Sisterly Love.

My sister, Erin, was in town this weekend! I always look forward to seeing her any chance I get. When I was younger, we rarely spent time together; that was probably a result of sharing a room for a majority of our lives under the same roof. But now, I try to savor any time spent together.

Yesterday, my Mother, Erin, and I relished our afternoon full of manicures and pedicures. On our way to the grocery store, my sister being the crazy person she is flagged a guy down driving down the road because she liked the chair that was in the back of his truck and wanted to buy it. So the man pulled over and sold my sister the Danish-modern rocking chair for twenty dollars. I’m not going to lie; it is a pretty rad chair.

Erin and Michael brought their chocolate lab puppy Samson this weekend as well. While the cute married couple was out hanging with some friends, I decided I would teach Samson some new tricks (more like manners). By the end of the weekend, Samson learned how to lie down, shake, stay, and walk on his leash without chewing it the whole time. It is amazing the power that a few slices of turkey lunchmeat encompasses!

On Thursday, Momma Shaw and I are going to be Colorado bound! We’ll be paying some family a visit, a way overdue visit at that. I am totally stoked! Once again, thanks for tuning in ☺

Random Enlightenments.

I apologize for my lack of posting lately. Last Monday I started two online classes, History and Government. Between my duties as a nanny, instructing riding lessons, and these two classes, I have been slacking on my writing.

Recently, I have come to the realization that blogging leads to happiness for me. When I started to think about it, I feel like I let my readers down by not posting frequently. I love to write, and I love for people to read my writings. So a huge thanks to everyone who reads this!

Just the other day, my brother challenged me to take “going green” to the next level. So I accepted, I am starting to ride my bike around town rather than driving my full size truck. As a matter of fact, I just rode my bike to Starbucks to write this post as well as get some work done in my online classes. I am taking it one step at a time, baby steps that will soon lead to giant leaps.

Time for me to get back to work, thanks for tuning in!

I Have Pennies, Your Two Cents Is Not Needed.

This evening, I was doing some research on homemade hoof moisturizer for my horse. With all the hot weather we’ve had, my horse Crawford’s hooves have become rather dry. I did not want to just go buy some hoof dressing at the local feed store, 1. Because they often do not work, and 2. They are normally way overpriced. So I thought I would try a home remedy. While searching through some forums, I came across several things; a lady looking for homemade hoof moisturizer much like myself, and people giving their opinions when not asked. The woman simply asked if anyone had used or heard of any good homemade recipes and that was all. In response to her inquiry, many gave their opinions on hoof moisturizer/oils/dressings. Many of the responses she got were rather rude, and definitely not what she requested. The thing I found most interesting about this forum was that a woman had asked a simple question, and still did not receive the answer she sought. If the woman had wanted someone’s opinion on hoof moisturizers, she would have stated that in her question, but she did not desire the counsel of others on this matter. After reading post after post, I was beginning to feel enraged for the woman seeking answers. Why can’t people learn to keep their two cents to themselves? People who didn’t even know the woman were accusing her of malnutrition and poor hoof maintenance of her horses. How can one make such judgments on another’s ability to care for her animals? Telling someone that hoof moisturizers are from the devil and should never be used on a horse is like telling someone that they should not use lotion on their own dry, cracked skin. Conventionally, the hoof is supposed to create and maintain its own moisture; but that does not mean that it won’t need help from time to time. Instead of trying to filter my way through forums of unnecessary conjectures, I am going to concoct my own remedy for my poor horse’s dry, cracked feet. On a brighter note, I found what sounds like an awesome recipe for homemade fly spray for horses! With fly season being in full bloom, and me always looking for ways to cut costs, I believe I’ll try it!

Here is the recipe for the homemade fly spray:
-2 tbsp dish soap
-2 cups water
-1/2 cup white vinegar

Cleaning In a Different Hue.

Earlier today, my mom sent me an e-mail with a link from our local newspaper. The article was about “green” cleaning products. It told a story about a woman who had been diagnosed with fibromyalgia, which consists of joint tenderness and long lasting pain all over the body. In efforts to reduce pain, it was suggested to her that eliminating harsh chemicals from her household would be beneficial to her health. So she began using nontoxic, Eco-friendly cleaners in her home. Not only did her health improve, but also her friends saw what she was doing, and it quickly became a trend.

My goal for this upcoming school year is to transform my dorm room and many other dorm rooms, to “green clean” living spaces. Many people learn by example, so if I can be a capital influence to my dormitory comrades, then that is what I am going to do. If you can make a cleaning supply that does not include harsh chemicals, can get the job done just as well, and be a fraction of the cost, then why the heck not? Yes, it does take a little more work then just grabbing a bottle of scrubbing bubbles off the shelf at Wal-Mart, but it the end your wallet it going to thank you. For a college student such as myself, cheaper is ALWAYS better.

Here are some wonderful recipes for Eco-friendly household cleaners:

Glass Cleaner:
-2 tbsp. white vinegar
-Fill rest of 20-ounce bottle with water.

Multi-purpose surface cleaner:
-1/4 cup lemon juice
-Fill rest of 20-ounce bottle with water

Toilet Bowl Cleaner:
-Baking Soda
-Then proceed to scrubbing.
(But don’t let the baking soda sit too long or else it will get as hard as a rock!)

Mop Water:
-1/2 cup vinegar
-1 gallon water
-Essential oil of choice (Lavender, Tea Tree, Lemon, etc.)
The essential oils, which can be found at your local health food store, mask the smell of the vinegar.

Laundry Detergent:
-1 bar grated fels naptha, or other laundry bar soap.
-Two cups borax
-Two cups washing soda
Use two tablespoons for each load of laundry.


Air Freshener:
-Few drops of essential oil
-Then rest of 20-ounce bottle with water.

Furniture Polish:
-1/4 cup olive oil
-1/4 cup white vinegar
-20-30 drops lemon essential oil.
Shake. Dip a dry, clean cloth into polish and rub in the direction of the grain.

Also, if you’re looking for a great bleach alternative for your laundry:
-Mrs. Stewart’s Liquid Bluing.
This can be found at Wal-Mart.

A special thanks to my sister for these wonderful recipes ;)

K Squared and Company.

This is a story about a friendship that became to be.

I met Kady Knox the first semester of my freshman year in college. We were both members of the rodeo team. Throughout the whole first semester, we rarely spoke, not even a “hey, how are ya?” Being the person I am, I like to be likable person. I know that not every single person on the face of the planet is going to like me, but by golly I am going to try. So my goal for the rest of the semester was to get Kady to laugh. Everyone would be sitting at the lunch table and I would crack a joke, many of my close friends would laugh, and from Kady I would get one of those “you’re an idiot, looks.” I was not about to give up! Close to the end of the semester, Kady and her gang decided it would be funny to play a joke on the girls who lived next door, and me. I was up in the wee hours of the morning finishing up a paper, and jumped about ten feet out of my chair when I heard banging on the window of my second story dorm room. Yes, indeed I said second story. Then my “fight or flight” instinct kicked in, and for some reason my body chose “fight.” I opened my window and jumped out onto the four-foot wide ledge just below, walked to the end of the “balcony” to find none other than Kady and her gang. I was angry and tickled all at the same time. Tickled because I think I scared them more by catching them in the act, than they scared me by banging on my window. Of course being girls, this turned into lots of drama, followed by us making a treaty and promising to work on our friendships from then on out.

When everyone returned from Christmas break, things started to change. We were all able to converse like civilized people, and I didn’t receive anymore of those, “you’re an idiot, looks.” Things were starting to look up. As Kady, Nikki (Kady’s partner in crime), and I started hanging out more often, we realized we had more in common than we thought. The best part: goal accomplished, I was able to make Kady laugh. As the semester progressed, we became pretty close, and would engage in batty shenanigans together. By the end of the semester we were pretty much inseparable. Feeding ducks, making best friends with elephants, joining the circus, owning our own rodeo announcing business (K Squared and Company), leaving each other on the side of the road due to an accidental broken CD, were only a few of the adventures we embarked on.

This summer, Kady will be working in an area close to where I reside, so I am more than positive our list of contingencies will be added to. Well until next time, give everyone a chance, and never underestimate the opponent.

Anyone In There?

Today has been one of the most frustrating days I have had in quite some time. Ever since I left Big Spring for the summer, I have been trying to get together all the paperwork, loan applications, etc., to be totally set for summer classes. It seemed like every time I would call the school to get information about what they needed from me, I could not get a straight answer. Every person I talked to gave me a different story, so that threw me into a whole new state of confusion. About two weeks ago I received a letter in the mail from the school telling me they needed some tax information from both my mother and I. Nowhere in the letter did it state when the tax information would be applied, so my guess was for the summer. After returning all that information to the school in a hurry, I found out the things they requested were for next year; looks like it was back to square one for me. After being on the phone with a worker in the financial aid office for about fifteen minutes, I was finally able to get the answers I needed, just in the knick of time. I had to explain to her my frustrations, and how no one could provide me the basic necessities so that my classes would not be dropped. Today was the last day to turn in any paperwork before they dropped my classes. Turns out I only needed to fill out two documents and send/fax them back in, now why couldn’t they have told me this three weeks ago the first time I called? Total, it took me about two minutes to fill out both papers. Furthermore, I faxed the necessary documents, and now my information is being processed; thank goodness.

What amazes me the most about all of this is the lack of teamwork displayed. Not only was it on one instance, but almost every time I have dealt with this department. I know that everything in life isn’t always going to run according to plan, but you would think after being in business since about 1967, they would update the way they do things instead of relying on techniques practiced in the stone age.

All in all, one very dedicated and knowledgeable employee was able to comprehend what I was asking and succeeded in getting everything straightened out. A huge thanks to this specific woman who actually did her job, she should get a promotion or something. Now I am ready to dive in, and quench my thirst for knowledge about American History and our nation’s government.

Thanks for listening. Until next time, whatever tasks you perform in life, take pride in them, be knowledgeable, and do them whole-heartedly.

Fork in the Road.

For some time now, I have felt like I have come to a crossroads in my life. Over the years, horses and rodeo have been a sizeable part of my life; but now it seems that those facets may be a stepping-stone to something greater. Through tough times, my horse was my getaway, my chance to escape reality and engage in a more peaceful state of mind. Without rodeo, I would not have so many of the wonderful friends and people in my life. Because of rodeo, my first two years of college, are close to paid for. So many memories have originated from these elements, and not to mention instilled character, hard work, and determination. As of lately, I feel as if my life is ready for transition, and I feel that it is going to be big. I want to do things I have never even dreamed of. I want to step out of my comfort zone. I want to be challenged. I want to learn new things. Most of all, I am ready to make a difference.

My goal for the next year is to accumulate enough scholarship money to attend New York University in the fall of 2011. A year ago, NYU would not have even been on my radar, now that is all that my sights are set on. I cannot think of another place I would rather study. New York City is full of opportunities, fresh, new people, as well as an enormous part of our nation’s history. Another perk, Saturday Night Live is filmed in NYC, one of my very favorite shows, what could be better?

After my sophomore year at Howard College, my rodeo career is going to be put on hold temporarily, possibly forever. This is going to be a bittersweet decision for me, giving up my horse is going to be one of the hardest things for me to do, on the other hand I look forward to the new experiences life has for me. So until next time, live each day as it comes, and feast your eyes on the future.