Show Day!

The sun shone with a few puffs of white in the blue sky. I drove to the horse show and used the time before the arrival of the horses to register for five classes--halter, showmanship, trail, jumps and barrel racing.  Soon after the horses arrived, it was time to walk the three minis--Dory, Deacon and Maple over to the ring.  My horse Dory was anxious and ready to trot.  I walked her in circles.  We walked into the arena and then were told to trot.  I started a third line of mini horses. While we waited for the judge, I walked her in more circles.  She tried to roll in the soft sand, so I pulled her up.  I accidentally unhooked the lead strap with my thumb.  She wandered over to another mini and the shower held her halter while I reattached the lead.  Another mini, a two year old, had enough and reared. Finally, the mini was under control.  Dory did receive an honorable mention!  I wasn't confident to try the showmanship class so Dory and I watched.  After the class, we took the horses back to the trailer so that they could eat and drnk until their classes after lunch.  Trail was interesting--open and close a gate, trot across several poles, walk across a tarp, back up, sidestep, turn a 360 in a box, trot to a cone and exit.  Dory completed the course.  She doesn't know how to sidestep, and I didn't align her neck and body when she backed..  Then we tried jumping.  At the farm we jump with the minis.  These were metal standards.  Dory loves to jump but wasn't used to the different standards.  Of the six jumps, Dory jumped one!  She jumped so high!  Everyone relaxed for the barrel racing.  Dory and I cheered and neighed for the other competitors.  Dory and I were last.  She did awesome but I need some serious sprinting experience!  And I lost my hat on the run back.  All in all a fabulous day!

Flower beds

1. 

Because it rained a lot in early spring, grass and flower beds are thriving.  Poinsettias love the hot, humid weather.  I actually considered throwing away my smaller poinsettia plant but it had one leaf.  Since it fought so valiantly for its sole leaf, I put it outdoors next to the larger poinsettia.  It has grown many green leaves.  I thought I would summer the orchids outside also.  The very day I put the orchids outside, we got hail which damaged and pock marked the leaves. Even so, I know they are happier out in the hot humid weather.  My daughter brought the hosta plants from her home 500 miles away.  I planted them and they are shooting out flowers.  I planted impatiens in the front of the house and placed a combo pot that my children gave me for Mom's Day.  I think I need a greenhouse. I was looking at them online along with she sheds (man cave for women).  I am driving out to the farm after work for one more practice with Dorie before the Sunday show.  I will practice barrel racing and backing, trotting in for show.

Holiday

 June seems to fly by!  Probably because I so look forward to the hot humid days of summer and am happy when they finally arrive.  Such a pleasure to head out without a jacket!  I met with two friends yesterday for dinner and we talked about our holiday plans.  No work today, no babysitting!  I am free to do what I want!  This kind of day comes once in a blue moon! So I got up late this morning, watered my flowerbeds, made an omelette, checked facebook and a blog that I am following and now am writing this blog.  Later, if it is cool enough I will walk the dogs.  Pudge is a pug/beagle with a squished nose so I carry water and walk when it is cool. Otherwise he chugs like a freight train with his rib cage moving heavily.  Pudge and Maui, along with me, are on diets.  Maui is a mini dachsund with a long back and sausaged up when I fed our humungous cat in the dark of night.  I hope to drive out to the farm and work with my mini horse.  I drove out Tuesday morning into a fierce looking storm.  I don't know if she was afraid but when I let her loose in the arena she ran around like a wild thing.  My teacher and I are trying to desensitize her to a driving bridle and harness so that she can pull a cart.  I wasn't holding her securely enough and she took off and ran around the arena for 5 minutes before my teacher could catch her.  I've never shown a mini horse and she has never shown so the show on July 14 will be most interesting.  (The May 5 show was canceled because the grounds were saturated and boggy.)  I hope to show her in halter class, trail class, hurdles and possibly barrel racing. I hear my new wind chimes.  I got them from my children because yesterday was my dad's 93rd birthday in Heaven.  My dad's house is sold, I am almost done executing is estate.  I am so not motivated to put away the twenty or so items I brought from my Dad's house.

A Memorial Service and a Graduation Party

This morning we drove to the retirement center to attend a memorial service for my aunt.  My aunt and uncle had eight children, two by my uncle's first marriage, three by my aunt's first marriage and three children together. At my uncle's funeral many years ago his children talked about how there was no half children or step children, they were all my uncle's children.  Likewise today, a family unit blended together.  I so enjoyed hearing the memories of my aunt shared by a son and her granddaughter.  My aunt had a sense of humor, she created wedding dressings and summerwear, she baked cinnamon muffins.  She had a terrific sense of humor. The chapel had standing room only.  Seeing the overcrowded lunch room, my cousins, brother, sister and I left to eat at a restaurant.  I then drove to work where I lament that I mistook one cousin for another, commented a thought on hair color aloud and just felt that I was socially inept.  And now my coworker wants me to drop by to her great granddaughter's graduation party.  I hope all goes well with my social skills.

Plants and Flowers

At the front of the house, I planted three pots with impatiens.  I also have a combo pot that my children gave me as a gift.  In one of the beds in front of the deck I have lemon balm and a mum.  On the other side, I planted a hosta, several kalanchoe, and a hydrangea.  I wintered two poinsettia in the house from previous years and they are in full bloom. And way in the backyard by the fence, I planted several hosta, azalea and a hydrangea.  In early spring the garden is full of tulips, hyacinth and daffodils.  It has rained a lot this spring, and the plants are thriving.   I am so pleased and delighted with the flower beds.

A member of a U, not a circle

 I read an article today, which corresponds to my thinking of late.  I work with a woman who forever talks about herself as a victim.  I am absolutely not going to be like her.  I recognize that my situation in life is my own doing.  Consequently I can change my life circumstances and this brings me joy and hope. Now a circle of friends, because it is closed, excludes people. A horseshoe, and I so enjoy working with horses, or the letter U is open-ending, in process, growing... Everyone is welcome, differences are appreciated.  Difference is the spice of life.

Quality, not quantity

I  feel relief when a stressful situation is resolved.  I sing the old Easter song, "The strife is o'er, the battle done."  When my Dad's life consisted of constant visits to the hospital for infusions, blood counts, lung aspirations, he told me, "It's about the quality of life, not the quantity."  So many young mothers have died recently.  A young mother with three children the youngest only a few months old.  Another mother with a 5 year old son passed of breast cancer.  A customer came to the store yesterday to purchase funeral flowers for his 42 year old wife.  These families are grieving, trying to adjust to a life without their loved one.  Two friends that I work with are going through  traumatic times.  One friend has a toddler niece with DIPG.  The other is dealing with her husband's pancreatic cancer.  A time to be born, a time to die.  Some at 2 years of age, others at 42, my father at 92.  Should I die tomorrow, I have no regrets.  Celebrate my life.