Yee Ha!Today is the annual Corn Festival here in Swantucky. There will be a parade featuring corn. Then there will be games and booths and food featuring corn. There will be beer which has little to do with corn but in Swantucky, there is always beer. According to the weather man there will be rain which will make the corn grow but would suck if there wasn't beer. We take our corn seriously here people so come on over and grab a beer.
Our county Fair is in a week and a half and it is a huge deal. Its one of the biggest in Ohio and if you want to haul your camper out there to camp, you have to call on April 1st to reserve a site and if you are fortunate enough to get one, you NEVER give it up. We dont camp often so in our woods is a 1972 camper that sleeps six. We haul that baby out once a year and clean it up and take it to our site and set it up. One year we took a large refrigerator and we had a storm that actually blew the fridge over and tore the screened room we keep there. We spend each night going from campsite to campsite visiting with whomever is making a hobo dinner that night. A hobo dinner consists of sausage, potatoes, cabbage and you guessed it, corn. This has been our Fair routine every year now for 16 years and we are proud to say that our little camper is the ugliest one on the entire campgrounds. Dont knock it, its a Swantucky thing. We used to haul several horses up there back when we showed horses and were 4H advisors but now with our busy lives, we are lucky if we get to actually sleep out there one night. It's still nice to go out in the evenings and drink margueritas and watch the horse shows. As I said, no matter what, NEVER give up your campsite. NEVER!
One year, I had pneumonia and ended up in the emergency room at 4 am and the hospital wanted to admit me but alas we checked me out and went back to the fairgrounds because we had kids showing their horses in a couple hours. We showed up only to be yelled at by the kids parents because we were 20 minutes late. Bear had open heart surgery but his priority was Jen and I going out and setting up our campsite so we wouldn't lose it and go back on the waiting list. We did it for him and after we did, Jen ended up in the hospital and I had to take it all down by myself. It always rains, most often storms, always turns cold after days of seering heat with no shade, people are always stressed and nasty by the third or fourth day and bitchy, but there is the food and the rides and the corn and most of all the tradition that makes us return year after year to the same campsite and take it all in.
So here in Swatucky, we take our Fair seriously. We take our corn seriously and we take our beer and margueritas seriously and if you live here, the one thing you honor is tradition. Time to pull the little camper that sleeps six uncomfortably out of the woods and clean her up. Oh yeah, did I mention that the license plate on it is from 1982? It isn't ours either. I think the person it was originally registered to is dead now. Ahhhh, life in Swantucky! As usual, we will be enjoying the scenic route of the back roads hauling out to Fair. Rednecks who celebrate corn do NOT mess with tradition! You, fellow Swantuckians are the view from the back of my horse today. Rock on!!!
Blessings
Tena
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Mama said there'd be days like this
Yesterday shall go down in the record books as one of the suckiest days but that was yesterday and I woke up this morning to a new one. YEAH! I try not to hold on to those bad ones for very long. If I do, I lose sight of the next day which could be a better one all together. Mama said there would be days like this as the song goes but she also said that if I kissed a boy, I would go blind so I cant believe everything she says.
I entertained myself by going to walmart last night and buying the neighbors baby black pajamas with glow in the dark bones on it. Like a skeleton. Best $3 I ever spent. Kids don't usually care what clothes you put on them unless it glows in the dark and then BAM! They are suddenly interested. He is seven months old, sitting up on his own and has no teeth yet but the dude is a great judge of what is interesting and skeleton jammies totally rock the house! Made me wish I had a pair to fit me.
So looking ahead... our mini aussie Sadie is due to have puppies in two weeks and she is huge! I love puppies. The only thing that would make them any cuter is , you guessed it, skeleton pajamas! Sadie now sprawls out on her belly with all four legs spread out beside her and last night, she did this in our bed and would not move. She had me pinned in one position for the entire night. It was storming so our bed is the most popular place in the house. With five dogs, I have to make reservations ahead of time to find a spot to sleep. Life is good!
Twitter is rocking and I havent been able to join in for a while so since it is going to be a rainy day, time to tweet, my friends. Then of course there is the Carnival Games by WII. Need I say more? It's like being at Fair. So the view from the back of my horse today is being kind to myself, screwing around and accomplishing nothing! I feel I owe it to myself and if I had them, I would spend the day in my skeleton jammies and glow in the dark. Have a good day everyone and mama...there may be days like that but today is not one of them.
Blessings
Tena
I entertained myself by going to walmart last night and buying the neighbors baby black pajamas with glow in the dark bones on it. Like a skeleton. Best $3 I ever spent. Kids don't usually care what clothes you put on them unless it glows in the dark and then BAM! They are suddenly interested. He is seven months old, sitting up on his own and has no teeth yet but the dude is a great judge of what is interesting and skeleton jammies totally rock the house! Made me wish I had a pair to fit me.
So looking ahead... our mini aussie Sadie is due to have puppies in two weeks and she is huge! I love puppies. The only thing that would make them any cuter is , you guessed it, skeleton pajamas! Sadie now sprawls out on her belly with all four legs spread out beside her and last night, she did this in our bed and would not move. She had me pinned in one position for the entire night. It was storming so our bed is the most popular place in the house. With five dogs, I have to make reservations ahead of time to find a spot to sleep. Life is good!
Twitter is rocking and I havent been able to join in for a while so since it is going to be a rainy day, time to tweet, my friends. Then of course there is the Carnival Games by WII. Need I say more? It's like being at Fair. So the view from the back of my horse today is being kind to myself, screwing around and accomplishing nothing! I feel I owe it to myself and if I had them, I would spend the day in my skeleton jammies and glow in the dark. Have a good day everyone and mama...there may be days like that but today is not one of them.
Blessings
Tena
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
The Best advice
The best advice I have ever recieved is a simple one word that we should do by reflex and yet when things get really hectic, we sometimes forget. I called a friend one day when things were reallyu bad and she listened and then said that one word that I still remind myself of every day when I wake up feeling like that 600 lb weight is on my chest...BREATHE!
My life for almost five years now has been balancing on the edge of my worst fear which is losing my hubby. We still visit the emergency room, live our lives by the way he feels on any given day and get frightened at the possibilities. Recently his left arm has been going numb, he has been feeling nauscous and is tired all the time. Breathe!
He looks pale and his hair is going grey like overnight...breathe. Good advice. It really is but even the best advice is sometimes not enough to stop living in fear of losing him. I am only half of who I am without him and when I look at him, I am reminded of that and the fact that he is not the same as he was and never again will be. But back to the best advice...
The best advice in the world is not going to chenge you unless you genuinely feel it inside yourself. To hear someone say it to you is reassuring for a while but I can tell you that at 4 am when you lie there in the darkness and the scarey thoughts consume you, it is difficult to hear the reassurance and to hear the posisivity and it is difficult to breathe.
Maybe a post it on the headboard would help. Maybe a recording that I could play for myself and maybe just to wake one morning and look at him and know he isnt struggling through all the things we take for granted. Maybe all this would help, I dont know. I live in the moment and in this moment, I am frightened. So the view from the back of my horse is the best advice I have ever gotten and I pass it on to you. No matter how bad it seems, it could be worst and no matter how bad it actually gets, we have to remind each other and ourselves... to breathe.
Blessings
Tena
My life for almost five years now has been balancing on the edge of my worst fear which is losing my hubby. We still visit the emergency room, live our lives by the way he feels on any given day and get frightened at the possibilities. Recently his left arm has been going numb, he has been feeling nauscous and is tired all the time. Breathe!
He looks pale and his hair is going grey like overnight...breathe. Good advice. It really is but even the best advice is sometimes not enough to stop living in fear of losing him. I am only half of who I am without him and when I look at him, I am reminded of that and the fact that he is not the same as he was and never again will be. But back to the best advice...
The best advice in the world is not going to chenge you unless you genuinely feel it inside yourself. To hear someone say it to you is reassuring for a while but I can tell you that at 4 am when you lie there in the darkness and the scarey thoughts consume you, it is difficult to hear the reassurance and to hear the posisivity and it is difficult to breathe.
Maybe a post it on the headboard would help. Maybe a recording that I could play for myself and maybe just to wake one morning and look at him and know he isnt struggling through all the things we take for granted. Maybe all this would help, I dont know. I live in the moment and in this moment, I am frightened. So the view from the back of my horse is the best advice I have ever gotten and I pass it on to you. No matter how bad it seems, it could be worst and no matter how bad it actually gets, we have to remind each other and ourselves... to breathe.
Blessings
Tena
Monday, August 17, 2009
As summer draws to an end
What?! Did I really just say that?! Summer drawing to an end. I think I did and I am sorry but it is what it is and there aint notta thing we can do about it. This is where I say "but heres the good news" but there aint no good news really. Oh wait, thought of one...hurricane season. Thats right, hurricane season. See my friend Emily Jo taught me a new game.
Jim Cantone I think his name is, maybe Bill but I think it's Jim. I did get the Cantone part right however is a weather man who says "Hunker down!" Now I say that all the time but when HE says it, do a shot! So Hurricane Bill is building strength and when he does, ya'all better HUNKER DOWN. SHOT! Sweet!
Sweet as in short and sweet for todays blog. The view from the back of my horse is most definately Jim (or Bill) Cantone from the weather channel. Ya'all hunker down now and keep those shots coming!
P.S. I miss summer. :( I vow to everyone to wear my flip flops till the first four inches of snow falls on the ground!) That is me being rebellious. Im gonna hunker down no matter how cold my feet get and just deal. Maybe with a shot or two of that delicious Firefly vodka sweet tea! SWEET!
Blessings
Tena
Jim Cantone I think his name is, maybe Bill but I think it's Jim. I did get the Cantone part right however is a weather man who says "Hunker down!" Now I say that all the time but when HE says it, do a shot! So Hurricane Bill is building strength and when he does, ya'all better HUNKER DOWN. SHOT! Sweet!
Sweet as in short and sweet for todays blog. The view from the back of my horse is most definately Jim (or Bill) Cantone from the weather channel. Ya'all hunker down now and keep those shots coming!
P.S. I miss summer. :( I vow to everyone to wear my flip flops till the first four inches of snow falls on the ground!) That is me being rebellious. Im gonna hunker down no matter how cold my feet get and just deal. Maybe with a shot or two of that delicious Firefly vodka sweet tea! SWEET!
Blessings
Tena
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Talent, Telephones and Talking with new friends
Talent... Remember this name people...Emily Jo Peak because she is one of the most talented photographers I have had the pleasure to meet and is just now starting to shoot professionally. In my line of work, I see a lot of photography but hers has that "it" factor and I have to do a project with her. She rocks and any magazine who doesn't contact her and use her is not thinking clearly.
Telephones... In November, I renewed my service with Verizon and used my renewal to get hubby a new phone after he washed his in the washing machine...oops! I was told that his would renew in August and I could get my new pink Blackberry that I so badly want. Yesterday I finally turn my calender to August and there is the note I made myself to call Verizon. Ironically, my env has been acting crazy so I took the time to call. They said when I renewed mine, they changed the date of hubbys renewal and blah blah blah, I cant get my new pink Blackberry!Now what I want to know is why a new person who may or may not pay their bill on time as I do or may or may not be a good loyal customer for as many years as I have been can have the damn phone but I can't. Loyalty is priceless and I pay a LOT of money for our three phones every month and unless I pay full price for my phone, I can't actually use their service when my EnV finally dies. I don't pay full price for anything! Pink is my signature color and Verizon... you suck.
Talking with new friends... I was invited to go to a friends barn and meet some people from Texas that share a few mutual friends with me and it was really busy here but we decided to take a break and catch the end of this persons clinic and chat for a while. Brent Graef and his wife Kris are especially nice people who all of you should get to know. At the very least, sign up for Brent's clinic if he is in your area. You will love it. o the view from the back of my horse is Clinician Brent Graef and his wife Kris, welcome to Ohio, again. It was very nice to meet you both. From the back of my horse, I can also see the vast open space of Verizon's millions of new customers who are loving their pink blackberries while I answer my EnV that is gauranteed to drop your call if I can dial it at all because the battery wont hold a charge and the talent of Emily Jo who is easily found on Twitter and FB. Happy trails to all of you
Blessings
Tena
Telephones... In November, I renewed my service with Verizon and used my renewal to get hubby a new phone after he washed his in the washing machine...oops! I was told that his would renew in August and I could get my new pink Blackberry that I so badly want. Yesterday I finally turn my calender to August and there is the note I made myself to call Verizon. Ironically, my env has been acting crazy so I took the time to call. They said when I renewed mine, they changed the date of hubbys renewal and blah blah blah, I cant get my new pink Blackberry!Now what I want to know is why a new person who may or may not pay their bill on time as I do or may or may not be a good loyal customer for as many years as I have been can have the damn phone but I can't. Loyalty is priceless and I pay a LOT of money for our three phones every month and unless I pay full price for my phone, I can't actually use their service when my EnV finally dies. I don't pay full price for anything! Pink is my signature color and Verizon... you suck.
Talking with new friends... I was invited to go to a friends barn and meet some people from Texas that share a few mutual friends with me and it was really busy here but we decided to take a break and catch the end of this persons clinic and chat for a while. Brent Graef and his wife Kris are especially nice people who all of you should get to know. At the very least, sign up for Brent's clinic if he is in your area. You will love it. o the view from the back of my horse is Clinician Brent Graef and his wife Kris, welcome to Ohio, again. It was very nice to meet you both. From the back of my horse, I can also see the vast open space of Verizon's millions of new customers who are loving their pink blackberries while I answer my EnV that is gauranteed to drop your call if I can dial it at all because the battery wont hold a charge and the talent of Emily Jo who is easily found on Twitter and FB. Happy trails to all of you
Blessings
Tena
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