Journal of J

Ting a ling a ling….

Ok so I had to sing the bit from "Sleepless in Seattle" where Meg Ryan is driving at Christmas and singing along. 

Have had horses on my brain lately.  That and writing.  And reading.  Like Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum books.  Recommend starting at number one but good in any order.  You do lose some cuz there are references to pervious events but you can deal.  I started reading The Tao of Pooh by Benjamin Hoff.  It was recommended to me by my brother.  Lots of good view points in there.  Doubt I will be come a Taoist.  I have enough just dealing with what I am besides becoming anything new.  Just being wife, mom etc is plenty good some days.

I mentioned wanting to be a writer at my mom’s group.  Have been secretly wishing that for a long time.  We had talked about what our dreams were and how they have changed from before motherhood, now as moms and our future dreams as well as dreams for our children.  Made me think a lot about how a dream is a sign post on the highway of life and in the valleys we might lose sight of the dream but that it is still there when we top that hill again.  My writing sign post is there.  My motor isn’t running there yet though.  I am stuck in the mud as it were.  Still there.  Not sure how close I will get.  I also wonder how many will bring up my writing aspirations.

My Dad and I do a lot of horse talk.  Getting two more horses has got me to thinking and well wishing I had a huge bankroll.  I think I’d be tempted to get a few horses.  Investments.  I have thought since I was young (A dream along with the writing one) that it would be neat to train a horse from the time they are young- weanling-1-2 yr old. 

My downfall is lack of knowledge.  I have been doing more reading on it… unfortuantely I don’t do as well reading ‘dry’ stuff as I do novels and ‘juicy’ as it were.  Still I try.  And I let some common sense try to rule.  I had a good spill a number of years ago due to a horse that spooked cuz of treatment during a previous ride with another rider.  I was gimpy and drug reliant for a while…and of course scared DH.  Have had a good spill since.  The bruise impressed my DS a couple weeks after the spill.  The unpredictabiltity of horses.  What I dream of is a horse that is in sync with me.  Not sure I have found him/her yet.  Or if I ever will.  It is amazing when you do find a great partner.

A good quote to go with that…

A cat looks down on you,

A dog looks up to you,

A horse looks you in the eye

and calls you friend.

I just learned something new.  There is a different color for horses.  It is brindle.  Very beautiful.

There is also a breed of horses that I think I had heard about but now I know they have a site.  Nokotas.  They are an interesting breed. 

I did know about curlies.  They are just simply cool.  Apparently they are also hypoallergenic. Picture it- a horse with dreds and a perm.

Amazingly enough there are people that don’t like ‘loud’ colored horses.  I have always wanted a blue horse.  As a kid I was thrilled to learn they exist. 

Ok I must admit I am a horse junkie.  They are awesome.  There is nothing like galloping in sunflowers on a good horse.  Climbing a hill and feeling all that muscle and power beneath you.  Feeling evey muscle collect to make a jump over a stream.  Watching and balancing so they can tenderly pick the safest route down a steep hill.  The smell of them.  The sound of hoof beats.  Their breath.  The smooth shiny summer coat and cozy warm winter coat.  The feeling that you are one being- like a centaur.  The partenership, the trust.  Those soft brown eyes.  Their nicker at your approach.  The soft lips seraching for a treat in your hand.  Their shiver while you’re in the saddle.  The sensitive skin that shivers away bugs.  The tense energy waiting to explode because they just have to go.  Just have to be free.  Ahh who wouldn’t love all of that?

Ok yes there are down falls.  Or at least where you fall down and getting up isn’t always the easiest.  Stepping on you feet with a dinner plate sized hoof that has no inkling that there is a tiny booted foot under it.  Laid back ears and flying kicks.  But all that is like an arugement, a miscommunication.  You work it out and climb back on and off you go.

There is a romance to the horse.  The cowboy riding the range.  The knight on his white horse.  The damsel on a beautiful horse with her dress trailing over his flanks.  Riding double.  The Lippizaner.  The mustangs running free.  The Indian riding bareback on his pony moving as one over the prairie.  The beautiful island ponies of Assateague. 

Most of my favorite stories are about horses. Thank you to Margerite Henry, Walter Farley, C.W. Anderson, Al Quie and many more authors for giving me a new view of horses and increasing my love of horses.

Thanks to horses.   Where would we be with out you.

Today was a good day.  Odd though.  I didn’t wear any green, at least not for the first half.  The last half only sort of thanks to a multi- colored shirt.  Oh well.  Happy St. Patrick’s day anyway.

I did well this week and finally made it to my next 5 lbs.  Woo hoo! I am very happy.  I hope my next 5 comes soon.  One year, one month and two days since I started.  I am much healthier than I had been.  I am more concious of my choices.  Sometimes they are tough and some times I go over board.  I always come back to it because I know it works.  So yay me.  It feels good to be here.  Maybe I can lose a few more before that wedding.  Wouldn’t that be great.  A nice birthday present to me.  Yay Me!

I have always liked March.  I am not totally sure why.  Maybe it is my Bday.  Maybe cuz the weather is fun- not really spring yet, but not really winter.  Maybe because cool things happen to me in March.  Maybe because I like St Patrick’s day.  You wear green and pinch people who aren’t. (At least you did that in school.)  People are happy.  Yet there isn’t the guilt of gift giving.  I don’t drink often- green beer seems kind of odd.  The green bread I saw tonight seemed worse. Ick.  Well for whatever reason… March has been good to me.

Update on Dodger.  He’s doing well- now if he’d just take his medicine.  His cut is icky.  It is in a bad spot and it is deep.  Was neat to see it.  I am glad he’s a mild mannered horse.  As it was he almost knocked my son over twice unintentionally.  He was curious and looking for treats.  He misses being with his buddies and is a bit antsy being in a smaller pen.  I hope he heals fast.  Especially since mud season is coming and it will be hard to keep his foot clean and bandaged.  Sad but I usually wish for spring.  This year I am happy to keep winter for a little while longer, just for Dodger.  Is that love?

I hope my little dinner party goes well tomorrow.  Gotta love getting together with family.  I hope I am ready and can just be and enjoy.  I like cooking for a group.  It is something I have done off and on for years.  I am getting better at it.  Not always good at timing things and sometimes I miss visiting when I still need to get things ready.  I always enjoy the "that was good" comment.  Perhaps we can get in a game or two.  That is always fun.