THE INCREDIBLE INVISIBLES, PART ONE: In Which We Introduce Ourselves

[jazzrider]

jazzrider...I am at the point in my dressage career where I wince a lot. Not from pain. From being humbled. I hope to achieve mediocre status one day.

No , don't say that! You have to live up to your name! Maintain your image (remember, svelte, sleek...)!

I'm just working on sitting up straight right now...

[WindyIsles]

*waves*

I'm a 17yr High School Senior.

My family is from Ireland and we've bred Connemaras for 45 years there. Last Summer we imported our first Connemaras to America and I am a Pony Girl (TM). I'm 4'10 and I will never have a horse that is 15.1+ hands. Ponies are a way of life for me

I've been known to scare off potential boyfriends by getting into breeding discussions at the dinner-table (frozen semen and gelding anyone? ) I'm also a bloodline geek - Thoroughbreds and Connemaras are my specialty

I have two little brothers, my mom and dad and numerous pets. My baby is my Yorkie-poo Brownie (aka the most useless dog ever but I love him).

My studmuffin is our Connemara stallion *The Quietman (who lives up to his name!). We've just started him under saddle and he's been SO GOOD! Hope to start showing him in the fall at small local shows

That's me!

Jess

[lovemyrobin]

My husband swears i'm invisible, cuz he never sees me anymore. Does that count?

I have 2 "superpowers"
1. I can see my horse when she runs and hides behind the med sized tree in her pasture. She just can't understand how I can her her big ole butt and neck sticking out from behind the tree. She does give in gracefully.
2. I can stay on during my horses "buckety bucks" which normally occur during the canter. She is amazed I'm still on, and hasn't learned that not only do I stay on, but I will yell and smack her and she still has to canter.

I'm mid 40's, married with 3 kids, 2 dogs, 2 guinea pigs, cat, and 2 horses. I work as a mortgage loan officer--which gives some flexibility for riding. My husband is very non-horsey, but tries to be understanding. He once loaded my pony mare on the trailer a good hour before we were done at a show and wondered why I was having a hissy fit. He didn't know that pony mare and my mare were to loaded at the same time and that my mare would go ballastic being left alone in the stabling area. Which she did and it was impossible getting her on the trailer after that. He is now not allowed to touch the horses or help. My 13 yr daughter rides and shows, she can be pretty good but has confidence issues. I work alot and spend time hauling kids and sneaking in barn time. Half of my wardrobe seems to be in my car at any given time because I always keep a set of riding clothes in the car and change at the barn. I just forget to get my work clothes out of the car, especially my shoes. I'm a mess!!!

[Lcsd114]

[QUOTE=Bluesy]Whaddya say we invent a new clique? We could call it "The Book Worms Clique" or "Book Lovers" or something.

I love many authors and styles. Lets see: Jodi Picoult, Harlan Coben, Michael Crichton, Dean Koontz and Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child are some of my favourite authors. I read anything from chick lit to biographies to horsey books (of course) to thrillers. Anything that catches my eye really. My favourite book that I've read lately was a drama set in post WWII Britain, "The Lost Art Of Keeping Keeping Secrets" by Eva Rice.

PS. Notice my signature!!

PPS. Can anyone tell me how to get the smilies into the posts? Thanks.

[cosmos mom]

[QUOTE=Lcsd114]

Whaddya say we invent a new clique? We could call it "The Book Worms Clique" or "Book Lovers" or something.

I love many authors and styles. Lets see: Jodi Picoult, Harlan Coben, Michael Crichton, Dean Koontz and Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child are some of my favourite authors. I read anything from chick lit to biographies to horsey books (of course) to thrillers. Anything that catches my eye really. My favourite book that I've read lately was a drama set in post WWII Britain, "The Lost Art Of Keeping Keeping Secrets" by Eva Rice.

PS. Notice my signature!!

PPS. Can anyone tell me how to get the smilies into the posts? Thanks.

This is how I do it: Go into FAQ and search "icons" an answer will come up about smilies- if you go into it, it tells you all of the codes for the smilie icons

[Lcsd114]

Thanks Cosmos Mom.

[charlieo]

blusey and lcsd114, can I join? I read just about anything. Grisham and Clancy are favorites ... and then there was this thread in off course about horse books -- I went and bought most of them -- alas, have finished them. Would love some suggestions for some good summer reading. My current reading is work related (all cases involving right-of-way by implication), and I'd really like to read something else.

[Bluesy]

Anyone can join! No need to ask

I don't mind the occasional Dean Koontz, Tom Clancy, etc., but I do love my classics! Cervantes, Tolstoy, Burgess, Uris, yadda yadda yadda. Kurt Vonnegut is also one of my all time favorites - I have about 14 of his books.

I'm also a big fan of Margaret Atwood and Mordecai Richler and other Can Lit authors. You'd think after all this reading I could write rather well. Apparently that's not the case

Am I the only one here who hated The Da Vinci Code?

[Reynard Ridge]

Ah, Bluesy, you have good taste (er, that would be IMHO, of course ). I really didn't like the Da Vinci Code - I mean, nice enough story, but I am just not a fan of the genre and what the heck was all the fuss about? Fiction is fiction, people.

But since we are on the topic of great writers, what about Nabokov??? Have you ever read Pale Fire? One of my all time favorite books. Sigh. They don't write them like that any more, do they?

Although, I do confess to being a huge Jane Austen fan, too. And Middlemarch. And Vanity Fair. Gosh I love that stuff. Hey, we all have our weakness.

[lesyl]

Ah, Bluesy, you have good taste (er, that would be IMHO, of course ). I really didn't like the Da Vinci Code - I mean, nice enough story, but I am just not a fan of the genre and what the heck was all the fuss about? Fiction is fiction, people.

But since we are on the topic of great writers, what about Nabokov??? Have you ever read Pale Fire? One of my all time favorite books. Sigh. They don't write them like that any more, do they?

Although, I do confess to being a huge Jane Austen fan, too. And Middlemarch. And Vanity Fair. Gosh I love that stuff. Hey, we all have our weakness.

William S. Maughen and DH Lawerence for me. For more modern stuff I still really like Joyce Carol Oates, Barbara Kingsolver, Charles Bowden and Craig Childs. Ohh and for other sorts of reading, E.O. Wilson, Jared Diamon and David Quuaman.

I also didn't quite see the Da Vinci Code as being a great read. Fun, but not life changing. However, in terms of horse related/agrarian sort of reads, Jane Smiley.

[Bluesy]

I admit I haven't read Nabokov yet - I will add Pale Fire to my ever growing book list though!

I also have to admit I'm not a big Austen fan - I'm more of a Bronte fan Each to their own.

I LOVE Lawrence! (I need to get more of him) Haven't read Maugham (yet), or any others you have mentioned (yet) . Too many books, too little time!



The Code just downright annoyed me - The writing was awful, and the characters were annoying and stupid. The main character was so obviously based on the author I found it grating - he's a bit narcissistic, huh?

I never wanted to read the book - but alas, I got it for x-mas, so I had to.

[Quin]

It appears to me that a high number of Invisibles are also avid readers (count me in); lots of academics in this crowd too. I'm suspecting that since we were never the 'popular kids', from a young age we found the world of books to be more enjoyable than the world around us.

Could have something to do with our attraction to horses and all the other critters, too.

[tullio]

invisibility/reading link

i think ya hit the nail on the head, Quin...

[Summershyne7]

[QUOTE=Lcsd114]

Whaddya say we invent a new clique? We could call it "The Book Worms Clique" or "Book Lovers" or something.

I love many authors and styles. Lets see: Jodi Picoult, Harlan Coben, Michael Crichton, Dean Koontz and Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child are some of my favourite authors. I read anything from chick lit to biographies to horsey books (of course) to thrillers. Anything that catches my eye really. My favourite book that I've read lately was a drama set in post WWII Britain, "The Lost Art Of Keeping Keeping Secrets" by Eva Rice.

PS. Notice my signature!!

PPS. Can anyone tell me how to get the smilies into the posts? Thanks.

Oh, I am SO in this clique! Of course, as my signature indicates, Harry Potter is among my favorites. I'm 25, but I have an abiding love for Kid/Teen literature, including authors such as Cornelia Funke, Rick Riordan, C.S. Lewis, L.M. Montgomery, E.L. Konisburg, Avi, Lloyd Alexander, Garth Nix, Ann Brashieres, Ann Cabot...and the list could go on.

I was into all the StarWars books for a long while, but kind of fell away from that during the Yuzahn Vong stuff, which went a little too far over the edge for me and they killed one of my fave characters! Also love the Jean M. Auel "Earth's Children" series, but have to skip over the more risque bits. I got addicted to that series b/c one of them was on a school reading list!

[Emryss]

[quote=Summershyne7]

Oh, I am SO in this clique! ... Also love the Jean M. Auel "Earth's Children" series, but have to skip over the more risque bits. I got addicted to that series b/c one of them was on a school reading list!

Me, too! Jean Auel could be great, but having to do the literary equivalent of "La, la, la, can't see you!" gets old. It's too bad. She writes a good story (although the last book was a bit repetative of situations) and has really done her homework. There are too many good books to list. I love sci-fi (but I never got into Star Wars) and a good historical novel. Mom introduced me to Dick Francis, who I enjoyed - great pretzels and beer reading.

[lesyl]

[QUOTE=Quin]It appears to me that a high number of Invisibles are also avid readers (count me in); lots of academics in this crowd too. I'm suspecting that since we were never the 'popular kids', from a young age we found the world of books to be more enjoyable than the world around us.
QUOTE]

I love that books are nonjudgemental about my lack of color coordination. My SO has occasionally suggested that I have the fasion sense at times of an eight year old boy.

As a kid we had family "book dinner" where we were allowed to read our book at the table. No TV, but we were allowed to read anything we wanted.

Bluesy - I also really like Margret Atwood (Surfacing and Handmaid's Tale) Also Gretel Erlich (Beet Queen).

Quin - as for really sort of nerdy - my bb name is an adaptation of my college nickname from minoring in chemistry.

[OakesBrae]

I love that books are nonjudgemental about my lack of color coordination. My SO has occasionally suggested that I have the fasion sense at times of an eight year old boy.

What a good observation. I love that about horses too - no matter what, they love me because I just am.

[phoebetrainer]

Okay, I've read this for a few days now and thought I wouldn't bother posting because I'm so invisible, because I'm so on the other side of the planet!

Anyway, I'm 40+, but can't work out when it happened - I'm sure I'm still only about 26. I have too many horses and ponies: ISH eventer, 2* level; TB, not OTT, 1* level; morgan x who I can't be bothered riding because she's so good its boring; a number of ponies, one of them a to-die-for hunter, who may well get to the US before me!.

I own 10 acres, have various dogs and cats and an 11 year old foster son - he's been with me for just over a year, so I'm getting used to being a mum.

I love to read - its my favourite thing ever!

So here's some messages:

Summershyne7, if you enjoy those young adult titles, try reading some of Tamora Pierce's books. Start at the begining of any of her series, and you'll be hooked!

DressageGeek "Ribbon Ho", why do you need to feed crunchies without the chocolate on? Anyway, the insides are just hokey pokey: Boil 5 table spoons of sugar and 2 tablespoons of golden syrup together, stirring all the time.Simmer over a low heat for 4 minutes, stirring every now and then - untill it forms a firm ball when you drop a little in cold water. Add 1 teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda. Stir fast as it froths all over the place. Quickly pour into a greased, papered tin. Break it up when cold.

Now I think that you could legitimately make this in the lab - your students could learn all about CO2 production!!! Its very yummy.

[411]

PhoebeTrainer - you are a genius. Everyone knows the best part of a Crunchie is the honeycomb center! My father brought me a big bag of them back from England, and it looks like I have found yet another use for duct tape -- taping my mouth shut before I gorge myself on them!

Some might call me invisible, I prefer "stealthy." I'm on the slippery slope to 40 (when the he** did THAT happen?!?!?), married 9 years, no kids. Have you seen that refrigerator magnet where the woman bangs herself on the forehead with the palm of her hand and says, "I forgot to have children!"? That's how I feel, but I guess it speaks to my ambivalance about reproducing in general. I hope I'm not missing something huge, but I'd rather wonder if I should have than wish I hadn't.

I have two horses, a retired mare who bears a striking resemblence to a young Audrey Hepburn (I'm not kidding), and a 6 year-old gelding who I got to do the hunters with. Whether or not I will actually enter the show ring with him remains to be seen, that might blow my stealthy cover. I really don't like people looking at me. I am proud mama to three cats whose sole purpose on earth is to boss my husband and me around, and I have more outdoor pets than I can count. I recently "adopted" 19 ducklings from the local wildlife rescue and have released them in my backyard.

At the moment I work for myself, and I must say, I'm the best boss I've ever had. I started designing and making jewelry last fall and am getting ready to launch my website. Depending on how that goes, I may end up having to get a "real" job, but am hoping I can buy myself a little more time before that happens!

My greatest powers seem to be making money disappear like magic and public displays of self-embarrassment.

[Mariequi]

Crunchie? Crunchy? Whazat?

You lost me with anything math or science-related. I was English/Journalism major. Artsy, but didn't do anything with it. Shame on me. I've spent a lot of my life wasting whatever talent I was blessed with. Trying to find ways to change that.

I did used to run home from school and jump in the tub with a bath. Used to turn the hot on with me toes a few times to get through a few more chapters. I love movies, too, though, and whenever we visited my NY relatives I'd watch, oooo, movies all night - mostly 40's type stuff like The Thin Man. Still love them.

I wasn't the cheerleader popular type, but not wallflower either. I had slumber parties and brought the two together, so I wasn't really in a 'category'. Wasn't interested in playing or attending sports. Didn't go to proms.

Always loved horses, but didn't think it was possible for ME!