Complacency

It is so easy to become complacent because, well, it's easy.
Complacency can be born from laziness and leads to inaction and status quo.  It is easier to not worry about one's own health, and just eat whatever your heart desires, or have another beer, or not go exercise.  It is easy to put off doing a Spanish lesson, reading the Bible, or doing a kind deed for someone.

This was posted on Facebook this week.
I wonder if my complacency is an example of

privilege in action.  Make's me feel even worse.

It is easy to turn off the news and live in denial of a messed up country and world.  It is easier to talk than to act, complain rather than do something about a problem, etc.  I hate it when I am being complacent...

...but it is easy to do! 

At least I have bit the 'technological bullet' by getting a new computer with Windows 10.  But it would have been easier to stay with the familiar outdated Windows 7.  However, I know Windows 7 won't be supported forever and a change would eventually need to be made anyway.  

Saturday I was expecting Courtney, so after finishing and posting last week's blog, I got busy with straightening up around the house.  Having company is always a good excuse to terminate complacency and clean house.

Courtney and then Patty arrived about 11:45, we had a bite of lunch, and then headed to the barn.








When Courtney called Zorro's name, he came a running (well it was a fast gait) up to the gate.




I caught Amiga and then Patty, Courtney, and I got both horses brushed and cleaned up.  We also gave them their wormer medicine.

We decided it was too wet, muddy, and rather cold to ride so Courtney took Zorro out to the pony pen to put him through his paces.

Many of the mares came over to see what was happening.

While Courtney worked with Zorro, I sat on Amiga and watched, took photos, and this (video).  

Then I handed my cell phone over to Patty and she took more photos. 

The dogs really wanted to go out on the trail, but had to settle for just playing and watching us.

Amiga didn't want to graze.  She was still mad about getting the wormer medicine squirted into her mouth.  So I rode her around just a bit.  

We put Amiga into the pony pen with Zorro so Courtney could try working them together and to give Amiga and Zorro some bonding time.  Amiga was still grumpy and not very willing.

Once finished horsing around, we put Amiga in with the mares and Zorro with the geldings.  Courtney kissed him goodbye and we were off for Patty's house.  We took a more scenic route back to give Courtney and Patty a look at the back roads of Fairfield Glade.  

Courtney got a tour of Patty's and visited with Patty's cats Gil and Bo before we headed over to our house.

We had an afternoon movie planned and Shirley brought homemade caramel popcorn we all dug into.  The movie (Darkest Hour) was enjoyed more by the history buffs, than by Courtney and I, but it was fun to watch together.

Joe and Patty gave Shirley and I a lesson on how to play Bid Euchre until we were hungry enough to go to dinner.





We each enjoyed various dishes at the Mexican Restaurant and stayed talking for quite awhile.

Courtney came back to our house, we watched some TV, and then she drove back to Nashville.  It is always so good to see her.  

Sunday I went to Church, and it rained all day.  After lunch I went to Shirley's for I-pad and I-phone help.  It was pleasant sitting on her couch in front of the fire and I am so thankful for all her help, but we couldn't get the blog editing on my I-pad to let me download photos.  We did make some progress after three hours of messing with various programs.  I still have a l-o-n-g way to go.

I hit the gym for two hours before coming home to an empty house, Poker Joe was gone.  Critter care, dinner and then TV ended the day.

It was a sun shiny Monday.  We had had a heavy frost and as the sun burnt it off, a fog was produced.   This photo was taken at 8 am, on my way to the barn.

Zorro and Amiga ate hay while we waited for the farrier.  I also got all the dried dirt brushed off of both of them.






Once done with the hoof trimming and new shoes for Amiga's front feet, Joe and I helped Karen move Bahem from Terry's barn back to Wildwood using our trailer.  It went very well and we were home by lunch time.




Joe napped in his recliner, and I on the floor, in the sun, with the dog and cats.  Then Joe, Maggie and I met Patty at Stonehenge.  Patty brought her bike, and we all set off down #10 to walk/ride the back nine.

Maggie had her usual fun running and playing with sticks.

After two holes, Patty had to turn back because her bike tire was too flat.  Joe, Maggie and I continued.

While walking, I sent this photo to Patty, showing her the thrill ride she missed going down this hill along #14.  

The 14th green is right by Lake Dartmoor.  We let Maggie run loose most of the time and she had a ball in the creeks, lake, and with sticks.

After #15 green, there is a long, up-hill trek to get to the #16th tee.  I sent these photos and (video) to Patty to show her the workout (agony) she missed.  I would have loved to see her get her bike up this hill! 😆

 Looking up hill.                                                                                    Looking down hill.

I noticed this black cat in the church yard a few days ago and realized I hadn't seen Hobo in a few days.  I wondered if Hobo had been chased off.  The left photo is through a window and a screen.



I stepped out on the screened porch to get a photo and the black cat took off at a run.

Joe and I watched a movie after dinner and then when he left to walk Maggie, we noticed it had snowed.  I still get excited about snow, even if it is just a little bit and has no bearing on my going to work.

I love waking up to a world under a blanket of snow.  There wasn't much snow coverage Tuesday morning, but it was pretty.


I accidently merged two photos a few weeks ago while working on a blog post, but now can't seem to figure out how I did it.  And I can't seem to overlap them in Paint or Power Point, but it is not for the lack of trying.  For now, I will have to be complacent with just putting two photos beside each other, even though it doesn't give you the exact view of the backyard.

Hobo was crying when I went past the back deck to take corn to the ducks, so I got some cat food to leave in his/her bowl under the porch.

Most of the morning was spent blogging.







A little later I spotted Hobo laying out in the sun.  It is then that I noticed he/she was getting quite fat.  I hadn’t even thought about him/her being pregnant and possibly having kittens under our deck, until Patty had mentioned it a day ago.  Oh boy, Patty could be right.  I bet the black cat is a Tom.  Do they try to kill mama cat's kittens?  Now is probably not the time for complacency, but what do I do?

I got the small pile of papers on my desk filed and then worked on thank you notes.  I figure, better late than never.  

Look at Maggie's silly expression.  She does have an under bite that gives her a funny look sometimes.

After three plus hours at the gym, I came home feeling so relaxed.  The stretch class often does this for me.  I made the bed with newly washed sheets and watched another movie with Joe after dinner, until bedtime.

It was on the cool side Wednesday morning.  Once the sun was up, I noticed Hobo back in the woods on the other side of the creek.  I decided he/she looked cold and hungry so I took food down to the bowl under the porch.  Hobo was there waiting when I arrived, and hungry enough not to flee when I opened the lattice door.






After Ballroom Aerobics I decided to try the Zumba Gold class.  The music was fun but the dance steps rather complicated and I had to be careful with my knees during lateral movements.  Then I worked on weights for my abdominal muscles, getting some help from a trainer on how to work my lower abs.




Next was lunch, reading, and a long nap lying in the sun.  Then I went to the barn at 3:30.  I needed to pay board and wanted to ride late enough to watch the super full Blue Blood Moon rise.

Coming back from the Holly trail under the power lines, the sun was setting quickly.

I rode Amiga out in the front lawn as the sky got darker.  The wind picked up more and I was getting cold and there was no sign of the moon, so I took Amiga in and untacked her.









As I was leaving Wildwood Stables, and heading home, I got the following photos of the moon rising.

Moon seen coming up over Black Mountain.

Viewing from Wildwood Stables with historic Sycamore tree overhead.

Moon getting higher in sky as I left WW parking lot.

Driving home, seen from Dorchester parking lot.

Once home and walking the dog,
seen while headed up Lakeview toward Snead.

Seen from the Lutheran Church parking lot.

I love this one showing the steeple and American flag.

Seen from Flossmoor near our driveway.

Joe was at poker again.
It was the usual dinner routine and watching TV after.  Joe had left the internet device on the television so I couldn't watch taped Fixer Upper or Cowboy Way, so instead I watch a movie, All The Pretty Horses, which I thoroughly enjoyed.

Mr. Cardinal with robin and finch. 

The cup of decaffeinated tea I had after dinner caused a sleep interrupted night, so I ended up sleeping in until 7:10.  Yikes.

It was a gloomy day, with rain predicted and later freezing temperatures doing you know what to the precipitation.

I finished up the rest of my thank you cards.

Britney's Costa Rican mom, Maria, had sent coffee and this mug at Christmas, so I had Joe pose with them so I could send a photo in with the thank you note.  The wall hanging was from Maria (and Max) a few years ago and Joe's hat and sweater are souvenirs from when he and Britney traveled to Peru, Max and Maria's native country.

I put up Valentine decorations but didn't take this photo until after sundown and snowfall.

During the day, after completing a few projects, I read and napped and then spent three hours at the gym.  The temperature was dropping, I was cold, so had soup for dinner and then watched a movie with Joe in front of the fire.  Again like Monday night, we saw that the world outside was white after the movie was over.

It was 17 degrees Friday morning and got even colder until the sun was fully up.  During our first walk of the day, I lingered in the church yard with Maggie, both of us freezing, to get these photos of the moon setting.







I wanted to capture the moon behind the steeple and include the flag.



Walking home I took the lower left photo of the moon setting behind our house, including the Valentine decorations.  A few minutes later I took the second one when I was delivering some dry cat food to Hobo's bowl.  How quickly the sun had come up.

As usual, I enjoyed my tea as I worked on this blog post and watched the birds outside the window.  Do you see who else is watching?  If you enlarge the left photo and look in the upper right corner of it, you will see Mr. Hawk.  Complacency was not a mistake this morning.  The finches must have known the hawk was sunning, not hunting.






My day started rather lazy, but I did do a load of laundry and several little household chores.

Stevie napped on the chair in our bedroom.

And Monita napped on the puzzle table in the sun. 






I went to Jan's to take care of her kitties and then on to the Wellness Center.                            

I had planned to just row and do the elliptical, but decided to throw in some more abdominal work.  I asked a different trainer for help, and he put me through my paces.     

An early light dinner for me... yep, Joe was gone playing poker again, and then TV time.