A boy and his horse

Today is the 2nd day of the county fair. Yesterday J showed his rabbits, and got a first in showmanship and a 3rd in his breed class. Long day yesterday! But today was even longer!


Today is the day he showed his horse. The judge was SO slow, one showmanship class took 45 minutes! Very slow! But he did really good and we are proud of him...

He showed in 3 classes, horsemanship, pleasure and reining. He received a third in Horsemanship (on the rider), a fifth in pleasure (on the horse) and a first in reining (a pattern type class). Reining is by far his favorite class and he was so tired he almost didn't show in it. We left home at about 8:00 and got home about 6:30. He did a great job and I am really proud of him and his efforts with his horse.

We have been busy this past week getting ready for fair, and practice every day. T is up to running about 6 miles a night and J is running about 5. Their first race is next Wednesday up in the Cleveland Metroparks and Rich is going to try to run it too!

We came home tonight and were talking to the neighbor when Rich said "Hey babe, here are some blackberries". They are growing along our tree line and we really just noticed them and they are just starting to produce so I went and picked some! Don't they look yummy:

Tomorrow I don't have to go to the fair so I am staying home and sewing! And I am very excited because I finally (after a year and a half) got a job! I will be starting next week at a local preschool teaching the 3 yr old class! I can't wait! Finally!!! So after this week I will be working everyday and I am sure I will enjoy it!

Hope everyone is having a great week!

Horse Judging and a Finish

It has once again been busy. This week, on Wednesday, J and I headed to Columbus to the Ohio State Fair for him to compete in the state horse skillathon and with the Medina County Judging team. The teams did not get any awards on the judging team, and J did got get any individual awards for it either, but he learned some things, and had fun so that was worth it.

The teams, J in the center

J and G

After the competition but before the awards ceremony we walked around the fair a bit. The kids and I rode the Skyline, which was neat because you could see quite a distance, but not quite to the end of the fairgrounds. There are lots of tall buildings that you couldn't really see over. But here is one view from the skyline.

Yes, it was cloudy and it rained the entire way down and most of the day. We also watched a Quarter Horse show that was going on while we were there. It was nice to just watch a good show. I enjoyed watching the show and seeing all the good horses.

Last week I did get some things sewn. I actually finished a mini quilt using the Pop Garden material. That means I did have a finish for July!

And I made a strip quilt top out of a thangles BOM that I had, but didn't have the 12th one because they ran out. So I just sewed them together to make this top.

Next week is the fair so we will be busy with that. Check in is on Sunday and we would like to watch the harness racing. Then J shows his rabbits on Monday, his horse on Tuesday, we have to work for our club on Thursday, Championship show on Friday night (if he makes it) and Alumni show on Saturday (Rich is showing!!!). Hopefully it won't rain all week and won't be incredibly hot.

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

One PIF received!

Granny Lyn received her PIF gift from me! Yeah! And she likes it, even better! Here is a picture of her gift. I can show it because her gift was specific to her. I am trying to make my gifts individualized as much as I can!

Today is booking through thursday. Here is today's question:

Reading something frivolous? Or something serious? Serious, just finished frivolous
Paperbacks? Or hardcovers? Whatever the library has!
Fiction? Or Nonfiction? Both
Poetry? Or Prose? Prose

Biographies? Or Autobiographies? Both
History? Or Historical Fiction? Both
Series? Or Stand-alones? Both
Classics? Or best-sellers? Both
Lurid, fruity prose? Or straight-forward, basic prose? Either
Plots? Or Stream-of-Consciousness? More plots, but either
Long books? Or Short? Both
Illustrated? Or Non-illustrated? Mostly non-illustrated
Borrowed? Or Owned? Mostly library
New? Or Used? Again, mostly library

There you have it, I read just about anything!! I actually just finished a book called The Manny, not a great read, but quick and easy. Now I am reading Bones to Ashes by Kathy Reichs...its not bad, just moving slow. But Finger-lickin' Fifteen is waiting for me at the library!!!

Happenings, Happenings...

...and hopefully I will get caught up on my blog reading!

It's been busy as usual this past week, we have had Eye Dr. appts, and 4-H judgings, plus riding and horseshows, baseball and regular practice!

I haven't gotten much done in the sewing area but I have been working on putting together the Oh Cherry Oh scraps and there maybe a giveaway in the future. Just not sure yet!

Also I am sitting down today to work on my PIF's that I have left. I will get them out soon! I promise! Here is a sneak peak at something, I love this fabric, its called Pop Garden by Heather Bailey. Its an older fabric, but I love the funky bright colors!

My garden is really doing good. We are having to water fairly regularly because we aren't getting much rain, but it's raining on and off today so that is good! It am starting to see some real growth in the corn and the pumpkins!!

Our first pumpkin!

The corn is gettin' there!

We finished up baseball tournaments on Saturday, it was sad...very sad...The team really didn't come to play, let alone win. We could have won, but we just weren't into it. They were missing the ball right and left. And some kids just let it go between their legs and didn't bother to go after it! Boy was Rich mad!! But it's over, and there is next year.

It rained early that morning so all the games got pushed back. We were supposed to play at 12:30 and ended up playing at 3:00. We went up to watch the 10:00 game and found out they were pushed back, but rather than drive home (it wasn't worth that) we stayed and hung out. The kids were getting a little bored by the time the games started!

We are so bored!

Sunday we went to a horse show. J did fairly well, with a third and a fourth...not his best rides, but it was okay. He is having some issues figuring out hip position and things like that but he is going for high points at these shows so we at least wanted him to get some points.

J and Spike

And that has been pretty much the past week. This week was more 4-H judgings, practice every night, and next week is that State Judging Competition, then fair and before you know it school will start! Have a great week everyone!

Always Busy...

Lately it seems like we are constantly on the go. I know I say that all the time, but today was horrible! I took the boys to CC practice, then headed to Cleveland for a check-up, picked them up at the library, came home, fed and showered them, took J to his moms, came home, spent 30 mins reading email and then headed to the 4-H judging for small animals. Sat there for 4 hours to get home at 7:30. Dinner, riding and bed...that is my day!

Tomorrow should be better, only practice to run too! Hopefully I will get a walk in while they are running.

At my check-up today I did get an all clear from my cardiologist. He is very happy with the way things look and sound. Everything looks great and he told me to keep up my walking. Don't need to tell me, I feel so much better on the days I walk. I just wish it didn't take me so long and that we didn't have to walk on the railroad tracks. I want to increase to 8 miles one day a week but its a time thing with the neighbor and I. That is about 2 hours and usually one of us doesn't have that much time!

The weather has been beautiful lately so I have been doing quite a bit of reading outside. I really want to get some sewing done tomorrow, but I always say that and it just never happens! But I do have 2 of my PIF's ready to mail out! I hope that the recipients like them!

We did play a tournament game on Saturday, and our poor pathetic team won! I can't believe it, ther is a team out there worse than ours! So we play this Saturday at noon. I am not sure if we will win this one, the other team is pretty good. Rich and I scouted them on Sunday (ok, he scouted and I read!)

We also had our 4-H horse show. Was horrible...don't ask...

And just two pictures of my kitties. Whenever I am outside reading they spend about 20 minutes on the swing with me and then jump to the shade. I don't blame them, that fur has to be hot!! Especially Kylie!

CC

Kylie and Oscar

Happenings...

First I have to say a big thank you to crazymomquilts. She gave away her Oh Cherry Oh! scraps and I won! WOOHOO!!!

And we have been pretty busy as usual. The boys have cross country practice every night and T is finishing up baseball. Last night we went to a 4-H fun show and J received a 2nd and a 3rd. He had some issues earlier in the night, but we worked through them and he was much better after that. The fair is coming up and we are working on getting project books done and posters made for display...only 1 more month till fair, but the pet small animals and still exhibits are judged ahead of time so that is in 2 weeks! Plus phyiscals for sports, eye doctor for J, I have a check-up next week and our 4-H clubs horse show this weekend!

I have been watering my garden and flowers to make sure they have enough. It hasn't rained, but it certainly has been cool. We have been drinking hot chocolate at ball games and at the show last night! Where is summer???

Here are a picture of 3 of my 8 rows of corn and 8 of my 15 pumpkins. These pumpkins should be blue when they grow and mature. I can't wait to see if they really are...the seeds are so we shall see!

I have been working on my PIF's and they should be mostly ready to go out next week. Just a few little things to finish up with those. I did stop and pick up these items today. I want to make Rich an neutral quilt so this jelly roll should work (Its Thimbleberries) and these fat quarters to finally finish the squares for my batik/black quilt!

Lastly a picture of 2 of the kittens inside the hay elevator. I am sure they won't be doing this again once we use it this weekend!

And Kylie, using it for her own personal hayloft ladder!

Hope everyone is having a great week!

Happy Belated 4th of July!

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday! We did!

Friday night we went to my parents for a cook-out with the family. There was good food, good company, corn-hole and lots of laughs! Then Rich and I went to town to catch a few of the fireworks and get french fries. The boys were at their mom's for the night so it was just the two of us!

Then last night we headed to the Lake Erie Crushers baseball game! Yes, we do love baseball. Except J, he only goes for the peanuts! The Crushers lost the game, it was really pretty sad, 9-1 but it was still nice to see some ball. We were on the left field side, literally next to the foul pole. I took the picture with my phone but it wasn't more than 200 feet away from us.

Then we saw fireworks after the game. I have never really seen a bad show at ball game. The Crushers put on an excellent show last night. The first picture is from there. We were maybe 500 feet from where they were shooting them off. It was really cool to be that close. Some of them you had to look pretty much straight up to see! Very cool!

Stomper, the mascot

J and I (dancing after the game)

And we have been diligently working on our summer reading.

Also have been spending some time outside, but it has been cold here lately...it was 62 on Monday at T's ball game. Today it is warmer, and we have been doing some things around the house yesterday and today. No pictures of anything quilty. I am trying really hard to get my PIF's finished up and mailed so I can't show those yet!!

Hope everyone had a wonderful and safe holiday!