2013 ~ New Year, New Ideas

So I've been thinking about what I hope to accomplish in this next year, and decided that a blog post summary might help keep me true to myself... instead of having this jumbled up mess of ideas in my disorganized brain.

All that being said, here's my list of ideas, wishes, hopes and dreams.  If I'm feeling generous with myself, I'll revisit this list at the end of the year and see what I've accomplished!

Side note: Many thanks to my fellow blogger and friend, Misty, for this idea.  I'm not as aggressive and motivated as her however, so I'll try to keep my list short.  I've also broken down my list into sub-categories, which will be easier for me to track and then hopefully attain my goals!

On a Personal Note

1. Continue my weight loss journey. I'm down 10 lbs since October, and I'm gearing up to lose another 10 lbs. in the next 2 months.  Goal:  a svelte, new me + oodles of energy.
2. Also continue my debt reduction journey.  This one's harder, but I HAVE made progress since I began this trip in early 2011.  I remind myself daily that I want the peace of mind this completed journey will bring me.
3. Return to my photo-snapping self.  This entails learning more about my camera, utilizing what I learn, and doing more with the resulting photos -- for example, sending some of my top photos to Kansas magazine.
4. Blog redesign.  This one is essential for many reasons.

Travel Goals

1. 5 year anniversary trip to Hawaii in March.  When we married in 2008, we said we would take this trip.  We've never vacationed together so this will be an epic event for both of us!
2. At least 2 trips to Ohio to see my granddaughter, Leah, and my son and daughter-in-law.
3. A trip to California (San Francisco and north CA) to see my sister, brother and mother.
4. Reaching out there on this one..... a return trip to Yellowstone. I haven't been there in over 10 years.  Yellowstone touched me deeply and I visited 3 or 4 times in my younger days.  I would love to visit again with my husband.  Sending a shout-out and thanks to Misty for reminding me of my love for Yellowstone!

House/Property Renovation Goals

1. Finish trim work in kitchen, and begin living room renovation.  That's all I'm going to hope to accomplish over the next year, because it takes us a L.O.N.G. time to get these things done, since we both work mucho days at our jobs.
2. Purchase panels for round pen, so we can work with our horses more.  Getting Paintboy more refined and back under saddle and also getting ME back in that saddle would be the best ever.  I would love to go on a trail ride with my hubby someday!!

Long Range Dreams

(which could change with a slight breeze... these are truly DREAMS)

1. Australian Shepherd Rescue, dedicated to Tori Mae's memory.  This one would require LOTS of thought, research and discussion.  But we have the room (27 acres) to do something like this, and we both think it would be really, really, REALLY cool.
2. Add a full bathroom onto our house, with a real, genuine bathtub.  Oh, how I miss my bath! (We only have a shower.)
3. While we're adding that bathroom, let's go ahead and add a wrap-around porch, and a limestone patio on the east side -- a divine spot to sit with a cup of joe and watch the glorious Kansas sunrise.

How about you?  

Is there anything you're thinking of changing up in 2013?

Tori Mae - A Life Well Lived

Tori Mae helped pick a winner for my blog ~ 2009

It's so hard for me to post this, but we lost our Tori Mae to stomach cancer almost 2 weeks ago.  Once we found out she had this evil disease (mid-October), our time with her was short.

Tori was a strong force in our house.  She kept Trixie Lou and Ringo in check - yes, believe it or not, she was our alpha dog, and even Ringo paid attention to her!

Tori was the absolute queen when it came to fetch.  We had to put her toys up in a cupboard, because she would not stop bringing them to us, 24/7.

But that girl was a smart cookie and decided that she called the shots.  And so an empty toilet paper roll became a fetch toy.  A stray sock laying on the floor became a fetch toy.  Even bones became a fetch toy! ANYTHING had fetch potential in her book.

Her soft frisbee was her #1 favorite toy.  Tori's frisbee created a spark in her eyes and a focused determination that was unrivaled.

She was determined to play fetch.  In the summertime, we had to make her stop or I honestly think this girl would have fetched herself to a frenzied hot faint!

Our hearts are hurting, and yet, I know that Tori had a spectacularly good life. I adopted her from an Australian Shepherd rescue near Columbus, Ohio, in December 2004.  She was only a year old and I wanted Trixie to have a playmate.  They became fast friends, although Tori did take over supervision of the household from the very beginning.

Tori (left) and Trixie - southern Ohio cabin getaway

The house seems a little less full, and lot more empty, without her keeping everything in check.

On the Friday after Thanksgiving I shot some video of her playing Frisbee with her dad -- Tom was Tori's person.  (As a side note, Tori defected from me shortly after I moved to Kansas.  She liked Tom way better than me!)

Note:  There are actually two videos of Tori playing Frisbee on YouTube. They are both rather long, but I was trying to capture her focus, which shows up better in the 2nd video above.  You'll also see the horses, and a bit of the guineas and the chickens.

Tori ate less and less as the cancer invaded her stomach.  Her last two weeks she refused to eat even a bite of anything - and we tried everything.  You might be able to see in the video how much weight she had lost, and yet, amazingly, she still wanted to fetch her  Frisbee!

Just writing this blog post brings tears to my eyes and a hurt to my heart.

She finally lost the spunk for her beloved Frisbee two weekends ago, and we knew it was time.

As we held her at the vet's office, she turned her head to me for one last kiss, and then we let her go.

I will never forget that last kiss from one of the best dogs in my life ~ she may have been a lucky girl to find a home with us, but I know the truth of the matter is that WE were the lucky ones to have this beautiful and smart girl grace our lives.

Tori Mae,  2003 ~2012
Her memory will live forever in our hearts

Hubster Competes on "Tough Grit" TV Show

Tomorrow night, Monday October 22, at 6:00 p.m. Central Time (7:00 p.m. EST), on RFD TV (231 on Dish satellite), my husband Tom will be a competitor on the TV show "Tough Grit".  This show is a collaboration of Grit magazine and Tractor Supply.

Here's more info about the "Tough Grit" TV show at Tractor Supply's website.

And you can check out the "Tough Grit" crew on Facebook. Give 'em a like, or heck, you can even sign up to be a contestant if you want!

We've waited many months to view this episode.  The original taping was back in May.  Tom had such a fun time doing the filming with everyone, and he really enjoyed meeting Caleb Regan and Hank Will from Grit magazine, along with the guys from Tractor Supply.

Watch the trailer for Tom's episode tomorrow night right here on YouTube.  That's Tom in the blue plaid shirt.

At stake was a $1000 Tractor Supply gift card.  He didn't win that $1000 gift card.  But he did win a $500 Tractor Supply gift card, woohoo!  Each of the two competitors got one, since each competitor won one of the two competitions on the show.

That $500 gift card sure did come in handy, since we buy our senior horse's feed at Tractor Supply.  So Murphy's Purina senior feed was gratis for about 5 months.  That was a huge help to our financial bottom line.

If you have a little time tomorrow night, and can find the show on your cable or satellite channel offering, do watch it.  I guarantee you an informative 30 minutes, or at the very least, a few chuckles.

I know we'll be laughing....

Bottom line, Tom had a GREAT time doing this.  :-)