Family Reunion and Other Things

I got the same picture on here twice as you can see. How do I remove it? I don't know so there is the picture twice of some of the children.

The third picture is of one of the fire trucks that came to put out the field fire that started from the combine that was harvesting the crop of soy beans that was raised on my farm this year.

It has been hot and dry. Very hot and very dry and the residue from the beans was dry fodder for the sparks that flew from the combine.

The fire department showed up with several trucks and the fire was soon out. The man raising the beans apologized today for causing such an uproar during my family reunion that was by the way held at my house but I am sure the family at the reunion are still talking about the events of the day.

We had a really nice crowd at my home that day.

Our family reunion on Bill's side of the family was started the day of Bill's funeral. His nephew Brian opined that we only got together only when there was a funeral. It was true. The last time we had seen all of them was at Brian's Father's funeral. It is a shame to only see family you love and care about on those occasions.

So Brian and Theresa put together our first official reunion in November of 2007. They had a good event planned. They had a video of family pictures. They had t-shirts made for each of us. They made calendars with family pictures for every month. They did a really good job.

The next year it was here at my farm. I had a carriage ride and a hay ride for everyone. The carriage was pulled by my three year old mountain horse, VBF Blue Ridge Mt Girl. She was amazing and everyone had so much fun. The day had some chill but it was sunny and pleasantly warm. That evening we had a big bon fire.

I had coffee cups made with the family reunion date and Whispering Oaks Farm with a horse on it for everyone who came. I also had ink pens made up with Whispering Oaks Farm as well as the same horse. Each cup was filled with wrapped candy. It was a huge success.

Last year my niece Vivian planned the reunion and she rented an old log cabin that had been made into a guest house. It was really lovely. It had old pictures, quilts and many other antiques in it. It had the old style kitchen with enough modern conveniences that made it very nice. And of course plenty of food.

This year we really didn't have entertainment planned and it had been such a busy time for us that I barely got the day together. This three times a week for Physical Therapy is taking a lot of time. Tomorrow I go back to the doctor and hopefully I will be nearly finished with Physical Therapy and doctors until my annual check up next spring. My family has already told me that I do not get to leave the house next May.

My husband died in May. I got pneumonia in May and broke my arm in May. So I guess I can see the logic behind their thoughts.

Despite the fact I didn't have entertainment planned the day took care of that. After dinner we were all on the deck visiting and having a pretty good day when someone noticed smoke. It was the combine fire. All the men got in trucks and headed to the field to help in whatever way they could. Most of it was stamping out fire to keep it from spreading. Soon the fire trucks came rolling in and the thick smoke started to dissipate.

Later we teased one of the nieces, Theresa whose birthday fell on our reunion day that the fire department had come to put out the fire caused by the candles on her cake.

We had a really good day together. Steve and his family came from Mississippi. Rita and her daughter came from Michigan and there were several who came from Indianapolis. So there were several who made an effort to be here for the day. I am thankful to God that we all like and love each other so much that people will go to that much effort to be here.

I had told my brother Bob one day that I had some unfinished business with VBF Blue Ridge Mt Girl. I have been grooming her and I gave her a bath one warm day. I have worked on her mane and tail to make them pretty and she is getting some grain now to put extra shine into her coat. She is getting very pretty.

I told Bob that the last time I was on Mt Girl in 2008 I fell off of her. See my last blog. I said then I would learn to be a better rider and ride her again. She and I had some unfinished business. It has taken this long. Did you know that in the Bible the phrase "Fear not" is used 331 times? I have been trying so hard to overcome my fear of riding. I kept running into those two words. "Fear not".

I have prayed, read the Bible and tried to overcome the fear that welled up in the pit of my stomach when I mounted a horse. A friend observed my discomfort and told Bob that "Mary is not having a good time riding". I had an unreasonable fear that the horse would do something unexpected and I would land on the ground. I really dreaded getting hurt but my worst fear was that my family would have to take care of me.

I was really uptight when I got on a horse. Of course the horse knew it. I could feel the horse tighten up and I would get even more afraid. Last spring I confessed my fears to my friend Wilda and she and her family prayed me through the horse show in North Carolina. I had a decent ride but I was still fearful.

Bob, Lucy, Melissa and I went to the trail ride in Stanton in May. I was going to ride but I was pretty much uptight again. I had a decent ride the night before the actual trail ride but I was still fearful. I was on Rocky Top Rebel. She is really a nice mare and she was very calm even though I wasn't. I wasn't looking forward to the trail ride the next day.

The next morning Van Bert Farms put on a clinic. I was part of the clinic. I led my colt, Saga of Snowy River into the trailer and back out. He was well trained. He was doing what I asked him to do. Then we walked up on a small rise. It was actually used at one time to back a truck up to it to load live stock. The was an uneven spot on the ground and I stepped into it, lost my balance and fell really hard on my left arm. I heard it snap. I knew it was broken.

I didn't get to ride for four months. During that time, I had a lot of time to think. A couple of weeks ago I got back on a horse. It was J R. My sister Eleanor owns him. He is dead broke. But he can be hard headed sometimes. His favorite gait is walking and then only if he is chasing down some grass. I rode him in the arena the first time. He tried some foolishness with me but this time I was determined he would do as I ask him. So I used the dressage whip a couple of times and he started to get the idea that I would not be putting up with anything out of him on this ride.

The only anxious moment I had was when he ran down a little hill with me. I made him walk down the rest of the hills. He also tried to turn around and go back off of the trail. I again used the dressage whip on him. He jumped up off of his front feet a couple of time but once again I turned his head and used the whip and he got over it. He walked calmly on down the hill without further trouble.

Today I rode him about three miles and he walked down the hills and he went where I asked him. Once he did try to scrub me up against a tree but we settled that too and I am getting more confident in the saddle.

This afternoon Bob took Mt Girl on a long ride through the trails and she is getting better and better. I rode her in the arena and never had one twinge of fear. A couple of times she wanted to try me out. She thought she could stop when she wanted but that didn't happen. Then a couple of times she thought she would turn the way she wanted to go but I let her know that wasn't happening.

Why do I go over all of this. Many of you probably thought I was a fearless rider. I wasn't. I prayed for God to help me learn to ride so I could have a good time riding like everyone else that was riding my horses around here. I could tell God was showing me he would take care of me but I am really hard headed so finally God used my broken arm to show me that I could get hurt not even being on a horse. Everyone assumed that I fell off of a horse and broke my arm. I didn't. I fell leading a weanling because I was not watching where I was putting my feet and I fell. I fell in the barn on the concrete a couple of times. Once my yearling filly knocked me down when she ran into the barn. Even then I didn't get hurt.

Once one of the horses kicked at the dog and barely missed me. I knew God was taking care of me but I just couldn't get over my fear when I mounted. I saw others that overcame terrible riding accidents that were riding again. My friend Wilda for one and a lady named Sarah Patton for another and I couldn't see how they could do it.

So what is the moral of this story. The moral is what ever you want to see in it. There are a couple of ways you can go with it. But what I take out of it is that God does answer our prayers. It may not always be the way we want it anwered but it will always be for our own good. God used my broken arm to teach me that I could get hurt other ways than riding and yes my family may have to come and take care of me but they love me and they will.

I don't need to have a pity party because of it. No one is willing to party with me if I am throwing a pity party. And God is taking care of me.

May God bless you and keep you in his loving care. And may you always trust God. May all your lessons be easy ones.

Regards

Mary

"I know the plans I have for you" declares the Lord. "Plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you hope and a future."

Jer 29: 11

Blue Ridge MT Girl

Many of you know that VBF Blue Ridge Mt Girl was my first horse. Since then I have bought several horses and I have had 5 born on the farm.

Our first born on the farm was WOF Stephen's Blazin Star. He is a son of Sam I Am and out of my mare by Storm Warning. Blaze is pictured here in the halter class shown by Natalie Wright and trained by Cool Shade Mountain Horses.

The second horse I bought was a filly named VBF Butterfly Kisses. And then there was WOF Dock's Velvet. I love all the horses I own and some I don't own but I guess my all time favorite is Mt Girl. Sometimes I just call her MG.

I rode MG when she was still showing and in fact rode her in a show. I was terrified I would fall off and make a fool of myself. I have since gotten over that. I have embarassed myself because of my lack of riding skills several times. But on with the story.

This year MG blessed me with a black colt by Venture's Black Fury. These Fury babies are really nice. While I was nursing my broken arm and staying in the house away from the horses, Bob and several assistants were teaching the two weanling colts to lead, load and do obstacles. He was separating the colts from their mothers for a time every day. He was giving the mares a break but also teaching the colts that they had an alternate source of feed and it came from him in a bucket a couple of times a day plus all the hay they could eat.

We weaned the colts a couple of weeks ago. They are doing fine and don't seem to miss the mares at all. Although one does whinny when another horse goes through the barn. Today he confused the gelding with his mother and whinnied to him. It was a case of mistaken identity.

But the main story is all about Mt Girl. She is a beautiful black mare with three white stockings. Two on the back legs and one on the front left. She has a really beautiful long mane and tail and a white star on her head.

I have had three unscheduled dismounts from Mt Girl. The first was at the training facility when her trainer almost fell over the fence. I was a bit too relaxed and when Mt Girl spooked because Chris lost his balance and was waving his arm as he tried to regain balance, she ran out of fear. She went one way and I went the other. It knocked the breath out of me.

My daughter was there with me. She ran down to the arena and started talking to me. Was I ok. I nodded yes because I couldn't speak. She started instructing me. "Breath Mom, breath" "In your nose, out of your mouth." She was talking in a rhythm when she suddenly stopped and turned to those around us and said, "I am a respiratory therapist. I know these things." We still laugh about that but I was thankful she was there to help me regain my breath.

The next time was a little more serious. MG and I were riding in the barn with a friend. The barn was a different design from most. The stalls are in the middle of the barn. So when we were riding around the stalls we would lose sight of each other. I had stopped MG and was backing her up and asking her to stand. In the meantime Sheri and Hershey had ridden around the stalls out of sight. When I gave MG the signal to go, she took off like a shot out of a gun trying to catch up with Hershey.

She rounded the curve at the end of the barn but I didn't make it with her. I fell and hit the barn door so hard I broke it. I must have been pretty tough because I didn't break anything although I did go to the hospital to get checked out to make sure. It isn't any fun to look up and see horse hooves going over your head. I was wearing a helmet. I always do. I don't know if it is true that a horse never steps on a fallen rider but she didn't step on me.

The next spill came a few months later. I was in Tn at an UMH show and was going to ride in that show. I was somewhat apprehensive about it but I figured I could do it. So I went down to the practice arena and was riding around. We were having the best ride of my life. MG was calm and she was gaiting around the arena. It was like sitting in a rocking chair and I was getting very comfortable. I don't know what spooked her. It may have been the dog that suddenly ran across the arena toward her but she went one way and I went the other. It was a very soft landing.

The very small rock that made up the footing in the arena was wet and soft and it was a soft landing place. Jamie helped me up and took me to the wash bay and sprayed all of the rocks off of me. I was covered with rock. Then I went to the motel room and showered and changed clothes.

So I have not ridden MT Girl since then. I have in fact had a very hard time getting on a horse. Then I broke my arm. Before I broke my arm, I think God was trying to show me I could ride and I should not fear riding. I kept running across scripture that used the phrase, "Fear not"

I felt shame. God was trying to teach me I could trust him when I rode and all I could think of was to not do anything to make the horse throw me. The more nervous I got, the more aware the horse was that I was nervous. That was counterproductive. Even J R got to where he was taking advantage of me. That was terrible. J R is an old gelding that is too lazy to do very much. His favorite gait is walking and he doesn't much like to do that unless his head in down eating. If he reared up, it would be in slow motion.

So now it has been almost four months since I last rode. I had a decent ride the night before I broke my arm. I was riding a mare called Rocky Top Rebel. She is a beautiful black mare that is very calm. We had a pretty good ride and she would even allow me to smack the flies that landed on her. She learned I was not trying to hurt her just kill those pesky flies. I rode a little while with my brother and then we headed back to the cottage. The next day I was planning to ride in the competitive trail competition but everything changed for me.

Many people ask me if I was riding. I had to admit I wasn't even on a horse. I was leading a weanling colt and stepped on uneven ground, lost my balance, fell and broke my arm. I hoped so much and prayed a lot I would not have to undergo surgery to fix my arm but I did.

On Facebook I wrote Roman 8:28. "For I know all things work together for good to those that love the Lord and are called according to his purpose." I think that may be my life's verse. I cling to it often. I quote it to myself when I am going through something hard. It is written on my heart as a wonderful promise. It tells me that no matter what I am going through today, I am going to have something good will come my way even though I am having a hard time in that period of my life.

There is nothing that can happen to us that God can't use it for our good. Steel is tempered by the heat that is placed on it. It hardens it and makes it strong. Gold is purified by heat. Both of those metals are beautiful and useful. God doesn't promise that Christians will have no trouble or go through trying times but he does promise he will be with us.

"Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you."

Deuteronomy 31: 6

Today, I got back on a horse. I was not afraid and my stomach did not get tied in knots. I was not the bundle of nerves I often am. I was way more agile getting on J R. I am stronger now than I was before even though I still don't have the same range of motion. I will be riding again tomorrow. So because I had to have surgery and physical therapy I am stronger in my legs and arms than I was 4 months ago.

Now about MT Girl. I am grooming her and giving her a lot of attention. She follows me in from the field and still leads as well as she did when she was showing in conformation. She comes to me when I approach the gate. I will ride her again. She is in foal but I can still ride her for several more months. It has been my goal to get back on her. She hasn't been ridden in about two years. The last she was showed was in 2008. I know I can ride her. I know she will allow me but just in case you think I shouldn't get on her the first time myself, I will be letting my brother ride her first and then I will ride in the arena for awhile.

Life is a journey. We may not know what is going to happen to us tomorrow or in the next few minutes but we can be sure as Christians we are not on that journey alone. The God that made us, loves us and wants only the best for us. But we live in a fallen world. Bad things happen to good people. But the God who hung the moon and stars and fashions the rainbow after a rain is with us through it all.

May the God of love and peace be with you and keep you in his loving care.

Regards,

Mary

"When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy one of Israel, your Savior."

Isaiah 43: 2-3

I Got Fired

I always thought there were some jobs I couldn't be fired from but I finally found one. It was from my own farm too.



OK picture this. Where have I heard that before. Oh yes, Golden Girls. I won't be nearly as funny as Estelle Getty but here's my story and I'm sticking to it. I've heard that before too. Humm.



We were at the World Show in Winchester Ky. I don't have stable hands like the regular stables. It is just my brother Bob and me. I haven't been riding in any of the shows this summer. Broken arm and all. But Bob has ridden in almost every show this year. He has shown Venture's Golden Satin. Oh yes that is another story. She was called SATAN in a couple of shows. I straightened them out on that one and they went back to calling her Satin. Last show they called her Venture's Golden STAIN. Hello out there, it is a very simple word. Satin. You know like they beautiful material wedding gowns are made of.



But I digress. I was talking about the job I got fired from. Well every one who rides in a show needs some help. Hold the saddle while the horse goes through DQP. Hold the horse. Adjust jacket for the rider. Brush off the coat, pants and boots for the premadonna on board the horse. They really do get big headed when on the horse. Especially the Amatuer riders.



Sable boy, in my case, girl has to know what the rider needs even before he or she thinks about needing it. Fly spray for the horse. Rag for wiping the shoes off. Leather punch in case it is needed. Bottle of water in case it is hot and it is needed. Extra shirt in case the premadonna gets a little stain from horse slobbers. The list goes on and on.



And let us never forget the all important cell phone.



The last of the show, I was doing my stable girl duties. I didn't think of the leather punch. I got the wrong shirt from the trailer, I didn't have a rag and had to borrow one from my friend Michael the ultimate stable boy. When our premadonna got to the show ring I was in big trouble. I had left my phone in the truck and he could not reach me.



Later I was crying the blues to my friend Michael and begging for lessons on being a good stable girl. I like to do everything the best I can. He was almost ready to give me classes until I mentioned I forgot my cell phone and left it in the truck. Now he won't even give me lessons. Later Bob came to the spectator area and told me I was a failure as a stable girl and I was fired.



I have fired him a couple of times but he has never fired me. And from all things, stable hand. I guess it is just not as easy as Michael makes it look. I bet he wasn't so good when he started out though.



Just recently I bought a beautiful Chocolate Palomino. She is a two year old and really something special. She is very naturally gaited and is going to be a really big mare. We have not shown her before the world show. Larry was talking about showing her in conformation and I agreed. I asked Bob if he would mind showing her. He said he would but I know he really doesn't like to show conformation.



I got a better idea that would work for him too. I asked Vanessa Crowe to show Dixie Belle for me. She readily agreed and was delighted I had asked her. Bob walked into the office just after I had asked her and before I could tell him that Vanessa would show Dixie Belle, Larry Patterson informed him that he had just been fired. They made such a big deal over him being fired. You just can't imagine two grown men crying and carrying on like they did.



So I guess world show was get even time for me when he fired me from my job as stable girl. It really didn't pay very well anyway. Michael gets a raise from time to time. Judy has double his pay a couple of times and he still make 0, zip, nadda. I guess he doesn't have to worry much about the tax on that pay check.

A New Day in Transportation

I hear all the time about the new airport security. When I had surgery on my arm, I knew that I now had metal in my body that might set off the security alarms. So I took precaution. I took the time to go to the Doctor's office and get a card that said I have a metal implant to take to the airport with me. I was now confident that if I set off the alarm that I would just produce the card from the doctor and all would be ok.

I really did miscalculate that one. Sure enough I set off the alarm as I went through security. I was asked to step into a booth of sorts that had locks on it and I was told to set down in the chair. Of course I already had my shoes off. Remember the shoe bomber. I was beginning to worry about the underwear bomber and how that might relate to me now that I was getting extra attention. I very confidently handed her the card that the doctor's office had given me. I was told that meant nothing at all. "Anybody could get one of those", she said.

So she ran the scanner over me and the scanner lit up and made a terrible racket. I was sure everyone in the airport was looking at the new suspect. I sarcastistively mentioned that I didn't fit the profile of a terrorist. I was curtly told that "everybody fits the profile" I can understand that. The terrorist on the planes on 9/11 were after all white women in the late 60s and early 70s weren't they? Wait it is coming back to me. I remember there were no women among the group of terrorists of any race or age. So why am I a suspect?

But suspect I was. She assured me it would all be over with soon as she started scanning every part of my body. The buzzer went off as it passed over the rivits on my jeans and of course over my arm where I have the metal to put my arm back together as I told her it would. She asked me to show her where I had surgery and I started to pull up my shirt sleeve. Oh no, they didn't want to see any skin just point to the place where I have the metal. I was cleared and sent on my way with the good news that this was mild in comparison to what I could experience at some airports.

I found out what she meant at the Norfolk airport when I was boarding for my flight home. I once again set off the alarm as I walked through. I was once again directed to the "lock up" to be scanned by another charming lady that works for homeland security. My little card was once again rejected as being meaningless. This time I was treated to a complete pat down. I do mean complete.

I have learned about the new rules on flying to avoid trouble going through security. First I will never again wear shoes that tie. I will wear sandals even if it is below zero. That is a hassle. I will however continue to travel with my computer. It is too handy to have along even though I always have to take it out of the computer case. I don't travel with a bag that has to be checked. I won't travel with a bag with rollers. They have to be checked through.

I will not wear jeans. They always have a front zipper and rivits. It is embarrassing to be standing in a booth in full view of all the airport being patted down. I won't bother with the card the doctor's office gave me. That is useless. Sleeveless is good. They can readily see the scar and I hope to be more convincing. And last of all, I will no longer wear certain kinds of bras. You ladies know the ones. The one with the under wire. That was very embarassing to have a pat down because of my bra. Hope I didn't embarrass any men. Sorry if I did.

So I have thoroughly learned the new rules of travel. I already knew not to have a knife in my pocket or bring knitting needles to knit while on board. I surmised a Crockett needle would not be good news either and would probably be confiscated. Of course I knew that I would not be allowed to bring a gun aboard. That was a no brainer. I never thought my choice of bras would be an issue. It never occurred to me that jeans with rivits and zippers would cause the embarrassment of a pat down. And I will just throw that card away with all the rest of the stuff that is useless in my purse.

On my final journey on this earth I will not have to worry about airport security or embarassing pat downs on the most sensitive parts of my anatomy. I will be on that final journey with no airport security. It will be the journey everyone takes alone. I will however have a big welcoming committee waiting for me. I will have many loved one who have already gone on that journey before me.

Most of all I will have Jesus, the Son of the Living God waiting to meet me as I reach my final destination. I don't care what is said at my funeral as long it is about our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and what he how he saved mankind from the pains of hell and the eternal separation from God. I don't care what songs they will sing as long as they are worship and praise for my Jesus. All I want to hear is the Lord of Lord and King of Kings say "Well done, my good and faithful servant".

May God bless and keep you in his loving care.

Regards

Mary

Motels I Have Known

In my life time, I have stayed at a variety of motels. Some were very nice and the one I am staying in right now in very nice. We, my son Steve and I, are staying in the Hampton Inn in Virginia. We came here, he from Mississippi and I from Kentucky, thinking his daughter's baby would be having open heart surgery today. So we both flew in from different directions and met at the Norfolk airport and checked in here to stay.

But Alyssa's surgery has been delayed now until Monday. I probably won't be able to stay for various reasons. But Steve is making arrangements to stay as I write this. He knows he more than anyone needs to be with Sarah.

It has been a difficult year to say the least. I broke my arm in May and still in therapy to try to get the range of motion back. We have had several horses with various illnesses. We had one horse that we had a difficult time to get pregnant. I made the statement that if it had been a cow she would be on the way to the stock yards. But this is a valuable horse. So it was several treatments and vet bills and success, she is pregnant by my stallion, Code of Honor.

Monday I had a frantic call from my dear friend Sheri. Her daughter had gone in labor and went to the hospital to deliver her full term baby. The baby boy had no heart beat. So Jesse went to surgery knowing the C-Section she was about to have would deliver her son but he would never draw a breath of air. Sheri was asking for our prayers. Of course, she had that instantly. We already pray for her and her family every night by name. We had prayed for Jesse and Dave and their family as well. So Sheri and her family are going through the heart break and grief that only a family could know that has suffered such a loss. It is heart rending to go to the funeral of a new born baby. I have been to two and they were both my great grandsons. So my family knows from personal experience.

We were still praying for her family and trying to deal with her loss which was a loss for the community as well when I boarded a plane to come to Virginia to be with my son and granddaughter as her baby went into surgery. That was suppose to be today but now the surgery will be on Monday.

I was in the airport in Charlotte N C waiting for my connecting flight when I called my brother to give him the news that Alyssa's surgery was delayed until Monday. He was breathless, hardly able to speak. There had just been an accident on the farm and one of my boarders had an accident with a horse and was laying unconscious on the ground. My blood ran cold. She was stat flighted to University of Louisville Hospital. Her condition is stable but she still is not awake.

It was a sleepless night for several of us. Her family most of all I am sure. So we have several on our prayer list right now. Sheri and her family, my great granddaughter Alyssa and Debbie (not my daughter) who was the rider that had the accident.

But I was talking about motels I have known. I have stayed in some very nice motels and I have stayed in some really crummy motels. The one that comes instantly to mind is one here in Virginia. It was in Virginia Beach and Bill and I were here to see our son. We stopped at a Motel 6 on the beach and it was very nice but being on the beach it was very pricey so we went next door and checked into the motel. They had sign all over that said they were remodeling so without looking at the room we checked in. The lobby looked ok and it was pretty late so we were tired. And the price was reasonable.

We got to our room and it was truly awful. I repeat, it was awful. There were no safety locks on the doors. We put a chair under the door knob to make sure we had no intruders during the night and Bill slept with the gun under the mattress with his hand near it all night. The plumbing was exposed and ran on the outside of the walls instead of inside the walls. The paint was cracked and peeling. The carpet was dirty. I checked the bed really well before we got in and it seemed to be clean enough. But I still had my doubts.

But God gave us a beautiful sunrise the next morning. The sun flooded our room and when we got out of bed we walked to the door leading to the beach and the sun was just coming up over the ocean. I will never forget that sunrise. After taking in that breath taking sunrise, we checked out and never went back.

We also checked into a motel rather late at night in San Diego California that we thought was close to our son's Naval Base. It turned out we were close to the wrong base and we only stayed one night but during the night, I heard screaming and running and all kinds of unnerving noise. Bill and I decided to move on to another motel the next day. We found a nice Mom and Pop motel that was actually close to the Naval Base in San Diego where Steve was about to graduate from Boot Camp. It was very clean and nice and the owners were so friendly and we enjoyed our stay.

A near miss on my list of terrible motels was in Georgia close to Ft Stewart. It was when our son Mike was returning from Saudi Arabia after a very successful Desert Storm. Bill never wanted to make a reservation. It was his plan to always find a place to stay when we got to our destination. But that time it was a very bad plan. Everything was full. We even stopped at a place that would make the Bates Motel look nice. Debbie, my daughter and I went in to see if they had a vacancy despite our misgivings and we were both very thankful they were also full.

Debbie was 7 months pregnant with her youngest son. We ended up sleeping in the car and found a nice motel with a vacancy the next day.

Another near miss on a bad motel was when we drove to California to close Bill's Aunt's house after her death. We had our dog Holly with us. Bill was figuring that Holiday Inn would not let us stay with a dog so we stopped at this motel he figured would let us stay. I went in. It looked dirty even in the lobby. When I mentioned a dog, the lady at the desk sniffed and said, "no dogs". We ended up checking into a Holiday Inn that welcomed us and our dog. And it was nice.

Holly was always good to travel with. She caused us no trouble at night. She didn't bark during the night and she never made a mess. She just loved being with us. And we had a good night at a nice motel.

I know all of you have probably had some experience with motels that were not as nice as you expected.

This blog seems to be all over the place and nice motels versus bad motels doesn't have anything to do with our troubles this year with broken arms, lost babies, babies with heart surgery and injured riders. I don't know that they really do but this I know for sure. God is with us in all our affairs. I know he protected us in the crummy motels. He is with Debbie while she is unconscious in the hospital room. He is holding Sheri and her family close to his heart as they grieve for their lost baby. He is of course lost to us but he is with Jesus as we grieve his loss.

King David suffered a loss of his son that he had with Bathsheba. The baby was sick and King David was beside himself. He sat in sackcloth and ashes. He prayed for the return to health of the baby. Finally the baby died and his servant were afraid to tell him thinking the grief would be more than he could stand.

But to their surprise, David got up, washed himself and seemed to return to his former state before he was overcome with grief over the illness of his son. He told all of us that his son would not come back to him but someday he would go to his son.

God doesn't see our exterior. He doesn't care that we have beautiful faces or great looking bodies. He doesn't see the clothes we wear or the cars we drive. He doesn't care about the price of our house. He looks at our hearts. He asks that we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior. He tells us that when Jesus died on the cross it was for our sins. The price has been paid once and for all. It is better than going to a fine motel or restaurant and have someone say to us. No charge, the bill has been paid. The bill for our sins is paid in full. Thank you Jesus for dying for me and for you. Thank you for caring about broken arms, lost babies, people who are injured but most of all than you for dying for us.

May the God of love and mercy be with you all. May he keep you in his loving care and may you feel the warmth of his love in your deepest troubles. And walk close to him every day

Regards,

Mary

My Other Life

Welcome to my new follower for this blog. Glad you like my blog Jennifer and welcome. It was such a pleasure and honor to meet Jennifer, her husband Christopher and their three boys. The last Postmaster I worked for was Jennifer's sister, LaDonna Brown.

I admire LaDonna a lot. She is a person that is doing the very best she can in a very difficult job. I don't know just how many people are working at the Prospect Kentucky Post Office but there were 13 routes with 13 carriers and almost that many subs when I worked there three years ago. Plus there were 5 clerks and a Supervisor. That is a lot of people with that many personalities and more problems each than I could count. And then there was the customers. I could write a book about our customers.

There was a carrier that had to be on the floor constantly. She was the first one at work each morning, the last one out on the route and the last one to get in from mail delivery. She had a lot of difficulty staying focused to say the least. She had an issue with each and everything that went on in the office. She was definitely a busy body.

Then there was the drama queen. You know the type. Everything was high drama with her. She never had a simple problem. It was always complicated and it was all about her. Bet you know several like her. One day she encountered hunters out on her route. They were in an open field and had rifles. But she was sure they were going to shot at her. It was a complicated story to hear her version. It had all the little twists and turns and of course the obligatory high drama.

I also worked with a carrier with whom I still maintain contact. He is so much fun. He has a big male ego. He has a lot of big talk but he walks a more gentle walk around his wife. He adores his daughters and is so proud of them for their talents and accomplishments. My favorite story about this carrier is his run in with a dog out on the route.

It was during our window hours. There was a knock on the door and I went to answer it. This lady who was very upset wanted to talk to me about one of our carriers. She was nearly in tears as she relayed her story about the carrier that had sprayed her dog. I didn't really have to ask her where she lived. I already knew who her carrier was by the story she was telling. It seems this carrier had come into her yard to deliver a package to the door. Her dog was barking at the carrier and he sprayed the dog. It really upset her because her dog had cancer and the vet had removed one of his legs to stop the spread of the disease.

When Pat got back in that afternoon, I asked him about it. I told him he really shouldn't have sprayed a three legged dog. His reply was he still had all of his teeth and I should have seen how fast that three legged dog could run. Pat and I still laugh about that and with each telling of the story it gets better and better especially with the spin Pat puts on it.

Then there was a carrier that was forever pushing the envelop as some would say. This carrier was a very congenial sort but he always took every short cut he could to get finished as quickly as he could. He drove too fast and he didn't close the mail boxes which really made the customers angry. If it saved time you could count on him doing it. One day a customer called to complain about her carrier. It was on the route this particular carrier served. I asked what the problem seemed to be. We had a usual litany of complaints. Some carriers you could just count on what the complaint would be. We had a lot of complaints that a carrier didn't come to the door or didn't attempt to deliver an item and this carrier was no exception. But we often learned he really did just leave a notice or left a package out in the weather. ETC

This particular day the complaint was that the carrier didn't come to the door. I ask the usual questions to try to learn if he really didn't go to the door. Now the houses in that area are huge. I can imagine a person being in one part of the house and not seeing the carrier or not getting to the door in time. But this lady assured me he did not come to the door to deliver her parcel. I asked her how she could be so sure. I have heard a lot of stories but this one surprised even me. It seemed she was standing where she could see the carrier as he came up her driveway. She had a driveway that curved up by the door and without having to turn around one could go back down to the main road. She had seen our carrier come up the drive, throw her package which landed on the second floor balcony and drive away. I guess he really didn't go to the door.

My job was working the window. I was a "Sales and Service Associate" If you want to know what that means, I was a window clerk. I loved my customers. They seemed to like me as well. I had one who loved pineapple upside down cake. I found that out one day when I had made one to celebrate one of the carrier's birthdays. So I gave him a piece of the cake and he was thrilled. The whole neighborhood knew about my cakes by the time he got home. He was also acting mayor at one time and I made a cake for his birthday. The police department apparently got in on the cake too. I heard a lot about it and when I retired I got a bouquet of flowers from City Hall.

My customers also had the usual array of health problems and family problems. There were deaths in the family and new life being celebrated. I saw pictures of the new baby and often met one or the other of them. I grieved for those that lost loved ones and I often knew those people too. And they grieved with me when I lost my husband. Often one or more would come in and tell me they met my daughter when a wife or husband or other loved one was in the hospital. Mary Beth worked in oncology at Baptist East Hospital. They would tell me how wonderful she is and how caring. When she learned they were from the town I worked in she would always ask if they knew me.

The funniest answer she got was "Well everybody knows Mary" It was a sweet expression of the relationship we had at our post office.

I never thought that I had any thing special to offer our customers. I just treated them with respect and often admiration for their talents and abilities. I tried very hard to offer any help I could for those that needed it. I offered my God given talents to those who visited my window every day. I had a sincere interest in them and I did my best to show them the love that our Father in Heaven has for us. I wanted others to know my Jesus because they know me and in some small way I could introduce them to him through my actions.

I know I am not beautiful like a movie star. I don't have a figure that people envy. I have lines and wrinkles and gray hair. But more than a movie star figure, people value honesty and empathy. Most people don't want us to feel sorry for them. But they do want and desire respect.

God loved us before our parents even knew who we were. The Bible tells us that he knew us when we were formed in our mother's womb. Don't we have an obligation to spread the love he has for us to others we know and meet along the way. We are all strangers in a foreign land. Heaven is my real home. Life is awfully short and eternity is a long time.

May the God of peace and love and mercy bless and keep you in his loving care.

Regards,

Mary

Aladdin

Many of you have heard about my rescue horse, Aladdin. This is Aladdin's story.

When I first moved to the farm, I only had one horse to bring here with me. But my friend Sheri had a horse named Hershey that I have boarded for her. So I did have two horses together. Hershey and my yearling filly, Velvet.

I loved watching them in the field. They really liked each other and they would run together. They often ran like they were a team. It was almost like they were tied together. One would turn and the other would turn too. It was pretty to watch.

One day Sheri called me and told me she would be coming after Hershey. She wanted to take her for a trail ride. I was a little concerned since that would leave Velvet in the field by herself. But Sheri had already worked that out. She said she would bring another horse to put in the field with Velvet so she would not be alone.

The day came for the transfer and Sheri pulled up in the driveway with the horse on the trailer. She opened the trailer door and off stepped a poor little half Arabian half who knows what. He was thin and he had not shed his winter coat. He had hair loss in some spots. I was assured there was nothing wrong with him that some good pasture wouldn't cure.

He did not belong to the farm he had come from but the farmer had allowed him to stay and had fed him grain everyday but he was not putting on any weight. I knew that farmer and knew he was doing his best to take care of him under difficult circumstances. Reluctantly I let him stay. After all it was only going to be until Hershey came back to keep Velvet company. But Hershey was pregnant. She had been misdiagnosed as being open and Hershey was within weeks of having her foal. So she had to be off of my pasture that has fescue in it.

I guess some of you are wondering what the fescue has to do with anything but it can cause the sack the foal is in to become too thick and the foal will not be able to get out at birth and death will occur due to lack of oxygen. It can also decrease milk production in a mare and even if the foal was able to escape there may not be enough milk.

So Hershey did not come back for a long time. Aladdin settled in after a period of adjustment. The poor little thing walked the 14' gate for several hours after he got off of the trailer. I got worried about him. But about dark I looked out the window and he was with Velvet and they were grazing. So I knew he would be ok then.

Janine is my granddaughter and she fell in love with Aladdin at first sight. So we started to work on him. We threw the grain to him, wormed him and brushed him until his coat began to take on a new luster. We bathed him and scrubbed until his pretty red color started to shine through. He still had some problem areas. He had scars from where he had been cut on one of his legs. It seemed a halter had been to tight on his nose at one time or another because he had scars there too.

Aladdin became very dependent on Velvet. He followed her where ever she went and was totally devoted to her. In the fall Aladdin had separation anxiousity when Velvet was taken to a stable away from here for training. But by then Hershey was back and he soon developed a close relationship with her.

It became so bad that if Hershey left the field he was beside himself. If we put him in the barn he would pace the floor until he was nearly worn out. Over the next couple of years I spent considerable money on him trying to keep weight on him. He would come out of the winter looking poor while the Rocky Mountain Horses would be all fat and sassy. The vet gave him shots, we wormed him, had his teeth worked on and all in all spent more on his maintence than most of the other horses I now own. Oh yes, I did get talked into keeping Aladdin as you may have guessed.

He was ridden some at first by Janine. Then she went home to Germany to live with her Oma there. So I was left with Aladdin and by then I had other horses to ride so he got left in the field.
One day Sheri came to ride Hershey. When she got Hershey out of the field Aladdin got out as well. She rode Hershey up through the field and over the trails. Aladdin followed every step of the way staying as close to Hershey as possible. They were a sight.

Recently Sheri called me and told me that she knew of a little boy that was looking for a horse. Would I consider letting Aladdin go. I told her sure and she gave his mother,Jennifer, my phone number. Soon a very nice lady was calling me to see if she could bring her little boy out to see Aladdin.

The day came and they drove up. Aladdin was in the barn and he had been bathed and polished and shinned as best as it could be done. Bob got him out of the stall and put a saddle on him. Aladdin hadn't been ridden in a couple of years so we really didn't know how he could act. Bob rode him around in the field and he was fine. So he took Aladdin and Nolan in the arena and led him around. Again he was fine. Nolan's little and big brothers got a ride as well.

Nolan was instantly in love with Aladdin and his mother and father liked him as well. I went over all of his faults and assured them that if he didn't work out he could be returned. I wanted to give Nolan the horse but his parents would not hear of it. He had saved $138. for the purchase of a horse and he had to pay for his horse to appreciate it. I immediately felt I was dealing with good parents.

So we decided on the purchase price. $50. It was enough to have him realize this was a committment and would have financial consquences but little enough that he would have money left to purchase some necessities.

So last Saturday, Nolan and his family came back for Aladdin. His grandpa came too. He is also a horse owner and he looked him over real good and approved the purchase. He was loaded on the horse trailer and headed toward the grandfather's farm to be there for Nolan to learn to ride and care for his horse.

But this wasn't the end of the story. Nolan had gone to Tractor Supply and bought a halter and lead rope. His grandfather taught him how to lead him around their arena. At one point Nolan dropped the rope. In her account of the incident to me Jennifer told me that Aladdin had stood right by Nolan as he picked up the rope and proceeded on around the arena.

Next came the gift from Nolan's grandparents. A new saddle, saddle blanket and bridle for him and Aladdin. Jennifer tells me that they tacted him up and Nolan was soon riding around the arena guiding Aladdin with the reins like he had done it all of his life.

I once thought this was where Aladdin would spend the rest of his days. He would just be a lawn orament in my pasture.

I viewed Aladdin as an old horse that would never again serve any purpose. That is the way that we see others sometimes. But thankfully our God does not see us humans in that way. If we truly looked at ourselves honestly and stripped ourselves of all the pride we have we would be humbled. The psalmist said "Who are we that God should be mindful of us." Who indeed. What do we have to offer the God of the universe. What does he need from us. He has everything. Yet he made us to commune with him. He walked in the garden with Adam and Eve.

All he wants from us is our love. I have such a pitiful little to offer to him. Yet he takes it and makes it more than I could ever give. For God is a God of love and he gave the only son he had to die for us so that we could have everlasting life with him. Our sins no longer have to separate us from God. Jesus paid the price and our sins are covered by his blood. It is a matter of humbling oneself and telling Jesus you need him more than anything.

May God bless and keep you in his loving care.


Regards,

Mary

"I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes unto the Father except by me."