Life and Peace...

Where are all the people??????

We had the most wonderful holiday with our Canadian friends, Gina and Thom. They inspired us to camp, kayak, relax, eat, drink, and pray for the last 4 weekends. We've unplugged, hung out, chilled, toasted next to the fire, and enjoyed the beauty of the land we call home.

We have floated the lakes in Kayaks, finding peace on the water, peace in the lack of people, peace in the calming of the ever changing clouds that make a new view every 5 minutes, a view that doesn't involve a screen - sorry, it does involve a screen.... sunscreen.

We were having a grand time, until we had an "incident". Syd, our darling, high energy, deaf Outback - Austrailan Shepherd (her daddy was a dingo, we're sure), had a real "chimp attack" on Saturday afternoon. Rick was contemplating going fishing until I said a resounding.... No. Don't get me wrong.. I love Rick fishing because he catches FISH. Prior to him thinking about going something happened with Syd... He said "she freaked out... she must of gotten bit by something." So, we have lunch, feed the puppies, hang out a while as Rick decides whether to fish or not to fish....We're about 45 minutes from her "chimp attack" and I notice her left, upper lip severly swollen, and she is scratching at it like it's bothering her and I openly confirm, "Oh yeah, she got bit by something,... must be a bee sting." I wasn't bothered by the one side... although she kept messing with it, and, what I like to call "dirt diving", you know when a dog sniffs something it shouldn't and then desperately tries to remove the smell, sediment, powder, etc from their nostrils. They push and frollick, and dive and roll, and sneeze, etc. Well, I was okay until her OTHER lip started to swell and she began to look like "the Joker" from Batman. I realize that in the last month while we have camped I have always had 1) a vehicle to take her to a vet and 2) cell phone coverage to "phone a friend" for help. I suddenly had neither and a dog whose possibly having a severe allergic reaction to a bee sting. I told Rick, in no uncertain terms, no, he couldn't go fishing because we may need to go to the vet. He said he would go and speak with the camp host to see if they could get us a lan line to a vet. While he was gone, I prayed, and prayed, as I watched her little face grow, just having faith that her esophagus wasn't swelling and closing off her breathing. Rick came back with "Children's Benedryl" ... manna from heaven.... we gave her a bit, and within hours she was back to normal. It was humbling, praying for something so trite to some, yet so worrisome to others, the life of their dog. God put me in a place where I had to trust Him as all my "usual" resources were limited, something He is, nor has ever been.... limited. Two hours later we were back to normal.... naughty dog back, lips back to normal, chewing on her ever patient sister. All was once again well.

Looking in the same direction...

Have you ever had a friend, a really, really close friend that you where so close with that you constantly saw yourselves looking in the same direction. Yeah? Me too. I look at Syd and Chickey Monkey... they seem to love each other in some strange, accommodating way, and I see the love they have for each other, and the love that they look for. One wants to constantly play, with her friends, running around the yard, sleeping peacefully, sure that all her creature comforts, since the day she arrived, will be here for her, ready and waiting. The other, she, well, she's been in a different neighborhood most her life.... she watches the others run around the yard, she watches those who sleep peacefully, she watches those things that she's been blessed with, those creature comforts, as if they may not be there tomorrow.....she's not so secure as her little, white, frivolous, deaf friend. She balances everything.... She wonders if it will be there tomorrow.. the bowl of food, the fresh water, the love..... so each day to her... it's an amazing thing when it shows up, because if it didn't show up tomorrow... it wouldn't surprise her. She seizes the moment. She feels what she can for today. I know tomorrow, it will be there for her, but she doesn't, and that is sad for me, because it's what I want and try to give to her. She is just like her sister dog... very different, but in the very same boat... the boat of my love....that will always be there for her, for them.

You are my Strong Tower....

We all have that one thing.... that one person... that one being,..... alive or inanimate, that is our muse, our constant thought, it holds our hope, it holds our souls, it holds our hearts. It's our Strong Tower.

God knows that He is my Strong Tower. He is my Rock.

I have always loved rocks. I've loved how they feel, how solid they are, how natural, and beautiful, and unchanging they are. I love to slowly caress them, and I am never surprized at how cold they are on hot days, how hot they can be on cold days, and how ever smooth, inviting and comforting they are all the time. He's that way to me.

Think about the "worry stone". A tiny piece of comfort people would rub to take their worries away. Rocks remind me of all the things I love. They're solid, like my faith. They're natural and beautiful like my very closest friends. They're virtually unchanging.... only water, wind, and time, only the very most gentle things can slowly, and patiently, change them, much like myself. And, like my faith, my true friends, and who I am discovering I am in this earthly coccoon, I find great comfort in those few, precious things I can count on.

The best in life is free. The best things in life aren't things, their gentle spirits who dance with us on this magical earth, navigating the way to something far better than what fills buildings, stores, expectations, and dreams. The best in life shines light on you, gives you what you need to press on, rubs shoulders with you when you feel like you're going to fall down, and lifts your head to look up, when you've fallen and feel like all hope is gone. Love those who love you. Really love those who know no love, so they too may experience what only you have the power to give.

Love people, use stuff. Do you're best to never get those things turned around and you will find that the whole world might not be right, but your world will be.

Sometimes things go differently than we thought.....

The last year has been a rollercoaster to say the least... Financially, we all lost.... Emotionally... some of us lost... Spiritually, some of us grew because we lost.

Looking back.... I realize how blessed I have been, how blessed I AM, how great this life is, regardless of the peaks and valleys of every day. We are all truly blessed, regardless of the hurts, pains, sufferings, injustices, wrongs... we are all loved by Someone. All those things that feel like they're gonna kill us, somehow make us realize just who we are. And truly, how many times do we think something... life.. is going one way, when it changes in the most beautiful and wonderful way.... Looking back is good, but only for perspective, for clarity, for vision. Faith is what it's all about. Tomorrow will come.. with it's joys, it's beauty, it's sorrow, but in faith, we can know that we are blessed beyond what we deserve, graced with joys that overwhelm us,.. the thunder, the rain, the snow, the sun on our face... all for FREE. The "sad/bad" things in our lives are necessary, to help us enjoy more, live more, choose more. "What profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?" (ref: The Bible). " The more you embrace that thought, and realize the true joys of life, that you may be missing the "now" of your life... it's humbling.... it's real.

I think of Chica... a year ago she didn't know us, we didn't know her.... today... she's one of our precious jewels... better than riches, sweeter than spice... her life, gives life to us. Watching her walk on a leash like an "owned" dog brings us such joy.... her receiving her first "bed", and refusing to get off it was FANTASTIC and almost FREE... it cost $14.99 from Ross... but thank you God, and thank you Ross, and thank you Chica. It was priceless... and every night, to watch her sleep... is amazing. And of course, there's Syd... she's ALWAYS the bomb. Best dogs I've ever had.

But, through all the snow (and rumors of MORE snow through May) we we're able to watch our (very short) spring... and today.. WE HAD SUMMER... it finally arrived!!! In all honesty I would not have been so dismayed to have one more "snow-day" this year.... the hills are green, deer galore.. Lace and I took a rigoruous trail ride off property... She's the bomb.... we killed the hills...saw the vistas... and tried to keep up with Hannah and her Arabs. All is good. All is God. I am so very blessed, and happy. Those things I miss, I must release, for I shall see them and have them all another day...today... I shall have peace in knowing.

After the snow, the thaw, the surrender......

So, as you may be enjoying your Spring, and probably have been for weeks, we have been waiting for the snow to melt, the ground to become dry, the "Sping" to show up for the few weeks it will, before Summer sets in. Between the blizzards, travels, new family members, and everything else, I've been having "Horse Deprivation" Syndrome.

I have been trying to get someone to "babysit" me while I ride my young horse. She is a wonderful, solid, patient horse, but last August, on a windy day, she spooked, I fell, and my backside....well, my back, basically told me how old I am. Since then, I've been afraid of re-injuring my already injured back. I'm not afraid of my horse, just afraid of my "seat" and possibly falling again and being alone.

Well, I had a hard time getting anyone to commit to help me, so I had a talk with God. He said "pray believing", so I did. I said, "I can't wait any longer. I need her, she needs me, she's a great horse, please bless me and keeps us both safe." I committed to ride her on Sunday, whether someone was there or not. By Saturday night I had three people ready to babysit me for my first Spring ride. Hannah was the one. She was going to be there riding her horses after a trail ride.

Lacy was a DREAM. She remember everything I had taught her last year, and we did "scarry training" before I got on her. Horses have a hard time learning what is and isn't a "cougar" to them, everything scarry is a cougar. We rode, walked, trotted, cantered, had a grand time. She was the very respectful horse I've enjoyed. Needless to say, it was great to be back in the saddle again.

Bottom line... when you trust God, He always provides. You ask, you receive. You surrender and let go, He provides.

During the blizz

Chica and the man

After the Blizz

I went into work last Monday to pick up some work before the blizzard hit us. We spent the next day and a half hunkered down in our house. The funny thing is that Sunday before the blizzard it was a balmy 78 degrees at our house. Now, we had a gorgeous Saturday and Sunday morning and as I type, another Blizzard Watch is on until 6 pm tomorrow night. It may be another snow day for us tomorrow.

Here is some video of Chica and Syd playing in the yard after the last storm settled down. Chica's not quite sure what to make of the snow but she is adapting well.