To dye for!

Have you ever tried something that should be easy?...I mean like REALLY easy?!?  So easy that you think there is no way you can ** it up??  Well, let me share with you a story from this morning.

My quest was to dye my hair.  I've heard of my friends doing it for years and it sounded sooo simple! In years gone past I was one of 'those' women that went to the hair salon and paid upwards of $200.00 (God, I hope Gary does not read this!) to get my hair professionally dyed, cut and styled.  And, I wasn't paying as much as some of my friends if you can imagine!

So, just prior to moving from the city into the country I went to Sally and bought a bunch of hair colors and 'equipment' to ease me through the process.  I spent time asking the gal that worked there how to do it etc.  She assured me it would be simple.  Hmmmm.  This was my morning fiasco!

Garrison went off to school, Gary was out in the shop and I had a quiet morning planned doing what I call House Mouse stuff.  Routine, clean up, make beds, tidy from breakfast etc.  I gathered my supplies which consisted of: dye, solution, bowl, a brush thingy, an old towel, a fastener and a grocery bag. I was proud.  Had all the supplies and got ready to dig in.

First, I laid my towel down on the new counter.  Got out the bowl and blobbed some of the dye in the bowl (no directions given as to how much so I guessed) added about double of the solution.  I peered into the bowl and gave a shrug (that should be enough...right?!?) and stirred.  That should have been my first clue of disaster.  The shrug.  That shrug should have been the BIG warning sign that I had NO idea what I was doing!

I parted my hair like the hair dresser did so many times (she made it look easy by the way!) and started in the middle.  As I raised my first brush full to my head...blop...it went on my shirt.  FACK! Oh man...of course, it had to land on my shirt and NOT on the towl around my shoulders.  I'll never get that poop looking blob off my jammie top.  Crap...well, keep on going was my thought.  So, I did it again and did a fairly good job around the crown of my head.  But, then came the rest of the hair. And, I have alot of freaking hair!  At that point, I'm peering into my bowl and realize I don't have enough mixture so I mix another batch.  I drop the solution and it goes all over the floor...are you freaking kidding me!  It sailed all the way across the room onto the shower doors!  Aggghhh!   I'm on all fours mopping up this complete disaster when Gary calls me from the other side of the house.  

I quickly walk towards his voice as I don't want him to know of the catastrophe I've created in OUR NEW BATHROOM!  Just before I get to the back door, he says "What are you doing?"  I'm just about to the doorway and say "I'm dying my hair"  Sounding all light and assured of myself.  I get around the corner and his exact words were "Sweet Jesus!"  Picture this.  The front of my head caked in wet dye.  The rest of my hair is in a matted mess. I have what looks like a skidder running down the front of my shirt...nice, eh!...aren't I a beautiful bride :)  He says "Never mind" and closes the door.  Quickly I might add!

So, I go running back to the bathroom all the while chastising myself for being so clumbsy...calculating how exactly I'm going to clean up the mess as quickly as possible, praying that it will in fact it does clean up.  Thank God it did!  So, I get back to the rest of my head.  Oh ya.  Back to that crazy amount of hair that I have.  And, I  need to figure out how exactly to get dye on it and keep it on the top of my head.  Again, something not so easy to do by oneself!  Every time I'd go to take a strip of hair and put it on the top of my head, it would roll backwards. Ugh.  Okay, so I employed both hands and a ton of bobby pins.  Messy, but it did the trick.  My hair all has dye on it and now time for the bag.  Note to those that are doing this...ensure that all the tags are out of the bag prior to putting it on your head. Whoops, my bad.

So, I waited the half hour required and pulled the bag off my head.  Amazingly I still had hair, the hair was the color it was supposed to be and now I'm in search of my therapist's phone number to talk through the whole mess...lol.

My skidder! :0(

My final suggestion...go to the salon...it's alot less stressful! :)


Kim

PS...please like our new Facebook page (The Rusty Pitchfork) and I will put your name in the draw for a free Happy Feet kit!  Draw to be March 31st!

The Lumpy Lepper

I've been asked to start blogging again...and with our reno's and move-in pretty much complete...I can do just that!

 

My blog tonight is about making homstead creations.  I make everything from curtains to bread to homemade soaps, candles and lotions etc.  Friends like Corrina Knoll and Cherylee McKinney will understand that sometimes we have successes but more than likely...many flops, but heh, we keep on keeping on! ;)

When you live in the country it's not easy to just run to the store to buy "X".  Sometimes, in more rural communities like where we live in Fraser Lake, THERE ARE NO "chain" STORES...I know...shocker isn't it?!?  This is one thing that I have had a wee bit of a hard time getting used to. But, it makes a person more resourceful in the end!

My funny story for the night revolves around me wanting to have a bath.  I had visions of a hot, gorgeous tub of water with bubbles, candelight and a face mask soaking on my skin.  But then I remembered...I have no mask.  Bummer. :(  Oh!  I can make one.  Right?!?...so I got on Pinterest (which is one of my favorite things to do now Kathleen Boland) and found a receipe for a homemade oatmeal facial mask.  And SCORE...I had all the ingredients!

This recipe called for Oatmeal (which I use Gluten Free and have it already ground and in the cupboard), Olive Oil, Honey and half a Banana.  I used a fork to mash the banana and then added about 1/2 cup of the Oatmeal, 2 TBSP of the Olive Oil, about 3 TBSP Honey.  I then added about 2 TSP of Vitamin E Oil and about 4 drops of Doterra Lemon Essential Oil.  I stirred it together and then set off towards the bathroom.

On my way I bent down to give my darling Hubby a kiss on the cheek as he was watching the Superbowl and not really paying any attention to me.  He half heartedly looked into my bowl and sniffed at it and asked "Oh!...is that my dessert?!?".  "Ahhhh..no...It's my face mask".  The look on his face was priceless.  I'm pretty sure he thought I was bat shit crazy.

So, off I treck with my concotion in hand with sweet anticipation of how lovely this 'bath date' was going to go.  Bubbles, check.  Candles, check.  Magazine, check.  Facial Cleanser, check.  I climb into the hot tub of water (no, this isn't a 50 Shades of Grey version!), clean my face and then scoop up a generous dollop of loveliness and smear it on my face.  Well, the first 5 seconds were grand.  But after that the stuff started to slide down my face and plop onto my chest.  Hmmm...this isn't going as planned! :0  So, I decided that if I slid down into the water just a tad and arch my head back against the tub that would make my face level with the ground and it would stay put.  That was great idea until I hit the back of my head against the tub.  Ouch!  And, then within minutes it began to look like someone had pooped in the tub! OMG!  Little blobs of oatmeal poop were surrounding me!  Ummm...this isn't as peaceful as I thought it would be!

Not giving in, I scooped up what was left in the bowl and slathered it across my forehead thinking it would eventually slide down to my chin where some of it was supposed to be anyways.  I adjusted some of the mass around my forehead, eyes, cheeks and chin thinking in my head I must look like a woman at the spa...that's what I feel like as it smells sooo good!  ( I paid $100 once to have an oatmeal facial and this felt the same...sort of).  Well, I peeked in the small mirror I had on my bath board and OMG!  I looked nothing like I had envisioned...I looked like a lepper...with LUMPS!  Half my face was where it was supposed to be, the other was very gooey and drippy...I scared myself so badly that I turned over the mirror and decided not to do that again!

I thought that perhaps I should try and take my mind off my slithering face and tried to read my magazine, but every time I went to turn the page more lumps would plop into the water or on my chest. Blech.

I guess if I was stranded on an island and was truly hungry, I could have eaten the mixture as it was made from all natural ingredients and it could be like eating unbaked apple betty, except with bananas.  But of course I would have to get over the fact that it looked like poop.  That was it...I was out.

I made it about 15 minutes and gingerly tip toed over to the shower for a rinse.  The good thing is after getting all clean, it really made my skin very soft.  And...I'm not a lepper after all!

My moral of the story is to keep trying different things...sometimes they just might work.  Or sometimes you might have to tweak them.  Oh ya right...I forgot.  The expensive facial mask was draped in a muslin cloth before it went on my face...I'll do that next time! :)

Have a great Sunday!

Kim

PS...I will be blogging soon about my horse round up foibles, clumbsy mounting skills and a bunch of other funny winter stories ...so keep checking back !

One horses kind heart...

 If you were to look at any media type post, there are people that just don't get it when it comes to animals.  It's plain to see that some people believe animals are just possessions. An acquisition of sorts to brag to friends and family of ownership, breeding or price.

Animals are, in my opinion, one of the best gifts in life.  We have purebred horses, grade horses, papered dogs and Heinz 57 varieties too.  I wouldn't trade any of them for anything. It doesn't matter one bit whether one animal is 'papered' vs the other.  What matters to me (and to us as a family) is the 'personality'.  Are they kind, loving and loyal?  That is our litmus test.  And the reason for my post today.

Just to paint a bit of a picture...we have approximately 60 acres.  As we have just moved, only about 8 acres are fenced which is where our five horses currently live. Our fence borders our neighbours who also have two horses.  When we go to feed, our hay is right next to the other field where the other two horses usually are and they come down and peek to see what the commotion is all about.  The bits of hay tossed over the fence to them is just bonus :).

As you can see in the picture, it was snowing outside.  The horses were anxious to get to the 'new stuff' and were following Gary as he was walking the hay towards the feeders.  What was so cool (and I sooo wish I had my video going on my phone) is that I saw Pressley (pictured in the middle in August) look over at the other horses and walk over to the fence.  She stuck her head over to the Gelding to say Hello!.  She then looked at the hay stack and what Gary was doing and looked down at the ground.  She then bend down and took a mouthful of grass that was growing at the base of the fence line and pulled it gently out with her mouth.  I thought she was just going to eat it.  NO!  That darling girl lifted her head up and lifted her face over the fence.  She then put her head towards the horse and when he didn't notice what she was doing, she waved her head at him.  He then noticed and moved over to her and took the grass.  My heart just melted.

To me, that was such an amazing and kind gesture.  That to me, meant she processed that her friend had nothing to eat, found him food and then made sure he got it.  That is kindness.  That is love.  That is amazing in my books.  And, that is just one more reason that she is my love horse.

I only wish that we as humans, could be more kind to each other like Pressley was today to her four legged friend.  I only wish that we could slow down enough to see when others are without and make little gestures that would make anothers persons day a bit easier.

As for you Pressely, I love you my girl.  And I always will.

Kim

The right thing isn't the easy thing...

I am learning that country living comes at a price.  A price that has no numeric value, but rather a weight that rests heavy on your heart when tough decisions need to be made.  In reality, it's easier just not to make one.  To let you heart and your head go to battle with no outcome... to let the problem exist on it's own.  But, that is not fair.  And, doing the right thing is never the easy thing.  

Thus here we are.  Today we had to say Goodbye to our beloved Miss T.  Mama to Maple and 

Maximus.  A mare that through no fault of her own, sustained a shoulder injury that was just getting worse.  A condition that was causing her pain to which winter would magnify the issues to the point of being inhumane.

So, we made that tough decision on her behalf.  We made her last days filled with love and treats.  And we made her final moments as tender as we possibly could.

We will miss you dear girl as will your babies.  Thanks for all you gave to each of us.

Kim. Xo

Thanksgiving...the real gifts.

    

Thankgiving is just that.  A time to give thanks...and it's a time where we really should slow down long enough to think about what we are thankful for.

For me now that we have moved into the country, it's all about the slowing down.  When we lived in the city, our lives were constantly go, go, go!  It seemed that I was never able to truly decrease the pace long enough to breathe let alone enjoy any moments that came along.  I was continually in a rush and I always felt behind.  Always.  It was a terrible feeling.  So much so that I was in a perpetual feeling of anxiousness...what the hell?!?

But now that we are here, I am starting to enjoy the small things.  Gifts that I hardly ever took the time to notice...a beautiful sunrise, gorgeous fall colors, the beauty in watching the horses play with each other.  Those kind of moments that are truly wonderful if you take the time to actually sit and watch.

This morning, I looked up over my coffee cup and saw the most beautiful sunrise.  It was like something out of a magazine.  I have never noticed such a mixture of gold and pink, so much so that I had to go outside down by the lake and just drink it all in.  WOW!  It was magnificent.  A gift.

Then on my way back into the house, I noticed the fall colors in our bay...beautiful.  A gift.

Then I remembered the picture I took yesterday of Miss T and Maple with the beautiful skyline in the background as baby nursed.  A gift.

I have begun to realize that true gifts are not purchased, but rather witnessed.  We are given moments in time that are suspended for our brain to grab a brief snapshot.  Enjoyment that if we are really lucky, we can capture that moment by photo and share it with others so they can enjoy it too.

So, friends enjoy this Thanksgiving Day, but most importantly slow down enough to realize the daily gifts that we are given.

Kim

Is it just me or doesn't anyone give a **** anymore?!?

This is going to be rant.  The kind that is raw and uncensored.  So if you are squeamish about swearing, scroll onto something more sublime...this isn't it!

 I honestly think that I have some kind of adult onset Tourettes syndrome.  It's like that commercial where that little bugger comes along with the big teeth and bites an unsuspecting person in the ass and they don't have medical insurance!  Well...that little bugger has bitten me and now I have an uncontrollable swearing issue when mad.  Not exactly ladylike but then again, if you really know me, I'm not your average sit on the sofa enjoying a cup of tea with my legs crossed kinda gal.  I'm the kind of girl that keeps her cool until you really piss me off then WATCH OUT...it's too late.  I'm a run on swearing sentence that doesn't stop to breathe.

So, here's my story for today.  With this move, we decided to buy an older home that required a renovation.  We loved the fact that the land sat on 4000 feet of waterfront with adjacent land for the animals to live very comfortably. We can envision where the chicken coop is going to go (no, I have no idea about chickens but I will learn), where the pig pen will live and where my tack shack will be built.  We also know what the place could look like with some TLC and a few pennies, however in order for that to happen, we need to hire professionals to do the work.

This is where my story gets a bit sideways.  It seems to me that it's really easy for professionals such as Contractors, Plumbers, Gas Fitters etc to speak directly to you...while looking right into your eyes and come across like they actually have their head out of their ass long enough to do a good job. However, we are quickly learning this is not the case.  What we are learning is that people just don't give a damn about anything other than themselves to the point that their job quality is the shits and their timeline stinks.  BUT...have their hand out for more money than their original quote.  WTF!

So when I received an email from our Project Manager saying the tile that was 'in stock and ready to be shipped from Vancouver' really wasn't in stock, wasn't ready to be shipped, and would be two weeks late...I lost my shit.  I can't stand being lied to.  If it's not ready, tell me that.  Don't blow smoke up my ass and then drop a bomb...and then leave for the day.  That makes me furious!  That made for a tourette filled phone call to Northern Capital Wood Products in Prince George that the Owner now needs to find a solution for...tomorrow.

That was coupled by the Gas Fitter than magically decided that he may or may not get the gas line in before the October 3rd deadline.  Again...WTF!  Shaper Sheet Metal out of Vanderhoof said they would come tomorrow to do the job and then advised they may or may not.  He proceeded to tell me he's now 60 and can't keep up.  Seriously!?!!  Last time I checked 60 is still working grade...look at my hubby.  He can put most 30 year olds to shame!

Then the Plumber we hired (Bill's Plumbing and Heating from Burns Lake) didn't put in the exhaust fan in the kitchen, didn't change out the hardware in the main bathroom, and put in a vaccuum line so crooked the drywaller couldn't possibly put the drywall over it...how exactly is this okay!?!  So, we had to redo it...WE AREN'T PLUMBERS  for F**K sakes!  AND we PAID someone to do it...How do idiots like this stay in business?

Gary and I still believe that your word is everything.  It doesn't matter if there is a written contract or not!  If we say we are going to do something, we do it.  Period. I hope that somehow the blog ends up in the laps of those that need a spanking...and think long and hard about their word and how they have fallen short.

All I can say is I hope that karma is a bitch.

Rant Over.

Getting off the crazy bus!

This blog is about being real.  I'm talking really real.  The kind of real that you only get from that one girlfriend that will tell you those pants make your ass look fat.  Where either the content or language might make you wince or laugh your heart out.  Either way, this is my life, my words and my blog.  Like me or hate me, I'm real.  

I went from working as a First Responder in the RCMP for over 19 years to being a Corporate business owner for just under eight years.  I easily earned a healthy six digit salary and was so busy I didn't have time to pee let alone spend any quality time with my husband, Gary and son, Garrison.  The day I stood in our driveway and had the biggest ugly cry ever when asked how my friend could help me...and I couldn't spit out any words that made sense ('cause it would take to freakin' long to explain...and I certainly didn't have that kind of time to waste!)...I knew things had to change.  I knew I had to somehow make our family (both two and four legged) a priority instead of a convenient pit stop.  I couldn't miss any more precious moments that my family desperately wanted to share with me.  I decided at that moment to get off the crazy bus!

I will blog about my family, my horses, my dogs, my snakes (Jesus, yes snakes), my PTSD, my brain injury, my wacky sense of humour, my homemade lotions n' potions, my bees...my everything.  You will kill yourself laughing at my blunders, my foibles, my clumbsiness and my love of life.

If you're looking to have a good ol' belly laugh...stay tuned! ;)

Kim