Happy New Year 2008!!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Well, it's New Year's eve and we had a very long day. My stomach was in knots all day and

I have decided that raising children is probably the dumbest thing I ever did.

Daughter #1 moved into her own place this year. She's always had a regular job, but we were afraid that when she moved out, it would cause problems with her going to school. After some tough issues and a change of jobs, she has not continued with her education.

I knew that she has been having some financial difficulties, but I had no idea how bad it was. This morning, I got a call that her car was reposessed. If course, we had to bail the car out, but the tough part is yet to come as we are going to have to practice some tough love. My heart hurts and I'm sick to my stomach...but I know that we all have to grow up and learn from our mistakes:(

Daughter #2 went skating for New Year's. She asked me to do her makeup today....and when I got done, it scared me! She's absolutely beautiful and I'm in trouble!

Daughter #3 is staying home with Mom & Dad tonight, much to her dismay. She couldn't find any of her friends who were available tonight. She settled for pizza, wings, sparkling cider and the movie "Ratatouille" instead!
What was God thinking when he gave me THREE girls??? Being a mom is painful...but I wouldn't trade my kids for anything in the world. Aren't they beautiful???!!!

Ahhhh...The Life of a Potter!

A few weeks ago, Hubby found me a pottery wheel for sale on Craigslist. I took a class about 10 years ago and have always wanted a wheel. This one had a broken switch, but Tosh was able to fix it easily. Last night he found an ad for a free kiln as well...so I called about it and was told to come and pick it up today. Holy Cow! I drove to Cottage Grove to get it...pulled up in this guys driveway and there was a blue Prius with a bumper sticker reading "Impeach Bush and Cheney". He wa a very scary hippy-lookin' dude. He had me back up to his shop. I thought I was getting this little kiln...24 inches tall!
Ummm...nope. It's 24 inches across on the INSIDE...about 4 feet tall and about 3 feet wide! I have NO idea where I'm going to put it...or even how to use it. I'll need to do some research and figure it it. Either way, you can all rest assured that you will have lovely candy dishes for all of your birthdays and holidays!

By The Way...

I just wanted to mention that my heart is with my sister tonight as she battles the hurt and anger of losing her dear husband. My husband, through all of his shortcomings, is MY best friend and my soul-mate...and I can only imagine how terrible it would be to lose him. My sister is amazing...and I have always wished that we could have been together more while we were growing up. I love her very much...and my heart just aches for her right now. I wish I could take some of her pain.

Lisanne

The Aftermath Of Christmas.

Good grief! How does a simple thing like Christmas mess a house up SO badly?

We spent the day today picking up, putting away all of the decorations, taking the tree down...and ultimately cleaning out the storage room so it would all fit back into it!

I was pretty exhausted by the time I fell into my chair to watch the UFC fights this evening.

I admit it...I'm a completely obsessed fan of the Ultimate Fighting Chamionships. We don't get into football like the rest of the world...we like to watch two guys, highly skilled in mixed martial arts, beating the heck out of each other. I'm the one jumping up and down...screaming at the television as if they can hear me:) I suppose that someone capable of psycho-analysis would find it pretty interesting that I enjoy this type of thing...and maybe I'm weird...but I think that one of the reasons that we have so much deadly violence in the world these days is because men aren't allowed to beat the heck out of each other anymore. Yes, there has always been deadly violence...but in our not-so-distant past, men kept each other in line. Now, they aren't allowed to. If they do, they go to jail or get shot. I think that I just love the UFC because of the primitive nature of it, along with the modern moves and twists that make it an extremely exciting sport.



Okay...I hear it pouring outside again. Dang. I'm ready for Spring and we're not even close.

I want to be out riding horses...but it's just pure MUD everywhere right now.

Speaking of horses...

I mentioned in my last post that I was thrown on my head a few weeks back. See...I bought this new horse. He was advertised as "kid-safe" & "husband -safe" but apparently he wasn't "Lisanne-safe". I'd driven all the way to Washington to get him...he was absolutely gorgeous...my dream horse. At least I THOUGHT he was my dream horse! I'd ridden him a few times, down the road and off on logging roads. he was fairly well-behaved and although he obviously wasn't "kid-safe", I thought I could handle him. A bunch of friends were trailering to Salem for a day's ride and I thought I'd go along. I should have stayed home when he didn't want to get into the trailer, (which was odd behavior for him as he'd climbed right in when I brought him home.) but I REALLY wanted to go. I talked him into the trailer and off we went.

Once we got to the park in Salem, I put my helmet on, saddled him up and began to climb on. He EXPLODED, bucking like a crazy, spooked, mad bronc.

Now I...having one foot in a stirrup and one foot partially over his back...apparently (and without knowledge) took a (short) flying lesson. All I remember was waking up in an ambulance with an I.V. in my arm...and then again in the emergency room, where I was diagnosed with a pretty severe concussion. My head had hit the pavement...and my helmet had saved my life. Thank God that I had decided this past Summer to start wearing a helmet!

That horse left almost immediately...and although it has been a battle with his "owner" (who came and got him) I was never SO glad to see a horse go!

My friend Linda and I found a beautiful little black & white mare at the auction a few weeks later. She lives at Linda's house right now, but will eventually come home to live with me. She truly IS kid-safe and husband-safe...and I just love her. Her name is Roxie. I just need a little time to heal...and get Hubby used to the idea that I'm riding again before I bring her home. I think Spring...after the mud, would be good!



Well, I guess that's enough blogging for now. You're probably bored anyhow. I wasn't very witty tonight, but at least I'm getting you all caught up!

Hang in there...I promise to be less mundane in time.:)



Lisanne

Day One...Getting Started!

I thought I'd start blogging so that family and friends can keep up with our crazy life here on the farm. It seems like there's never a dull moment. Some good, some bad...but always interesting.
We all had a wonderful Christmas. Hubby's parents were here and we all managed to get along and have a lot of fun doing it! We even put our heads together and did an excruciating 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle. It was nice having everyone together.
This was particularly important to me this year, as a family tragedy has reminded me of just how important and dear family really is. A few days before Christmas, my sister Janine lost her best friend, her husband of 25 years and father of their 6 children to a sudden and severe heart complication. Jim was only 47 years old and a wonderful husband, father and man.
My heart hurts so badly for my sister and her kids.
I have hugged my husband a million times this past week, even when I want to strangle him for various reasons! (I think I have him very confused!)The kids are off of school this week, so it's crazy at home. I actually escape to work for a few hours each day:) We have so many animals now...and it's been SNOWING here for a couple of days...so everything is muddy and wet. The pigs are ready to go to the butcher (Okay, well...I'M ready for the pigs to go to the butcher!), the goats think they are house-guests, the horses want to stand on the porch and look in the window, the cats perch on the roof over the door and wait for someone to open it so they can make their great leap...hoping to get in before the door slams and they look like Persians...and all four dogs think it's necessary to blast through the door, leaving huge muddy paw prints all the way through my kitchen, then, of course..."wiping" their feet on my dining room carpet! I tell ya', it's a good thing I have an industrial carpet cleaner! Being the incredible wife that I am *grin*, I bought Hubby an AK-47 for Christmas. He has subsequently killed several of the trees behind our house and will now need to chain-saw them down before they fall over! Remind me to tell you about my recent fall..(okay, it wasn't really a "fall"...I was thrown on my head.) where I woke up in an ambulance. It's a good thing I have a hard head!
I will save that post for later.
Bear with me as I get started. Eventually, it will all catch up and be current!