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