Two Steps Forward, One and Three Quarters Steps Back!

Hello! I have been dreading blogging. This post is read by quite a few family and friends, and it keeps me honestly evaluating my progress, or lack thereof. Despite my best intentions to get my training underway, life intervenes! Am I not dedicated enough? Is that it? Is it that now is not the time? Perhaps in the Spring when mother nature is kinder and baby is older and on solid food? Will that be the perfect storm of circumstance that I am needing? Perhaps when I am 80 I can be the oldest eventer alive? ;)

The weather has turned bitter. It was 12 degrees without figuring the wind chill this morning. Snow lingers on the ground, and the footing of the arena is frozen solid. I was hoping the footing would somehow have just a bit of fluff on top so that I could ride, but that obviously was just some California Dreamin'.

A couple of setbacks have been suffered by the Second Chance Team. Firstly, we have lost our staunchest supporter... at least for the short term. My husband's work has been taking him away for weeks at a time, and therefore the morning riding has been a no-go as the baby needs supervision. Until his workload becomes more manageable and LOCAL, we will be searching for alternative ways to get the riding in. If that is at all possible.

The second setback has been what I call a Monster Cold that both my husband and I caught. I have never had a cold like this. On Thanksiving I started coming down with it and had 48 hours of fever and chills. No riding out in the cold (first snow at Thanksgiving too!) for me. I ended up wussing out and going to an Urgent Care clinic on Sunday because my husband was leaving for a week on Monday and I wasn't sure how I would do without his helping take care of the horse chores and the baby. I went through a whole course of antibiotics that week and had to call and get a different prescription so that something would help. Luckily the sweet baby has not caught the cold. I was envisioning us at Children's Mercy if he did.

The horses are utilizing their stalls and barn at night in this bitter cold. They are doing great as far as pasture/stall ornaments go.

And... we are back at square one. Is it kindest to myself to just lay off the ambition for the winter? Do I keep pushing and making myself crazy? It is times like these when I wish I were a Type B personality.

Until next time.
P~