What is your Gift

Eleanor Stevens on the left on her horse, J R. On the right is Mary Lipginski (me) on Rockin Andi.

This picture was taken shortly after Eleanor received her horse J R as a gift from H T.

Tonight I am going to give you some food for thought. If you are so inclined to think as you read my blog. Maybe you read my blog for entertainment and don't really want to think. My daughter Mary Beth reads it for information. She wants to know what Mom is up to these days. (Like I never talk to her). But tonight I want to give you some food for thought.

H T Derickson is one of the most generous people I know. Eleanor and I have been going to the Van Bert Farm for over two years. She immediately fell in love with the Rocky Mountain Horses. She was attracted to their beauty and good natures. She also liked the way they move. My how we wished we had these horses when we were growing up.

She has often spoken of the old work mare she liked to ride. We called her "Old Grace". I don't know why it was old Grace but it just was. Perhaps it was because she seemed so old when she came in from a hard days work. She didn't have the easy life of standing in a stall and being led out to ride and then put away until another day came. She worked long hard hours pulling the various pieces of equipment around our farm back in the 30s and 40s. We had tractors by the late 40s but there was still dependence on the horses and mules.

But I was talking about gifts. And that was off subject but still related. Eleanor loved riding Grace and she still talks about what a good loving friend Grace was to her. Even then little girls told horses their worries, heart aches and dreams as well as talking to them about their everyday events and accomplishments.

So she just naturally fell in love with Mt Horses. I remember the day she first rode a horse at Van Berts. Larry and I worried she would fall or get hurt some way. She wasn't worried. She rode a horse named Yankee Dock. He is several years old and really calm. So she rode him around the barn and she was walking on air. We made pictures and stopped at Walmart to have them printed so she would have a lasting record of her first ride in 50 years.

The next horse she rode was Rose's Morning Glory. She is owned by Crystal Gate Farms in Vermont. H T made sure she got to ride that horse and again she was thrilled beyond comprehension. More pictures to take to church and show friends and acquaintences.

During the Rocky Mountain show in September H T told Eleanor he had something for her. I didn't know what it was so I thought perhaps a tee shirt with their logo or a cap. Little did I know. The next visit to the farm, Eleanor was hoping to ride Morning Glory again. She was told she wasn't available to ride that day. I was riding Rockin Andi around the barn when Jamie came out on a red gelding. I asked who that horse was. I always want to know even though I might ask again in the next five minutes. Jamie said it was J R.

Soon Eleanor was on J R riding him. She was told she could ride that horse that day. I got off of Andi and let someone else ride her. H T asked he how she liked that J R horse. She agreed he was pretty nice and she liked him a lot. H T told her that he was hers. He had found and bought that horse for her. At that point I had tears in my eyes. It was such a generous thing for him to do.

Since first getting to know H T, Wilda and everyone at Van Berts I have noticed this about H T. He is a very generous person. But he is not just generous, he has a gift of giving. This is his particular gift.

We all have a gift. If you know Eleanor, you know she has a gift for teaching. She taught school for 26 years and she still likes to teach today. She does not stand in the class room with a room full of children anymore but she still teaches. She teaches her Sunday School class sometimes. She teaches piano. She will teach as we ride along the highway to any and all who will listen.

Are you getting any idea about gifts and how you are gifted? If you will think about yourself, you will see that you have a gift too. What is your gift? My daughter-in-law, Chrissy has the gift of service. She visits me and takes over my kitchen. I am all too willing. She cooks and she cleans. She puts wonderful tasty meals on the table and then cleans the kitchen afterward. She loves doing it. It makes her feel fulfilled to serve people. I love her for it. I cherish her for her gift of service. She is a nursing student now and she will be very good nurse. Chrissy serves her husband and her family. It is her expression of love to them. Or as some people would call it, her love language.

To better understand and love the people around you, especially your family, you need to understand your gift and their gifts. We don't all have the same gift. Some just don't understand or participate in the gift of service. Those having a gift of service don't understand those who don't. But if you will look and think about their gift you will see they have a gift you don't.

Steve, Chrissy's husband has a gift of leadership. He is the take charge and lead the troops kind of person. Take charge and lead the family. If you know Steve, you will know how true that is. It is often a misunderstood and resented gift. Leaders have to make some tough decisions in family and in business or their area of work. It is not an easy gift. H T's gift of giving or Chrissy's gift of service is much easier to accept and understand.

Again what is your gift. What is your mate's gift? What gift do those that surround you have? If you know me very well, can you tell what my gift is? How about my brother, Bob? His is not an easily recognized gift like the gift of giving or of service. His is the gift of discernment. Can you see that now?

What is your gift?

May God bless you and keep you in his loving care and may you come to know and cherish your own gift.

Regards

Mary

Now ye are the bodies of Christ; and members in particular. And God hath set some in the church first apostles secondarily prophets thirdly teacher after that miracle then gifts of healing, helps, governments, diversities of tongues. Are all apostles? are all prophets are all teachers? are all workers of miracles. Have all the gift of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret.

I Corinthians 12:27-30

Two Jars of Rice

My brother Bob riding Rosie. A sunny day in the middle of December found Bob and Rosie out with Annie and Amego for a long trail ride on the farm. This is the end of the ride and they just had to stop by the house for a hello and pictures. And the jokingly ask for some curb service.

Bob likes Rosie very much. She is a chestnut mountain horse. Like there is any other kind on my radar. Bob has been trying to make friends with her but is having some problems. She is one of the shyer horses in the pasture. She wants to come to him and she wants to be near him but some of the other horses don't want her to go to him. She is very low on the pecking order in the pasture.

He talked to me about how hard it is to catch her sometimes because of the interference of the other horses. He wants to make friends with Rosie. She is his favorite in the field.

But halt there partner. The title of my piece tonight is Two Jars of Rice. Confused yet? Well you see there was a scientist who did an experiment with two jars of rice. This scientist cooked rice all in the same pan. He put half in one jar and the rest in another jar. The only difference in how the rice was handled was that on one jar he wrote something like "You are good rice. I love you" The other jar had a note saying something like "You are bad rice. I hate you"

Now this is cooked rice and when they were left sitting on the counter they were going to spoil at the same rate. Right? Wrong! The jar that said you are good rice stayed good and the jar with you are bad rice spoiled. Wait a minute!!! Do you believe that?

Well, I am not sure but walking down through the field one day to catch Rosie I got to thinking about the rice. I started singing "Rosie, girl. I love my Rosie girl. You make me happy." I could see her perking up her ears and listening to me. I kept walking across the field. I kept singing, "I love my Rosie girl. You make me happy."

Rosie kept watching. I walked and talked and sang to her. Along came Amego. And Shugee. They are two of the horses that want whatever you have or at least want to see what you might have. I just had a lead rope. I swatted Amego and told Shugee to get on with them. Rosie, expecting a run in this the two boss horses went behind the hay stack.

I walked and talked and sang to Rosie. Soon, I was approaching her with the lead rope. She has in the past just walked away and played hard to get. And sometimes she just can't be caught because of the interference of other horses and the fact she doesn't want to be caught even if it were just two horses and the other one was leaving her alone.

Pretty soon I was scratching her shoulder and talking to her. "I love my Rosie girl" Then I reached up and took her halter in my hand, fastened the lead rope on her and we walked to the barn without any trouble at all.

It is well known that people respond to genuine praise and outpouring of love. Rice, I don't know but thinking about the rice made me think about talking to Rosie and telling her how pretty she is and how much I love her and how good she is. She is responding. In a very positive way. Bob uses the same with her. He gives her a little feed in his hand and she comes to him. He is riding her and they are getting to know and trust each other.

Riding is a matter of trust and respect between the horse and rider. I respect the horse under me but so far, I have had a hard time with trust. I am working through it. It will be one of those things that one day I will say. Well darn, why was this so hard for me. I dream of that day. Then I know for sure I will be free to ride like the wind and to be where Vera described in her recent blog.

As a side note. Mt Girl, (yes she is the most beautiful horse in the whole world.), Magic Rhythm and Hobo will be foaling in about two months. Just two months. Mary Beth and I can hardly wait. I hope Debbie and Lucy can be here for at least one of the births.

May God bless you and keep you in his loving care.

Regards,

Mary

And he arose and rebuked the wind and said unto the sea; Peace. Be still and the wind ceased and there was great calm. And he said unto them, Why are you so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?

Mark 4: 39-40

You never know how a horse will pull until you hook him to a heavy load.

Pual "Bear" Bryant

Christmas

I hope you are all ready for Christmas. I still have to buy some of my groceries. Bananas and such that will not keep very long. But other than that I am ready. I have not talked to Van Berts to see how much if any snow they got yesterday. We had a sprinkling of snow yesterday morning and this morning.

I love the snow but I don't like it when I know my family is on the road. Bill never liked for our family to travel over the Christmas or any other holidays. It is always more dangerous on the roads at that time. But we have entrusted them to God's care so I know they will be where they need to be in God's perfect timing.

I think back to Christmas many years ago. It seems so recent but in was really more than twenty years ago. Mike had just recently joined the military. I was always big on having everyone home for Christmas. Mike had been sent to Germany for his duty station. He was single and it was maybe his first Christmas that he was so far away from home. He talked about coming home several times and I was hoping he would be getting home for Christmas. After all it would not seem like Christmas if we weren't all together.

Things didn't work out for him. He was early in his career and didn't have the money or the leave, I'm not sure which. Probably the money thing. Anyway, I was mopping around all sad he wouldn't be home for Christmas. I had been like that for more than a week. Then one day I learned that flight 103 had gone down over Locker be Scotland. The flight as you may remember flew out of Frankfurt Germany. That was the airport Mike would have flown from. It was right before Christmas and all were lost.

I can't say for sure that Mike would flown on that day and on that flight but it woke me up in a dramatic way. I realized that my children could be home for Christmas or they could be with people who cared about them elsewhere in the world. In any case, where ever they were they were in God's care. I got over my mood that we weren't all going to be home together for Christmas and praised God that at that Christmas we were all well and safe.

As it turned out, Mike was invited to spend Christmas Day with someone from his base and he had a nice day. Our Christmas was also good here too.

There have been many Christmases since then that we have not been together for Christmas. Mike spent more Christmases in Germany and a couple in Iraq. Steve has spent Christmases in Italy and other duty stations around the world. I always thank God that I can hear their voices and know they are well. For you see they have never missed a Christmas calling home to tell us they are thinking about us and know we are thinking about them too and missing them.

Some asked me when Mike was in Iraq how I slept at nights with him in such a dangerous place. I always said that I knew he was in God's care and there was no safer place to be.

Tomorrow as Steve heads for Kentucky with his daughter, Sarah and granddaughter, Elyssa, I know he is in God's care. Steve and his family live in Mississippi. Chrissy, his wife and their three children that live at home with them drove from Mississippi to Kentucky. In the meantime Steve flew from Mississippi to Virginia to bring Sarah and Alyssa here for Christmas. He rented a car there and after Christmas, he will drive them back to Virginia and then fly back to Mississippi. Steve has done this because it has been so important to him and Chrissy that as much of the family as possible could be here for Christmas. What a good man. . And what a good woman

Mine is a rather large family and increasing in numbers all the time. It gets harder and harder all the time to get us all together. There are four children plus spouses, 14 grandchildren and four great-grandchilren. Plus two grandsons-in-law. With each of them having in laws it is harder all the time to get together. Edward will be getting married next year and he and his fiancee will be coming here from Ohio.

But come Christmas Day, we will have most of the family here and for that I thank God and ask that he bless each and keep them safe over the Christmas Holidays. I ask God to also bless each of you and keep you safe as you travel for Christmas and keep your families safe.
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Never forget that Christ is the reason for the season. May he bless you all with his presence as we remember that God sent his son for a present to the world and to redeem a lost world. It is through him that we can hope to have eternal salvation. It is through the acceptance of him as our Lord and Savior that we gain entrance to heaven. Not by our works but by his finished work. His death and resurrection.

God bless and keep you in his loving care.

Regards and Merry Christmas

May the joy of Christmas fill your hearts and lives. And may the laughter of children fill your heart with love.

Mary


"And the angle said unto them, 'Fear not for behold, I bring you good tiding of great joy which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.' "

Luke 2: 10-11

Awards Banquet

Kolby Tipton accepts his ribbon for his nice placings in the Country Trail Pleasure Classes this past show season. Jamie was presented his High Point Trophy by his great niece, Kaylee Tipton. Melissa and I enjoyed a moment together.

As you saw on Vera's blog, there were a lot of awards presented for the fine show season we enjoyed this year. Our congratulations to all who won awards for High Points. Judy and Mike Brummer once again was rewarded for all the hard work they put into their horses during the past year. My farm won a second behind a very fine yearling colt owned by the Brummers this year. He beat us every time we were in the arena together and I always knew he was the best colt in the class. It was nice to see him develop over the show season. He is a son of Venture's Black Fury and really a fine well built colt.

Stacy and Chris at Cool Shade won trophies for all of their clients. The Bakers, the Brummers and I all came away with at least one trophy for their hard work on our behalf this year.

We were honored to get a High Point Award for Dock's Velvet. Thank you Chris and Stacy for the outstanding job you did with her. I am looking forward to the coming show season to see how she does as a three year old.

Also receiving a High Point Award was our filly, Flair for Fury. I have S T to thank for that award. To see a picture of S T and me with our trophy, see Vera's blog. The Van Bert Farms also won a lot of High Point Trophies. Jamie and S T worked hard this year and did an excellent job of training the horses entrusted to them.

It was good to see friends from the shows. I always enjoy seeing and talking to Michael Brummer and his wife Judy. I see the Tiptons, Pattersons and Dericksons all year when I go to the stables in Stanton. It is always a pleasure to spend time with them and catch up on people I have not seen since the shows were over. And of course, I can not fail to mention how good it was to have family and friends to share those moments with. Thank you, Lucy, Melissa, Bob, and Annie for attending with me and taking time to celebrate with our farm, the fruits of this past show season.

My family is getting more into riding all the time. My brother, Bob, is the latest to get on a horse. Actually he is getting back on a horse and he loves my horse, Rose whom I call Rosie. She is the last horse I bought and Bob has fallen in love with her and the nice temperament she has. Today he and Annie rode her and Amego on the farm for two hours or more. They rode through the woods looking for trails that we can use for trail riding here on the farm. We have almost a hundred acres of woods. There are many deer trails through the woods and through the tall grass.

Bob told me that Rosie is not real sure of the woods and had some anxious moments but she did wonderfully on the ride anyway. They crossed running water, over logs and through tall growth. She and Amego were real troopers. Rosie is a red 4 year old mare. I have been very excited about having her and she is the horse I have been riding most since I brought her home from Van Berts shortly after the end of the show season.

My sister Eleanor was also here today riding her horse J R. He was loving all the attention she gives him. She grooms and brushes his beautiful red coat. She fusses at him for rolling out in the mud and reprimands him for getting so dirty and all the while she is feeding him an apple or a bunch of hay from her hands. She talks to him while she is brushing him and petting him. She always ends the day by standing close to his head and they put their heads together. It is cute. He really seems to love her. I know she loves him. H T you really hit a home run with that gift.

Are you ready for Christmas? It is time to get ready. I have a few more gifts to wrap and to buy as well. Last week was a busy week for me. First was our annual Christmas party for my Bible Study Class. Then our annual party for the VFW. My husband was a veteran of the Korean War. Then the Awards Banquet on Saturday night. Sunday, I was ready for a long nap after Church. I am not the stay up all night party animal. I am glad this week will be less busy as far as social gatherings go.

I hope you are ready to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Remember when you are having the turkey and dressing why we celebrate. This is not just a holiday. This is Christmas. The celebration of the Savior. From the days of his infancy, men have feared him. Herod, tried to kill him when he was just a new born. Men have despised him. The Religious leaders of the day hated him because he pointed out their sins. Men have denied him. And they still do today. He was murdered and died on a cross like a common criminal. He was innocent. He died, was buried and then he arose again on the third day. He died for you and for me so that our sins are forgiven.

May the peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with all of you and may God bless you and keep you in his loving care.

Merry Christmas to all of you and a Happy New Year.

Regards

Mary

The druggist in my hometown when I was growing up was Mr Roy. He was quiet a prankster and in turn had many pranks pulled on him. One Christmas some of his "friends" put horse manure in his stocking hanging on the mantle. The next day some one ask Mr Roy what he had gotten for Christmas. Without missing a beat he said. "A pony, but it got away."

And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth unto Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem because he was of the house and lineage of David; to be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.

And so it was there that while they were there the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.

And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

Luke 2: 4-7

Home Sweet Home

It was a beautiful day in late November that my brother Bob took the camera and snapped this picture from up on the hill overlooking the barn stead. The silos in the back of the barn are reminder of the days we brought over 60 head of dairy cows to the barn twice a day to milk.

Today the barn is used for horse stalls. Not fancy but we are making do.

I haven't really known what to write about lately. Today is no different. But we have had a wonderful couple of days this week. The sun was out and shining bright on Tuesday. It was not like a December day. It was more like a November or even late October day. There was a chill in the air but it was still pleasant to get our vet work done with the herd.

My brother, Bob is amazed when we work the horses with the vet. How smoothly it goes for the most part. There were some who would rather stay down by the hay stacks. They really would rather have not been taken away but we did catch all of them with the help of a couple of feed buckets. You see, Bob was always working with cows when he lived on the dairy farm where we grew up just outside of Taylorsville. Working with cows always provided some interesting moments as we had to round them up and work them through a cattle shoot. We always had to catch their heads and try to get the work done on them while they were fighting with the head gate trying to escape. It was always a hard day of work to get shots, castrate bull calves and dehorn the young stock.

Tuesday it was just a matter of walking up to the horse, catching her and bringing her into the barn to get whatever care she needed. Then the hard part was getting them back out of the barn. They really like to hang around for the scratching on the shoulders or the bit of hay they can reach through the boards that separate the hay from the horse stalls.

It only took a short time to get the work done with the herd, pay the vet and go in for lunch.

Tuesday evening found me in Southeast Christian Church where I am a member with my dearest friend Donna to kick off the Christmas season with a group of other women to hear our guest speaker for the evening. But first the music. The music at our church is so beautiful. The men and women who do the praise and worship music at our church are good enough to be professionals but yet every week end for three services, we are led in praise and worship by these dedicated Christians. So the evening was such a great and glorious time of worship and learning. Listening and praying I think I speak for most who were there, that each of us took so much out of that service. We felt the presence of God there with us and it is beyond words to describe the joy and peace that fills one with such a close walk with our Saviour.

Wednesday, Bob and I went to Stanton, Kentucky. We visited the Dericksons and the Tiptons. While we were there, Jamie rode Rockin Andi and S T was on Code of Honor. To watch the two of them working together was very enlightening. Andi has been under saddle for a year now and Code of Honor has been under saddle just a couple of months. Andi is smooth as silk. Everyone at the farm is so excited about Andi. She is intelligent and she has settled into her gait so well. She knows what she is doing and she likes doing it.

On the other hand, Cody is just a couple of months into his training and he is still figuring out what exactly is expected of him. But he is getting it and he works hard. I am so pleased with Cody and Andi both. Both of the trainers are doing such a wonderful job with the horses. They are each in different stages but they are learning. Andi and Jamie demonstrated the side pass she has recently started learning. Cody and S T were out on the obstacles. He is willing and working hard. I am so pleased to own both of those horses.

I first saw Rockin Andi about this time last year. I was visiting Van Bert's and Jamie was riding my mare Rocky Top Rebel. Along came Brandon on this new horse that had just gone under saddle. I know Larry set me up. Of course all of you who know Larry do know this is how he sells horses. The horse Brandon was on almost took my breath away. She was so smooth and had a way of moving that just drew one's eyes right to her. And again, she had just been put under saddle. I knew she was really something special.

Brandon rode around the lot in front of me several times and of course I had to ask Larry who that horse was. He knew when I first saw her that I was hooked. Just as he had expected. But who wouldn't like her. I watched as she moved away from me and she looked smooth as silk even then to my untrained eye. It seems she had been given the name Tila Tiquila. I bought her almost on the spot and changed her name to Rockin Andi. Of course everyone thought she was a colt because of her name. But my granddaughter's name is Andrea and we have called her Andi since she was a little girl. So my horse is named after Andrea. Thus Rockin Andi.

Larry has a way of selling me horses. He can read me like a book. May I tell you how I acquired another of my fillies. Her name is Flair for Fury. She is a beautiful chocolate with a flaxen mane and tail. I had taken Mt Spirit to Van Bert's to have him trained for showing in hand over the summer. Spirit was under weight from the winter and Larry started feeding him up and working with him. Pretty soon he was leading like he had done it every day of his life. I was practicing leading him thinking I would eventually show him this past season.

I was practicing in the barn one day and Larry had Lewis bring Flair for Fury out to show me how to lead and park a horse out. Larry also wanted me to see the difference between Flair and Spirit as far as conditioning. Well that was his story and I am sure he is sticking to it. Before I knew what was happening to me, I owned that one too. Mike and Judy Brummer own Flair's sire, Venture's Black Fury. They of course wanted to have her stay in Kentucky to show in the UMH shows this past season since she was a Fury Baby. There was some interest in her from up north and she would have been shipped out of Kentucky.

This was one of the best buys I made at Van Bert's although every horse I have bought there is an outstanding horse. But thanks to Flair, I will be receiving two high point trophies at the awards banquet on the 12th of December. Flair is here on the farm now and she is growing like a weed. She has had a saddle on her several times. She has also had a rider in the saddle once and was outstanding. She was calm and stood perfectly still for the mount and dismount. She is still young and has not been worked hard at all. But she is a treasure and she is going to be an outstanding mare.

The other high point award will be for W O F Dock's Velvet. She is a two year old filly that I bought as a weanling. She has been under saddle for almost a year now and has won the high point award for 2-3 year old Country Trail Pleasure. She is still with Cool Shade Mt Horses for training over the winter. She too will be awesome next show season.

Larry and Vera took us out to supper last night for some fried green tomatoes. It is such a pleasant time when it is spent with these two special people. The fried green tomatoes were good too. I didn't go to Stanton but once is November and I really missed all of the people at the Van Bert Farm. So it was really a wonderful day and one that will live in my memory for a long time.

God bless you and keep you in his loving and tender care.

Regards

Mary

"Riding horses is easy, Climbing back in the saddle of life when you repeatedly fall off, now, that is a lot harder. I kept going because of my mother's belief in me and because my love of animals and my desire to learn about them were stronger than my fear of failure--and because I had a horse carrying me."

Janice Willard, DVM MS

From "Chicken Soup for the Horse Lover's Soul"

"Delight thyself also in the Lord and he shall give thee the desire of thine heart. Commit thy ways unto the Lord trust also in him and he shall bring it to pass."

Psalms37: 4-5

"For God has not given us a spirit of fear' but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind."

II Timothy 1: 7

Happy Thanksgiving

An early morning shot of the woods close to my house. It was a very foggy morning and we got this shot just before the sun burned the fog off and it became a clear warm fall day in November.

God is so wonderful and loving. Here he gives us a little glimpse of the beauty that surrounds us if we just stop to look and enjoy it.






God bless these dirty dishes


They have a tale to tell


While others may go hungry


We are eating mighty well


With home and health


and happiness


We shouldn't want to fuss


For by this stack of evidence

we know that


God is very good to us.





Happy Thanksgiving one and all





God bless and keep you in his loving care.





I thank God for all of you. I love you and thank God for my precious children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. Do you know, really know how much each of you means to me? Each of you are like a precious jewel to me. I love you and thank God for each of my sons-in-law and daughters-in-law. And now I two grandsons-in-law. God bless each of you.





I thank God for my brother and sisters and what each has meant to me in this journey called life.





I thank God for each of you my dear friends. You can never know how much your friendship means to me. You have been in my life, some for a short time and some for years and years. Each of you is a treasure. I love you all and ask God to bless you in whatever way seems best to him.





Have a happy Thanksgiving and remember to thank God from whom all blessings flow.





Regards





Mary

Apology

Pictured to the left is the three weanlings. Two born on our farm and a gray filly I bought over the summer. The two in the picture on the right are Blaze and Celine. Blaze is the largest. He was born March 31 and Celine was born May 22.

I apologize for not posting a blog for several days. Since my brother Bob has been here we have down loaded so much on our Computers that we have exceeded the limit on my satelite connection for my broadband. I just got an upgrade today so we should be ok now. Don't ask me to explain any further because that is all I know about the subject. I just know that now it cost more to use my internet.

Something happened to me today that has never happened to me before. I think I am a very easy person to get along with but I can be pushed to the limit. Maybe today I have been.

Yesterday, I learned that my sister's home had been damaged by fire. I was worried about her. No one in the family had let me know. It was today before I learned just what had happened and that she and everyone else in the house are ok. There is a lot of damage because of smoke and the fire and she and her husband will not get to move back into the house for several months. I have been upset and concerned about her welfare since she is an invalid. It has really bothered me.

We have two dogs on the farm that hate each other. Lilly and Cassie have hated each other from the first time they saw each other. Lilly belongs to me and Cassie to Mike and Natalie. From time to time they get into a fight. I never know for sure just who starts the fight but yesterday I heard a growl deep in the throat of one of them and before I could get Lilly away, they were in a fight for their lives. Annie finally got Cassie but she had a death grip on Lilly's ear and so I swatted her with a stick and then Annie was able to get her put into the barn and locked in the feed room.

Cassie had teeth marks on her head where Lilly had gotten her. Lilly is ok. Cassie has been treated for wounds and she is ok. But what makes dogs and people fly into a rage that way? For the life of me, I can not understand what triggers an outburst.

I have dealt with many people in the public. I worked the window at the post office for 20 years and I seldom knew why a customer would come into the office upset over what seemed like a trivial matter to me. I did know that there was usually something deeper than what they complained about. I once told a new clerk in the office that had just had a nasty customer that perhaps their underwear was too tight or maybe their shoes hurt their feet and to not take it personally.

But that doesn't explain why Lilly and Cassie hate each other so much. I know neither one of them wears underwear or shoes. But they have had an instant dislike for each other from day one. I have at times tried to explain Lilly's dislike for Cassie as jealousy over me. And indeed at times when the trouble starts, Cassie is too close to me. But why did Cassie start the first fight they had? She really likes Tex, the other dog that Mike and Natalie own. She likes Erica, my other dog. She never had a problem with Holly. It is just Lilly.

So why do some people just naturally get along and others seem to be at odds from the first time they meet? I have met people that I like from the first minute I met them. I have met some that I feel uncomfortable around that seem to trouble my spirit. Later I find I have been right about them. Then I have met people I just didn't like from day one. Being a naturally polite person, I do try to withhold my feeling and just get along.

But back to what happened to me today that has never happened before. I bought parts from a local parts dealer for my bush hog. It is a Woods and had a lot of damage. Mike made a list of parts he would need to put it right. It cost almost $1100 in parts. When I got the parts, Mike said that they had ordered a part he did not have on the list. The part cost $356. But he said not take it back right yet. He wanted to make sure he didn't need it. Last week he told me to go ahead and take it back. So I did.

Bill bought a lot of parts from them and so have I since I moved back to the farm. I bought a lawn tractor from them because they were a company we had done business with before. I have always been satisfied and have never had an issue with them so I just naturally continued to do business with them. They had always been pleasant enough and I don't remember ever having an issue with them.

I called yesterday to find out what the status of my refund for the part was. The parts manager gave me some grief over the box it was in and said that maybe Woods wouldn't take the part back because the box was damaged. I thought that was a little silly because the box could actually be taped back and it was damaged when it came in.

This morning he called me and said Woods would take the part back but there would be a 20% restocking fee. I was shocked. I thought there would be a 15% fee but 20% seemed excessive. I said ok and hung up. Mike asked what they said and I repeated the conversation. He said, "Mom, that is really high and we didn't even order that part."

So I called them back. I asked about the fee. He raised his voice to me and starting talking loudly about the condition of the box. He then accused me of bringing a part back that had been rusted by sitting out in the rain. I ask him not to raise his voice to me. And I knew the part had been in Mike's workshop ever since I brought the parts home. At that time he got louder and said he wasn't shouting at me. I told him if that was the way he was going to treat a customer, I could go elsewhere. He then said his boss had told him if I didn't like it to tell me to take my business elsewhere. I could not believe I heard him right.

All I could think of to say was that their business must really be good if they could send customers away. I then told him I was getting really angry and I would be hanging up before I said something I really regretted. And that is what I did.

I am at a loss at what happened to me today. I truly have never had any words with them before. It was so unexpected to have someone in business to treat me that way. I could never understand why a clerk would treat a customer in such a rude manner.

I was often appalled at how one of our clerks at Prospect treated the customers. She was so rude and hateful to them. I did all I could to create goodwill in our customer base. I was often complimented on how pleasant I was to customers. This particular clerk complained that someone that tried to hit her in the parking lot. I thought it was maybe a guilty conscious over how she treated them.

Other things have happened this week that has made it unpleasant. It has all been a little much with the internet connection, my sister's fire, the rude parts manager etc.

But still I give God thanks and praise for his goodness to me. I know this too shall pass. The Bible tells us to give thanks and praise in all things. So tonight I am giving God thanks and praise for the good weather we have been having. How good Annie is to my horses. That Kathryn and her husband were not injured in the fire and that their house can be restored. I thank God for my brother who is here with me. He has been such a help and comfort. I thank God for my family. Each and every one of them. I love them all.

I pray for peace in our land. I pray God will raise up Christian leaders for our country. I pray for each member of my family and for peace in our family that we can love and respect one another. No matter what happens in the world, we are family. We love each other despite our differences on occassion. Each of us is unique. God made us that way.

I thank God for each of you who are readers of my humble blog. I didn't know if anyone would read my blog when I first started. I thank you for your encouragement. I am sorry I have let you down for this many days. But I am sure each of you were able to go on with your lives just the same as if I had been writing a blog every day.

God bless and keep you in his loving care.

Regards,

Mary

Bad times are only "a little something extra" in your life. Persevere and work through the trouble because tucked into every bad circumsstance is a pilon, a magical pocket of beauty or love that is waiting for you, if only you have the eyes to see it.

Nancy Minor

From "Chicken Soup for the Horse Lover's Soul"

And now abideth faith, hope, charity (Love) these three; but the greatest of these is charity (love).

1 Corinthians 13: 13

The Last Farewell

My daugher, Mary Beth feeds Holly a tasty bit of left overs from the fridge. Holly and I have a moment together as I rest from writing my blog a few nights ago. Last night was very hard for me. I knew what would be today and as I write this, I still feel that Holly is laying on the rug near me resting as always. But of course, she isn't. This morning Mary Beth and I took her to the vet. All the staff at the Vet's office came out to see her and tell her good bye. They loved that old dog too. They knew her when she was a younger fiestier dog and how spirited she was. They knew her habits and had watched her grow increasingly older.

The last time I had her to the vet, the vet came out to my truck and took her stitches out from her surgery. He was surprised at how well she had healed and truly today I could hardly see her scar from the recent surgery.

Yesterday, I knew I had made the right decision. I had known it all week. But yesterday it became clearer than ever. She was confused about how to get back on the deck to get to her dog food bowl. I feel certain that the cancer had found it's way to her brain. I helped her back up the one small step onto the deck. Then she found her bowl. Last night she needed to go out and I once again had to help her find the step up to the deck and back into the house. She cried when she laid down on the rug by my bed. She really wanted to sleep there. She had come over to the bed and I had leaned down and petted her and talked to her. She was in pain, despite the aspirin I had given her.

She got to her feet with my help and walked over to the door and went outside. She slept on the deck the rest of the night. It was not where I wanted her to be but it was where she had to be to get enough breath.

Mary Beth came just before ten and we went to the vet's office where we met Debbie. Even the vet, a kind hearted young man whom I have known since he was born, had tears and words of sympathy for us. He assured us that we had done the right thing for her. The shot was administered and she went off to sleep very quietly and was gone. We buried her under a tree at the end of the garden. We will plant flowers and put a small simple stone there to mark her resting place.

God blesses us in so many ways. He sends people in our lives that bless us. He administers to our needs and he gives us good dogs like Holly to love us and make our lives fuller. We can never be alone if we have a dog. She has kept me company and kept me from being lonely since Bill died. She kept him company in the days he spend while I was at work. I would come home at times and find both of them gone. They would be off somewhere together.

So I thank God for Holly and what she has been to us in our lives. She has loved us and she has loved our family. Always happy to be around where we were and especially with the children. You know children are not real neat at the table and will often drop something to the floor. She was there happily waiting to clean it up.

Today as we celebrated Holly's life and mourned her death, we were happy to celebrate the new life that God blessed us with today. My new great granddaughter was born just minutes after Holly's life ended. I have not seen her yet but from all reports, she is very beautiful. She weighed in at 6 lbs 11 ozs. Almost 2 pounds more than her cousin Alyssa. I will see Layla Michelle Sitgraves tomorrow and look in on her mother who had to have a C Section to have her. So today has been a bitter sweet day. The blessings God has showered us with today out weights the sadness of losing our faithful friend.

I pray you will have a restful night and God will bless and keep you in his loving care.

Regards,

Mary

Horses change lives. They give our young people confidence and self-esteem. They provide peace and tranquility to troubled souls, they give us hope!

Toni Robinson

Footnote: The same can be said of dogs and often those who love and own horses also love and own dogs.


"And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creatures after his kind, cattle and creeping thins and beast of the earth after his kind and it was so. 25 And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind, and God saw that it was good. 26 And God said, Let us make man in our image after our own likeness and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and the animals of the earth and every creeping thing that creepth upon the earth."

Genesis 1: 24-26

First the Dynamic Duo then The 3 Amigos

I don't know what to write about tonight. My heart is heavy. Tomorrow I am taking Holly to the vet to have her put to sleep. It is very hard. She was Bill's dog and they really loved each other. And we love each other too. She sleeps by my bed when she can. It was at one time every night. Now she sleeps in the living room on the rug that must be more comfortable for her.

At night she cries from the pain. It is time to relieve her suffering. I have cried over this dog in a way I have not cried since my Dad and Bill died. Each of those loses were extremely hard. Tomorrow at this time her suffering will have ended. She had a good long life but like all lives, it seems all too brief. I have suffered already from this hard decision.

So tonight I want to write about something else that had happened this week. Something that offsets the pain of what is happening with Holly. It is exciting to watch my weanlings and to take note of their development. First there was the Dynamic Duo. Those two were Celine and Blaze. Blaze was born 3-31-09 and Celine was born 5-22-09. We just went through the weaning process with the two of them and it was a circus around here trying to keep them separated from the mares. I think I have documented that rather thoroughly. They seem to have gotten over that already and the mares don't notice them being gone so much now either.

Those two have been buddies in the pasture all summer. I have watched them form a friendship and get to be real pasture buddies. Blaze always seemed to be showing Celine the ropes. One day I saw him go upon the big pile of dirt and watched as she followed him up. He was in the lead going to the pond. He was in the lead as they gaited down across the field. He was in the lead when the gate to the barn was opened and they were allowed to go in to eat from the feed trough. They had formed their herd of two and he was the leader.

Lately I brought another weanling into the herd. She has been away from the other two. She has had some congestion and has been getting over a cold so they have been away from each other. Today they were allowed to go out into the round pen together. So now the Dynamic Duo have become the Three Amigos. At least I hope that is what is going to happen. They had the usual getting acquainted ritual. Sniffing each other and then keeping their distance. They are fun to watch. I leaned on the round pen and watched them check each other out and then go about the business of eating the grass in the round pen.

Before the sun slid down over the trees on the western horizon, we went into the round pen and led them back into the barn. I took Celine first. We have a set of steps that is three good steps high setting in the barn. It is my desire that every horse that comes from our farm, will be taught to park by those steps or other similar mounting blocks and stand quietly to be mounted. I walked Celine up by the steps and ask her to stand there quietly. She stood there long enough that I was able to praise her for being a good little filly and then I walked her away. She did really well walking into the barn. She was very quiet and attentive.

When I went back to the round pen, my brother, Bob had the other two. He had been walking them around the pen. I gave him Ann and I took Blaze. Ann walks quietly and isn't any trouble to move but Blaze is full of fire and vinegar going back to the barn. He wants to run. He wants to lead me. He wants to get to the barn as soon as possible. I ask him to stop by the steps. He sniffed them and then attempted to go the other direction. I made him back up 6 or 7 steps and then ask him to walk up to the steps again. I repeated that several times. He finally got the idea that it would be easier to just stop there and stand. He wasn't in the correct position but we will work on that. It is a start.

Bob had put Ann in her stall and had set down on a bag of shavings. Blaze saw him right off. I let him stand there. His ears were standing forward in Bob's direction. He nose flared as he took in the smells in the air. Of course, Bob had just been holding him in the round pen. He had even walked around the pen with him but now Bob was setting in the barn on those bags of shavings that had not been there earlier when he left the barn. Finally Blaze seemed to process all the information and decide he was safe. I then led him into the stall and gave him his grain.

What a day. What a blessing from God to be able to watch these two babies learn to get up and walk and now here we are several months later and they are happy healthy weanlings soon to be yearlings. We have taped them to chart their progress. We are keeping records of weight gains and height gains. Blaze is the tallest and Ann is the heaviest by less than 10 pounds. Celine being the youngest is shorter and lighter than the other two.

My brother will be with me for a time. God has blessed him with the glorious colors of the leaves this fall. He has enjoyed the peace and quiet of the farm and spending quiet time in prayer and reading his Bible. Nature really does speak to us of God's love and gives us just a little taste of heaven. His soul is being refreshed by God's mercy and living for a time in this quiet place. There is work he can do here. He helps with feeding. It isn't much of a chore. But his hands are busy and the animals work their magic on the souls of those who work around and with them.

Bob helps me with the cooking and cleaning up after meals. He does a lot of little things that make my day go smoother and my life more pleasant. We get along really well together. Neither of us feels that the other has to have constant attention. We each use our time in whatever way that suits us. I have enjoyed his being here with me.

I hope your days are happy and productive and that you take time to enjoy the change of seasons and the sunrises and sunsets. I hope you look up into the sky and see the big beautiful moon hanging in the sky. I hope you take note of all the wonders around you. Can you look at the nature around you as if you had been blind all your life and are seeing it for the first time.

God bless and keep you in his loving care.

Regards

Mary


Then Jesus said unto them, "I am the bread of life, he hat cometh to me shall never hunger and he that believeth on me shall never thirst".

John 6: 35

There are times when you can trust a horse, times when you can't and times when you have to.

Anonymous

Here and There

Tonight I am not sure what I will write my blog about. I don't even have a subject title. ( I just thought of one) I do know this has been another busy week. I can't remember when I haven't had a busy week.

Even with all the work around here, we always manage to have a lot of fun. I have enjoyed the two weanlings so much. They have now learned to lead some. They walk along pretty good most of the time but then they will get all wired up over something and will get feisty. The colt Braze does it much worse than Celine. Today I took each out of the stall separately so they could get some fresh air and I could clean stalls without them in the way.

The colt walked beside me in a very nice way until I got him a little too far from the barn and his stall mate. Then he got a little antsy. He reared up and pawed the air a couple of times but each time I pulled him back down and showed him this was not the proper way to act. He settled down. Then I went back for the filly and she led very nicely to where I had him tied. Yes, I had him tied. Sorry Clinton Anderson. I know Clinton says not to tie a young horse until you have done a lot of work with them.

I thought of that when Annie tied Celine to a post this week. I didn't say, "No don't do that." I just watched very closely. Celine struggled for awhile. She pulled back and tried her best to get loose. Of course, she didn't. I thought a couple of times that this was not a good thing to do. Annie sat on the side of the big stall near her, watched and talked to her in a soothing voice. Sooner than I expected, she started to calm down. She walked forward toward the post and with that came slack in the rope. Immediately, Celine realized that this is what it took to get instant relief. Annie then got up from her seat and started to reward her with praise for being such a good little filly. She got a lot of rubbing, scratching and petting. And of course, Celine was loving all of it.

Today when I led her over to the post outside to tie her, she was calm and very quiet. What do you think of breaking a weanling to lead in this manner? I have mixed feelings. On the one hand, Clinton Anderson says not to tie them up until you are sure they will not hurt themselves. On the other hand, Annie sat there with her through the process to make sure she would not hurt herself. Now there is no doubt. She does stand quietly when tied.

I had to watch Blaze very closely when he was tied. He fought and pulled back. He pulled away from me and he was totally unsure of what would happen to him while I was leading him. So I see the difference in the way each reacted to being led today. Maybe a difference in the way they were trained. To be sure. Do I take from this that there are more than one way to train a horse? I am sure there is. I trust Annie with my weanlings. She truly loves horses and the last thing she would want to do is hurt one.

We also went to Stanton this week. It was again a very good day. Eleanor and Bobby rode J R and Annie and I rode Rockin Andi. I like her more every time I see her. Andi is a nice calm mare and has never failed to give me a good ride. Annie rode her in the outside arena and did a nice job with only a little instruction from Larry and Jamie.

My oldest daughter had a birthday on Monday of this week. Happy birthday, Mary Beth. She has also had a busy week. She worked on Sunday. She had a test on Monday. A birthday gift? Classes on Tuesday and Wednesday and then work on Thursday and Friday. Her week starts on Sunday and ends on Friday. Saturday is her only day off. She will make a fine nurse. She is already a good hospital employee. She works with patients on her days at work and they come away loving her. It is usually love at first sight.

That is what happens with people when the love of God comes through them and shines in their lives. She reaches out to the sick in CCU and to their families and ministers to the body and to the soul. The people she ministers to respond to her because they see the goodness of God in her. Can you tell, I am very proud of this young woman God has blessed me with. This daughter who has enriched my life in her many special ways. I love you Mary Beth. Thank you God for this special daughter.

Did I mention fun? Yes, I believe I did. Most of what I have talked about was all work. We have been doing some riding on the farm. Annie gets one or more of the horses out each day she is here and she rides them. They are ridden all over the farm. This week, Annie and Natalie have ridden, Annie and Bobby have ridden and Annie and I have ridden. Mt Girl, Rosie, Romeo, Moon, Thunder and Amego have all been ridden. Moon and Thunder are boarded horses. She also rides them some too.

Time to close. God bless you and keep you in his loving care.

Regards,

Mary

"Great peace have they which love thy law and nothing shall offend them."

Psalms 119:165

"The most important issue facing America today is the worth and value of every human life. If we get that wrong, ultimately nothing else will matter."

Mike Huckabee Former Presidential Candidate

Annie & Celine's Shining Star

This is a chair made by my father, Frank Rogers and son Steve Lipginski from wood that came from a bidge that was torn down in Taylorsville. My father and his brother brought the wood, heavy oak, to their farm and built a barn. Later a hard wind hit the barn and blew it down. Steve and his Granddaddy brought some of the wood to Dad's shop and from that they made this rocking chair. Steve put the cain bottom in several years ago and I took this picture when he had just put the finish on the wood. He has it sitting in a place of honor in his formal living room.

Annie is Annie Hart and she is a God send for my farm. As most of you know, I do have several horses at this point and most of them are home for the winter. Some of them, I am not confident to ride because I lack the skill I need to feel confident. I also don't want to ride alone or with someone who is not a very good rider either.

Annie's father and my son Mike were Army buddies. That is how I got to know Annie. She is such a good rider and so good with animals in general and horses in particular. She knows what they like and how to relate to them. Sometimes I think they may talk to each other.

I had some problems getting the two weanlings away from the mares. I think that is well documented. Are you smiling? I am smiling from the memories of all we have been through to get the two weanlings away from the mares. I had gotten Blaze away from his mother by using the new stall I purchased. That was easy. I had imprinted him and he was all to happy to come up to us and to allow us to handle him. Celine was a different story. She as you may remember was not imprinted at birth and she has had a hard time accepting humans and trusting us.

I had gotten Celine and her mother into the big stall and had not yet separated the two of them. They had been in the stall several days. We were only having minimum successful getting Celine to allow us to handle her. I had brushed her, combed her mane and handled her in many ways but when it came to the halter and putting it on her, it was no deal.

Yesterday, my brother Bob, Annie and I were in the barn and we were talking over different options to separate the two of them. I decided the mare could go outside away from the weanling. Celine immediately started getting very agitated and stressed. We have a weanling I had bought over the summer that I call Ann. So we put Ann in the stall with Celine and gave them some feed and the two of them started eating together. Celine calmed down immediately. Ann had been weaned a couple of months ago and she wasn't caring about her mother anymore but she does care about the grain I put into the trough. Celine has also been eating dry feed so it wasn't hard to get her interested in the feed I put in front of her.

Annie went to the field and shut the mare down in the lower field where she could not come up to the barn and talk to her baby. This helped immediately. Then Annie went into the stall and talked to her and rubbed her and petted on her. Pretty soon Annie had the halter on Celine. Celine was a little upset but she accepted it all in good time. She wore it last night. She is still separated from her mother. This time I think it will work

Annie has a lot of knowledge for a young lady of 18. With her help I am taking the knowledge that I have acquired from listening to others who know about horses and the books I have read on the subject plus videos that I have watched and began to make it heart knowledge.

What is the difference you may ask. Before I accepted Christ into my heart as Lord and Savior, I knew a lot about him. I had been to Sunday School and read my Bible. I knew all the stories and I had memorized all the verses to the songs that told me about Jesus. I went to Bible School in the summer as a youngster. My parents had me in church almost every time the doors opened. But I did not have the heart knowledge I needed to personally know Jesus Christ. Then one day I ask Jesus to come into my heart and I accepted him as my Lord and Savior. I accepted the gift he wanted to give to me. Then I had heart knowledge of Jesus. It is so different from just knowing about him.

How does this really relate to horse training, you may ask? Once again, I have a lot of knowledge about horses. I know a lot about what makes them tick. I know why they do some of the things they do. My most recent reading material has been a book titled "Think Like a Horse." I know more about their eyes and ears and bone structure now than I did as well as a lot of other general information. But until it becomes a part of me and I work with horses, all the knowledge in the world will not make me a better rider or a more successful trainer. That will only happen when I actually start to relate to them in a personal way.

I am so excited about having someone work with me each and every day. It is so much different than talking or reading or even watching someone work with horses occasionally.

Let me tell you how much she has already changed things around here in just a little over a week. Natalie has been fearful to ride her horse, Romeo. She has almost been in tears a couple of times because she wanted to ride but he frightened her because he had found out he was the lead horse in their herd of two. She did not know how to make him do what she wanted him to do. She was also fearful of what would happen if she pushed the issue. I know what that feels like too.

Last night, my brother Bob and I were eating supper in front of the big picture window in the sun room. I heard strange noises and looked up. In a little bit I saw the flash of the light on what I knew was a stirrup. I walked out on the deck and of course it was Natalie and Annie. They had gone for a ride after dark. Natalie was just as comfortable as she would have been behind the wheel in her car. Annie inspired that confidence in her and has already taught her how to become the boss in their two horse herd.

I am very proud of Natalie for her courage and for her willingness to learn. I am indebted to Annie for being such a good teacher and giving Natalie the confidence to take charge of her horse. Natalie is really enjoying the riding experience and I think Annie is really loving to ride the horses on our farm.

Why wouldn't she though? Why wouldn't anyone? The Mountain Horses are some of God's greatest creations. To ride them is to enjoy a little piece of heaven on earth. Everyday all around me I see the creation of God's hands. Sunday morning as Bob and I left for church we looked out over the fields with the fog hanging silently over the green grass and kissing the trees dressed in their fall colors and we could not help but think of God's goodness and love for providing the beauty that embraced us.

May the peace and joy of knowing Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior

embrace you. May God bless and keep you in his loving care.

Regards

Mary

A clear understanding of stewardship not only recognizes that it is not about us but also believes that is all about God, and that it all belongs to and comes from God.

Tony Dungee

Retire coach of the Super Bowl Champions, the Indianapolis Colts.

I am the way, the truth and the life: no man comes to the father except by me.

John 14: 6

Who is That Horse?

Eleanor in the first picture with J R and a picture of the two sisters riding J R & Rockin Andi (Eleanor 0n the left & me on the right).

Friday we took a trip to Stanton. Eleanor had been assured that she would get to ride. Jamie had promised her. We were a little later getting there so we went to lunch with Vera, Larry and S T. Lucy, Eleanor and I went back to the stable to ride. H T and Wilda were in the barn when we got there. H T did not look like he was feeling well with his broken ribs. But he sat there and talked to us.

Jamie had saddled Andi and rode her and then helped me on her. I was riding in the barn and Wilda was giving me encouragement and instructions. I am feeling so good and confident on Andi. She is a wonderful mare and I love her a lot. She is getting better and better. Jamie is doing a great job with her.

Eleanor was watching me ride and I know getting antsy to ride herself. She ask Jamie if she would get to ride Morning Glory. Jamie said something about not riding her today because she hadn't been ridden in several days. Soon he brought a red gelding out all saddled up and climbed into the saddle. I ask Jamie who that horse was and he said, "J R." Well I didn't know who J R was. He wasn't on the web site. Soon Jamie dismounted and helped Eleanor get on J R.

She rode him around the barn and she was looking pretty confident but he kept stopping. He would get to the door and he would stop. Soon Jamie appeared with a Dressage whip and told her to use it when he tried to stop. She did that very successfully. She rode around the barn and was really looking happier all the time. That is when H T asked her if she liked that horse. She affirmed that she did. He told her that was her horse. I looked at him in stunned silence.

That is something you don't see very often.

I thought I had heard him wrong. He told her again that it was her horse. He had bought J R for her. Then he told us where he bought the horse and how when he saw that horse and found out something about him that he knew he would be a horse that Eleanor could ride and that J R could be trusted.

Before I knew it she was riding him around the barn in a show gait. She had that little dressage whip in hand and when J R looked like he wanted to stop she gave him a little swat and on he went. Now she is talking about riding a classic gait. Oh no, where will it end? Will she next be wanting to ride Park? And could I watch if she did?

When I decided I wanted a horse, I thought I would be buying a quarter horse. Everyone around my part of the country has quarter horses. But one day I was reading Horse Illustrated and the featured horse of the month was a Rocky Mountain Horse. The article even mentioned Van Bert Farms. As I read about the qualities that made Mountain Horses so desirable, I knew I had found the horse I wanted. And there was a stunninly beautiful picture of a Mountain Horse in the center fold.

I started looking on line and found the Van Bert Farms web site. The horses on their web site were so beautiful and so appealing. I read about the family operation and saw a picture of Vera and her three sons riding together. They were having such a great time riding those beautiful horses. I knew that would be where I would go to look for a horse.

At the time I did not realize that it would start a long and happy relationship with this special family to the point of feeling like I am part of their family. They have always been so warm and wonderful to me. In 2007 I took Eleanor to the farm with me. By that time I had bought Blue Ridge Mountain Girl. I was about to buy Butterfly Kisses. Eleanor fell in love with the horses immediately. She started going to the shows with me and she has been with me almost every show since then.

Over the last two and a half years, they have gotten to know my family and to love and respect Eleanor for the person she is. They allowed her to start riding at the farm last year despite a lot of misgivings on my part and maybe theirs too. I was worried about her at 76 starting to ride a horse again. Even a sweet Rocky Mountain Horse can sometimes do something unpredictable.

But they have been very helpful to both of us. I have bought several horses from them. I have some really beautiful horses. All of them are gentle and good natured. I am often told that I know how to pick horses. I don't think that is it at all. I just know the horses I buy at Van Bert's are quality, well cared for horses. I have never bought a horse from them that I have been disappointed in.

When H T told us that he had bought the horse for Eleanor, I was stunned beyond words. He is such a kind and good man. And Wilda was happy as can be that Eleanor had a horse of her own that she could ride and be safe on. Wilda was out in the middle of the barn giving us words of encouragement and praise and correcting us when we needed it.

I started feeling guilty that Lucy had not ridden so I got off of Rockin Andi and let Lucy ride her favorite horse. Melissa was somewhat miffed that she had to go to school and couldn't go to Stanton to have Jamie teach her more about riding. Eleanor continued to ride until Jamie asked her if she thought she should dismount before she made herself sore from riding so much. She was like a little girl asking for just one more turn around the barn.

I have never seen Eleanor any happier than she is now. She talked all the way home about her horse J R and did I see her doing a show gait on him. Before I could write this blog, I had to let her have a chance to call our friend Michael Brummer so she could tell him personally about her horse J R. She is so deserving of this happiness. She has sacrificed so much in her life to take care of her children. She took care of the oldest one, Dennis for years on a ventilator. It was full time and stressful. She never complained about doing it and he never complained about being in bed all those years.

Now to see her so happy is a joy to me beyond words I have to describe it. I cried when H T said J R was Eleanor's horse and he had bought him for her. She told me it was all she could do not to cry herself.

H T will have a reward in Heaven for all the ways he has served his Jesus that he loves so much. In buying the horse for Eleanor, H T was serving his master. I believe the inspiration for buying the horse for her came from God. God uses us, his humble servants to bless those around us. I know that God led me to the Van Bert Farm. I have been blessed over and over again by the horses, the friends I have made and the Derickson family. I thought it was my idea to buy a horse and my idea to go to the Van Bert Farm. I have decided over these past two years that it was not my idea at all but God leading me. The reward has been great by following where he led. And the reward is and will be great for these two wonderful people, H T and Wilda, for allowing God to use them for his kingdom and to bless those who come in contact with them.

Thank you H T and Wilda and all the Derickson family. You have blessed me and my family in so many ways. Thank you for your kindness and love. And I pray God will continue to bless you in every way that seems good to him.

May God bless and keep you in his loving care.

Regards

Mary

For I know all things work together for those who love the Lord and who are called according to his purpose.

Romans 8:28

Think, when we talk of horses, that you see them printing thier proud hooves in the receiving earth, for 'tis your thoughts that now must deck our kings.

William Shakespeare

The Saga of the Weanlings

Do you get the look. Wilda is saying "Enough with the pictures" Come on Wilda, you are really photogenic. Let me take some more.

If you have ever had a mare with a foal, you know that separating a mare and foal is not an easy thing to do. Last post I talked about taking my weanlings away from the mares. It is really hard on both.

I really do not have a good set up for handling the difficult task of weaning foals from mares. But this week end it got easier. But before this week end, I have had no success in separating the foals and mares.

I got them separated easy enough. I thought to myself, piece of cake. But alas, some things are not as easy as they first seem. Case in point. I had gotten the mares separated from their colts. They were in what I thought was a secure barn with tall round pen panels at each end. The sides were heavy oak rails on one side and the side of the barn on the other. The side of the barn is wood with aluminum siding on the outside. Of course nailed into heavy oak boards. And open about half way up. Too high for foals to go over. And the mares couldn't get in either.

The first night all went well. I went up to the barn, fed and watered and of course they were happy to see food. Day two. A friend of Mike's came by the house and told me I had one of the young horses out. It was in my yard. I thought it was a yearling. It was actually one of the weanlings. I could not understand how he could have possibly gotten out.

We put him back in the field with his mother. Of course they were glad to see each other and he nursed and she was happy to have him there. A little later, I went to the barn and found a panel had been opened and not secured back. So when Blaze got to pushing on it, he pushed it enough to get through to the out side. From there he found his way to my yard and was just across the fence from his mother.

I put the mare and Blaze in the barn and fed them grain. I managed to get the two of them into the stall where the weanlings were being kept. Then I got Magic Rhythm out of the stall and closed the gate on the weanlings and put Rhythm back out in the pasture. No problem. I was quiet pleased that I had been so clever. While I was patting myself on the back and thinking how good I am at handling the horses, we took a trip to Van Berts to ride and bring home some of the horses that were in training. I will keep them here over the winter.

I have more on the trip to Van Berts soon. Eleanor wants to tell Michael Brummer what happened there herself. I can hardly wait to write that blog but I promised Eleanor.

While in Stanton, I made arrangements with Chris and Stacie for them to deliver a free standing stall I had bought from them. It is a very heavy stall and I had plans to set it up in my stock barn to put a horse in that I needed to keep in for any reason. I also thought it would be good to keep weanlings in for a time to get over the separation anxiety.

I brought two fillies home with me. One a weanling, Ann's Mt Treasure and a yearling, Flair for Fury. Lucy went into the barn and turned the lights on and I got out to open the trailer to lead the weanling, Annie, out. Lucy called out to me from the barn asking me about where the weanlings were in the barn. She asked me if there was suppose to be weanlings in the big stall. I thought surely she just wasn't seeing them.

I walked into the barn and sure enough there were no weanlings in the stall. I soon saw the problem. One whole panel on the side of the barn was laying flat on the outside of the barn. The barn has been there since the early 70s and the boards are open to the weather so there is some rotten wood. I reasoned what had happened was that the mares were there talking to their babies and putting their heads up in the open spot and pulled it down. I bet there were four surprised horses when that came crashing down.

So I went to plan B as to where to put the weanling for the night. We tucked the two fillies in with hay and water and turned out the lights and came to the house.

The next morning I fed the fillies in the barn and hurried off to a wedding I was invited to. While I was gone, Chris and Stacie delivered the stall. I found I was needing it now worse than ever.

Mike and his friend Jimmy set it up in the barn for me. It was no easy task because that thing is really heavy. I am really grateful to them for doing that. The two guys put their heads together and came up with a plan and soon it was setting in my barn ready for a horse or two weanlings.

Magic Rhythm and her weanling, Blaze was near the barn so I let them in and gave them some feed. Mike helped me put a halter on Blaze and we led him over to the new stall. We secured him in the stall, fed him hay, water and grain. He was a happy as a lark for some time. That is until he found out he couldn't see his mom anymore.

When I left the barn late this afternoon, they were calling to each other. But he is securely fastened in the new stall. And he will be there in the morning. Tomorrow he will get his little room mate back. I get get Wind Socks and Celine in the barn and we will soon have her in with her little pasture mate. Together they will get over being separated from their moms. Soon they will be just as happy with the generous amount of hay and the grain 2 times a day. Plus plenty of water.

I have hired a young lady that is 18 to help me for a couple of months. I am so pleased to have Annie helping with the horses. Today, well yesterday now, Annie and Natalie rode up on the hill. Natalie has been nervous on her horse, Romeo. Annie rode him down and got him to minding her before Natalie got on. Natalie is so thrilled to ride Romeo and actually make him mind her. He has pretty well known that he was the leader in their herd of two. He made Natalie believe that what he wanted to do was how it would be. Annie has already shown Natalie how to teach him she is the herd leader.

Annie rode Blooming Rose yesterday and fell in love with her gait. And her nice disposition. She thinks that Rosie is just the best ever. Annie is a competent rider and will help me learn to be more confident while she is here. Tomorrow the farrier will be here and Annie and I will get the horses in and we'll get the job done sooner. Rosie needs shoes and trimming as well as some of the other horses will need a little trimming.

So once again, I am hopeful that I have someone I can trust with my horses. So far, I haven't found anyone that suited me. Each time I was excited to have help but none have turned out to be what I needed here on the farm. I have known Annie for over a year and never would have thought she would want to come to work for me. But I found out differently last week and she will be here until she goes into basic training in January. She is in the Army Reserves.

We saw H T Friday and he is in pain with his broken ribs but he was in the barn while we were there. Wilda is doing well. She is enjoying J Lee Walker and says he is the best horse she has ever ridden. And she has ridden more than she could remember.

Vera and Larry are both better. Larry seems like he is recovering slowly. They have had a bout of nasties going around on the farm with Wilda and H T both injured this year. And with Larry and Vera both being sick with whatever they had.

And an update on Alyssa. She now has her feeding tube removed and will hopefully go home this week. Her Mommy has sure had a long wait to have her baby girl home with her. Alyssa is almost 5 weeks old now. They may come here for Christmas. We are excited at that prospect.

God bless and keep you in his tender and loving care.

Regards,

Mary

When you are buying a horse, take care not to fall in love with him, for when this passion hath seized you, you are no longer in a condition to judge his imperfections.

Sleur de Sollesell

For I know all things work together for those who love the Lord and for those who are called according to his purpose.

Romans 8: 28

It is a Cruel World

Pictures of some of the horses. Middle and bottom is Celine's Shinin Star (by Sudden Impact) with her mother L S Mountain Wind Socks.

Today was the day. I weaned this year's foals. I put them in the barn with some grain, hay and water. Blaze (by Sam I Am) didn't seem to mind. Celine ate some of her grain and then started looking for her mother.

She has always been the one who was most dependent on her mother. Blaze seemed from the first to be more independent. But for the first several weeks, Celine was not five feet from Wind Socks any time I saw them. Blaze walked right into the barn and Celine followed right behind him. It was easier than I imagined to get them into the barn and away from the mares. Wind Socks was searching and calling for Celine. And Celine was calling for the mare. But Magic Rhythm didn't seem to mind Blaze being gone. We will see tomorrow morning how she feels with a tighter bag. A side note. I read recently that a mare will give in excess of 11 gallons of milk a day. WOW

I expect she will be happy not to have to nurse a young one anymore. She is already carrying next year's foal by Blue on Black. He is standing at the Van Bert Farm and has been showing this year and having a pretty successful show season under saddle. Wind Socks did not settle on her foal heat and as luck would have it I was without my truck at the time of her next heat and the next heat was too late in the year. So I will be breeding her back later. I will be trying for a fall foal next year.

We had a very busy week last week. I think I say that pretty often. Eleanor and I went to the KMSHA show Thursday and Friday. We came home on Friday evening. We were having a birthday party on my farm. It was Melissa's 7th birthday and she had been planning on this party since last March. She had asked me back then if she could have the party here. Of course, I said yes.

But first more about the show. The show went pretty well. My horses all performed well. We won the reserve grand championship on my yearling filly, Flair for Fury. She placed second behind her brother Flashback. Better known as Flash. I hoped for the championship of course but I am happy for Mike and Judy Brummer for their successful year with Flash. He has won almost every time he entered the show ring. Flair has had a very successful year as well and will receive the High Point Award for Yearling Filly at the awards banquet coming up in December.

My yearling colt won the reserve championship for the yearling colt class. Behind Flash. There was a nice class of yearling colts and we were happy to have won reserve champion in that class behind Flash. So congratulations again to Mike and Judy for that win as well.

Rockin Andi and Velvet also gave it their all in their classes. Velvet placed 4th in her last class despite having an abscessed tooth that required an extraction the next day. She was already swelling in her jaw before that class.

In all we had more than 50 people here for the birthday party. There were around 17 children. It was hard to get a count. Counting that many children is like counting a can of worms. We had hay rides both before and after dark. There was also a pumpkin painting contest. There were balloons and decorations with a Halloween theme. The children came in costumes. And there were trophies for various categories of costumes. There was chili and hot dogs. A good time was had by children and adults alike. And Melissa had a great time at her party.

She is already planning her 8 th birthday party. Since her next birthday will be 10-10-10 she is having a 10 theme. (What else). But here is the plan. Instead of a gift, each person who wants to will contribute $10 and that will go to the children's hospital in Louisville Kentucky. A very worthy cause. She is already planning to have it at Chunky Cheese. Or was that her Mom's idea. This party was a lot of work for Mom and Granny. Aunt Debbie and Aunt Andi helped too. Uncle Mike repaired the hay wagon and drove the tractor. Greatest Grandma went to the party and ate chili.

We all did our part.

Please pray for H T. He had an accident yesterday and ended up with broken ribs. He is home and resting. H T you and Wilda please be more careful. Larry and Vera have both been sick. They are back on their feet but still not up to par. No wonder, as hard as they both go. I am keeping all of them in my prayers and hope you will do the same.

May God bless you and keep you in his loving care.

Regards,

Mary

Whatever things are true, whatever things are pure, whatever things are just, whatever things are lovely, think on those things.

Philippines 4: 8

A horse is the perfection of people's dream about themselves; strong, powerful, beautiful and it has the power to give us an escape from our mundane existence.

Pam Brown

From "Chicken Soup for the Horse Lover's Soul."