Saturday, November 8
Nov. 9th, 2025 03:29 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
gottawonderToday I am grateful for:
I didn't get a lot of sleep last night, and needed to try to get up a little earlier today to go to the city to our friend's place, and to get other things done.
My Sweetie made a dump run before we had to leave, and took the old mattress to be "recycled" at the dump, though I have no idea how they would do that.
I managed to give Wonder some time with Dandy out in the big pasture before we had to go (they can't stay out there the whole day).
Then we got cleaned up and headed to the city. I got to wear the nice sweater I bought a few weeks ago when we got pants for my husband.
The occasion was our friend's 50th birthday, so we stopped at a very nice bakery and picked up an assortment of tasty things to eat (I figured she already had a birthday cake). We also got some very cute little dinosaur candles, as sort of a joke about "being old", meant in a light-hearted way. Mostly they were just super cute candles.
I also thought it would be funny to give our friend a zucchini disguised as a bottle of wine (by putting it in a wine gift bag").
We also managed to get to a pet store because I wanted to buy two cat kennels, which would allow us to feed all of the four cats in separate areas.
We already have a kennel for Hans, Celeste eats in the sun room, but Jones and Sprite eat in the open, but lately Jones has been really bad about jumping on the counter to try to steal food as I'm getting it ready, and following me to the other's dishes and trying to steal their food.
I've had enough, and I've noticed that it's making me "less nice" to Jones at feeding times, which I don't like as a trend.
I feel that if it makes things easier to just put each of them in their own space to eat, then we should try it.
Then we went to our friend's place, and it was great to see them again. I'm not sure when we last saw them, over a year ago? We used to see them more often than that, but somehow it's gotten less frequent in the last few years.
Their daughter is now a tweenager, which is a bit of a shock, since the last time we saw her she was definitely still a kid.
We had a great visit, lots of laughing and being goofy. We played some board games (Clue, which I haven't played in decades) and I showed them my card counting "trick" that isn't really a trick.
They loved the slices of cake we bought, we got five different kinds, and everyone just took a bit of each one. She thought the zucchini wine was hilarious.
I even had some, not much, but some.
They made a vegetarian Vietnamese soup which was fantastic.
Their daughter is very interested in horses, so we talked about that for a while too, and I showed them videos of Ben Atkinson, since he does a very advanced style of Liberty work that is pretty awesome.
The daughter REALLY wants to ride/work with horses, and I think of course this is partly because her Mom doesn't really want her to be around horses.
I didn't want to be seen as persuading anyone, but I offered for them to come meet River and see what we do together, more as just a point of interest rather than trying to sway anyone to do anything.
If anything, they might find it interesting to see Liberty work up close, even if it isn't flashy.
Their daughter crochets, and she makes little animals. She gave me an adorable species non-specific creature that looks like either a sheep or a hamster, so I dubbed it "Shamster".
So after a night of hilarity and once again feeling pretty overwhelmed by the flood of being social for a couple of hours (though I feel pretty comfortable around them, we've known them a long time) we headed home.
I get so "up" after visiting with people that it takes me a long time to come down from that, and then you do that thing of evaluating your performance..."did I do okay"?
We came home and set up the two new kennels for the night feeding, and for the moment it was a bit awkward, but I'm sure they'll figure it out.
Anything to reduce the chaos at feeding times.
I didn't get a lot of sleep last night, and needed to try to get up a little earlier today to go to the city to our friend's place, and to get other things done.
My Sweetie made a dump run before we had to leave, and took the old mattress to be "recycled" at the dump, though I have no idea how they would do that.
I managed to give Wonder some time with Dandy out in the big pasture before we had to go (they can't stay out there the whole day).
Then we got cleaned up and headed to the city. I got to wear the nice sweater I bought a few weeks ago when we got pants for my husband.
The occasion was our friend's 50th birthday, so we stopped at a very nice bakery and picked up an assortment of tasty things to eat (I figured she already had a birthday cake). We also got some very cute little dinosaur candles, as sort of a joke about "being old", meant in a light-hearted way. Mostly they were just super cute candles.
I also thought it would be funny to give our friend a zucchini disguised as a bottle of wine (by putting it in a wine gift bag").
We also managed to get to a pet store because I wanted to buy two cat kennels, which would allow us to feed all of the four cats in separate areas.
We already have a kennel for Hans, Celeste eats in the sun room, but Jones and Sprite eat in the open, but lately Jones has been really bad about jumping on the counter to try to steal food as I'm getting it ready, and following me to the other's dishes and trying to steal their food.
I've had enough, and I've noticed that it's making me "less nice" to Jones at feeding times, which I don't like as a trend.
I feel that if it makes things easier to just put each of them in their own space to eat, then we should try it.
Then we went to our friend's place, and it was great to see them again. I'm not sure when we last saw them, over a year ago? We used to see them more often than that, but somehow it's gotten less frequent in the last few years.
Their daughter is now a tweenager, which is a bit of a shock, since the last time we saw her she was definitely still a kid.
We had a great visit, lots of laughing and being goofy. We played some board games (Clue, which I haven't played in decades) and I showed them my card counting "trick" that isn't really a trick.
They loved the slices of cake we bought, we got five different kinds, and everyone just took a bit of each one. She thought the zucchini wine was hilarious.
I even had some, not much, but some.
They made a vegetarian Vietnamese soup which was fantastic.
Their daughter is very interested in horses, so we talked about that for a while too, and I showed them videos of Ben Atkinson, since he does a very advanced style of Liberty work that is pretty awesome.
The daughter REALLY wants to ride/work with horses, and I think of course this is partly because her Mom doesn't really want her to be around horses.
I didn't want to be seen as persuading anyone, but I offered for them to come meet River and see what we do together, more as just a point of interest rather than trying to sway anyone to do anything.
If anything, they might find it interesting to see Liberty work up close, even if it isn't flashy.
Their daughter crochets, and she makes little animals. She gave me an adorable species non-specific creature that looks like either a sheep or a hamster, so I dubbed it "Shamster".
So after a night of hilarity and once again feeling pretty overwhelmed by the flood of being social for a couple of hours (though I feel pretty comfortable around them, we've known them a long time) we headed home.
I get so "up" after visiting with people that it takes me a long time to come down from that, and then you do that thing of evaluating your performance..."did I do okay"?
We came home and set up the two new kennels for the night feeding, and for the moment it was a bit awkward, but I'm sure they'll figure it out.
Anything to reduce the chaos at feeding times.
no subject
Date: 2025-11-10 03:39 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2025-11-10 07:45 am (UTC)I sometimes get this feeling of almost being a bit giddy or feeling (for lack of better description) a combination of being very aware of needing to pay attention to other people, and knowing they are paying attention to me.
It's a little tough to unwind afterwards, and sometimes I almost feel like it's a bit of a "crash" when I do.
I often need a day or so to recharge after socializing.
I suppose I'm a bit introverted, but I'm not shy or anything around people. It just takes a lot of energy for me.
I get the feeling that my husband and I shake the dynamic up for this couple, because they are pretty serious, professional folks who have very responsible jobs. I think they have trouble loosening up a bit.
I do have a thing with enjoying silly jokes that probably are suited to ten year olds, which seemed to be a hit with our friends just for the fact that it's fun to be childlike sometimes.
no subject
Date: 2025-11-10 08:58 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2025-11-11 06:44 am (UTC)You can slice them up and use them in a stir fry, cube them and cook them and eat them like squash, grate them and add them to anything.