I have been having a lot of fun learning how to use Facebook. In retrospect I should have set up a page for ASAP - as it is, me, Susan Wellman, has a facebook page. It's so much fun to talk to so many of you on the chat line there! Hopefully we will learn how to use Facebook to get word out to more people about ASAP. We could use about 50 persons who want to adopt horses right now.
Thanksgiving day was bittersweet. We didn't celebrate this day due to Craig's work schedule. It was a day of playing outside and working outside, munching only when hungry, and going to La Crosse to get last minute items at Walmart. Yes! Walmart was open! Dang it! I left my wallet at home in my other coat pocket! On to see the Christmas lights anyway - stopped at grandma's condo, and a quick stop at Burger King for the kids. Our thoughts turned to Craig's family and my sister's family who were also celebrating not too far away. We should have joined them, but by the time Craig got up and felt at all ready to seize the day it was too late. On Thursday Craig worked the 6pm - 4am shift at Cabela's and came home around 5 or 6 in the morning. It was already Friday. I had left him a note on the bathroom sink asking if he would mind throwing the bird in the oven before he crashed. That saved me getting up earlier than I wanted to. Up at 9:30 - got the potatoes boiling, then made the veggies and stuffing and oyster stew. When Craig got up on Friday we were ready to eat! It was just us and my mother at the table, but it meant so much to the kids. We had a great time and stuffed ourselves, then outside to do chores (does it never end? LOL). We made a last minute decision to go to Wisconsin Dells for an overnight getaway. This was partially because I felt badly that we had canceled our trip to see Jordan in Ocala Florida over Thanksgiving. Cherie and Julien flew down there and hoped we would be down to drive them back. It just didn't seem right, my kids reminded me, to leave "Papa" back here and take off for down south without him. I thought that was very thoughtful and selfless. So we went to explore Fort Wilderness at the Dells.
I was sorely disappointed at Fort Wilderness guest services and accomodations! The Kalahari and Great Wolf and all other motels are 10x better than this huge giant of a complex was. We felt as though we were herded from one area to the next, and the waterparks were so full that the kids didn't even want to attempt going in to any of the three to try to have fun. Between trying to keep the kids entertained, helping grandma to bed early because she didn't feel like going to the Ho Chunk for a bit, and my dog Peanut running from the neighbors who came to let him out we began to feel like stressed out bundles of nerves. To top it all off, when we got back from the casino (I only spent $8 and had a ball!)..........we went to bed and at around 3:30 am I found myself sleepwalking in the elevator of the motel!! Thank goodness I woke up, and realized I had to get back to third floor! I realized in my panic when I awoke fully that I didn't have a room key, and who would hear me? Thank God for Rachel who came to the door after I had rapped on it for several seconds. I was SOOO embarassed and it really scared Craig and the kids. Oh well..........another great little getaway that was more stressful than staying home!!!
Have been playing more with horses, realizing at any moment the weather can turn on us.....getting my thoughts organized for a holiday e-newsletter - we cannot afford to have one printed this year. We really need to rally in the end of year donations for hay. We have about 100 bales left in the arena (small squares) and some donated round bales from last summer (mostly grass, about five total), so my wheels are turning to figure out how to reach the most people with our holiday "hay" drive!
We do have about 250 bales of donated hay to pick up, but the hay is about a 2-3 hour drive from us.......and we need a flat bed trailer.
Last week Race for Home and Bart's A Bad Boy returned to the program. Gosh, I hadn't seen Race for Home since she was three, and she is already 13. She is so beautiful and you sure could tell the adopters gave them the best of care. Bart is already 14! They do have homes arranged, as Chevie Silverado is returning back to the ASAP farm due to, shall we say, behavioral issues? He just isn't happy in his current adoptive placement, and is beginning to charge the gate and has become nippy. Sigh...........Chevie is certainly a personality! I never had him nip at me while here, but did see him try to bite a man who was going to pet him. I guess he decides who he wants to be with and when - that is one smart horse!!
It won't be long and Flaunting It and Spect's Solution will be back at the ASAP farm.
Spect hurt his leg this past spring and is not happy being a driving horse. Maybe he wants to go back to Springfield? He had such a great home with Irma and her husband........if only..............
We got the tree up today, and Christmas decorations. It's great to have my ten year old still be so excited about putting the tree up and all. She's my last little one - I had better enjoy it!
Thanks to Carmen for fostering Anxious Larry and Jake and Dolly's Delight and Cape Cruiser. Thanks to Marie for continuing to foster Fox Valley Terror, Thunder, Sugar, and Comet!! Thanks to Ninette for continued loving care of Z Tempest, and to Kim for boarding Code Zero N and Ooops. Thank you to Terry for hanging on to Honey Fitz and King's Royal Fella and A Team Hall until we can find them a home. Thank you to Sara for doing the same for her adopted horses. Thank you to Sue L. for her recent donation of a carriage and harness! What a fantastic thing for our youth programs and possibly parades for ASAP?
If everyone reading this blog gave $5 on Pay Pal, and we got 350 hits per day on our site, that would be $1,750! Consider giving a gift! It would be so appreciated, no matter what the amount!
Horses at ASAP right now include:
Arne
Bob Cook
Stylish Sharon
Strawberry Jacki
Steelin Apples
Little Jeffrey John
Timesareachanging
Taser Gun
Tillie
Rocky and Chloe (our boarders)
Chief
Lakehills Texas
Cash Wilco
Cricket
R Colelateral
Janimal
Sheba (my own App)
Remmie
Race for Home
Bart's A Bad Boy
Miss Molly P
Brandy
Goodnight Starship (home pending)
Chevie Silverado
That's a load! At one bale of hay each per day, we are going through small squares at the rate of 24 per day. We are feeding about 1400# of sweet feed every other week. The tank heaters are about to be plugged in - oh there goes the electric bill!
As we move towards more and more boarding of horses it will generate more income to pay for more hay and feed. Pick a horse, or pick a cause. Your gift will make all the difference this holiday season.
I'll write more soon!
Susan
