Dog days indeed

Whew!! Thought I'd better check in lest you all would think I'd been long lost or something. No such luck my pretties!! I'm doing just fine - thank you very much. It's August already. In fact, it's nearly the middle of August and it's been just over 3 weeks since my last post. Truly, the Dog days of summer. Busy, busy, busy. Too darned busy if you ask me! But seriously folks, it's freaking August already!! Can you believe that!? Blah blah blah, here we go again with the same old time thing...enough already!! (it's so true though!) Have I mentioned before that time passes a little too quickly for my liking? Oh okay, sorry...I won't mention it again. I'm trying; seriously, I am.

So, what exactly have I been doing that seems to be taking up all my free time lately? Darned if I can remember. My head's positively swimming with the daily grind though. I live such an exciting life. NOT!! We did attend a wedding though, and those are always a lot of fun. One of my best friend's daughter got married. The wedding was held in my friend's yard and it was truly beautiful. The bride was beautiful, the flowers were gorgeous, the food was delicious and the spirits were freely flowing, and everyone in attendance had an enjoyable time. Hubby and I even got to dance. First time in a long time...it was nice. Did I mention that it was FREAKING HOT though!!?? Seriously, everybody there was positively sweating bullets - I kid you not. I don't think I've sweated that much in my entire life...barring spending time in the sauna. Hot. Miserably so.

As you may or may not know, we here in the Pacific NW have been experiencing an unusually long, dry and exceedingly hotspell that's lasted about 2 weeks. We're just not accustomed to this kind of heat. We are heat weinies. For sure. Most of us don't own air conditioners, or swimming pools, and therefore have been wilting on the vine, so to speak...not to mention our vegetation and our animals. We are all quite spoiled and enjoy it that way. Triple digits cause our weathermen to hyperventilate with the excitement of it all. Extreme heat warning in effect. You get the picture.

So, yesterday afternoon when the skies turned grey and cloudy, we all waited with bated breath. And yes, it paid off. A refreshingly cool and most welcome rain began, and we all breathed a sigh of relief. I fell asleep last night listening to the luxuriously soft, soothing sound of rain falling on my roof...and a cool and moist breeze wafting through the open window. So peaceful; and blessedly cool and comforting. I didn't even have to water my flowers or garden plants last night. I love it.

One of my girlfriends and I spent a couple of days down at the beach a couple of weeks ago. We left home fairly early in the morning and stopped for breakfast on the way down. German styled fried potatoes, bacon, eggs and homemade molasses bread with plenty of coffee. Yum!! This particular restaurant is a tiny little place and is well-known for their wonderful homestyle cooking and especially, their pies. Oh my!! Those pies looked absolutely delicious, but we were way too stuffed to indulge further. My friend did take some pictures of all those lovely beauties though. There must have been 30 or more pies freshly baked just sitting there smelling up the place. That kind of thing ought to be illegal, don't you think?? Anyway, we travelled on to our destination. Leaving temps nearing the 90's it was invitingly cool at the beach. The skies were blue and temps were in the upper 60's with a light coastal breeze. Perfect!! We even made a stop at Depoe Bay and were astonished to see a pod of grey whales just offshore. How mesmerizing it is to watch those mammoth creatures swim and break through the surface and blow water and air from their blowholes!! It was amazing and we felt blessed to be witnessing such majestic creatures frolic in the ocean!! Truly breathtaking and awe-inspiring. Before long a crowd of spectators and a couple of boats had gathered to partake in this scenic adventure that just moments before had been just for us. We felt truly blessed.

We stayed in the "Ernest Hemingway" room at the Sylvia Beach Hotel on Nye Beach in Newport. It's an old hotel in the heart of a very quaint neighborhood where you can walk to any number of local destinations. Within a several block radius, there's a neighborhood grocery store, restaurants, coffee shops, bakeries, pubs and an array of unique little shops perfect for browsing and finding treasures. Our hotel was right on the ocean and we enjoyed leisure strolls on the wide, sandy beach and just lounging in the sand. We had a nice dinner in the local Irish Pub and then breakfasted in the hotel's dining room, where you never know what the chef will be planning. Besides the hot entree', they always serve a variety of baked goods, fresh fruits, juices and hot coffee. On the way home we stopped at a local farmer's market and came away with some fresh fruits and veggies to enjoy later. We had a wonderful time and I would love to do it again sometime with my good friend. One of the best things about summer is ample opportunities for making memories for cherishing later. I have a lot of pictures that I will hopefully be able to post sometime soon. Thanks Miss B, I had a fantastic time!!

My good friend Shannon is still staying in her motorhome at our house. We have enjoyed a bunch of great conversations, lots of horseback rides and quiet times on the deck. It has been very enjoyable for me to have such a good friend spending the summer with us. In years to come, I do believe that I will refer to this summer as "the year with Shannon". With someone at home, it has allowed my hubby and me to be more free to travel on the weekends without having the worry of caretakers for our horses. I will treasure this summer and all the wonderful memories we are storing away for later.

Well, I had intended for this to be a brief summary of what I've been up to over the last several weeks of my absence from blogging; but as usual, I've rambled on and on...always the chatterbox. Some things will never change.

There's still plenty of summer adventures to come...more horse camping, trail riding, peach canning season, jam making, barbecues, suntanning on the deck with my friend, two more weddings to attend...and our trip to Kailua, Hawaii. *sigh* I cannot wait!!!

Life is good...

Blessings from Cingspots!!

July 21, 1984...and more current events

At times, even to myself, I sound like a broken record. But, I just can't say it enough I guess. And I'm saying it again...time goes so stinkin' fast! It is frankly, quite unbelievable to me, and is a little unnerving how one day just slips into another and another and another. That old saying that we've all heard about making the most of each day rings true. We should fill our days with enjoyment and praise and thankfulness because time stops for no one, and is meant to be savored. Rejoice in the day that the Lord hath made. Life is good...is it not?

So, 25 years ago today I was exactly 24 and a half years old. I was young, vibrant, filled with hope and expectations...and exceedingly happy. It was my wedding day. The day that most young girls dream about and anticipate. We were married in a tiny little church in my hometown and all my family and a few good friends were there to witness the union and share in our happiness. We had the reception at my parent's home where we danced and ate and celebrated until we were exhausted. It was a good day. We honeymooned at the beach, and yes, my groom did carry me over the threshold of our hotel room. It was wonderful and looking back, I wouldn't want to change a single thing about that day. I even have pictures of my dad in a tuxedo, and to this day it brings tears to my eyes. My mom looked beautiful in her silvery blue dress and in our pictures she is brimming with happiness. Good memories that I will cherish always.

We've definitely had our ups and downs, but we're still together and we still love each other. Marriage is an ever evolving condition of growth. We all change as we mature, but the key to a good marriage is to accept the fact that it won't always be easy and to remember your vows of committment to each other. There are tribulations in life, as well as joyous times. Mutual respect, friendship and love will keep you together. If we're blessed, we'll have many more years together. I'm ready to take it one day at a time.

Happy Anniversary honey!!!! You're still the one!!!!

And now for the current events. Early Saturday morning we watched the field next to our house being mowed. We were fortunate to see a momma eagle and her two youngsters hunting in the newly mowed hay. My hubby took a couple of shots of them. The momma eagle even snatched one of our swallows in midair. That was a little shocking, but if you're going to hassle an eagle, I guess you're at risk of running into some trouble.

I wish we could have gotten some better pictures of them, but they are quick and a little difficult to photograph. Very cool though.

Mid morning we decided to head out on our weekend roadtrip. We travelled south to a little town called Sweet Home where we stopped at a farmer's market and got a few goodies for the ride. We drove past Green Peter Reservoir and Foster Lake, and then up into the mountains on a road that followed the McKenzie River. It's a beautiful river and we decided to stop for a while and let Annie go for a swim.

The water was cool and inviting, but I was satisfied to take a few pictures and watch Annie enjoying herself.

She was a little timid about jumping off the rocks at first, but it didn't take long and she was diving in and fetching the stick that my hubby was throwing in the water for her.

Refreshed and a whole lot cooler, we headed back to resume our journey through the mountains.

It was a warm summer day and the possibilities were endless.

The smell of warm fir trees was heavy in the air and the forest stretched out in all its' glory. A perfect day for a leisurely drive.


We stopped again and took a hike through the woods into an old growth forest. Some of the trees were enormous, but the pictures really don't do them justice. They are truly majestic!

A little further east we headed south again a few miles shy of the Hoodoo Ski area towards the old scenic byway that goes over the McKenzie Pass. This stretch of road climbs to an elevation of about 7500 ft. and is a narrow and winding two lane road that is always closed throughout the fall and winter months due to snow and treacherous driving conditions. Below is a picture of an ancient lava flow. They are very difficult to see in the picture, but in the distance is the Three Sisters, named Faith, Hope and Love.

Another shot of the lava flow. The entire area is a volcanic caldron. Mt. Jefferson, Mt. Washington, The Three Sisters and 3-Fingered Jack are all ancient and now inactive volcanoes. The evidence of their past erruptions are everywhere in this mountainous area. Hot springs are a fairly common occurrence as well.

You definitely wouldn't want to try walking on these rocks barefoot. They are extremely jagged and treacherous.

Below is a picture of a summer seasonal lake. One of the many Clear Lakes in the area. It is formed by a stream that overwhelms the valley in the winter and creates a mountainous lake, but in the dry summer months it dries out and only the creek remains.

Back in the car again, we continue our trek southeast to yet another lake. I forget the name of this one, but it has a resort and rental cabins complete with a restaurant and row boats that you can rent. There were a lot of people here on this hot day.

The color of this lake is absolutely gorgeous. The pictures don't really do it justice, but the color varies from a deep, intense blue to varying shades of teals and green, depending upon the depth I presume. It is so clear that in places you can actually see the lakes' bottom.


No motorized boats are allowed, only rowboats.



This is a picture of a group picnic area. I thought the log architecture was beautiful. Wouldn't it be cool to have a cabin built like this up in the mountains beside a lake or a stream? That is a dream of mine. I'm hoping someday to have one, with just enough land to keep a couple of horses and spend whole summers there. Sounds wonderful doesn't it?

Here is a shot of the scuba divers that were there. There were several vehicles with scuba diving ads painted on them, so I'm thinking this must be a hotspot for lessons or something. Judging from the clarity of the water, this would be an exceptional spot for underwater viewing. That would be fun too!

Well, that's all the photos I've chosen for today's post. I have many, many more and will continue with our little roadtrip on another day. We've not even reached the halfway point yet, so there's plenty more of this adventure to come...stay tuned.

In the meantime, enjoy God's blessings of summer, long days, warm nights and endless choices of bounty.

Cingspots

Rodeo is another name for summer

We haven't gone to a rodeo for several years, but this year we attended the St. Paul Rodeo over the fourth of July weekend. We were seated in the nosebleed section. Second to the top row and as far as possible away from the chutes. We were under the covered section and were'nt able to see the fireworks display. Hmmm, interesting why they would charge the most for these particular seats. Live and learn friends, live and learn.

So, in no particular order since for some reason blogger will not allow me to rearrange my pictures today, here goes...

This is one of the pick-up cowboys. His horse was one of my favorites.

And this little gal should by now be familiar to you all - my little poochie, Annie. From last week on our noontime walk in the park.

One of the bareback bronc riders...

Here is a shot of some of the rodeo stock horses. Big-boned and fat. They know they're the stars of the show.

I think they're beautiful.

And my favorite event of them all...the bulls. I love the bull riding!

Open the gate, and don't make me say it again...cow boy...

Don't ya just love their attitude?

Yeee hawwww!!!! I love this shot - all four off of the ground!! Ride'em cowboy!!! Like I said before - we were as far away from the action as one could possibly get, but my little camera still did alright. Gotta love the zoom zoom zoom!

Here's a shot of the pick-up crew. My favorite little horse is the grey second in from the right. So cute!! I also like the bay horse on the right. That's always been my most favorite color of horse - the bay. I've never had a bay, yet... but Ladde's daddy was a beautiful mahogany bay with a big blanket on his rump. Gorgeous!! And in case you're wondering - Ladde's white. Go figure!!

Look at this adorable little horse doing his job for all he's worth!! Atta boy!!

I am one of those people who always worries about the little calves when they get jerked by the cowboy's rope...that's gotta hurt. That's probably why the bullriding is my favorite event. Those big old boys can take care of themselves...no worries! I figure the cowboys are there of their own choice. They can worry about themselves.

This is the picture of the crowd with the cheap seats. You know, the ones just to the side of the chutes. Like I said before - go figure!! Next time, I'm buying tickets in the cheap section too!

And, if silly old blogger would have let me arrange my photos how I wanted, this would have been the introduction picture. Very patriotic shot with "Old Glory" in the foreground there.

This was the halftime entertainment. My favorite part of the show all night. This guy calls himself the One Arm Bandit. For obvious reasons. His cute little paint pony was totally awesome. He'd jump up on the truckbed and then climb on up to the top of the trailer. So did the buffalo. The guy must be a heck of a trainer to get those buffalo to cooperate like that. They rode on top while the truck was pulling the trailer around the arena...and they dismounted while being towed too. Kind of scary because his horse had a bit of a misstep and almost went down on his nose while dismounting from the truckbed. Hopefully, in the future maybe he'll remove that part of the show for the safety of his loyal and trusting little steed. The buffalo were fun to watch. All around the arena, they had arborvitae plants in the dirt, and the buffalo did their very best to uproot and destroy all the vegetation. Too funny!!

Sorry for the blurred photo, but these buffalo are dismounting while the truck and trailer are in motion.

Let'r buck!!

Our weather has taken a cooling trend the last couple of days. We actually had a rain storm last night, complete with booming thunder. Totally awesome!! It was a nice little watering that the plants and gardens sure did appreciate. Today our skies are overcast and our high temps are supposed to be in the upper 70's. It feels quite nice for a change.

This past weekend we pretty much layed low. Stayed home all weekend and worked on projects around the house, yard and fencing. My hubby rode his horse Shad for a little while, but I chose to observe from the sidelines and give my horses a break. I even did a little reading. It was cool enough that a blanket over my lap felt mighty good. We even brought the horses inside the barn for the night last evening. They appreciated a good night's sleep and seemed to enjoy listening to the rain falling on the metal roof rather than on their heads. A little comfort was appreciated by each and every one. And, I slept soundly knowing that the horses were safe and sound in the barn. A lovely change of pace all around.

Blessings from cingspots.

Daydreamin'

Wow - I still have a hard time believing that it's actually summertime. It seems like I live my whole life in anticipation of summer and all the wonderful, wistful memories that it conjures up for me. Sometimes I think I spend way too much time in my head. I'm always daydreaming of all the lovely things I want to do, you know, when the sun comes out and the days are long and lazy and carefree. The trouble is they never seem to be long enough, and definitely never carefree.

I would love to spend a summer in a remote little town, maybe somewhere near the ocean, in a quaint little cottage where there are no schedules, no deadlines and no people. Well, some people would be nice, but definitely no crowds. I'd definitely take my dog, and would love to have my horse, but otherwise just me and some good books, good music, chilled wine and endless hours of nothing but time. Time to rest and rejuvinate; body, mind and spirit. Time to explore the possibilities. I cannot remember a day when I've awakened and had nothing but time ahead of me. Time to do whatever comes to mind. To be able to wile a whole day away if that's how I felt. The pure, unadulterated luxury of having time to oneself must be an awesome blessing. And, not to experience the guilt that always accompanies idle time. My mom instilled the very subconscious thought that one must always be doing something. Otherwise, that time was somehow wasted and was of no use. I wholeheartedly disagree. But alas, the seed was planted a long time ago and if I do take time for myself and do nothing if that's what I choose; I always feel guilty. I feel lazy and useless. Sure wish I could get past that, but I don't begin to know how. It's ingrained in the very marrow of my being to accomplish, to hurry and to do. At any cost. I am a human doing, not a human being. And...I am so jealous of people who have what I conceive to be more personal time than what I have. Silly, I know...but true nonetheless.

My hubby and I took our two horses and went riding last weekend. We camped in the Coast Range mountains for 2 nights and rode both days. The horses were very good. No competitiveness and no spooking. They were quiet and relaxed. My horse felt solid and true beneath me. It felt good. I'm not nearly as fearless of a rider as I once was, but I still love time spent on my horse. We even got to watch a fireworks display up there in the mountains. Apparently, a group of people across the river from us were having a celebration. They brought all kinds of amazing fireworks and even had a water tanker on standby - just in case. Even the horses seemed to enjoy the fireworks display. Annie, not so much. She went into the horsetrailer and got up on our bed. You know, where it was a little safer - and quieter. The days were long and very, very hot, but even so, the time seemed to slip by ever so quickly.

My tomatoes are growing really well. In fact, they may be conspiring to take over the world. The berries are all doing equally well. My horses do create good gardening soil. Must give credit where credit is due. I won't get many berries this year, probably not a lot next summer either, but I'm told by year three - I should have bunches of the sweet, juicy lovelies. Yum!! Here's another summertime memory - my mom's homemade boysenberry cobbler with vanilla ice cream. Oh my!! Words just cannot describe how utterly delicious my mom's pies were!! Even her cobblers were really just extra large, deep dish pies. With all that homemade, flakey crust that she whipped up without using a single measuring device...we would have promised the world to get her to make one. They were simply to die for!! I make my piecrust just like my momma did, but they still don't taste nearly as good as hers did. Never will.

I miss those summer evenings where we used to just sit out on the porch sipping a cool drink and talking and laughing. Time spent with family and friends are good times. It just seems like everyone is so busy with their own lives now to get together and just spend time. I guess it's so very true what my grandma used to say..."good or bad, nothing stays the same". That's both a blessing and a curse. I guess it just means that we need to enjoy life no matter what. Things just are the way they are, and the key to being happy and content is just to live in the moment. Squeeze every little drop out of life that we can, make a conscious decision to be happy. I do believe that happiness is a decision. We can and need to make the most out of the life, the circumstances that we find ourselves in at any given moment. For, in the blink of an eye - everything can change.

I haven't talked to my sister for maybe a month now. I've tried to call her numerous times, but she never answers her phone. And, she rarely calls me. She does, however send me countless e-mail messages that are forwards. You know, those endless jokes and religious messages meant to inspire that good feeling deep inside. Not that I have anything against those. I enjoy them sometimes, and then sometimes they make me emotional. But, if she has the time to do that, why can't she ever just take a minute to call me and talk to me? Or, even for that matter, send me a little personal note via e-mail? It doesn't have to be a book. Could be just a one-liner saying hello or asking what's up? She also disagrees with me politically. I couldn't possibly care less what she thinks about politics. But, I don't appreciate getting spam e-mails about how rotten our president is. Or, how much damage he has done, or will do to our economy and our healthcare system and the price of underwear. Hell, if you believe all that they say in those stupid propaganda political things floating around out there in e-mail land - it's O'Bama's fault for the declining moral fiber of society...and he's a Nazi too. Good grief!! I've politely requested time after time after time that she please stop sending me those kinds of messages. I don't like them, and I think they do nothing but stir up hate and feelings of discontent. Basically, you become a part of the problem rather than part of the solution. So...yesterday I receive another onslaught of forwards from dear old sis, and one in particular sent me over the edge. I responded with a big old message of my own pointing out everything in particular that I didn't appreciate about "said" message and asked her for the umpteenth time to please just stop!!! Now, she's mad at me. Oh well, guess she won't be calling me anytime soon. *sigh*

I need a vacation.

Remember what Carly Simon said..."these are the good old days".

Hoping we can all make the most of 'em...

Cingspots

Summertime Follies

Don't you just love summer? I do! And, I'm very pleased with summer so far. Not that I've done anything exciting, because that's not the case...we've been positively boring lately, but in a good way. We've been busy...keeping up with the yard work, weeding the berry patch and the tomatoes (which are growing leaps and bounds), watering all the outside flowers and making sure the horses all have constant water and fly masks on...you get the picture. Unfortunately, summertime no longer means a 3 month long vacation - going to work still has to take place (crap), but at least we have beautiful weather and longer daylight hours in which to enjoy the great outdoors. And, the horses are out on pasture 24/7 which means less work for us. I absolutely adore that!! We've been riding Ladde and Harley fairly regularly and they're coming along quite nicely. We will probably go camping over the 4th of July weekend at least 1, and maybe 2 nights and take the horses for trailriding. That's always fun.

Around here, besides numerous little fireworks celebrations, the big poobah is of course, the annual St. Paul Rodeo which takes place over the 4th of July weekend. It's an awesome rodeo and is about the only reason St. Paul, Oregon is even on the map. The tiny little town positively bursts at its' seams this time of year!! I think we might go, but probably either Wednesday or Thursday. If we do, I'll make sure and take some pictures to highlight the event.

It's been a while since I've posted to my blog, and I thought it might be kind of nice to let you all know that I'm okay...still kicking and all that. The boss and his family have left for the remainder of this week (Tuesday June 30th) and will return July 6th. They are attending our riding club's big annual Cowboy Campmeeting 2009 which, this year is being held in the mountains at Tamarack Springs, near Ellensburg, Washington. We were unable to attend due to several circumstances; lack of funds, lack of available vacation time, and the extended driving time to the location this year. I wish we could have gone because it's a blast. But, maybe next year it will work out.

Look what I made the other night. I know, it kind of looks like a disaster, but it sure tasted good. Yum!! It's likely I won't be making this luscious layered cake again anytime soon because it's incredibly labor-intensive. And...I generally cook, or bake only items that are easily created. So, it was very good while it lasted. It's white cake, layered with fresh strawberry puree, a creamy concoction consisting of cream cheese and real whipped cream and vanilla extract, and then decorated on top with whole, fresh strawberries. To die for!! And, I wonder why I'm not a thin woman. aack!!

Some of my wild roses which create a hedge along the fence in the front yard. They smell incredibly delightful!!

A beautiful sunset from the other night - gorgeous!!

One of the neighborhood "ladies". Isn't she beautiful?

One of our neighbors has an organic farm where they sell whole milk, free-range organic chickens, fresh eggs, goat's milk and goat's cheese. These ladies are the ones who do all the work. Such a pity...I'm thinking of helping them develop a labor union.

She says..."don't hate me because I'm beautiful". Such a flirt!

Whater you lookin' at? You talkin to me!?

This one's a might fussy...blame it on the hormones. That's what I do.

I've said it before, but it remains true...you just cannot improve upon God's artwork. Such incredible beauty, but the camera just does not do it justice.

In case I don't get the opportunity - have a safe and happy Independence Day everyone!! We do live in a fantastic country. We're not perfect, by anyone's standards, but personally I wouldn't want to live anywhere else on earth. God Bless the U.S.A!!!

Happy 4th of July!!!!

Cingspots over and out...

Old Cowgirl

Labels or titles of any sort never have impressed me. In my humble opinion, most people have a high enough opinion of themselves, and that gives me all the justification that I need not to be in awe of them. We're all just people. Flawed people, at that. No matter how wonderful you think you might be...you can bet there's somebody out there who can put you to shame. So, how refreshing when you meet someone who is humble. Someone who would rather understate (is that a word?) their value or their worth, instead of tooting their own horn.

My hero was my dad. He's gone now. Then I met Ray Hunt and he became my hero. He's gone now too. I really don't have any heros anymore, but I do have a favorite clinician. Brad Cameron, the mule trainer from Montana. I've ridden in two clinics with him and he's a great horseman. He would never say that about himself, but he is. He is mild-mannered and soft-spoken. He's patient and kind. And he's a phenomenol horseman who just happens to excel at teaching others in his quiet, unassuming way.

And, he's doing a clinic in my hometown this weekend - today through Sunday. This year they even have the advanced horsemanship class, along with working cows. How I wish I could go!!! I have a blast when I go to those riding clinics. They scare the heck out of me at times, they push me outside my comfort zone and I'm totally exhillerated all at the same time. Awesome!!! I took Ladde last year and Harley the year before. Alas, no extra dollars floating around for unbudgeted expenses. *sigh* What's a girl to do? Maybe next year.

So, instead my hubby and I are going out for Mexican food tonight, and tomorrow morning we're loading up the horses and heading to the Flying M. It's one of our favorite camping/riding places because there's miles and miles and miles of trails...all the way to the beach if you want to, and it takes us a mere 30 minutes or less to get there. Gotta like that!! So, tomorrow morning we'll head out and spend the night tomorrow, then come home Sunday afternoon. Sounds good to me.

It's a good way to celebrate Father's Day, and welcome in the first day of summer.

So, I'm gonna go play cowgirl. I'm gonna ride my pony all over those mountains and through the creeks and I'm gonna have fun. And as a tribute to cowgirls everywhere, the following is a little poem that I especially like.

It's what I'm gonna be when I grow up...

"Old Cowgirl"

I shall wear diamonds

And a wide-brimmed straw hat

With silver and leather on it

and I shall spend my social security

On white wine and carrots

And sit in the alley of my barn

And listen to my horses breathe.

I will sneak out

in the middle of a summers' night

And ride the chestnut mare

Across the moonstruck meadow.

If my old bones will allow.

When people come to call I will smile and nod

As I walk them past the gardens to the barn

And show, instead, the beauty growing there

In stalls fresh-lined with straw.

I will shovel and sweat and

Wear hay in my hair as if it were a jewel.

And I will be an embarrassment to all

Who look down on me.

They've not yet found the peace in being free

To love a horse as a friend,

A friend who waits at midnight hour

With nuzzle and nicker and patient eyes

For the kind of woman I will be,

When I am old.

Blessings everyone, cingspots

A Bump in the Road...of sorts

I was just thinking that you never really know what could be just around the corner. Life is a series of unexpected and unplanned happenings that just seem to come up, whether they're scheduled or not. Many times, an unanticipated event is viewed as a hassle; something that we have to "deal with", an unpleasant ocurrence that we just get through. Maybe - depends on your perspective of the situation.

The Bible teaches us to be thankful for our tribulations because often times these events are strengthening us for the future; building character if you will. Or, as I've often been told - what doesn't kill you, makes you stronger.

Then again, sometimes I believe these little unplanned happenings are gentle reminders from our Father in heaven. You know, like a little prod for us to take note of something we are doing, or how we are living, that might need a little tweaking. We get a tiny little taste of how our lives could be changed, or what they could become, should we choose to ignore these casual glimpses. Just a thought...

Last week my hubby was having some stomach discomfort. He felt bad enough to stay home from work on Thursday and Friday. I urged him to go see the doctor. Saturday he still wasn't feeling any better; in fact he felt worse.

By Saturday evening, what was earlier a physical discomfort became an intolerable amount of pain. We spent the night in the emergency room. He has been diagnosed with an ulcer. We were told that if he hadn't come in, it likely would have perforated and would have probably become life threatening. Something that would have required surgery to repair, if it didn't cost him his life. Scary stuff.

Yesterday, he was released from the hospital. He said he felt like he had been in jail, and that the fresh air and freedom were wonderful. No more needles, or being hooked up to monitoring equipment. Solid food. I can only imagine.

I am sorry that he suffered for so long with the pain. I am also thankful for this little bump in the road. I believe that God was reminding him that his life is valuable and that he needs to take greater efforts to maintain his blessing of good health. Our lives and our bodies are only ours for a short while here on this earth. We have stewardship of our health and we need to treat our blessings with respect. For everything that is good comes from God.

And life is good.

And today, I am thankful that my hubby is at home...and has had a gentle reminder from his Father who loves him enough to discipline him, and remind him that his life is worthwhile and of great value.

Blessings from cingspots...