The end of term 3....

When I made the decision to go back to school I was pretty sure it would be a long arduous process. Much to my surprise, the terms seem to go by in the blink of an eye and I am enjoying the challenge! I have to say that I was a nervous wreck at the beginning of this term since I had algebra, and given the fact that I haven't had an algebra class in about 24 years I was a bit intimidated. I am happy to report that it was ok. I wasn't quite as nerved up over Comp II because I do like to write. So now it's onto Honors Anatomy & Physiology and Pharmacology. I am excited to start another term! Congratulations to all of us for making the decision to go back to school and for getting through another term!! Good luck to each and everyone!

Did the punishment fit the crime?

So I know I have already written about my dogs, but I just have to share what happened when we left them all day on Easter. We were gone quite a long time, probably the longest they have ever been left alone. I have to say, they were really good - nothing was destroyed when we got home. BUT, since they were cooped up all day the rest of the night was the true punishment for leaving. All night - and I mean ALL night - they fought and barked and wanted to go outside. Finally at about 4 this morning they went to sleep and so did I. They slept for about an hour and proceeded to wake me back up and start all over again...Then, as a final part of the punishment, Fred (the roly poly basset beagle) thought it would be a great idea to ferret himself under the deck and get stuck way in the back next to the house...I was pretty sure that I was going to have to cut all the lattice work and crawl under there to try to get him out...After about a half an hour of him crying, me calling frantically to Matt at work to see what we should do, and then going into the outbuilding to get the saw, Fred popped out from under the deck none worse for the wear...hopefully, this concludes the punishment phase, I am too tired to take much more...I guess that will teach us to leave all day!!

Spring is in the air....

One of my favorite summer sounds is the night peepers. They are also called "cricket frogs". The night is alive with their, well, peeps. Last night, faintly in the distance, I heard the first batch of peepers. The males are singing to the females....Since they are only around when the weather is warm - and last night was not warm but today was better - that means spring is in the air and summer is close behind. I am so excited!! This has been a very grueling winter; dreary, cold and snowy. Happy Spring and Happy Easter everyone!!

CTRL + Z

Wouldn't it be nice to have an "undo" button in life? Any mistake you make on a computer you can fix with ctrl + z. Just think, you spilled an entire gallon of milk on the floor - undo! You spent hours correllating papers and on the way to the binder, you drop them and they scatter all over - undo!! I think it's a great idea!
I am not talking about the big things in life, however. I think you have to learn by mistakes and that's what helps you grow. But it would be fun to get to undo the little irritations!

No words...

Sometimes there are just no words. I think after the project for this week, starting a new position at work and trying to learn it before a busy week starts, homework for my other class and the many things that go on in my day, my mind is in a swirl and I am all talked out!! I think I need to rest my brain so I can think of something really great to talk about next week!! :)

My dogs....

I am just sitting here watching my two crazy dogs. They are so funny sometimes! I love watching them play together. Barney is an Aussie/Collie mix and we have had him since he was 6 weeks old. He was, by far, the worst puppy on the face of the planet - he was an absolute hellion. He's over a year old now and is such a sweet dog, and a mama's boy, but he really tested my patience!! Fred is a beagle/basset mix and we just rescued him from the local animal shelter. We think he's about a year old too. He's a great dog. He totally changed my mind about getting an older dog. I always thought getting a puppy and training it from there would be easier. But I was wrong. He was housebroken and knew all of his commands. Barney & Fred have made our living room look like a dog toy box. We put the toys away, they bring them back out one by one...sometimes it's just easier to let them have them out. They are great fun to have around...although our cat, Willow, might disagree...

I volunteer at a therapeutic equestian center 3 times a week. The classes are geared toward children with developmental disabilities. They learn hand eye coordination and build body strength while riding the horses. It is a wonderful program.
I am generally in the barns cleaning stalls and watering horses or moving them from the barn to the pasture. Being there and working hard is therapeutic for me as well. It's a bit of a bonus. The horses do not even realize that just being around them makes me feel good and happy. There's nothing like a big horse kiss when you're frazzled about school or work, and they are always doing something goofy for a good laugh.
I highly recommend finding a therapeutic riding center to volunteer at. If barn work isn't your cup of tea, you can be a sidewalker or horse leader in the classes with the kids, that's great fun too.

Much ado about nothing.

I have come to the conclusion that some people just take themselves way too seriously. Sometimes, you just have to let loose and go with the flow. I think that makes life so much easier to deal with. Not everything that happens is a disaster. Do bad things happen? Well of course they do, but if you make a dramatic episode out of the little things that happen in life, there is no way that you can deal with the big stuff.
I heard a great statement yesterday at the stables that may put things into perspective: "Don't pace in your stall worried about something that isn't happening."
(One of the horses was anxious because we moved his friend and he paced and paced; one of the other volunteers decided to use it as a learning experience for the rest of us)...

Greetings and Salutations!

Greetings from Mansfield, Ohio!! Matt (my significant other) & I moved here (actually we live in a little suburb called Mifflin Twp. - but everything is considered Mansfield down here) in early July 2009, pretty much sight unseen!! What an adventure! Matt got a job here and within a month we had to buy a house, pack up our old house and move. Talk about exhausting. We were not sure what to expect as far as this city was concerned, but were so surprised and excited at what we found. If you are familiar with the movie "The Shawshank Redemption" you have already been introduced to Mansfield, since 95% of the movie was filmed here. The tourism bureau offers a tour called The Shawshank Trail where you get to drive around town to see where all of the landmarks in the movie were filmed. You can tour the old reformatory where Andy & Red became friends (I'm told it's haunted, I am not sure if I believe that or not and we have not toured it yet -- it's on our list of things to do). We also have a carousel district, which is absolutely my favorite part of historic downtown. There is a huge carousel, all of the horses are hand-carved here in the city and there are quaint shops, diners and cafes. I love it here, can you tell?
I have never blogged before so alot of my posts will probably ramble on and on about everything or nothing, so thanks in advance for being patient and taking the time to read it!! I am looking forward to posting on here and reading all of your blogs as well :)