The Right Rev. Corey Keyes's Faves

• Pentateuch (the first five books of the Bible, attributed to Moses)
• Isaiah
• John (read this one in Bible Study at AHUMC)
• Acts
• Romans (read in Bible Study at AHUMC)
• Philippians
  
• Jonah
  

Dave Ramsey's Recommended Reading List

• Rich Dad, Poor Dad (got it, not yet read)
• The E-Myth (GI, NYR)
• Thou Shall Prosper (May have it in a bag or pile somewhere?)
  
• Anything by Zig Ziglar
• QBQ (GI, NYR)
• Built to Last, Good to Great, and How the Mighty Fall, all by Jim Collins
• Free: The Future of a Radical Price, by Chris Anderson
• John Maxwell books on leadership
• Purple Cow, Tribes, other books by Seth Godin
  

My first horseless weekend

I was a bit surprised how excited I was last Friday, knowing I was going into the weekend with no horse encumbrances, no schedules. WOW! Giddy, giggly. It has been a pretty low-key weekend, probably could have gotten more done but I slept in and didn't follow a schedule. It was nice! It was really fun not to have to watch the clock, interrupt what I was doing at the hospital to rush back and get the horses out of the weather. I wonder about Starry, but honestly I don't really miss much else. All those years of horse ownership and now I don't miss them. The distance was already there. This time has been coming since May.

Picked up some books at BJs, and an orchid! Plan to actually read these books, plus a stack of others I've acquired this summer. One at a time.

The orchid: I never thought much about them as a plant until Gardenscape with Sherry a few years ago. They are expensive and apparently fussy. I saw one a month or so ago at BJs and almost took one then. Allen Smith says just place 3 ice-cubes on their potting medium once a week. I found them yesterday while I was shopping and sprang for one. Only $18; figured it would be a fun trial. Gave her her ice-cubes yesterday when I got home.

I'm out mowing the lawn, one more hour to go, maybe for the last time this year. It's been cool and damp. No more tomatoes, all picked; the plants are in the dumpster.

I planted and re-planted a whole bunch of hostas early last week - the 2 from the hillside at work, that weren't very happy; and all 6 plants from my front window area. Plus Millie's hostas. All now under the weeping cherry. Hope they like it there.

Horseless

As of 10AM yesterday morning, I am horseless. No longer a horse owner. No horses in my backyard. This is an adjustment. Good and sad. I am delighted I was fortunate to find a good home for Starry. I am sorry I caused Sherry to cry. She loves Starry also, and she doesn't love changes and transitions. I know I provided something predictable and reassuring for her, that I then took away. Regrets there but not the depth of regret that would make me change my mind. Not looking forward to the winters anymore. Not willing to do the work just because I have in the past, considering the actual cognizance and appreciation for the service is pretty low. Got this accomplished with minimal fuss too, 2 months before my cut-off. WOW!

I will miss everyone but the coming winter was holding only dread I'm afraid. The weather really gets discouraging when you HAVE to go out in it and you are... of a certain age. And when your elbows hurt for 6 months from carrying frozen water buckets. Apparently I am a worrier, not a warrior!

They are a way of life; so many decisions in my life have been based on horses. What to draw in kindergarten. Where to go to college. What to be when I grow up. Where to live. What I do that day or week or month. This will definitely be an adjustment.

Sunday evening mellow

It's just after 6PM, I'm just out of the shower and I'm whupped. Mid-morning visit with Mom at the Pines that wasn't brief, let's say. Home by noon to let horses in. Managed to divert my attention elsewhere for 2 hours... newspaper, computer, maybe a card game or 2. Headed out to start my under-the-tree rings that I've been planning and plotting for 2 months or more. Edged all 3 tree rings, applied a 2"-ish layer of mushroom mulch then hardwood mulch, on top of a layer of brown paper bag. They look nice, very tidy. Too whupped tonite to transplant anything from the sunroom garden, but I expect that will be my first-thing-in-the-morning project.

I am *hoping* I have enough energy tonite to can some salsa... scoping out recipes. I don't like the way my favorite recipe salsa froze and thawed... live and learn, at least it was only one pint.

Insight from a Proverb

I'm 3 for 3 in reading a proverb a day (got the idea from my buds over at 18 Kids..). Today the message gently reached out and turned me by the shoulder toward the light: Always strive for kindness and truth and you will win favor with both God and people. Trust all decisions to God, large and small. Have faith that He will provide. Trying very hard with the kindness. Trying to place my decisions in His hands.

Mom's struggling through her post-knee-replacement recovery... hard to see how down. She's got to get through these next few weeks.

Evening

A good day today...

• My mom is "managing" post-op from knee replacement yesterday. It's painful! She's a tough lady and has certainly had experience managing discomfort.
• Mowed the larger half of the lawn.
• Made pan-fish chowder. Hope it has a wee bit more flavor than last week's batch. (Haven't tried any, yet. It actually takes awhile to make.) Maybe next time, I'll have some nice Honeoye Lake fishies, and not the frozen ones from WM. All the other ingredients are farm-fresh.
• Made up vitamins for the week.
  
• Read 2 Proverbs (today's, and tomorrow's). Felt good to crack my Bible back open, after not too much reading and study since the beginning of July. I'm reading from Max Lucado's Devotional Bible this month. The verse is soothing, not challenging, comprehension-wise.

Off to try some Chow-dah and watch some Touched by an Angel, then 18 Kids. I still have some feline hyperthyroidism to study, looking forward to that actually.