I actually made stuff today. Knit knit knit.

I made a weird hat/scarf hybrid and a narrow scarf out of this fluffy soft blue yarn. I've been knitting for what, a week or so now? Mostly I have just knit then unraveled then knit again. But I think I am finally getting the hang of it, yay!

I picked up some size 17 needles. Used those to make the hat and scarf. I like knitting with the big fat needles. I'll get some pictures once the kid gets home from her dad's and I can force her to model them for me. I took some of the hat on a gourd, lol, but I don't think it shows it to it's best potential.

Did I mention I also made a hand bag out of an old book cover? I'll have pictures of that later too. I've been crafting my booty off!

Yesterday was Tsu's birthday. He is 32. For a very short period of time he is only 6 years younger than I am, on paper at least. He took his unpaid day for this month so he wouldn't have to work on his birthday (that is how they are working his pay cuts, with "unpaid days"). He requested it at the beginning of the month. His coworker asked for the same time off earlier this week. On the schedule the coworker was listed as off but Tsu wasn't. Not only that but when other folks have a birthday they get a birthday email... he got nothing. What a load of crap.

Today we were supposed to go visit with my youngest brother's fiancee. She is home on leave from the Marines. But it snowed like mad all day and Tsu's back was killing him so he was on meds and wasn't doing well at all. He went back to bed and looked miserable. He went to a neurologist last week and they found problems in his c7 vertebra and some carpel tunnel problems. He had to go in for an MRI to check his spine. The pain in his back keeps coming and going. I think it might be related to a car accident he had in his teens, he has had head aches and neck pain as long as I have known him, just not anything this bad.

So I am pretty bummed about not getting to see Alisha but no way did I feel safe driving in this weather with Tsu feeling so yuck.

They said they would read his MRI in 2 to 4 business days so middle of next week they should know something. If it can be proven to be related to his car accident the insurance company of the guy who caused the accident is responsible for all of his medical bills because of something related to him being a minor at the time it happened and being covered for life. Just no clue how you would prove it was related to the accident.

Blah blah blah, I just keep yammering on. I think I am going to go play some video games. lol.

*Jumps up and down*

We get the stocks for the bonus March 18.


And it looks like we will be getting enough stocks that unless the stock prices tank I will be getting my horse.


MY horse.


*passes out*


Just need to find a home for Sparrow and add a string of electric tape to the fence and I'm ready!!!! Everything else can wait.

*cackles with glee*

I'm still afraid to get too excited, but I just can't help it. I mean, everyone knows what the stock market is doing. So it is still not a 100% sure thing but... It's a lot closer to a sure thing that it has been so far!

You know, this may sound silly but... I think I needed to let go of my dream horse in order to have this happen. Like, I needed to give it up in a sense. I've found that a lot in my life, when I finally stop fighting and say, "You know what, what will be will be and I will be happy anyway" that is when I end up getting what I wanted all along.

For Sale: Miniature Horse Gelding, AMHR Class B

FOR SALE:

Phoenixdown Sparrow AMHR# 273983 (currently has temporary papers, eligible for permanent Class B papers in April 2009)

35.5" when last measured (about October, had not grown any since last April)

Sparrow is a very sweet, affectionate, well behaved horse. He is well started in harness (been ground driving since last spring, but not been hitched to a cart yet) and has been started under saddle. He would make a fantastic driving horse and a great little lead line pony. He is athletic, willing and eager to please. He has no known vices. he does have some holes in his training because i do not have a trailer to teach him about loading and I do not have electric clippers.

Sparrow is a silver bay, which basically looks like a dark chestnut with flaxen mane and tail. He is a VERY friendly horse. He wants to be right in your pocket all the time.

I am asking $850 for Sparrow but will consider offers.

These pictures are from last summer:













Current hairy winter pictures:







If interested please e-mail me at warhorseone@hotmail.com or phoenixdownfarm@gmail.com

Craft and other projects on my other blog....

I'm going to be posting some tutorials on my other blog, I will post about them here for those who might want to check them out. Today's post is how I make my newspaper starter pots for starting my gourd seeds in!!!


Check it out!

And don't forget, you can ask any "Ask Pony" questions you want at askpony@hotmail.com and there is still time to enter to win a necklace in my February give away!!!! I only have a few entries, so your chances of winning are great! Just follow the instructions in that post! And you can enter as many times as you want right up until the last day of the month!!!

So... The Horse Saga Continues....

I needed to take a day or so to calm down before I posted this, because yesterday I was bouncing between "giddy with delight" and "scared to death and getting an ulcer".

We got news about the bonus. The news was almost a full month earlier than usual.

We ARE getting one. It is smaller than expected but still "enough" to get me close to my horse. Bad thing is it is entirely in stock. Why would they do that? With the market the way it is? Seriously? So while the amount they are giving us is "enough" that doesn't mean when we sell it that we will get enough out of it.


Tsu is what I call "cautiously optimistic". Like, "We might get enough but don't count your chickens before they hatch!" kind of thing.

No word on when we will get the stocks.

On the one hand I want to dance with joy because it really looks like Brego will be mine. On the other hand... it's still so up in the darn air!! Who even knows how much we will get for that stock? *sigh*

So I filled Marsha in on the news, and she replied that she is keeping her fingers crossed and he is waiting for me. She is such a sweety. I can't say enough good things about how patient she has been, even if she DID torture me with that baby picture of him. lol.

I think part of the reason I decided to take up knitting was to distract myself. It's not working, really. But at least I am picking up a new skill.

On a related note... I have an almost brand new horse blanket out in the barn that I have been using for a saddle cover. I got it in a trade for Jamie's harness last year even though I knew I had nothing it would fit (I wanted Jamie's harness to have a good home) and I am wondering if it will fit Brego. I should measure it and see if Marsha would mind measuring Brego so I can see. Not that he should need a blanket but it will be nice to know if it will fit him or not.

GAH!!!! This waiting is driving me crazy (er)!!!

Welcome To Camp Auntponyshouse!

So for the last several years Tiff and her cousin Ashley have gone to a bible camp together for a week during the summer. This year they have their big Washington DC trip in May which is draining the bank for both of their parents, but I still planned to send Tiff to camp if she wanted to go. So a few days ago the subject came up (yes, she was over here this weekend for a change) and she said she doesn't really want to go this year.

Well, during this conversation Karen (mom in law) mentioned that my niece didn't really want to go either but she thought that was because her brother was going to be in her same age group this year so she would basically be going to camp with her brother and she was far less than thrilled.

Well... I guess sis in law was sending her any way (get both of the older kids out of the house at the SAME TIME for a change? I don't blame her!!!!!). I got to thinking about it... as bad as it would be having to spend summer camp putting up with your little brother having to do it without your usual side kick would just be a kick in the teeth. So I came up with the brilliant idea to invite her over here for that week for Camp Auntponyshouse!

Now normally I do this for 3 or 4 days during the summer anyway, but this time it will be for the full week at least. I take Tiff's tv/vcr/dvd combo out to the camper, take them shopping for a fridge full of snack foods, and basically let them pretend like they are grown ups with their own little house. I keep a close watch on them but basically let them come and go and do as they please. They want to go for a walk out back? Just let me know. Want to go swimming? Just let me know. Want to stay up all night watching movies and talking about boys and singing along to their favorite music? Well, as long as they are out in the camper they can go for it.

So I discussed it with Deb (sis in law) and it was agreed that it sounded like a perfectly acceptable idea. Tiff says Ashley sounds pleased. Tsu... not so much. The girls always drive him nuts. I told him he is welcome to go stay at his folks house that week if he wants to, lol!

And who knows, maybe they can help me do some training with Brego during that week. I bet they would like that.

*wink*

Another new hobby maybe? And the taxes are done.

Yes, the taxes are done, and we didn't get as much back as I had hoped. BOOO! But the good news is we don't have to pay in! Even better news is that Tsu got an email saying there is a meeting TUESDAY about last years income for the company or whatever... this is the meeting they usually have in March about the chances for and possible amount of the bonus! This is the big one, folks. My stomach is killing me just thinking about it.


Anyway, enough of that junk. Last night after the taxes were done and we had dinner we swung into WalMart so Karen could do some shopping. I had a few things I wanted to look for, and surprisingly I found 2 out of 3 things I wanted! The first was some coins to put on my belly dance outfit, lol. The second was a cheap "learn how to knit" kit. I found both of those. The third was some sort of product to even out my blotchy skin tone on my face. THAT I had less luck with. Anyhooooo.... I got home with my "I Taught Myself To Knit Kit", dug out an old skein of yarn to practice on and proceeded to make myself want to jab my eyes out with my brand new size 8 knitting needles.

20 minutes and a blinding head ache later something clicked and VIOLE!!!




OK, I have to be careful not to over due it because I am using muscles i haven't used in years... it didn't make my hands hurt but my wrists are a tad stiff this morning. So I need to be careful and build up for this. BUT I think it will be great therapy for my hands as long as I don't over due it. And I always wanted to learn how to knit but my brain could never wrap itself around the concept (kind of like playing card games, I suck at learning that too).

Maybe I should change my name to "Crafty Pony".

Oh, back on the subject of taxes... I asked about my craft sales and got info on what kind of record keeping I need to do and such. So now I know what I need to do to be legal, yay!!!! And also... if I have a designated "Home Office" I can claim certain things on my taxes because of that. So with a few small changes my front room is now going to be my home office. I already keep almost all of my supplies in there, it also has a desk and computer in there. So I am glad I asked about that!

OK, I need to get going. Busy day today, and I have more knitting to do, lol.