Here we are again

Well, here we are again -- the random ramblings sort of rambled away and disappeared, didn't they? Life has ben very interesting for the past year-and-a-bit.

Let's see... In May, hubby and I did our 5-year wedding anniversary cruise. We had rough seas in the open ocean, as you can see from the photo. We had a fantastic time, and we're both looking forward to doing it again when we don't have raging colds!

In June, the property where I was boarding Dancer and Tes was sold, so I moved the horses and followed Andrea to her new temporary place. (It's temporary because she will be moving elsewhere sometime this fall.) We all worked our tails off to get the new place ready in late June and early July. Then hubby and I helped our friends with the Pirates of Puget Sound at the Tall Ships Festival for the July 4 weekend.

However, my feet didn't stop hurting after all of that. The pain was bad enough that I actually went to the doctor for the first time since I went to the doctor to ask about the arthritis in my hands in 1997 or so, and he laughed me out of the office. After x-rays and much hemming and hawing, they finally decided that I have osteoarthritis in my feet! So I've been trying to be good and take vitamins, but they make me ill (literally), so we're still working on that.

I'm still working at Ben Franklin, with my own company and with the horses. However, I decided earlier this year that retail management wasn't for me, and that I would much rather concentrate on my business matters and on the vaulting team. The head coach Andrea will be moving elsewhere this fall, which means I needed to step up and start coaching the team between her visits! Fortunately, I also have coaching help from the previous team captain, Cortney, and the current team veteran, Sarah, both of whom are fabulous, invaluable young ladies. (Boy, that makes me sound like an old lady, but it sure feels like it some days!) The whole team is fantastic, and I'm endlessly proud to be in it with each and every one of them.

So we'll still be talking about all the things we didn't before, but hopefully on a more regular basis. Lots of photos to share, and many more to come.

It also looks like Blogspot has added a few more features, and I now have an Etsy shop and a Facebook profile, as well as a few more things, so hang on tight while I figure out how to get those linked as well!

Not another new blog!

Here we go with a brand new blog -- by a Brand New Blogger. In the horse world, they say Green and Green make Black and Blue. I guess I'm about to find out just how dangerous this might get! Fortunately, I have some "on-the-ground" experience, having been a technical writer and graphic designer for almost 15 years. It's just the blogging and yarnwear (yarnware?) that I'm new to.

I decided to start this blog to post little triumphs in life: new knit/crochet/whatever patterns and projects, equine events, and who knows what else. No promises on how often I can update. Life can get really insane, and I thought the year would be slowing down once the summer and show season was done. That has not happened this year!

To kick things off, here's my first attempt at posting a few pictures...

Snowdancer is my first horse, bought with jousting, trails, and general horseback fun in mind. She is a Belgian Draft, purchased at an auction. The other bidder was a meat buyer. (Oh, and the same week I bought her, I started dating the man who is now my husband of almost 5 years. How's that for tracking!)

For the past few years, she has been working on a new hobby -- vaulting!

My second horse, Tempest, was purchased as a yearling who had barely been handled, by all accounts. After several years of trust-building, she has turned into one of the barn's adored love bugs.

That 2nd picture was our 3rd ride, and the first going completely solo. (No holding the lead, no help on, etc.) And for scale, keep in mind that I'm definitely not a small woman -- 5'11 1/2", 34" inseam, etc.

Other than that, I don't have a lot of good photos to post of my crafting, although there are several pictures of things I have for sale on my web site, http://www.horse-round.com/:

Well, that's about it for today. I might rifle through a few other projects and take pictures of what's on the needle (knitting), hook (regular or Tunisian crocheting), fork (harpin lace), wheel/board (loom knitting) or any of the other UFOs. In the meantime, I'll figure out how to add links to some of my favorite blogs, pattern sites, friends' journals, etc.

I'm really good at making lists -- have you noticed?

Happy crafting!