed and directing the impact away from my knee. There was just no way I wanted to explain to my husband, doctor and physical therapist that I hurt myself AGAIN. I hit the dirt right on my hip. You may recall the photographic evidence that I do not bounce...well, I hit in the same spot. I suspect that later this evening and/or tomorrow, I'll be bruised up. Just great. As my husband is returning home tonight from a 3-day trip to California, won't he be pleased at my discoloration.

New saddle

I ordered a saddle last week for Kadance. It came in and I was all excited to get it and take it to the barn and see how it fit. Unfortunately, it snowed. So, I had to wait until today to try it out.

Kadance doesn't care in the least. She was most interested in playing with the girth strap. Actually, to be more accurate, she was most interested in playing with the packaging that came with the girth strap. Silly filly.

Everything went well. Even better than I had expected. The trainer has done a very good job with her. I am pleased. Now, I can't wait for my knee to heal to the point that I can actually ride my horse. Only 6 more weeks...

Accepted

I received my acceptance packet from St. John's College of Nursing. Now, the process begins.

Among other documents I had to sign, I had to sign authorization for drug testing. I have no problem with being tested. I don't use illicit substances. It makes sense as working in a hospital does present a certain amount of availability. But, shoot. I can't remember simple conversations I had when I was on the hydrocodone for my knee. How in the word can people function, much less take exams while on narcotics?

I received a telephone call from St. John's College of Nursing last week indicating that I needed to schedule an appointment to meet with an academic adviser and to take the HESI entrance exam. As the school is 3 1/2 hours away from me, I inquired into the possibility of taking the test locally with a proctor and perhaps conducting a telephone conference.

The response was a deliberate NO.

The trip was schedule with my husband's support. He would drive me to Springfield on Monday evening and I would take the exam Tuesday morning. The meeting with the academic adviser would immediately follow the exam's conclusion.

Watching Sunday evening's weather report was a disheartening experience. A cold front enveloped the Springfield area and freezing rain was expected. By Monday morning, the situation was much worse and the town froze beneath a blanket of ice.

What a predicament.

So, I called the school only to discover it had been closed for the day due to inclement weather.

"But, I'm scheduled to take a test in the morning. Will I still be able to do that?"

"I don't know."

"What would you recommend I do?"

"I don't know."

I discussed the situation with my husband and we agreed to make the trek.

The closure we got to Springfield, the nastier the weather. Freezing rain clung to everything. Icicles pulled on tree branches until they gave way. Although it was pretty, I was filled with dread. Had I made this trip for not?

After getting some dinner, my husband and I snuggled down in the hotel room. The rain continued throughout the night.

Early the next morning, I turned on the television and learned St. John's had canceled all classes for the day and the building would be closed until 12:00pm. No longer faced with a rush to arrive by 9 am, we enjoyed a leisurely breakfast followed by an adventure around town. By 10:30 am, we parked at the mall. I quick called the school to determine its status. It was still the same.

Shortly before noon, we headed toward the building. There was a sign posted on the door which indicated that classes were canceled and all other inquiries were to ring the bell. So, we rang the bell. The woman who came to the door was unable to provide any information as to what I should do. Obviously, there was no examination that morning and there would be no meeting with the academic adviser that afternoon. No one was available. A second woman came to the door and informed my husband and I that we should have called before coming.

We were faced with a long drive home. And...it was a long, long drive. My husband was irritated with the whole situation and that made for unpleasant company.

The next morning, I telephoned the school to determine a course of action. After explaining what had happened, I was told that I should have listened to the radio or watched the television before driving all that way. --We don't get Springfield stations in Leavenworth.--
Not wanting to argue, simply wanting to schedule the test and meeting, I chose to not inform her that I had called on the previous Monday, watched the television on Tuesday and called on Tuesday. I tried to convince her to allow me to proctor the exam locally. That was again, a definite NO.

--I wonder, what do the folks coming from a more distant location do? Are they expected to travel to the school to take a standardized entrance exam? Apparently so.
I just hope that next week, the weather holds out and that I am accepted to the school. It would be such a bummer if I jumped through all these hoops only to be denied acceptance.

Off crutches

At 5 weeks post-op, I was finally allowed to walk without crutches. PHEW! Thank goodness. Those things are a giant pain in the patooty.

I had my 5 week check-up with the doctor and he explained that week 6 is when the graft is at its weakest. He then told me I'd be in the brace for an additional 3 weeks, weather permitting. If we keep getting snow/rain/ice and conditions remain slippery, then I'm to stay in the brace longer. I can understand that. It doesn't mean I'm happy with the information, but, nonetheless, I'll tolerate it.

So, I have 2 more weeks in the brace and just three days ago, we got about 7 inches of snow. crap. That snow accumulation canceled school and physical therapy for the day. crap.

Don't get me wrong. I really enjoy winter and love winter conditions. What I don't like is being put behind in my recovery and education. Come on, already.

Anyway, two weeks ago in my Health Assessment class, we had to use our stethoscopes and listen to lung sounds. Because I didn't have my stethoscope, I volunteered to be my group's patient. However, when I got home, I volunteered my husband to be my patient. Unfortunately, he wasn't very. Soooooo, I looked around the house and called for my dog.

"Here, Sydney. Come to momma."

She did. Sucker.

Her lungs sounded pretty good and her heart sounded strong.

I quick pulled out my cell phone and sent a text message to my classmate, Christina.
I wrote that my dog had good resonance and good lung sounds.

She wrote back that her dog did too. How funny is that?

So, when I went out to visit my horse, I was so very tempted to take my stethoscope. The only reason why I opted not to was because I knew she would be covered with mud and I didn't want to get my stethoscope dirty.

Stitches Are Out

I had the sutures removed and I returned the ice water pump. I still have wound dressing and ace bandages under my brace, which I must wear for the next 5 weeks. Yuck.
The best part about this whole thing has been the parking.

Under the brace, the ice water pump, ace bandage wrap, and sterile dressing is this mess.

The incision is where the surgeon removed my tendons from my hamstrings. That is what hurts the most; the graph. My knee feels fine. My leg is killing me.


This is Henry, the luckiest cat of all time. He needed to come visit me in the bed.

Narcotics Continue

Here I am in bed. I've spent a tremendous amount of time there. Notice the crutches. Those things are a HUGE pain in the butt. The only upside to having to use them is the fabulous abdominal workout that is required to operate them.
I would also like to point out my super cute nightshirt. My kid, the redhead, gave it to me for Christmas. Thanks Jordan...You're A-okay, my buddy.