The personal side of it all.

      The WAVE of emotions in going minimal is that of an ocean; it is a constant up and down, thrill, and pain of the heart.  In every great triumph there are hard decisions being made.

      Do not get me wrong, I am completely enjoying the sight of an empty closet, the vision of empty kitchen cabinets that once held things I really didn't need; a wardrobe I can close my eyes or dress in the dark with no worry of how I walk out of the house.

      In yet another way not expressed I am keeping only things I enjoy and bring me pure pleasure.  My cutlery is no longer that gifted to me, but that of which I had chosen myself. My glasses are all handmade and divine to drink from.  I shall rid my kitchen further by getting rid of any plastics and replacing them with glass as time and money permit.

      Great change is easier than small ones.  A quote from a movie but original I can not verify... This is a great change for me, my husband and anyone else that gives it full attention.  The hard stuff is the small stuff and while we have all heard don't sweat the small stuff; letting go of that fur collar you love so much, that pair of shoes you saved for, craved, and finally allowed yourself.    Letting go of things made for me was even harder... I had a rolling pin made for me as a wedding gift, I used it but once and I no longer need it for defence (ha ha ha) so it too had to go.  But knowing it was the work and sweat of my paternal grandfather and that he truly had me in mind in its creation was hard to let go.   I being the worst baker in the family no longer have any need it or the one my daddy made me 20 years later.   As hand made things are a rarity today they were even harder to let go.

Letting go of things I collected for years to have a good selection, to have the right thing on hand for whatever comes next.  But now NEXT is living with only what I need to have on hand, NOT getting groceries and picking up two of everything.  Not getting something on sale because I have one already in the cabinet... as there will be no pantry!

Getting ready for our first yard sale.

For the last 4 days I have emptied the dining room, the den, the front door closet, most of the kitchen and all of my cloth closet.  I am approaching this as if there were some natural disaster... what would I NEED to have to start over, or if going on vacation what would I take with me.  to get it down even further.

I have MUCH further to go but as of today ...
I whittled my necessary books down to a small stack, of course with each area I touch I find more books so as of this moment my stack is too large again.

I got my clothes down to the size of a clothes hamper basket, but these too have grown a little. Having said that I have OVER 4 large trash bags full of clothes that will go in the sale tomorrow.

My shoes ... well I got rid of half of them right away.  I let go of exactly half of my boots and found I only have THREE practical shoes for everyday the rest are so full of flavor I can't let them go YET.  BUT I have a plan.

My purses!   I had some great purses and with all the trade on line I am going to sell or rent them out; I can get more out of them on line than a yard sale.

My art supplies are my largest issue! YEP... especially sense I know Navarre has to find a new home my only other passion FOR ME is painting.. ? not sure what is going to happen there but this too will have to wait till after the yard sale.

I have to say I got rid of all but a set of FOUR of everything in the kitchen.  I will be using my GOOD stuff everyday instead of it sitting away waiting for a special holiday!  So eating will be a pleasure instead of blah... it is amazing how many duplicates I found in different drawers, cabinets etc... Getting everything out and putting it into stacks of same it is amazing what you find! The books grew because of the birds room (I read in there )and the kitchen! because of cookbooks... No one thinks of everything until everything is out and exposed in the raw!   I threw out spices that were old, clumpy, or solid... If you don't use them all the time why do we have them? Besides they all go bad we just hate getting rid of things don't we?

I am SO serious about all of this even my dining room table is going in the yard sale! My dad made my dining room table and it was made LONG before Pier One started selling tables with tile on them. I love this table!  My chairs were found in St. Louis OAK Early American cut of Queen Ann style...  I'll be using my bistro set I got on sale somewhere years ago.   The only chair I can't let go is my great grandfathers cane chair.  It is still sound and can be used so it stays! It is small and I'll figure out some other way to use it as well.   I am getting rid of my side tables... a round table I found in Springfield TN over 20 years ago, and my stool my grandfather made painted a horrible pink (a late request of my grandmother) but a beautiful solid oak underneath.

The dog... NOT for sale.. but she plays with only ONE toy... so all her other toys are washed and ready for new homes!

I threw out all my nail polish but three colors and the clear.
I thew out makeup! yep! anything that was open is now GONE.

I created piles!
books, art supplies, barn supplies, candles, medical supplies (I found I am allergic to latex, so all the others have to go)  I even ended up with a kids pile (I have no kids) but I found I was always picking up trinkets incase my nieces and nephew came over... It never happens SO this pile too will go in the yard sale to keep kids happy while their parents look tomorrow! ha ha h....

Truly as you can see my mind is amuck just like my house! There is so much going on here it is hard to concentrate.  It reminds me of Aunt Gales house with stuff all over the place.  I can't wait to get this yard sale done and get the rest to a donation box and get my house back in some type of order again.

Today I get to price things, figure out my set up for tomorrow, and hopefully relax a moment... as if that's going to happen.

Life changes while making changes.

Friday / 06/24/16

I had seen things slowly changing for some time, but faith in my husband and his abilities gave me the security I needed not to focus on it 24 hours a day.  The day came where my line was crossed and we hashed out all the concerns, figures, and expectations.

We came to the conclusion we could easily cut thousands of dollars off our operating cost if we moved to the estate, stopped our advertizing for new products, got our health insurance within a reasonable cost and I got a full time job.

Jerry and I brain stormed about how we were to survive what is ahead and put ourselves in a place to THRIVE at a later date.
Tree house (dreamy solution)
Move into the barn (practical  as the framing is already there)
Small house (square style or salt box both much cheaper construction... less building waste than most homes)
Tiny home... (OUT of the question as he is closterfobic and we would likely kill eachother.)
Container home. ( I do after all already have TWO containers they are structurally sound and dry)
Mobil  Trailer/ home... ? with our budget after getting a used one, stripping it due to bugs, rats etc... I'd rather start from scratch ...some how.

Issues..
I'd been looking for a full time job in Asheville for YEARS!
I signed up for temp work but only got calls on days I worked.
I was ALWAYS either TOO qualified for a job or UNDER qualified for a job... Of course several places wanted me to volunteer my services!

I love the little clothing shop where I have been for the past three years.
The crew is top notch, the manager is the best I've ever had and I hate to have to leave them.  In the years I worked for Ad-Lib I met such wonderful people, co workers and customers alike.  All of whom I want to keep in touch with.

A dear friend of mine called one day in the midst of my eating, napping, and crying on the sofa one day unable to function as a human being.  As Jerry and I said we would never live in dept and slowly but surely we are now in debt.  The reality is our dept is less than a high priced car, but none the less we are putting our emergency plant to action and will quickly be out of dept AND as I stated before put ourselves in a place where we can THRIVE instead of survive in the future.

Thriving with no debt is the American Dream, but too many have forgotten what the dream REALLY is and created a world of debt around them, working ONLY to pay the bills and hope nothing happens.

I see REAL life everyday down town Asheville. There are homeless people year round! I try to learn their names but IF you know me you know I am the worst with names.   We can all loose everything we have in a moments notice.  Health issues, Job issues, Relationship issues, and Mental Health issues. Most think that will never be them!  Then a death, a health crisis, carma, or pure luck strikes and life as you know it is GONE.

With our plan we will be living BELOW our means paying off and dept and be traveling twice a year as once before.

Life is funny!

Today was non stop!
One thing to the next, but the best two things were, getting a good report from the ear, nose, and throat doctor.  (of whom I repeatedly have said I didn't like)

So this doctor... I was referred to him from the ER months ago, of course he couldn't get me in, of course I couldn't get it scheduled to suite both of our schedules for two months.  Once I got in there I got a wonderful ear full of IF, I should have, and Meds for the rest of your life.

1.  I'm not the smartest person in the room but I be dipped if someone is going to tell me I am taking some medication for the rest of my life when I have no ill effects at this time from "reflux" syndrome.  I thought that stuff was suppose to bother you!  When I ask him if there are any other alternatives, he gets snippy again and says well it's not life threatening we can check it again in two months and see where you stand.  Then proceeds to hand me a two fold flyer that is suppose to tell me what changes I need to make to my diet, period!  

2.  Now how is some silly larger than normal print flyer that have less information than a resort flier going to tell me what is going on in my body and how to change it.   So of course I ended up doing my own research and figuring out issues for myself because apparently this MD doesn't have the time to REALLY educated his patients OR direct them to a place for information.

3.  So I make my changes.
  a. I make sure not to eat too late, I make sure I sit up instead of allowing myself to slouch into the sofa when I get home.
  b. I cut down in my normal serving sizes making it no less than a fist full at any given time... that is NOT to say I don't eat all day now!...
  c.  I cut back my coffee, cut OUT my cinnamon I love so much, no more kambuchi, no more sauerkraut, or harshly pickled items... My olives were the worst to let go!  
  d.  the flier said I needed to eat bland... excuse me but I have NEVER eaten bland... Jerry says I eat twigs and leaves but I eat the crap out of herbs and spices ... that is not going to change only toned down a little.

4.  I was starting to freak out a little as I had only recently gone vegan so the milk, cheeses, meat everyone else could be eating and not a problem per the pamphlet were not going to work for me.

So I go back today ... dreading it... actually stressing over it due to his being so snippy my first visit.
He walks in sprays my nose with little to no warning and asked for the rest of his equipment.  Say aaahhhh... breathe.... breathe....  and steps back.  He was visibly smiling and figured I was in for it.
instead he was pleasantly surprised.  So I in my normal snippy sassy horrible attitude said... "so does this mean your not going to be pissed at me for not taking your medication?"  He grinned but not a real smile and said yes! I didn't believe you would do it, frankly rarely does anyone make the changes needed, but you are healing nicely;  ALTHOUGH... he continues... IF... or WHEN this flairs up again

blah blah blah...
I assured him if I needed help I would ask for it, but until I could not control my health myself I prefer to stay as is.  He was fine I was fine  and FINALLY I  half way like him, because he didn't try to lecture me again.

While I was at the doctors they request you turn off your phones and not being attached to mine I did so.  Of course I missed 5... yes FIVE urgent calls that Navarre was out in the road blah blah blah...

So once I do get home I am rushing to the barn, finding yet another place Navarre has decided to tear down, repair it! and of course somehow loose my keys in the process.

Life is funny! and Life keeps laughing at me.
4th re-walk of my steps I found the silly set, black not a shiny thing there so this color is going to have to change as soon as I can!

Life
Love
Happines.

Hoping your day was eventful in a good way!
AegF

My lap top crashed !

After getting all the crap off my lap top I could no longer access this blog.

I am so sorry I was unable to inform anyone, none of my "codes" worked, not the two step sign in nothing... and never got help still do not have a password etc... all I can say is GOOGLE sucks, even as I type this I have been interrupted several times by pop ups on only get on Chrome.

Enough with all my attitude against google!

I rarely make a new years resolution.  I rarely do so because it sets me up for failure.

This year my only resolution is to be more tolerable, practice humility and relax more

I have gotten my weight down to 140 lbs I am at 22 bmi which is not bad for me, but now that we have a vacation in the works that is high season I get to stress about a bathing suite which I rarely carry on vacation as we normally go only in off seasons to save money and be out of the crowds.  Life changes and I have to learn to roll with the punches....

In the mean time I am still doing my estate planning so here I will post my weekly to do, and done list.

Going all the way with Change.

Well while going Gluten Free was great for my stomach it did little to nothing in helping me to get some weight off.

So as of a few weeks ago I decided to go all the way.  YEP... changed my eating habits and I am finally getting some real advantages.

I would have never believed going Vegan would have made my life better, easier, and happier; but in fact that is exactly what has happened.

Better... I look at veggie side dishes all the time.  This if nothing else will help to expand my cooking routine for entertaining.  People really never know WHAT they are eating at someone else's home, they try and just see if they like it!   I have found some really good dishes and enjoyed the changes made to some of my old favorites.

Easier...  Well not worrying about meat, how clean, how fresh, how tainted... I don't know about you but I LOVE meat and growing up literally on a farm I enjoyed the bounty of real animals, real meat, and knowing what was fed to them.  My grandfather didn't afford "purchased animal feeds" he grew food for his family and his animals.  So before grass fed was "the thing" it was all I had!  It is a tougher leaner but more tasty meat, BUT I don't have any idea where anything I eat even comes from, how it was raised, fed, treated ... Freaking AAAAAA I have no idea and that in it self FREAKS me out when I bring raw meat into my own kitchen.  Bleach, Cooked well done, and side dishes were my only way of dealing with it.

Happier... OMG, I never EVER expected to feel better, be happier, sleep better, and for heaven's sake I never expected to have more energy!   1. I have cut my sleeping aids down to 1/2 of what they were and sticking to my routine like all the professionals say is working NOW!   Why now? The only thing I can guess is I am dealing with only MY OWN hormones; not all the added crap they give to animals to help them grow larger now! I'm not dealing with the chemicals in all the animals meats, arsenic, cyanide, and only a higher power really knows what else they LEGALLY can give animals today.   My mind doesn't race as much, but I am always 3 steps ahead of most (with a clear idea, questions and plans in the works) but not off the rails from subject to subject like I used to be.  You know the "Squirrel" mentality.   At any rate if you don't get the reference it's likely you don't have the problem. 

Yes I eat a ton of protein! Hemp is my main stay of easy, good protein!   I mean really only 3 table spoons is a days ration of clean protein.  How easy can that be.  

It is fall so I am eating a lot of cold frame veggies!  Brussel Sprouts, Spinach, Kale, turnips, carrots, acorn squash, pumpkin, and the seeds cranberries etc... too many to name everything here. 

While I am VERY tempted with the bullet phase of eating and I LOVE smoothies etc... until I  hit a plateau and can't loose any more weight I believe I'll stay the course of where I am. 

Where am I you ask... WELL... I started out at 155lbs yep... I'm 5' 7" and was at the limit my body could handle with out sever restrictions on its ability.  Don't get me wrong I was in PAIN, real pain, about to go back to the MD's and ask for more pain killers.  At my physical limits and barely able to function on my normal routines with animals, chores, and working I decided to go deeper into controlling my own world a little better.    THUS the GF< Vegan move!

Life is good... I have already lost 10lbs and I can only hope to loose another 10.  BUT the last ten are always the hardest to get off they say, so we shall see how the slow steps of weight loss effect my daily life from this point on. 

Oh yea... somehow the MD's say I need to loose another 20... Right THAT is NOT going to happen... I never looked good at 125 as an adult, a twiggy 20 year old maybe but not as a woman in the REAL world.  Just remember as I type out my life about weight loss... TO ME it is more about being able to function in my life style, not about my looks. 

I have never been a very vain woman, I'll be the last to get a pair of shoes, get my nails done, have my hair professionally colored, and never had a pedicure!   SO ... this is about the kricks , cracks, pops and function of my right leg that has forever been a pain in my body sense the age of 10.  being a GOOD 35 years older than that... I have to get a grip on it before I end up in a wheel chair, leg brace forever, or on crutches, cane, or what ever else would hinder my days.

My love to you all...
Amber

still here and still working at it.

While I am not riding my bike as I had hoped... my leg is in pain when I do.  So I have altered my plan and doing only my PT exercises 17 of them twice a day. 

I am also riding my horses for two days each week and more if I can get the time.

Which is also to say I have gone back to work part time and working about three to four days a week.

Life is FULL, Crazy, and barely in control which is to say my house is a mess because I am at the barn most of the time I have off.

I will at least try to get one post in a week.

I am still eating mostly salads...
veggies...
nuts...
and have gone GF all the way!
I have not cheated on the GF at all which makes my stomach happy.

I have gone from 156 down to about  142,,, ... now if I can just get rid of the next ten I'll be better off!

We shall see as time continues.  But I'm still here, still working on me!


Hope life out there is full and wonderful !
my love to the world.

AegF

WOW... still at it!

Yep... I'm still at it! and I am doing OK! NOT PERFECT! but I am doing all I can.

Life here the past week was hard.
Hard because of all the snow.  Thus making the worry for my outside animals that much more pressing, and taking up more of my time.    In doing so it also made me want to ride my horses that much more, of which I just said what the heck and got on my horses.

I am still at it with my bike riding.  So much so I now feel the burn in my thighs each time I ride now.  I know that sounds strange but I think my quads are finally starting to wake up.  I am still doing the 15 exercises from PT each day and like an athlete in training... with my sets and reps of each ... YES it takes SO much of my time, but it is starting to pay off and go a little more smoothly each day as well.  To the point I will need to add weight any day now.

Lets not forget with all the snow I have also been walking up the mountain ...

I have to say though... Yesterday was the best day yet!  I got to ride my wild and crazy horse off my property and out in the woods but the footing was so bad we had to cut the ride short so not to stress my horses legs too much.  They are as out of shape as I am with my not being able to ride all last year.

I did CHEAT!... yep... when I finally got to back into work there was a coke with my name on it from Christmas... I drank 1/2 one day and the last of it TODAY!...
I also had an apple with caramel one day... So I got sugar this last week!

I am still good on the gluten free and the non GMO thing I put on myself.

I feel good and my knee is GREAT!

I am sorry I didn't get the computer in everyday much less I didn't realize it had been a week sense last I wrote.... But you can all say what you will  I am doing ok... but will make sure to cut out even the slightest bit of sugar once again.    It is important to me, so back to it I go.  Besides I loose weight better and faster with no sugar in the diet.  but like a drug addict I crave and so badly see it everywhere!

To life!
To living life!
To living life to its fullest!

My love to the world
AegF

 

YES i have been riding! everyday!

Ok...
So while I wanted to ride LOTS I have had to cut back again to only once a day... sometimes longer than others but always at least 10 minutes


I have also been able to get to work a few hours last week and again today!


Not only working, riding, but the weather makes me walk up the mountain more so than not these days...
Tomorrow will be one of those days.... 
While I have tried on several occasions to post a silly phone video something continues to go wrong.

So I'll just tell you that it is a BEAUTIFUL snow my way... thus my hike tomorrow morning with be FUN!

over did it!

With my tiny 15 minutes on the bike yesterday I really over did it.
My leg was shaking all of yesterday and the pain in great still late into today.

I am going to get back on the bike tonight before I go to sleep, but I can assure you it will NOT be at the tension I used yesterday morning only!   and it will not be for 15 minutes.

Having to take a step back as I took too large a step forward yesterday.

Life is slightly grey today due to over doing it yesterday.

LIFE... it happens and I did this to myself feeling too good about it, and going forward too fast.

Day four

While it is only day 4 my leg is really screaming!

I got on the bike this morning and stayed on it 15 minutes.  I know it doesn't sound like much at all but this is a leg that could not do 4 minutes the first day.

Yes it hurts, and I feel nothing in the good leg, so we are doing something!

Doing this much made my leg very weak for walking into the barn to feed the horses, so I can only think I will have to stick to this time/length of a ride for a while.

Yes I plan to do this twice more today.
The plan...
15 minutes early morning... Done...
15 minutes mid day...
and 15 before I go to bed!

Doing what I can, as I can, however I can witch what I have.

third day!

ok... got on the bike again today!
I not only rode the thing for the same time as yesterday but added to it which is really my plan.

I go without Gluten about 99% of the time.  I do have my down days and I pay for it, but my real addiction is SUGAR.

I have also cut out SUGAR! OMG....
I think this is the hardest thing I have done in years.
I do not like any replacements so at this point the only sugar I am using is HONEY and VERY very sparingly xmpl... two (measured) tablespoons of honey to a gallon of berry tea.  I keep non caffeine so I can drink it during the day and it not keep me up at night.

I drink COFFEE first thing in the morning but black with nothing in it.

yes I eat meat but I rarely crave it! I do better with no meat and enjoy eggs, cream, cheese, and love fish but good fish is hard to come by! I eat it all but only if I crave it... I do however always have meat on hand for the hubby! He loves and craves meat on a regular basis.

I have for months been trying to get away from soda.  I have an addiction to Coke Cola NOT Pepsi... Pepsi had me till Coke stopped making "the real thing" and tried to change their receipt.  Even at that point it was that coldest of cokes on a hot day that burned the back of my throat that I craved.   As I type this my husband has a TWO litter bottle of COKE on our kitchen counter.  I have thus far not touched the darn thing but I crave it so dearly it is CRAZY!

Sugar has been my saving grace on a hard day.

Fat is my next big kick! But hear me NOW I am NOT ready to give up my fat!
I use real cheese, real sour cream, real everything including HEAVY CREAM which I love!!!!!!

I cut out the sugar because of what it REALLY does to the body!  It creates inflammation and my leg is so bad I had to give it help with all the healing I am expecting of it.  Not to forget that my wonderful Blue Cross Blue Shield Platinum plan has required a PRE-APPROVAL for a freaking anti-inflammatory medication that has been around for 20 years!~  

The doctors here blew me off.  released me with only a prescription as needed but never got rid of the issues or even 1/2 way addressed them as it was.

So I have still NOT gotten my meds so I had to address the issues alone.   Diet and teas have been my thing to get back on my feet.

I am enjoying the bike but the muscles are painful at night.  It makes going to sleep harder, but it has to be done.


I will be getting back on the bike later again today although I have already surpassed yesterdays time.
I can only do what I can do, but I am going to give it all I have.

Walter Mitty!

OK... you have to understand I love movies but I gave up going to the movie house when I gave up the first husband.


My now (second)  husband also LOVES the movies!
And on occasion I choose to go with him, this was one of those rare days!


A date day... not a night... life is cheaper at lunch, matinee, and fewer kids to deal with at a movie!


We saw The Secret Life of Walter Mitty!
I realized I have always been a Walter Mitty!
I was the kid that had day dreams, while I didn't zone out, my mind rushed ahead of every conversation and created its own version of what ever was going on. It was a pain (for me and I am sure others) as a kid, I'm sure it's only one of the many reasons I was an outsider as a kid... (besides the glasses, a forehead the size of most kids entire head, the orthopedic shoes (they were SO nasty) and the inability to read as fast as everyone else.) Thank GOD I didn't have braces too!





I dreamed of travel. I wanted, I needed to see how the rest of the world lived.
I lived in a world where my every move was critiqued each day, where I wasn't just me; I was THE example for those behind (younger) me.  I was suppose to be good, only do the right thing, and my day dreaming became my only escape.   While Joelton is a place that owns my heart and I would move back in a minute given a good reason and the right chance to do so.  I love the people, I love the area, I love community, and my heritage there. But I knew life outside of my little home town had to be exciting! It had to be incredible!  It was going to be life changing if and when I ever got out. My small world was SO basic and the life I choose now is very basic. BUT I love my dreams and I love to travel.  I have always day dreamed. 


I was not good in school!
My brain was horribly divided between science and art. I couldn't just concentrate on one thing and quickly switch to the other... So depending on what side of the brain I used the other subjects suffered.






Back in the day when money was abundant and the economy flowed like water; my husband and I could travel twice a year one new place once a year and one repeat place for new adventures really learning a place and its culture.


I am a small town girl who never thought she would ever do anything.  And while in the outside world I have done little; but for a town that was a population of about 2000 I have done more than I ever dreamed I would.


In REALITY...
I have ridden horses I will never be able to afford.
I have traveled a few tourist places Machu Picchu, Sacred Valley, Cusco, Lima, Quito, Tikal, Copan, Athens Greece, Tahiti, Bora Bora, Lake Titicaca, Panajachel, Peten, Belize, Cozumel, Chicen itza , Tulum, and some others.
I have traveled more off beat places... Copper Canyon, Divisadero Barrancas,  Batopilas, Antigua, Ischiguan ; actually too many off beat places to list as we normally get our own car and drive around and go and do what ever we want.  Rarely do we get a group trip, guided trip, or anything of the sort.




In my mind... that are in the word of my dreams...
I have ridden Grand Pre Level horses worth more than I will make in my life time.
I have seen peace.  I have seen places that purified my mind.
I have seen the thumb print of our higher power on the earth.
I have traveled places that were so Jurassic park I expected animals long gone to come from the bush.
I have traveled places that almost not humanly possible for their time.
I have roasted marshmallows over running lava.
I have walked down a mountain as the earth glowed below my feet.
I have walked the earth referenced in biblical times.
I have walked the halls of ancient gods


I am amazed at simple solutions
I am amazed at the survival instincts of humans
I am amazed with ART being a way of life for everything some have.
I am amazed with how cultures evolve.
I am amazed with how fast paced we live in the US
I long for the simplicity of other countries


The simplicity of life
The simplicity of how things work
The real foods cooked over an open fire.
The real family unit that congregates in the park every night.

I dream
I dream all the time.
Just like the frozen ground and the lava rock sounds
Much like lighting my candles in the water box, but when I did I was using matched I got in Greece so ... it carried me back to a time of incredible architecture, ,fresh sardines, Greek yogurt with nuts and honey. 


I will never be able to skate board down a mountain side.
I will never be in a shark fight (although I have swam with several types of sharks I'm not THAT stupid)


We each have our own way of doing things.
But now I know mine is Walter Mitty Style... Do it; don't think about it too much just DO IT! 
If you really worry about the money you'll never go any where.
If you really worry about the security you'll never experience what few others do.
If you think about it too much you will not live it only survive it.
Do you want to LIVE LIFE...
like it or not you will never SURVIVE LIFE...

ok... yep

Life is good...
I got back on the bike first thing this morning.  I'm not sure if it was the bike OR the horseback riding yesterday, but my butt is killing me.  Not to forget the muscles in my right leg are very sensitive! I can feel each move and it has not registered as normal with my brain yet.  Muscles I have not used in years are incredibly upset!

I've been on the bike twice today thus far. Short commercial spurts but getting hot and sweaty all the same.

I do plan to get on the bike at least once more today thus I will have been on the bike once more than yesterday.

My truck is still out of service, my car is steel being worked on, so my trips to the barn are still in my husbands SUV that I hate to get dirty.  When my life is all about stinking and smelling like a horse this is so hard to avoid with a perfectly kept vehicle to drive.

At any rate... life is good and my second bike day is as planned.

Well I got started...

Trying to make big changes is HARD to do...


I have had my knee worked on as of late and need to work on my muscles in order to get more done.


Today I started getting on my bicycle.  


I said getting onto the bike... I have only ridden it for minutes but hope to add to it daily.


I guess we will see how this goes!