ColliesHorsesArtLove

Why Women Drink When They Cook

Well........is this really a hard question to answer????????????????????????????

For one, cooking interfers with playing with collies. It interfers with playing with horses. It inteferes with sleeping.

It interfers with studying French (omg..............THAT subject........).

It interfers with blogging. 

Cooking does NOT interfer with cleaning ceiling fans, base boards, toilets, spider webs......and the fridge. That I know.

Drinking makes COOKING, seem so much more FANCY. Have you noticed? I'm not sure it makes cleaning the ceiling fans more fancy. Have you ever seen a cook suddenly decide to clean a fan while chopping up garlic. That is weird. Or, geeeezzzz, the toilet. "Here, let me swish the toilet brush around a few times while the garlic is cooking in the olive oil?" What a visual. G A ...R O S S.

I really am fine with cooking. It's just the cleaning up afterwards that makes me mad. That's when I should drink. But it's just not the same after dinner. I need the residue drinking to spill over to dealing with dirty dishes. 

I have trained T hard on certain things....the dogs, the fur, the horses, the trips. He's amazing. But he is old school on "You cooked..wow,Yummmy!!!!! You clean up too!!". I'm working on it, but so far, after 5 yrs. I suck. I have to look at the bright side. He could hate what I cook. But, most of the time he's in awe, or at least pretends. A work in progress. Maybe a few more years???????? I'll let you know. But in the meantime I drink while I cook. 

Ranch Life or Les chevaux échappés!

 

And why are the mares tied to the trailer at 6:30 am? 

Not because we were going riding. That's really early. Because they escaped "échappés" out of their hotwire fencing, then took down about 9,000' of the cow fencing. All in the middle of the night. Judging by the hoof prints ALL over the grass, property, the fire pit top flung about (Khaliq...) and horsey doo doo...le chevaux jouent!!

I just know I heard barking Cardiff & Squishy a lot last night, then they must have gone to beddie on their cheap Indian blankets because I didn't hear them again til EARLY......5:45 am. I tried to ignore it and managed for 45 minutes then I finally look out at 6:30 and see darks spots in front of the fence. I thought maybe it was the horse blankets I hung on the fence yesterday. Big ones & a little baby blanket. Except they were moving! Escape Horsey Ranch Alert! "Honey you must get up!! The mares & filly are out 'et marche' (and running)"!!"

I gotta admit T is really doing well with this ranch stuff. He didn't bitch at all. Except about the blisters on his un-chaussette (socks) feet. Baby. But he's used to getting up early and working.

All is well. The mommas got tied to the trailer and baby was loose trying to undo the lead ropes and eat things off of my trailer. What a cute little filly! And we watched the sun come up. A start to a great weekend!

Au revoir!

The Sun is Out Again ~ La La La La La La La!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What a nice day. This photo is not from today but last week. But it doesn't matter. It looked like today. Pretty & Cool.

Zoe is doing great. I had a phone appointment with my homeopath yesterday. I don't know why I waited so long to talk to him about her. It was so uplifting. "First Do No Harm". Is that not where we should start first, to heal? And, if not heal, comfort?

I rode Summer on the training hill. Have I mentioned how much I LOVE to ride her??? She's poetry. She's yummy. And she's pretty. And Khaliq's been eating her beautiful long mane.......but I saw that last week.....so it didn't ruin today.

And, AND my oldest family friend Joanne (who not only lives close to me but is the reason why I used to come up to Northern California) speaks............d r u m  r o l l  p l e a s e ................................F R E N C H ! ! ! ! ! Is that just the coolest thing you have ever heard??? Of course I couldn't say shit to her, but I will. It's a goal. Like in 2011. "Bonjour!" La la la la la la la la la!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My French Progress ~ ness

I am please to report I'm not as dumb as I feel.....

I was studying like a fool on my French, and feeling very optimistic that Rosetta Stone is the way to go for me ~ a person who will probably never go to France because she has too many animals and her French mother-in-law doesn't care to talk to her but in a hybrid language she cannot understand. But it's ok. It's the journey that is so wonderful. Right?

So, Rosetta Stone grades you after each section besides having the "You Suck" Meter which is fun. There is a "Core Lesson", then the lessons are broken down into sections of: Pronunciation, Vocabulary, Grammar, Reading, Writing, etc. Each level has several core lessons. My grades have been pretty good, average around 94%, more or less. Well, last week, I was finally ready to go to the second level. Yahoo~ ie~~~!! I am going to be a French speaker in no time!! I'll be reading books, email French collie people, listening to the Internet French Radio and very possibly, have a conversation with Germaine. She'll be so impressed with my command of the language that she will remember why she loves me so much. I can speak French to her and finally understand her after all these years!! La la la la la!!!!!!

So I'm on to the next level and all of a sudden I am in French Speaking Hell. What are they talking about???? Is this a joke? Did I miss something?? Suddenly I am using my Google-Translator for everything!! I finish the first core lesson and score a whopping 6%!!!! And how much did this all cost?????!!! Oh Jeeeezzzzzzzzzzzzzz!!!!!!!!!!!!

So, I figured I had hit a little roadblock and wasn't really wanting to pay attention ~ or the love wore off. Or that maybe my mind really was on watching the next new episode of House Hunters International (or the re-runs). Or, it could have been the migraine, the daysofseverecrampsbecauseofbloodloss, or Blackie doggie. I redo the exercise. I get around a 20%. I redo it several more times and get it up to about 45%. I move on. It hurts. I can't believe this is happening to me. I'm now convinced I am one of those individuals who's too inept to response to the brilliant & easy Rosetta Stone software program.

I hate French.

Several days later I go back to my home page and for some reason I MISSED A WHOLE SECTION. Like Level 2 which has 35 lessons. Oh thank GOD!!! I had to do several lessons before blogging just in case it wasn't true ~ just in case I really didn't have the knack. But, it's true. I am amazing!!! I can learn a new language at 50!!!

I scored 100% on my last test of Vocabulary. I like this program. I'll speak French somethings to T one day and he won't know what I say but he'll love it because I sound so sexy & amazing & smart!! What a day!!

Life is good. La la la la la la la!!!!

French Internet Radio

So this is what I hear:

"Blah blah blah blah le (the) blah blah blah. Blah blah une (a/female) blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah. Blah blah blah blah blah le voiture (the vehicle- I think ~ can you say that again just in case I'm not sure??) blah blah. Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah un (a/male) blah blah blah blah blah blah rouge (red) blah blah blah.

Blah blah blah blah blah blah tres bien (very well)." 

I'll let you know how I do as the weeks go on......Funn funna!!!!

My French ~ ness

So, it's been about 8 days since my venture into a different language? I have been wondering how I might speak to a person fluent in my language of passion and thinking that might be a real native. Pierre's mom. 

I have been studying like crazy and as you know even studied in the ucky hotel room with my French named collie Soleil. Driving home I rehearsed in my head what I was going to say. I was hoping to get the answering machine. It was going to go like this.

"Bonjour!"

"Comment allez-vous?"

"Je suis tres bien"

"Au revoir!"

Oh, I was going to throw in a "I love you" too. I think it's cool when people mix two languages in the same conversation. They sound so....smart.

So I call. I get my father-in-law on the phone. He is very chatty. I keep the French to myself. He is really chatty and I'm starting to get nervous. Do I tell him I want to speak to momma in French? Nah. I act like I know nothing. He tells me several stories and then I wonder if I should even talk to her because the stories are tragic but I finally ask. "Let me talk to Germaine". I am getting the courage up now, but it doesn't fit into the plan. (The answering machine.) What if she asks me something back? Or laughs at my French. Rosetta Stone has the "You suck" "You sound somewhat French" and "You sound like a native" meter and I felt I was getting pretty good at the pronunciation. After the first two days I had to break out the raw apple cider vinegar "with the mother" to gargle. My throat really hurt. I was workin' it!! "GAR CON" Say that right and not have it hurt!!

Papa says "Can she call you back, she's doing bills". Ok. So, we chat some more, we hang up, I drive and I wait. An hour later I get a text from her. "H p n y t o u too". (She must not have a full keyboard and the fact that she's texting at 77/78 is amazing. The fact that I can understand that text is equally amazing). I call her. I AM driving.

"Bonjour!" (I sounded really good!!)

She laughs. A lot. "Hello!?? Um 'Bonjour??.'"

"I'm learning French. I need to talk to you" 

She says "Oh, I don't care to talk French anymore."

"!!!!!!!!!! Huh????????!!!!!!!!!!! YOU HAVE TOO!!!!"

She says "Oh, you'll find someone to speak to. Maybe you can help me with my writing. I don't remember how to do it anymore. My sister doesn't understand me anymore either."

Then she started to talk about something else. I listened even though I couldn't understand her. We said "Happy New Year" & "I love you" and hang up. I felt sooooo discombobulated/alone/dejected, a freak of nature.....................so I drive home and turn on my Rosetta Stone and T laughs from the other room.......

New Year's Day Tidings

We had a nice day today ~ saw some snow falling when we woke up, but sorry to say to my Canadian friends, it did not stick, so maybe it was not really snow. So, I don't know what it was. Later we drove to Cool (where I took this cell phone picture) to a potluck with our endurance club held in the local bar. That was fun and apparently the bar lets dogs in there so instead of flying to France with a collie, I think I'll meet Donna and we can bring a couple of dogs and drink something. I think dogs should be allowed everywhere. They used to let horses in occasionally. Like if they won Tevis. I'd let my horse LIVE in my house if he won Tevis.

Then we went to visit Donna, and exchanged gifts. Her gift to me were pajamas and I think I will wear them 12 hours a day. After coming home and feeding the megaanimalfarm, I went to Jolene's blog and made a comment on her blog. To keep spam off of the blogs, you usually have to type in some non-descript word, which automated spammers can't do. So, my word tonight was "Pluff". Next to everything I'm learning in French, it's my new favorite word.

Pluffy Soleil

Is Cardiff looking Pluffier?

I can't show my dogs 'til they get more pluff.

That one won because it has more pluff than my dog.

Oh my God my hair looks so pluffy today!!!!!

Your horse left some pluff in the driveway.

I don't know if I can eat that. It's just too pluffy looking .

Ohhhhhh........my pillow is soooo  p l u f f y ! ! !

Does this new pajama outfit make me look pluffy?

God, my life is so simple.

Guess Who Gets To Sleep In Tonight..........

With "belle" Snowball feet????

There are majors in bitches and we are going!!!!! WOWZIE!!!!!!

Wish us luck!!! We are so excited!!!! Btw, I am taking my computer so I can continue to post comments on the Squishy War. I feel like someone might get slugged!! It's like Jerry Springer or something.....

Collie Company from Far Away

So, one of my blog stalkers and her husband came to visit us just before Christmas. Candice is seriously interested in a Cole X Soleil puppy dog and has been doing her research for some time now. Soleil is entered in shows and due to come in season soon, so I won't breed her this season but the following season, which probably will be next fall. Anyway, Candice & her husband are very sweet, quiet people (and YOUNG mind you!!) but they both are very mature for their ages. What a pleasant surprise ~ thou I suspected it from her emails. She was also able to see Cole & the Easy To Spot Collies on her way back from Southern California, so she has a good idea what our dogs are like.

Her words about Squishy were......."He's more beautiful in person than in photos"......aaaawwwhhhhh.......S q u i s h y . . .

And our French for the day...."Squishy est belle". Say it. "Squishy eh bell".

Candice might have said that Squishy was her favorite & the most beautiful....but I'm not saying that to get Jolene to visit or anything off the wall like that.

I was hoping they would get here before it got dark so we could go for a dog walk, but Candice actually got sick with food poisoning, so they were a day late. Not a problem. I had more time to do the PET feet and maybe think about cleaning the ceiling fan. (Like she'd really look up at my ceiling fan!!! Did you Candice???)

Here is a walk from last week on one of the drier days. The fast ones are Soleil, Cardiff, Squishy & Tirzah. The other 3 doggies get involved if the group races by. Lana only gets serious to run if a b u n n y is spotted. Other than that, there's not a real reason to waste energy.

 

Long but cute.

And, remember, "Squishy est belle". 

Anyone Speak French???

Ok. This was sorta going to be a Christmas present from T but it turned out he got me something else and I had already ordered the Rosetta Stone French. It's a boring and convoluted story so I won't go into it but I would have eventually gotten it in my life so...... "Bonjour!"

"Chevaux de course"

"Le chien court" or "Le Squishy court."

 I'll let you know what I learn tomorrow.....

"Au revoir."