It is chilly out there, are you staying warm? The dogs are still enjoying going out and playing…or mostly Sonny is, but CoCo and Berrie are more concerned with trash cans, neighbors and neighboring dogs. Ah, the joys of dog kids!! They are so presh! Hope you all have a great weekend, and stay warm!!

My current work flow consists of this little beauty! Even though I literally look up to her, she is still my little Brooker. What are you working on?

Well, not quite what Bill was looking for, but when you get in the floor to move the tree in to place, some view it as an opportunity.

Opportunity for scratchins and praise…

An opportunity to wrestle…

An opportunity to claim your spot on dad’s rear end.

A photo opportunity!

And the opportunity to get loved on at the ground level!

What great helpers!! Hello tree, enjoy the next 26 days while you are up!

I started this blog a few years ago, to capture stories with images, and while I did that for a while, I quickly let myself, my life, and my problems get in my way. Perhaps I should say that I allowed every barrier possible to get in my way, maybe to even provide me with excuses. The irony of me starting the blog with this shoot, and it all coming full circle is that I was reminded today, what I felt that day, and how those horses would teach me then, and now.

A passage in your story, is not the complete story. What happens to you, how you suffer, the atrocities others inflict on you, that isn’t necessarily about you. It very well may be about others, and part of their story, this often leaves us feeling shocked, confused, afraid…paralyzed. Rachel, Zack and their staff at Bella Run Equine can testify to the fact, that if there is rehab of multiple methods applied, success, overcome, and life can not only go on, it can be better than you imagined, better than before.

We may lose our tails, we may have doubt, we may not trust others, but through consistency, we can find our footing, we can learn, grow and embrace our new life. Perhaps we will even feel renewed, rejuvenated, and reinvigorated. Maybe our spirits are like those of the equine, indomitable.

Life truly is made so much better by the people you surround yourself with, especially when those people see you in all your weakness, your strength, your potential, your realness, your struggles, your triumphs, and simply you living life everyday.

So, are you going to give up? Or are you going to be open to learning something new? Will you trust people when the opportunity to do so comes up? Will you trust yourself enough to realize that nothing is behind you, but everything is in front of you? It is time for me to get back to what I started long ago, but to also move forward with a different mind space, a different knowledge and experience. Just like these horses, I trust the best is yet to come.

I look at these photos, and I hold them close to my heart. Rachel, Zack, Bella Run Equine, and all of these horses have something to teach us, are you willing to learn? Please find more information about these fine people, their farm, and these beautiful animals at:

https://m.facebook.com/BellaRunEquine/?mibextid=LQQJ4d

And tell Rachel I said Hi!

Today I took Sonny to the vet for a yearly check up, shots and his heart worm test. He cried the 6 minutes it took to get there, and when the tech came to get him, he tried to climb over me to get out the window to go with her, inside. A bit later, she returned him to the car, and she was having a good laugh. She said, he was so excited to go inside, and it was clear that he was unimpressed once he was in the door. She said he felt I had duped him. Lol!!! I really have no idea what Sonny’s prior life consisted of, maybe spa days or doggy day care, but apparently a quick and efficient trip for a check up was not what he had in mind for today. I had to promise him a sausage link when we were on our way home, as he laid in the front seat with the seat heat on, not making a sound. Lol, that was probably the best part of his day, oh and that 1/3 of a sausage link he got.

Belsnickel season is here!!! I can hardly contain myself for the excitement, much like Jim and Pam, and I am hoping Belsnickel finds me admirable this year! What do you think, will you be Impish or Admirable?

I may have missed my mark, and perhaps you are celebrating Festivus, like the rest of us?

Drop me a line, let me know what you are celebrating this season of thanks, wishes and blessings! Oh, and tis the season to be Merry!

I started my day with an icy walk in the cemetery with Bill. It was cold, but lovely!

I love the silhouette this statue cuts in the frozen fog, so ethereal and beautiful.

We ran to Rost for a Goldie Hawn & black coffee, then on to Sam’s, stopped at Whit’s to say hello to Brooke, came home and got cleaned up from our sweaty walk, watched sports, made a thrown together charcuterie, and now we are contemplating a movie this evening with our dinner.

The day has had some great points, but one pretty big low, low. Iykyk. Anyhow, hope you are all having a mostly good Saturday, with possible exception of that LOW, low.

Ah, Black Friday. I have been an online BF shopper for a decade or more, and while I have snagged some good deals this year, nothing beats the deals of great leftovers. Today I had a piece of pumpkin roll for breakfast, Brussels sprouts casserole for lunch, and we are having Turkey bacon ranch sliders on King Hawaiian rolls for dinner! Before I show you those, let me show you what else we did today, other than watch World Cup action.

I emptied my planters, put those and some outdoor decor away for the season. I trimmed my holly bushes, as it is easier to put lights on shaped bushes. I removed spent annuals, I like to let those die off completely, as it leaves most of my soil this way. I also tidied the lights up by turning a quarter turn, and I raked some leaves out of the beds in to the yard for Bill to mulch up later. He was also busy blowing all the leaves to our extra lot while I did my work, we work well together!

Back to those sandwiches!

I started by cutting the rolls in half, then I tore the Turkey in to chunks and spread it out evenly on the rolls. I put some left over pieces of cheese on the turkey…

…because who wants to put two slices back in the package after using all of this cheese so far?

We then topped the Turkey with ALLLL of this bacon. Holy yum!

I put the lids on, poured some melted butter on, brushed it all over, and then sprinkled on some ranch seasoning.

Woooo—-oooooh!!!

Yumyumyumyum!!!!!

So, tell me, what did you do today? Are you having leftovers? Are you making something new with your leftovers? Drop me a line and let me know, I’ll be here enjoying these sliders!

Happy Thanksgiving, All!!!

Our bird turned out beautifully, and super, super tasty today! The brine was the way to go, and will be a Thanksgiving staple from here on out! Looking back, this truly was a simple way to get an amazingly tasty turkey!

We used all new recipes this year for everything we made, and I can honestly say, everything was beyond my expectations! We also had crock pot mashed potatoes, which you get no photo of, and this creamy Brussels sprouts side dish. Bill used a different pan for the bacon, his old bacon pan died, but somehow I think he has upgraded!

We made gravy from scratch, and as you guessed, it went down with the potatoes. So delicious!!! I really should have taken a photo of my plate, but I think I was in pure bliss and it never crossed my mind.

Bill did an amazing job with the turkey, and has a knack for carving! Our turkey cooked quicker than everything said it would, despite cooking at 350, but Bill uses an electric meat thermometer that you can read on the outside of the oven and when it says the right temperature, it is done.

I am so very thankful for the delicious food today, but more importantly, I am thankful that I have a husband that I enjoy cooking with and working with. I am thankful for my children and dogs. I am thankful for my family and friends, and I am thankful to wake up everyday, breathing in this life. I am so thankful that we can adapt and change, grow and become better. I am truly blessed and I thank God for that everyday! I hope you are all having a great day with friends and loved ones, celebrating or not, feeling the blessings of this life! Happy Thanksgiving Y’all!

Yes! As a matter of fact, these are the makings of the brine for our Turkey! Ironically, I do have some cross over items that I include in my simmer pots, so the brine will be up my alley for sure!

There are LOTS of orange peels, no oranges though! I love that this includes rosemary, as it is one of my favorites, as well! All of the salt made me a bit twitchy, but man I think this will be amazing!!

I messaged my friend Stephanie for some tips, as I know she makes this same brine and raves about it…but I was wrong, oopsy! She makes a different Pioneer Woman brine, and the helpful hint was to start the brine earlier than today. Haha! 😅 That was a helpful hint that I shall carry forward! Thankfully, we both had a good laugh over all the brine talk!

Hopefully you are making your preparations, getting ready for a good day of food, family, and friends! If you need a pumpkin pie, let me know, I will have an extra!