Besides the cats keeping cozy on a snowy, winter afternoon, I've been making some progress on Nemesis.
Friday, December 11, 2015
Kitty Pics
Because I don't have any big updates, some cat pics. The boys were sharing the cat mat in the window today. Dargo (Siamese) doesn't usually like having Jack (brown/white) close. This was a rare occurrence. And I even caught Dargo grooming Jack a little.
Sunday, November 22, 2015
my Buddy and me
For those of us who grew up in the 80's, that subject line should trigger the memory of a pair of dolls advertised for boys and girls.
In this case, I'm actually referring to my horse, Buddy. He's come a long ways in the seven weeks I've had him. We had to overcome ringworm and he would barely let me pick up his front hooves, forget the hind legs.
Buddy is now ringworm free and nine days ago had his teeth tended to by a veterinarian who specializes in equine dentistry. I was somewhat surprised by the difference that I saw in him after that. While it no longer surprises me that removing an animal's pain (or a human's!) can make a BIG difference in how cooperative and relaxed they become, I was surprised at the changes that came from having the teeth tended to. Buddy had two wolf teeth removed and all sharp points and hooks floated. At least one of those was causing a sore at the back of his mouth.
I also learned that he's only 2, not the 3 years that was listed in the sale catalog for the auction where I bought him. Not a bad thing, but it means I'm definitely not pushing him for training over the winter.
In fact, since having his teeth done, he suddenly decided that trusting me with his feet wasn't such a big deal. We had been making slow progress, particularly with the front feet, but even that still brought on a bit of a struggle after a short time on three feet. Now, he's even let me hold and pick out his hind feet.
And now, I can attack the thrush that's deep inside his central sulci, which were pretty well closed off by an overgrowth of frog tissue, and his collateral grooves. And I know exactly how to handle this after dealing with Beau's poor feet. Buddy was good about letting me open up those areas with a hoof knife to his front frogs (hinds looked like someone had taken care of them at some point). But I couldn't believe his reaction when I took a cuticle tool into his hooves and dug out the deep-down gunk inside them. His tense acceptance of letting me work on his hooves became instant relaxation! It was as if he exhaled a great big "THANK YOU!"
After giving all the grooves, especially the deep central sulci of the front hooves, a good cleaning, I filled them with a mix of triple antibiotic ointment and clotrimazole, aka "Ramey's goo". I'll have to stay on top of this for at least a couple of weeks, but my fingers are crossed that we can finally get this boy as sound as he is otherwise healthy. Seeing his mincing, toe-first steps has been frustrating; but at least I know that this is treatable.
He's one lucky horse! Ten years ago, I would not have known what to do for him. But after all I did for Beau, he gets the benefits of that knowledge.
In this case, I'm actually referring to my horse, Buddy. He's come a long ways in the seven weeks I've had him. We had to overcome ringworm and he would barely let me pick up his front hooves, forget the hind legs.
Buddy is now ringworm free and nine days ago had his teeth tended to by a veterinarian who specializes in equine dentistry. I was somewhat surprised by the difference that I saw in him after that. While it no longer surprises me that removing an animal's pain (or a human's!) can make a BIG difference in how cooperative and relaxed they become, I was surprised at the changes that came from having the teeth tended to. Buddy had two wolf teeth removed and all sharp points and hooks floated. At least one of those was causing a sore at the back of his mouth.
I also learned that he's only 2, not the 3 years that was listed in the sale catalog for the auction where I bought him. Not a bad thing, but it means I'm definitely not pushing him for training over the winter.
In fact, since having his teeth done, he suddenly decided that trusting me with his feet wasn't such a big deal. We had been making slow progress, particularly with the front feet, but even that still brought on a bit of a struggle after a short time on three feet. Now, he's even let me hold and pick out his hind feet.
And now, I can attack the thrush that's deep inside his central sulci, which were pretty well closed off by an overgrowth of frog tissue, and his collateral grooves. And I know exactly how to handle this after dealing with Beau's poor feet. Buddy was good about letting me open up those areas with a hoof knife to his front frogs (hinds looked like someone had taken care of them at some point). But I couldn't believe his reaction when I took a cuticle tool into his hooves and dug out the deep-down gunk inside them. His tense acceptance of letting me work on his hooves became instant relaxation! It was as if he exhaled a great big "THANK YOU!"
After giving all the grooves, especially the deep central sulci of the front hooves, a good cleaning, I filled them with a mix of triple antibiotic ointment and clotrimazole, aka "Ramey's goo". I'll have to stay on top of this for at least a couple of weeks, but my fingers are crossed that we can finally get this boy as sound as he is otherwise healthy. Seeing his mincing, toe-first steps has been frustrating; but at least I know that this is treatable.
He's one lucky horse! Ten years ago, I would not have known what to do for him. But after all I did for Beau, he gets the benefits of that knowledge.
Sunday, November 1, 2015
Horse pic spam
I finally have lots of pics of Buddy. It's been four weeks today since he was brought to where I've been boarding and he's transitioning to pasture very well. He's put on weight since the ulcers have healed (he had all the signs that I recognized). With that, he's calmed down a lot, although he was never a nut or anything to begin with. For him, however, he's gone from behaving like a typical young horse to a mature horse.
And his ringworm is healed and the hair has mostly filled in. Thanks to the vet who recommended miconazole, he looks like a beautiful large pony/small horse. I still have to measure to get an exact height. He's a beautiful color and in an adorable little package with a sound mind that I feel will make him a great horse for my kids to share with me.
So, without further ado, here are pics of Buddy and me with Buddy (finally). I'm 5 foot 2 inches, so you can get a fair comparison of his small stature...
And his ringworm is healed and the hair has mostly filled in. Thanks to the vet who recommended miconazole, he looks like a beautiful large pony/small horse. I still have to measure to get an exact height. He's a beautiful color and in an adorable little package with a sound mind that I feel will make him a great horse for my kids to share with me.
So, without further ado, here are pics of Buddy and me with Buddy (finally). I'm 5 foot 2 inches, so you can get a fair comparison of his small stature...
 |
| The right side of the pic is his left, where the ringworm was worst.The hair is growing in beautifully around that left eye. |
 |
| His good side (which barely had any ringworm patches). |
 |
| Getting this was hard, since he wanted to stay close to me. This shows the left side of his face and body. |
See...He's not very big. Good things come in small packages, and forsaking all modesty, I mean both of us :)
ps--he's the perfect horse at this time in my life, just as Beau was the perfect horse for me before this. Buddy is my twelfth horse, if you count the ones that weren't really "mine" but were mine in name. Twelve is a great number, as was Ten.
pps--It's hard to believe that he didn't know how to be spoiled four weeks ago, but he's learned to nibble at my pocket with the treats now.
Monday, September 7, 2015
New kitten
I don't think I've shared any pics of the newest family member. This
is the barn-kitten turned housecat that I couldn't resist adopting from a
friend's barn...Jack (Sparrow/O'Neill/Samurai (very appropriate
considering the little needles on those white paws)/Harkness). All cats
in the household are named after SFF characters. "Jack" may seem
ordinary, but he's named after many characters we like.
I swear he's part ragdoll:
Jack has been with us for a month, has been neutered, and goes in for his final set of kitten shots this week. Litterbox training him was never an issue. Barn-to-house cat was the most natural transition for him. And he was well socialized with humans and other cats so much that he's very loving to the point that I know when it's time to get up in the morning by the cold wet nose and face full of fur shoved into my cheek.
I swear he's part ragdoll:
Dargo is not BFFs with Jack, but tolerates him. When Jack plays, he gives Dargo a run for his money. Jack is pretty fierce and very bold, much more so than Dargo. Serves Dargo right for all the times he's been rough while playing with Suki >:)
I'm not sure if you can tell, but jack is the prettiest brown tabby with tuxedo markings.
Jack has been with us for a month, has been neutered, and goes in for his final set of kitten shots this week. Litterbox training him was never an issue. Barn-to-house cat was the most natural transition for him. And he was well socialized with humans and other cats so much that he's very loving to the point that I know when it's time to get up in the morning by the cold wet nose and face full of fur shoved into my cheek.
Thursday, September 3, 2015
Inventing recipes...Squash
So, I can't have tomatoes, or pasta, or pizza for that matter. What can I eat when I can't have most grains or nightshades? Squash!
I have had "spaghetti" zucchini as meals before. I love zucchini, and you don't even have to cook to enjoy it. Just shred lengthwise and you're done in seconds.
The sauce I thought up on my own. It is a different kind of squash, a sweet squash. I think it was butternut squash. I can't remember because I had cooked it a few months ago and cut it up into individual serving pieces, bagged it, and froze it. I took out one of the larger pieces, thawed it in the microwave, and pureed it in my Ninja with a little water. I then dumped it into a small saucepan with a tiny bit of butter (for the flavor only), a little extra virgin olive oil (for the flavor), and some coconut oil. I then Ninja'd a leaf of savoy cabbage, a little bit of green onion, and a medium clove of garlic with some water and dumped that into the saucepan. I got that all simmering then added some dried basil and fresh oregano and some fresh onion. I simmered off some of the water to thicken it and blend the flavors. It didn't take long. The sauce was literally awesome-sauce in my opinion. I had enough for this serving with just enough extra for lunch tomorrow. The sauce would be good with other pairings too.
The white pat is goat cheese. I love goat cheese! A little with each bite added the perfect flavor. I debated just putting it into the sauce but didn't know how that would turn out, but on the side was perfect. Chevre makes a nice condiment or base in recipes, especially when you're trying to avoid certain dairy proteins.
I've had a little reaction but nothing major. It's not the squash or the ingredients (maybe the cabbage--goitrogens can cause problems for me), but it's not unusual for all food to cause a slight problem; it's more troublesome that even sipping water makes my neck hurt sometimes. I just live with the fact that my thyroid doesn't like anything I do anymore and eat as healthy as I can.
ps--this is quite filling!
 |
| Squash spaghetti |
I have had "spaghetti" zucchini as meals before. I love zucchini, and you don't even have to cook to enjoy it. Just shred lengthwise and you're done in seconds.
The sauce I thought up on my own. It is a different kind of squash, a sweet squash. I think it was butternut squash. I can't remember because I had cooked it a few months ago and cut it up into individual serving pieces, bagged it, and froze it. I took out one of the larger pieces, thawed it in the microwave, and pureed it in my Ninja with a little water. I then dumped it into a small saucepan with a tiny bit of butter (for the flavor only), a little extra virgin olive oil (for the flavor), and some coconut oil. I then Ninja'd a leaf of savoy cabbage, a little bit of green onion, and a medium clove of garlic with some water and dumped that into the saucepan. I got that all simmering then added some dried basil and fresh oregano and some fresh onion. I simmered off some of the water to thicken it and blend the flavors. It didn't take long. The sauce was literally awesome-sauce in my opinion. I had enough for this serving with just enough extra for lunch tomorrow. The sauce would be good with other pairings too.
The white pat is goat cheese. I love goat cheese! A little with each bite added the perfect flavor. I debated just putting it into the sauce but didn't know how that would turn out, but on the side was perfect. Chevre makes a nice condiment or base in recipes, especially when you're trying to avoid certain dairy proteins.
I've had a little reaction but nothing major. It's not the squash or the ingredients (maybe the cabbage--goitrogens can cause problems for me), but it's not unusual for all food to cause a slight problem; it's more troublesome that even sipping water makes my neck hurt sometimes. I just live with the fact that my thyroid doesn't like anything I do anymore and eat as healthy as I can.
ps--this is quite filling!
Saturday, July 11, 2015
Be flexible
We only get one life to live.
I understand that now. For too long, I thought I had to write every day to be a writer, or reach a minimum word count. I sacrificed my family to pursue it. You know what? It's not worth the sacrifice, no matter how big the dream. When you're young, it seems like nothing is happening, despite the small steps. But at some point, you realize all that you missed. Then it's time to play catch-up in a different way.
Don't go through life with blinkers on. (Blinkers are the flaps on a driving bridle that keep the horse from seeing what's behind him and might frighten him.) Like that horse that only can see ahead instead of everything around him, you'll be missing out on many things. Rather, be willing to deviate and make adjustments.
I've learned that I don't have to write every day to be a writer or to reach a goal. I'll get there in the end, but I don't have to race ahead on only one focus. I've learned to deviate when I need to and can always return to the path I left after exploring the path I didn't see because of the proverbial blinkers I used to wear. I've done that in writing a couple of books now--breaking from one project somewhere in the middle to go off on another--and I've learned that it tends to work out for the best. I've also decided not to force myself to write if I'm not in the mood. There are plenty of other things going on around me, especially with my family. When I lock myself up with the computer, I shut them out and I shut myself out of their lives.
We only get one life. Take advantage of ALL that it has to offer. Don't die with the regrets of what dreams you don't accomplish. Rather, live so that in the end, you are fulfilled by the richness you discovered by being willing to take a different path than what you thought you wanted.
I understand that now. For too long, I thought I had to write every day to be a writer, or reach a minimum word count. I sacrificed my family to pursue it. You know what? It's not worth the sacrifice, no matter how big the dream. When you're young, it seems like nothing is happening, despite the small steps. But at some point, you realize all that you missed. Then it's time to play catch-up in a different way.
Don't go through life with blinkers on. (Blinkers are the flaps on a driving bridle that keep the horse from seeing what's behind him and might frighten him.) Like that horse that only can see ahead instead of everything around him, you'll be missing out on many things. Rather, be willing to deviate and make adjustments.
I've learned that I don't have to write every day to be a writer or to reach a goal. I'll get there in the end, but I don't have to race ahead on only one focus. I've learned to deviate when I need to and can always return to the path I left after exploring the path I didn't see because of the proverbial blinkers I used to wear. I've done that in writing a couple of books now--breaking from one project somewhere in the middle to go off on another--and I've learned that it tends to work out for the best. I've also decided not to force myself to write if I'm not in the mood. There are plenty of other things going on around me, especially with my family. When I lock myself up with the computer, I shut them out and I shut myself out of their lives.
We only get one life. Take advantage of ALL that it has to offer. Don't die with the regrets of what dreams you don't accomplish. Rather, live so that in the end, you are fulfilled by the richness you discovered by being willing to take a different path than what you thought you wanted.
Friday, June 26, 2015
Amazing nature
I encountered this coming out of our neighborhood this morning (facing west):
This morning mist rainbow occurred with the fog obscuring Bismarck, looking to the west with the sun in the east. I don't know if anyone has seen anything like this before, but it was a first for me. I'm glad I had my phone set on panorama!
ps--I didn't know such a spectacle was possible. Isn't nature amazing?
Thursday, June 18, 2015
Nemesis cover
Thank you for all the feedback on the cover (from all sites)!
It seems that a modification of the second cover choice in my previous post has won out...
It's a compromise between strict"science fiction" and what Starfire Angels has been, setting the tone of this story as it is, which is not a romance. That feather seems to hint that there's something more, giving it just the right touch, imho.
Now I need to get back to finishing Nemesis! I left off about halfway into the story. On a good note, the time away was just what I needed. I left off where I was muddled and this time away gave my mind the breathing space to resolve the issue that had stymied me. I now have a concise plan for the rest of the book which wraps it up quite nicely.
I hope to finish the first draft this summer and set it aside to return to Enlightenment, hopefully by end of summer/early fall, if I can get the writing up to speed again. With a clear vision of the rest, it should be easy, but it's always easy in theory :b EDIT: I've set up the preorder on Smashwords with a release date for February 4, 2016. I am committed to finishing this!
And speaking of preorders, on a final note, The Lereni Trade is now set up as a preorder on Smashwords. It will distribute to BN, Apple, and Kobo over the next couple of weeks. I'll post links when I have them.
It seems that a modification of the second cover choice in my previous post has won out...
It's a compromise between strict"science fiction" and what Starfire Angels has been, setting the tone of this story as it is, which is not a romance. That feather seems to hint that there's something more, giving it just the right touch, imho.
Now I need to get back to finishing Nemesis! I left off about halfway into the story. On a good note, the time away was just what I needed. I left off where I was muddled and this time away gave my mind the breathing space to resolve the issue that had stymied me. I now have a concise plan for the rest of the book which wraps it up quite nicely.
I hope to finish the first draft this summer and set it aside to return to Enlightenment, hopefully by end of summer/early fall, if I can get the writing up to speed again. With a clear vision of the rest, it should be easy, but it's always easy in theory :b EDIT: I've set up the preorder on Smashwords with a release date for February 4, 2016. I am committed to finishing this!
And speaking of preorders, on a final note, The Lereni Trade is now set up as a preorder on Smashwords. It will distribute to BN, Apple, and Kobo over the next couple of weeks. I'll post links when I have them.
Saturday, June 6, 2015
Cat break
And now for a word from my attention whore cat...Dargo
Dargo enjoys his little outings on the deck, but that's as far as we let him go--too precious to us to let him wander outside to get lost, killed, or sick--and he rolls and rolls as if to mark it with his scent in his own cat way of saying, "This is mine!"
Dargo enjoys his little outings on the deck, but that's as far as we let him go--too precious to us to let him wander outside to get lost, killed, or sick--and he rolls and rolls as if to mark it with his scent in his own cat way of saying, "This is mine!"
Thursday, March 12, 2015
Sunday, February 1, 2015
Thursday, January 1, 2015
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