Kind of a mixed night here, Fiends. One one hand, I have a new Keyboard, the Bengals took out mine, here at home. Thought I would have to go to a Mac store, or order one, but Hans said (in a voice like someone talking to a well meaning child) "Go to walmart"

Who knew? $13! It's not, mind you, a SNAZZY keyboard, but I am typing again, here at the Spooky House. And if I am ever stupid enough to leave tea on the coffee table that turns into a desk again, well, I can get another. (should buy them in bulk..) Right tea on the floor (carpet can be cleaned) CAPPED water on the desk.

The not so fun thing is that I brought home a Veggie Sandwich for dinner.

Good for me, but for The Bengals, who consider it part of the deal that we share MY dinner after they have had theirs? You might think animal control ought to be called and myself reported for abuse. They are MAD! Disgusted really. Won't talk to me.

We'll switch again: Good Thing today: 78 freaking degrees! In March??? Tomorrow is meant to be warmer yet. And my Boss comes home tomorrow. Having left mid-winter, he is going to be surprised!

Not so fun again: Can anyone tell me WHY the rubbish people come at 5:00am? And why every bit of glass must be broken, practicing for the recycling Olympics? These guys have a Bee-beep thing going on too, whenever they stop. What is it about rubbish that it must go out EARLY??? There are noise ordinances, you can't mow your lawn before 9:00am. If I had a loud party at 5:00am, I'd get a heck of a ticket (hey, it HAS happened, the party, not the ticket)

I just need to know the why of so early.

Hmm..Need another good thing now. Not much left of today. Work is going to be pretty intense the next few weeks, with the Boss just back. I do READ everything, and will try and fly by and say something like "I'm insane, I'm insane, but I love you" more often than I have been. I love the chatter tho, and sometimes, checking on Blackberry, it makes me laugh just exactly when I need it most, even if I can't comment right then, and fall asleep as soon as I get home....

Love and Love,
Lorraine

PS The Bengals are talking to me again, as if they understand the Veggie Thing was a bad joke and I no doubt will be pulling out a steak at any moment...

As you can no doubt see, it was a lovely afternoon at the barn, for me and Dim. Dim is Shedding, a thing horsies do at this time of year. I would like to say, for the record, scraggly as he looks, when we took these, I had just spent over an hour brushing him. That's as groomed as he can get this time of year.

I like this picture of us because it is the first one of me in years I am feeling good about. I have been on my FIT Plan now for 9 weeks and have lost 12 pounds. Feeling very good about it. It could be more but I am not good at STAYING on the thing all the time. I think, tho, that is the way to do it. It's life after all, and if you can't do it forever, it won't work. It's a start. And the right direction.



I am going to be riding Dim all the time now, which is exciting. He still needs a lot of work, and Horsetrainer Melissa is going to keep working him too, and teaching me. I have a lot to learn. More than a lot. Dim is the finest horse I have ever rode, and I want to do it right. You can see how much he has filled out since last fall, when he was underweight, and not moving as well.



I spent a couple hours with the Shedder yesterday too, and braided his mane for absolutely no reason except I felt like it. His tail, by the way, is not GONE (Readers of Black Beauty, settle down) I put it up because it is very LONG, and drags on the ground, which in the spring, is very muddy. And icky. I want it to be pretty for show season.



After riding today, I stopped by the grocery store, and a Gentleman came up and asked if I was the Fabulous Lorraine. (Murphy's Law states this NEVER happens to me except when I look as tho I have just come from spending the day in the barn. Dressed to the nine's? Forget it!) He said he read my Blog here and loved the adventures. I asked how he knew me and he mentioned there weren't a LOT of people with purple hair in our town. Right. Well, it made my day, thank you Dennis, and welcome!



Having my own horse is changing so many things for me. There is so much less stress in my life, when I get to the barn, it all goes away. I love being there, I love how I feel, so tired (And dirty) afterwards. I am stronger. I think clearer. I plan more. I make things to eat in the crock pot to have ready when I get home. Or plan out what would be good, and healthy on the way back. I can sleep at night, and wake up feeling good, and ready for whatever the day has. I am starting to believe some pretty cool things about myself.

And at the risk of sounding sappy, I am totally living a dream I have had since I was four.

I have my own horse.

Love and Life,
Lorraine

Who was it that said "Life is a series of events, the quality of which you determine"?

(She says joining in the talk from the comments of the last blog today)

I think writing is a personal thing. How much you do, what you do, when you do it, if you publish, is all what you yourself want. What you need to do.

A real writer is someone who writes.

Some people can, and need to do to the exclusion of all else. There are people like that in every art, or profession for that mater. A serious calling. Some people write when they need to, and have something to say. Some people make themselves write at certain times, a certain number of pages per day, others when something hits them.

Some people who cannot write make fine livings publishing books. Bad ones, but someone likes them, and they must have, to have written the stories.

They are all writers.

I'm a writer. (I mean, you are READING this aren't you? Think about it.)

Art for arts sake. Do it because you want to, need to, earn a living at it or not. Do you have a home and people you love? Are you happy? If you want to do nothing but write and earn your living at it, do that too. Not doing that does not make you not a "Real" writer.

It doesn't matter if you ever publish or not, if you are writing, you are a writer.

There is art to a featherstick and a Bengal or two that is no less beautiful than a story, or craft or painting.

Is the featherstick and Bengals less real because I don't earn money at it and breed them? Does it matter less because I am only saving a few, and not 1000's?

Where is the line? I made a lot of money yesterday making music. And I made a LOT of people really happy. But I don't do it full time. There's a lot of other things I want to do. Am I a "real" musician?

I don't think we can dispute "Real" there is a difference between professional, and not. But "Professional" simply needs one is paid for it. And again, where is the line? I know some great writers who have no money. And how many great writers never were published in their lifetimes? Yes, you do need other things.

Ted Nugent once said, if I am quoting him correctly, when someone asked him if he did music for the money. He replied "No, because there are WAY easier ways to earn a living, but at the same time, anyone who says the money doesn't matter, is lying."

I love to write. Do I do it enough? No. But there's a LOT going on. All important. And I will stomp anyone saying "If you really wanted to you'd make time for it" A little simplistic and not all that easy.

Writing, or whatever you do, should above all, make you happy.

Still pretty tired, but that's what I think. I am sure I have more to say, but you all very wise, so take it from here, my Fiends..

Love and Words,
Lorraine

We need an update, I am thinking, on Buddy, the Silver Bengal we rescued from Madison, who is currently being fostered by Woodsman Hans. Still sweet, still fun, still hours of entertainment.

Still peeing. Not all the time, mind you, but enough. And Hans' kitty, Molly, does not like him. Buddy likes her, and everyone else he has met, just fine. (Hans thinks he needs a big dopey dog to play with.) But he needs a HOME. Hans can deal with he peeing, but Molly is very unhappy with the new cat.

We've decided to put Buddy on a drug that has been known to help with peeing. Not decided this lightly, I am very good at handling peeing issues, but it's not working. He may have been neutered too late. He has been front de-clawed.

We'll see if this helps him. It's worked for a lot of kitties.



Because Buddy is out of options. He could be an outdoor Kitty if someone can put him inside somewhere at night, but having no claws, he shouldn't be out all the time, and can't kill his own food, but he needs a home.

How's this for an ad:

"REALLY lovely, purebred F4 Silver Bengal 4 yr old male, very friendly, loves other animals and all people. Does pee on doors and couches sometimes, but hey...."

Takers? Thought not.

Guy is out of options. Hence, we are trying the drug.

Anyone who might want to take him on, I would certainly do pretty much anything to find him a home, and would help as much as possible. I'll keep you posted.

He really deserves a chance. A life. I know you are out there.



Here's a picture of my Boss, AFP and the lovely Hera, at the show last night! Just because I asked for one, and they sent it, and I am listening to my Boss on New Zealand Radio, and feeling happy about things.

I'll be updating you about St Pats Day and what's going on tomorrow. We are playing tonight and tomorrow. We are playing St Pats too. Again, an update on exactly what's happening when tomorrow.

Love and Buddy,

Lorraine

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