call me a blackbird

"blackbird can't keep 'is word!" - raggedy yorkshire child

Why don't we just go ahead and agree that every time I say I'll have more time to write/ will write up some posts in advance, that I am suffering from one of those moments of optimistic illusion. I deeply regret not having a Christmas or New Years post, because I had already take many fabulous (in my mind) and artsy photos to correlate with words of seasonal hope and comfort. All for naught, it would seem.
 Well, maybe next Christmas post I can cheat and sneak in a few from last year and no one will be the wiser... Yes, good plan.

To the present!
 Because it's nearly the 14th (you may have to squint your eyes at the calendar) and it's been over a month since any decent festivities have gone down, this morning I made heart-shaped sugar cookies that I have every intention of frosting with garishly pink icing and Red Hot candies. I need this kind of joy in my life.
  This is by far and away the best sugar cookie recipe I've ever found. It's easy-peasy and the dough rolls out so smoothly you'll feel like you know what your doing in a kitchen for once. Once baked the cookies themselves are fluffy and soft like angel cheeks, and they stay soft.

We've just gotten over the January thaw and are again plunged into the spiteful claws of winter. Boo.
It happens every year: we get a week or two of temperatures above freezing and the first seed catalog arrives. You find it sitting in the mailbox like it's no big deal. Like your mind totally doesn't start pulling out concept files on building a new garden fence, new chicken house, what all to plant where this year, and maybe we should start looking at tillers, remember what it's like not to wear shoes? I bet we can start the ponies on jumps this Spring, and GOATS?? calculate cost of purchasing, housing, and keeping two dwarf goats...
 And just when you're about ready to break out the hammers and garden trowels BOOM -5* and snowing. Instant depression. You really start questioning why you live where you live. And you start checking flights to the equator (more depression).
 That's what seed catalogs do to me.

I realize that this photography is rather uninspired, but I tell ya. When your sick to death of that white stuff, making it look interesting and fresh is difficult, to say the least.
I don't want to say I'll write again soon for fear that you won't hear from me till July, but I really hope I've found a time I can carve out for blogging each week. In the mean time, you can find me occasionally on Pinterest!
 Hold on to those Spring dreams, kids.
 ~hazel marie

snowponies | i change my name

i'd like to thank you all once again for your prayers and kind words you left on my last post about Charlie. it seems i've been asking for prayers quite a lot lately, but you always come through.

 thank you. 

it wasn't long after we lost Charlie that we realized we couldn't live with the paralyzing stillness that invaded our house or the left behind toys. we contacted the breeder and learned that by some miracle she had a litter ready to go from Charlie's own parents! So meet his younger brother Tuppence. :)

Is it pathetic that I am over the moon about having a sick day? at last! finally i'm ill enough to stay in bed and work on that mountain of photos and blog posts! Yup, pathetic.
 Despite the cold snap we suffered last week (-30* was the lowest temp recorded by our brave little thermometer) that kept us indoors and close to the fire (I am Lord of the Flame), I have remained up to the nostrils in busyness of one kind or another. I still nanny my nephew (hence forward known as 'Bug') full time, and musically preform at various functions & social gatherings with my friend Songbird.
 Then there has been the enormous task of decorating the house for Christmas, but there will be a post about that in future. I hope.
Turning to blog/writing related things, I've been meaning to - after four years - perhaps... change my Blogger name? I chose 'Gwyn' when I first started because that was Cilla's name all that long time ago, and I had planned on using this blog to write TLOS. That obviously didn't pan out.
 And now that I have a proper nom de plume for my novels, I see little point in keeping the name Gwyn when it is no longer attached to anything of importance. So from now on, if it's not terribly confusing, call me Hazel?
 My pseudonym Hazel Marie has ties to two very important women in my life who have influenced me a great deal and whom I love so very much. It just feels right to honor them, even if in such a small way.

I hope to write up a few more posts before this sickness passes, so that there won't be such a gaping holes between hearing from me. I also plan on introducing more writerly-related posts and perhaps even challenges in future!
xoxo Hazel Marie

Spring? Not so fast.

This last week has been wonderful weather wise; in the upper forties with the sun shining, melting almost all our snow! There was so much that now the usually dry creek bed behind our house is running - albeit slowly.
I went riding{:D} and even the fetlock deep mud was welcome!
  Spring seemed to be coming timidly back. I saw three robins, one red-wing blackbird, a flicker{relative to the wood pecker} and a European collared dove. And a tiny clump of sprouting grass.
  Yes, well, that was yesterday.
Today I arose and drew back the curtains from my window, ready to greet a new day. But instead of being greeted with the much missed sun{we've had terrible fog all month except for the last few days}it was like winter had started all over again. A foot of snow had fallen in one night. The horrid, horrid fog has returned. The creek is frozen, and there's not a bird in sight.

Today we were supposed to go to the Big City where I would be violin shopping{finely!!!} but now we are under a "Winter Storm Warning: travel not advised". It's supposed to be a big blizzard coming in soon. Well, I should have expected it, I suppose. The calving season started Sunday with a pair of twins.{We don't ranch cows, but we have close fiends who do}. The lambing season is now over, too, the last ewe finally gave birth to a bouncing babe the other day. Looking at the lambs makes me miss my goats a lot. But they're long gone :( I wish Garm at least didn't have to be sent to the meat shop! He was the best goat I ever had!!!!
  maybe I can convince dad to get one or two kids again this summer..... While I'm wishing, I'd like a colt to break this summer too!

  Does anyone else have plans involving a furry friend this summer?

~Gwyn

Quick update...

{May I call your attention to my new profile pic? Yes, it is me and Shyanne:)}
Hammie's operation went well. Bill{the vet} said it was a good thing we didn't wait any longer because the ligament was practically gone. O.o Poor baby! I went in Thursday to learn his PT exercizes, and so on. He had to be kept in a kennel for five days to keep him off his leg. That didn't go over well with him, being Corgi/Ausi and all. They said his leg won't be totally healed for about 8 months. That's a very long time for the active guy.
As my absence testifies, I have been extremely busy and still am. Hammie's PT takes up quite a bit of time and my brother and I are very popular this season for playing at churchs'. Too bad this isn't the ideal year for it people! For us anyways. Oh, well. Show must go on and all that.
Remember I mentioned awhile back that I had the flu? It turns out I don't have the flu but worse, there is mold in one of my bedroom walls. Eergh!! I do not need this right now!!
Sunday I was really sick, but couldn't stay home because I had to play 1st violin at two Church services and the Children's Christmas Program. Monday was the second Midnight Mass practice at the Catholic Church. I'm 1st violin there, too. Tonight's another and tomorrow night it's show time! This is the third year we've played at the Catholic's MN Mass. It's like the highlight of our music year; it's the biggest church around; their biggest holiday... so we're very flattered to be asked to play for them every year.{'specially cause we're Lutheran :D} Needless to say though, it's very stressful. There's new music this year, and... Okay I *love* the latin mass and the *beautiful* latin music tunes, but, it is very hard to play! It was originally written for voices alone, which is great!...If you're in the chorus.
With voice you can easily go from a low C to a higher B. But on violin you have to cross two strings. And when you put the C-B in a run O.o
We've got one more practice...<:)

Yesterday hor-frost covered everything in beautiful white spears. Got some awesome photos I'll try and post later on this week. Today we got an almost white-out snowstorm that's hitting most of the US looks like. Fist power out too. Joy.

If I survive tomorrow, I might post...
It's getting dark and I haven't feed my horses yet. So Happy Christmas Eve's eve! If you live some place warm, I envy you. ~Gwyn

The weather is frightful! "don't forget me! I'm in there too!" Be quiet, Newton!

Oy! You know its cold when your eyelashes freeze together when you blink and freeze to your skin when you open them!
Last night it got down to -16 with a wind chill[that hasn't warmed up] of -27*!! It's now a balmy 6* above! We were praying our water pipes didn't freeze last night, and thankfully, they haven't! YAY! That has to be one of the worst parts of winter.
Our water tank on the other hand is nearly frozen solid >~<. By some miracle there's still about 4" of water left so we won't have to start hauling water in buckets till tonight. UGH!! I HATE hauling water! Sorry, just had to rant for a second...
Today we also have music lessons and shopping. That'll be fun in the but cold ;l Oh, no. *moans* That means we'll get home after dark {it gets dark @ 4:00pm} so we'll be feeding and hauling water in the dark! Maaaaaann! "Suck it up, Princess!" Hey! Don't you call me princess! "You're acting like one." Newton! Shut up! YOU get to stay here inside and be plugged into your nice warm charger! *Newton: sticks disk tray out* I knew I should have gotten Clara. Even if she didn't have a WIFI card. But no, I got the smart mouthed $200s more you! "And you're glad you did, prissy" I've about had it..! "You know people are going to read this" ......Oh.Right.... Back on topic!...Newton, what was the topic?? "You were complaining" *glares* Okay. I get your point. Right. I'm doing it for the things I hold most dear: my fur-children. So I shan't complain. Right. *nods impressively, hands on hips*
On to the good news!
"About time..!"
Newton, I shall ignore that last snide comment and continue with my post. On to the GOOD news!
Today I finished my math book and so... am on Christmas break!!!!!!!! Whooohoooo! Three WEEKS off!!!!!! Can you believe it?? Sweetnes!
Its mainly because I have to help Mum a lot. We have 27+ cookie trays to make and send out for Christmas and I've got several horse-hair necklaces to make by next week. Should be fun. I got some really beautiful horse pendants for them; I'll have to post pics when I get them done. Speaking of pics, the reason I haven't posted any of getting the Christmas tree is because my Dad has been making a DVD of hi sculptures on the iMac which has all the pics on it. And Newton doesn't have enough memory to hold my story and 80+ pictures and run fast enough for me. "Say what?" That's why I got him under $500. :)

Update on Hammie: He's going to have surgery next Wednesday to repair his ligament. Afterward its going to be really hard to keep him from running about like he usually does. We might have to get "ace" for dogs or what ever they use for them. Have you ever tried to keep a corgi/ shepherd cross calm? Not easy. Even now, when it hurst him to move, he runs after the truck and jumps around. Hmmm. That dog:)

Well, I guess that's I really have to say. Cheers!~Gwyn Farewell~Newton
Oh, don't be so dramatic.
"I'm insulted!"
Oh please.....
"You just hush! Or I'll...I'll post all your passwords! Ha!"
You wouldn't dare!
"Oh, I think I would."
Don't look so smug. Remember, I have your power cord! Ha, trump that, Newt!
"Smiggamorphgrr...."
>:) I win.
"...For now...."

Guess what i got...!!

Ho, yes! Today my eldest sister and I went to 'The Big City' {see city adventure} to go Christmas shopping and stuff like that. Well, I took a bit more money than I usually do{anything over $2o :P. What can I say? I'm cheap!} and we 'happened' by Computer Village on the way back A-and... I'm writing you from the newly christened 'Newton' iBook. *squeals!* My own laptop! I bought it with my own money so I shall be *very* careful with Newton:) Like the name, by the way? I thought it appropriate considering he's an Apple. Comically sophisticated; I call it:) Or simply Me-ness.

On another note; yesterday the weather took a turn for the WAY worse. It is now snowing profusely and bone-chillingly cold. 16* and a wind chill of around -10* and blowing real hard. And this isn't our normal dry-cold either; to make us more miserable {it seems to me} it's very damp too. Yuck. There's about a 2 inch layer of ice on the water troughs mornings and nights; that's always a good sign telling you it's really to cold, if you are somehow unable to feel the icy daggers of the wind.
I was chopping the ice this morning and splashed my Carhart covered leg; the water froze in less then ten seconds. O.o I hate winter.
Well, now that I've rejoiced and ranted with you guys I must charge head first into said hated weather in order to feed my poor fuzzy ponies. Cheers!Gwyn

p.s. Sometime I have got to share a book with you. Its an amazing true story...! Okay, okay. Enough procrastinating.... well, here I go.... Maybe... Its getting dark out....

I need some chocolate l:'(

Today has got to be one of the worst this year for me.

I woke this morning fresh and semi excited because I was going to get my braces off finely!! 

Well, I get there and they talk like I'll get them off this very am! But then I took some x-rays and two roots aren't quite straight, so, no go. TWO TEETH! 

Not happy.

This afternoon didn't go so bad. We 'winterized' everything outside. Washing the deck, replacing plastic water buckets with rubber ones, cleaning out the yard water tanks and filling them to the rim, draining the summer pasture tanks, etc...

I had to move Cokie and Wilber into one of the yards too, and in the process of opening the gate, my thumb got caught up between the chain and the gate post, and, before I could get it out, Cokie{our biggest, fattest, tallest horse} spooked and ran into the gate smunching my thumb flat D(:) Yaaaooow!!!

Not an hour later I dinged up my left hand pretty bad too. And then found out there was Youth Orchestra tonight. My bow hand's thumb was wrapped in athletic tape and swollen and my string fingers were swathed in vet wrap{it was all there was at the time!} Great.

Well, we end up going even though my brothers hands were cut up too. {a bad day for hand and fingers, eh?} We get there and... no one else does. Y.O. is next week.

Very not happy. Pass the choco, please...

'Back' to school...

*sigh* Tomorrow I indeed go 'back' to

 school. Logically, I never left since I'm homeschooled, but still, it hardly makes it any easier. This year I have a lot to do and I will list them for those of you who are interested in the homeschooling ways:

First we start off our morning with Bible and/or devotional and prayer. Then I have my own studies:

Memory Work(a Bible passage, memorized)

Poetry

Shakespeare or Plutarch

Logic

Geography/map work

Nature Studies

Copywork (copying long poems to help with penmanship and/or calligraphy)

Dictation

Language

Math

History and Ancient Myths, etc.

Latin

Science/Bio

Typing

Current Events

Narration(of books we are set to read. Mostly, it to ensure I actually read my assignments:S)

Handicrafts/ Life Skills (like cooking. Yes, my brothers have to take it too!)

P.E.

Piano

Violin

Art

Art Appreciation (learning about the artist, why they painted it, what its meaning is, etc...)

Music Appreciation (see above and apply music terms)

Home Comforts(What is that?! First time I've heard of it!)

And yeah, that should keep me pretty busy.

We all have to be on time for school, too. You must be dressed(Duh!), bed made, breakfast eaten, and, most importantly, you must have your assigned animals fed and watered. All that done and you must be seated at the table by 8 o'clock sharp. It gets really hard in winter when you have to break the ice in the water tanks. Most of the time there's more than 6" of ice, or you could be out there an hour, smashing the ice with your ice breaker(a sharp mettle pole) only to find that the whole tank is frozen solid. Very annoying and exasperating. If that is the case, then you have to haul water in a five gallon bucket all the way from the hydrant. On average it takes well over fifteen buckets to water nine or so horses. 

Ah, but I make winter sound like the worst thing ever!(it is. jk, jk!) There are of course good parts too. Like, the horses and ponies all fluffy with their winter coats, they look like regular teddy bears! lol! Their nickers of appreciation when you feed them. The cat curled up on a hay bale, sleeping in a faint ray of sun. The bunnies jumping about, excited about their new white surroundings. The dogs bounding through the drifts(Hooey trying to be elegant doing it. Without success) and the delicious taste of hot choco in the morning as you try and warm your feet, cold with the touching of the frozen floor.

Yes, I think I am slightly excited for it all, but I'd rather have a few more years of summer....:)