Smiles and tears

It's always a mixture, isn't it?  Life is never simple, nor is it dull.  There are pleasures that bring the smiles, and there are the heartaches that cause the pain and the tears.  I guess that's just the way it is.  On this planet anyway.  I do look forward to the day when we're living in heaven, on the new earth, where there will be no more sadness and no more tears.  I look forward to seeing my mom and dad, my grandma, and the grandparents I was never fortunate enough to meet.  And so many friends, relatives and animals whom I have loved dearly.  Yes, I'm looking forward to that...very much. 

But, until then...life goes on.  I see that once again, I have been remiss in posting with any regularity on my blog.  The days just seem to fly by, and I so easily lose track of the days.  One after the other, they pass so quickly.  This has been a lovely summer to me.  I've heard so many people complain about our weather, the lack of sunshine and hot temperatures so common to so many other summers.  But I've been enjoying our sunny, cooler than usual weather.  Mostly, the days have been pleasant and warm, some grey and some rain.  I can appreciate that.  Especially when I watch the news and see what's been going on weather-wise in the majority of the country elsewhere.  Temperatures in the hundreds, massive flooding, tornadoes and such?  We are truly blessed here in the pacific northwest.  We complain and we have absolutely no reason to do so.  So, I for one, am very, very thankful for our summer.  I just hope it sticks around for a good, long while. 

Remember this girl?  This is our old gal..."Frosted Siri L"  She turned 29 years young on January 31, 2011
and this is our grandson David, who's 10 years old and loves Siri madly...

He'd spend all day long in the barn or hanging out with her in the pasture if he was able.  Well, Dave came out and spent 10 days with us when we took some vacation time the end of June and the first part of July.  We took a bunch of pictures of him and Siri spending time with each other.  I'm so thankful that we got that time and those pictures, because our sweet old girl passed away on July 13, 2011.  She was in good spirits when I turned her loose in the apple orchard pasture with the rest of the horses, and about 2 hours later, we had to have her euthanized for an apparent fatty lypoma that strangulated her small intestine.  It was intensely painful  and unbelievably fast.  Here one moment, and gone the next.  It certainly took us by surprise, and left us with no alternative than to say good-bye to our dear friend.  We buried her near the apple tree the following day, along with so many other animal friends whom we've loved over the years.  I'm so very thankful we were home and able to be with her when she needed us the most...so thankful for that.  We're going to miss her, and her sassy attitude, and her worrisome nature over her herdmates.  She was a treasure and we loved her.  It was especially touching to see how each one of the horses personally said their good-byes to her.  And some people don't believe that animals love one another and grieve over the loss of herdmates.  I'm here to tell you that they do. 

R.I.P. "Frosted Siri L"  1/31/82 - 7/13/11  Thanks for the memories!!  It's been a pleasure and a blessing spending time with you!! 

If you ever get the chance to read a little book titled the "Ghost Wind Stallion" , I'd recommend it highly.  I forget who the author is, but it's narrated by an old Nez Perce Indian named George Long Grass.  The story is about Siri's ancestors and a particular line of horses that were highly regarded by the Nez Perce Tribe.  I read it, quite by accident, and was startled to discover that I was looking at Siri's lineage exactly duplicated.  She had noble ancestry.

In more recent events, we attended the Central Oregon Wild Horse Expo at the Brasada Ranch last weekend near Prineville, Oregon.  What beautiful country and what a gorgeous ranch!  I'd move there in a New York minute!!  It's considered high desert with beautiful mountain ranges all around.  You can see Mt. Hood, Mt. Jefferson, Mt. Washington, The 3 Sisters, Mt. Bachelor, Broken Top, and Black Butte from beautifully green, lush pastures brimming with beef cattle and beautiful horses.  My kind of country.  Anyway, there was a wild horse adoption, vendors, demonstration of all kinds, a competitve trail ride, a horse show for wild bred Mustangs and clinics going on.  Very entertaining!  We had a blast!

Remember this guy??

This is "Eagle" - the Mustang that I saw a picture of on a friend's Facebook page over a year ago.  I included him in a blog posting quite a while back.  I admitted that I was enamored of him, and quite honestly have never been able to get him out of my mind completely since then. 

Well...I found out that Kate (the FB friend) was going to be judging one of the trail courses at the wild horse expo, and...quite innocently enough asked her if she was perchance thinking of bringing Eagle along.  And, she sent me an e-mail that stated that yes, she would bring Eagle with me in mind.  My heart started beating madly...and guess what!!?? 

I met him, I got to spend time with him, and I got to show him in-hand at the expo!!!!

I'm quite madly head-over-heels, in love with this horse!!!!

Right from the first, if you'd have asked me just what exactly that it was that had me so smitten with this particular bay horse...I'd have probably said, "something in his eyes, his expression"...and that's still the case.  I believe this horse is an old soul, a true gentleman and oh so very, very kind.  I get all emotional and my eyes tear up just looking at him and being near him.  I think he wants to please, feel safe, and be loved...and that's it. 

I'm a goner.

And then I find out he's led a very sad life.  He wasn't loved or valued at all.  He's got whip marks on his body.  Apparently, he was captured as a 2-3 year old in the Warm Springs Herd Management Area of central Oregon.  He was adopted through BLM to someone in the Roseburg, Oregon area.  Apparently, he was beaten, and it was savagely enough that at 11 years of age, the scars are still evident.  Bloody hell!!!!!  I can't even imagine...and as if that weren't enough; his owners were what Kate refers to as "dopers" who then sold him to the Winston Wildlife Safari to be used as cat meat.  Wow...thankfully, someone with a kind heart at the safari made a phone call to someone in the Strawberry Mountain Horse Rescue and said they had a horse there, who was obviously too nice of a horse to be cut up and fed to the wild cats.  That person came and picked Eagle up, and that's how he ended up with the Central Oregon Wild Horse Coallition and owned by my friend, Kate.  Long story, short...before long, I will more than likely be the very proud new mom and forever caretaker of the magnificent "Eagle". 

The beginning...

**happy dance***

:)   Cingspots 


You just never know where life will lead...

Sum sum summertime

...and the livin' is easy...NOT!!!!  Wow, have we been busy.  I always dream of more downtime, less "to-do's" and more socializing, soaking and sipping.  But - whatever - that's my life!  I'm not complaining, well maybe a little.  :)  It's been almost a month since my last blog post, and there's more to update than I can possibly remember.  I'll give it my best shot though...

My sis had eye surgery for the 3rd time and she's finally doing somewhat better.  They say she may always have blurry vision in that eye, but will try corrective lenses and see if that helps.  I'm just happy that she's not looking at more surgeries anytime soon. 

Ruby got spayed on June 16th and all is back to normal.  Big sigh of relief...I was quite worried about the surgery for some reason, and am thankful and relieved that she did well and is totally healed up.  I took a day off work and spent the day in Salem.  Just me and Annie puttering around, it was fun.  We went (I went) shopping for a few new summer clothes, went to Costco and stocked up on some groceries, went to a huge park and had a very long walk and even went through the massive rose garden they had there.  It was a beautiful day and I really luxuriated in having a day off work mid-week.  Felt like a stolen day...loved it!!  It would have been positively perfect had I not been worried about poor, little Ruby.  But, I said my prayers for her protection and left it in God's hands.  Always helps!!

My hubby and I took a week off from work the last week of June and over the 4th of July weekend.  10 days off in a row.  Sounds like a long time, but it sure did go fast.  We had our grandson, David the entire time.  We are definitely not accustomed to having a child around for that length of time.  Parts were enjoyable and parts were intolerable, but all-in-all, it went fairly well.  I'm very glad that grandpa got to spend some quality time with his grandson.  David loves being around the horses!  He's an animal lover at heart, and that's wonderful and quite helpful being at our place.  We have cats, dogs, horses and the llama.  Dave got to ride Siri a few times, brush her and he loved that, so did Siri.  We spent a day at the beach, went out for seafood dinner, had a long walk on the beach and gathered seashells.  We spent another day at the lake, swimming and hiking.  It was fun, but I found myself wishing we'd had a boat.  There were soooo many people there and I missed the solitude that I remember from years past.  So many more people moving to our part of the state.  I don't blame them, it's a beautiful part of Oregon, but I prefer less crowds and less rules everywhere.  *sigh*  Guess I'm showing my age again...  I bought 15 lbs of sliced, fresh strawberries and made a double batch of jam.  YUM!!  I put the rest in freezer containers for using later.  $30.00 for washed, sliced berries is quite reasonable compared to the cost at the farm stands.  Everything has gotten so expensive.  But, we'll sure enjoy those berries come winter time. 

We also bought some Windsor Cottage stones and built a 14' long x 30" wide raised flower bed in the front of our house.  We made it about 16" tall, so it would be comfortable for sitting.  It turned out really nice.  I just bought a bunch of flowers for planting at the local garden store today.  I just need to pick up a load of planting soil and I'll be all set for mass plantings.  We still have enough stones to build a v-shaped raised garden bed on the other side of the house by the front door.  That one should be a quicker, easier version compared to the big one.  It's really going to add some pizazz to the landscape, and I can't wait to see the end results.  My next idea is to put up some planter window boxes under some of the windows, but that's for another time. 

We have our winter's supply of hay all neatly stored in the barn too.  Our hay was delivered last week and it took us and 2 paid helpers, 2 evenings working to finish the job.  We got about 12 tons total of new hay, and have about 2 tons left from last year.  That's considerably less than the 20 tons we put into the barns last summer, but money was a bit tighter this year so we'll just feed as long as it lasts and worry about buying more later, if and when we run short.  We more than likely will have to buy a few more tons, but I'm not going to worry about that now.  Next big project will have to be the firewood for the winter...the work just never ends, does it??  Sometimes I envy those people who live in little homes in the suburbs...they just don't realize how easy they have it, but then again, I love living on our little farm in the country with all its' privacy and peaceful surroundings.  Nothing in life is ever perfect...but it's our life and I really do love it, even if it is filled with work.  I don't have to pay for a membership in a fancy athletic club to get exercise and that's a fact! 

We had plans to go watch fireworks on the 4th of July and were in the car ready to go when our neighbors started shooting off big, loud roman candles and such...Harley freaked, started running and that was that.  We parked the car in the middle of our very long driveway and watched the illegals going off all around us and felt a measure of relief at being able to keep a watch over our little herd as well as the neighbor's 30ish head of horses as well.  What a gorgeous sight to see all the horses running together in one big herd...much more spectacular in my humble opinion than the greatest of the fireworks!!  It's all about perspective, right?  I just wish I'd have had my camera because I could have caught some fantastic shots.  I'll try and remember that for next year. 

I'm still riding Ladde and he's doing wonderfully.  I'm feeling more and more comfortable on him with each and every ride.  Lately, however our consistency's been off because of all the other projects we've had to deal with.  The weather has cooled this week and it's lovely riding weather, so I'll probably have a nice evening ride tonight.  I'm looking forward to it. 

Harley had a flare-up of his uveitis lately.  It was bi-lateral, but worse in his right (good) eye.  I managed to quiet it down very quickly, but the damage was done.  He now has cloudiness in about 1/3 to almost 1/2 of his right eye.  Prior to this outbreak, the damage to his eye had been in the anterior, or back portion of his eyes; meaning that nothing was unusual looking about his eyes.  Somehow the fact that he didn't look any different from a sighted horse was something I was thankful for, but now his eyes are starting to look more typical of a blind horse.  It breaks my heart to think that he has so little vision left.  I still cry over his situation, but bless his heart, he seems to be adjusting to his lot in life much better than I am.  I just keep praying that God will watch over him and keep him safe.  So far, so good.  I'm a firm believer in the power of prayer and am so thankful for our many blessings in life.  God is good.

Well, I've run on a lot longer than I'd meant to.  I really should try to post more often so that I'm not trying to catch up on a whole month's worth of activities.  I've got a bunch of pictures that I've taken, but never seem to take the time to download them onto a disk so that I can transfer them to this computer.  Someday, maybe I'll advance to the 21st century!  Ya think?  One can always hope...

I hope you're all enjoying our wonderful summer...it was a long time coming.  May we all savor and enjoy it while it's here!

Blessings and good-bye for now...
Cingspots aka Lorie

Quiet weekend

We spent a fairly quiet, unassuming weekend mostly at home.  We accomplished very little by our usual standards, but somedays are just meant for downtime, I guess.  The weather was mostly overcast with a little rain Sunday afternoon.  The days were not cold, but pleasant sweatshirt weather.  Perfect for horseback riding or hiking. 

Saturday morning we went to church and stayed for potluck lunch afterwards.  I took the dogs for a little walk and spent some time in the barn watching the horses graze lazily in the pasture.  For some reason, I had very little energy or ambition, so the dogs and I enjoyed a little nap.  What a treat that was!! 

Saturday evening, we ate a light supper and then I went to my sister's for a visit.  We decided on an evening walk and of course, the dogs came along.  It was nice to have some time to catch up with my sister.  Even though she lives within 15 miles, we don't see each other very often.  Very different lifestyles and a different set of values seems to keep some distance between us.  I wish things were different between me and my family, but that's just the way it is.  I did enjoy the time spent with her though, and stayed until 2:00 in the morning before I took my leave.  I took my time coming home and enjoyed the lazy drive with no other traffic on the country roads between our homes.  It was a beautiful night and it was so very peaceful and quiet. 

Sunday morning I woke up to find my hubby in the bottom pasture mowing some blackberries that were trying to take over a portion of our grazing land.  That's quite a chore to try and accomplish with our riding lawnmower/wannabe tractor, but he was making some headway.  The dogs and I walked down the driveway to wave a morning hello.  The sun was out, so I enjoyed my morning coffee in the sunshine of the barn and watched the horses eat their breakfast.  Later, we went to the annual Derby Days Pancake breakfast at the local fire hall in town and spent some time visiting with some of our neighbors.  It was a pretty good breakfast for $5 and the company was great, plus it's for a good cause.  When we got home, my boss was there and had already got Shad out of the pasture, had him sedated and had diagnosed the problem with his knee.  Pretty quick work!  Shad has tendonitis with fluid and inflammation around the knee, more than likely a result of a strike from one of the neighbor's mares across the fence.  With ultrasound-guided injection, he put some HA (hyaluronic acid) and steroid into the tendon sheath.  He says that within a few days or so, the swelling should resolve and he should be fine.  What a relief!  That's much better than a torn tendon or a bone chip, and a fairly inexpensive fix.  We just need to keep him quiet for a while and let the meds do their work. 

Afterwards, I spent some time grooming and working Ladde again.  He was such a good boy...gosh I love that horse!  We're making progress, and with each session I feel a little more confident.  Soon, I hope to take him on a few trail rides and see how we do in the woods.  If I can remember to relax, I'll be fine.  When we were finishing up in the barn, a decent little rain shower moved in and for the remainder of the evening, we had on-again, off-again showers.  It sure feels more like April than mid-June, but compared to most of the country, we have nothing to complain about!  We brought the horses into the barn for the night, not so much because of the rain, but it was a great excuse for Shad to be stalled and kept quiet overnight.  They seemed to enjoy the warmth and the peacefulness of the barn too, and we left them contentedly munching their hay.  I almost built a fire, but decided against it.  I'd cooked a beef roast in the oven and we had that and some vegetable soup that my sis had sent home with me the night before.  Hmm hmm, it sure tasted good!  A perfect meal for a cool evening.  

I was in bed by 10 pm and slept like a rock.  What a wild woman I've become!!  But, I feel rested and ready for my work week.  Thursday is Ruby's day to be spayed.  I need to have her in Salem by 7:30 am and can pick her up at 4:30 that afternoon.  Rather than waste time and gas coming home or going to work, I've taken the day off and plan to spend the day in Salem.  I'd hoped that my friend could spend the day with me, but she had already made plans.  Oh well, Annie and I will amuse ourselves somehow.  I'm looking forward to the free day, I just pray that all goes well with little Ruby's surgery.  She's such a sweet little dog...we couldn't bear living our lives without her. 

Blessings to all for a good week...

Rockstars!!!!!!!!!!!!

I've chilled out a bit since last night and earlier today because my lack of sleep is finally catching up to me. 
You see...I had one of the most fantastic rides on my Ladde boy last night EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!  He seriously is a total rockstar and I cannot tell you how proud of him that I am!!  In fact, I'm so excited that I might surely pop a vein or something!!!  :)  I was totally amped up and could hardly sleep a wink all last night, and when I woke up, the feelings were still there in force.  Yes.  It was that good.  That horse-o-mine is mighty, mighty fine!!!! God Bless him...all the way down to his precious little hooves.  Okay, now that I've got you all dangerously close to puking, I'll pipe down...kay?  Sorry, but I'm just a wee bit proud of the big brute tis all.  He really was a gem.  No, he wasn't a perfect angel.  But, he was 100% there.  With me, attentive and in tuned to my every little touch and request.  He performed as well as any out of shape horse with hardly any riding (let alone work) in the last couple of years could be expected to do. 

We worked on so many different things that my head is swimming.  For pete's sake, I'm just a trailrider...I've never had any formal training to speak of.  I just ride.  I've been to quite a few natural horsemanship clinics, was blessed to have ridden with Ray Hunt 3 times, Tom Dorrance once, Brad Cameron twice...but nothing that even closely resembled dressage.  I'm certainly not accustomed to thinking that much while I'm riding.  The greatest blessing in thinking a lot while riding Ladde, for me, is that I'm way too busy to start fretting, or worrying about what he might or might not do.  I was too busy to be scared.  What a huge relief for me that was!!!  I've turned into a "nervous nellie" in recent years, and I'm just uncertain as to why, or where this nervousness or fear is coming from.  When I try to figure it out, I know now that it comes from a variety of places or reasons. 

*  Ladde is huge.  Everything the horse does is big.  And, it's intimidating to be riding an animal that is so incredibly powerful.  I'm not accustomed to big, very forward moving horses.  You Warmblood riders will understand this.
*  I'm the only person who's done any training on this horse.  Apparently, I am less than 100% confident in my abilities as a "horse trainer/teacher".  Giving the horse his due here, this is certainly lower on my list of worries, though.  This horse has a good, sensible mind.
*  When Ladde was a 2-year old, he was neurologic for unknown reasons for about 7 months.  We did a spinal tap for EPM and treated him with meds for that amount of time, but what my vet didn't bother ever telling me was that the spinal tap was negative.  Assuming it wasn't EPM, we never did any other diagnostics to determine the cause of the neurologic symptoms.  If you've ever witnessed a horse who is neurologic, you'll understand just how scary and serious this situation can be.
*  I'm getting older, and I certainly have to admit to being a lot less physically fit or agile than I once was.  I've gained a lot of weight over the years...this one reason plays a big role in my confidence as a rider.  Physically, I'm rather top-heavy and have shorter legs than I would like...I question my abilities in sticking to the saddle in the event of a rather large "spook" event. 
* I have hurt my back.  It hurt a lot and it hurt for a rather long time.  I hope to NEVER experience pain like that again.  No, this was not the outcome of a riding accident, but I remember how much it hurt and I really don't want to get hurt again.  (this is a big one)
* Riding Harley the last several years and having him become increasingly more spooky and unsure of himself and becoming increasingly less sure-footed did a number on my confidence as well.  Now, I know the reason behind his actions...he was losing his eyesight.  I, however, was completely clueless.  Not for a single minute did that possibility ever cross my mind. 
* Re-reading this list has confirmed that I'm a mental case.  I have no concrete reason for my lack of confidence, except that I'm an old, fat, scardy cat.  *sigh*
* But...I'm just stupid enough not to care enough to EVER give up riding or trying to improve!!! 

Amen??

I gotta brag a little bit more about my other amazing "STAR" of a horse.  Harley.  He's going to be the official "spokeshorse" Appaloosa for a soon-to-be-published book by Linda Kuhlman.  Yep, yep, yep.  She and her husband came out to our house a couple of nights ago and shot a bunch of pictures for her upcoming video trailer for her next book.  How cool is that!!??  My sweet, little ole Harley's going to be all over the internet...he's gonna be a star!!!!  Of course, he's ALWAYS been a star in my eyes.  It's about time the rest of the world came around.  :)

Have a wonderful weekend...

Lorie at C-ing Spots Appaloosas

Lesson tonight - me and my studmuffin

Ooh, I'm sooo excited!!!  Bill's coming over tonight and me and the Laddmonster are having our first real lesson with the new trainer.....can't wait!!  How I love having orders barked at me whilst I'm riding horseback.  Any other time, I'm quite likely to tell you to "bite me" and just mind your own beeswax!!  But, when I have respect and/or admiration at someone's abilities and am in the learning frame of mind...by all means - bark away!!

Lad's got his shoes on now, and I'm looking forward to riding some trails again.  Haven't been trailriding since last fall, and that's just too long.  My hubby had shoes put on his horse, Shad.  First time in several years that he's planning on using Shad as his main rider...and guess what?  Wouldn't you know that the big, red goosebury has a swollen knee?  Dang nabbit all!  It figures!!  Good thing is, he's not lame on it.  He's still thundering around the pasture, bucking and bossing everybody in his path.  That's good.  Then again, maybe he just doesn't have enough sense to realize he's got a bum leg.  Who knows?  I palpated his leg the other night, and he's got a little sensitivity to the pressure, there's a little heat and we've definitely got firm inflammation all around, but especially in the front.  A few weeks back, I'd picked off a little (maybe an inch long) scrab from the front of his knee and there was a little pus.  We cleaned it up, put some antibiotic ointment on it and it seemed fine.  Maybe somebody got a well-placed hoof and that's the cause of the little cut and now this swelling?  It's my best possible guess - either that, or he strained the ligaments during one of his dramatic acrobatic bucking/playing sessions he's so famous for!  That's more like it!!  Anyway, long story-short...the swelling's not going away.  My boss is going to come out and put the U/S on it, and see what we can see.  If nothing shows up, we'll have to shoot a couple of rads and see what that turns up.  I'm pretty sure it's nothing serious, because the fact remains that the horse is not lame.  If I watch him really, really closely; I can pick up on a slight favoring of the leg, and that's it.  It's probably just going to need a little more time, but keeping him quiet is a real challange. 

It's a gorgeous spring day here and I'm loving it!! Mid 70's and a nice, cool breeze.  Supposed to be like this for the upcoming 5-7 more days.  I like it.  The dogs and I have been walking the 1-3/4 mile trail around the park at lunch time for a few weeks now.  It feels so good to be outside in the fresh air again, and not get rained on.  The mud's drying up nicely, and that's always a good thing.  Will keep all of you in the eastern half of the country in our prayers.  I can't even imagine extreme heat and humidity like what you're experiencing. 

Blessings to all,
Cingspots

A Sampling of Summer

Seriously, I do believe that this May has been the shortest ever!  And, without a doubt, I know that it's been the coldest and the wettest on record...May is usually one of my most favorite months, and this one was no exception, but...I'm so pale!  And my skin's gonna start wrinkling up like a prune unless I get some sunshine on this face (and legs) and soon!!  You see, here in Orygone, we crinkle from all the excessive moisture in our atmosphere, not from overexposure to the sun's damaging rays...  :~)  Don't ya know?

But, guess what?  This past weekend---we had summer!!!  Hot dog!!  Hot me!!  Hot, hot, hot!!  Oooh baby...I was sweatin' and a fannin' and a complainin' bout it bein' so dadburned hot...so soon!!  I even filled up the kiddy pool for the pooches...and me!!  Ah huh!!  And it felt good!!   Friday after work, we got the shoes on the horses.  This year it's all about me and Ladde.  And all about my hubby and his Shadman.  Yep, we've had Shad since he was a 3-year old and he's now 19 years young...about time he got some use, wouldn't ya say??  I would be remiss right about now, if I didn't add a small request for prayers for the safety of my dear husband.  You see - Shad's quite impressive in the art of "bucking".  Ah huh...impressively so.  But, he's a good boy.  And, we have faith in him.  We're gonna have fun, fun, fun riding those two this summer!! Yessiree!!  I've been riding Ladde for close to 3 weeks now, and he's doing fabulously well!!  I love that horse so much!!  Me and Ladde are pards for sure!!  We're going to be just fine.  Once I find a way to climb aboard, that is.  :)  Ladde is perfect!!!  And, I'm so very, very proud of that horse.  I just can't tell you!!  Anyway, bragging aside.  So far, so good.  I've been calm.  I've been in control of my emotions.  And, I've been in charge.  And Ladde knows it...that's the key.  When I'm not in charge...he immediately takes control, and that's not good.  So, I just need to remember to breathe deeply, relax, sit deep...and ride.  Piece a cake! 

On Sabbath morning, the sunshine was out in full force.  Since so far this spring, sunshine has been very short in supply...we opted to stay home from church and enjoy a leisurely morning at home on the deck.  It was beautiful!!  For a while.  And then it got hot, and hotter and hotter.  It was around 85 or so, and since we've been having temps in the 50's and 60's are a heat rush...we were sweatin' bullets.  I'm not complaining though...even got a bit of color in my cheeks!  :)

Saturday evening we loaded ourselves and our dogs in the truck and headed for the drive-in.  Double feature and pizza.  What could say summer more than that??  It was great!!  Families and people were out in full force!!  The smell of popcorn on the evening breeze and a sky full of stars...just beautiful!  We got home about 2:30 in the morning!!  A bit late for this early to bed kinda gal!  Aah, it was fun though, sure felt like a summer's eve for a welcome change!! 

Sunday morning dawned a bit overcast and rather balmy by comparison to Saturday, but it was warm and not raining so we weren't complaining a bit.  We got our garden plants planted (finally!), the lawn mowed again, housework caught up (sort of) and even had time for an afternoon nap before heading out to do the grocery shopping.  We barbecued hot dogs and had raw broccoli salad for dinner...oh, it's good to be looking forward to a few months of long, sunny days and warm nights!  I'm soooo looking forward to this summer!  There's so much that I want to do, and enjoy...I want to savor each and every possible moment!

Shortly after dinner we heard the rumbling sounds of thunder, and lightening strikes soon followed.  The rain started in as well, so we headed out to bring the horses inside from the pasture.  Harley practically ran to us when we called them, so apparently he thought coming into the barn was a pretty good idea too.  A tiny bit of grain and a flake of hay was all it took to soothe and calm the mighty beasts...aaahh peace.  I always sleep better on a stormy night when the horses are safely tucked inside their stalls too.  So much for our summer weather.  Spring sure seems more volatile in recent years than I remember...the times they are a changin'.

And here we are back to Monday.  Back to work, or back to the grindstone as my dad used to say...rest in peace my sweet daddy and Happy Birthday too!  June 3rd was my dad's birthday.  He's been gone for almost 17 years now, but if he were still living, he would have turned 89 - wow!  I can hardly believe it's been that long...and I still miss him every single day.  Life's never the same when your mom and dad aren't around anymore.  So, in closing...cherish your parents.  You will miss them one day.  I'm going home and I'm going to ride my horse.  Best therapy in the whole, wide world.  For me it is, anyway...

Blessings everyone,
Lorie

Oh, and in case you're wondering...today was back to normal.  Well, a wee bit warmer than what our normal has been of late.  Right around 70, warm and not raining.  It's been a good day. 

Oh, and...I can't believe I almost forgot!!!  33 years ago today, I graduated from high school!!  Oh man, I cannot believe how old I'm getting to be!!  Oh well, the alternative's much worse my friends!!!  Rock on Class of '78!!!  Rock on!!!

Always be thankful...

Sometimes I complain too much.  Sometimes I forget to always give thanks to my Lord for my many, many blessings.  Sometimes I take blessings and people in my life for granted.  Sometimes I need to have a good, swift kick in my behind. 

Well, not today.  Today, I am thankful for so many things.  So many wonderful blessings.  And, I'm going to profess quite loudly and quite publically right here, and right now how very beautifully blessed that I am and how much I appreciate the life that my Father in heaven has bestowed upon me.  Life is good!

I was just thinking last night when I came from the barn, looking around at our yard, at our home, at our beautiful horses and the cozy little barn that protects them from the damp, cool spring evening that we were experiencing.  I was suddenly struck with the overwhelming gratitude that I have a husband who loves me and works so very hard to keep our little piece of the world looking nice.  He works so hard.  He does so much.  Whatever, however would I even attempt to keep up with everything that needs to be done?  I sometimes feel overwhelmed with what I have to do, a full-time job, house cleaning, meal preparation, grocery shopping, bill paying, appointment making, organizing, feeding, stall cleaning, yard work, house maintenance, vehicle upkeep and on, and on, and on, and on...but that's just life, right?  We wake up each morning and face each day with stuff that needs to be accomplished.  And if it doesn't all get done??  Big deal - there's another day tomorrow.  Like the Bible reminds us, don't worry about tomorrow because today's  worries are enough for today.  Sage advice.  Just look upward and give thanks.  Do what we can, and leave the rest for another day.  The grass is always going to need mowing, there's always going to be housework to be done, laundry...well, that's never ending right?  Just remember to be happy.  Give thanks to God in heaven who provides us with our needs.  No matter how bad of a day you may think you might have had...there is always a reason to be thankful and thoughtful of our blessings.  Always.

Every morning before I rush off to work, I always take the time to drive down the driveway, do a final headcount of the horses and the llama.  I then ask Jesus to watch over our little herd and to please protect them from all harm.  Please, just keep them safe...it's always answered.  When I get home each evening and their bright little faces are there nickering for their next meal...I try to remember to give thanks.  I don't always remember.  But, I am always thankful.  Same goes for my husband.  I pray for his safety and good health.  I'm thankful each evening when he comes home...safe and sound.  I'm blessed to have a good, steady job in these uncertain economic times.  I'm thankful that my boss is a good man.  He's kind-hearted and patient.  I don't think he's ever raised his voice to me.  I'm positive there've been many times he's wanted to.  :)  I'm thankful that in a small way, I get to work with horses and get paid for it.  I get opportunities every single day to help people.  It may only be a kind word, an encouraging bit of advice, or a reassuring, "I know how you feel", but I love how good it feels to be useful and be of some good to someone else.  I'm thankful for that.  I'm thankful that we have enough money to support ourselves and do something occasionally that's purely for fun.  I have more clothes and shoes than I need.  I certainly have more food to eat than I need.  All our animals are plump and well-fed as well.  I'm blessed with amazing people in my life, beautiful friends and a loving family.  I don't get to see my family as often as I'd like, but if I really want to talk to someone...there's always someone to reach out to.  I may not ever have the body I've always dreamed of having, I probably won't ever look good in a swimming suit *sigh*...but oh well...my body has always accomodated me quite well.  I'm healthy, I'm strong, and I can do most anything that I set my mind to doing...well, within reason anyway.  For all these things, I am thankful. 

I was so distressed while watching a little of the news last night.  There is so much heartache in our world.  So much strife and hardship for so many people.  My prayers go out to so very many.  That's about all I can do - offer up prayers and let God handle the details.  I must always remember that He is in charge.  Again, I am thankful for that.  We all suffer hardship in our lives.  But, no matter how difficult times may be or become...God leads His people through them.  We probably don't get out of them because we learn and become stronger because of difficulties, tragedy, loss, pain, disappointment...whatever; but we're never alone.  Nope, not ever.  Look up and take comfort.  He is always there. 

So, in closing friends, readers, fellow human beings...don't wallow in your petty little problems of this life.  Stop whining, stop complaining about every little thing in your life that you see as less than perfect.  Shut up and give thanks for your many, many blessings.

May God forgive us our many shortcomings and grant us patience with one another.

If I've stepped on anybody's toes and you're taking this little reminder personally.  Get over it.  You probably needed to hear this today.  :)

Have a good one...it is your choice you know.

We could all take a lesson in life from Annie...

Lorie aka cingspots