Weekend Coffee Share; December Fun, in 2021!

On By DianaIn Living life, weekend coffee share

Welcome to my weekend coffee share! The last coffee share for this year to share with our coffee share group hosted by Natalie! Her blog is so fun, positivity flows and her photos she shares are so beautiful. She hosts our group #weekendcoffeeshares and you can click here to visit hers and others if you are interested as there are wonderful bloggers out there and I love our coffee share group! We will be breaking for the holidays. Can I get you a hot cup of coffee or tea? Or maybe a glass of milk to go with the sugar cookies I baked. I actually made them last weekend and they are almost gone. 😀 I am planning on baking more this weekend. I also want to make ginger molasses cookies, maybe some magic cookie bars, fudge and I am not sure what else as I will look through my cookie recipes and see what jumps out at me to bake!

I had to use my horse head sugar cookie cutter with the gingerbread man!

Sugar cookies are so messy but hey, you have to make a mess sometimes! I had a ton of fun baking last weekend. It always feels more like the holidays when I bake cookies. It is a fun tradition and I don’t plan on stopping anytime soon. I am hoping to bake enough to be able to make some gift bags that I can give some baked goods away. I also need to figure out Christmas dinner for next week. I am not sure what I will make but I work all week including half the day on Christmas Eve. We still need to work to run the blood work for those sick animals heading to the vet on that day. It will hopefully be light, as most likely it will be mostly emergency vet visits and we are closed Christmas day.

I finished my cup of coffee as I love coffee with my cookies. I got myself a refill, can I get you one too? Winter is here in Southern California and we got a lot of rain this last week. We are in a drought so the rain is welcome. I wish it would rain more often and not all at once for hours at a time, but we can’t control the weather so it is what it is. It rained closed to 12 hours straight I think and when we get that much rain, it floods at the barn. The horses do fine in their stalls and stay under shelters or in the barn. Our arena has a low spot and always puddles, or to be honest it is like a huge pond. It is now almost dry as a trench is dug along the fence line to drain the water out of the arena. I have shared over the years my photos of Zack and Chloe out in the water and now it’s Murphy’s turn with his first winter here!

Murphy having fun in the water on this beautiful day after the rain storm!

He was so cute walking around and pawing which is their way of playing in the water. I thought maybe he would roll but the video was getting kind of long so I ended by showing the snow on the mountains. When I left him alone in the arena I looked over and there he goes, down in the water!! As he rolled his head went into the water and he got water in his ear as he shook his head and promptly stood up. Haha, I couldn’t get my camera out fast enough to catch him rolling darn it all….. But I took another short video of him all wet. Silly guy had a lot of fun turned out that day!!

Silly guy is soaking wet! I wonder if he will ever roll in it again?

I wonder if he will roll again in the water if I give him the chance. I ended up working him and not turning him out again with all the water which is now almost gone. We are expecting more rain next week and I am sure it will pool up again and I am also sure I will turn him out again, but he may be done rolling in the water. Haha, I wonder though?

Here is Miss Chloe in the water. I didn’t take a video, but she pawed but did not roll in it on this day. She has rolled in the water before but now that she is older, she rarely even rolls at all let alone in water. She is so sweet and had fun being out on this day.

I forgot to mention that after Murphy rolled in the water he went ahead and rolled in the wet arena dirt. Oh boy, he was so dirty I ended up hosing him off to clean him up. Here is a photo of a very dirty Murph!

This is my December fun here riding my horses and trying to keep up when the weather turns. We are expecting a lot of rain next week and probably a wet Christmas. I can’t say white Christmas because it does not snow at our elevation which is basically sea level. Our local mountains do get tons of snow and as you have seen we have gorgeous views of wintery snow capped mountains. After the rains the air is so clean and crisp, our winters are beautiful in their own way. And in one day you can visit the ocean and smell that salt water, or surf if you are so inclined and in just over an hours drive away (without traffic) you could be sledding down a snowy mountainside. I am always grateful for our weather because I can ride my horses year round and I know there are many places in this world where that is not possible due to inclimate weather. ❤

Miss Chloe dry and happy under her shelter in her stall. She is so beautiful and I Love her so much!

I have been struggling a tiny bit with Christmas time as there is always a certain amount of stress that I think we all do to ourselves and it is mostly stress in planning stuff. That is what I do to myself. I have my own personal plans as you can see and read here which is doing all the things Diana loves. Which is tending and riding my horses! Haha, and when home I will do house chore’s and take care of my home animals, our dog and cats but then I sit down and cross-stitch or crochet while watching cooking shows or sometimes a movie! It’s all wonderful with the exercise of horse care and horse back riding, and relaxing while creating. BUT what about getting some gifts or planning some dinners!! Hahaha, I do and can make myself get this stuff done, I just have to do it without stressing. Thanks for listening as I am motivating myself by writing this. 😀

I am sure some of you are great planners! or are you like me with a middle name of procrastinator? I will give myself a break because I do work full-time, 40 hours a week so for me there is a lot to fit into each day. I rarely do my crafts during the week as I just don’t have time so there is even more I want to fit into my weekends. I am sitting here writing this thinking I can’t believe there is only 2 more weeks left of 2021. As there are things in the news that are sad, in my bubble I am going to try and enjoy the end of December with as much FUN as I can fit into it and stay safe at the same time, I hope! 😀

As I think of the holidays I am missing my family and I am so thankful for technology and video chats. I had so much fun as we have been video chatting each weekend with my grandkids in AZ. Oh my, they are just so cute and I have so much fun with them. They melt my heart and we have done a gift exchange and will Zoom on Christmas day as we each open the gifts together. It’s so fun having them on our TV set! Speaking of my son and family, he continues to send photos of his kitties cuddling!! CUTENESS!!

My son’s cat’s, the brothers Wolfie and Dublin! I share frequently the photos he sends to me!

The above photo is how I feel sending warm hugs to everyone! These brothers do not disappoint and cuddle each other often. I just love when they send me these wonderful photos and since they are such a handsome pair I can’t resist and need to share! I hope and pray for everyone affected by this virus and pray for our country and mankind. These are crazy times but I can remember growing up having other things that made our world feel crazy, for us old folks out there I am sure you remember too! Let’s take in the beauty and keep smiling for all the good out there and so I will end with this beautiful photo my daughter-in-law took and shared. Let’s enjoy this season to it’s fullest and remember what Christmas is all about. I hope your holidays are filled with peace, joy and happiness! ❤

With Love to all and thank you so much for sharing coffee with me today!

Happy Horse Crazy Grandma,

~Diana ❤

48 thoughts on “Weekend Coffee Share; December Fun, in 2021!”

    1. Thank you so much Susie!! I love the rain but with horses not so much. We make it work and I do believe us humans stress more about their well being than they even care about. Haha, I have to remember as long as they have shelter and a dry area to lay down, there’s not much more we can do with all the rain!
      Ooh your beach views sound amazing!! And to see the fireworks from your balcony WONDERFUL!! I’m so happy you don’t have to worry about inclimate weather as I know snow is beautiful but ice is dangerous! I’ve slipped and fallen on black ice before and it’s not fun!! So I’m glad you are in Florida! Merry Christmas sweet Susie!! ❤️❤️❤️

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      5. Ooh, I hadn’t thought of cutting the ginger molasses cookies with the horse-head cookie cutter! They spread out and puff up a bit but I might try it. Great idea! 🐴❤️ Have a great Christmas too! I can’t believe this year is almost over! Stay safe and warm! 💚☃️🎄🐴

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    1. Thank you! I wish I had time to decorate the cookies with royal icing and all the things but I didn’t have time so I just did sprinkles. I hope you have a wonderful rest of the year too. Thank you for stopping by!

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  3. We could sure use some of that rain over here!
    So fun to see Murphy playing in the water!
    Kitty photos are so cute. I love seeing cats when the cuddle up like that!
    Wishing you and your family a wonderful Christmas and New Year! 🙂

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    1. Oh how I wish I could send you some rain!! I’m so happy you enjoyed Murphy playing in the water and the kitties are so adorable, so much fun to share! Wishing you and your family a beautiful Christmas and New Year too! 😍

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  4. Another enjoyable post, Horses and so cute and funny they sure do love to play. We have one horse at the farm that her owner says she thinks Redd her horse is half pig the way she love to play in the water and mud lol. The kitties are so cute the way the cuddle up together. I am making cookies again tonight for my son to send to his friends but going out to dinner first 😀 Have a Wonderful & Blessed Christmas ❤

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    1. Aww, thank you sweet friend. And too funny how dirty some horses get and how much they roll and get so dirty! Hahaha!! I may be baking on our rainy days as I got really busy this afternoon and ran out of time. Have a wonderful and blessed Christmas too! ❤️🎄🐴❤️

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  5. Thank you Diana for your #weekendcoffeeshare. It’s great watching Murphy plays with the water. He’s looking very strong. You’re busy so be kind to yourself. Wishing you and your family a wonderful Christmas and a happy New Year!

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    1. Thank you so much Natalie!! It’s so fun to join in and share coffee with everyone. Oh my goodness, I’m smiling and taking a deep breath as I read your kind words about being kind to myself. I’m going to take your advice and do just that. I do stretch myself so thin sometimes. I am sending warm hugs to you and wishing you and your family a wonderful Christmas and Happy New Year! ❤️

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  7. Thank you for this sincere coffee chat, both serious, funny (hey Murphy,) and nostalgic. I do agree that when we feel stressed it is often due to things that we ourself put upon us to do. I feel relieved when I purposely have many blanks in my calendar, that is something I plan for! I hope that you get to enjoy a wonderful Christmas with your loved ones, two and four legged.
    Happy Early Christmas ❤

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    1. Thank you so much Maria for having coffee with me and for your wonderful comments! It’s so true that we tend to be the ones stressing ourselves out. Having those blanks on the calendar is a great idea!! I’m learning to let go when I can’t fit everything in that I want and to remember to smile and enjoy each day. Have a wonderful Christmas with your family too!! 💚🐴🎄☃️❤️

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  8. Great pictures! I love when the horses play in the water, it is so fun. I am sorry for the abundance of rain at one time, that can be hard, but I will never complain about getting rain. It is indeed better than not having any! I love all the baking this time of year! I have another two cakes at least and I can not wait to share!
    Peace, joy, and happiness!

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    1. Thank you sooooo very much Avery!! The horses certainly don’t mind the rain and the water too!! Haha! We do need the water and snow pack in the mountains with this drought! We are expecting 4 days of rain heading into Christmas day!! That will be a great time to bake, get that oven going to help heat the house and I love the smells too!! Happy baking to you too! Thank you for stopping by and have a wonderful Christmas! ❤️🎄🐴❤️

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  9. Thanks for the warm ending hugs!
    Love the snowy mountains at the end of the video
    And also Murthy’s shadow at true start!
    Oh and smiling to imagine the horses enjoying the puddles
    –
    I am looking forward to a very quiet ending to what has been a tiring year! Whew
    And wishing you a nice Christmas
    🎄🎄🎄🙏💚🎄🎄🎄

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    1. You are very welcome!! I’m so happy you came by to visit and see the horses and I’m glad I got the pretty mountain views in there too!

      I’m with you with this last year. It’s been a very crazy year indeed, tiring is a good word to use too. I hope you have a relaxing, peaceful Christmas and wishing you a wonderful New Year! 💚🎄☃️🙏❤️

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      2. Hi – I changed the post and decided to do my “walk” later – (and went with a Christmas post instead)
        but here is the photo I wanted to show you (and I will have it in a January post)
        because on a walk, I saw “Di” in the street and smiled to think of you – hahahaha

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      4. It does look like they need to come back and finish – lol
        but I love when certain bloggers come to mind when we are out walking
        – and seeing that there really are not any horses around – I will take “Di” in the street
        peace

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  10. Thank you for the coffee and the delicious cookies Diana! I so enjoyed the video of Murphy and he looked so happy in the water 💙💦 I know people who walk their horses in a stream after exercise, which can be great for their legs. Your son’s cats are so adorable and it’s great they found such a loving home together. Wishing you and your family Happy Holidays and please give sweet Chloe and Murphy a big pat from us all 🤗🧡🐴🥕 xxx

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    1. Thank you so kindly Xenia for your wonderful comments! I’m so happy we can visit here and share our passions. Sending warm hugs and love to you and your family and big pats too Eivor and Pearl! 🤗💚🎄🐾🐴❤️

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  11. Hey crazy kindred pony gal. Love love love mud puddle Murphy, isn’t that just the way it’s like turning your back on the kids for just a second & bam mischief. Ok next time I would love to see you jumping around in the puddle with the horses would be funny to see what they do, you don’t have to roll though, depends on how extreme your feeling, lol. So glad yas are getting the rain. Mountains are beautiful, surfing & skiing is great exercise for Horsey people, surfing especially if you get a good wave it’s always a soft landing. haha. I so relate to the stress it’s kind of odd like funstress. Stressful to start but fun once your in, my kitchen looked exactly the same last week. Flat out like a lizard runnin, for me it’s more akin to, runnin around like a chook with it’s head cut off, lol. Love Kitty cuddles, so cool you can Zoom with the fam on Tv I never knew you could do that. cool. Have a magnificent marvelously Merry Christmas pony friend from across the seas. You & all your fam & menagerie. xo

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  12. Howdy kindred pony friend!! Isn’t that Murphy so silly, hahaha! I wish I had put on my rubber boots so I could play in there with him. More rain is on its way so if I can I’ll take more photos if we both head into the puddle to play! And see what he does if I jump around but no rolling in it for me! Hehe!! 😆🥰🤩
    Oh and that’s a great description!! Funstress – as I know I’m going to have a super fun time when we get to Christmas but am stressing a bit getting there!! I still need to shop for my hubby! I must say I’m spending more money on my horses than my family but then they are an expensive hobby, but I Love them sooooo MUCH!! You said it best as my family thinks I’m a crazy horse mom! So happy you enjoyed the kitty cuddles too. We have smart TV’s so you can plug in a cable from my laptop where we can project the zoom or video chat up on the TV screen. So fun cuz we have a pretty big TV! It’s like we are in the same room with each other, almost!! 🎄☃️💚
    Sending warm hugs across the seas to you and your family and I hope y’all have a wonderful fun-filled Christmas!! 🥰❤️🥰❤️

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    2. I just Loved her post and I can’t believe that video and the heart on the stink bug!!! ❤️ I Love accidental hearts, it’s like what? Haha!!! Thank you for the link!!! 💞💞💞

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      1. I am so happy I accidentally left it – Busboy (do you know him ? he is so awesome ) – well he has a heart mushroom and I think I was zipping around in blog land I forgot where I was commenting – hahaha

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      2. I have seen him comment on yours and others posts so I’ve heard of him but I haven’t checked out his blog. I’ll have to check it out!! And no worries, it gave me a giggle, haha!!!

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  15. your post is utterly warm-hearted, dear Diana. I just left Los Angeles to visit a brother in Austin, where it’s sunshiny & warm — who would’ve thought LA would have worse weather? but yes, rain is welcome & this season has been wonderful in that the rain is sporadic, not a full week or month of it. wishing you & your beautiful 4 legged family the best 🙂

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    1. AWW, thank you so very much for stopping by and you are so very sweet! I’m so glad you are able to visit your brother in Austin (and your flight wasn’t cancelled, I hope!) Just listening to the news and traveling hasn’t been easy. I agree! It’s colder here with all our weather than in the Midwest! CRAZY! Sending warm hugs to you and your beautiful family, furry family too! Happy Holidays!! 🥰

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