So, Archie and I continue to progress.  The four days off of work really helped, even though I opted not to go out to the barn on Thanksgiving.  I consider Archie a key member of my family, but I placed more importance on spending time with the hubs.  Also, I didn't change out of my pajamas all freaking day and that hasn't happened in years.

Thanksgiving was a quiet affair.  We watched movies and cuddled on the couch.  I cooked a couple of things: deviled eggs, a quinoa/lentil blend and some sweet potatoes.  D got a rotisserie chicken for himself.  I loosely followed Paula Deen's recipe for the deviled eggs (fuck garnishes), completely winged the quinoa/lentil stuff, and pulled the sweet potatoes from BodyBuilding.com.  D did not stop complimenting the food and got seconds.  I'm not a good cook, so this was momentous.  He freaking loved the sweet potatoes, so look that shit up.

Me:  I'm glad you liked the food.  I get a lot of gratification from you saying that I cooked well.
D:  I'm just glad that you cooked well.

Old dog love fest. And Harry Potter.

65 lb jealous lap dog.

Evil cat.  Evil dog.

But back to the pony:  we've been working on the same old, same old.  Practicing the canter serpentines that T3 had us do at the last lesson.  Ponykins is a freaking genius and nailed that shit.  Working on the trot/walk transition and the halt/canter and walk/canter transitions.  Leads are a million times better.  We haven't jumped a ton, but the jumping has been good.  Last night, after riding with two others in the ring, I took him over a couple of cross rails on the grass.  We had an audience.  I think, though, that we've officially jumped our highest at the new barn.  Not the highest in general, just the highest here.  I shoved a measuring tape into my trunk, so I'm going to figure out these weird standards with their odd hole system.  I've spent a lot of time talking and bonding with the two other English riders at my barn.  There was a day that we all three spent some time on Pedigree Query and figured out how our horses were related.  The Eventer's horse should have killed the track, but he didn't.  And the other TB rider (henceforth OR) jokes that they took one look at her short, stout TB and determined he wasn't fit for the track.  Archie holds the record for most runs/wins/money-made.

Walking while photographing - edge distortion.  That cup on the right standard is at the second hole, which is what we jump in our lessons as a vertical.  So, somewhere between the second and third hole.  Poles are at the fifth hole.

I feel like, with the proximity of the holidays, I ought to share a little bit about what I'm thankful for.  As the above paragraph indicates, the brain isn't running a linear path today, so let's keep it simple:  D.  House-buying.  The dogs.  A yard for the dogs.  Doggy doors.  The meowsers.  The missing meowser (RIP).  Growing with my husband.  The gym.  Perseverance.  Parents.  New cars.  Financial security.  Friends.  Emails.  Gchat.  History.  A comfortable bed.  A comfortable saddle.  A horse who grows perpetually.  A new barn.  Barn friends.  Freedom of speech.  Profanity.  Tattoos.  Breaking taboos.  Brick floors.  Health.  Family.  Knowledge.  Technology.  The library downstairs.  Employment.

This guy.