Lucy & Life

I sure fell off the face of the planet, huh? Life is crazy, but for a good reason: I got a new job and I am now working full time again. I love my job and I am treated very well there. I am a graphic designer for a local marketing agency. The work is fast-paced and never-ending, just the way I like it! The day flies by. My coworkers are all incredibly smart people and I am learning a lot from them.

With the addition of a 40-hr work week, my trips to visit Lucy have been limited, but I did go see her last weekend at King Oak's horse trial. I drove 250 miles round trip in one day by myself with a dog and a baby in 93 degree weather. It was a LONG day. Lucy decided to pick a fight with the water complex in XC and was sadly eliminated, but other than that the event was a great experience. She put in her best dressage test to date and looked tense as usual, but very workmanlike, and had some really lovely moments at the canter. I was a proud mom.

Here are some photos:

It was extremely hot and humid that day. We were all sweating!

going through the water....finally

We are down to crunch time with getting her sold, unfortunately. If she doesn't sell by Oct 1, she's coming home to me. I feel both elated and terrified that this may happen. I have been functioning well without the responsibility of a horse, and telling myself it's for the best, but you all know that I adore her and miss her terribly. It was hard enough to send her away the first time; I don't know how I would do it a second time.

Several people are going to see her in the next two weeks, so maybe the perfect home will present itself.

Here is her equine.com ad. Please share it if you know of someone looking for a horse like Lucy. She is priced extremely reasonably.

I have had the opportunity to go riding with Maddy a few times. There is a Haflinger mare at her barn who is hanging around getting fat (as Haffies tend to do) so her owner has allowed Maddy to ride her, and was kind enough to extend the offer to me. We have been out on the trails twice; yesterday was the second time. This mare is a TANK. She can't be more than 14hh and I'll admit it's really weird to be able to see over a horse's back when I'm standing next to it! I had the most fun yesterday. I actually laughed for half the ride. She was a blast to ride.

Hannah is doing so well. She continues to be the best part of my day, every day. I look forward to getting out of bed to see her smiling up at me in the morning, and I rock her to sleep every night. She is almost six months old and is still tiny, but is getting bigger!

Here are a few photos:

With Mini Lucy, made by Alicia from The Redheaded Mare

With my sister-in-law...I love this photo

Well that is inconvenient

The problem with being a contract employee is that the business constantly dangles your mortality over your head. I chose not to let it get to me; life is going to happen whether I'm "full time" or not, and plus, I really liked my job!

Well on Friday, after working there for a year and a half, I got laid off due to budget cuts. I was supposed to have a meeting with HR to discuss my maternity leave, which I had given them plenty of notice about. It turned out that the meeting was actually to give me the axe, so now I am jobless at 5 months pregnant and a month before Christmas. Thanks a bunch, former employer!

I am so lucky that Kenny is supportive of this horse addiction that I have. I was a wreck after I left the office for the last time and called him in tears, but he said all the right things and calmed me down. I immediately went home after being laid off and applied for unemployment (for the first time ever), applied for a few jobs, and put Lucy up for full lease online. I am not sure I'll find someone to lease her, honestly. It's absolutely frigid here right now and not many people are really horse hunting. However, it is worth a shot.

In the mean time, Kenny will continue supporting her and for that, I am so grateful. I'll supplement the unemployment money with saddle pad orders (hopefully!) and any other design work I can get. I hope to get a new job asap. Someone asked if I'm going to just surf on the unemployment wave until the baby comes and honestly, I'd be so bored! I like to go to work and accomplish things.

In all of my newfound spare time, I've been doing a lot of cleaning at home, catching up on projects, helping Kenny with the renovations, painting saddle pads, and I EMT'd for a horse show over the weekend. It was 20 degrees with 45mph winds. BRRR! Luckily it was an indoor show so we were at least out of the wind. I was frozen by the time I went home at 4:30pm. I took a boiling hot shower to warm up and went to bed, exhausted, at 6:30.

I had a fun day at the barn on Saturday. I rode Lucy and she was so chill and happy! I didn't bother lunging her because all the horses got turned out on grass before we rode, and this was the result:

Comic (l) and Lucy (r)

Comic, Lucy, and Brantley

Brantley and Lucy having a zoom

Comic and Brantley had a contest to see who was more manly. Lucy won.

Go Brantley, go!

pretty Lu!

After all that, they were pretty tired and well-behaved under saddle. I was a happy girl!

Amanda is planning on taking her to a show next weekend, so that should be fun! This particular show has an OTTB division, which is really nice. Maddy is going with Brantley, too! It will be a fun day.