Christmas Love

Today I read a friends blog post about love. She eloquently captured what it does to us... when we receive it, when we give it, when we experience it. How blessed are we all? For we are all very, very, very loved.

Her blog reminded me of a story about Christmas Love....as told by a mother.

"Each December, I vowed to make Christmas a calm and peaceful experience. I had cut back on nonessential obligations - extensive card writing,endless baking, decorating, and even overspending. Yet still, I found myself exhausted, unable to appreciate the precious family moments, and of course, the true meaning of Christmas.

My son, Nicholas, was in kindergarten that year. It was an excitingseason for a six year old. For weeks, he'd been memorizing songs for his school's "Winter Pageant." Because the public school system had long stopped referring to the holiday as "Christmas," I didn't expect anything other than fun, commercial entertainment songs of reindeer, Santa Claus, snowflakes and good cheer. So, when my son's class rose to sing, "Christmas Love," I was slightly taken aback by its bold title. Nicholas was aglow, as were all of his classmates, adorned in fuzzy mittens, red sweaters, and bright snowcaps upon their heads. Those in the front row- center stage - held up large letters, one by one, to spell out the title of the song. As the class would sing "C is for Christmas," a child would hold up the letter C. Then, "H is for Happy," and on and on, until each child holding up their portion had presented the complete message, "Christmas Love." The performance was going smoothly, until suddenly, we noticed her; a small, quiet, girl in the front row holding the letter "M" upside down - totally unaware her letter "M" appeared as a "W". The youngsters in the audience snickered at this little one's mistake, but she had no idea they were laughing at her, so she stood tall, proudly holding her "W". Although many parents tried to shush the children, the giggling continued until the last letter was raised, when we all saw it together. A hush came over the audience and eyes began to widen. In that instant, we understood the reason we were there, why wecelebrated the holiday in the first place, why even in the chaos, there was a purpose for our festivities. For when the last letter was held high, the message read loud and clear: "C H R I S T W A S L O V E"

And, I believe, He still is. He gives us new days, the love of others, and everything to be thankful for. I continue to be amazed in His presence and humbled by His love. Have a very, Merry Christmas. We love you all.

Birthday Weekend In Bed...

It's been a chilly and windy birthday weekend for me so we decided to snuggle down and stay inside. I spent the weekend watching movies, reading birthday wishes on email and text messages, and enjoyed cooking up some faire. Ricky has been really sweet about letting me get away with puppy snuggle time. She's better than an electric blanket or hot water bottle. Just thought I'd share some photos.

Nainey is on the mend after being diagnosed with liver disease. I've been nurse Ratchet and although she seems to despise me while the medication treatments and force feedings are happening, she is acting like she is feeling much better. She still seeks out my pets, my lap, and always wants to be brushed.

Thanks to all for your love and BIG 40 wishes!!!! Hugs from South Da-cold-ta.

From 80 to 30 in 3 days...

The Banana Belt....

We were told the Black Hills are the "Banana Belt" of South Dakota. It never ceases to amaze me. We had warm weather last week, then last Friday night it snowed. The better part of the weekend was cold and frosty. This week we'll be back to slightly warmer weather and the snow that came is gone. By the way, I cannot take credit for the fantastic photo above. I found it online and when I saw it I felt it would relay this time of year very well. The fall leaves get wet and frosty.

Simple beauty is so underated (G knows what I am talking about). Simple things that grab you when you least expect it. For example, you hear a melodic sound from the sky only to look up and see these amazing zig-zag formations of hundreds of Canadian geese flying South, singing as they fly. The grass slowly turns from green to brown, the clouds lay low and hug the hills, and there are wild turkeys and deer everywhere. You start to turn on space heaters, pull out the cozy blankets, snuggle down with the puddy-tat and the pokey-pup. It becomes clear that the sun is coming up later as well as setting earlier sending everyone in to their warm, glowing homes for evenings of hot suppers, hot baths, good books and watching their favorite shows on TV. And when you remember to look up at night, it's there, shining like it did last year, in the same place... Orion's belt and sword, faithfully standing guard just like he did last fall. Aaahhhh.... I just love the way the world changes.... and stays the same.

Baby's new digs...

I know, I know.... it's been while.... I've had technology issues (I'm sure you all understand what that's like)... the PC and the camera were both giving me problems. So here I am.

Our new baby girl has been staying the Bowman Horse Resort, which is owned and operated by our good friends Frank and Elaine Bowman (you can see their pix in earlier posts). Their ranch is about 16 miles from Rapid City, where a I work, and about 34 miles from our home. It was a wonderful facility to keep her at with the benefits of Frank's care, his availability to help with problems or struggle she and I had while learning, and a round pen - something that is instrumental in training. The only down side was the distance between she and me. So I found a pasture right around the corner from our home. The goal is to see her more often and work with her more. Frank graciously trailered Lacy to her new pasture on August 23rd. It was bitter sweet for me. I will dearly miss the regular training and help that Frank gave us.

Well, it's been a little over a week and she has adapted to her new pasture, new herd, and the change pretty well. The first day of catching her was a little exciting, not because she wouldn't let me catch her but because my "idea" for an easy catch, sort of backfired on me. You see, I thought if I went out and shook a food bucket, got her attention, she'd want the food and come to me. So, out I went, Sweet Feed in hand (a horses favorite snack), and when I saw her, up went the tupperware and "a rattling" I went. Not only did my sweet horse lift her head, look at me, and start coming my way, but 16 head of cattle, a Bull, and 4 other horse, headed my way, and I'm sure they were all thinking "Well it's about time they brought us out some real food!" I slowly, and dejectedly lower my little food noise maker and tell myself, "Do not freak out, do not freak out", about then they cattle started trotting toward me, as did the horses.... "Don't freak, don't freak - bad idea, live and learn, I'm gonna die....." Well, I didn't move and I didn't die. Once the herd reached me they gathered around waiting while I quickly haltered my horse and led her away to the barn, all of them in tow until they figured out that they weren't getting any chow. That was the first and last time the food catch idea was used. Now I just go out, get a bunch of looks from a bunch of uninterested livestock and put her halter on.

I've pretty much been out there daily since her move with the exception of the last 2 days, as mom, dad, Jen, Richard, and David have been visiting. She is a great little horse. Our biggest challenges have been the Alpha Mare of the herd trying to get Lacy to not listen to me, then the ol' Alpha trying to intimidate me by trying to interrupt our training sessions, and then there is my butt. Just 3 days before we moved Lacy I was riding her, it was a windy day, and a large box in Frank's yard came to life as the wind blew the lid open and she was sure it was a "cougar", so she bolted to the left and my butt and I went flying to the right, landing fast and square on my right hip. The bruise was impressive, but we figured out that I pulled my butt/hip muscle as now that the swelling (well you know what I mean) has gone down, there is a nice dent in my backside and pain in my butt (sorry I couldn't resist). Well, now with her 24/7 field eating of hay, running wild with these other horses, she is full of energy and concerned about being away from the herd. She is a little high strung, so we are taking things slow. I've ridden her but only in the back pasture as we're both getting used to the new surroundings. So, pretty much every day, we go out and play but it's clear that we both miss the familiarity and comfort of Frank and Elaine's ranch. Hopefully in the near future we can leave the pasture for a ride in the hills. Can you tell that patience isn't a virtue I've mastered? Frank always use to tell me that Rome wasn't built in a day, so I'm doing my best to take baby-steps until the new digs feel like old digs.

The Girl and her horse

Visitors...Texas hit SoDak

We just spent the most enjoyable weekend with Jennifer and Richard. We gambled in Deadwood, hit the "wise-guys" at Rushmore, the Harley Davidson shop, ate out, ate in, hiked around Sylvan Lake, introduced them to our new friends who graciously treated them like family, rode horses to amazing vistas and just enjoyed being together.

Richard was pleasantly surprised. Like me, South Dakota wasn't anything like what he expected. ....well, the Black Hills anyway. Just a couple of fotogs of our weekend...

Deadwood Daze...

A couple of weekends ago we decided to head to Deadwood for the annual "Wild Bill Hickock Days". Rick and our friend Frank spent the entire day taking in the sights, events and gun-slinging characters. Franks wife Elaine and I headed up after I took my Professional Coder Certification Exam (which I found out earlier this week I passed - Yeah!). We decided to take a couple of pictures to share. Rick and I enjoy going to this little Cigar Bar called Deadwood Tobacco Company. It's in underground Deadwood. The patrons ride hogs or horses and enjoy a good smoke. When you're not enjoying some fine tobacco, you venture back up to Main Street to once again experience the Old West. The famous Saloon No 10 where Wild Bill was shot in the back, and some artistic reminders that you are in the Black Hills of South Dakota. Gotta love it!

Oh, my pretty baby girl.....

You might be in SoDak if......

Okay, so I'm reading the local classifieds....and I see this GREAT ad .... Read it, then watch the video.... Rick and I have LOVED these little critters for years.... they bring a smile, and a belly full of laughs........ Here's the actual ad....

"FREE Fainting Goat. Young, tri-colored billy. Great fainter. Call 381-XXXX"

"Great Fainter"???????.... how much better can life get? Bet the little sucker's a drama queen. : )

go to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRAIOlzcxjo

Disclaimer: No animals have been hurt in this video. Myotropic goats are a natual phenomen and it is their nature to, when startled, fall down; their muscles become rigid and stiff for a brief, temporary amount of time.

Spring....One of my favorite times of year....

"And everything that’s new has bravely surfaced

Teaching us to breathe

What was frozen through is newly purposed

Turning all things green

So it is with You And how You make me new

With every season’s change

And so it will be As You are re-creating me

Summer, autumn, winter, spring"

Exerpt from Nichole Nordeman's "Every Season"

Wow! How blessed are we? I find myself in awe of the beauty around me. Last weekend we planted our garden and I would stop and look up to see the bluest sky with the whitest, puffiest clouds, lazily hanging in the air. Everything here is popping. I did a walk-about and decided to share some of our spring colors. We love our little yard and all the life it surprisingly gives us. We have a resident bunny who hangs in the front yard and beautiful bulbs of iris, lily and bushes of lilac. The really cool thing about living somewhere that has seasons is that as each one comes, everything changes, slowly at first then you see the big picture. The changes make you appreciated what is coming and also what was, and you get to look forward to the next season, the next change, the next year..... Life is good.

More camp pictures....

Okay... Inquiring minds (apparently) want to know.... I had some email requests for more details.

We spent 2 absolutely gorgeous days in Custer State Park enjoying ourselves at French Creek Horse Camp with our new friends, who keep introducing us to more strangers, who quickly become new friends. Green meadows, peaceful winding creeks, blue skies, and trails, trails, trails....who could ask for more? We decided to go out with a "trail blazing" bang. On Sunday we went on a 4 hours ride that revealed the true nature of our new horse. You see, in trail riding when one goes "trail blazin" they go off the map....off the charts.... basically, in a word, "wing-it" in the hills, on the range, you get the idea, right? You find a new road, or not, but you find your way somewhere... usually it's where there is a fantastic view... and your horse basically trembled the whole way taking you there. Yeah, we went out with a bang. We went THERE. So, on the way down from the "peak" we find ourselves on really steep slope/mountain and my young horse is taking really small steps, working her way down, when she suddenly stops.... and she won't move.... but you see... I didn't stop moving... slowly.. very slowly... me and my saddle are sliding down her neck. So I holler to my "fearless" guide Frank ... "Uh Frank... we have a problem....my saddle horn is between her ears...literally." Needless to say, he told me I needed to get off my horse's neck... not so easy on the slope we were on, but I did as quickly as I could. So, I fixed the saddle for the remaining trek, she and I on foot, down the mountain to more stable (no pun intended) ground. You see, I learned two HUGE things on that mountain....1) It's really, really, really important to have a rear/back-cinch on your saddle if you're gonna trail blaze mountains (nope, I didn't have one) & 2) I have the best damn horse in the world.... another horse would have probably bucked me off, just to get "the fatty" off her neck... she just stood there, not a buck, not a flinch, not a move... She figured it out before I did (which she usually does) and stood there patiently waiting for me to catch up... which I usually do. Lord how I LOVE this horse. She has such a gentle spirit. Her patience helps me understand that maybe, just maybe, she trusts me.... when the reality is that I trust her. Frank also apologized for forgetting that I didn't have a rear/back-cinch. : ) It's okay.. I trust Frank. He hasn't done me wrong yet, and I usually have fun when I do. Anyone up for a trail blaze?

Back in the saddle again... Out where a friend is a friend.....

We just got back from a fantastic weekend of sunshine, friendship, camp fires, and awesome trail rides. The pictures following are just our way of sharing the fun we had. Wish you were here.....

"It's snowing, it's blowing, the Old Man is going......... crazy..."

Yepperdooooo..... we woke up to no electricity this fine morning. It was snowing sideways. We called our handy "511" and found out that the entire interstate was shut down from the Wyoming State Line to Wall, SD (about 150 miles of pavement in all). So I called the office and left a message that it was officially a "snow day" for us in Piedmont. We went back to sleep and when we woke up we had TV!!!! Yeah..... The TV guy said no travel, all roads closed. It's 2:45 pm and we have had between 1 - 2 feet fall overnight and today. It's suppose to snow more tonight - 80% chance. So some hot soup and a lot of lounging. We're keeping warm and enjoying our very strange climate. So who wants to come visit first??????? : )

PS This is a picture of CeCe (short for Cindy Crawford, they wouldn't let me call her Crawford) - she's 17 hands and built like a brick horse : ) Maybe Rick will buy her. Ain't she purdy? The video was taken today after the clouds moved out and everything began to melt and quickly. You'll see we have green grass under our drifts of snow.... go figure....

Just some chatter this time.....

It's May Day ..... and snowing.... and there is a Blizzard Warning for the next 18 hours..... 2 days ago it was 80, beautiful, and we were golfing..... now... the power goes on and off.... we're gathering blankets, provisions, supplies.. (just kidding)... We're actually hoping for our very first "snow day".... can't go to work, gotta stay home.... WHAT THE HECK???!!! It suppose to be spring????? Well, gotta go... the little puppy loves the snow... and it's snowing... we think.... maybe hope... it may be the last snow of the season, but who really knows????? We live in the Dakotas, where gambling is legal, and if you don't like the weather, you don't have to worry.... it will change, in the next 2 hours......

Spring has sprung... a day of horsin' around

Ahhhh... It is a beautiful thing when spring hits South Dakota. Gorgeous blue skies scattered with white clouds, the earth springs forth with life and all the horses get ready for shaggin' our behinds across the beautiful countryside. Today we spent some time in the hills with our good friends, Frank and Elaine. I met Elaine at my dressage riding class last year. Blessings from heaven, these two are. Frank has become my "horse mentor" as he professionally trains horses and Elaine is my lunch buddy during the work week. Frank's sure that eventually he'll be able to train this "person" as Lacy seems to know what she's suppose to do but me, well, I'm a little slow.

Here we are ... a Saturday in SoDak.... Enjoy.