Merry Christine

The first person that can figure out where that quote comes from gets a free Ready to Wear suit.

I now have a Percheron in my mothers barn named “Tank” (Thanks to Chris and Porsche).  And that he is.  Yesterday I threw a saddle on him and had my mother ride him. We went up back in the woods (I, on my Thoroughbred, Magnum).  With the exception of her knee hurting a bit, she did fantastic.  She is almost 67.

I am discussing this topic because a little over a month ago, she was in absolute agony.  She had a horrible pain in her pelvic area and was completely convinced it was her Sciatic nerve.  I had my massage therapist, Cami, work on her and she was convinced it was muscular, which, I will say I already knew that, and she confirmed.  But my darling mother would not hear that.  So she goes to the doctor, he takes some tests, and everything comes back negative.  Guess what he does?  Suggests physical therapy……………..ah, yessssss…………..now you must understand that my mother cleans 5 horse stalls every day.  She has a HUGE piece of property that she keeps impecably perfect with flower and vegetable gardens.  If she breaks down she is ……f—-ed.

She has been going to the gym with me three days a week for the past 5 weeks, and she not only is feeling better but got up on that Percheron and rode him with no HIP pain, just a little knee pain, which will be fixed in no time with continued resistance training. 

I hear all the time from people that ride horses that this is the only workout they need.  Listen, I am the first person to admit I am NOT a horse snob.  I just get on and ride.  But I will tell you this, I have never been injured on a horse.  I have had some pretty freaky accidents but have never been injured. 

The one thing I notice on almost all serious horse riders is their quadriceps are always  unevenly developed.  The vastus medialis is always overdeveloped (teardrop shaped if you are looking at your thigh).  And also, the flexor hallucis longus muscle just above and in from the outside of your ankle gets cranked from the pressure in the stirrup.  Without writing a book…………….I am only touching on this because ONCE AGAIN….I must be righteous about resistance training. 

YES, it is reduntant.  But so is brushing your teeth, taking a shower, pissing and shitting.  But you do it because it is the hygienic part of life.  If you can just get past the whole vanity, ego, gawd I have to get into these jeans thought for why you should work out.  And for the morons that use the excuse that they don’t want to look muscular (excuse my while I gag), so they don’t want to pump iron.  You just keep thinking that way……Lets see how you are doing in a decade.  It is just as hygenic as anything else you do to keep yourself clean and functioning.

Back to the horses, my husband Dave and I were riding this weekend and came face to face with a black bear.  He looked at us for a bit as we walked closer, stood up on his hind legs, and did the ol “UH, I think I’ll go this way” and he plodded into the brush.  It is amazing how much harmony goes on in a natural environment where there is food and space for every creature great and small.  I am sure some day this too will all be gone.  I only hope it is not in my lifetime………..

NOW, it’s a bunny fest up back in the woods.  Bunny’s everywhere.  They are so cute, all spaced out in the morning hopping along the logging road, completely oblivious to the fact that I am almost right up to them, then Lola has to ruin it.  .. ….  Of course, up there, they are simply cougar and coyote food, plain and simple. 

A friend of mine is going to break my mom’s colt and in exchange she wants me to make her a pair of riding chap’s.  Uh,,,oh………..I might end up loving working with leather again. 

I am addicted to squats.  In my workouts now, I do equal parts upper body and lower body.  I am not competing anytime soon, and I have PLENTY of muscle for a girl, and I really like cardio resistance training.   I have been doing a total of 16 sets, 30 reps of various squats 4 days a week and I absolutely love this.  Supersetting with 16 sets 20 reps of upper body.  Total of 32 sets per workout.  LOVE IT!  And of course, NOT suggesting this to anyone else, I am just sharing my favorite workout du jour…….

My friend Cindy decided to grow some stevia plants and brought me some fresh leaves.  I would take a leave and break it up into my teapot and it makes the perfect barely sweet and take out the bitterness cup of tea.  It reminds me of back in the 80′s when you had to go to hard core health food stores to get the dried crushed stevia leaf.  Of course, now in the ever so more modern world they have managed to make it more acceptable by adding shit into it to make it more atractive to the norm.

Yesterday at my gym, I noticed this guy brought his son in (who is mentally challenged), so he could work out.  His dad sat and watched him carefully while this guy worked out mostly with the free weights, which I found interesting.   But the whole reason I bring this up is because I was so moved by the fact that someone who has every excuse NOT to work out most likely insists his dad brings him in to excersise. 

So, if you read my previous blog, my horse Kolie is now burried peacefully in the pasture, under the cherry tree.  My mothers dog however, was found by a family across the road and is back and being her alzheimer self..  Tough week.  And with that I wanted to share a piece out of this awesome book called The Shack, www.theshackbook.com , because it is about emotions:

“”They are neither bad nor good; they just exist.  Here is something that will help you sort this out in your mind.  Paradigms power perception and perceptions power emotions.  Most emotions are respones to perception – what you think is true about a given situation.  If your perception is false, then your emotional response to it will be falso too.  So check your perceptions, and beyond that check the truthfulness of your paradigms – what you believe.  Just because you believe something firmly doesn’t make it true.  Be willing to reexamine what you belive.  The more you live in the truth, the more your emotions will help you see clearly. 

Trust me,,,,,,,,,,you have to read that a few times for it to sink in….xo

GAWD I LOVE KAHLIL GIBRAN!       

This has been a tough few weeks.  Contrary to what I know people believe, I really do try to accomodate as many gals as possible when it comes to making suits.  But the truth is, I have two hands only.  I have no help, for you cannot ask someone to paint a picture that only you see in your head.  

My mothers Doberman, who bless her heart is old, walked into the woods somewhere yesterday and we are sure layed down to expire.  We live so far out in the hills that there is no way she went even to the road.  We have been searching all through the woods and brush and no sign of her.  No marks of her being taken away by a predator, and frankly, it was hot, and she really was too old to walk any long distance.   Then to top that off, my Arabian mare who has had Cushings disease for a few years now is scheduled to be put down on Tuesday.   That is the hard part of taking on pets, big or small.  We have domesticated them to serve us, thus, we are the ones to determine their expiration.  She has been my sister for almost 20 years. 

I know my writings are fickle, but I find it so reduntant to always write in reference to fitness.  Especially since fitness advise is truly a dime a dozen.   However, I promise I will take the time in the next couple of weeks to write my experience and opinion on breast implants since I STILL have gals emailing me about an article I wrote back in ’03 or ’04 for bodybuilding.com.  Since training and diet is an everyday part of my life like showering and brushing my teeth, I spend my days as I work contemplating philosophy, watching old movies, or political news, therefore THAT is most on my mind.  THEN, I have to keep a still tongue, for I do not want to offend anyone with my measley opinions. 

But, alas, it is almost summer, so I guess it is time to bare my naked mind and post another one of my poems from the 80′s in the Hampton’s.  Let me see,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Afternoon’s on the beach.  Perfectly toasted bodies.  Some are a little overdone.  But the sun seduces them.

“Come on down—Find your spot and watch the show!”  The Oceans entertainment.  The Ocean seduces them.

It loves to engulf and entangle bodies.  Tumbling, rolling, tossing the bodies.  Slamming them into the sand.  NO mercy.

Crawling out after the beating, swearing they won’t do it again.  But a little more sun, watching the waves…………………………..

They always go back for more.