Almost Gypsy Soul

Checking in again, halfway there on those 2016 goals. If you missed the story behind those goals, click here and here when I checked in after the first quarter. 1. GET A HOBBY - Let's be honest, I can't really afford many more hobbies. The upside of having a lot of hobbies, there is always room to devote more time and attention to said hobbies (especially since I have several "new" hobbies, less than 3 years old. In 2016 I will: take 3 mountain bike trips Memorial Day mountain biking in Fruita with Tyler, Jennie, Will and Melody Labor Day weekend at WYDAHO Mountain Bike Festival at Grand Targhee  take 2 golf trips Birthday Golf with the Retired Guy at Rolling Green Country Club 3rd Annual Shank-o-poto-mus at Fossil Island  2. DO SOMETHING THAT SCARES YOU - I'm a hermit and I don't like change, yet I love to travel. Leaving the US of A and my understanding of the English language isn't an easy thing for me to do. In 2016 I wil...

Driving a loader is empowering, even if you suck at it. I mean it looks easy.....just run around the field and scoop up 2 big square bales at a time, the scoot on over to the semi and drop them off on the trailer....give 'em a little bump and off to the next set. And the end result can be seen in less than 20 minutes. I'm here to tell you, its not as easy as it looks and people who make it easy have loaded ALOT of hay to make it look that way. Not everyone can load 12 bales on a 24 bale trailer all by themselves with help I, on the other hand, look like a 2 year old trying to color inside the lines when loading hay. I call success fitting 12 bales on a 24 bale trailer in no less than 1 hour. In my defense, I could have fit more on the trailer, but there was only 12 left in the field by the time I got turned loose with the loader. I think it might help if I could remember which lever went which direction, but whatever. Gypsy Friend was super patient, but I think my loader ...

I finally met the love of my life at the ripe old age of 33.... Wilson, a 1972 27' Airstream Overlander. 1972 Airstream Overlander, Wilson Well, let me clarify, he WAS the love of my life....until we gutted him and found all his problems, which have me a little overwhelmed. I did one thing right before acquiring Wilson, I hired The Retired Guy to be my project manager. The pay is terrible, but when you get to be a part of something so great as Wilson apparently that becomes a minor detail. Music Man was also hired as the Assistant Project Manager. With their help, I'm sure I will love Wilson again! Here's what we had to work with when Wilson arrived to the 307. Living/Dining area from door Kitchen - door side Kitchen - opposite side Bedroom looking out back of trailer Bathroom View of living/dining/kitchen from bedroom  Where are we now? Gutted Anxiety. and Xanax. That is where we are. I shall call this one "gutted anxiety...

There will be no rights of passage this year. I can already buy lotto tickets, go to the bar, car insurance has decreases and I can't yet get the senior discount. But its here, 33 years old. Dang, that is getting awfully close to 35 and.....eeeeekkkkkkk......40. A little too close for comfort because I don't feel like I have it all figured out yet and people who are 33 are supposed to have it figured out, their ducks in a row, poop in a group....ya know. I never in a million years envisioned the life I'm living at 33. I thought that by the time I was 33 I'd have a job (which I do), I'd have a husband (which I do not), I'd have at least one little rugrat running around (which I do not), I'd have a house with a yard (which I do), I'd have a dog (which I do) and I'd have a white picket fence (which I do not). Although there is an absence of a few major life events that I thought I would have checked off by the time I was 33, there are quite a few ...

I'm grateful for my health, I'm grateful for being able to enjoy the world around me. And I'm grateful for friends to share it all with.

The mother of all Thankful Thursdays has arrived! Thanksgiving. Today we (hopefully) are celebrating all that we have to be thankful for. Its easy to forget how much we have to be thankful for, but hopefully by taking a day to reflect on just that.....and writing it down....will help me remember far past this one day. So what am I thankful for this year? health and fitness - The past couple of years has shown me I'm stronger and capable of far more than I ever thought possible. I am thankful for the health that I've been blessed with and the hardwork I've put into gaining back my health and fitness. Its easy to be thankful when I'm out enjoying God's creation. the dog - My little old dog is my immediate family. She has so much personality and unconditional love its hard to be grumpy when she is around. Seeing how happy little things make her, little things like going for a walk, getting a chewy or a belly rub in the morning....that's what l...

Remember that old saying "you don't know what you have until its gone"?  Well I feel it ringing true lately. Although my sentiment is more as its coming back into my life little by little I realize how much I have missed it. All those things that can be found at the end of a dirt road makes my little heart go boom, boom. Since I've became a big kid, I've had to live in town thus making me realize how much I miss the country life. Since I've lost weight and became active again, making me realize how much I miss the outdoors. Its the simple things in life that make me most happy. So what has been making my heart go boom, boom the last few months? Branding Jello Shots and all day horseback rides Playing with puppies for hours! Singletrack Shipping calves Spending the day hunting with The Retired Guy

If you remember back when I decided to join the Pay It Forward movement I got at least 5 comments and consequently 5 chances to pay it forward, to make someone's day with a surprise gift. So I've been working on this post for about over a year to share with you what I thought these people would most love getting in the mail from me! #1 Fellow blogger and OSU alumni, Amy - If you guys don't know Amy you are missing a gem. Check out her blog and get to know her a little better! I followed accounts of her proposal, engagement and am looking forward to the accounts of her wedding day....both from her and Football Fan. She lost her dad in a car accident in 2011 and I know she might miss him a little extra on her way down the aisle. So for her pay it forward, I thought she might like a bouquet charm so that her dad could be with her on her wedding day. Congratulations on your wedding Amy, I wish you forever happiness! # 2 Fellow blogger and OSU alumni, Tiffany - Tiffany...

Some days come and some days go But someday never gets here. Someday is just a dream away. Someday is always next year. Someday we’ll all go fishing. I’m taking my family with me. Heading to that lunker lake Where that trophy is bound to be. Someday we’ll all raft the river Or maybe paddle by canoe. We’ll soak up fun and challenge. There’s nothing we won’t do. Someday I’m heading up north Or maybe I’ll head west. Take my son on that dream hunt Where hunting is the best. We’ll go by boat. We’ll go by plane Or maybe mule or horse. Somewhere where big game is big, In the wilderness of course. Someday I’ll win big in the lotto. And when my ship comes in, I’ll find the time. I’ll find the money. I’ll be gone with the wind. But, something says there’s work to do And bills that must be paid. That time and money can’t be found. They both must be made. So, the time had come for action. Someday would soon be here. I’d go for broke. I’d make my move....

Football Fan and I have been discussing how blogs aren't flowing out of us right now. I struggling, I mean really struggling to write lately. Not enough that I think my blog is over, but enough that I feel like a terrible blogger....I mean who runs out of things to say after only 1 year??????? She posted her 5 10 pictures, 3 words last week on an idea prompt from Collage Roomie , so this week I'll go ahead and copy that idea (except I'm going to follow the rules and only do 5)! There is God  my best friends dinner is caught new & old friends living in the west These are some of my favorite life pictures from 2013. I could have easily picked 10, like Football Fan. Coming up with only 3 words to describe these was tough!