I got the same picture on here twice as you can see. How do I remove it? I don't know so there is the picture twice of some of the children.
The third picture is of one of the fire trucks that came to put out the field fire that started from the combine that was harvesting the crop of soy beans that was raised on my farm this year.
It has been hot and dry. Very hot and very dry and the residue from the beans was dry fodder for the sparks that flew from the combine.
The fire department showed up with several trucks and the fire was soon out. The man raising the beans apologized today for causing such an uproar during my family reunion that was by the way held at my house but I am sure the family at the reunion are still talking about the events of the day.
We had a really nice crowd at my home that day.
Our family reunion on Bill's side of the family was started the day of Bill's funeral. His nephew Brian opined that we only got together only when there was a funeral. It was true. The last time we had seen all of them was at Brian's Father's funeral. It is a shame to only see family you love and care about on those occasions.
So Brian and Theresa put together our first official reunion in November of 2007. They had a good event planned. They had a video of family pictures. They had t-shirts made for each of us. They made calendars with family pictures for every month. They did a really good job.
The next year it was here at my farm. I had a carriage ride and a hay ride for everyone. The carriage was pulled by my three year old mountain horse, VBF Blue Ridge Mt Girl. She was amazing and everyone had so much fun. The day had some chill but it was sunny and pleasantly warm. That evening we had a big bon fire.
I had coffee cups made with the family reunion date and Whispering Oaks Farm with a horse on it for everyone who came. I also had ink pens made up with Whispering Oaks Farm as well as the same horse. Each cup was filled with wrapped candy. It was a huge success.
Last year my niece Vivian planned the reunion and she rented an old log cabin that had been made into a guest house. It was really lovely. It had old pictures, quilts and many other antiques in it. It had the old style kitchen with enough modern conveniences that made it very nice. And of course plenty of food.
This year we really didn't have entertainment planned and it had been such a busy time for us that I barely got the day together. This three times a week for Physical Therapy is taking a lot of time. Tomorrow I go back to the doctor and hopefully I will be nearly finished with Physical Therapy and doctors until my annual check up next spring. My family has already told me that I do not get to leave the house next May.
My husband died in May. I got pneumonia in May and broke my arm in May. So I guess I can see the logic behind their thoughts.
Despite the fact I didn't have entertainment planned the day took care of that. After dinner we were all on the deck visiting and having a pretty good day when someone noticed smoke. It was the combine fire. All the men got in trucks and headed to the field to help in whatever way they could. Most of it was stamping out fire to keep it from spreading. Soon the fire trucks came rolling in and the thick smoke started to dissipate.
Later we teased one of the nieces, Theresa whose birthday fell on our reunion day that the fire department had come to put out the fire caused by the candles on her cake.
We had a really good day together. Steve and his family came from Mississippi. Rita and her daughter came from Michigan and there were several who came from Indianapolis. So there were several who made an effort to be here for the day. I am thankful to God that we all like and love each other so much that people will go to that much effort to be here.
I had told my brother Bob one day that I had some unfinished business with VBF Blue Ridge Mt Girl. I have been grooming her and I gave her a bath one warm day. I have worked on her mane and tail to make them pretty and she is getting some grain now to put extra shine into her coat. She is getting very pretty.
I told Bob that the last time I was on Mt Girl in 2008 I fell off of her. See my last blog. I said then I would learn to be a better rider and ride her again. She and I had some unfinished business. It has taken this long. Did you know that in the Bible the phrase "Fear not" is used 331 times? I have been trying so hard to overcome my fear of riding. I kept running into those two words. "Fear not".
I have prayed, read the Bible and tried to overcome the fear that welled up in the pit of my stomach when I mounted a horse. A friend observed my discomfort and told Bob that "Mary is not having a good time riding". I had an unreasonable fear that the horse would do something unexpected and I would land on the ground. I really dreaded getting hurt but my worst fear was that my family would have to take care of me.
I was really uptight when I got on a horse. Of course the horse knew it. I could feel the horse tighten up and I would get even more afraid. Last spring I confessed my fears to my friend Wilda and she and her family prayed me through the horse show in North Carolina. I had a decent ride but I was still fearful.
Bob, Lucy, Melissa and I went to the trail ride in Stanton in May. I was going to ride but I was pretty much uptight again. I had a decent ride the night before the actual trail ride but I was still fearful. I was on Rocky Top Rebel. She is really a nice mare and she was very calm even though I wasn't. I wasn't looking forward to the trail ride the next day.
The next morning Van Bert Farms put on a clinic. I was part of the clinic. I led my colt, Saga of Snowy River into the trailer and back out. He was well trained. He was doing what I asked him to do. Then we walked up on a small rise. It was actually used at one time to back a truck up to it to load live stock. The was an uneven spot on the ground and I stepped into it, lost my balance and fell really hard on my left arm. I heard it snap. I knew it was broken.
I didn't get to ride for four months. During that time, I had a lot of time to think. A couple of weeks ago I got back on a horse. It was J R. My sister Eleanor owns him. He is dead broke. But he can be hard headed sometimes. His favorite gait is walking and then only if he is chasing down some grass. I rode him in the arena the first time. He tried some foolishness with me but this time I was determined he would do as I ask him. So I used the dressage whip a couple of times and he started to get the idea that I would not be putting up with anything out of him on this ride.
The only anxious moment I had was when he ran down a little hill with me. I made him walk down the rest of the hills. He also tried to turn around and go back off of the trail. I again used the dressage whip on him. He jumped up off of his front feet a couple of time but once again I turned his head and used the whip and he got over it. He walked calmly on down the hill without further trouble.
Today I rode him about three miles and he walked down the hills and he went where I asked him. Once he did try to scrub me up against a tree but we settled that too and I am getting more confident in the saddle.
This afternoon Bob took Mt Girl on a long ride through the trails and she is getting better and better. I rode her in the arena and never had one twinge of fear. A couple of times she wanted to try me out. She thought she could stop when she wanted but that didn't happen. Then a couple of times she thought she would turn the way she wanted to go but I let her know that wasn't happening.
Why do I go over all of this. Many of you probably thought I was a fearless rider. I wasn't. I prayed for God to help me learn to ride so I could have a good time riding like everyone else that was riding my horses around here. I could tell God was showing me he would take care of me but I am really hard headed so finally God used my broken arm to show me that I could get hurt not even being on a horse. Everyone assumed that I fell off of a horse and broke my arm. I didn't. I fell leading a weanling because I was not watching where I was putting my feet and I fell. I fell in the barn on the concrete a couple of times. Once my yearling filly knocked me down when she ran into the barn. Even then I didn't get hurt.
Once one of the horses kicked at the dog and barely missed me. I knew God was taking care of me but I just couldn't get over my fear when I mounted. I saw others that overcame terrible riding accidents that were riding again. My friend Wilda for one and a lady named Sarah Patton for another and I couldn't see how they could do it.
So what is the moral of this story. The moral is what ever you want to see in it. There are a couple of ways you can go with it. But what I take out of it is that God does answer our prayers. It may not always be the way we want it anwered but it will always be for our own good. God used my broken arm to teach me that I could get hurt other ways than riding and yes my family may have to come and take care of me but they love me and they will.
I don't need to have a pity party because of it. No one is willing to party with me if I am throwing a pity party. And God is taking care of me.
May God bless you and keep you in his loving care. And may you always trust God. May all your lessons be easy ones.
Regards
Mary
"I know the plans I have for you" declares the Lord. "Plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you hope and a future."
Jer 29: 11
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