Sheep headgear

So Little Peppermint has not learned. You see peppermint's horns have grown at an awkward angle. They make a "V". She can shimmy and tilt and cram her head through the fence, but once she's through she cannot get her head back out (because of the "V" shape). Often I would come home or wake up to find this.

Oh, and the noise she would make to get our attention was just heartbreaking. Well, we kept hoping that soon enough her horns would grow so big they wouldn't fit through the fence anymore, but that hasn't happened. The past couple of weeks we have been finding her stuck again. I have been so scared and terrified that she was going to get stuck and the coyotes would come up and get her. And the bigger and bigger she gets, the harder it is to weasel her head back out. We have been trying to come up with options to stop her. One was to cut her horns off or file them down. Cutting them off just sounded so painful to me, but it was seeming more and more like what we were going to have to do. Well I told my dad about it, and my dad said, "just duct tape a stick on her horns so she can't get her head through in the first place." Well, last week pep was up to her old antics and this week she is sporting a new look!

At first she was not popular among the others. They did not like her new app. The sheep tried to chew on it and she was harassed for a bit. But now, no one seems to notice. She has even learned that she can use it to scratch her back and clear out a little more personal space at feeding time.

Christmas tree vs. Cat

Christmas is just around the corner! And I'm no where near as prepared as I have been in the past. I feel bad, but my husband is getting basically the same thing he got from me last year. And I have sewing that I really need to do for some other presents for my nephews. I have managed to get Matt and I's non-breakable ornaments for this year. This year a friend of mine from high school that blogs, had a post that describes exactly why I pride myself on my shatter proof tree. Originally the need for eliminating the glass from the tree was because my cats, but I had the child friendly plus in mind too. This year we are adding two giant felt Christmas balls.

Now if I can just find one that my little gray cat is not tempted to chew on, I'll be set. I can't keep that cat from gnawing on my damn tree. She managed to chew through the cord on my pre-lit tree, so Matt had to fix it. Little stinker! I'm just glad it was not like the movie "Christmas Vacation"… "fried pussy cat".

Thanksgiving Rest

Matt and I had a wonderful Thanksgiving this year. Low key! Matt had school work and farm work; and I came down with the congestion and sneezy crud. This picture of our cats pretty much sums up the mood and feel of our Thanksgiving.

Starting up and winding down (all at the same time)

Well, we have been busy. I have set up my little office. I've been going to court almost everyday (whether I have a case or not). I have stood at the podium and addressed the court. I'm movin on up! I have a few cases, one of which was a dozy and heartbreaker. And it was on my birthday, but I hope when we go back to court the situation has improved. I have my fingers crossed for my client.

November has come and gone so quickly, and I have been trying to get so many things in order. I'm getting really excited to get out the Christmas décor this weekend and I'm also excited about the Thanksgiving festivities this week. The year is marching right on past. It will be 2010 before we know it. The reality that my best friend from high school will be moving at the end of the year has set in too. She texted me this morning that her house had sold, which is great and sad news all in one.

In Matt news, he killed a deer yesterday! First off, my husband isn't really a hunter. In the 8 years that we have been together I have never seen him shoot a gun. I've heard stories, and he has shown me firearms before, but never actually fired them in my presence. About a week ago, I saw this beautiful buck on the farm and told Matt and the family about it. I had made the comment that Matt should try to get it before someone else does. I'm not usually in favor of killing the wildlife on the farm. I love seeing all the deer. I even like that every evening and every morning about 50-60 turkeys are roosting or wandering around in the field beside our house. But you see, other people, strangers, think that they can just hunt on the farm, well… because they want to. Basically we have a wide variety of people that trespass about this time EVERY year. I've literally drove by and caught them climbing through a fence before. They have a lot of nerve. Anyhow, Matt's dad knocked on our door yesterday afternoon, said he had seen the deer too, thought it was a good size and asked Matt if he was interested in shooting it. Matt decided to, and pulled one of his brother's rifles out of the safe in the house. Matt's late brother loved to hunt, so it was quite fitting that Matt used his gun, and shot a deer on his brother's birthday. He would have been very proud. So without any practice or even firing a gun in the last 8 years, Matt took one shot and killed his first deer ever yesterday.

The great pumpkin did not show up

Well, the great pumpkin didn't make it for Halloween. Its there, it just didn't entirely turn orange. Speaking of Halloween … it really snuck up on me this year. I had made plans to go have dinner with a friend that I haven't seen in a while, so we did that and had a really good time. And on Sunday I did house work mostly and tried to get caught up on some things.

I've started working as an attorney here at the office and I am completely thrown into trying to learn the ropes at the office and the court house. It's a lot to take in but I'm enjoying it. Friday we set up my little office and I'm still trying to get acquainted in it. I have a few clients and I have also been introduced in court and can cross the bar in the courtroom. You would think I would be totally excited about this because of all the hard work and law school and such. Well I am, but I was more excited not to have to sit in the gallery any more and observe. I sat in the gallery a few times last week and there were so many sick and hacking people around me I decided just to get up and leave. It wasn't worth trying to watch if I was going to catch H1N1.

On Monday Matt and I went to see Maroon 5. We were exhausted before the concert began, and we were real exhausted when it ended. But it was a good show and they sounded great live. It was quite fun for this old married couple :)

Nobody blink, it will be Thanksgiving before we know it!

Two things I don’t know how to do YET: play guitar and drive a stick

My birthday is next month and Lord knows I don't need anymore junk. In fact, I'm still trying to clean up and weed out the junk I already have.

Anyhow, Saturday was the beginning of my birthday present. Matt and I are taking 6 weeks of guitar lessons at Mary's Music. I'm so thrilled about this present. I don't have to wash it, dust it, or find a home for it in my already crowded house. Matt already had the guitars. Our first lesson was good and overwhelming. The strings, the frets, and my fingers screaming at me for making them stretch in ways they never have before. I also quickly learned that my long pretty nails had to go.

So long pretty nails.

I'd love to be able to play a thing or two, and I'm really hoping that I can wrap my brain around all the information. Maybe I'll be able to play myself happy birthday by my birthday!

I also had to practice learning how to drive Matt's stick shift. We went out for a lesson/drive on Sunday morning. I did ok, I'm learning. I'm also learning that people are not very courteous. I had to take off on an incline, which is already a challenge. I had some butthole pull up too close to the rear of the car. I looked at Matt, who was already giving the guy the stare down and said, "I'm not taking my foot off this break, because I'm going to roll right back into the grill of this jerk's truck." That's when the truck driving jerk started honking at me because I wouldn't budge. I rolled down the window and just waved for him to go around, and the occupants of both vehicles all looked at each other with that "you're a douchebag" face.

I did get a compliment this weekend. When I was taking my trash to the receptacle, the older gentleman that is the attendant came up to me and said, that he is always glad when he sees my car pull up. He said, he always knows that when that door opens I'm going to get out with a big smile on my face, and say hello to him. He said, that I make his day when I come because I have such a pretty smile. I laughed, told him thank you, and said that was the point.

Trick-or-Treat! Goats and Sheep!