Barn wedding and the Magic Castle

Light through glass pebbles

We attended the wedding of one of my clients last weekend. It was held at a reconditioned historic barn called Camarillo Ranch. Beautiful day and a very happy couple! Mario and I didn't know a single other person at the wedding, but we had a really nice time and enjoyed the respite from work very much.

Waiting for the ceremony to begin

Inside the barn at the start of the reception -

so pretty the way the light came through the wood slats

Blowing bubbles

(also hours of entertainment for the cats and pugs after the wedding!)

This past week was pretty well described as "brutal" between the opressive heat, dryness and smoke from 2 nearby fires - as well as the packed schedule I had mentioned in "Crunch Time"! Weather reports had predicted Santa Ana winds which, thankfully, we really did not get, and I think that was a huge factor in how quickly the fires were brought under control. Still, I was so relieved when the week was over.

Yesterday after working in 98 degrees, we ran home and got ready for a night out with some friends. It was in honor of my friend Leticia's 35th birthday. That's a worthwhile event to celebrate of course, but it was also special because she has just completed her 6th and final round of chemo and radiation therapy for a rare form of cervical cancer. She's got 3 children, a husband, dog, full time job (which she's been on leave from) and a full life... which has been forever affected by this life changing event. She's an incredible fighter and so brave, I am just in awe of how she's managed herself - strong, brave and tough through everything.

She invited a group of friends to go to the Magic Castle, which is an actual castle in Los Angeles filled with magicians, card tricks, side shows, bars, and a restaurant. It's a really cool concept, you have to be a member or be invited by someone who is, and it's got a strict tie/cocktail attire dress policy. No photos are allowed once you're in the castle... We all met at Leticia's house and she had us picked up by a huge 13 person limo. We partied it up!! Dinner wasn't until 9:30, we didn't get home until after 2am. PHEW ~ I don't rebound like I used to. I'm still in my pajamas as I am writing this at 5pm! Mario and I have napped, ate, drank alot of fluids and done a lot of nothing all day!! ;-)

The group before going into the Castle -

Eric & Christine, Alex & Leticia, Eric & Tabitha, Mario & I (kind of hiding), Stephanie & Nick

Crunch time

Well it should mean ab crunches, 'cause that is what I need to be doing! But really it just means I'm facing into a couple of crazy weeks of trimming schedule. It's just nuts and I really don't know how to say no very well. I do easily refer out clients who call from L.A. County- just no wayyyy I want that. But if they are in areas I already go, especially barns where I already trim... I just seem to take them on. I lost a client horse to shoes a week or so ago and find myself with 8 new horses. Where's the balance?

While I slave away to keep them in kibble, my kittays work hard at doing what they do best!

I did get a new over-the-chair seat cover massage deal, my new best friend. It was a cheapy version from Target, but it's pretty nice. It's made Mario and I think about getting a big expensive one to veg out in at the end of the day!

Here's a sleeping pug paw, because really - who doesn't love that?

There was a mouse in the house

Yeah, we have 5 cats. But somehow a little furry rodent found its way into our house (transported? we're unclear)... I was sitting at my desk talking to my mom while she sat on the couch... when suddenly she noticed an inquisitive pair of eyes peering out from the kitchen. Immediately this little visitor attracted the attention of 2 nearby felines and 3 canines! We escorted everyone out of the house and I proceeded to oh-so-gracefully collect up the little mouse. This basically means I scurried around after it trying to make soothing noises while grasping unfruitfully after it as it went under the stove, through the kitchen and living room and under the tv... Eventually I got it by the tail (eek!) and then transferred it, logically, into a vase. Mom and I debated about where to take him, and eventually decided the nearby baranca was a safe bet - away from the overfed but still curious paws (and mouths!) of this household! Here's the little tyke after I released him. (I wonder what I must have looked like, pulling up to a park - getting out of my car with a vase and cell phone - for the photo op - and going not in the direction of the nice mowed park lawn... but towards the dried leaves and trees of the barranca. And the depositing something out of a vase! Anyway, the mouse was truly adorable and I really hope he makes it in the wild!!!

The weather turned from horribly hot to absolutely gorgeous. Last night I brought my wine glass and a blanket out to the backyard and sat in the lawn chair and stared up at the skies. Soooo relaxing and perfect temperatures. Mario and several of the furry family members eventually joined me. :)

It's already September!

how cute is this kitty? Linx sound asleep

I can't believe how fast this year is flying by. It seems like it was yesterday that I was posting about our wild Thanksgiving, or money problems around Christmas, and the crazy rain and cold weather... and here we are, moving out of summer... back to school for so many, Labor Day weekend is behind us... Time really did slow down when we were younger, didn't it??

We had a totally insane week last week, lots of trimming and lots of sweating. It was hot, and humid! It was a total blur.

I had Sunday and Monday off, and we basically did ... not a lot. I ran some errands and did a little shopping, visited my horses, but did not even ride. Sunday night I had way too many margaritas and a whole entire bag of Kettle brand potato chips - Sweet Onion flavor. Together in the moment these two things are deeeelish. The margaritas were on the rocks as I prefer, no salt, with Grand Marnier. Cold, tangy and refreshing. The chips were sweet, oniony and crunchy. YUM!! But that night I wanted to shoot myself ... I had a terrible stomach ache and was up all night. That's what ya get, right??? And I gained 2 lbs back - so much for my first 2 lbs lost on Weight Watchers the week before! So I am back at ground 0, starting again today.

Here's a picture I took of my Arnold Palmer (lemonade and iced tea). It's in a Guinness glass, but it's really not beer. You probably can't see it, but there is a mint leaf in the glass. Mint in iced tea will forever remind me of my grandmother. She made the best iced tea!!! She served it in tall Tom Collins glasses - they had gold paint on them... either little golfers or some had diamonds on them. I love, love, love mint. So you can imagine my delight when this mint plant happily took off next to my potted rosemary. The rosemary came from a client when Hope died... which I thought was so nice! I have another little pot of mint next to it that just never really rallies - everyone says mint takes over and grows like mad, but the other little pot just makes little tiny leaves and never seems happy. Since the rosemary pot seems to be the magic touch, and they are right next to each other, it makes me think there was something going on wrong with the soil in the other pot?? Now that I've got oranges, avocados, rosemary and mint growing happily, I think I'll give a shot at tomatoes next year??? weird for me to say that because I don't really like tomatos. But it's actaully that I don't like the grocery store tomatoes that have no flavor and are mealy. To Mario's shock I will eat GOOD tomatoes sliced cold on a plate with a little salt and pepper. :) I think we need some basil too. What else should I plant?