Heavenly riding lately

I have LOVED riding again! I knew I missed riding, but hadn't really realized just how much, until I started doing it again. I am really rusty, but it is slowly coming back. I have been lucky enough to be able to ride again with Trish Helmer. I rode with her at Meredith Manor 20-ish years ago.
The barn she works out of now is about an hour and 20 minutes away from me in Pawling, NY. We are working on getting her website up and going. It is ShintoFarm.com and will be great in a month or so!!

Even the drive is beautiful, especially this time of year!

The farm/barn is beautiful to say the least. I am lucky to go to such a facility! I have so much fun there that I usually ride from about 10:30-11:30, and then hang out for hours afterwards. I sit with Trish in the arena, and listen to/watch her teach... and chat with the other women who ride there (who do the same as me). It is hard to leave.

The farm is beautiful and so nice to be a small part of. I arrive and my horse is tacked and ready for me! :)
I ride in a wonderful arena that is huge (the hunter/jumper arena is down the hill), has shredded rubber in the footing to make it nice and cushy, and has garage doors all along the side wall (on the left in the photo) as the windows. very cool.
After I ride, I cool my horse down, and then when I bring him out of the arena, a groom takes him from me, and I can go and enjoy the company of my barn friends! Heaven!!!!

If only I could afford to go more often...... ;)

Halloween costume

Emmett got invited to a halloween party early, which means he needs a costume ready way before the actual date. We don't buy costumes. We make them and get creative. I allow them each to have $10 to get anything necessary for them.
Emmett is Anakin Skywalker this year. The one from the episode where it is just before he becomes Darth Vader.

After we made it and he was dressed for the party, I found a costume like it online for $60. go me!!!
He has on... my brown sweater over his black shirt, and black long underwear. Funky leatherette fabric ($8) that I cut up the front and hot glued back into place (about 5 minutes worth of work). On his belt are silver spray-painted wine bottle corks and a camera case... hot-glued into place. A pair of Adam's black socks, and a fingerless ragg wool glove. I used face paint for his scar.

scary......

I just can't even imagine.
I just went to the CNN website and looked at the polling map of who is ahead in which states.... as of last week.... scary as anything!

McCain looks like he has alot of states. I can't imagine what this country will be if he is the president. I can't imagine this country and what the implications will be for that. And what it will be for women if Sarah Palin is in even the slightest bit of control. yuck.
I will want to move to a new country.