I hear all the time about the new airport security. When I had surgery on my arm, I knew that I now had metal in my body that might set off the security alarms. So I took precaution. I took the time to go to the Doctor's office and get a card that said I have a metal implant to take to the airport with me. I was now confident that if I set off the alarm that I would just produce the card from the doctor and all would be ok.
I really did miscalculate that one. Sure enough I set off the alarm as I went through security. I was asked to step into a booth of sorts that had locks on it and I was told to set down in the chair. Of course I already had my shoes off. Remember the shoe bomber. I was beginning to worry about the underwear bomber and how that might relate to me now that I was getting extra attention. I very confidently handed her the card that the doctor's office had given me. I was told that meant nothing at all. "Anybody could get one of those", she said.
So she ran the scanner over me and the scanner lit up and made a terrible racket. I was sure everyone in the airport was looking at the new suspect. I sarcastistively mentioned that I didn't fit the profile of a terrorist. I was curtly told that "everybody fits the profile" I can understand that. The terrorist on the planes on 9/11 were after all white women in the late 60s and early 70s weren't they? Wait it is coming back to me. I remember there were no women among the group of terrorists of any race or age. So why am I a suspect?
But suspect I was. She assured me it would all be over with soon as she started scanning every part of my body. The buzzer went off as it passed over the rivits on my jeans and of course over my arm where I have the metal to put my arm back together as I told her it would. She asked me to show her where I had surgery and I started to pull up my shirt sleeve. Oh no, they didn't want to see any skin just point to the place where I have the metal. I was cleared and sent on my way with the good news that this was mild in comparison to what I could experience at some airports.
I found out what she meant at the Norfolk airport when I was boarding for my flight home. I once again set off the alarm as I walked through. I was once again directed to the "lock up" to be scanned by another charming lady that works for homeland security. My little card was once again rejected as being meaningless. This time I was treated to a complete pat down. I do mean complete.
I have learned about the new rules on flying to avoid trouble going through security. First I will never again wear shoes that tie. I will wear sandals even if it is below zero. That is a hassle. I will however continue to travel with my computer. It is too handy to have along even though I always have to take it out of the computer case. I don't travel with a bag that has to be checked. I won't travel with a bag with rollers. They have to be checked through.
I will not wear jeans. They always have a front zipper and rivits. It is embarrassing to be standing in a booth in full view of all the airport being patted down. I won't bother with the card the doctor's office gave me. That is useless. Sleeveless is good. They can readily see the scar and I hope to be more convincing. And last of all, I will no longer wear certain kinds of bras. You ladies know the ones. The one with the under wire. That was very embarassing to have a pat down because of my bra. Hope I didn't embarrass any men. Sorry if I did.
So I have thoroughly learned the new rules of travel. I already knew not to have a knife in my pocket or bring knitting needles to knit while on board. I surmised a Crockett needle would not be good news either and would probably be confiscated. Of course I knew that I would not be allowed to bring a gun aboard. That was a no brainer. I never thought my choice of bras would be an issue. It never occurred to me that jeans with rivits and zippers would cause the embarrassment of a pat down. And I will just throw that card away with all the rest of the stuff that is useless in my purse.
On my final journey on this earth I will not have to worry about airport security or embarassing pat downs on the most sensitive parts of my anatomy. I will be on that final journey with no airport security. It will be the journey everyone takes alone. I will however have a big welcoming committee waiting for me. I will have many loved one who have already gone on that journey before me.
Most of all I will have Jesus, the Son of the Living God waiting to meet me as I reach my final destination. I don't care what is said at my funeral as long it is about our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and what he how he saved mankind from the pains of hell and the eternal separation from God. I don't care what songs they will sing as long as they are worship and praise for my Jesus. All I want to hear is the Lord of Lord and King of Kings say "Well done, my good and faithful servant".
May God bless and keep you in his loving care.
Regards
Mary
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Motels I Have Known
In my life time, I have stayed at a variety of motels. Some were very nice and the one I am staying in right now in very nice. We, my son Steve and I, are staying in the Hampton Inn in Virginia. We came here, he from Mississippi and I from Kentucky, thinking his daughter's baby would be having open heart surgery today. So we both flew in from different directions and met at the Norfolk airport and checked in here to stay.
But Alyssa's surgery has been delayed now until Monday. I probably won't be able to stay for various reasons. But Steve is making arrangements to stay as I write this. He knows he more than anyone needs to be with Sarah.
It has been a difficult year to say the least. I broke my arm in May and still in therapy to try to get the range of motion back. We have had several horses with various illnesses. We had one horse that we had a difficult time to get pregnant. I made the statement that if it had been a cow she would be on the way to the stock yards. But this is a valuable horse. So it was several treatments and vet bills and success, she is pregnant by my stallion, Code of Honor.
Monday I had a frantic call from my dear friend Sheri. Her daughter had gone in labor and went to the hospital to deliver her full term baby. The baby boy had no heart beat. So Jesse went to surgery knowing the C-Section she was about to have would deliver her son but he would never draw a breath of air. Sheri was asking for our prayers. Of course, she had that instantly. We already pray for her and her family every night by name. We had prayed for Jesse and Dave and their family as well. So Sheri and her family are going through the heart break and grief that only a family could know that has suffered such a loss. It is heart rending to go to the funeral of a new born baby. I have been to two and they were both my great grandsons. So my family knows from personal experience.
We were still praying for her family and trying to deal with her loss which was a loss for the community as well when I boarded a plane to come to Virginia to be with my son and granddaughter as her baby went into surgery. That was suppose to be today but now the surgery will be on Monday.
I was in the airport in Charlotte N C waiting for my connecting flight when I called my brother to give him the news that Alyssa's surgery was delayed until Monday. He was breathless, hardly able to speak. There had just been an accident on the farm and one of my boarders had an accident with a horse and was laying unconscious on the ground. My blood ran cold. She was stat flighted to University of Louisville Hospital. Her condition is stable but she still is not awake.
It was a sleepless night for several of us. Her family most of all I am sure. So we have several on our prayer list right now. Sheri and her family, my great granddaughter Alyssa and Debbie (not my daughter) who was the rider that had the accident.
But I was talking about motels I have known. I have stayed in some very nice motels and I have stayed in some really crummy motels. The one that comes instantly to mind is one here in Virginia. It was in Virginia Beach and Bill and I were here to see our son. We stopped at a Motel 6 on the beach and it was very nice but being on the beach it was very pricey so we went next door and checked into the motel. They had sign all over that said they were remodeling so without looking at the room we checked in. The lobby looked ok and it was pretty late so we were tired. And the price was reasonable.
We got to our room and it was truly awful. I repeat, it was awful. There were no safety locks on the doors. We put a chair under the door knob to make sure we had no intruders during the night and Bill slept with the gun under the mattress with his hand near it all night. The plumbing was exposed and ran on the outside of the walls instead of inside the walls. The paint was cracked and peeling. The carpet was dirty. I checked the bed really well before we got in and it seemed to be clean enough. But I still had my doubts.
But God gave us a beautiful sunrise the next morning. The sun flooded our room and when we got out of bed we walked to the door leading to the beach and the sun was just coming up over the ocean. I will never forget that sunrise. After taking in that breath taking sunrise, we checked out and never went back.
We also checked into a motel rather late at night in San Diego California that we thought was close to our son's Naval Base. It turned out we were close to the wrong base and we only stayed one night but during the night, I heard screaming and running and all kinds of unnerving noise. Bill and I decided to move on to another motel the next day. We found a nice Mom and Pop motel that was actually close to the Naval Base in San Diego where Steve was about to graduate from Boot Camp. It was very clean and nice and the owners were so friendly and we enjoyed our stay.
A near miss on my list of terrible motels was in Georgia close to Ft Stewart. It was when our son Mike was returning from Saudi Arabia after a very successful Desert Storm. Bill never wanted to make a reservation. It was his plan to always find a place to stay when we got to our destination. But that time it was a very bad plan. Everything was full. We even stopped at a place that would make the Bates Motel look nice. Debbie, my daughter and I went in to see if they had a vacancy despite our misgivings and we were both very thankful they were also full.
Debbie was 7 months pregnant with her youngest son. We ended up sleeping in the car and found a nice motel with a vacancy the next day.
Another near miss on a bad motel was when we drove to California to close Bill's Aunt's house after her death. We had our dog Holly with us. Bill was figuring that Holiday Inn would not let us stay with a dog so we stopped at this motel he figured would let us stay. I went in. It looked dirty even in the lobby. When I mentioned a dog, the lady at the desk sniffed and said, "no dogs". We ended up checking into a Holiday Inn that welcomed us and our dog. And it was nice.
Holly was always good to travel with. She caused us no trouble at night. She didn't bark during the night and she never made a mess. She just loved being with us. And we had a good night at a nice motel.
I know all of you have probably had some experience with motels that were not as nice as you expected.
This blog seems to be all over the place and nice motels versus bad motels doesn't have anything to do with our troubles this year with broken arms, lost babies, babies with heart surgery and injured riders. I don't know that they really do but this I know for sure. God is with us in all our affairs. I know he protected us in the crummy motels. He is with Debbie while she is unconscious in the hospital room. He is holding Sheri and her family close to his heart as they grieve for their lost baby. He is of course lost to us but he is with Jesus as we grieve his loss.
King David suffered a loss of his son that he had with Bathsheba. The baby was sick and King David was beside himself. He sat in sackcloth and ashes. He prayed for the return to health of the baby. Finally the baby died and his servant were afraid to tell him thinking the grief would be more than he could stand.
But to their surprise, David got up, washed himself and seemed to return to his former state before he was overcome with grief over the illness of his son. He told all of us that his son would not come back to him but someday he would go to his son.
God doesn't see our exterior. He doesn't care that we have beautiful faces or great looking bodies. He doesn't see the clothes we wear or the cars we drive. He doesn't care about the price of our house. He looks at our hearts. He asks that we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior. He tells us that when Jesus died on the cross it was for our sins. The price has been paid once and for all. It is better than going to a fine motel or restaurant and have someone say to us. No charge, the bill has been paid. The bill for our sins is paid in full. Thank you Jesus for dying for me and for you. Thank you for caring about broken arms, lost babies, people who are injured but most of all than you for dying for us.
May the God of love and mercy be with you all. May he keep you in his loving care and may you feel the warmth of his love in your deepest troubles. And walk close to him every day
Regards,
Mary
But Alyssa's surgery has been delayed now until Monday. I probably won't be able to stay for various reasons. But Steve is making arrangements to stay as I write this. He knows he more than anyone needs to be with Sarah.
It has been a difficult year to say the least. I broke my arm in May and still in therapy to try to get the range of motion back. We have had several horses with various illnesses. We had one horse that we had a difficult time to get pregnant. I made the statement that if it had been a cow she would be on the way to the stock yards. But this is a valuable horse. So it was several treatments and vet bills and success, she is pregnant by my stallion, Code of Honor.
Monday I had a frantic call from my dear friend Sheri. Her daughter had gone in labor and went to the hospital to deliver her full term baby. The baby boy had no heart beat. So Jesse went to surgery knowing the C-Section she was about to have would deliver her son but he would never draw a breath of air. Sheri was asking for our prayers. Of course, she had that instantly. We already pray for her and her family every night by name. We had prayed for Jesse and Dave and their family as well. So Sheri and her family are going through the heart break and grief that only a family could know that has suffered such a loss. It is heart rending to go to the funeral of a new born baby. I have been to two and they were both my great grandsons. So my family knows from personal experience.
We were still praying for her family and trying to deal with her loss which was a loss for the community as well when I boarded a plane to come to Virginia to be with my son and granddaughter as her baby went into surgery. That was suppose to be today but now the surgery will be on Monday.
I was in the airport in Charlotte N C waiting for my connecting flight when I called my brother to give him the news that Alyssa's surgery was delayed until Monday. He was breathless, hardly able to speak. There had just been an accident on the farm and one of my boarders had an accident with a horse and was laying unconscious on the ground. My blood ran cold. She was stat flighted to University of Louisville Hospital. Her condition is stable but she still is not awake.
It was a sleepless night for several of us. Her family most of all I am sure. So we have several on our prayer list right now. Sheri and her family, my great granddaughter Alyssa and Debbie (not my daughter) who was the rider that had the accident.
But I was talking about motels I have known. I have stayed in some very nice motels and I have stayed in some really crummy motels. The one that comes instantly to mind is one here in Virginia. It was in Virginia Beach and Bill and I were here to see our son. We stopped at a Motel 6 on the beach and it was very nice but being on the beach it was very pricey so we went next door and checked into the motel. They had sign all over that said they were remodeling so without looking at the room we checked in. The lobby looked ok and it was pretty late so we were tired. And the price was reasonable.
We got to our room and it was truly awful. I repeat, it was awful. There were no safety locks on the doors. We put a chair under the door knob to make sure we had no intruders during the night and Bill slept with the gun under the mattress with his hand near it all night. The plumbing was exposed and ran on the outside of the walls instead of inside the walls. The paint was cracked and peeling. The carpet was dirty. I checked the bed really well before we got in and it seemed to be clean enough. But I still had my doubts.
But God gave us a beautiful sunrise the next morning. The sun flooded our room and when we got out of bed we walked to the door leading to the beach and the sun was just coming up over the ocean. I will never forget that sunrise. After taking in that breath taking sunrise, we checked out and never went back.
We also checked into a motel rather late at night in San Diego California that we thought was close to our son's Naval Base. It turned out we were close to the wrong base and we only stayed one night but during the night, I heard screaming and running and all kinds of unnerving noise. Bill and I decided to move on to another motel the next day. We found a nice Mom and Pop motel that was actually close to the Naval Base in San Diego where Steve was about to graduate from Boot Camp. It was very clean and nice and the owners were so friendly and we enjoyed our stay.
A near miss on my list of terrible motels was in Georgia close to Ft Stewart. It was when our son Mike was returning from Saudi Arabia after a very successful Desert Storm. Bill never wanted to make a reservation. It was his plan to always find a place to stay when we got to our destination. But that time it was a very bad plan. Everything was full. We even stopped at a place that would make the Bates Motel look nice. Debbie, my daughter and I went in to see if they had a vacancy despite our misgivings and we were both very thankful they were also full.
Debbie was 7 months pregnant with her youngest son. We ended up sleeping in the car and found a nice motel with a vacancy the next day.
Another near miss on a bad motel was when we drove to California to close Bill's Aunt's house after her death. We had our dog Holly with us. Bill was figuring that Holiday Inn would not let us stay with a dog so we stopped at this motel he figured would let us stay. I went in. It looked dirty even in the lobby. When I mentioned a dog, the lady at the desk sniffed and said, "no dogs". We ended up checking into a Holiday Inn that welcomed us and our dog. And it was nice.
Holly was always good to travel with. She caused us no trouble at night. She didn't bark during the night and she never made a mess. She just loved being with us. And we had a good night at a nice motel.
I know all of you have probably had some experience with motels that were not as nice as you expected.
This blog seems to be all over the place and nice motels versus bad motels doesn't have anything to do with our troubles this year with broken arms, lost babies, babies with heart surgery and injured riders. I don't know that they really do but this I know for sure. God is with us in all our affairs. I know he protected us in the crummy motels. He is with Debbie while she is unconscious in the hospital room. He is holding Sheri and her family close to his heart as they grieve for their lost baby. He is of course lost to us but he is with Jesus as we grieve his loss.
King David suffered a loss of his son that he had with Bathsheba. The baby was sick and King David was beside himself. He sat in sackcloth and ashes. He prayed for the return to health of the baby. Finally the baby died and his servant were afraid to tell him thinking the grief would be more than he could stand.
But to their surprise, David got up, washed himself and seemed to return to his former state before he was overcome with grief over the illness of his son. He told all of us that his son would not come back to him but someday he would go to his son.
God doesn't see our exterior. He doesn't care that we have beautiful faces or great looking bodies. He doesn't see the clothes we wear or the cars we drive. He doesn't care about the price of our house. He looks at our hearts. He asks that we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior. He tells us that when Jesus died on the cross it was for our sins. The price has been paid once and for all. It is better than going to a fine motel or restaurant and have someone say to us. No charge, the bill has been paid. The bill for our sins is paid in full. Thank you Jesus for dying for me and for you. Thank you for caring about broken arms, lost babies, people who are injured but most of all than you for dying for us.
May the God of love and mercy be with you all. May he keep you in his loving care and may you feel the warmth of his love in your deepest troubles. And walk close to him every day
Regards,
Mary
Thursday, August 12, 2010
My Other Life
Welcome to my new follower for this blog. Glad you like my blog Jennifer and welcome. It was such a pleasure and honor to meet Jennifer, her husband Christopher and their three boys. The last Postmaster I worked for was Jennifer's sister, LaDonna Brown.
I admire LaDonna a lot. She is a person that is doing the very best she can in a very difficult job. I don't know just how many people are working at the Prospect Kentucky Post Office but there were 13 routes with 13 carriers and almost that many subs when I worked there three years ago. Plus there were 5 clerks and a Supervisor. That is a lot of people with that many personalities and more problems each than I could count. And then there was the customers. I could write a book about our customers.
There was a carrier that had to be on the floor constantly. She was the first one at work each morning, the last one out on the route and the last one to get in from mail delivery. She had a lot of difficulty staying focused to say the least. She had an issue with each and everything that went on in the office. She was definitely a busy body.
Then there was the drama queen. You know the type. Everything was high drama with her. She never had a simple problem. It was always complicated and it was all about her. Bet you know several like her. One day she encountered hunters out on her route. They were in an open field and had rifles. But she was sure they were going to shot at her. It was a complicated story to hear her version. It had all the little twists and turns and of course the obligatory high drama.
I also worked with a carrier with whom I still maintain contact. He is so much fun. He has a big male ego. He has a lot of big talk but he walks a more gentle walk around his wife. He adores his daughters and is so proud of them for their talents and accomplishments. My favorite story about this carrier is his run in with a dog out on the route.
It was during our window hours. There was a knock on the door and I went to answer it. This lady who was very upset wanted to talk to me about one of our carriers. She was nearly in tears as she relayed her story about the carrier that had sprayed her dog. I didn't really have to ask her where she lived. I already knew who her carrier was by the story she was telling. It seems this carrier had come into her yard to deliver a package to the door. Her dog was barking at the carrier and he sprayed the dog. It really upset her because her dog had cancer and the vet had removed one of his legs to stop the spread of the disease.
When Pat got back in that afternoon, I asked him about it. I told him he really shouldn't have sprayed a three legged dog. His reply was he still had all of his teeth and I should have seen how fast that three legged dog could run. Pat and I still laugh about that and with each telling of the story it gets better and better especially with the spin Pat puts on it.
Then there was a carrier that was forever pushing the envelop as some would say. This carrier was a very congenial sort but he always took every short cut he could to get finished as quickly as he could. He drove too fast and he didn't close the mail boxes which really made the customers angry. If it saved time you could count on him doing it. One day a customer called to complain about her carrier. It was on the route this particular carrier served. I asked what the problem seemed to be. We had a usual litany of complaints. Some carriers you could just count on what the complaint would be. We had a lot of complaints that a carrier didn't come to the door or didn't attempt to deliver an item and this carrier was no exception. But we often learned he really did just leave a notice or left a package out in the weather. ETC
This particular day the complaint was that the carrier didn't come to the door. I ask the usual questions to try to learn if he really didn't go to the door. Now the houses in that area are huge. I can imagine a person being in one part of the house and not seeing the carrier or not getting to the door in time. But this lady assured me he did not come to the door to deliver her parcel. I asked her how she could be so sure. I have heard a lot of stories but this one surprised even me. It seemed she was standing where she could see the carrier as he came up her driveway. She had a driveway that curved up by the door and without having to turn around one could go back down to the main road. She had seen our carrier come up the drive, throw her package which landed on the second floor balcony and drive away. I guess he really didn't go to the door.
My job was working the window. I was a "Sales and Service Associate" If you want to know what that means, I was a window clerk. I loved my customers. They seemed to like me as well. I had one who loved pineapple upside down cake. I found that out one day when I had made one to celebrate one of the carrier's birthdays. So I gave him a piece of the cake and he was thrilled. The whole neighborhood knew about my cakes by the time he got home. He was also acting mayor at one time and I made a cake for his birthday. The police department apparently got in on the cake too. I heard a lot about it and when I retired I got a bouquet of flowers from City Hall.
My customers also had the usual array of health problems and family problems. There were deaths in the family and new life being celebrated. I saw pictures of the new baby and often met one or the other of them. I grieved for those that lost loved ones and I often knew those people too. And they grieved with me when I lost my husband. Often one or more would come in and tell me they met my daughter when a wife or husband or other loved one was in the hospital. Mary Beth worked in oncology at Baptist East Hospital. They would tell me how wonderful she is and how caring. When she learned they were from the town I worked in she would always ask if they knew me.
The funniest answer she got was "Well everybody knows Mary" It was a sweet expression of the relationship we had at our post office.
I never thought that I had any thing special to offer our customers. I just treated them with respect and often admiration for their talents and abilities. I tried very hard to offer any help I could for those that needed it. I offered my God given talents to those who visited my window every day. I had a sincere interest in them and I did my best to show them the love that our Father in Heaven has for us. I wanted others to know my Jesus because they know me and in some small way I could introduce them to him through my actions.
I know I am not beautiful like a movie star. I don't have a figure that people envy. I have lines and wrinkles and gray hair. But more than a movie star figure, people value honesty and empathy. Most people don't want us to feel sorry for them. But they do want and desire respect.
God loved us before our parents even knew who we were. The Bible tells us that he knew us when we were formed in our mother's womb. Don't we have an obligation to spread the love he has for us to others we know and meet along the way. We are all strangers in a foreign land. Heaven is my real home. Life is awfully short and eternity is a long time.
May the God of peace and love and mercy bless and keep you in his loving care.
Regards,
Mary
I admire LaDonna a lot. She is a person that is doing the very best she can in a very difficult job. I don't know just how many people are working at the Prospect Kentucky Post Office but there were 13 routes with 13 carriers and almost that many subs when I worked there three years ago. Plus there were 5 clerks and a Supervisor. That is a lot of people with that many personalities and more problems each than I could count. And then there was the customers. I could write a book about our customers.
There was a carrier that had to be on the floor constantly. She was the first one at work each morning, the last one out on the route and the last one to get in from mail delivery. She had a lot of difficulty staying focused to say the least. She had an issue with each and everything that went on in the office. She was definitely a busy body.
Then there was the drama queen. You know the type. Everything was high drama with her. She never had a simple problem. It was always complicated and it was all about her. Bet you know several like her. One day she encountered hunters out on her route. They were in an open field and had rifles. But she was sure they were going to shot at her. It was a complicated story to hear her version. It had all the little twists and turns and of course the obligatory high drama.
I also worked with a carrier with whom I still maintain contact. He is so much fun. He has a big male ego. He has a lot of big talk but he walks a more gentle walk around his wife. He adores his daughters and is so proud of them for their talents and accomplishments. My favorite story about this carrier is his run in with a dog out on the route.
It was during our window hours. There was a knock on the door and I went to answer it. This lady who was very upset wanted to talk to me about one of our carriers. She was nearly in tears as she relayed her story about the carrier that had sprayed her dog. I didn't really have to ask her where she lived. I already knew who her carrier was by the story she was telling. It seems this carrier had come into her yard to deliver a package to the door. Her dog was barking at the carrier and he sprayed the dog. It really upset her because her dog had cancer and the vet had removed one of his legs to stop the spread of the disease.
When Pat got back in that afternoon, I asked him about it. I told him he really shouldn't have sprayed a three legged dog. His reply was he still had all of his teeth and I should have seen how fast that three legged dog could run. Pat and I still laugh about that and with each telling of the story it gets better and better especially with the spin Pat puts on it.
Then there was a carrier that was forever pushing the envelop as some would say. This carrier was a very congenial sort but he always took every short cut he could to get finished as quickly as he could. He drove too fast and he didn't close the mail boxes which really made the customers angry. If it saved time you could count on him doing it. One day a customer called to complain about her carrier. It was on the route this particular carrier served. I asked what the problem seemed to be. We had a usual litany of complaints. Some carriers you could just count on what the complaint would be. We had a lot of complaints that a carrier didn't come to the door or didn't attempt to deliver an item and this carrier was no exception. But we often learned he really did just leave a notice or left a package out in the weather. ETC
This particular day the complaint was that the carrier didn't come to the door. I ask the usual questions to try to learn if he really didn't go to the door. Now the houses in that area are huge. I can imagine a person being in one part of the house and not seeing the carrier or not getting to the door in time. But this lady assured me he did not come to the door to deliver her parcel. I asked her how she could be so sure. I have heard a lot of stories but this one surprised even me. It seemed she was standing where she could see the carrier as he came up her driveway. She had a driveway that curved up by the door and without having to turn around one could go back down to the main road. She had seen our carrier come up the drive, throw her package which landed on the second floor balcony and drive away. I guess he really didn't go to the door.
My job was working the window. I was a "Sales and Service Associate" If you want to know what that means, I was a window clerk. I loved my customers. They seemed to like me as well. I had one who loved pineapple upside down cake. I found that out one day when I had made one to celebrate one of the carrier's birthdays. So I gave him a piece of the cake and he was thrilled. The whole neighborhood knew about my cakes by the time he got home. He was also acting mayor at one time and I made a cake for his birthday. The police department apparently got in on the cake too. I heard a lot about it and when I retired I got a bouquet of flowers from City Hall.
My customers also had the usual array of health problems and family problems. There were deaths in the family and new life being celebrated. I saw pictures of the new baby and often met one or the other of them. I grieved for those that lost loved ones and I often knew those people too. And they grieved with me when I lost my husband. Often one or more would come in and tell me they met my daughter when a wife or husband or other loved one was in the hospital. Mary Beth worked in oncology at Baptist East Hospital. They would tell me how wonderful she is and how caring. When she learned they were from the town I worked in she would always ask if they knew me.
The funniest answer she got was "Well everybody knows Mary" It was a sweet expression of the relationship we had at our post office.
I never thought that I had any thing special to offer our customers. I just treated them with respect and often admiration for their talents and abilities. I tried very hard to offer any help I could for those that needed it. I offered my God given talents to those who visited my window every day. I had a sincere interest in them and I did my best to show them the love that our Father in Heaven has for us. I wanted others to know my Jesus because they know me and in some small way I could introduce them to him through my actions.
I know I am not beautiful like a movie star. I don't have a figure that people envy. I have lines and wrinkles and gray hair. But more than a movie star figure, people value honesty and empathy. Most people don't want us to feel sorry for them. But they do want and desire respect.
God loved us before our parents even knew who we were. The Bible tells us that he knew us when we were formed in our mother's womb. Don't we have an obligation to spread the love he has for us to others we know and meet along the way. We are all strangers in a foreign land. Heaven is my real home. Life is awfully short and eternity is a long time.
May the God of peace and love and mercy bless and keep you in his loving care.
Regards,
Mary
Monday, August 9, 2010
Aladdin
Many of you have heard about my rescue horse, Aladdin. This is Aladdin's story.
When I first moved to the farm, I only had one horse to bring here with me. But my friend Sheri had a horse named Hershey that I have boarded for her. So I did have two horses together. Hershey and my yearling filly, Velvet.
I loved watching them in the field. They really liked each other and they would run together. They often ran like they were a team. It was almost like they were tied together. One would turn and the other would turn too. It was pretty to watch.
One day Sheri called me and told me she would be coming after Hershey. She wanted to take her for a trail ride. I was a little concerned since that would leave Velvet in the field by herself. But Sheri had already worked that out. She said she would bring another horse to put in the field with Velvet so she would not be alone.
The day came for the transfer and Sheri pulled up in the driveway with the horse on the trailer. She opened the trailer door and off stepped a poor little half Arabian half who knows what. He was thin and he had not shed his winter coat. He had hair loss in some spots. I was assured there was nothing wrong with him that some good pasture wouldn't cure.
He did not belong to the farm he had come from but the farmer had allowed him to stay and had fed him grain everyday but he was not putting on any weight. I knew that farmer and knew he was doing his best to take care of him under difficult circumstances. Reluctantly I let him stay. After all it was only going to be until Hershey came back to keep Velvet company. But Hershey was pregnant. She had been misdiagnosed as being open and Hershey was within weeks of having her foal. So she had to be off of my pasture that has fescue in it.
I guess some of you are wondering what the fescue has to do with anything but it can cause the sack the foal is in to become too thick and the foal will not be able to get out at birth and death will occur due to lack of oxygen. It can also decrease milk production in a mare and even if the foal was able to escape there may not be enough milk.
So Hershey did not come back for a long time. Aladdin settled in after a period of adjustment. The poor little thing walked the 14' gate for several hours after he got off of the trailer. I got worried about him. But about dark I looked out the window and he was with Velvet and they were grazing. So I knew he would be ok then.
Janine is my granddaughter and she fell in love with Aladdin at first sight. So we started to work on him. We threw the grain to him, wormed him and brushed him until his coat began to take on a new luster. We bathed him and scrubbed until his pretty red color started to shine through. He still had some problem areas. He had scars from where he had been cut on one of his legs. It seemed a halter had been to tight on his nose at one time or another because he had scars there too.
Aladdin became very dependent on Velvet. He followed her where ever she went and was totally devoted to her. In the fall Aladdin had separation anxiousity when Velvet was taken to a stable away from here for training. But by then Hershey was back and he soon developed a close relationship with her.
It became so bad that if Hershey left the field he was beside himself. If we put him in the barn he would pace the floor until he was nearly worn out. Over the next couple of years I spent considerable money on him trying to keep weight on him. He would come out of the winter looking poor while the Rocky Mountain Horses would be all fat and sassy. The vet gave him shots, we wormed him, had his teeth worked on and all in all spent more on his maintence than most of the other horses I now own. Oh yes, I did get talked into keeping Aladdin as you may have guessed.
He was ridden some at first by Janine. Then she went home to Germany to live with her Oma there. So I was left with Aladdin and by then I had other horses to ride so he got left in the field.
One day Sheri came to ride Hershey. When she got Hershey out of the field Aladdin got out as well. She rode Hershey up through the field and over the trails. Aladdin followed every step of the way staying as close to Hershey as possible. They were a sight.
Recently Sheri called me and told me that she knew of a little boy that was looking for a horse. Would I consider letting Aladdin go. I told her sure and she gave his mother,Jennifer, my phone number. Soon a very nice lady was calling me to see if she could bring her little boy out to see Aladdin.
The day came and they drove up. Aladdin was in the barn and he had been bathed and polished and shinned as best as it could be done. Bob got him out of the stall and put a saddle on him. Aladdin hadn't been ridden in a couple of years so we really didn't know how he could act. Bob rode him around in the field and he was fine. So he took Aladdin and Nolan in the arena and led him around. Again he was fine. Nolan's little and big brothers got a ride as well.
Nolan was instantly in love with Aladdin and his mother and father liked him as well. I went over all of his faults and assured them that if he didn't work out he could be returned. I wanted to give Nolan the horse but his parents would not hear of it. He had saved $138. for the purchase of a horse and he had to pay for his horse to appreciate it. I immediately felt I was dealing with good parents.
So we decided on the purchase price. $50. It was enough to have him realize this was a committment and would have financial consquences but little enough that he would have money left to purchase some necessities.
So last Saturday, Nolan and his family came back for Aladdin. His grandpa came too. He is also a horse owner and he looked him over real good and approved the purchase. He was loaded on the horse trailer and headed toward the grandfather's farm to be there for Nolan to learn to ride and care for his horse.
But this wasn't the end of the story. Nolan had gone to Tractor Supply and bought a halter and lead rope. His grandfather taught him how to lead him around their arena. At one point Nolan dropped the rope. In her account of the incident to me Jennifer told me that Aladdin had stood right by Nolan as he picked up the rope and proceeded on around the arena.
Next came the gift from Nolan's grandparents. A new saddle, saddle blanket and bridle for him and Aladdin. Jennifer tells me that they tacted him up and Nolan was soon riding around the arena guiding Aladdin with the reins like he had done it all of his life.
I once thought this was where Aladdin would spend the rest of his days. He would just be a lawn orament in my pasture.
I viewed Aladdin as an old horse that would never again serve any purpose. That is the way that we see others sometimes. But thankfully our God does not see us humans in that way. If we truly looked at ourselves honestly and stripped ourselves of all the pride we have we would be humbled. The psalmist said "Who are we that God should be mindful of us." Who indeed. What do we have to offer the God of the universe. What does he need from us. He has everything. Yet he made us to commune with him. He walked in the garden with Adam and Eve.
All he wants from us is our love. I have such a pitiful little to offer to him. Yet he takes it and makes it more than I could ever give. For God is a God of love and he gave the only son he had to die for us so that we could have everlasting life with him. Our sins no longer have to separate us from God. Jesus paid the price and our sins are covered by his blood. It is a matter of humbling oneself and telling Jesus you need him more than anything.
May God bless and keep you in his loving care.
Regards,
Mary
"I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes unto the Father except by me."
When I first moved to the farm, I only had one horse to bring here with me. But my friend Sheri had a horse named Hershey that I have boarded for her. So I did have two horses together. Hershey and my yearling filly, Velvet.
I loved watching them in the field. They really liked each other and they would run together. They often ran like they were a team. It was almost like they were tied together. One would turn and the other would turn too. It was pretty to watch.
One day Sheri called me and told me she would be coming after Hershey. She wanted to take her for a trail ride. I was a little concerned since that would leave Velvet in the field by herself. But Sheri had already worked that out. She said she would bring another horse to put in the field with Velvet so she would not be alone.
The day came for the transfer and Sheri pulled up in the driveway with the horse on the trailer. She opened the trailer door and off stepped a poor little half Arabian half who knows what. He was thin and he had not shed his winter coat. He had hair loss in some spots. I was assured there was nothing wrong with him that some good pasture wouldn't cure.
He did not belong to the farm he had come from but the farmer had allowed him to stay and had fed him grain everyday but he was not putting on any weight. I knew that farmer and knew he was doing his best to take care of him under difficult circumstances. Reluctantly I let him stay. After all it was only going to be until Hershey came back to keep Velvet company. But Hershey was pregnant. She had been misdiagnosed as being open and Hershey was within weeks of having her foal. So she had to be off of my pasture that has fescue in it.
I guess some of you are wondering what the fescue has to do with anything but it can cause the sack the foal is in to become too thick and the foal will not be able to get out at birth and death will occur due to lack of oxygen. It can also decrease milk production in a mare and even if the foal was able to escape there may not be enough milk.
So Hershey did not come back for a long time. Aladdin settled in after a period of adjustment. The poor little thing walked the 14' gate for several hours after he got off of the trailer. I got worried about him. But about dark I looked out the window and he was with Velvet and they were grazing. So I knew he would be ok then.
Janine is my granddaughter and she fell in love with Aladdin at first sight. So we started to work on him. We threw the grain to him, wormed him and brushed him until his coat began to take on a new luster. We bathed him and scrubbed until his pretty red color started to shine through. He still had some problem areas. He had scars from where he had been cut on one of his legs. It seemed a halter had been to tight on his nose at one time or another because he had scars there too.
Aladdin became very dependent on Velvet. He followed her where ever she went and was totally devoted to her. In the fall Aladdin had separation anxiousity when Velvet was taken to a stable away from here for training. But by then Hershey was back and he soon developed a close relationship with her.
It became so bad that if Hershey left the field he was beside himself. If we put him in the barn he would pace the floor until he was nearly worn out. Over the next couple of years I spent considerable money on him trying to keep weight on him. He would come out of the winter looking poor while the Rocky Mountain Horses would be all fat and sassy. The vet gave him shots, we wormed him, had his teeth worked on and all in all spent more on his maintence than most of the other horses I now own. Oh yes, I did get talked into keeping Aladdin as you may have guessed.
He was ridden some at first by Janine. Then she went home to Germany to live with her Oma there. So I was left with Aladdin and by then I had other horses to ride so he got left in the field.
One day Sheri came to ride Hershey. When she got Hershey out of the field Aladdin got out as well. She rode Hershey up through the field and over the trails. Aladdin followed every step of the way staying as close to Hershey as possible. They were a sight.
Recently Sheri called me and told me that she knew of a little boy that was looking for a horse. Would I consider letting Aladdin go. I told her sure and she gave his mother,Jennifer, my phone number. Soon a very nice lady was calling me to see if she could bring her little boy out to see Aladdin.
The day came and they drove up. Aladdin was in the barn and he had been bathed and polished and shinned as best as it could be done. Bob got him out of the stall and put a saddle on him. Aladdin hadn't been ridden in a couple of years so we really didn't know how he could act. Bob rode him around in the field and he was fine. So he took Aladdin and Nolan in the arena and led him around. Again he was fine. Nolan's little and big brothers got a ride as well.
Nolan was instantly in love with Aladdin and his mother and father liked him as well. I went over all of his faults and assured them that if he didn't work out he could be returned. I wanted to give Nolan the horse but his parents would not hear of it. He had saved $138. for the purchase of a horse and he had to pay for his horse to appreciate it. I immediately felt I was dealing with good parents.
So we decided on the purchase price. $50. It was enough to have him realize this was a committment and would have financial consquences but little enough that he would have money left to purchase some necessities.
So last Saturday, Nolan and his family came back for Aladdin. His grandpa came too. He is also a horse owner and he looked him over real good and approved the purchase. He was loaded on the horse trailer and headed toward the grandfather's farm to be there for Nolan to learn to ride and care for his horse.
But this wasn't the end of the story. Nolan had gone to Tractor Supply and bought a halter and lead rope. His grandfather taught him how to lead him around their arena. At one point Nolan dropped the rope. In her account of the incident to me Jennifer told me that Aladdin had stood right by Nolan as he picked up the rope and proceeded on around the arena.
Next came the gift from Nolan's grandparents. A new saddle, saddle blanket and bridle for him and Aladdin. Jennifer tells me that they tacted him up and Nolan was soon riding around the arena guiding Aladdin with the reins like he had done it all of his life.
I once thought this was where Aladdin would spend the rest of his days. He would just be a lawn orament in my pasture.
I viewed Aladdin as an old horse that would never again serve any purpose. That is the way that we see others sometimes. But thankfully our God does not see us humans in that way. If we truly looked at ourselves honestly and stripped ourselves of all the pride we have we would be humbled. The psalmist said "Who are we that God should be mindful of us." Who indeed. What do we have to offer the God of the universe. What does he need from us. He has everything. Yet he made us to commune with him. He walked in the garden with Adam and Eve.
All he wants from us is our love. I have such a pitiful little to offer to him. Yet he takes it and makes it more than I could ever give. For God is a God of love and he gave the only son he had to die for us so that we could have everlasting life with him. Our sins no longer have to separate us from God. Jesus paid the price and our sins are covered by his blood. It is a matter of humbling oneself and telling Jesus you need him more than anything.
May God bless and keep you in his loving care.
Regards,
Mary
"I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes unto the Father except by me."
Thursday, August 5, 2010
The Saga of the Yellow Cat
Eleanor has taken up bee keeping. As most of you know she is my sister and is 78 years old. She has kept bees for a long time so this isn't a new hobby for her just a renewed interest in an old hobby. She has a couple of hives that she had when she moved from my dad's house to her own house in 1993. She has worked with them off and on ever since then but recently she had a renewed interest.
Most of you have seen chipmunks. They are the cutest little things. Recently when my grandchildren visited here I was treated to the chipmunk movie several times a day over the course of their three weeks here. In the movie they are so cute but get into quiet a lot of trouble. Especially Alvin.
But life is not a movie and chipmunks can be pretty destructive. According to people who know about them, they can dig down along the foundation of a house and cause a lot of damage. So war with the chipmunks has been on Eleanor's agenda for some time now. Now this is a woman that shot a couple of raccoons for eating fruit off of her tree. One might say they were eating of the forbidden fruit. So the chipmunks are acting rather foolishly messing with her. And added to their list of high crimes is the fact that she thinks they are eating her bees.
But a chipmunk is a rather small target plus the neighbors get upset when she starts shooting at animals that cross over into her private domain. So Eleanor decided the best course of action was to get a cat. She told me of her troubles with the chipmunks and her decision to get a cat. She thought she had one lined up but the people never did get around to bringing the cat to her so I decided one day when we were at Cool Shade where a couple of my horses are trained that I would help her get a cat.
Those who have been to Cool Shade will understand why I thought this would be a good place. They have cats everywhere and of course there is always a new litter of kittens to be seen. Usually the cats sit in the loft to watch over their private enterprise. You seldom see them down on the main floor under foot. I mentioned to Franklin that Eleanor wanted a cat. He asked her which one and I told him which ever one he could catch.
So the chase was on. The cats sensing something was up that they wouldn't like scattered all over the loft. Little kittens, half grown kittens and adult cats all took out in every direction. But some of the kittens left the safety of the loft to take their chances behind various trash cans, boxes and even the refrigerator downstairs. We finally decided on one that seemed the most vulnerable and soon Franklin had it by the scuff of the neck but not before it gave him a good scratching for doing the unthinkable.
Since we had not planned on bringing a kitten home that day we still had the problem of finding a container for it. A feed bag was located and after some alterations to the woven plastic bag, the kitten was placed inside and the bag was tied with a piece of baler twine.
So having the little yellow kitten safely in the bag we started for home. On the way we checked on our little passenger from time to time. It was not hard to figure out how it was doing as it frequently moved around in the bag and made a lot of noise. We decided to stop and get some super at Steak and Shake. We checked on the kitten before we went in and after we came out and everything was fine.
We got to Eleanor's house and Bob picked up the bag the kitten was in but it was empty. So now I had a WILD CAT loose in my truck. So we started looking for it. We raised the seats up and sure enough it was hiding under the back seats. Bob, not wanting to suffer a similar fate as Franklin, found a pair of gloves. I was crawling around on the floor in the back to scare the cat over toward Bob. That wasn't particularly easy since I do have a broken arm. Finally he caught it and put it in the box that Eleanor had found. Milk and cat food was already in there to make it comfortable.
A couple of days pasted and she decided the cat needed to be out of the box. The cat of course was already out of the bag. So against what would have been my better judgement she let it out of the box. It promptly disappeared. She didn't see it for several days but she kept putting out food and milk for it that kept disappearing.
She soon discovered she had a mama cat and her kittens cleaning up the food she was putting out. Her kitten appeared at the neighbors several doors down. They somehow caught the frightened little thing once more and took it home to her in a regular cat carrier which she used for several days. So now she has her kitten and a mama cat and her litter living out in her garage. So what are the chances the chipmunks are going to survive? Slim I would say.
So that is how Eleanor saved her house and bees from being eaten by an out of control Chipmunk.
May God bless and keep you in his loving care. And may the chipmunks not destroy your house or interfere with your hobbies. If they do, I know where to find a kitten for you.
Regards
Mary
Most of you have seen chipmunks. They are the cutest little things. Recently when my grandchildren visited here I was treated to the chipmunk movie several times a day over the course of their three weeks here. In the movie they are so cute but get into quiet a lot of trouble. Especially Alvin.
But life is not a movie and chipmunks can be pretty destructive. According to people who know about them, they can dig down along the foundation of a house and cause a lot of damage. So war with the chipmunks has been on Eleanor's agenda for some time now. Now this is a woman that shot a couple of raccoons for eating fruit off of her tree. One might say they were eating of the forbidden fruit. So the chipmunks are acting rather foolishly messing with her. And added to their list of high crimes is the fact that she thinks they are eating her bees.
But a chipmunk is a rather small target plus the neighbors get upset when she starts shooting at animals that cross over into her private domain. So Eleanor decided the best course of action was to get a cat. She told me of her troubles with the chipmunks and her decision to get a cat. She thought she had one lined up but the people never did get around to bringing the cat to her so I decided one day when we were at Cool Shade where a couple of my horses are trained that I would help her get a cat.
Those who have been to Cool Shade will understand why I thought this would be a good place. They have cats everywhere and of course there is always a new litter of kittens to be seen. Usually the cats sit in the loft to watch over their private enterprise. You seldom see them down on the main floor under foot. I mentioned to Franklin that Eleanor wanted a cat. He asked her which one and I told him which ever one he could catch.
So the chase was on. The cats sensing something was up that they wouldn't like scattered all over the loft. Little kittens, half grown kittens and adult cats all took out in every direction. But some of the kittens left the safety of the loft to take their chances behind various trash cans, boxes and even the refrigerator downstairs. We finally decided on one that seemed the most vulnerable and soon Franklin had it by the scuff of the neck but not before it gave him a good scratching for doing the unthinkable.
Since we had not planned on bringing a kitten home that day we still had the problem of finding a container for it. A feed bag was located and after some alterations to the woven plastic bag, the kitten was placed inside and the bag was tied with a piece of baler twine.
So having the little yellow kitten safely in the bag we started for home. On the way we checked on our little passenger from time to time. It was not hard to figure out how it was doing as it frequently moved around in the bag and made a lot of noise. We decided to stop and get some super at Steak and Shake. We checked on the kitten before we went in and after we came out and everything was fine.
We got to Eleanor's house and Bob picked up the bag the kitten was in but it was empty. So now I had a WILD CAT loose in my truck. So we started looking for it. We raised the seats up and sure enough it was hiding under the back seats. Bob, not wanting to suffer a similar fate as Franklin, found a pair of gloves. I was crawling around on the floor in the back to scare the cat over toward Bob. That wasn't particularly easy since I do have a broken arm. Finally he caught it and put it in the box that Eleanor had found. Milk and cat food was already in there to make it comfortable.
A couple of days pasted and she decided the cat needed to be out of the box. The cat of course was already out of the bag. So against what would have been my better judgement she let it out of the box. It promptly disappeared. She didn't see it for several days but she kept putting out food and milk for it that kept disappearing.
She soon discovered she had a mama cat and her kittens cleaning up the food she was putting out. Her kitten appeared at the neighbors several doors down. They somehow caught the frightened little thing once more and took it home to her in a regular cat carrier which she used for several days. So now she has her kitten and a mama cat and her litter living out in her garage. So what are the chances the chipmunks are going to survive? Slim I would say.
So that is how Eleanor saved her house and bees from being eaten by an out of control Chipmunk.
May God bless and keep you in his loving care. And may the chipmunks not destroy your house or interfere with your hobbies. If they do, I know where to find a kitten for you.
Regards
Mary
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Busy Week
Last week was such a busy week I have no idea how we ever got through it.
I had an old friend that contacted me that really wanted to see my horses. She follows my blog. Hi Judy. She visits my web site and she knew the names of my horses almost as well as I do. So I was honored to have Judy, her husband Paul and mother Sarah visit me on Wednesday. She recognized Venture's Golden Satin as soon as she saw her and ask about Rockin Andi.
It was wonderful to see Judy. She lives in Iowa and I don't see her very often but I still consider her a dear friend. Judy, Donna and I were almost inseparable growing up. Taylorsville was a small town and still is in many ways. We all went to church and school together. We went to slumber parties together and visited in each other's homes often.
Then we all grew up as people do. Judy married and lives in Iowa. Donna married and stayed in and near Taylorsville. I got married and lived in Jeffersonville Ind for 11 years before we moved to Taylorsville. Bill and I bought the farm I live on now. It has been in the family for 108 years and I hope it will be in the family another 108 years.
Saturday night was our 50 years reunion for High School graduation. We had a nice dinner at the Colonel's Lady Dinner House near Shelbyville Kentucky. It was wonderful to see so many people that I went to High School with and sad to know a few were no longer with us. We seemed to all have aged gracefully. As gently as 50 years can be to people. But it was good to catch up with as many people as possible.
We were also at the Summer Celebration Horse Show at the end of the week. I was also glad to see friends I have made there. Two of my horses came home with Blues. My niece won a second place in a very good class of youth riders. She rode my horse Rockin Andi and they really looked good together. Leigh is a good rider and she has only been riding for a short period of time. She has taken to it like a duck to water.
I was really pleased with the performance Rockin Andi gave on the obstacle course. She placed a very nice 4th place in a very good class of trail horses. It was her first time competing in an obstacle class. I can see her next year going for a versatility award. She is extremely talented with the Mountain Horse disposition that Mountain Horses are well known for.
Now here it is another week and my horses have gone to Ohio to the International Rocky Mountain Horse Show. They will all be there for a week. Code of Honor, my stallion, placed 2nd in a large class of conformation horses. He will be going back into the Championship. My weanling colt made a nice showing in a large class of 16 weanlings. He placed a very respectable 4th place. I have not heard any more news out of Ohio.
My brother is suffering from a cold and I have appointments every day this week with either PT, a doctor or the dentist. The doctor says my arm is healing really well but don't go back to riding yet. What? Does he think I will fall off of a horse? Anyway I have at least 4 more weeks of PT and then back to the doctor.
Our Competitive Trail Competition is less than three weeks away and the time is flying by. We have had a good response for that and I am getting more excited all the time about the ride. It is so hot here as it is everywhere else. Our ride will take horses and riders through the woods. We planned it that way to relieve horses and riders from the oppressive heat. About 90% of the ride will be in the shade and a large portion will be in the woods.
This is more like a news letter than a blog. But tomorrow, I will write a real blog about Eleanor and her new kitten. You will like that one.
Until then, may God bless and keep you in his loving care. He who knows the number of hairs on your head will watch over you and keep you safe.
Regards
Mary
I had an old friend that contacted me that really wanted to see my horses. She follows my blog. Hi Judy. She visits my web site and she knew the names of my horses almost as well as I do. So I was honored to have Judy, her husband Paul and mother Sarah visit me on Wednesday. She recognized Venture's Golden Satin as soon as she saw her and ask about Rockin Andi.
It was wonderful to see Judy. She lives in Iowa and I don't see her very often but I still consider her a dear friend. Judy, Donna and I were almost inseparable growing up. Taylorsville was a small town and still is in many ways. We all went to church and school together. We went to slumber parties together and visited in each other's homes often.
Then we all grew up as people do. Judy married and lives in Iowa. Donna married and stayed in and near Taylorsville. I got married and lived in Jeffersonville Ind for 11 years before we moved to Taylorsville. Bill and I bought the farm I live on now. It has been in the family for 108 years and I hope it will be in the family another 108 years.
Saturday night was our 50 years reunion for High School graduation. We had a nice dinner at the Colonel's Lady Dinner House near Shelbyville Kentucky. It was wonderful to see so many people that I went to High School with and sad to know a few were no longer with us. We seemed to all have aged gracefully. As gently as 50 years can be to people. But it was good to catch up with as many people as possible.
We were also at the Summer Celebration Horse Show at the end of the week. I was also glad to see friends I have made there. Two of my horses came home with Blues. My niece won a second place in a very good class of youth riders. She rode my horse Rockin Andi and they really looked good together. Leigh is a good rider and she has only been riding for a short period of time. She has taken to it like a duck to water.
I was really pleased with the performance Rockin Andi gave on the obstacle course. She placed a very nice 4th place in a very good class of trail horses. It was her first time competing in an obstacle class. I can see her next year going for a versatility award. She is extremely talented with the Mountain Horse disposition that Mountain Horses are well known for.
Now here it is another week and my horses have gone to Ohio to the International Rocky Mountain Horse Show. They will all be there for a week. Code of Honor, my stallion, placed 2nd in a large class of conformation horses. He will be going back into the Championship. My weanling colt made a nice showing in a large class of 16 weanlings. He placed a very respectable 4th place. I have not heard any more news out of Ohio.
My brother is suffering from a cold and I have appointments every day this week with either PT, a doctor or the dentist. The doctor says my arm is healing really well but don't go back to riding yet. What? Does he think I will fall off of a horse? Anyway I have at least 4 more weeks of PT and then back to the doctor.
Our Competitive Trail Competition is less than three weeks away and the time is flying by. We have had a good response for that and I am getting more excited all the time about the ride. It is so hot here as it is everywhere else. Our ride will take horses and riders through the woods. We planned it that way to relieve horses and riders from the oppressive heat. About 90% of the ride will be in the shade and a large portion will be in the woods.
This is more like a news letter than a blog. But tomorrow, I will write a real blog about Eleanor and her new kitten. You will like that one.
Until then, may God bless and keep you in his loving care. He who knows the number of hairs on your head will watch over you and keep you safe.
Regards
Mary
Monday, August 2, 2010
The Story of Lilly
We had a dog named Holly. She had several litter of puppies. The best dog we ever bred her to was a dog named Nash. The first breeding Holly had a beautiful litter of puppies. We had sold them all except for one female puppy I named Mandy. Mandy was yellow and a very sweet little female. She got to be a couple of months old before anyone wanted to buy her. Finally it happened. A couple called and came to look at her and of course fell in love with her.
I cried when we sold Mandy and even Bill hated that we were selling her. He had grown attached to her as well. But the new folks took her home promising to give her a good home and love her forever. I never quiet got over selling Mandy. She was my favorite of all the puppies Holly had given birth to.
So later when Holly came in season again, I thought we would breed her again. So I contacted Nash's owners and set up a date for them. I took her to their house but I didn't think the breeding worked and Bill decided we really didn't need for her to have puppies again anyway. So we didn't repeat the breeding.
Fast forward to 60 days later. Holly was in the corner of our basement where she liked to have her puppies and she was scratching around on the floor like she was making a bed. I told Bill if I didn't know better I would think she was getting ready to have puppies. But I thought, not possible. She had not come to her milk and she didn't look like she was pregnant. But I was puzzled as to why she was acting like she was.
I fixed Holly's bed in a child's swimming pool by putting an old blanket in the pool. She was satisfied with the arrangement. I went to work. When I got home that afternoon, she had one yellow female puppy. It was just what I wanted. A yellow female puppy. I waited and watched for her to have another puppy but no more puppies. The next morning I called the vet and took her in because she still acted like she was in labor.
He operated on Holly and found she had no more puppies. She was straining to pass the afterbirth not more puppies. So I had her spayed. She was getting some age on her and I didn't want to breed her again. While I was waiting I called my friends who owned Nash and told them about the one puppy. The female I wanted so badly and how God had blessed me with this one little yellow female puppy.
Ann thinking about Easter having just passed suggested I name her Lilly. It was a perfect name for her. Not only is it tied to Easter but there is a flower called "A surprise Lilly". Well she certainly was a surprise. And she was yellow and she was perfect.
Lilly didn't have a real easy time of it. I came home one day from work and she had somehow broken her leg. I never did know how but I went to the vet with her and he put a splint on it that was very unhandy for her. She drug it around and poor thing would flop over from the awkwardness of the splint. She went outside to answer the call of nature and promptly got it dirty and drug it off. Back to the vet. He re taped it and got it too tight. She has a scar from that to this day.
So the leg healed. Some time later I called her and Holly in for the night. It was October and the air was cool. I was outside calling her and walked past the neighbor's privacy fence. I heard all this splashing going on. I went over and looked through the boards of the fence to see what idiot was out swimming on a cold night in ice water. It wasn't any person, it was my Lilly. We fished her out of the pool and dried her off as best we could.
She would often be gone to visit neighbors and I would be out looking for her. I always found her and loaded her into the truck and hauled her home. Sometimes, I would be late for an appointment or work or even Church because I was bringing her home.
Today it has been terribly hot and tonight is not suppose to cool off and be any lower than in the 80 degree range. Bob and Leigh went for a ride today and the dogs followed along. When they got back Erica was with them but Lilly wasn't. They figured she would be in soon so they didn't worry at first. When I got home from the doctor, it was late enough that we got worried. We looked for her until dark. On the four wheeler and by horse back and on foot.
The Doctor won't let me back on the horse so I was the one on foot. We followed our trails and called her and called. But we found no trace of her. She has gone missing and the woods are thick and the fields are grown up so I have no hopes of running across her. The last time she was seen for sure was when the two dogs went into the water to have a swim. That area was searched completely and still no sign of Lilly.
So tonight I am rather upset. Lilly has been with me for several years. Over 7 to be exact. She has gotten too fat and her grandmother died of a heart attach. So yes I am worried. But she is in God's hands. God gave her to me and now if he takes her back it will be alright too. I just pray she doesn't suffer a painful death. God is good and will take care of our dog. Mine and God's dog.
My brother Bob is trying to make me feel better by suggesting she will come in tonight when it gets cooler. I know he is meaning to comfort me but I'm not buying it. I have called and whistled for her. If she was able she would have come.
So tonight despite all the blog material I have from the horse show and our busy week last week, I am writing a sad blog about the loss of another dog in less than a year.
But I am not alone. My friend Sheri told me about her dog Lando that was attach by a large dog recently and had to be put down because of his injuries. So I do not grieve alone. We have all had the misfortune of loving too deeply and caring too much for these wonderful animals God gave to us.
Where ever she is, she is in God's care and he will be with this animal I love. I know that because the Bible tells us that not a sparrow falls to earth that God doesn't know about. It teaches us from that that if God cares so much for the sparrow how much more does he care about you and me and the rest of mankind. It tell us that we are worth more than all the sparrows. After all remember God gave his only son to die for us so that our sins can be forgiven.
Greater love has no man than he lay down his life for his friend.
Jesus did that for you and me so that we don't have to try to earn our way into heaven by our good works.
May God who watches over sparrows bless you and keep you in his loving care.
Regards
Mary
I cried when we sold Mandy and even Bill hated that we were selling her. He had grown attached to her as well. But the new folks took her home promising to give her a good home and love her forever. I never quiet got over selling Mandy. She was my favorite of all the puppies Holly had given birth to.
So later when Holly came in season again, I thought we would breed her again. So I contacted Nash's owners and set up a date for them. I took her to their house but I didn't think the breeding worked and Bill decided we really didn't need for her to have puppies again anyway. So we didn't repeat the breeding.
Fast forward to 60 days later. Holly was in the corner of our basement where she liked to have her puppies and she was scratching around on the floor like she was making a bed. I told Bill if I didn't know better I would think she was getting ready to have puppies. But I thought, not possible. She had not come to her milk and she didn't look like she was pregnant. But I was puzzled as to why she was acting like she was.
I fixed Holly's bed in a child's swimming pool by putting an old blanket in the pool. She was satisfied with the arrangement. I went to work. When I got home that afternoon, she had one yellow female puppy. It was just what I wanted. A yellow female puppy. I waited and watched for her to have another puppy but no more puppies. The next morning I called the vet and took her in because she still acted like she was in labor.
He operated on Holly and found she had no more puppies. She was straining to pass the afterbirth not more puppies. So I had her spayed. She was getting some age on her and I didn't want to breed her again. While I was waiting I called my friends who owned Nash and told them about the one puppy. The female I wanted so badly and how God had blessed me with this one little yellow female puppy.
Ann thinking about Easter having just passed suggested I name her Lilly. It was a perfect name for her. Not only is it tied to Easter but there is a flower called "A surprise Lilly". Well she certainly was a surprise. And she was yellow and she was perfect.
Lilly didn't have a real easy time of it. I came home one day from work and she had somehow broken her leg. I never did know how but I went to the vet with her and he put a splint on it that was very unhandy for her. She drug it around and poor thing would flop over from the awkwardness of the splint. She went outside to answer the call of nature and promptly got it dirty and drug it off. Back to the vet. He re taped it and got it too tight. She has a scar from that to this day.
So the leg healed. Some time later I called her and Holly in for the night. It was October and the air was cool. I was outside calling her and walked past the neighbor's privacy fence. I heard all this splashing going on. I went over and looked through the boards of the fence to see what idiot was out swimming on a cold night in ice water. It wasn't any person, it was my Lilly. We fished her out of the pool and dried her off as best we could.
She would often be gone to visit neighbors and I would be out looking for her. I always found her and loaded her into the truck and hauled her home. Sometimes, I would be late for an appointment or work or even Church because I was bringing her home.
Today it has been terribly hot and tonight is not suppose to cool off and be any lower than in the 80 degree range. Bob and Leigh went for a ride today and the dogs followed along. When they got back Erica was with them but Lilly wasn't. They figured she would be in soon so they didn't worry at first. When I got home from the doctor, it was late enough that we got worried. We looked for her until dark. On the four wheeler and by horse back and on foot.
The Doctor won't let me back on the horse so I was the one on foot. We followed our trails and called her and called. But we found no trace of her. She has gone missing and the woods are thick and the fields are grown up so I have no hopes of running across her. The last time she was seen for sure was when the two dogs went into the water to have a swim. That area was searched completely and still no sign of Lilly.
So tonight I am rather upset. Lilly has been with me for several years. Over 7 to be exact. She has gotten too fat and her grandmother died of a heart attach. So yes I am worried. But she is in God's hands. God gave her to me and now if he takes her back it will be alright too. I just pray she doesn't suffer a painful death. God is good and will take care of our dog. Mine and God's dog.
My brother Bob is trying to make me feel better by suggesting she will come in tonight when it gets cooler. I know he is meaning to comfort me but I'm not buying it. I have called and whistled for her. If she was able she would have come.
So tonight despite all the blog material I have from the horse show and our busy week last week, I am writing a sad blog about the loss of another dog in less than a year.
But I am not alone. My friend Sheri told me about her dog Lando that was attach by a large dog recently and had to be put down because of his injuries. So I do not grieve alone. We have all had the misfortune of loving too deeply and caring too much for these wonderful animals God gave to us.
Where ever she is, she is in God's care and he will be with this animal I love. I know that because the Bible tells us that not a sparrow falls to earth that God doesn't know about. It teaches us from that that if God cares so much for the sparrow how much more does he care about you and me and the rest of mankind. It tell us that we are worth more than all the sparrows. After all remember God gave his only son to die for us so that our sins can be forgiven.
Greater love has no man than he lay down his life for his friend.
Jesus did that for you and me so that we don't have to try to earn our way into heaven by our good works.
May God who watches over sparrows bless you and keep you in his loving care.
Regards
Mary
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