Wow. As you can see from the date of this post, I was so overwhelmed (not to mention tired!) last night that I could not even write about the freestyles. It was a fantastic night until we got back to the car. More about that later!
A most generous woman sitting next to me for the week had a ticket for the Freestyles that she was not going to use, and to make a long story short, she offered it to one of my students, who is a HUGE fan of Steffen and Ravel, not to mention Edward and Totilas and many of the other riders. So on account of a new friend's generosity, Lindsey made the drive down to Lexington on Friday and was able to join me for the freestyles.
I could probably, well, definitely, tell you something about every ride. I have been taking notes all week, in order to better keep you all informed as well as to be able to pass tips along to my students. But rather than go through all 15, I will give you some highlights.
We all absolutely LOVED Marcela Krinke Susmelj and her ride on Corinth. Very artistically pleasing and great musicality, plus, it was a clean test. Her tempi changes on a circle were quite fantastic (better than some we saw later in the evening!) and Corinth looked happy and relaxed throughout. It was early in the night, and Marcela earned a 75%, which would not end up enough to keep her in the medals. I think she was quite thrilled with her ride, though, and she should be proud.
Nathalie zu-Sayn Wittgenstein was another fun test to watch, with music from West Side Story. She received a 78.75%, which put her in the lead. Speaking of great music, the crowd went a little crazy when Christoph Koschel and Donnperingon entered the arena to the Police singing "Every Breath You Take." The freestyle was a medley of Police music, which was definitely a crowd pleaser. Some tightness and bobbles left Christoph with a 76%.
Nathalie and her horse Digby remained in the lead through the first 14 rides, which included Anabel Balkenhol, whose Dablino was visibly tense in the walk and earned only a 73.25%. Isabell Werth took over the lead with Warum Nicht even though the horse repeatedly stepped down with his right hind leg in the passage and they looked tight throughout. Their 80% would not top the leader board for long.
The final five rides were almost too good for words. I can say, though, that too many people in the crowd "forgot" to turn off the flash on their camera, which was distracting to the horses, and there was too much noise, which often ruined a rider's halt. We all need to respect the fact that, for the benefit of the horse and the rider, we need to wait until the final salute to let them know how much we appreciated the ride.
Laura Bechtolsheimer rode Mistral through a nice test, with some lovely moments (especially in piaffe), but they just seemed tighter tonight and not quite as harmonious as earlier in the week. Perhaps a bit of nerves, or who knows what, but they still earned a great score of 85.35% to take the lead!
A crowd favorite from day one, Fuego XII came high stepping into the arena next with Juan Manuel Munoz Diaz aboard. The crowd had a very hard time keeping their mouths shut during this ride (which did cause Fuego to jig out of the opening halt) but later on, the rider was asking for it as he rode his changes one-handed down the center line. The timing of the music with the horse was just super during the piaffe work as well as the pirouettes, but Fuego's collected walk was very short. They scored 81.45%, which put them into second place!
After a huge roar from the crowd at Juan Manuel's final salute, just a few moments went by before another roar erupted when Edward Gal and Totilas floated in to the ring. This was the one everyone had been talking about...could he beat his own record? Unfortunately, with a break to the canter at the end of an extended trot line, one tempis that were short behind and another little bobble, we can't say that this ride was perfection. But a 91.8% is closer than I will probably ever get!
But did they leave the door open for Steffen Peters and Ravel? The hugely American crowd at the WEG sure hoped so! Their freestyle is a beautifully choreographed test, and the half passes were beautiful both in trot and in canter. Ravel did break to the walk once in the piaffe, and was tight behind in the one tempis after a pirouette, so their ride was not perfect either. But a score of 84.85% left them hanging on to third place with one ride to go!
Imagine being in the boots of Imke Schllekens-Bartels, who had to top the rides of Edward and Steffen. I can honestly say that she rose to the challenge. Her ride on Hunter Douglas Sunrise was so harmonious and just beautiful to see. I think her piano-based music could have been my favorite soundtrack of the evening, and their canter work was definitely a highlight. She was the last score between Steffen and the medals stand...and she eared 82.1% which left Steffen and Ravel as the bronze medalists!
Steffen apparently was wiping tears off his face as he stood on the podium to accept his bronze medal, the first ever individual medal in dressage for the US at a World Equestrian Games. Congratulations, of course, to Edward Gal and Laura Bechtolsheimer, earning the gold and silver, but the biggest hometown heroes last night were Steffen Peters and Ravel. What a great way to end the dressage competition at the first WEG in America!
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Some random favorite photos thus far!
From top to bottom: Edward Gal and Totilas in extended trot; Steffen Peters celebrating his ride with Ravel; Laura Bechtolsheimer and Mistral in the one-tempis,
and Juan Manuel Munoz Diaz and Fuego XII in piaffe.
Grand Prix Special at WEG
It was another fantastic day at WEG, filled with great rides, great weather, and just a little bit of drama. I'll get to the great rides and drama in a minute. As for the weather, quite a change from the first day, but it still started out quite cold (about 50 degrees at 9am). The sun was out all day though, and it sure warmed up quick. We passed around SPF 50 sunblock and I still got a bit red. I think the mercury got up to 80 today - pretty nice for the end of September.
So today was the Grand Prix special - the top 30 riders from the first two days came back to ride a different test and compete for Individual World Champion medals. The order of go was determined by putting those 30 riders into 6 groups of 5 based on their score in the Team round, and then a random draw within the groups of 5 put the riders in order. So the top five riders from the first two days of competition were the last five to ride today.
In the first group of five, Anabel Balkenhol came away with the early lead and a score of 72.6% (please note, I have been rounding off the scores). Her lead would hold through the next 16 riders, until Christoph Koschel from Germany rode almost 4.5 hours later! Again, Christoph rode Donnperignon beautifully. Aside from some piaffe work that earned only 5s and 6s, their test had a soft supple flow that was truly special to watch.
The next rider was another of the Germans, Matthias Alexander Rath on Sterntaler-Unicef. His test started out really well, even earning a 10 for his walk from one judge. His work on centerline in the canter did not score as well (the test calls for a pirouette left, then a series of one-tempi changes, then another pirouette to the right) and some of those scores were as low as 4. And just like his previous ride, he basically did not ride the piaffe at X on the final centerline. Yesterday he earned some low marks, today, there was even less attempt at piaffe, and he earned two zeros. Crazy to get a zero and a 10 in the same test! So that problem caused his score to drop to a 70.25% which was surely a dissapointment.
Another shocking disappointment came from Exquis Nadine and Hans-Peter Minderhoud. Nadine was rather worried about something today, and after a couple of smaller spooks or startles within the test, during the final centerline passage she leaped off the ground and Hans-Peter was lucky to stay on and finish the test! She was definitely not as well focused on her work today, and that caused the score to fall to only 68.3% which definitely displeased the crowd.
After Hans-Peter, Imke Schellekens-Bartels entered the ring. There was a slight moment of tension and resistance at the first piaffe (earning just 4s and 5s) but the rest of the test was really quite well done, and each of e 5 judges scores placed her in the lead at that point with a score of 74.8%. One more break where the John Deeres came in to drag the ring, and it was on to the top five.
I could go on forever here, but I will try to keep it brief. Isabell Werth had a couple of minor bobbles, a 10 from one judge on the extended walk, but had some trouble at the beginning of the two tempi flying changes and ended up with a 72%. Then it was time for Steffen Peters and Ravel.
They had a very steady test, with highlights in the half pass and flying changes. The extended walk scores of 6s and 7s and extended trots of 7s and 8s did affect their final score. The final score of 78.5% however, was enough to put them in the lead! And Steffen received straight 9s for the collective marks for rider's position and seat.
Next to halt at X was Laura Bechtolsheimer and Mistral, a pair that I enjoyed watching yesterday. Today was no different. Laura rode a very clean test, receiving a 10 from one judge on one of the piaffe scores, two 10s on the extended canter, and too many 10s to count on the final centerline passage and piaffe. Their low scores were the halts. I think she was so excited by the time she approached the final halt she didn't even notice that Mistral barely halted! Their score of 81.7% rocketed them to the lead.
Juan Manuel Munoz Diaz and Fuego XII were the last to go before Edward Gal and Totilas, and they had another great ride today. An fun pair to watch, the passage was a highlight, but Fuego did not show as much extension in the canter or freedom in the walk as some of the other horses. Their final score was 76%, which would end up keeping them just out of the medals behind Steffen.
So if I did not just give it away, Edward and Totilas won the gold by a landslide. And a beautiful landslide it was! He earned 10s from at least two or three judges on each passage score, as well as 10s on a piaffe, a piroutte, and too many 10s to count on the final passage and piaffe down centerline. Truly spectacular (did I say that yesterday too?). And Edward was awarded straight 10s on the rider collective mark. Best of all, during the victory gallop at the medal ceremony, Totilas was completely relaxed. He cantered around with his new cooler (while Ravel was a little bit crazy) and just took it all in stride on a long rein. That horse knew he was king of the ring today, and I think he loved every minute of it! So did everyone who got to see it.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Dressage Team Finals - Netherlands get the Gold
Wow. I can honestly say I have never seen a more spectacular dressage test in my life than the test Edward Gal rode today with Moorlands Totilas. More perfect 10s were given today than I ever dreamed I would see. And they really are spectacular, not just fancy or flashy. The horse looks so incredibly pleased to be doing the work it is hard to believe. And Edward is a part of him, as a rider should be. Amazing to have the chance to see them in person. And then tomorrow and Friday again!!! Needless to say, he had the high score of the day slightly over 84% and that is not a typo. With that score, and Hans-Peter's and Imke Bartel's, the Dutch won the gold handily.
As for the US, Tina Konyot rode a good test but Calecto started out a bit hot and danced through the halt and then broke to the canter in an extended trot. She ended with a score right around 70%. Steffen Peters was the last rider of the day, but he and Ravel have been out of competition for a short while and this was really their first time out on this type of stage in months. It seemed at first that either Steffen was riding a bit on the conservative side, or maybe Ravel was not just "on" yet like he has been at other competitions. A few bobbles here and there, but also a few 10s as well! His half pass in the trot was fantastic, as was the extended canter, each of which scored a 10 from at least one judge. Good showing for the US, but we ended up just out of the medals. Steffen was third place overall at the end of the day, but the team score was just not enough.
The silver team medal went to Great Britain, their first ever team medal at a World Equestrian Games. Laura Bechtolsheimer had a beautiful ride on her chestnut Danish warmblood Mistral Hojris. He reminded me very much of Carver, who I used to show way back when. Big, obedient, well balanced, with a great piaffe that did earn a few 10s as well. She ended up second for the day with a huge score of 82%, which propelled the Brits to the silver medal along with the scores of Carl Hester and Fiona Bigwood.
The Germans barely edged out the US for the bronze; the point differential was really only two or three total points. If only we could go back and fix the little mistakes, right? Anyway, Isabell Werth turned in a great ride as you would expect her to, but some rhythm issues in the piaffe and final passage on centerline kept her score to a 75%. The other German rider today, Matthias Alexander Rath, is one to watch with his horse Sterntaler-Unicef. Nice energy, a huge walk, soft and supple work, but he really almost skipped over the final piaffe at X which dropped his score down to about 72.5%. Enjoyable pair to watch and I look forward to seeing more of them this week.
One more highlight was the ride by Juan Manuel Munoz Diaz riding Fuego XII, a PRE (pure Spanish) stallion. This was the best of the Spanish horses we saw by far, and he had a few little mistakes here and there, but overall was really quite nice. Huge extension in the trot, very steady and active in passage and a great walk. He was quite obviously thrilled with his ride as he showed the crowd after his final salute by repeatedly pointing at his horse to give him the credit. He ended up fifth individually, and we will get to see him ride again in the Grand Prix Special tomorrow.
Two horses were eliminated today, which added a bit of drama. The fourth Dutch rider, Adelinde Cornellison started the test out with nothing but 8s and 9s in the first few marks, but the bell rang as she went to ride the halt and rein back at C, right in front of the judges. The foam on her horse's lips was bloody, which is cause for immediate dismissal. They announced later that the horse had bit his lip, and everything was fine, but rules are rules and she was out. Which means that she cannot compete in the Special or the Freestyle since she did not post a score today. Quite a shame, as the bit we got to see was looking as good as anything that was getting high marks today. Wonder what her score could have been. An Australian rider, Hayley Beresford, was also excused when her horse looked a little bit uneven or off in the extended trot and passage. A huge disappointment for sure, but hopefully the horse will be okay.
I really am going to try to get pictures up tomorrow, I promise!
As for the US, Tina Konyot rode a good test but Calecto started out a bit hot and danced through the halt and then broke to the canter in an extended trot. She ended with a score right around 70%. Steffen Peters was the last rider of the day, but he and Ravel have been out of competition for a short while and this was really their first time out on this type of stage in months. It seemed at first that either Steffen was riding a bit on the conservative side, or maybe Ravel was not just "on" yet like he has been at other competitions. A few bobbles here and there, but also a few 10s as well! His half pass in the trot was fantastic, as was the extended canter, each of which scored a 10 from at least one judge. Good showing for the US, but we ended up just out of the medals. Steffen was third place overall at the end of the day, but the team score was just not enough.
The silver team medal went to Great Britain, their first ever team medal at a World Equestrian Games. Laura Bechtolsheimer had a beautiful ride on her chestnut Danish warmblood Mistral Hojris. He reminded me very much of Carver, who I used to show way back when. Big, obedient, well balanced, with a great piaffe that did earn a few 10s as well. She ended up second for the day with a huge score of 82%, which propelled the Brits to the silver medal along with the scores of Carl Hester and Fiona Bigwood.
The Germans barely edged out the US for the bronze; the point differential was really only two or three total points. If only we could go back and fix the little mistakes, right? Anyway, Isabell Werth turned in a great ride as you would expect her to, but some rhythm issues in the piaffe and final passage on centerline kept her score to a 75%. The other German rider today, Matthias Alexander Rath, is one to watch with his horse Sterntaler-Unicef. Nice energy, a huge walk, soft and supple work, but he really almost skipped over the final piaffe at X which dropped his score down to about 72.5%. Enjoyable pair to watch and I look forward to seeing more of them this week.
One more highlight was the ride by Juan Manuel Munoz Diaz riding Fuego XII, a PRE (pure Spanish) stallion. This was the best of the Spanish horses we saw by far, and he had a few little mistakes here and there, but overall was really quite nice. Huge extension in the trot, very steady and active in passage and a great walk. He was quite obviously thrilled with his ride as he showed the crowd after his final salute by repeatedly pointing at his horse to give him the credit. He ended up fifth individually, and we will get to see him ride again in the Grand Prix Special tomorrow.
Two horses were eliminated today, which added a bit of drama. The fourth Dutch rider, Adelinde Cornellison started the test out with nothing but 8s and 9s in the first few marks, but the bell rang as she went to ride the halt and rein back at C, right in front of the judges. The foam on her horse's lips was bloody, which is cause for immediate dismissal. They announced later that the horse had bit his lip, and everything was fine, but rules are rules and she was out. Which means that she cannot compete in the Special or the Freestyle since she did not post a score today. Quite a shame, as the bit we got to see was looking as good as anything that was getting high marks today. Wonder what her score could have been. An Australian rider, Hayley Beresford, was also excused when her horse looked a little bit uneven or off in the extended trot and passage. A huge disappointment for sure, but hopefully the horse will be okay.
I really am going to try to get pictures up tomorrow, I promise!
Monday, September 27, 2010
Dressage Part One
What a day. It rained and rained and rained. Not very hard, just a steady, chilly drizzle. I was sure glad I decided to put on that extra vest this morning. And many thanks to the man at the hotel desk who gave me free ponchos this morning! He was a lifesaver.
With the aid of ponchos keeping me and my camera dry (or as dry as possible), I watched every single rider today. I took notes on every rider, and took as many pictures as I could, but the light was not very good for photography even with the stadium lights on, so I am not sure how some of them will be.
It is now very late already, almost 11:30pm, and I just got back after attending the most fantastic concert I have been to in recent memory. I heard the American Spiritual Ensemble (that had sung at the opening ceremony) at the 1st Presbyterian Church in Lexington. They were amazing - each and every song gave me chills or brought me almost to tears, or both. Look them up.
As for the horses, wow. The first big wow was Hans-Peter Minderhoud riding Exquis Nadine, who is a spectacular horse. His score of just over 72% was no shock at all. Could have been even higher without a few little bobbles in the test. Other rides I liked out of the morning session were Anabel Balkenhol (Germany), whose horse Dablino has a lovely passage and a well balanced canter, but was very tight and nervous in the walk, and Emma Kinerva (Finland) who is a lovely, soft rider. Her horse Sini Spirit started well but they had some mistakes in the canter zig-zag. A bit of controversy in the crowd after Anabel's ride since the judges scores ranged from 62% up to 72%. Interesting. Yet another reason I want to enter the USDF "L" judge program.
After a break for arena maintenance and the medals ceremony for Endurance (complete with victory gallop) there were six more rides before the lunch break. Oded Shimoni (Israel) rode a steady test but had some issues in the changes. I loved watching Luiza Tavares de Almeida (Brazil) ride. Her horse Samba was a bit heavier bodied and he needs to develop more thrust and power, but they were a lovely pair to watch and I will keep my eye out for them in the future.
After a very wet lunch break where I managed to score a free sample of some french pork dish at the booth advertising the next world games in France, our first US rider, Todd Flettrich, had a very good test. Some lovely piaffe work, but the last piaffe was quite stuck and tense, and Otto's flying changes tended to be a bit short behind. But a good showing for the first US rider with a score of over 66%.
The next few riders all had some nice moments, and some not so nice moments. The four riders after Todd ranged in scores from 64% to 66.5% or so. Then the next Dutch rider, Imke Schellekens-Bartels entered the arena. Wow. She gave Hans-Peter a run for the money, and she stole it. Her horse, Hunter Douglas Sunrise, was amazing. But for one bobble in the canter zig-zag, they would have scored even higher than the 73.4% they received.
The next horse to go was quite a contrast - a Spanish horse ridden by Claudio Castilla Ruiz from Spain. VERY different horse than the previous. Typical Spanish style stallion - very thick neck and crest, and a much more compact stride, especially in the canter. But he rode a well balanced test, and scored a respectable 67.3%. After that, a young German rider by the name of Christoph Koschel entered the arena on Donnperignon. Very nice, uphill moving horse with big extensions. Perhaps something of a sleeper after the Dutch horses were so flamboyant, but I loved him. And Christoph has a lovely seat with forward energy and none of the tension and backwards push I had seen in some of the other riders. Keep an eye on him too.
Belinda Trussel from Canada had a great ride, as did Sune Hansen from Denmark and Rackel Sanna from Australia. Last to go today was the other US rider, Katherine Bateson-Chandler, riding Nartan, a horse she has only been riding for about 6 months. They had a very good test, but there were a few errors that very much could have been due to the newness of the partnership. Must be nice to have a sponsor to go out and buy you a million dollar horse so you can qualify for the WEG. She did show well, ending with a score of 69.6% to put the US in fourth place after today.
I will try to get pictures up tomorrow!
With the aid of ponchos keeping me and my camera dry (or as dry as possible), I watched every single rider today. I took notes on every rider, and took as many pictures as I could, but the light was not very good for photography even with the stadium lights on, so I am not sure how some of them will be.
It is now very late already, almost 11:30pm, and I just got back after attending the most fantastic concert I have been to in recent memory. I heard the American Spiritual Ensemble (that had sung at the opening ceremony) at the 1st Presbyterian Church in Lexington. They were amazing - each and every song gave me chills or brought me almost to tears, or both. Look them up.
As for the horses, wow. The first big wow was Hans-Peter Minderhoud riding Exquis Nadine, who is a spectacular horse. His score of just over 72% was no shock at all. Could have been even higher without a few little bobbles in the test. Other rides I liked out of the morning session were Anabel Balkenhol (Germany), whose horse Dablino has a lovely passage and a well balanced canter, but was very tight and nervous in the walk, and Emma Kinerva (Finland) who is a lovely, soft rider. Her horse Sini Spirit started well but they had some mistakes in the canter zig-zag. A bit of controversy in the crowd after Anabel's ride since the judges scores ranged from 62% up to 72%. Interesting. Yet another reason I want to enter the USDF "L" judge program.
After a break for arena maintenance and the medals ceremony for Endurance (complete with victory gallop) there were six more rides before the lunch break. Oded Shimoni (Israel) rode a steady test but had some issues in the changes. I loved watching Luiza Tavares de Almeida (Brazil) ride. Her horse Samba was a bit heavier bodied and he needs to develop more thrust and power, but they were a lovely pair to watch and I will keep my eye out for them in the future.
After a very wet lunch break where I managed to score a free sample of some french pork dish at the booth advertising the next world games in France, our first US rider, Todd Flettrich, had a very good test. Some lovely piaffe work, but the last piaffe was quite stuck and tense, and Otto's flying changes tended to be a bit short behind. But a good showing for the first US rider with a score of over 66%.
The next few riders all had some nice moments, and some not so nice moments. The four riders after Todd ranged in scores from 64% to 66.5% or so. Then the next Dutch rider, Imke Schellekens-Bartels entered the arena. Wow. She gave Hans-Peter a run for the money, and she stole it. Her horse, Hunter Douglas Sunrise, was amazing. But for one bobble in the canter zig-zag, they would have scored even higher than the 73.4% they received.
The next horse to go was quite a contrast - a Spanish horse ridden by Claudio Castilla Ruiz from Spain. VERY different horse than the previous. Typical Spanish style stallion - very thick neck and crest, and a much more compact stride, especially in the canter. But he rode a well balanced test, and scored a respectable 67.3%. After that, a young German rider by the name of Christoph Koschel entered the arena on Donnperignon. Very nice, uphill moving horse with big extensions. Perhaps something of a sleeper after the Dutch horses were so flamboyant, but I loved him. And Christoph has a lovely seat with forward energy and none of the tension and backwards push I had seen in some of the other riders. Keep an eye on him too.
Belinda Trussel from Canada had a great ride, as did Sune Hansen from Denmark and Rackel Sanna from Australia. Last to go today was the other US rider, Katherine Bateson-Chandler, riding Nartan, a horse she has only been riding for about 6 months. They had a very good test, but there were a few errors that very much could have been due to the newness of the partnership. Must be nice to have a sponsor to go out and buy you a million dollar horse so you can qualify for the WEG. She did show well, ending with a score of 69.6% to put the US in fourth place after today.
I will try to get pictures up tomorrow!
Sunday, September 26, 2010
The finale of the opening ceremonies
The final portion of the evening was titled "The Cadence of our Country" and was, I guess, somehow supposed to showcase the role horses have had in the history of the United States. Or was it supposed to touch on different cultures across the country and how the horse is a part of that? I am not really sure.
It opened in "The Big Apple" with Mario Contreras (who, if you don't know, is actually from Medieval Times in Chicago, nowhere near New York!) riding an Iberian horse. It was, perhaps, to the average person, lovely to look at. I was not particularly impressed, but he di
d put on a show. I did appreciate the moments that involved a solo dancer from the Lexington ballet mirroring the horse's spanish walk, but had enough of the horse doing the spanish walk backwards about two strides after it started.
Staying in the New York theme, they brought out renowned opera singer Denyce Graves, who sang some fabulous selections from Carmen. I had a bit of deja vu here, as I was once a member of the University of Miami Chorale singing these same pieces behind soloists from the French Opera under the direction of Alain Lombard. Great memories of that time. Again, I digress. So the singing was phenomenal, and the soprano Cynthia Lawrence was beautiful opposite Denyce singing the Flower Duet from Lakme. Look it up on YouTube - you will recognize it instantly. They were really top notch.
Unfortunately though, there was not much going on with horses during this segment, and a significant number of people left at this point. Really quite a shame, as it was musically a highlight of the evening. Note to future WEG planners - keep the horses coming or the horse people will get bored and leave. The tenor that joined the ladies for the last piece from La Traviata was fine, but just not really in the same league as the stars from the Met.
From the Big Apple, we headed to the "Wide Open West" where we met the California Cowgirls, and saw Vince Bruce and the Riata Ranch Cowboy Girls do some trick roping before Eitan Beth-Halachmy came out and demonstrated his "cowboy dressage." I have heard of Eitan before, and maybe seen a video or something, but never thought much of it. Last night, I was really impressed. Sure, it is not exactly dressage in the same manner that competitive dressage is. Then again, how often is competitive dressage really what "dressage" is meant to be? Another discussion entirely. I loved Eitan's riding. Quiet, soft, lovely to watch. Headset of course a bit different than "on the bit" in traditional dressage. His aids were virtually invisible though, and he rode like a true gentleman.
Following the cowboy dressage came an entirely different pair of cowboys - Tommie Turvey and Dan James, who both do a kind of natural horsemanship trick riding sort of show. Fun to watch; crazy to imagine training a horse to do what they did. Each rider (Tommie is from the US, Dan from Australia) came out bareback on their respective mounts, and later, a matched pair of each was sent out at liberty to join the show. Tommie had two paints, Dan two bays, and they both rode one horse while the liberty horse followed and mirrored their movements. Even to the extreme of laying down prone on the ground on command. If they can train their horses to do such things, shouldn't we all train our horses to do the simple things like stand still to mount or walk politely on a lead? It is all about consistency, and if we as the rider or handler are not consistent, the horse would never think it necessary either.
A visit to the Heartland was the next stop on our tour of America. This was perhaps the simplest part of the program. To me, it was the best. Sarah Lee Guthrie sang some of her grandfather Woody Guthrie's classics (including This Land is Your Land, for which the audience was asked to sing along) while Stacy Westfall rode with no tack. No saddle, no bridle, not even a rope around the neck. The music choices were a beautiful soundtrack to one of the best horse and rider relationships I have ever witnessed in person. Stacy rode from a walk to a flat out gallop and looked as if she was part of the horse. I kept noticing the horse licking and chewing now and then throughout their performance as if it was having just as much fun as its rider. Really made me want to have that level of bond with a horse again someday.
The final stop on tour was to "The Big Easy" of New Orleans. Again, another great musical moment with the American Spirtual Ensemble singing some well-known spirituals that even got some of us singing along. Once more though, no horses involved in the moment, so more people got up to leave. Gotta keep the horses coming! As the singers finished up, the Jazz at Lincoln Center group started to play traditional jazz while a parade of circus carriages came in and around the ring. The carriages were neat to see, and there were some cute "acts" interspersed between them (a miniature donkey got a few laughs when he stopped and refused to move!) but as a finale sort of thing, it was not very exciting.
The closing musical number was "The Impossible Dream" sung by Ronan Tynan, whose voice was as great in person as it is on recordings. I personally felt the song choice to be a little bit cheesy, but the addition of children's choir members from Haiti was touching. And then it was over. I think they brought some of the previous performers back out for a final curtain call, but to be honest, I don't remember, since by that time I was tired and ready to go. And so was everyone else! Add a bit of aggravation to that once we got to the parking lot where I literally sat still for 20 minutes before my lane could start to inch toward the exit. By that time it was almost 11pm. At least I had no trouble finding my car - there were quite a few people looking very lost and worried. Plenty of security staff around to help them. Wish there could have been more staff to help figure out traffic flow!
Pictures to come tomorrow - I have an early wake up call tomorrow for the first day of dressage competition - pray that it doesn't rain!
It opened in "The Big Apple" with Mario Contreras (who, if you don't know, is actually from Medieval Times in Chicago, nowhere near New York!) riding an Iberian horse. It was, perhaps, to the average person, lovely to look at. I was not particularly impressed, but he di
d put on a show. I did appreciate the moments that involved a solo dancer from the Lexington ballet mirroring the horse's spanish walk, but had enough of the horse doing the spanish walk backwards about two strides after it started.Staying in the New York theme, they brought out renowned opera singer Denyce Graves, who sang some fabulous selections from Carmen. I had a bit of deja vu here, as I was once a member of the University of Miami Chorale singing these same pieces behind soloists from the French Opera under the direction of Alain Lombard. Great memories of that time. Again, I digress. So the singing was phenomenal, and the soprano Cynthia Lawrence was beautiful opposite Denyce singing the Flower Duet from Lakme. Look it up on YouTube - you will recognize it instantly. They were really top notch.
Unfortunately though, there was not much going on with horses during this segment, and a significant number of people left at this point. Really quite a shame, as it was musically a highlight of the evening. Note to future WEG planners - keep the horses coming or the horse people will get bored and leave. The tenor that joined the ladies for the last piece from La Traviata was fine, but just not really in the same league as the stars from the Met.
From the Big Apple, we headed to the "Wide Open West" where we met the California Cowgirls, and saw Vince Bruce and the Riata Ranch Cowboy Girls do some trick roping before Eitan Beth-Halachmy came out and demonstrated his "cowboy dressage." I have heard of Eitan before, and maybe seen a video or something, but never thought much of it. Last night, I was really impressed. Sure, it is not exactly dressage in the same manner that competitive dressage is. Then again, how often is competitive dressage really what "dressage" is meant to be? Another discussion entirely. I loved Eitan's riding. Quiet, soft, lovely to watch. Headset of course a bit different than "on the bit" in traditional dressage. His aids were virtually invisible though, and he rode like a true gentleman.
Following the cowboy dressage came an entirely different pair of cowboys - Tommie Turvey and Dan James, who both do a kind of natural horsemanship trick riding sort of show. Fun to watch; crazy to imagine training a horse to do what they did. Each rider (Tommie is from the US, Dan from Australia) came out bareback on their respective mounts, and later, a matched pair of each was sent out at liberty to join the show. Tommie had two paints, Dan two bays, and they both rode one horse while the liberty horse followed and mirrored their movements. Even to the extreme of laying down prone on the ground on command. If they can train their horses to do such things, shouldn't we all train our horses to do the simple things like stand still to mount or walk politely on a lead? It is all about consistency, and if we as the rider or handler are not consistent, the horse would never think it necessary either.
A visit to the Heartland was the next stop on our tour of America. This was perhaps the simplest part of the program. To me, it was the best. Sarah Lee Guthrie sang some of her grandfather Woody Guthrie's classics (including This Land is Your Land, for which the audience was asked to sing along) while Stacy Westfall rode with no tack. No saddle, no bridle, not even a rope around the neck. The music choices were a beautiful soundtrack to one of the best horse and rider relationships I have ever witnessed in person. Stacy rode from a walk to a flat out gallop and looked as if she was part of the horse. I kept noticing the horse licking and chewing now and then throughout their performance as if it was having just as much fun as its rider. Really made me want to have that level of bond with a horse again someday.
The final stop on tour was to "The Big Easy" of New Orleans. Again, another great musical moment with the American Spirtual Ensemble singing some well-known spirituals that even got some of us singing along. Once more though, no horses involved in the moment, so more people got up to leave. Gotta keep the horses coming! As the singers finished up, the Jazz at Lincoln Center group started to play traditional jazz while a parade of circus carriages came in and around the ring. The carriages were neat to see, and there were some cute "acts" interspersed between them (a miniature donkey got a few laughs when he stopped and refused to move!) but as a finale sort of thing, it was not very exciting.
The closing musical number was "The Impossible Dream" sung by Ronan Tynan, whose voice was as great in person as it is on recordings. I personally felt the song choice to be a little bit cheesy, but the addition of children's choir members from Haiti was touching. And then it was over. I think they brought some of the previous performers back out for a final curtain call, but to be honest, I don't remember, since by that time I was tired and ready to go. And so was everyone else! Add a bit of aggravation to that once we got to the parking lot where I literally sat still for 20 minutes before my lane could start to inch toward the exit. By that time it was almost 11pm. At least I had no trouble finding my car - there were quite a few people looking very lost and worried. Plenty of security staff around to help them. Wish there could have been more staff to help figure out traffic flow!
Pictures to come tomorrow - I have an early wake up call tomorrow for the first day of dressage competition - pray that it doesn't rain!
Opening Ceremonies Part 2
After the parade of (human) athletes was finished, the orchestra began to play a haunting melody from "Scheherazade" and the audience hushed before a rider on an Arabian, in full native costume, rode out into the arena. She was joined by another rider in costume, plus others showcasing their discipline of western pleasure. Again, the horses and riders were winners of multiple championships and handled the electricity of the crowd like the true professionals they are.
Next came an appearance by a group that rarely comes to the US - the Koninklijke Vereniging Het Friesch Paarden Stamboek. How's that for a mouthful of Dutch? For those of you requesting translation, they called it "The Friesian Train" in English. I think it must be something less than a literal translation, but I can't say for sure! They started out with one rider, then two, in dressage attire of black coats and white breeches, trotting out to New York, New York. Eventually, there were ten horse and rider pairs doing quadrille work together. In terms of entertainment value for the non-dressage rider, it was great. The crowd loved it. I could not get past how tight the horses necks were, and how a couple of them almost looked as if they were actually touching there noses to their chests. Not really my training cup of tea, but it was another show of very precise riding set well to musical accompaniment. I am not sure I would have selected "Aquarius" as part of that segment, but since it is from the musical "Hair" and the friesians were all shown with their opulent manes left unbraided, I suppose it was appropriate!
After the friesians danced out of the arena, it was time for the business side of the opening ceremonies. The dignitary parade included the Kentucky bigwigs (Mayor Newberry and Governor Beshear) along with HRH Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein of Jordan. These dignitaries were driven into the arena in beautiful coaches that were immaculately turned out - there were pairs, and coach and fours. Someday I will get into carriage driving - the little I have done before has been very much fun, and I would love to feel the power of driving four in hand! Muhammad Ali was later driven in a classic car as a special guest. There was another car as well, but I can't for the life of me remember who was in it. Anyway, I digress. There is not much to say about the speeches other than they took to long. They were all very well spoken, and the Princess is very eloquent, but come on, we were all bored after 10 minutes. Finally, she said "Let the games begin!" and we were off. But not really - little did I realize there was still another hour of show to go.
Next came an appearance by a group that rarely comes to the US - the Koninklijke Vereniging Het Friesch Paarden Stamboek. How's that for a mouthful of Dutch? For those of you requesting translation, they called it "The Friesian Train" in English. I think it must be something less than a literal translation, but I can't say for sure! They started out with one rider, then two, in dressage attire of black coats and white breeches, trotting out to New York, New York. Eventually, there were ten horse and rider pairs doing quadrille work together. In terms of entertainment value for the non-dressage rider, it was great. The crowd loved it. I could not get past how tight the horses necks were, and how a couple of them almost looked as if they were actually touching there noses to their chests. Not really my training cup of tea, but it was another show of very precise riding set well to musical accompaniment. I am not sure I would have selected "Aquarius" as part of that segment, but since it is from the musical "Hair" and the friesians were all shown with their opulent manes left unbraided, I suppose it was appropriate!
After the friesians danced out of the arena, it was time for the business side of the opening ceremonies. The dignitary parade included the Kentucky bigwigs (Mayor Newberry and Governor Beshear) along with HRH Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein of Jordan. These dignitaries were driven into the arena in beautiful coaches that were immaculately turned out - there were pairs, and coach and fours. Someday I will get into carriage driving - the little I have done before has been very much fun, and I would love to feel the power of driving four in hand! Muhammad Ali was later driven in a classic car as a special guest. There was another car as well, but I can't for the life of me remember who was in it. Anyway, I digress. There is not much to say about the speeches other than they took to long. They were all very well spoken, and the Princess is very eloquent, but come on, we were all bored after 10 minutes. Finally, she said "Let the games begin!" and we were off. But not really - little did I realize there was still another hour of show to go.
Let the Games Begin!
The ceremony opened with a classic orchestral prelude - Fanfare for the Common Man. Think "Field of Dreams" if you aren't familiar. The opening involved two-legged performers first - some beautiful ballet, and the "celebration crew" which were people dressed in white wearing artistic horse heads. Our first equine stars were ridden by representatives of Native American tribes, and a Lakota chief spoke a prayer for all the nations. His horse sure looks a lot like one we used to have at OBF! Casino, anyone? And here is some eye candy for the ladies:
I am sure I might recall some of this out of order, or leave something out, but it was a long day and I could not manage to stay up and write this when I got back to the hotel!
We watched the riders from Culver Acadamey's Black Horse Troop and Equestriennes do some very precise drill team work as their colorguard brought in the American flag. Horses behaved very well, and the girls did a great job riding. Each one was carrying a full size flag in one hand and holding the reins in the other, and every one hit their marks. A few of the horses got a bit antsy while the
American Spiritual Ensemble sang the national anthem (quite lovely arrangement with the orchestra) but even the riders with horses that started acting up never seemed to lose their composure. The anthem was done well, but if you have ever been to a Chicago Blackhawks game, you know that nothing compares to that experience!The program moved on to a section entitled "Salute to Kentucky" which featured a group of American Saddlebred horses, both ridden and driven, and some great bluegrass music performed by the group Cherryholmes. William Shatner even drove one of his Saddlebreds as a special guest. People kept exclaiming about the long tails the horses had and I didn't have the heart to tell them that the horses wore extensions! It was fun to watch, and amazing to learn that the 8 or so horses in the arena at that time had won over 40 World Championships between them. They did bring some Thoroughbreds in for a "race" around the track, which was won by the great Chris McCarron. I was impressed at the way all of the other horses seemed nonplussed by the small group of TBs literally racing around the outside of the ring.
The salute to Kentucky closed with Wynonna Judd singing "My Old Kentucky Home." I was surprised that it looked like she was reading music off a stand - heck, she's a KY native, I would have thought she would know the words :)
Next it was time for the parade of athletes, which while not as long as an Olympic parade, sure took a long time. The roar of the crowd when the US team was announced was pretty special. I have never been at an event like this where riders are representing their country for a world title, and it made me really want to be in their shoes. Someday.
More to come later - I have a free day and plan to head over to Churchill Downs after a stroll around Louisville. Weather has been great so far! I have so many pictures, but as it got darker after the sun went down, and while my seat had a good view, my flash could not do much from so far away. Should have better pics from the dressage competition starting Monday!
Getting to the Opening Ceremonies at WEG!
So I made it! Just a 5 hour drive to my hotel in Louisville (where there was some trouble locating my reservation, but all is well) and then just over an hour to get to the Horse Park. Parking is $20, but was easy enough to access and then an easy walk to the front gates. I did not have much time to browse through the vendor areas yet, but there will be plenty of that later this week.
Tried to grab something to eat before the ceremonies started, but I was not hungry enough to pay almost $9 for a hot dog and stand in line with 100 other people to pay for it. Definitely going to try NOT to eat at the games. Could have had a banana for $1.50 I guess.
Got through the masses to where my seat was - the stadium is fantastic. Long lines to get your ticket checked, but shorter once I went around to the back side of the main seating area, which, it turned out, was right near the section where I was sitting. There was definitely an excited buzz through the crowd, and people turned out in anything from shorts and T-shirts to suits and cocktail dresses. My seat was in the main stadium area, under a roof, about 40 rows back, with a great view of the arena area. Had a post in the way of my view of the stage, which was not terrible, since they were showing the people that were on stage on big screens in the corners of the stadium. I settled in to my seat (not bleachers, thank goodness!), took a quick look through the $5 program, and got my camera ready to go.
Tried to grab something to eat before the ceremonies started, but I was not hungry enough to pay almost $9 for a hot dog and stand in line with 100 other people to pay for it. Definitely going to try NOT to eat at the games. Could have had a banana for $1.50 I guess.
Got through the masses to where my seat was - the stadium is fantastic. Long lines to get your ticket checked, but shorter once I went around to the back side of the main seating area, which, it turned out, was right near the section where I was sitting. There was definitely an excited buzz through the crowd, and people turned out in anything from shorts and T-shirts to suits and cocktail dresses. My seat was in the main stadium area, under a roof, about 40 rows back, with a great view of the arena area. Had a post in the way of my view of the stage, which was not terrible, since they were showing the people that were on stage on big screens in the corners of the stadium. I settled in to my seat (not bleachers, thank goodness!), took a quick look through the $5 program, and got my camera ready to go.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Chap Stick, or should I say Lip Balm
How many of you know exactly where at least three different sticks of lip balm are, in your possession, at just about every moment in time? Let us now admit to ourselves that we are indeed addicted to emollience. I currently have one in my nightstand; one lives in the kitchen; one should be in my purse but has been lost; one should be in my car but never made the transfer to the new Mazda 5; there are at least two other places in the house where I know I have a stash, and I have one at each of my places of work. Now I sound more than a little bit obsessed...but I will share with you my favorites anyway.
This time of year, I will admit to not really using my supply of chap stick (or whatever brand it is), but come the dry Chicago winter and I cannot live without it. Funny thing is, as much as I will shortly tell you that I have a definite favorite, I do not have more than one stick of any particular brand. Wierd.
Sugar Lip Treatment by the company Fresh is by far and away the absolute best lip balm I have ever tried. Comes at a hefty price though - $22.50 retail. Ouch. My stick of Sugar has lasted almost two years, but I will admit to using it very sparingly. But it is so good, put it on once in the morning and you honestly probably won't need to reapply except on the driest of winter days. This one is kept on a high shelf in the kitchen cupboard so there is no way the 2 year old can try it on!
So now on to the more "everyday" lip balms (or chappie, as we tend to call it in my house). Another favorite is actually the Whole Foods store brand, tangerine flavor. This one generally lives in my purse. They usually sell it near the checkouts, and it also comes in mint. I love the tangerine though, so have never strayed. If I remember correctly, it has olive oil and coconut oil in it, and the moisturizing qualities last for quite a while, as does the yummy citrus flavor.
My admiration of tangerine lip balm originally came from a stick of Badger Tangerine Breeze balm. Check out the other flavors that they have here. They are even certified organic, and only cost about $3. I have a partially demolished stick of Badger in the nightstand right now - you guessed it, an inquisitive two year old felt like he needed to use it. And push it back in the tube with his finger. But that was not as amusing as the cherry scented body lotion that he (and the carpet) recently tried on....Anyway, I have found Badger lip products at Ulta and Whole Foods, and on occassion at Bath & Body Works.
Speaking of Bath & Body Works, they carry C.O. Bigelow, whose "My Favorite Lip Balm" is recommended by many, but I have never actually tried it. Can't say I shop there much anymore. Same with The Body Shop - as much as I love their lip butters, you do have to apply them with your finger, so they are not always the most practical option. But the flavors are quite nice, and they do leave lips feeling moisturized without being greasy or sticky.
I was about to admit to not even having an actual Chap Stick anywhere, but lo and behold, I have just remembered the stick of vanilla mint that I keep in my husband's car. While not my favorite (just go splurge and buy the Sugar, or at least try it on at Sephora), the good old Chap Stick does the job and doesn't break the bank.
Let me know if you have any other favorites I have not mentioned - I am always up for trying something new!
This time of year, I will admit to not really using my supply of chap stick (or whatever brand it is), but come the dry Chicago winter and I cannot live without it. Funny thing is, as much as I will shortly tell you that I have a definite favorite, I do not have more than one stick of any particular brand. Wierd.
Sugar Lip Treatment by the company Fresh is by far and away the absolute best lip balm I have ever tried. Comes at a hefty price though - $22.50 retail. Ouch. My stick of Sugar has lasted almost two years, but I will admit to using it very sparingly. But it is so good, put it on once in the morning and you honestly probably won't need to reapply except on the driest of winter days. This one is kept on a high shelf in the kitchen cupboard so there is no way the 2 year old can try it on!
So now on to the more "everyday" lip balms (or chappie, as we tend to call it in my house). Another favorite is actually the Whole Foods store brand, tangerine flavor. This one generally lives in my purse. They usually sell it near the checkouts, and it also comes in mint. I love the tangerine though, so have never strayed. If I remember correctly, it has olive oil and coconut oil in it, and the moisturizing qualities last for quite a while, as does the yummy citrus flavor.
My admiration of tangerine lip balm originally came from a stick of Badger Tangerine Breeze balm. Check out the other flavors that they have here. They are even certified organic, and only cost about $3. I have a partially demolished stick of Badger in the nightstand right now - you guessed it, an inquisitive two year old felt like he needed to use it. And push it back in the tube with his finger. But that was not as amusing as the cherry scented body lotion that he (and the carpet) recently tried on....Anyway, I have found Badger lip products at Ulta and Whole Foods, and on occassion at Bath & Body Works.
Speaking of Bath & Body Works, they carry C.O. Bigelow, whose "My Favorite Lip Balm" is recommended by many, but I have never actually tried it. Can't say I shop there much anymore. Same with The Body Shop - as much as I love their lip butters, you do have to apply them with your finger, so they are not always the most practical option. But the flavors are quite nice, and they do leave lips feeling moisturized without being greasy or sticky.
I was about to admit to not even having an actual Chap Stick anywhere, but lo and behold, I have just remembered the stick of vanilla mint that I keep in my husband's car. While not my favorite (just go splurge and buy the Sugar, or at least try it on at Sephora), the good old Chap Stick does the job and doesn't break the bank.
Let me know if you have any other favorites I have not mentioned - I am always up for trying something new!
Thursday, September 3, 2009
An hour of peace...with my Nikon D200
If anyone out there actually reads this, you may have noticed that I have been suspiciously silent for the last few weeks. Chalk it up to life with two kids (or with the husband is that three?), two jobs, two dogs, and too much to do.
Finally, I have been granted a reprieve. Everyone else in the house is asleep, even the dogs. And it is not even the middle of the night! But I better go put that last load of laundry in the dryer before I forget - be right back :)
If the load that just came out of the dryer doesn't fold itself, I guess it will still be there in the morning. Oh well. At least getting the other load in to dry means my kids will be dressed in clean clothes tomorrow instead of staying in pajamas all day. I am sure my clothes will be wrinkled, as usual.
Even before the rest of the clan went to bed, I managed to squeak out a few minutes of time on the computer between making dinner and attempting to tidy up and get laundry and other assorted chores done. In the short bits of time, I finally downloaded about 500 pictures from my digital camera, the lovely digital SLR Nikon D200.
I have been an avid photographer for years, and my husband finally got me to go digital about 3 years ago. I won't get into all the details (and apparently they are obsolete anyway as this model has been replaced by the D300) but I love this camera and the pictures I get from it.
But it is sad, in a way, that now I might wait until I have 500 pictures saved up before I even look at some of them. Once, I honestly had over 1000 to download (how's that for a compact flash card!). Back in the old days when I used to use film (and sometimes carry two cameras to be able to shoot black and white at the same time as color) I used to take my rolls of film immediately for developing. I could not wait to see the finished results.
Now, it is just like those commercials. The poor pictures wait, and wait, and wait to be printed and shared with people in the great big wide world. And every time I look at the pictures I have taken, I love what I see. Keep in mind, anything I didn't like was deleted immediately after shooting! Really though, I love to catch a great shot, be it a smile or not, human or animal, vegetable or mineral :) I just have to get my act together and print them out and share them with people.
I guess I better put printer ink on the list, since my photo printer started printing all red last time I used it. And while I'm adding to the technology shopping list, a faster internet connection would be nice. Or perhaps a faster computer would help too. I have been sitting and waiting for some of my photos from a recent horse show to upload to photoshop.com and it is taking forever. I suppose I should just be glad that our internet connection hasn't randomly timed out in the middle of this upload, since I would just have to give up at that point tonight and start again someday...
Finally, I have been granted a reprieve. Everyone else in the house is asleep, even the dogs. And it is not even the middle of the night! But I better go put that last load of laundry in the dryer before I forget - be right back :)
If the load that just came out of the dryer doesn't fold itself, I guess it will still be there in the morning. Oh well. At least getting the other load in to dry means my kids will be dressed in clean clothes tomorrow instead of staying in pajamas all day. I am sure my clothes will be wrinkled, as usual.
Even before the rest of the clan went to bed, I managed to squeak out a few minutes of time on the computer between making dinner and attempting to tidy up and get laundry and other assorted chores done. In the short bits of time, I finally downloaded about 500 pictures from my digital camera, the lovely digital SLR Nikon D200.
I have been an avid photographer for years, and my husband finally got me to go digital about 3 years ago. I won't get into all the details (and apparently they are obsolete anyway as this model has been replaced by the D300) but I love this camera and the pictures I get from it.
But it is sad, in a way, that now I might wait until I have 500 pictures saved up before I even look at some of them. Once, I honestly had over 1000 to download (how's that for a compact flash card!). Back in the old days when I used to use film (and sometimes carry two cameras to be able to shoot black and white at the same time as color) I used to take my rolls of film immediately for developing. I could not wait to see the finished results.
Now, it is just like those commercials. The poor pictures wait, and wait, and wait to be printed and shared with people in the great big wide world. And every time I look at the pictures I have taken, I love what I see. Keep in mind, anything I didn't like was deleted immediately after shooting! Really though, I love to catch a great shot, be it a smile or not, human or animal, vegetable or mineral :) I just have to get my act together and print them out and share them with people.
I guess I better put printer ink on the list, since my photo printer started printing all red last time I used it. And while I'm adding to the technology shopping list, a faster internet connection would be nice. Or perhaps a faster computer would help too. I have been sitting and waiting for some of my photos from a recent horse show to upload to photoshop.com and it is taking forever. I suppose I should just be glad that our internet connection hasn't randomly timed out in the middle of this upload, since I would just have to give up at that point tonight and start again someday...
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Must-Read Book
I am an avid reader. And I read insanely fast. So for me to finish a book in a few days is not exactly out of the ordinary. But the last book I read was definitely out of the ordinary. And I will not say much about it other than you should read it. You really should. I started it one night, and stayed up later than I should have. Woke up the next morning before the alarm clock (and the kids) and dove right back in, then finished it that night. Kept trying to read a snatch or two whenever I had a free moment during the day. I just couldn't stay away from it.
I had heard that there was a lot of media buzz about this book a few months ago, but had not actually heard any of it firsthand. Just remember a few people telling me to read it. And my mom gave me her copy, so now I can pass it on to someone else. Maybe my husband will read it. Or a friend (or two or ten). Read it, and pass it on. I am not even going to tell you the title, so you have to click on the link to see what book it is. And maybe explore the website. Maybe order the book for yourself. Or for a friend. Or two or ten.
I had heard that there was a lot of media buzz about this book a few months ago, but had not actually heard any of it firsthand. Just remember a few people telling me to read it. And my mom gave me her copy, so now I can pass it on to someone else. Maybe my husband will read it. Or a friend (or two or ten). Read it, and pass it on. I am not even going to tell you the title, so you have to click on the link to see what book it is. And maybe explore the website. Maybe order the book for yourself. Or for a friend. Or two or ten.
Deodorant that actually works!
This past Sunday was, I think, the hottest day so far this summer in the Chicago area. And, of course, the one day this summer that I was actually riding in a horse show. Not just taking students and coaching, but riding two horses. In two classes each. For a total of four rides in four hours. And did I mention that it was 95 degrees? And let's just not talk about the heat index.
As for the horse show, everybody had a blast (isn't that what it is all about?) and we even won some nice ribbons. I came home with a fancy tri-color for high point champion with one of my client's horses. Good stuff!
But the next day, while my brain was starting to recover from the soup-like consistency the previous day's activities had caused, I realized something. Throughout all of the heat, sweat, and general overall nastiness of the day, I honestly never got smelly. Okay, I might have had a more than faint horsey aroma. But at least I was not stinky in the "my deodorant just isn't cutting it" sort of way. Pretty miraculous, if you ask me.
And what deodorant would that be, you wonder? I can honestly say that Degree UltraClear took home the blue ribbon.
I used Lady Speed Stick for years because I liked one of the scents. Then felt like it just wasn't working as well as I expected. I guess your body chemistry, along with everything else, changes after having kids. Then I switched to Dove, and really liked the cucumber melon scent and the fact that it did feel nice on the skin. But it just honestly did not work for me. Or my sister, for that matter! And if you wear perfume for the scent, why wear deodorant for the scent if it doesn't keep you dry and fresh? I prefer my deodorant to prevent less than beautiful smells, not cover them up!
The Degree that I have is just the Pure Clean scent, if you can even call it a scent. And I admit to buying it only because it was in a special multi-pack on sale for a better price than any other name brand. I was really planning to try Secret again (haven't used that since high school), but price per unit was cheaper with the Degree deal. I tried Suave a while back to go the cheaper route, but I'd rather spend the extra bucks to get a product that actually does the job. (Obviously, Suave did not work for me.)
So if you happen to be less than satisfied with your current underarm product, go out and give Degree Ultra Clear a try. Hopefully, it will work as well for you as it does for me. The fact that it won't leave white marks on your clothes is a nice bonus. But I have to say that the best deodorant is the one you don't notice.
As for the horse show, everybody had a blast (isn't that what it is all about?) and we even won some nice ribbons. I came home with a fancy tri-color for high point champion with one of my client's horses. Good stuff!
But the next day, while my brain was starting to recover from the soup-like consistency the previous day's activities had caused, I realized something. Throughout all of the heat, sweat, and general overall nastiness of the day, I honestly never got smelly. Okay, I might have had a more than faint horsey aroma. But at least I was not stinky in the "my deodorant just isn't cutting it" sort of way. Pretty miraculous, if you ask me.
And what deodorant would that be, you wonder? I can honestly say that Degree UltraClear took home the blue ribbon.
I used Lady Speed Stick for years because I liked one of the scents. Then felt like it just wasn't working as well as I expected. I guess your body chemistry, along with everything else, changes after having kids. Then I switched to Dove, and really liked the cucumber melon scent and the fact that it did feel nice on the skin. But it just honestly did not work for me. Or my sister, for that matter! And if you wear perfume for the scent, why wear deodorant for the scent if it doesn't keep you dry and fresh? I prefer my deodorant to prevent less than beautiful smells, not cover them up!
The Degree that I have is just the Pure Clean scent, if you can even call it a scent. And I admit to buying it only because it was in a special multi-pack on sale for a better price than any other name brand. I was really planning to try Secret again (haven't used that since high school), but price per unit was cheaper with the Degree deal. I tried Suave a while back to go the cheaper route, but I'd rather spend the extra bucks to get a product that actually does the job. (Obviously, Suave did not work for me.)
So if you happen to be less than satisfied with your current underarm product, go out and give Degree Ultra Clear a try. Hopefully, it will work as well for you as it does for me. The fact that it won't leave white marks on your clothes is a nice bonus. But I have to say that the best deodorant is the one you don't notice.
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Household Hint
Here's a sneaky tip for any of you who have, like me, left flowers a bit too long in a vase...or forgotten to rinse out your water bottle/thermos...or just can't get the coffee stains out of your carafe. Wait...here it is....DENTURE CLEANER!
It has started getting hotter these last few weeks, so I have been trying to stay hydrated and bring a half-gallon thermos of ice water or tea with me when I go to the barn to teach lessons. Last week, I did drink the whole thermos worth of iced tea. And then left it in the car for days.
Let me tell you, opening that up was NOT pretty. Luckily I had literally drank the last drop, so it was dry at least. But stinky. And with a faint dark haze of something that shall remain nameless but was probably mold. Yummy.
Before I even dove in with a sponge or anything, I dumped four effervescent denture tabs in the thermos and filled it with the hottest water my tap can provide. And a nice minty-fresh scent filled the air while I let the funk marinate.
So a few minutes later I go back to rinse and scrub, and the thing was practically clean already. Just took a quick wipe with a soapy sponge and I was done. I put the lid in a bowl to sit with two tablets and hot water of its own, and while that took a bit of creative scrubbing (baby bottle nipple brushes are useful for more than just baby bottles!), it came clean quickly as well.
I have used the denture tabs to clean vases that got that ring around the collar sort of mark at the water line, to clean pitchers used for iced tea, and to freshen up old glassware. Great to clean up garage sale finds. And you know that the denture cleaner has to be safe to use on items you might eat or drink from since it apparently is safe to soak your teeth in! Let me know if you have any other sneaky uses for handy household stuff...
It has started getting hotter these last few weeks, so I have been trying to stay hydrated and bring a half-gallon thermos of ice water or tea with me when I go to the barn to teach lessons. Last week, I did drink the whole thermos worth of iced tea. And then left it in the car for days.
Let me tell you, opening that up was NOT pretty. Luckily I had literally drank the last drop, so it was dry at least. But stinky. And with a faint dark haze of something that shall remain nameless but was probably mold. Yummy.
Before I even dove in with a sponge or anything, I dumped four effervescent denture tabs in the thermos and filled it with the hottest water my tap can provide. And a nice minty-fresh scent filled the air while I let the funk marinate.
So a few minutes later I go back to rinse and scrub, and the thing was practically clean already. Just took a quick wipe with a soapy sponge and I was done. I put the lid in a bowl to sit with two tablets and hot water of its own, and while that took a bit of creative scrubbing (baby bottle nipple brushes are useful for more than just baby bottles!), it came clean quickly as well.
I have used the denture tabs to clean vases that got that ring around the collar sort of mark at the water line, to clean pitchers used for iced tea, and to freshen up old glassware. Great to clean up garage sale finds. And you know that the denture cleaner has to be safe to use on items you might eat or drink from since it apparently is safe to soak your teeth in! Let me know if you have any other sneaky uses for handy household stuff...
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Healthy Cookies!
Now I have to admit to a certain weakness for cookies. That weakness was greatly increased to something more like a temporary addiction when I was pregnant with my daughter. Preferably something with chocolate, but there are few cookies that I don't like. Fig newtons being one of them. No thanks.
Anyway, the other day while grazing my way through sample day at Whole Foods, I came across a sample table for these new World of Grains cookies. And I bought two boxes, so you can bet they are good.
Here's the crazy part - they are full of whole grains (even flaxseed and quinoa!), they have only 8 grams of sugar and 4 grams of fat per packet, and they still taste great! Each box comes with four easily trasportable little packets, each of which contains about seven little cookies. Seven! And the whole grains help make you feel full, and your brain always gets more satisfied when you eat seven of something instead of one or two!
So I have the oatmeal raisin and the blueberry right now. Next time I'm going to try the chocolate chip and the cranberry. Might just have to throw a pack in the diaper bag when we head out to tumbling class this morning...
Anyway, the other day while grazing my way through sample day at Whole Foods, I came across a sample table for these new World of Grains cookies. And I bought two boxes, so you can bet they are good.
Here's the crazy part - they are full of whole grains (even flaxseed and quinoa!), they have only 8 grams of sugar and 4 grams of fat per packet, and they still taste great! Each box comes with four easily trasportable little packets, each of which contains about seven little cookies. Seven! And the whole grains help make you feel full, and your brain always gets more satisfied when you eat seven of something instead of one or two!
So I have the oatmeal raisin and the blueberry right now. Next time I'm going to try the chocolate chip and the cranberry. Might just have to throw a pack in the diaper bag when we head out to tumbling class this morning...
Monday, July 27, 2009
My New Mazda 5
Yippee, I got a new car! And I have been very happy with it. And while it may have sliding doors, it does NOT feel like a minivan. Just makes life a whole lot easier for me with two car seats as compared to life with a Volkswagen Jetta.
Today's "mini" vans are monstrous. And expensive. And guzzle gas like you would not believe, making them more expensive to drive. We were looking for a vehicle that had sliding doors so that garage damage would be minimized. Our garage is quite deep, but on the narrow side, and getting the baby's car seat out of the car meant pushing the side door against the wall of the garage. Once my son is old enough to get himself in and out, he would have been hitting daddy's car with his door.
So as much as everyone likes to give people a hard time about driving a minivan, the Mazda 5 is really different. Check out the specs. It sits up high enough that I feel like I am not driving a car, but is still small enough that I don't feel like my carbon footprint is a size 14 when I drive it. And while it is rated up to 28mpg, I have heard that straight highway driving can get up toward 30mpg. Which is virtually what I got in the Jetta. Now I just have more room! We had looked at the Routan, the Caravan, and a few other things and they just seemed too big. And I was adamant that we would NOT have a tv/dvd player in the vehicle. Some of those other vans have them standard with certain packages, and if you don't want the dvd player, you can't get that package. But regardless, they all just cost so much more and I don't need to cart around that much stuff or that many kids at this point.
The Mazda 5, like other vans, has second row captains chairs and then a third row seat. Not like full-grown adults would really be comfortable back there, but hey, not many of those SUV third rows are really useful anyway. But it gives me the option of being able to take a couple of extra people along with both the car seats installed, unlike my old car. I have to admit, I have only had the 5 just under two weeks, but I can honestly say that I am quite pleased with it. And it is kind of fun to have in-dash bluetooth connectivity. It isn't exactly the fastest car on the road, but it has enough pickup that it doesn't get left in the dust. We'll see how it handles in the lovely winter weather in Chicago later in the year (much later, I hope). But for now, I am enjoying the zoom-zoom of my new Mazda.
Today's "mini" vans are monstrous. And expensive. And guzzle gas like you would not believe, making them more expensive to drive. We were looking for a vehicle that had sliding doors so that garage damage would be minimized. Our garage is quite deep, but on the narrow side, and getting the baby's car seat out of the car meant pushing the side door against the wall of the garage. Once my son is old enough to get himself in and out, he would have been hitting daddy's car with his door.
So as much as everyone likes to give people a hard time about driving a minivan, the Mazda 5 is really different. Check out the specs. It sits up high enough that I feel like I am not driving a car, but is still small enough that I don't feel like my carbon footprint is a size 14 when I drive it. And while it is rated up to 28mpg, I have heard that straight highway driving can get up toward 30mpg. Which is virtually what I got in the Jetta. Now I just have more room! We had looked at the Routan, the Caravan, and a few other things and they just seemed too big. And I was adamant that we would NOT have a tv/dvd player in the vehicle. Some of those other vans have them standard with certain packages, and if you don't want the dvd player, you can't get that package. But regardless, they all just cost so much more and I don't need to cart around that much stuff or that many kids at this point.
The Mazda 5, like other vans, has second row captains chairs and then a third row seat. Not like full-grown adults would really be comfortable back there, but hey, not many of those SUV third rows are really useful anyway. But it gives me the option of being able to take a couple of extra people along with both the car seats installed, unlike my old car. I have to admit, I have only had the 5 just under two weeks, but I can honestly say that I am quite pleased with it. And it is kind of fun to have in-dash bluetooth connectivity. It isn't exactly the fastest car on the road, but it has enough pickup that it doesn't get left in the dust. We'll see how it handles in the lovely winter weather in Chicago later in the year (much later, I hope). But for now, I am enjoying the zoom-zoom of my new Mazda.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Living Close to Family
So, this idea may not be considered a favorite "thing" but it is definitely a favorite part of my life. We are lucky enough to live within easy walking distance of my sister and her husband, and my aunt and uncle (and whichever of my cousins might be at home). It is a bit longer walk to my brother and his family, but definitely walkable, and while it would be a stretch to walk to my parent's house or my in-laws, they are but a ten to fifteen minute drive down the road.
Aside from the convenient child care that this arrangement involves (thank you, thank you, thank you), here's a quick example of how much fun this can be. After an early dinner tonight, my son wanted to go to the playground. Well, my sister happens to live across the street from one of the four parks in walking distance from our house. But it looked like rain was on the way, so we cheated and drove. Honestly, we usually walk, I swear! Anyway, we head over to the park, give them a call, and lo and behold, while the kids are on the swings, aunt and uncle come walking around the corner.
Quite a nice way to end the day, if you ask me - pushing your kids on the swings, hanging out with friends that you just happen to be related to, and all on the spur of the moment. I hate to admit it, but sometimes too many weeks go by when we don't see our extended family members. We are so lucky to be this close to each other, but sometimes life gets too busy, things get in the way, and we don't make the effort to keep closer in touch. This weekend, we are looking forward to a big family get together to celebrate some birthdays and have a send-off for my youngest cousin as she heads off to play volleyball at Ole Miss this fall. And even though someone might get a cold from someone else, a new recipe one of us tried might be a flop, or one of the kids happens to knock over a glass of red wine (hopefully not on my mom's white dining room carpet!), we'll have a blast. Right up until the last kid is dragged kicking and screaming off to the car to go home to bed :)
Aside from the convenient child care that this arrangement involves (thank you, thank you, thank you), here's a quick example of how much fun this can be. After an early dinner tonight, my son wanted to go to the playground. Well, my sister happens to live across the street from one of the four parks in walking distance from our house. But it looked like rain was on the way, so we cheated and drove. Honestly, we usually walk, I swear! Anyway, we head over to the park, give them a call, and lo and behold, while the kids are on the swings, aunt and uncle come walking around the corner.
Quite a nice way to end the day, if you ask me - pushing your kids on the swings, hanging out with friends that you just happen to be related to, and all on the spur of the moment. I hate to admit it, but sometimes too many weeks go by when we don't see our extended family members. We are so lucky to be this close to each other, but sometimes life gets too busy, things get in the way, and we don't make the effort to keep closer in touch. This weekend, we are looking forward to a big family get together to celebrate some birthdays and have a send-off for my youngest cousin as she heads off to play volleyball at Ole Miss this fall. And even though someone might get a cold from someone else, a new recipe one of us tried might be a flop, or one of the kids happens to knock over a glass of red wine (hopefully not on my mom's white dining room carpet!), we'll have a blast. Right up until the last kid is dragged kicking and screaming off to the car to go home to bed :)
Cavalia!
So for anyone out there reading this who does not know me personally, one of my multiple jobs is training horses. Specifically for dressage, but we won't get into all of that right now. All I want to talk about right now is Cavalia. The greatest show under a big top, currently stabled in Chicago.
I saw Cavalia a few years ago in Scottsdale, Arizona and absolutely loved it. I was lucky enough to have been treated to that event by my mom, and it was so good that I went and paid to see it again this weekend here in Chicago. I could go on and on about what I liked, what I loved, and what I wish I could be a part of. But I would hate to give everything away for those who have not had the opportunity to see it.
For the non-horsey crowd, I think anyone would appreciate the beauty and artistry of the show, and of the horses. It is a beautiful blend of equine grace, equestrian skill, acrobatic strength and musical inspiration. From the opening of the show where yearling (one-year-old) horses are literally playing together loose on the stage, to the older stallions working at liberty with their trainer, to the trick riding and quadrille demonstrations, this show is amazing.
For those of us into horses, it is an inspiration to behold. The relationship between the riders/trainers and the horses is one of love and play, never forced or contrived. I left with renewed inspiration to ride for the love of horses, and to teach my students to develop a more harmonious relationship with their horse. This is why we love horses. Go see the show. Whether you ride horses or not, it is worth every penny.
I saw Cavalia a few years ago in Scottsdale, Arizona and absolutely loved it. I was lucky enough to have been treated to that event by my mom, and it was so good that I went and paid to see it again this weekend here in Chicago. I could go on and on about what I liked, what I loved, and what I wish I could be a part of. But I would hate to give everything away for those who have not had the opportunity to see it.
For the non-horsey crowd, I think anyone would appreciate the beauty and artistry of the show, and of the horses. It is a beautiful blend of equine grace, equestrian skill, acrobatic strength and musical inspiration. From the opening of the show where yearling (one-year-old) horses are literally playing together loose on the stage, to the older stallions working at liberty with their trainer, to the trick riding and quadrille demonstrations, this show is amazing.
For those of us into horses, it is an inspiration to behold. The relationship between the riders/trainers and the horses is one of love and play, never forced or contrived. I left with renewed inspiration to ride for the love of horses, and to teach my students to develop a more harmonious relationship with their horse. This is why we love horses. Go see the show. Whether you ride horses or not, it is worth every penny.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
The Best Bakery in the Burbs
WARNING - if you are hungry, stop reading right now or you will end up eating more junk food than you ever should after reading this. Are you sure you are not hungry? Not craving a taste of something sweet? Okay then, we shall begin.
Oh, the joy of a Busy Bee Sprinkle Doughnut. And that Doughnut deserves the capital "D" for sure. I have to say, I am a fan of round baked goods with holes in the middle. Except for angel food cake. Then again, are doughnuts even technically considered baked goods if they are actually fried? But I digress. These Doughnuts are the best I have ever had. If you think Dunkin Donuts are good, please wake up and smell the proverbial coffee (which is pretty darn good at that store) and try a treat from a local bakery. If you are anywhere near Downers Grove, Illinois, you must go to Busy Bee Bakery on Main Street. But beware - although Doughnuts are a favorite Sunday treat, Busy Bee is CLOSED on Sundays (and Mondays)! So we must purchase extra treats on Saturdays, and they still taste lovely on Sunday.
I must admit, we currently in our house at this very moment have a lovely little chocolate layer cake from this very bakery in our fridge, half eaten. Yesterday was out 8th wedding anniversary, and as a present to us I picked up a Busy Bee cake. Now, since my husband was of course going to be eating this, I got one that is just chocolate cake with a bit of fudge filling and whipped cream frosting as he prefers no fruit in his cake. But this cake is so incredibly moist yet with just the right amount of crumb that it is hard to call it "just" a chocolate cake. Oh so yum. And it has no nutritional information on the package so I interpret that to mean it has no calories. Perhaps that is the only way to justify eating a piece at 10pm! Did I really just admit to that? Oops...
My most favorite of cakes from Busy Bee is, however, much more exciting than just chocolate. The atomic cake is so fantastic it is hard to believe you can really stop after one piece. But that is a testament to how good it is - you can eat one piece of this and feel so amazingly sweetly satisfied that there is no need to (quite literally) weigh yourself down by going back for more. Here's the dish on it: The atomic cake begins with a bottom layer of banana cake, topped with a layer of banana custard filling (yes, they make it fresh). Top that with a layer of chocolate cake. Then strawberry filling. Then yellow cake. Then surround the entire thing with the most luscious whipped cream frosting (that is so much better than buttercream, I think) and to be honest, there might be some fudge in there somewhere too.
And I have not even started on the cookies, coffee cakes, assorted pastries, breads, and everything else they make. This wonderful round loaf of cinnamon bread that makes divine french toast and is equally good toasted with a dab of butter. The cherry (or apricot, or blueberry) bread that is an absolute treat. Oh, and I can't leave out the pumpkin spice doughnut holes available in the fall only!
As you can imagine, I could go on and on. I think, in fact, I just did. And after I sign off of the computer I have to walk past the kitchen that has a refrigerator with cake inside. I shall not turn on the light. I shall not even think about opening the fridge again. So I will conclude with a plea to you all, should you ever be within the vicinity of Main Street in downtown Downers Grove, please stop in at Busy Bee Bakery. Just make sure you are there early, as when things are gone for the day, they are gone. My sprinkle Doughnuts are usually gone by 10am on Saturdays. Gives a person a whole new reason to get up early on the weekend!
Oh, the joy of a Busy Bee Sprinkle Doughnut. And that Doughnut deserves the capital "D" for sure. I have to say, I am a fan of round baked goods with holes in the middle. Except for angel food cake. Then again, are doughnuts even technically considered baked goods if they are actually fried? But I digress. These Doughnuts are the best I have ever had. If you think Dunkin Donuts are good, please wake up and smell the proverbial coffee (which is pretty darn good at that store) and try a treat from a local bakery. If you are anywhere near Downers Grove, Illinois, you must go to Busy Bee Bakery on Main Street. But beware - although Doughnuts are a favorite Sunday treat, Busy Bee is CLOSED on Sundays (and Mondays)! So we must purchase extra treats on Saturdays, and they still taste lovely on Sunday.
I must admit, we currently in our house at this very moment have a lovely little chocolate layer cake from this very bakery in our fridge, half eaten. Yesterday was out 8th wedding anniversary, and as a present to us I picked up a Busy Bee cake. Now, since my husband was of course going to be eating this, I got one that is just chocolate cake with a bit of fudge filling and whipped cream frosting as he prefers no fruit in his cake. But this cake is so incredibly moist yet with just the right amount of crumb that it is hard to call it "just" a chocolate cake. Oh so yum. And it has no nutritional information on the package so I interpret that to mean it has no calories. Perhaps that is the only way to justify eating a piece at 10pm! Did I really just admit to that? Oops...
My most favorite of cakes from Busy Bee is, however, much more exciting than just chocolate. The atomic cake is so fantastic it is hard to believe you can really stop after one piece. But that is a testament to how good it is - you can eat one piece of this and feel so amazingly sweetly satisfied that there is no need to (quite literally) weigh yourself down by going back for more. Here's the dish on it: The atomic cake begins with a bottom layer of banana cake, topped with a layer of banana custard filling (yes, they make it fresh). Top that with a layer of chocolate cake. Then strawberry filling. Then yellow cake. Then surround the entire thing with the most luscious whipped cream frosting (that is so much better than buttercream, I think) and to be honest, there might be some fudge in there somewhere too.
And I have not even started on the cookies, coffee cakes, assorted pastries, breads, and everything else they make. This wonderful round loaf of cinnamon bread that makes divine french toast and is equally good toasted with a dab of butter. The cherry (or apricot, or blueberry) bread that is an absolute treat. Oh, and I can't leave out the pumpkin spice doughnut holes available in the fall only!
As you can imagine, I could go on and on. I think, in fact, I just did. And after I sign off of the computer I have to walk past the kitchen that has a refrigerator with cake inside. I shall not turn on the light. I shall not even think about opening the fridge again. So I will conclude with a plea to you all, should you ever be within the vicinity of Main Street in downtown Downers Grove, please stop in at Busy Bee Bakery. Just make sure you are there early, as when things are gone for the day, they are gone. My sprinkle Doughnuts are usually gone by 10am on Saturdays. Gives a person a whole new reason to get up early on the weekend!
Friday, July 10, 2009
Best Body Lotion Ever!
Contrary to what you may think after reading my posts this week, I am not the kind of girl that has a regimen of products that I use every day. At least not once I get out of the shower. I don't use eye creams or moisturizers or anti-wrinkle anything. I try to remember to put on sunblock at least if I plan to be outside all day. So I am not one who slathers on body lotion immediately after a shower, or every night before bed, or anything like that.
But I have one exception. I absolutely am in love with Deserving Thyme's Nourishing Hand & Body Cream. This stuff is the most wonderful, emmolient, non-greasy body lotion I have ever used. And, as I just discovered while locating the link to cut and paste here, they are having a sale right now!
Honestly, for me, $15 for a tube of body lotion is a major splurge. But of course I blow way more than that in a month on stupid coffee drinks, so I guess maybe I just need to prioritize. And go place an order. I haven't even tried the foot cream, and the hand & body cream I use works wonders on sore feet. I can only imagine how much more my feet would love their own aromatherapy treatment designed just for them!
So in addition to being the most wonderful lotion I have ever felt on my skin, it also has a lovely scent of lavender, lemon and geranium. And for those of you turned off by lavender, you would never even know that's what is in there as the citrus is really the prominent note in the perfume. But it is lovely. And they have an entire line of this aromatherapy stuff, even with sample packs.
I am currently using up my birthday gift supply of lotion and I think I am going to have to cut this post short as I need to go to the Deserving Thyme website and order myself some treats...
But I have one exception. I absolutely am in love with Deserving Thyme's Nourishing Hand & Body Cream. This stuff is the most wonderful, emmolient, non-greasy body lotion I have ever used. And, as I just discovered while locating the link to cut and paste here, they are having a sale right now!
Honestly, for me, $15 for a tube of body lotion is a major splurge. But of course I blow way more than that in a month on stupid coffee drinks, so I guess maybe I just need to prioritize. And go place an order. I haven't even tried the foot cream, and the hand & body cream I use works wonders on sore feet. I can only imagine how much more my feet would love their own aromatherapy treatment designed just for them!
So in addition to being the most wonderful lotion I have ever felt on my skin, it also has a lovely scent of lavender, lemon and geranium. And for those of you turned off by lavender, you would never even know that's what is in there as the citrus is really the prominent note in the perfume. But it is lovely. And they have an entire line of this aromatherapy stuff, even with sample packs.
I am currently using up my birthday gift supply of lotion and I think I am going to have to cut this post short as I need to go to the Deserving Thyme website and order myself some treats...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)