Repairs, News (good and not so) and Horse Clinics.

Well, I missed posting another week, I keep saying I am going to write ever week, but nothing seems to happen to write about.

Last week-end we decided we should check out the refrigerator in the camper before we took it anywhere to make sure that it worked. The electric worked, but the propane didn't. It looked like the flame was on, but when we unplugged it, the fame went out. Charlie took it someplace on Monday, we got it back today. It works!!! We plan on going to my sisters "lot" next week-end, Labor Day.

Shonda came into Jackson and had lunch me me on Thursday, I figured when she called me to have lunch something was up. There was. She told me she had a date that night, her first since she broke up with Brian. OK so she had a date, then she tells me he's 33, and what did I think about that. I said there is not much I can do about it, she is 21 and has to make her own decisions.
While we were on the way to lunch she also told me Charlie had flipped the tractor over on top of him that morning. The kid across the road was helping him tear down an old trailer and Charlie was trying to pull the roof off, it was heavier than he thought and the tractor went up and flipped. Luckily he was not hurt, a little sore but that's all. It could have been much worse.

Saturday we went to a horse clinic that Chris Cox was giving in Paw Paw. Chris has a TV show on RFD TV, his website is here. He uses a style that Charlie has found works well for him when he is training the horses. Those of you who don't know horses might not find this interesting but we did. Even me who doesn't ride or work with them.

We watched Cox, train 21 riders ( he says he used to train horses, now he trains people). I don't ride and I probably wouldn't get the technique right if I was out there on a horse, but I could tell when somebody was not doing something properly.

One of the riders said he had a 2 year old at home that he was having trouble with, every time he tried to ride it, she would buck for 4 or 5 minutes then they would be fine. Cox told him to go get the horse, he'd look at and tell him what he was dong wrong.

After he finished the clinic for the day they brought out this horse. The first thing he did was take the bridle off, (the rope around the horsed face with a lead rope) before he put the halter (the bridle with the bit and reins) on. the horse took off and they had to chase it for a couple of minutes. Cox told the guy the horse didn't respect him and didn't think the person was boss. Within 1/2 hour that guy was not only riding the horse, the horse was standing perfectly still and the rider was standing on his back. Amazing

His big thing is that the horse has to know you are the boss and has to respect you. He trains the horse by making it work then giving it "relief" as soon as he get results.

Lots of stuff-

I can't believe it has been almost 2 months since I posted anything in this blog. We just do not have a lot going on in our household.

Let's see if I can remember every little thing that has been going on since I wrote to you last.

I went to the Dr. for a regular check up- and told him the CPAP was working OK, but I was still tired and had awful bags under my eyes, and was retaining fluid. He sent me to have a thyroid test done.

Yep- I have an sluggish thyroid. He has since increased it a little because it was still a little low after a couple of weeks.

So last week I woke up feeling dizzy, so I called his office they got me in that day. My blood pressure was up to 166 over something ( I can never remember the bottom number) Apparently a side effect of having a normal metabolism. He also told me to walk at least 15 minutes everyday. I haven't made the full 15 minutes yet, but I have started to park at the far end of the parking lot so I have to walk farther. I do feel much better, I can function well on 7 or 8 hours sleep, I used to sleep until 9 or 10 on weekends, and I think I look better.

I think I wrote about Charlie having a part-time job. He's working for the guy down the road, cutting trees. It started as part time, but after the storms we had a couple of months ago, he was working 50-60 hours a week. It has slowed down some but he is still working 40 hours a week, at least until yesterday, when he left because the “boss” flew off the handle for no reason. Charlie had threatened about 3 times before and finally had enough. Check back to see what happens.

He has also completed an arena for some of the local kids, and himself to train and practice various activities on their horses.

Charlie finally went to the doctor because his arm has been bothering him, he has to have carpal tunnel surgery on his left arm. (He had it on his right hand years ago, I think right after Shonda was born. That is scheduled for September 9^th.

Shonda's birthday is Friday, (the 15^th.) It is almost unbelievable that she will be 21. She is going to take a couple of online classes this semester so we bought her a second hand refurbished computer for her birthday.

For those of you that don't know, My cousin's husband died suddenly last week. He was only 53 years old. The funeral was huge. It is hard on the family when anyone dies but when it is so suddenly, and so young it is even more difficult. It always makes me want to reach out to my loved ones and let them know I am thinking about them and how I feel. So to all of you out there I'm thinking about you and hope you are all well and happy. Luv ya.

For years I have been saying I am too old and my back hurts to much to tent camp and sleep on the ground. Well Charlie mus have finally decided that he is too. He came home about 6 weeks ago and asked me if I thought we would use a camper if we had one. He saw one on his way to work. We went and looked at it, but after I checked the Internet and with the credit union, he was asking twice as much as it was worth.
We looked a couple of others, but they weren't in very good shape one a '98 and they was $1000.00 more, and the credit union would only loan about 2/3 of what they were asking. One we looked at was over 30 years old and they were asking $2,500 for it.
We drove back to check on the first one, (Charlie really liked it) but it had been sold. On the way home we passes one that had a for sale sign. So we turned around to look at it. It is a '94 but in really good shape, it is 26' and sleeps 4, it has a real bed, and a dinette table that can be taken out. They were asking less than the other 2 newer ones. I have been spending the last couple of evenings going through all of our camping stuff, and cleaning it up (I think it has been a couple of years since we used any of it)

I think that's all for now. I'll try to write more frequently. I thought I didn't have any thing to write about but this post suddenly seems a little long.