Virtual Brush Box

Writing of the outside world. Origin story for A Year in Provence. Mayle moved to France to work on a novel. “Months later, he wrote his agent a long letter explaining his lack of progress on his fiction by detailing the tribulations of dealing with the French. ‘Do another 250 pages of that,’ his agent replied, ‘and I’ll find a publisher.’ “. The Guardian: Peter Mayle obituary, 2018.

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Achievement Unlocked! Anxiety dream about work.

This was a first. I’ve had anxiety dreams. I’ve had dreams where I’ve had to scream myself awake. I don’t think I have ever dreamt about work in any capacity.

I share this with you for two reasons.

One. For your amusement, because dreams are weird.

Two. In the hope that by exposing this hideous creation to daylight, it will turn to ash and blow away.

Setting. I had a phone interview earlier this month. The night before was restless. When I did sleep, my brain dropped this on me.

Enter dreamland …

I needed to take someone (person unspecified) to the airport before the interview. No problem. Everything all set. Standing at the ticket counter, we calculated that the flight for the (now present) third person, who turned out to be my college roommate(?), was several hours later. Because of the timing, I would not be back home for the interview. (Why couldn’t I leave her at the airport? I have no idea.)

… still in the dream …

I would have to conduct the interview from what was now the train station(?) without my notes. Do-able. I found something to write on. I found a quiet, distant corner of the waiting room, that was immediately occupied by a series of large, loud groups. (Because of course it was.)

… still in the dream …

Due to the futzing around, I was 8 minutes late to make the phone call. (I am not late. My writing may be pedestrian – professional evaluation – but I am reliable.) The person answered, along with their adult child(?) on a conference call(?). The call immediately fritzed. My phone began all manner of digital gymnastics. The answer was to reset with control-alt-delete. Since it was a phone, this was not possible.

… still in the dream …

I was then treated to, subjectively, 20 minutes of madly pressing buttons on my phone, chanting … no … no … no … and watching the clock on the wall sweep inexorably forward.

… wake up.

So restful.

Onwards!
Katherine

Videography of the outside world. AP News: The cameraman who skates backward to capture Olympic triumph and defeat, Barry, February 16, 2026.

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Fortune’s Filigree
Schleich: Limited-Edition Lunar New Year Horse

A new blog photo personality. Bought from the same breeding program as Spotted. [Spotted in Boston]

I don’t know how much action Filigree will see. Spotted is mostly retired these days. I have less need for a stand-in. “In the past, Spotted had been my excuse for including whatever I wanted in the blog … Now, I just randomly stuff whatever I want in the blog.” [Spotted At The Quilt Store]

Wishing you a spirited but rideable Year of the Horse.

Onwards!
Katherine

Awareness of the outside world. Boston.com: New England Aquarium builds retirement home for aging penguins, Rousseau 2025. Hat tip G.

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Which discipline?

The Story I Tell, First Iteration

Saddle seat was always meant to be a temporary fix.

Coach Courtney has known this from the beginning. [Suiting Up] 2013

“If I could jump, I’d drop y’all like a bowl of warm potato salad.” [Conflicts] 2017

debandtoby asked: “With all this saddle seat riding, do you think you’re going to get back to hunter shows or eventing?” My response: “I would drop saddle seat in a heartbeat if I had a horse to jump.” [Getting Ready For Showing, comments] 2024

Whenever I say this, Coach Courtney simply smiles and tells me when the next show is.

She is not wrong.

The Story I Tell, Second Iteration

Awhile back, I was at the barn. Someone asked that since I did different disciplines, which was my favorite?

I gave my standard answer. Potato salad.

Then I ended with – as always I do – that Coach Courtney knows this and just tells me when the next show is.

As I was saying “… when the next show is”, Coach Courtney walked by. She added, ” … and I’ll see you there.”

She is not wrong.

Which Discipline?

Pourqoui pas los dos?

Onwards!
Katherine

Awareness of the outside world. Lent I know about. Ramadan, not so much. (Old Farmer’s) Almanac: Ramadan 2026: When is Ramadan? What is Ramadan? Boeckmann, February 5, 2026.

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Weekly lessons with schoolhorse/schoolmaster Goldy. [The Lessons Continue]

In the last week, we ticked minor milestones.

+ Cantered a course of poles.

+ Jumped a fence at .65 meters, which is the lowest height offered in jumper classes.

+ Did some elementary gridwork.

It’s progress.

It’s frustrating.

While I may not have been a brilliant jump rider, I had my moments. Those are the times I remember. [Bucket List – Accomplished]

I have to remind self that its been a minute or two since I was jumping regularly, and it’s going to take longer than I want to get back to where I was.

Onwards!
Katherine

Awareness of the outside world. Paris 2024, “For the first time, a family zone was introduced in the Olympic Village to support athletes with caregiving responsibilities.” Olympics.com: Gender equality through time.

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Morning walks in the pasture are back up to five laps! That’s the good news. Bad news, or less good news, is that it takes me most of the morning to recover from same. It has been a winter y’all! [Back At It]

One morning of lunging. Hissy fits were had by all. Horses who didn’t want to walk All! By! Themselves! Horses who didn’t want to work while the rest of the herd was All! The! Way! Over! There! Actually, lunging is overstating it. Being asked to move in a few circles while the other horse does a lap or two.

The cookie monsters of the barn have gradually introduced a stop for treats at each end of the lap. I now require a pocket full of cookies for a 20+ minute walk in hand. I do not believe in this flagrant flinging of cookies. Yet, here we are.

Onwards!
Katherine

Awareness of the outside world. Atlantic: What Fabulous Timing for Gallup to Stop Tracking Presidential Approval! Petri, February 12, 2026. Access issues, I read as gift article on phone, paywalled on desktop. If you cannot access, it reads mostly as you would expect, with the added feature that each presidential approval rating appears as a new horse in the corral.

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Both horses got massages last week. I have moved away from working on them myself. I still believe in doing bodywork. It just kinda never happens.

They aren’t doing much. Which means they don’t need much work. Although Rodney’s left hind was tight from supporting the weight when his right hind butt cheek had the weird divot. [Butt Bump]

Actually, weird divot is still there. He seems to be over it. On the list to ask about at next vet appointment.

They aren’t doing much. Which means they need regular goings-over rather than intense sessions. Maintenance work is less interesting than dramatically addressing problems. Needed, but harder to stay focused on.

They aren’t doing much. Which means I don’t feel like going the extra mile for them. They get well fed, well cared for, and lightly exercised daily.

Is there an alternate universe in which I would be giving monthly massages? Probably. [Rodney Lives With His Life Choices]

Am I letting my past with the two horses influence how I treat them in the present? Probably.

Does that make me a less altruistic person? Probably.

Onwards!
Katherine

Paper of the outside world. “One day when my husband and I went for a walk in the pasture, I looked down at the pile of aging, crumbling horse manure at my feet and said “I could make paper …” Byopia Press: I Could Make Paper Out Of That.

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Folding directions, OrigamiUSA: Masu.

Paper. 10″x10″ TANT Large, double-sided, single-color from Taro’s Origami Studio. Technically, the third Mardi Gras color should be gold. Yellow is what I had. Plus the gold paper came in non-matching sizes & non-matching textures & was more expensive. Yellow it is. [Yellow Rose, Paper Art]

Onwards!
Katherine