5/24/23

Office

I like to add a couple of Dreaded and Delayed tasks to my To Do's the week before a holiday or travel - it motivates me to have a reward at the end of distasteful accomplishments. This time, that means some bo-ring administrative tasks, hands down the most dreaded and delayed things of all.  Offsetting the boredom: a couple of new creative campaigns for my LinkedIn audience, trying out their Sales Navigator tool, and continued progress on The Big Pitch for presentations that will begin the first week of June.

 

Saddle

It's officially time to stop whining about winter and complaining about the humidity of summer in Kansas City. It's hard on horses and riders, but we're building up our tolerance. This week, we're working on steady energy, impulsion, we call it in the arena. I'm learning that it's impossible to shape the horse's position unless there's plenty, and by plenty I mean lots of forward energy. If you've ever watched a dressage horse (here's a favorite performance from one of the best) there are many moments that appear pulled together and even low-key. Yet in every move - however bold, simple, short- or long-strided, there is a tremendous amount of energy being channeled - just as much as in the big moves. It takes strength, stamina, and sound biomechanics to match the force of the horse.

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Kitchen

Do. Not. Make. These. Trust me. Don't. They're hands down the most wicked cookie of all time, and this from a person who has polished off a full pan of lemon butter bars in an embarrassingly short period of time. But. If you like Texas Sheet Cake, like I love it, you'll ignore my advice, and make these cookies for Memorial Day weekend and have a pied piper's trail of raving fans begging you for the recipe.

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Mind

I'm lining up my summer reads around the terrific Reading List the Sun Valley Writers Conference prepares each year. And for extra credit, you can tune into the authors' speaking sessions virtually July 22 - 24, or after. Their podcast is always worthy as well. One thing I figured out after getting through 11 of 25 titles last year in a pretty short window, is that a) I like reading in the evening for a few hours instead of always binge watching; b) non-fiction books are perfect for audio to make those daily barn drives and dog walks more interesting (combined most days are 2 - 2.5 hours!)