Man, I love this place. Seriously this is like my dream property, the horses make me so happy. I'm really going to like volunteering on Fridays. For most of the day there are no classes, not up until 4pm. I volunteer 9:30-3:30, we start our day out by turning out the 27 horses in 15 pastures from there we work on various barn tasks and exercising the lower ridden horses. On my first day Lucky barged past me as I was turning him out. He was testing me, lol, I figured a few of the horses would. He ended up just running into the next pasture and was eventually moved into the correct pasture after running off some spunky energy. I haven't learned all the horses names yet but here are a few.



This is Rhubarb, I love his blue eye.

I think this one is Twister.

And this would be Lucky, yep the one who shoved me aside. His freckles are so cute!

Aww, Lad he's pretty dang cute too!

Ahhh. =)

Forward Stride

I'm so excited, tomorrow I begin volunteering at Forward Stride. On Fridays they don't have many classes so I will actually be able to work directly with the horses a lot more, yay! It starts out at 930am and we begin turning out the horses in the pasture after their morning feeding. Then from there we work around the barn, cleaning stalls, doing maintenance, exercises horses, and various other farm tasks. This is exactly what I've been looking for. I will be volunteering every Friday 930am-4pm.

I love the words

I rocked myself

The other night I had a pretty rough accident in the house. I had taken Vince's house key Thursday since I had misplaced mine and was running late for the bus. When he got home he knocked to have me let him in. I went running down the stairs since it was raining out, but apparently I was going far too fast and flew off the 3rd to the bottom step. I slammed into the front door and fell to the ground on my left hip. Vince was so worried on the other side of the door, he was yelling to make sure I was ok, it was hard for me to respond between crying and gasping for air from having the wind partially knocked out of me. I managed to scoot myself over and unlock the door for Vince. When he came in he quickly made sure I was ok and helped me up. I felt fine after a little bit.
I felt fine until the next morning I should say. SO how in the fall I managed to rock my ribs pretty freakin' good, I was so sore. I messed up my lower back pretty bad. I need to make it into Kaiser but I have been procrastinating knoing it will be a hassle to try and get seen soon and I also don't want to deal with urgent care.

Unfortunately I really can't get anytime off work. Carrie recently was told by her dr. to stay off work for 3 weeks due to inflamed tendons in her arms and wrists. I have been working 6 days a week plus a double shift on Tuesdays. Without Carrie or myself there is no one to do the bread shifts.

I am so looking forward to my massage coming up this Saturday... Yep, Vince is taking us to get a couples massage for my Birthday at Aqua Terra(http://www.portlandcouplesmassage.com/) this Saturday afternoon. Then we're headed to dinner somewhere, we haven't decided where yet but I think we might go with the Brazil Grill. And then that night we are going to see Louis C.K. Today Vince also treated me to bday shopping, I got 2 pairs of amazing jeans (seriously I've never had a better fiiting pair!) and a super nice jacket. I know a jacket might sound boring to some but it was like the number 1 thing I've been needing. I never got myself a nice winter weather resistant jacket last year and I really didn't want to go through another winter trying to stay warm in sweatshirts (they just dont cut it in wind and rain, lol). It will totally come in handy walking to the bus stop at 5am for the next 6 months =)

I love the smell of horse in the morning

I did my training with Forward Stride (http://www.forwardstride.org/) today, so now I can officially become a volunteer. I'm so excited!! I've been looking for something to get me back on a farm and I'm happy I've found such an awesome facility. Forward Stride is a nationally accredited therapeutic equine center.

I have decided to volunteer every Friday. I'm not quite sure what my jobs will be yet, but I've gone to the training and have signed up for horse leads, side walker, horse care, marketing and pr, and office work. It's so great to be around people who are so passionate about similar things. Like one girl said today, "I miss smelling like horses."
Man, I've said that so many times, and I always get odd stares. I don't know what it is abut horses, or livestock in genral, but I love it. It's me...

Wet Leaves

Today I learned that wet soggy leaves are incredibly easy to slip. I didn't just find out once today, I found out twice. My street is on an incline and lined with trees. It's been raining for the past three days and both on my walk to the bus stop this morning for work, and then back home I ate it. Neither fall was too bad, but I think I might go out there later today and rake the sidewalk. My butt is sore and my ego is bruised, lol.

Hope everyone is having a good Monday!

To my Cali peeps

To my California peeps, please get out and vote no on Prop 8 this Tuesday. I don't live in California anymore and have already done my voting here in Oregon but I am very much opposed to Prop 8. It makes me sick to think the right to marry could be taken away from so many couples. I dont' see how Prop 8 "Protects Marriage", I don't understand why people would vote to eliminate the civil liberties of someone who is gay. So please Vote NO on 8. Voting no on 8 doesn't mean you are a supporter of same sex marriage it just means you support freedom and you are against discrimination.

Fiction: Prop 8 doesn’t discriminate against gay people.

Fact: Prop 8 is simple: it eliminates the rights for same-sex couples to marry. Prop 8 would deny equal protections and write discrimination against one group of people—lesbian and gay people—into our state constitution.

Fiction: Teaching children about same-sex marriage will happen here unless we pass Prop 8.

Fact: Not one word in Prop 8 mentions education. And no child can be forced, against the will of their parents, to be taught anything about health and family issues at school. California law prohibits it.California’s top educators including Superintendent of Schools Jack O’Connell and California Teachers all agree: Prop 8 has nothing to do with education.

Fiction: Churches could lose their tax-exemption status.

Fact: The court decision regarding marriage specifically says “no religion will be required to change its religious policies or practices with regard to same-sex couples, and no religious officiant will be required to solemnize a marriage in contravention of his or her religious beliefs.”

Fiction: A Massachusetts case about a parent’s objection to the school curriculum will happen here.

Fact: California gives parents an absolute right to remove their kids and opt-out of teaching on health and family instruction they don’t agree with. The opponents know that California law already covers this and Prop 8 won’t affect it, so they bring up an irrelevant case in Massachusetts.

Fiction: Four Activist Judges in San Francisco…

Fact: Prop 8 is about eliminating a fundamental right. Judges didn’t grant the right, the constitution guarantees the right. Proponents of Prop 8 use an outdated and stale argument that judges aren’t supposed to protect rights and freedoms. Prop 8 is about whether Californians are willing to amend the constitution for the sole purpose of eliminating a fundamental right for one group of citizens.

Fiction: If Prop 8 isn’t passed, people can be sued over personal beliefs.

Fact: California’s laws already prohibit discrimination against anyone based on race, religion, gender, or sexual orientation. This has nothing to do with marriage.

Fiction: Pepperdine University supports the Yes on 8 campaign.

Fact: The University has publicly disassociated itself from Professor Richard Peterson of Pepperdine University, who is featured in the ad, and has asked to not be identified in the Yes on 8 advertisements.

Fiction: Unless Prop 8 passes, California parents won’t have the right to object to what their children are taught in school.

Fact: California law clearly gives parents and guardians broad authority to remove their children from any health instruction if it conflicts with their religious beliefs or moral convictions

http://www.noonprop8.com