Thanksgiving 2012: Breaking Loose!

Goofball!!!

Thanksgiving 2012: Happy Family with Grams!

Look at this group of people -- I love these people -- they are my herd!!!

Thanksgiving 2012: Happy Family!

Here they are!  My favorite little family, waiting on baby #4!

Thanksgiving 2012: My Beautiful Mom!

I love these people.

Thanksgiving 2012: Our Wonderful Meal by My Great Chef, Mom!

Here we are, just about to sit down for a happy joyful meal.  No doubt, I am thankful to be with these people.

Thanksgiving 2012: Again, Just So Sweet!

Namaste!

Thanksgiving 2012: My Sweeties on their Bikes!

My darlings!

Thanksgiving 2012: My Texas Ranger!

Here's my little Texas Ranger and my goddaughter!  Am I lucky or what?!?!!

Thanksgiving 2012: My Wild Ones!

Here they are! My little herd, a few weeks before the 4th herdmate arrived!  Namaste!

Thanksgiving 2012: My Beautiful Clara!

At Thanksgiving, Clara had the most adorable cowgirl outfit and the sweetest most beautiful smile.  I just love this little Annie Oakley!

Thanksgiving 2012: My Beautiful Talented Goddaughter!

This past year, my mom and I spent Thanksgiving in Texas and had a wonderful time.  My goddaughter was improving her tricks and skills on her bicycle. So, here's a photo of my lovely athlete, as she takes a break from wowing us!!

Violet and I Start Jumping Anew!

Here's a July 2th photo of Violet jumping round and sweet and happily and calmly for Kelsey.  I kind of took a step back from jumping this Fall. There's been so many changes and I haven't felt very comfortable.  But Emily worked with Violet over winter break and told me to try a slow twist bit and a standing martingale and get back into the swing of things.  And Jill has been setting up fences and boxes with filler.  And so, over the past week or so, Violet and I jumped our first flower boxes and solid boxes.  And she was terrific and sweet and honest and true.  She's sometimes way too fast, but she's definitely bringing her best heart to the work, so I know we will get on track.  In my heart, I know she's jumping fast because she's trying to convey to me that she will do the jump, she won't run out or dodge her responsibility.  She can feel my worry and hesitation.  So, I need to become braver and more confident, so that she doesn't have to take on such overwhelming responsibility.  But we are definitely a good and happy and solid team!

Renny is a Good Boy!

Here are August 3rd photos of my boy.  In the one photo, you can see his little swayback and in the other, you can see him round and straight and strong.  He's a young green pony with a good kind heart.  I adore him.  

I Fall More in love with Violet

Here's a July 27th photo of Violet and Kelsey jumping.  Violet is such a good hard-working girl.  And this year she's had such lovely trainers in Emily, Kelsey, Larissa...and me!  And I have to say that I find myself falling more in love with her each day.  She just gets me.  And she and I have such a fun relationship.  She knows how to tease me, make me laugh, work with my temper, forgive me, draw the line.  She's just the most charming intelligent thoughtful sociable gracious mare.  She's truly the Audrey Hepburn of mares!

My Funny Valentines!

Happy Valentine's Day from my herd to yours!!  

Trying to Make Decisions

Here are August 3rd photos of Kelsey riding my pony in a relaxed happy balanced fashion, a few days before she ends her training relationship with Renny and heads off to Law School.  In about 3 months, I would give him a scare by walking behind the kick walls.  But here in this photo, you see him wonderful and soft.  I'm worried about not training him well -- doing him a disservice.  So, I reached out to his A-circuit trainer who kindly and generously said she'd be happy to have him back, train him more, and find him a home.  But there was a small gap between that agreement and when we spoke again, so now I'm just confused.  I really like his new young trainer.  And I do like having two ponies.  And I feel so close and connected to him, if not in the same way that Violet and I are always on the same page, even when we squabble.  So, I really don't know what I'll end up doing.  Renny deserves a happy useful life and adventures.  He deserves to feel special and adored and capable.  And he deserves to be trained and cared for.  I don't know what I deserve.  Or want.  But it's the nicest kind of problem, so I'm not too worried!

Wonderful Trainers in My Life

Here's a July 27th picture of Violet with Kelsey.  Kelsey helped Violet get bigger and braver and bolder over fences this summer and helped her develop her timing and her lead changes.  And then this winter, Emily really helped Violet settle into softness roundness and amazingness.  Violet finally gave up fussing over distractions, like gates.  And she started to feel and look for the bit in new ways.  We've really come a long way.  And now we've got another young trainer, Larissa, who brings just the steadiest hand and emotions to her tasks -- my horses really like her and feel confident around her and trust her.  So, I will say that I am super happy with my young trainers and my more experienced accomplished trainers -- like Jill and Janet!  I love being an equine student!

Happy Changes at the Barn!

I am writing this entry on Sunday, February 10th and this photo is from July 27th, a wonderful summer day when Kelsey was jumping my beautiful thoroughbred.  We've had many happy changes at the barn lately with today being so important.  Sandy purchased a champion hunter from Michigan, a big bold gorgeous and mellow Appendix Tb/QH cross who she named Kai.  Sandy is a breath of fresh air at the barn and her openness and kindness and generosity and intelligence and sass make the barn a really happy place for me.  I consider the barn an oasis and sanctuary again. I've got Sandy as a dear friend, and then many other dear women who make riding and hanging at the barn fun -- Amy, Betsy, Gay, Mary, Melissa, and Ellen.  Another nice change is that Larissa has been helping me with Renny.  Renny had a setback and she has all the patience in the world to help him be bold and sensible again.  And she looks like she's going to be helping me with his jumping too.  She'll help bring him along on jumping, so he has a chance to develop his talents.  Another sweet change is that Emily helped me with Violet over winter break, so Violet decided to become amazing.  She and I are in a happy mellow groove lately!

Death Poem

The Mourners

When all the light and life are sped
Of flowing tails and manes,
And flashing stars, and forelocks spread,
And foam-flecks on the reins;
I like to think from every land
And far beyond the wave
A crowd of ghosts will come and stand
In grief around that grave –

~ Will H. Ogilvie

Flowers

Namaste.

A June Garden in 2009

Here are photos of my 2009 June garden, just a few weeks before I got Thelma and Louise.  I love gardening and want to learn more and more and expand my garden.  I especially want to expand my butterfly garden and plant fruit trees.  I want to improve my little urban farm this year and learn much more about sustainable living.

My Muses

This past Summer 2012, I moved my office ostensibly into my kitchen dining room, after getting a small grant which permitted me to buy a new iPad and a MacAir.  And sure enough, my muses thought it was a good idea.  They liked to snuggle right behind my MacAir, so I could feel their presence as I worked.  I'm writing this entry on January 1st, and my pets took a journey to my parents home for winter break.  I had four cat carriers in the back and Zelia rode shotgun.  Jackass was so happy to return to his summer vacation home and all the pets were wonderful travelers.  I am determined to enjoy every moment I have with these creatures.  Jackass is at his most thin now.  He still is lively and bossy and interested and in charge, but both he and Zelia are frail and brittle.  They deserve lots and lots and lots of love!

Big Girl

Here's a February 8, 2008 photo of Renny's mother, Hailee.  She is a wonderful relaxed sensible intelligent dam.  I learned a lot from her.  I owe her a lot.  I can only pay it forward.

My Little Green Pony

Here are July, 2012 photos of Renny working beautifully and softly and in balance with Kelsey.  I'm writing this entry on January 1st.  He's going through a rough patch and I've been discouraged.  Kelsey says that she knows he'll come out of it.  And Larissa feels certain that he'll change too.  But I must admit that I'm slightly worried.  I want him to feel solid and relaxed and brave and happy in his work.  I want to feel safe with him.  Anyway, in my more clear relaxed and patient moments, I'll see photo of him and remember that he's just a little teeny guy.  And he's still green.  And young.  And he's been just about perfect in obedience, talent, and sensible work ethic from the very very beginning.  He deserves to have one moment of a setback.  No big deal.

Things to Learn

Here is a July photo of Violet jumping with Kelsey.  Last year I got so much accomplished with my horses, but I got sidetracked.  No surprise!  But I'm writing this entry on January 1st, 2013, so I would like to talk about a few things I would like to do and learn this year.  I would like to work on dressage more and design a music dance routine.  I would like to get back to jumping at my own style.  I want to take a clinic or two.  I want to learn a bit more about equine massage and stretching and a lot more about equine health, nutrition, and age-related care for arthritis and other conditions.  And I would like to get more aerobically and physically fit as well as stronger and do more yoga.  I would like to take care of my own nutrition a bit better too!

Bumps in the Road and a Test of Patience

Here's an August 3rd, 2012 photo of my little Renny, working hard for his friend, Kelsey.  I want him to be my riding pony forever, so I want to have patience to help him deal with his nervousness about ghosts, monsters, and gates.  When he first got these fears in November, it took me time to realize that I wasn't reacting to him, I was reacting to a memory of his mother.  I would be riding her all over again and feeling uncertain and unsafe.  And now when he does stuff - like act ponyish after taking a break, or take a look at things like the gate, I have to remind myself that he used to do those types of things before he showed fear about the arena.  He's just being young green pony.  I need to help him be brave and hardworking, so his sweet brave inner nature can shine!  A bump in the road!

Violet, My Jumping Girl

My Lovely Girl!

Here's a July photo and video of my beautiful, but tired girl, Violet.  I'm writing this entry on January 1st.  We've had sort of a difficult Fall because we lost one trainer and got a new one.  I've been feeling out of sorts about jumping and all the changes, so I just backed off.  Violet had been rushing the jumps most of the summer and was strong and fast going into them.  So, I took the pressure off and just worked on dressage and softness and happy free loose carrying gaits.  And then, sure enough, a few relaxed times, I would ask her to jump whatever was set up between lessons and each time, she would jump sweetly and quietly and kindly. And then halt immediately and well just based on the weight of my seat.  I joke around with people that she's just asking for permission to jump again.  She feels that being a good obedient girl is her passport into her hunting life again.  She really is an amazing little mare!

Renny Jumps with Joy

Renny Jumps with Joy!

Here are some beautiful photos of my little pony, Renny.  He's working at dusk in June with his friend, Kelsey.  And the video shows my proud boy jumping.  He looks so relaxed and happy and obedient here.  And I have to say on this January 1st that what makes me sort of sad is that this winter I've made him nervous and worried about the indoor arena.  But I have confidence that we can get this sort of look on him again, so that he relaxes into his work once again!