YiR: Thank you 2015

I was once told that successful people review their progress regularly to gauge where they are, relative to their goals. I did a mid-year review in June and reviewed the goals I set at the start of the year. I make annual resolutions and goals but those goals move and adjust as the year progresses and I incorporate new ones as time passes, so I don't forget things and continuously improve. Well, that's the intent anyway.

If you've got some time this holiday season, join me in reviewing your year and seeing how things went (or didn't go)...

PERSONAL

A lot of things have shifted for me, personally. There are things I set out for myself that didn't come into fruition simply because I was pre-occupied. But that all said, the major decision of quitting my corporate job and trying to find myself and figure out what I wanted to do was a life-changing event that still leaves me wondering some days, if I'm going down the right path or if I'm being selfish (or stupid) for even seeking out such a far reaching dream. At the crux of the matter though, I feel like I have to make choices for me and nobody else and be okay with the various potential outcomes, including those which might not be as I envisioned them in my head.

Acceptance of whatever I'm dealt

BUCKINGHAM/STANLEY C. PANTHER

These boys are a big part of my life and if you know me in person, you know how important my boys are, to me. Nobody spends as much time as I do, training and caring for two household cats as I do. My main focus is desensitization and clicker training. I do lots and expose them to plenty so that they can be prepared for anything that comes our way. Our neighbours already think that these two are a total hoot running and chasing one another in the backyard and climbing trees but they probably think I'm even stranger! But no matter, I am doing this for their benefit, not mine.

I haven't gotten around to posting any holiday sweater photos of these two

RIDING

This side of my life has been progressing well considering I ride 1-2 times a week and generally spend a lot of time sitting at a table/desk. I've started riding a fancy-pants sport horse and I'm jumping courses. I didn't think would be progressing so successfully in this realm. If I could now refocus all this success and energy onto other areas...

READING

Okay. Let's not beat around the bush here. I totally flopped this year with reading. And I don't really have any proper or legitimate excuse. I will be reviewing my listing and my availabilities in the new year to see what's actually feasible and set up appropriate attainable goals.

I was over-confident

As usual, I continue to struggle with the goals I set out for myself while having some limited success. It's totally a learning experience all the time and while I wasn't nearly as successful the first time I reviewed my goals, I feel that despite the challenges of 2015, I have come out rather well and am looking forward to improving my stats for 2016!

Recipe: Fruit Crumble by Crock-pot

We've had a lot of dinners and potlucks to go to this year. It's no surprise that for the latest potluck (a very happy birthday to our awesome coach, Sheri!!!), we found a really simple recipe that asks for very accessible ingredients and is really straight forward to make--well, almost.

INGREDIENTS
FRUIT BOTTOM:

• 6-8 apples or pears (6 cups or so)
• Lemon juice
• 1 cup dried fruit like raisins or cranberries
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

(here's where I start mixing things up Deb-style)

• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon*
• 1/8 tsp ground cloves
• 1/8 tsp nutmeg
• 2 pinches ground ginger
• dash of allspice
• Handful of chopped walnuts (or another nut like pecan)

CRUMBLE TOP:

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup butter

(again, I start mixing things up a bit here)

• 1/4 cup rolled oats (quick cooking), plus an extra sprinkle more of oats for good measure
• 1/8 cup rolled rye
• 1/8 cup rolled spelt
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon*
• 1/8 tsp ground cloves
• 1/8 tsp nutmeg
• 2 pinches ground ginger
• dash of allspice

*if you only have cinnamon, that's fine. It's the bare minimum spice the original recipe calls for

EQUIPMENT

1. Slow-cooker/crockpot
2. Large mixing bowl (crumble)
3. Paring knife
4. Peeler
5. Cutting board
6. 2 butter knives or pastry cutter

I took the base recipe from here, and revised it since it's more cooking than baking so I don't have to be as accurate! We made the dish twice; once with pears and the most recent, with apples. I have little experience cooking/baking with fruit, so for the pears, I picked two types: a brown (not Bosc) and a green anjou (I think). With apples, I did a quick search and saw that the more tart/sour apples are best for cooking/desserts; I selected granny smith and macintosh.

Red and green for the season

We peeled the fruit in advance; I did a rough peel because I am a big advocate for eating as much of the food as possible to ensure you get all the micronutrients--which are often found just under the skin. I sprinkled lemon juice over the cut fruit and lightly tossed and put away in the fridge until I was ready to start. The original recipe asks for 6 cups of fruit but does it really matter? As long as I covered the bottom of the crock pot by half, I figured I was good. Then, I added the raisins and spices.

Delicious fruit bottom

Next, mix the fruit until the spices evenly coat the apples and add a sprinkle of raisins on top along with the walnuts; otherwise the small nuts and fruits end up only on the bottom of the mix.

Fruit 'n nuts

Plug your crock pot in and turn it on to a high setting for 30 minutes. Go on to make the crumbly top, by combining all the dry ingredients throughly by ensuring the brown sugar clumps are broken and then cutting the butter into the dry mix.

Cut in that cold butter!

Disclaimer: we had no idea how to "cut in butter" and did it totally wrong and should have checked before attempting it based on our own understanding of what it meant. All I knew was that the butter should be small (how small? I dunno!) pieces in the mix but what exact that looked like... I hadn't the foggiest. And of course +ADW has limited experience with baking so knew less than I did. But both of us were too stubborn to look it up. Combined, we created a melty-greasy-doughy mass. Don't let this happen to you and ensure the butter stays nice and cold and rest it in the freezer/fridge if needed. That said though, our mess didn't ruin things.

Not too bad considering we got it wrong...

When the mix is "crumbly", evenly spread over the fruit in the crock pot and spread a tea towel under the lid to catch the moisture. Slow cook on "low" for 3 hours more, or until the fruit is tender. If you are in a rush and only get in 2 hours, fret not! Bring it with you and continue cooking at your destination and leave it on "warm" when it's done. If you're serving right when it's done, wait 10 minutes and let everything "stand".

Delicious and ready!

The best part? Service warm with vanilla ice cream.

To Boldly Go...

The last few months saw a couple of big changes in my life that have really challenged my personal sense of security. The biggest one was when I decided to quit my corporate-y job in June. I used to really enjoy what I was doing, who I was working with/for and what sorts of change I was making. But somewhere, that stopped and I started resenting my job and who it was making me become and I forgot why I was doing the things I was and where I was going. I couldn't see myself continue on the path I was on yet feared to make the most drastic change. I thought things might just get better if I stuck it out long enough but that isn't always the case and I needed to know when to cut my losses.

I have become the painter

The decision to leave my job was not taken lightly because I was really concerned about what my family would think and react. I have spent my life living in my younger brother's overachieving shadow and always trying to catch up with what everyone else wanted me to do (often unsuccessfully) so I often have not been too sure of myself. To my surprise, everyone was really supportive and this gave me the chance to explore what sorts of things actually bring a smile to my face and get me excited to get up for work in the dark and cold winters. I concluded a few things ranging from my penchant for efficient processes, desire to continue learning and love of animals and nature.

Make it so!

I have since landed myself in a small animal veterinary practice doing many things ranging from animal care/handling, to client consultation and clinic maintenance. I wasn't sure how things would go since I haven't done any of this work for many years and the business component was something I learned mostly by experience running a community dragon boat club and from my tenure in the corporate world; but none of it was due to schooling or formal training. It could have been an absolute failure but it's been the some of the most fulfilling experiences to date and I am actually excited about going and dealing with the less shining moments and individuals.

As +ADW points out to me, a career is a journey of phases that aim to get you closer to your goal. The goal might not be a specific position (or it could be), and the journey might have some dark and unappealing sections but one just need to keep that goal in mind and take each day as another step forward. The job is just the first step in my phase to moving forward and I am really excited about the upcoming phases that will bring me back to my academic life and seeing where things will take me in the next few years!

Next Challenge: Bons

I typically don't wait so long after lessons because don't remember details of what took place! The biggest change is that Ariel is out of commission for me, after it was noticed that she's jumping a little "flat"/long and she seems to be just a bit "off". She's sound and that isn't so much the issue but it looks like she's a little sore or just plain cranky since she's become quite in demand! That said though, we change things up and I am given a choice of Bonspiel or Molson. Both move similarly in that they get heavy on the forehand and require a bunch of face contact--totally unlike Ariel who is mostly uphill and wants you to leave her face alone.

That's not the most intimidating part: the fact that both are 2 hh'r than Ariel proves to be an intimidating feature for me. The first ride was terrifying for me. I was literally shaking in my booties when I went to get Bons (who is closer to 1200lbs+) in the paddock and bring him in. Tacking up was also a feat because the last time I attempted it, the saddle was placed on his kidneys. *womp womp womp*

The first lesson with Bons was all about just getting a feel for his movement and the way he communicates with his rider. He's changed a lot since I last rode him--he's more confident in himself and he's become (to me) less bouncy. I don't find his gait nearly as floaty and big as I have in the past. The sitting trot is still really tough to ride but I manage much better.

As lessons pass, I become much more confident with learning to ride his movement and anticipating his short-comings like his difficulty on the right rein. Riding a larger horse who is impeccably trained since he was a baby is a real treat because he has exact buttons but at the same time, he may or may not read between the lines and take a gander at what I might want of them at the time.

Quite a few lessons have passed since I started riding Bonspiel and I'll be sticking with him for now. Both Sheri and J have told me that the match is good and I will likely learn much more riding Bons than sticking it out with Ariel unless I can tame that 'tude. Bons requires more contact in the reins and is a fancy pants sport-horse so I would effectively be "moving forwards" into a new challenge that would continue to challenge my riding.

A Royal Welcome For a Fellow Rider

The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair is the best of the country being brought into the city for competition and marketing. A prestigious affair, the Royal Horse show is a major highlight for many equestrians and getting to compete at the Royal is an honour. The fair manages to showcase every aspect of agriculture and equestrian greatness. It's a great educational experience for city kids who don't have the opportunity to join 4-H clubs through showcasing their country cousins' pass times and projects.

Gosling Stables is a versatile, down to earth and dedicated place to ride at and I am so happy to be a part of the 'barn family'. I am so pleased to share the news that one of the young riders who trains there qualified with her rescue pony, to ride at the Hyde Moffat clinic being held at the Royal today! Kaitlin is a talented and hardworking rider who has been a regular presence at the stable and we're so happy to wish her the best of luck today.