I did get new hair today, and yes, the purple is back. Feels like me again. The truly exciting news tho is I started riding Dim tonight!

He's so lovely. Such a sweet horse. He's fast too. Only did me some walk/trotting tonight, after ground work, but that was well worth it, and we got to know each other better. He's like riding wind. He's so smooth. Every move I make, he responds to. Slightest leg pressure, smallest twitch of the rein, he's right there with me.

I'm going to ride him every other day for a while. We'll learn together.

I didn't get any pictures today, not of the hair, or this momentous ride. It was a busy day, fitting in works with hair and ride, and camera didn't make the cut. We'll do more soon.

Home now, after a rather harrowing Fog Drive from the stable. Back country road, no lights and yes, the fog WAS most definitely as thick as pea soup.

I wish I had words to tell you how it feels to be riding my very own horse, and loving it so. It's like music tho. You can't write about how music feels when you play it. Or how flowers smell. Or rain feels. (Ok, maybe that one, feels wet. Been out in it enough today, know that one)

Or I can't at the moment, I'll have to work on it. Then write it.

I've wanted my own horse since I was five. I've known I should ride since then. It's a lot like coming home.

Speaking of music, gigs at Charlie's this weekend. Pre-St-Pats and trust me when I tell you Paul and I are ready, and anyone who comes is going to be ready. If you are in town, you might want to celebrate early.

There will be rock.

Love, Rock and Riding,
Lorraine

I decided to switch my Romance Room and my Dinning Room. Needed some change, and a place to hang my new painting. I thought I would create some space, see some new things. have some summer, and a really nice spot to hang this new painting.

To a large extent it worked. Very well. And to a huge extent it did not.

Yes, that is a Rhino Beetle with Venus. Cricket on the hearth and all, no home complete without one.



Biggest problem was colour. Purple BELONGS in the purple room. MerryHousekeeper, Woodsman Hans and the Intrepid Gayle were the BEST. Very patient, tho Merry and Hans liked it better when I didn't help. Spooky Teen was there too, and had some great ideas until she suggested a place where the Organ could MOVE.

The one thing I knew about this project was the Organ and the Piano were NOT moving. Bath Tub, yes, Organ and Piano No. I mentioned this LOTS during the project.



Some things were a good idea. Bookcases go great in the dinning room. I can get to them now, which is a bonus. There's two of them, on either side of the French Doors to the Sun Room.



Magic's new Scream Door might be good. Jury is still out. Venus says no, Mim thinks its weird, Magic hasn't shut up yet. He has opinions and is voicing them. Loudly.



The Bath Tub with the Skellie works just fine in the new spot. As does Halloween Town. We did move the carpet and fish tank into the Dinning room, which was way easier than one might think. Carpets SLIDE. A Grand Adventure for the fish. Especially since they got to slide BACK again a few hours later.

It just didn't feel right exactly. Things happen like that. It's a matter of figuring out how to make them work.



I sat in the new rooms for a while, silently brooding, (always wanted to say that) after Merry, Hans and Spooky left. My friend Gayle was Very Patient. Not right kept coming up, and sadly, the answers obvious. The idea came to me that what was needed was to go riding, then come back and switch things around. (Again) Very Patient Gayle was up for that.

Walk away. Do something else. Ideas will come.



So we did. And now it works. That carpet ONLY goes in the Romance Room. The Table belongs in the Dinning Room. Now I know. It succeeded in that both spaces are now more open, and light. Ready for Summer. Very peaceful, both rooms. Exciting and new.

Space is important. If you don't come into your nest and feel RIGHT, it doesn't matter what it looks like, it's not going to work. Like clothes, doesn't matter how good you look, if it's not YOU then it's not going to work. Or diets. If you can't live with one forever it is not going to work.

I feel good, I look up from the computer in the Sun Room and see NEW. I feel like I've learned something. (Get back to you on WHAT exactly) Had a great time with four great friends. I love my things again, and the nagging feeling I had before we started this Switch Project is now gone.



The only real problem is that my Bengal Painting is not here yet. Was meant to be done (And remember it IS what started this project) but it won't be here until next week, framing is important you know.

And hanging.

May need to switch some more.

Love and Spaace,
Lorraine

I know how you are, and I know you want BEFORE pictures, so here they are! Soon I will be changing everything, it being spring and all. Things need to be different, they need to be CLEAN, floors (I am told) need waxing, and I need a really good place to hang my new Kelli Bickman Bengal Painting.

(Look! In the cat bed on the table!! It's Vampire Candy Corn, in repose!)



So we re-do the first floor. These first two pictures are of the current dinning room, which will, at the end of this project, become the living room. The bath tub may possibly not be part of the things that get moved.

The coffee table at the end of the big table, near the bath tub is not there as part of a design, but something that came out of the Sun Room when I re-did that a couple weeks ago. Not sure WHERE it will go, but am suspecting the porch.



The Piano and the Organ are also staying where they currently are. I know how hard it was to GET them there. Ain't going anywhere. Plans of course, are subject to change without notice.

Writing this, I am kind of thinking the Bath Tub may have to move too. The Dinning Room is going to be the Living Room, called the Romance Room in this household, and WHO has a bath tub in their Romance Room??? A NON-WORKING one, folks.



The coffee table fish tank is going to get some new FISH. Big ones. And a filter. There are two fish in it, that seem to do just fine, swimming around, having the odd meal when I remember to flake them. They may not enjoy their new friends and filter. And they might welcome the change. We will see...

The big purple carpet is moving too. I have this great wood laminate floor and I have never seen it, as the big purple carpet is all over it. I shall use it for sliding. In practice for my new soon to be sport of choice, curling.



The Bengals are NOT going to like the change. They don't approve at all. Magic may approve, that purple door in the corner leads to his room, and he is getting a Scream Door, so he can look out and be more a part of things.

Mim is a very laid back Bengal, she doesn't mind, but Freaky Venus, the silver one, is another matter. Venus does not WANT Magic to be a part of things, or even here. Both of them chase Magic when I let them into his room or porch, the later Generation Bengals don't like the Early Generation ones, apparently they smell WRONG.

(well, he is HALF Leopard. As a Domestic cat, even a Bengal, I might have issues too)

We shall see.

Lots of experiments. Trying some new things. Might work. Might not. Be fun tho...

Won't be dull!

Love and Change,
Lorraine

It was one of those teaser Spring like days. Kind of warm, kind of light, where you wake up motivated and Ready for Action. I had eight different plans in place before I left my bed (which turns into a couch) and made myself tea.

After making Tea I remembered I was possibly still not QUITE well, and recovering from BRONCitius, and scaled the Plans back a bit.



I did manage to open all the windows (as one does on the first day it FEELS like Spring) and make the Sunroom with my new couch (which turns into a bed) and coffee table (which turns into a desk) all nice and new again, ready for summer with easy access to the windows..

I shall now call it The Transformers Room.



I've been operating on a Plan I like to call "Lob It Out The Back Door" when it comes to the garbage bags these past couple weeks. Hey, it's been COLD and there is about 8 feet of snow between the door and bins. No one but me can SEE this travesty of garbage pile...At any rate, Dealt with that little embarrassment.

(Why am I telling you this??? Confession?)

I cleaned out ALL the cupboards in the kitchen and got rid of everything I didn't like, or that bothered me, or I didn't use. (Been listening to AFP's Assistant Beth moan all month about her accumulation of STUFF and what happens when you have to move. Not that I'm moving, but why wait?) And I made food for the next several days, for me, and five Bengals. (Not as hard as it sounds, we pretty much eat the same things, only I have veggies with my meat.)



I took off all the blankets from my bed of the past week (which turns into a couch) and re-sheeted all the upstairs beds (which don't turn into anything and aren't in fact anything BUT beds) Vacuumed (yes I do know HOW, I'm just not very GOOD at it) Took out the rubbish (TO the bins, thank you very much, no more lobbing) AND did all the laundry. Even the weird bits. (you know, those leftover things one always seems to have after laundry is DONE. Pillows, odd towels, things you've never seen before and don't recall having worn)

And I bathed.

And put on my Jammies.

It's nearly six.

And I'm done.

Love and Spring Cleans,
Lorraine

I think I may live, which is the big good news for the night. I wouldn't say I'm WELL yet, but I sure do feel a lot better. Thank you for all the love, stories and good wishes. Really looking forward to getting some energy again, and getting back to riding. Not coughing. All that good stuff.

Can you tell the Exploding Fireplace is now fixed?



Yes. Mim has been enjoying the Olympics. Big figure skating fan. Doesn't much like hockey. Jury is still out Curling. We like the concept, pretty wacky sport, and sure, I'd be up for trying it, but I am not SURE it is a spectator sport. Even on as many drugs as I was on.

Speaking of which, my remarks about watching Taboo: Nudity in Religion and learning the term "Skyclad" were not meant to denigrate any religion. The show had segments on several sects of several religions that like to, well, do their thing naked.

Go for it, whatever makes you happy, feels good and hurts no one. What people do in private is their own business. How we find God/TheGods/Goddess/Insert Whomever, is between each person and their own beliefs. The remarks were meant to convey my personal surprise at seeing these private things on TV while on enough drugs to make everything just a wee bit weird anyway.

I still maintain, it was definitely unexpected. Should have stuck with curling.



Venus, of course, thought both Taboo AND the Olympics equally entertaining....

Love and Health,
Lorraine

See? I'm in my new couch that turns into a bed, and tho you can't see them, I do have my newly fixed fireplace going, and some lovely tea. My friends came over for just exactly long enough and cheered me up and I have a variety of Drugs to make me well.

I've had saunas, showers , steam and baths. And lots of Bengal love. My new coffee table even turns into a kind of desk, where the top comes up so one can sit up straight. More pics tho will have to wait, anything that I need to sit up to shoot can remain un-shot.

Still working in that e-mail pops up and get answered and the phone rings and I say hello (Which is usually followed by OH MY GOD ARE YOU SICK????)

I've had hot water with lemon and honey, ginger tea, red tea, plain water. I may be floating.

Feeling the love from you out there, bronchitis is really, really no fun. I'm no longer dying (that was yesterday) but still feel horrible.

This is the report from the couch that turns into a bed. (Which is WAY cool for the record.)

Now, for your part, entertain ME! Your turn, jokes, poems, cool likes, stories, anything you want...

I'll be in my bed. Couch. Whatever.

Love and Coughing,
Lorraine

Here's Dimil, called Dim for short, my own personal horse in his new Blankie! Dim is a 4 year old, pure Arab, gelding. ("Gelding" is to a horse what "Neutered" is to a cat.) Dim lives outside, tho the horses have several shelters to go for warm. Outdoor horses don't get shaved either, so with a blanket, they are quite warm.



I've wanted a horse since I was four, and still can't quite believe I have one. Riding is the best. It's helping me with my quest for FIT (anyone who says the horse does all the work does not RIDE) and I can sleep at night. If I ride, I am out like a felled Ox (no, no idea where that came from) in about 60 seconds. If that. And it feels really good to be working at a sport again. Getting good at something, not that I am not good at many things, mind you, but this is a new game, which I think everyone needs from time to time.



Like owner, like horse. This is the EXACT same face I make while playing violin. I've seen the pictures people take. Serious here.



Before riding come lunging. Let's the horse run and stretch out a bit. Gets you and he used to each other, and working together. Can get kind of adventurous. Dead gallop with bucking is not uncommon.



I had my first ride on Dim on my Birthday! He was hurt before I got him, and has been in training with my amazing Horse Whisperer Trainer friend Melissa. He's getting stronger, learning to use his back again. And I've been learning to ride, so that when we start together, it will be done RIGHT. There's a LOT to it.



I ride English, for preference. Dim has a Western saddle on here. Didn't complain. The riding styles are a bit different, and my friend Jen, who has been riding him for me, rides Western, so that's what he had on. Apples and Oranges, just what you like better.



Not sure when I am going to ride Dim again, up to Melissa. In the meantime, I have a lot of work to do. I want to get GOOD at this. I want to look good doing it. I want to ride a piece of the wind and be a part of it. I want to push myself and see how far I can go. I want muscles that scream and are grateful, and grow stronger.

I want to chase this dream around the ring until I am living it, the way I see it in my dreams at night, as I have since I was four.

I'll catch it too. See if I don't.

Love and Dreams,
Lorraine