Thanksgiving - Better Late Than Never

I planned to share our Thanksgiving photos with you all a few days ago, but life here on the farm just did not make that happen. My father in law was sick Thanksgiving day and my daughter's fiancé has been sick a few days as well and now I am sick. It seems to be making it's way through the house. However, I wanted to share part of our day with all of you as you did yours with me.

 My girls being goofy!

 Appetizers

 The Turkey

 Stuffing

 My granddoll in her Thanksgiving outfit

 The Ham

 What A Cutie!!

 Goofy Girls

Dessert

 More of the cutest girl here!

Hope you enjoyed a little piece of our day!

Preparations Begin

It seems that each year I see Christmas items out earlier and earlier, but I normally do not mind. This year my preparations seem to be getting pushed farther out since I am so busy with other items. I have several events lined up with my Pink Zebra business and that has kept me busy!

Saturday was my first big event and I was thrilled with the results. I went into it not expecting much and was happy that I booked a couple of events, sold some product and made some contacts. I am especially excited about this weekend event since it will be happening on Shop Small Saturday and that Santa will be there. What fun! I have a couple of ideas to really make my booth stand out from the rest.

Of course, there is the preparation for Thanksgiving as well. I plan to go shopping tomorrow and get what groceries I need for the day. I wish I was going somewhere and did not have to cook, but my son is coming to visit and so I am cooking and doing Thanksgiving. I am thankful to see more companies closing that day instead of expecting employees to miss the day with their families.

I hope that as each of you prepare for whatever your holiday plans are that you remember to be thankful for what you are able to do. Although I do not want to cook, I am thankful that my children will all be here and I am thankful that my son is coming to visit as he is extremely busy and usually doesn't get to spend much time with us. I am also thankful that I have a home to be in and that I have the money to cook a meal.

What are you thankful for?

Election 2016

As I sit here doing some much needed work on this square machine on my desk, I find that I am saying many prayers for our nation as the world watches what is happening at the polls as they close and ballots are being counted. I believe that our nation is in for many changes with whichever politician wins the highest seat in our country.

Yes, I voted but I can't say that I stand with either candidate as I feel that neither of them are truly what America needs to be great again. I feel that they both have some major faults and although, it is not appropriate for us to judge anyone, I feel that if you intend to lead our nation you should not be seen doing the things that these two have done. I have heard many people say that they are going with the less of the two evils, but I could not make that be my decision in voting for either.

My prediction is that Trump will win this election and that it won't be as close of a race as some might predict. I believe that Clinton will win some key states, but I believe that her record of events like the deleted emails and the deaths in Bengazi will cause many voters to turn to Trump. I believe that her stand on abortion and gun control is going to cause many issues with voters as well.

Tomorrow morning we will wake up and life will go on with whichever one gets elected as the new President. Many Americans do not show respect for the office that Mr. Obama currently holds and I feel as though whether you agree with who is in the White House or not, that they should be respected with the utmost respect as they are the leader in chief. I feel that this lack of respect has gotten us to the point that we are in this election.

I feel that there are some important issues in this election that neither of them have been very responsive about and some that they have talked about and their ideas seem to not be good ones. I see the main issues being jobs, healthcare, foreign affairs, and immigration. I could give my opinion on these things but I feel that it is not necessary.

God needs to make this country great again! Without him, we are nothing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Prayers for each of us as the new year and the new President takes office. May God lead us!!!

Crazy Thing Called Life

Life seems to be flying by these days and there are so many things happening that I can hardly find time to keep up with myself these days. I was not home a single weekend in October and as November approaches, I find that the same thing is true this month as well. My date book is filling up quickly and I still know of a few things that I know I want to add to the calendar.

I have shared laughs and tears with friends, enjoyed a wonderful Girls Night Out with author Karen Kingsbury ( if you haven't ever read one of her books do so now!), been camping, and enjoyed a nice afternoon with my friend and my grand doll just photographing her in her natural beauty. I have enjoyed the wonderfully warm weather that we have had recently and will continue to enjoy it as long as possible.

I will be camping again this weekend with friends and family. My girls are going with us this weekend with their boyfriends as well. It will be a nice getaway and hopefully, I will get to do some riding as well since we are taking the horses too. The grand doll will be with us but she enjoys being outside so it won't be an issue. The biggest obstacle will be getting her to stay away from the horses other than when we want her to be with them. She enjoys playing with the neighbor's dog as well and so I am sure she will be entertained the entire time.

Speaking of the grand doll, we spoke to the doctor this week about how bowlegged she is and we are being sent to see an orthopedic doctor next week. The doctor is concerned that she may have a vitamin D deficiency that is causing it. They drew blood, which was very hard for this grandmother to see being done. The pediatrician is a new one and so she was thorough and I appreciate that. She listened to our concerns and did necessary work to find out if there is an issue.

Now, for those of you that do not know the story, I basically became a grandmother overnight. My daughter went to the doctor believing that she might have a tumor and found out that she was pregnant. She had been taking birth control and had just had a pregnancy test a couple of months prior, which was negative. The ultrasound showed she was due in three weeks. Thinking we had three weeks to prepare for a child was draining to say the least, but when she went into labor the next morning and our three weeks turned into 19 hours, you can only imagine the range of emotions that you have.  Fearing that the child would surely come out missing limbs as my daughter had been with no prenatal care and barrel racing her horse only the weekend prior, this grandma was thrilled to see a healthy baby. Now my fears are a little more real that she may have some problems that will take some time to fix. I have turned it to God though as His plan is to be revealed.

For the upcoming appointment with the ortho doctor, I am nervous and a little concerned, but I am truly trying to remain the optimist as my husband worries for both of us. I am hoping that the worse may be braces for a bit. As she wanted to play outside this week, I have been more aware of just how important it is that she play. She can climb the ladder to her small slide, she can push her toy by herself, she runs and walks with little coordination issues and I appreciate her little cowboy walk, bowlegged and all. As I watched her play, I just stopped to take in the small things that a child with braces might not be able to do as well. How pleasant and bittersweet that moment was! I truly believe that God was working at that moment saying , " Do not fret, my daughter, for I am here".

Well, my weekend is about to begin as I am going to the park a day earlier than my husband so I better get busy. Take care and have a good weekend whatever your plans are.

Country Weddings

We are a hobby farm family that enjoys raising some of our own food and we enjoy the horses and being outdoors. I am happy to say that when my daughter gets married, we will be having a fall, outdoor country wedding.  I have occasionally talked with others about those type of weddings and I have looked at Pinterest to see what ideas are out there.

There are several ideas. Most floral arrangements include sunflowers which would make me happy since I love sunflowers! I think that they are prettier than roses or any other flowers. I would love to raise my own but I never seem to have much luck with them. I may just buy some fake ones today if I am out so that I can have some here.

I am not much for decorating my home for holidays other than Christmas, but I am starting to think that I should decorate for fall. I know I can't do much as the grand doll would be into all of it. I am thinking that our tree will certainly be a little one this year that can be placed on a table as there is simply no place to put the darn thing that she will not be into it. Anyway, this sounds like it is off post, but really is not. My daughter has said that she would like to have her wedding here, which means when it is to happen, she will expect me to help with decorations. I am sure that I can but it may be a challenge when I realize that I really am not great at making things that look professional. LOL!

Here is a list of items that I feel are important to a country wedding:

haybales for seating
burlap for décor
fall flowers
boots
mason jars
wood
milk cans or milk style pails

an old barn would be great for photos

What do you think? Perfect country wedding décor? I believe so!

Boos and Boobs

October is a month full of activity here on the farm getting ready for the winter and getting things ready for the holidays that are right around the corner. Halloween is not one of my favorite holidays but it is one that we enjoy some of the nicer decorations for and we celebrate it as just a day to be aware of the fall and beautiful bounty of pumpkins, gourds, and other fall veggies.  We, as a Christian family, do not celebrate it for the real reason we have Halloween.

Halloween is a holiday that is full of plenty of scary sights , but we choose not to honor those or purchase those. A cute witch is just as good as a scary witch. A cute pumpkin is just as nice as one that instills fear. We know that God tells us to not be afraid for He is with us. Halloween always makes me think of the word Boo and that is why it is included in this blog post title.

Another event that takes place each October is Breast Cancer Awareness. Pink ribbons and events will take place all over the US to raise awareness of the importance of self- checks and breast cancer patients. Both those that are fighting now and those that have fought this battle need to be remembered this month as in the future. I personally lost a dear childhood friend to this horrible disease and I have known several others that fought it and thankfully seem to have beaten it.

Being that I am a Pink Zebra representative, I am going to promote Pink all month. I am thinking of attempting to make a sale that allows me to donate to someone that is currently fighting this illness. Do you think that would be a good idea? Breast Cancer Awareness is the reason for the second part of the title of this post- Boobs. For all the women out there, take care of them! Do your self check when you shower. If you find anything that could be a problem, get to the doctor and have it checked! Please don't wait!



PINK ZEBRA

The Day They Fell

On a clear and sunny Tuesday morning in September of 2001, the lives of all Americans changed forever. Most of us that are old enough to remember that fateful morning, we are still able to tell you where we were when the world changed.

My day began the way every other day began. My husband and I left for work. Our children were not feeling well and had stayed with my mother in law the night before. He headed one block from home to the water office where he was town utility manager and I left to head the 6 or so blocks to Dollar General, where I was manager. I always arrived about 30 minutes before the store opened to begin the preparation for the day. Our stock room did not have a radio, but there was one outside the door. As I awaited the arrival of my cashier, I went about business as usual. I placed the drawers in the registers and made sure my deposit was ready for the bank. I decided to fill a stock cart for myself to work on that morning as I did every morning. As I was filling it, I heard something that I thought said an airline had been hijacked. No, that is not possible in the United States. Suddenly, I think that I hear that a plane had crashed into the World Trade Center. I immediately thought that I had heard wrong.

Shortly thereafter, my cashier arrived and I mentioned what I thought that I had heard. She had not heard of anything so I just thought that I had heard the radio wrong. The store opened at 9 and within a few minutes, we heard the confirmed report and the news stopped me in my tracks- a plane had crashed into the World Trade Center.
I knew it was not an accident?   Could a plane accidentally fly into the Trade Center? Pilot Error? I don't think so. Ill pilot? Possibility, but my stomach dropped and my heart knew.

 Suddenly, we hear that the Second Tower has also been hit. Another plane ahs flown right into the tower. The news reporters are in disbelief and while trying to report the news are in tears.  I heard the words " our country is under attack". I hit my knees in the stock room and prayed for God's will to be done. For my family to be protected, for my country to be safe. I believe survivor mode hit, I knew I needed to reach the phone and call my husband and my kids. I spoke to my husband and he had heard the news. Being that he worked for a government agency, he was aware of the events and he was going into a serious work mode to protect the water that the town was provided. When I spoke to my mother in law, she was watching it on television. I told her to tell the girls that I loved them and to not allow them to spend the day watching what was happening.

While walking to the front of the store, I hear that a plane has flown into the Pentagon. Immediately, I wonder how can the safest place in the United States be hit? Who is capable of this kind of attack? How can this many planes be hijacked at once? So many questions and yet, so many fears and thoughts.

Once the cashier and I spoke, I left to go to the house to get my cell phone. I believe that my husband had asked me to do that. As I walked into the home, I had to turn on the television. I had to see for myself. I had to see it to believe it. I gathered my phone and a drink and headed to turn the television off when I was once again stopped dead in my tracks. 9:59 a.m.,the South Tower is literally cumpling before my very eyes.  Grief suddenly overwhelmed me and the tears began flowing. Tears that would just be the beginning of more to come that day. As I stood there in sheer disbelief, I realized that our country would never be the same! Our world had suddenly changed for ever!

How I drove back to work, I truly don't know. I walked in sobbing. My thoughts were simply "how could this happen?" As the cashier and the customer at the register looked up, all I could say was " it's gone". They did not know what had happened so I tried to tell them, but I was simply too shocked to speak. Fighting back the tears. I tried to convey what I had seen. Was it really true? Were my eyes simply playing tricks? Had the Pentagon truly been attacked? Could the Trade Center building collapse that easily? The lives that must have been lost? Was there any possibility that everyone had gotten out. No, a plane had flown into three different buildings and exploded on impact.

We begin to pay close attention to the radio. Our day was not going to be a normal work day. Would any day be normal again? I did not believe so. I spoke to my oldest daughter and she is scared, I comfort her and explain that New York is not close to us and that we are safe. Did I believe that? No, I was just trying to calm her. Was any of us safe? Were any buildings safe? No, we did not know if anyone else was planning to do anything else. Suddenly, the news that still chills me to the bone- the North Tower has collapsed! Dear God! I instantly began to pray again. I prayed for the lives lost, I prayed for those aboard the planes. I prayed for peace. Peace- how could I pray for that? I was not sure, but I did.

The remainder of the day was just a blur. A blur of customers speaking of things that they had seen and heard. Reports on the radio of people jumping from the buildings as they were burning. Reports of possible other targets. The plane that crashed in Pennsylvania that was possibly headed for the White House. The heroism of those aboard that plane. Learning that gas was rising greatly in price and many stations were out as people were filling up in sheer terror of what might become of the country. Wall Street and The World Trade Center was an area that basically controlled the money that the United States ran on. Would banks be closed? Would money be available? No one knew what these attacks would bring. No one knew how long the effects would be felt. Sheer panic was hitting and all Americans were in shock that these things had happened.

Within hours, we learned more about terrorists and the acts of terror than we ever needed to know. President Bush assured us that we as a nation would stand against terrorist and win. We learned of the evil that is within the world. We learned a name Bin Laden was an evil man that had orchestrated such an attack. I learned just how important my family was and I did not want to be apart. We drove to get the girls and I certainly enjoyed the hugs from them that evening as they were sweeter than before.

Where were you the day they fell? Do you remember how you felt? As the 15th anniversary approaches, it reminds me to pray. Pray for those that lost loved ones that day, pray for those that lost their lives that day, pray for peace. Pray for no one to ever witness such evil again.

Also, I recommend that you look at this video as well. I can't get it to show up like this but here is the link. 
Roger Mullins 9/11 Song

New Beginnings

Hello Friends! It is Monday and that brings a new week and many new beginnings for us. It offers us a new day and a new week to change what we are not happy with ourselves. It brings us a new chance to love those dear to us and to connect with those that are not near us that are dear to us. Set a goal this week to make one change in your life that will make someone else feel special.

Each day, I find that my grand doll and I are busy and in the home attempting to learn new things and I try to keep her occupied because she is into everything. I am not good at that but I enjoy the time I am with her, even if I am constantly cleaning up behind her. The weather has been very hot and humid here and so we have not been out much, but the weather has changed and so I made a decision that we are going to be out and about more now. Today, our plans will include a trip to town as I have some errands to run, a trip to a kids store that I hope to buy her some shoes at , and maybe even a trip to a new local coffee/ ice cream shop where she and I can have a treat. I also plan for her to play outside for a long while today.

I also have my plan set to contact with my best friend that lives in another state. I will call her today and I will also be mailing her a nice handmade card that just lets her know that I am thinking of her. How long has it been since you have received a card in the mail? Do you know a friend that would enjoy one? If so, make that your goal this week! New Beginnings could be a phone call to a long time friend that you have not talked to in awhile, a card or letter to a friend, a nice visit to someone, maybe just a simple smile and HI to the neighbor.

Little things matter and you might just be the only chance someone has at someone being nice to them today. Make the best effort that you can! The world needs some changes and this could be the perfect day to begin that change! #NewBeginnings

MidWeek Update

What a week it has been so far! The word of the week would be RAIN! It has rained every day for at least a week and I am so tired of it. Fortunately, today is to be dry and tomorrow is supposed to be fairly dry with just a chance and Friday is being predicted to be scattered showers. I may go camping!

Yes, I know it will be muddy but my daughter is off two days and it would give me a nice break from the grand doll. I love her but my daughter has been working a lot of hours and so I have had her quite a bit the last couple of weeks. Plus, they live with us so she never "goes home".

My week began with a very rainy Sunday which put me home all day catching up on some chores and doing my Bible study.  I have been reading Proverbs as I feel that it is such a beautiful book of the Bible as it is filled with many pieces of advice. I always find a verse that seems to teach a lesson.

Monday, the grand doll and I went to visit a friend. I planned to pick her up and we were going to a coffee shop. Coffee House 5. They have great coffee plus the proceeds go to five different community resources to help families. They are couseling services and aid for children. The coffee house is staffed by volunteers and I certainly appreciate what they are doing. They even have a worship service there on Sunday. The coffee is wonderful! We went, but it was raining the entire time and when we were ready to leave, the rain was simply coming down in buckets.

Our plans to go do some window shopping were quickly shattered as it continued to simply pour rain. I took her home and we planned another day soon with more coffee and some shopping. I will look forward to it. I will see her again on Saturday as we have our monthly get together with friends from high school.

On Monday afternoon, the rain ended. I was glad of that as I was to meet my cousin from Texas that I had not seen in probably 15-20 years. UGH! How did that much time go by? Anyway, she has 2 beautiful children and a great man in her life and it was such a pleasure to see them and visit. How I wish we lived closer. She also got to meet the grand doll for the first time! We had a very nice visit and she is due back next month for a short visit, which will bring her to my house.

Tuesday, it rained! Yes again! The morning was spent at my in-laws, which live next door. My youngest daughter has a room there and it needed to be organized and so I did it with the help of my oldest. I will throw things away and it drives my mother in law crazy!  The afternoon brought a relief from the rain and my husband and I went to price stand up freezers. We are getting ready to get 2 pigs and a cow from the butcher and so we certainly need more room.  They were a little more expensive than I had thought but we may still purchase one. I need to do some rearranging of furniture in the dining room a bit, which might get done today.

Today is to be DRY! That is a word that we have heard little of the last few weeks so I think we will take it. I hate to complain about the rain as I know there are many places that are in desperate need of it, but I am looking forward to a dry day.

I hope wherever you are, the middle of your week is going well. I wish each of you a very happy day and I will leave you with some photo. I am just randomly going to pick one.

Mom's Struggle

Moms, do you ever just think that this is the day you will break? Break from the stress of another toy to pick up, another mess on the floor, another load of laundry, another cry from the baby that has cried for days, another "Mom" outcry?

Well, I am here today to tell you that this too shall pass! Your worn down, tired, and really fretting from a lack of sleep and personal time to do anything  by yourself, but it will pass. God knows that you are struggling and He knows we, as humans, are weak, but He can provide the healing that we need.

Children are a true blessing, but I am well aware that there are days that those blessings seem to be the one thing that is standing in our way to feel human again. All moms get frustrated, all moms begin to feel that they can't go on, all moms feel less than perfect, but it is okay as it will pass and you will survive. Put your faith and trust in the Creator and take a moment to breath and know that it will get better.

I am a firm believer in a form of self help for the frustrated mom, 2 minutes to breath and know that you can make it through the day. When you feel that you are at your breaking point, place the child in his/her crib and walk away. Simply shut the door and go as far away as you can within your home. Find a clock and spend the first minute just breathing, Slow and steady breaths and concentrate on it. If baby is crying, it is okay as they are in a safe spot. In the next minute, simply pray.

Now, you might be saying I don't know how to pray or I am not like that, well a prayer can simply be words said aloud to the air. God is listening whether you want Him to or not. Just say words like " this day will be over and the baby will go to sleep sooner or later, so I know I can make it through" Believe in yourself whether you believe in God or not. Know that you can make it through.

I remember days of breaking down in tears because I did not know what else to do to possibly help my crying baby, but we made it through. I remember days of wanting to walk away and never look back because of the behavior that we were struggling with, wondering how all of this could be worth anything, but it is! Many moms can't hold their crying baby or clean up that one toy that has been on the floor a hundred times, Many moms can't walk in the room and see a sleeping baby that is peaceful after hours of crying but they wish they could.

Also, many babies want to be held and there is no one there to hold them. Many babies want to snuggle in their mom's arms, and can't because for some reason mom is not there. Just this week, a friend of mine, lost a friend during child birth. That precious baby will never get to be held by mom or snuggled by mom. That mom would love to have a day that she felt she could not make it through another temper tantrum. but she will never experience that and the baby will never experience the comfort that only a mom's love can bring. How sad!

Keep that in mind as you struggle through the day and know that God is here and I am here and you can make it another day!

Good Morning

Just a simple Good Morning to each of you in cyber world. Many times, I feel like we get our day started and never think about the fact that we should be thankful that we woke up and thankful for another day of life. The sun is rising and it's going to be another hot and humid day here, which has been the theme of summer this year, but I am still thankful for the day.

Whether it is hot or cold, sunny or rainy you woke up! You are alive to enjoy another day. Put your best into the day and make it memorable. Many people would be thankful to have another day with a loved one, so make sure you treat yours right.

Weekend GetAWay

This past weekend my husband took the grand doll and I on a road trip. Let me tell you, it was a road trip and that was about all I was able to see. He decided that he wanted to take the baby to The Smoky Mountains and he did, but we were literally there long enough to take a picture of her at the sign and that was about it.

We left home about 6 hours later than we intended too. I was irritated as he knew that I wanted to go early. He was determined that he was going to drive the full trip that night and I was determined that we were not. It is about a 6 hour drive, so it would have been midnight before we checked into a hotel, if we could have gotten a room. Plus, with the grand doll, I knew that if she slept in the car for 6 hours, she would be awake all night and I would get zero sleep.

We finally decided to drive about 3 1/2 hours and stop for the night. We were able to find a decent hotel that was perfect for sleeping. After a good night's sleep and a decent breakfast for doll and I, we were on the road again. Drove the rest of the way to our destination of Pigeon Forge, TN and I was ready to exit the car and enjoy the time there.

We had discussed that we wanted a hotel near town, but one that had a decent room and an indoor pool. Suddenly, my husband is pulling into any hotel near the strip and asking about rooms. He found that many were full for the weekend. Finally, he pulls into a Red Roof Inn and finds a room with a king bed and asks me to go in and register. As I walk in, I am asking him about if they serve breakfast and if they have a crib, but he does not know. I said "well, I would have liked to have looked on my phone before we got the room.". That instantly made him mad and he would not stay at all.

After we visited one shop, ate lunch and took her picture at the sign to the entrance of the Smoky Mountains, he was ready to leave and head home. I was absolutely astonished! I tried to explain that the room would have been fine but I truly did not want to sleep with the baby in our bed and that I just needed to know if I needed to find a grocery for breakfast for her. He did not listen!

After another 2 hours on the road, we finally pulled off the road and stayed in a nice Hampton Inn with an indoor pool. Within 30 minutes of checking in, we decided to swim. The pool was closed for maintenance! WHAT!!!!! I suddenly decided that I was done with the whole trip, as it certainly had not been relaxing. Upon asking how long it would be closed, we found out that someone had cut their foot and it might be closed the entire evening, which it was.

I found a few minutes to read my book and was able to get a good sleep before we headed home on Sunday!

Home Decor - organization

As I have spoke of many times, my home is small and there are too many living here. 5 people in a 3 bedroom home that is less than 1100 square feet in size is crowded. I try many ways to keep things organized and decorated nicely, but sometimes it seems to fail. I have been thinking of making some changes to many of the rooms and I have been looking for ways to organize more as well.

Last week, I went to a couple of antique stores and shops that sell primitive décor and other neat items with a friend. I really did not have much money to spend, but decided that I would purchase a few small items if I found anything that would work with the ideas I have. I am thankful to say that I found a few items and spend less than $20.

This sign is beside my sink in the kitchen. The colors work well with my kitchen and since we have horses, I try to include them in each room. My kitchen will be decorated with milk bottles and cans soon as I am paying honor to my grandfather, who was a milkman for many years. I still love this sign and it will stay by the sink.

I found these curtains and decided that I was going to buy them for the kitchen for now. I love the coffee theme and I think that these are such great material and fit good in my country home.

This is the window above my sink and I decided that since it is the only window in the kitchen, I could use them there for now. I will change them at some point, but I am enjoying them now.

Organizing takes time and it is currently, time that I truly don't have. My grand doll is with me for four days as my daughter takes a small trip with her sister. I decided that it would be small projects and was recently reminded by reading another blog that the junk drawer is an issue. Here are my before and after photos.

Before- a cluttered mess

After - more organized and I used two small snowmen loaf pans that someone gave me and I really had NO idea what to do with.

I was also able to organize the shelves under my kitchen island top today. I did not get photos of it, but believe me when I say that it looks better and is more functional now.

May God Bless Each Of You Today in whatever you choose to do. I need to play with the grand doll and pack for the weekend as my husband has a small trip planned for us.

Johnson County Fair

Our county fair is in full swing and although my daughter is not showing this year, it has been fun to go see the projects, watch some of the livestock shows, and enjoying the chocolate milkshakes from the Farm Bureau building as well as the delicious foods that many of the vendors have. I absolutely love the fair!

Things that I have noticed is that the number of kids involved seems to be down as well as the number of projects and animals that are there. It is sad as I have always enjoyed the fair and once we became involved in 4 H certainly looked forward to it each year.

I am going to try to share much of the week with you. I have taken some photos and I have enjoyed sharing some of the ones that my friends have shared as well.

This sign sits at one of the entrances to the fairgrounds. The fairgrounds is a beautiful area even when the fair is not going on.

Livestock is a big part of the fair. 4H kids spend a lot of time with the animals and I have seen tears when auction night comes. Pigs, Cattle, Sheep, Goats, Rabbits, Chickens, and Horses are all shown during the week.

There is a lot of work that goes into the fair, but there is plenty of fun to be had as well. This was taken last night during a celebrity goat milking contest. There were  a couple of local news reporters that we involved in this competition. Elizabeth Choi, a reporter from WISH TV Channel 8, was the winner as she was able to get 2 pounds of milk into a bucket in the allotted time. She is on the far right in this photo. You can also see members of the fair queen court in this photo.

The Farmer's Olympics is a favorite event of the week. This was during the three legged race or sack race, whichever you happen to call it. The gentleman in the blue shirt in this photo is the fair board Vice President. I personally know him as he attended high school at the same time I did. He and his partner done quite well in their race, but was unable to win the entire race competition.

The two young men are sons of my dear friend and are going to each be 10 year 4Her's when they are finished with their time in the clubs. They show pigs along with a few other projects, but were happy to take part in the Farmer's Olympics. They were the winners of each set of their races. I believe they could be called the Sack Race Champs.

Another part of the Farmer's Olympics is the wheelbarrow race. In this particular version, you literally have two people and one sits in the wheel barrow while the other pushes to the opposite end of the barn. Once they are there, they change places and race back to the starting line. A lot of laughs and a lot of fun had by all.

Tonight and tomorrow night, the grandstands will erupt with a lot of loud cars and many wrecks as the demolition derby drivers will hit the ground. Each year this is one of the largest drawing crowds to be found at the fairgrounds. I know a few of the drivers and they take this quite serious. The competition is fierce and they look forward to taking home the money! It truly is fun to watch if you never have!

This is the 4H logo. Do you know what the 4 H's stand for? Head, heart, hands, health. Ask any 4H'er what the pledge is and I am sure that they can say it without thinking. It is something that they normally do at all meetings and something that they know is important.

Of course, you can't have a fair without rides. This was taken on kids day and is just a sampling of what kids can do at the fair. This is a Thomas train. The company that runs these rides is known as Poor Jack Amusements and this year is their 50th year of providing rides to this fair.

I will leave you with this beautiful photo that was taken by a friend of the ferris wheel. It is an absolutely delightful photo as far as I am concerned.

If you have a local, county fair, please take a few hours out of your day to visit and let the 4H kids know that their work is not in vain.

A Rampage in Germany

My post that I began writing was about our county fair, but it is with great sadness that I feel I must write about the horror I am seeing on the television right now. It is of a gunman shooting innocent people at a McDonald's in Munich, Germany. Reports are that six are dead and there are possibly 3 gunmen on the loose in that city.

Witness reports are that the gunman entered a bathroom at the McDonald's and came out opening fire and targeting children. The reports are coming across that it is potentially another terrorist attack. There is no credible confirmation that it was ordered by any particular group, but there have been reports of ISIS activity in Germany for several months.

It seems that we are still shocked by these types of attacks and yet, it seems that they are becoming almost a daily occurrence. Munich is warning residents to stay in and away from all public places and mass transportation has came to a halt due to this attack. It seems that terrorist attacks are becoming more common and that it might lead to an end to many of the public events that take place.

My heart goes out to the families that have been affected by this tragedy. My prayers go up to God to protect anyone that is in the area. I have cried as I can't imagine how a day at McDonald's could possibly end in such a horrible way. These families were simply enjoying a lunch and time together. How terrible that innocent children were targeted! How terrible that children are threatened by an adult that has no ties with the children. How horrifying that children need to fear going into a public place like McDonald's!

As a nation, we must stand for our rights and we must stand ready to fight this type of terror. I do not believe in vigilante justice, but something needs to be done to stop these types of killings. Whether a person is Christian, Muslim, Jew, or even an Atheist, should not be a reason for them to be killed by anyone! We are all humans and we all need to show love and compassion to those that are less fortunate than us.

#lovetoMunich

Deam Lake

After we returned from our vacation, I promised that I would share some of the photos that I took of the area we were in and just realized that I never done that so I will on today's post. With all of the trouble going on around us, it is nice to wake up in my small corner of the world with the ones I love and a beautiful view of my garden, my horses, and a wooded area that seems to cut us off from the rest of the world at times.

Spending nine days camping this year for vacation was a true delight. Nine days of no news, no shootings, and a fairly calm and nice trip. There were a few glitches and a rather large snake involved in that trip, but overall, it was a nice break from reality. A nice time with family and friends since both of my girls were able to go as well as my grand doll, a term I have borrowed from other bloggers.

I would wake before others most of the time and so I would walk around camp just to enjoy the quiet that comes from being camping. Here was the view that I seen while walking near our campsite. This was from a site just a couple down from us. The cabins that you can see our located in the family camp, which is really not that close to the horse camp but looks like it when you look from this viewpoint.

The following photo is one of the lake basically right behind where we were camping. It is so nice to be near the water in order to fish or go out on the boat. Normally, we take a paddle boat, but we decided against it this time.

Here is a photo of our campsites during the week. Our neighbors that we can with have the same trailer that we do and we both have white trucks. It's interesting how similar we are in about all that we do. You notice that the campsites are shaded and nice. The grass was a little taller than I would prefer, but not bad.

This is taken from the back of our campsite. As you can see, we are right by the water. This is nice because even the younger ones camping with us can fish while we are still able to see what is going on. Nice for the boats as well.

This is a photo of the hubs and I after we enjoyed a nice meal at Huber's Family Restaurant. If you are in the area, you must visit this restaurant. Great food at good prices and there are two farm markets, a winery, and a couple of play areas for the kiddies. Great times for all!

Enjoyable vacation and we always look forward to this week. This year was nice as both of our girls went and some other friends went as well. The trails are good for horseback riding and it's the perfect place to relax. I did not get a photo of the beach, but it is very nice and the water is refreshing during the summer.

Service Personnel

Those that choose careers that serve others can be called heroes even if they never do anything extraordinary in their careers. These days our police officers, fire fighters and military are in harms' way at each turn and we take those people for granted. They have a job and they do it.

When I think  of Sept. 11, 2001 and the tragic events of that day, I think of how many fire fighters chose to rush into those buildings to save lives of people that they did not know. Yet, they went! Their duty and honor to serve and protect came into use immediately!

The Dallas Police officers that were policing a peaceful protest that turned deadly for some of them never once thought that they did not want to do their job. Their duty and honor to serve and protect meant that they put themselves in harms' way when the shooting began. They chose to defend themselves the best that they could under a planned attack on them. The only reason those men died was because they were police officers.

This week, a dear friend of mine lost her brother in a suicide. He had served three tours in Afghanistan and suffered with PTSD. The disorder won. He chose to rid himself of the pain that most of us never will understand. His duty and honor was to protect his country and he done his job well. Did his country do him the same duty and honor? No, soldier related suicides are becoming a huge problem and we all need to be aware. Do you know that there are 20 suicides a day of veterans? How scary is that number? We all need to be aware.

Today, say a prayer for those service individuals that do their duty to serve and protect us. Say Thank You to a policeman, fire fighter, or service personel.

Dallas Officers Ambushed

My heart breaks as I hear of the ambush on police officers at a protest in Dallas, Texas yesterday. Suspects in custody doesn't ease my mind as I think of the families that are dealing with the sudden loss of a loved one that was only doing his/her job. I realize that police officers are always putting their lives on the line, but this was totally an attack on them.

5 lives lost due to someone else deciding they should die. This attack involved multiple shooters and was a precise attack on the officers that were aiding with the protest and were not wearing assault gear. Dallas officers, Dallas Transit officers and civilians were all under attack but the attack was set to kill officers. I believe that there are 12 others injured and some of those are civilians.

Police are saying that the attack was a planned attack with 2 shooters that were set up in high areas to viciously attack these officers. A sad day in America when police officers can't go to work without fearing that someone will purposely take their life from them. I realize that officers are being given a bad name when it comes to so many shootings that seem to be black men shot down by a white officer. I understand the Black Lives Matter protests, but let's remember that "All Lives Matter".

I don't care if a person is black or white. I don't care if an officer is black or white. During any kind of confrontation with an officer, people need to be respectful and do as they are told. If an officer is rough with someone, then it should be reported to their authority and it should be dealt with the correct way. Police officers have a hard job to do and many times are sent into a situation that is very volatile and are unaware of the danger that may be there. Drugs have a lot to do with the way that others approach officers, but that is why we need to handle some of the issues that we have.

Officers that shoot anyone for no reason should NEVER be allowed on the force again. An officer that handles a suspect roughly that is not resisting arrest should NEVER  be allowed on a force again. Let's remember that they are the enforcers of the law but they are not there to take law into their own hands.

As a nation, we need to be aware of what is going on around us and we need to demand changes to the justice system in our nation. We need to demand that criminals stay in jail where they belong and not be allowed to murder and be out in 2-5 years. Murder should be a just cause for the use of the death penalty. Let's quit feeling sorry for the criminals and stop worrying about their civil rights as they do not consider the civil rights of those that they are killing. Anyone that shoots an officer should receive the same. Criminals need basic civil rights, but sentences need to be harsher and longer.

#ALLLLIVESMATTER

Vacation

9 glorious days of vacation on the lake are almost gone. It's been a nice trip other than a little rain and a rather large snake.

Home Again

Our vacation camp week is over and it was full of fun and excitement! I will write that post later. For now, I will let each of you know that I have attempted to read all of your posts written while I was away. It sounds as though each of you have been having a good time and enjoying life to the fullest for the summer.

 My life here on the farm is filled with days of caring for my granddaughter, weeding our garden, spending time with my pony, Fancy, and cooking. I have been busy catching up on laundry and household chores as the work never ends. I have two hens setting on nests and so it won't be long till we have new chicks running around here.

If the weather would cooperate, I would go riding as it was so nice to do while we were at camp. I am attempting to get the camper ready to go again as we plan to camp again the weekend of the Fourth of July. I feel like I need a trip with just myself and the granddaughter so I may do that soon as well. My husband will pull the camper down and I can camp near the camp host because we know them well. I would not have to worry about anything while I was there.

Enjoy your day! We are in for severe storms and I do not like that!

Missing In Action

For all my friends and readers, I want to write a short message today to let you all know that I will be gone for 9 days and will be away from my computer most of that time. My family is going camping at a lake and will be enjoying some beach time and some well needed rest and relaxation. It is hard for us to leave for that long with the animals to care for and my husband to leave work for an extended period of time.

I am thankful for my mom and my father in law that are going to be helping us with the animals, home, etc. My daughter's boyfriend will also be checking in for us daily. Our new neighbors will be "patrolling" our drive. Plus, my husband's garage help will be here to keep an eye on things and to help with the animals. It is nice to have the help that we do and to have neighbors that keep an eye out for us.

I will try to check in occasionally and will attempt to share some of our sights and the fun that we have once I return. Have a great week and I will catch you all after I do some horseback riding, swimming, relaxing!

June Has Arrived

The month of June has finally arrived. I awoke to a nice morning with the sun rising above the horizon and the birds chirping that another month has arrived. June brings summer vacation to school kids here and brings many family vacations around the world. June brings summer, warmer temps, and is the month for many young women to marry the man of their dreams.

For us, the month of June brings a vacation coming up soon. I am looking forward to the time away, but we take the horses so we still end up doing some work. I don't mind as the horses will be in stalls and so the daily routine will be to clean them early and then again at night. I am sure we will take bedding to make cleanup easier. Vacation also means that my husband and I have to make sure the other animals are being cared for so my father in law will be doing the farm work while we are gone. We also have new neighbors and I am asking them to check on my mom and my in-laws while we are gone. Living in the country makes that such an easier task as we know the cars that usually come and go and we watch for strange ones.

June also brings warmer temps and usually higher humidity to our area so that means bring on the kiddie pool for the granddaughter. I know she loves to play in the tub and we have had her in the pool once and it was great watching her splash and play! It will be fun. I was never a swimmer and I hope that she will be. Her mom is and so is her dad so she may do it.

June also brings more evenings outside till a later hour as I just can't go in while it is daylight. I know our warm months are a hustle and bustle of activity, but I am sure not letting one minute slip out of my hands. Part of that activity yesterday was watching my husband, his friend, my daughter and her boyfriend bring in some nice grass hay and stack in the barn. Now, for all you country folks out there, there is nothing more exciting that new, green, grass hay and it smells wonderful. I believe that I was as excited as the animals. LOL! I would have helped but I was busy cooking a hearty meal that we call hobo dinners.

Hobo Dinners are simply some potatoes, carrots, onions, and peppers cut up and added to a hamburger wrapped in aluminum foil and cooked over an open fire. Easy meal and very delicious and filling! Even cleanup was easy since there were no dishes other than plates, a pair of tongs, and a baking pan that I laid them on when they were done.

I personally love to cook over the open fire! I believe that the food tastes better and it is another opportunity for me to be outside. Get outside today and enjoy the month of June!

Dear Uncle Sam

Each day,  our country loses a soldier or former soldier to suicide.  Every day,  a family loses a loved one that has defended our great nation. These senseless deaths need to stop.
Every day, families struggle w with a son, father, uncle, brother, dad, or husband that can't or won't discuss what horrible things they have seen or done while serving for our freedom! 
  Their lives become such a struggle that they don't want to live.  How sad!  We need to become more aware of the tragedy that touches families on a daily basis and realize that war does touch those that remain home.
My friend has written a wonderful song that shares this tragedy with us.  I want each of my readers to listen to the song that speaks volumes.  Dear Uncle Sam by Jeanette Bolt Smith. Feel free to leave comments!

Indy 500 Race Celebrates 100 Years

Indianapolis, Indiana is the place to be today! The lines are already forming all around town to get into the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. News crews are showing traffic jams everywhere around town and they have been telling locals that the lines will be long for this special race - 100 years!

Drivers and fans are all excited to be a part of such a wonderful event! The race always brings a lot of excitement and energy, but this 100th running is just a bigger and more exciting time. Many former winners have taken part in the festivities leading up to the race today. Johnny Rutherford, a three time winner, is driving the pace car today.  AJ Foyt, a four time winner and the man known as "King of the Indy 500" will have three drivers in the race today and will certainly be a huge part of the race today as well.

The race is a tradition for many people and recently, a man was found that has been to over 90 of the 100 races. Many fans are life long fans of the race. I have never been to the race, but I have been to the track for a Nascar race. It is a beautiful track and the fans are true fans. I have many memories of listening to the race on the radio as a kid and how things actually seemed to revolve around the race even if you were not there.

Normally, the race is not televised at the time of the running but this year the Speedway has actually lifted the ban and will allow it to be televised today. For many people this will be the first time that they have actually seen the race. It is usually televised in a delayed fashion late evening. I personally, am hoping to catch some of the actual live broadcast today.

Decorate in black and white today and celebrate 100 years of the Indianapolis 500!

Why Can't Grandkids Come First?

My, My, what a difference a year makes! A year ago today, I was at the hospital waiting for my youngest daughter to give birth. We had just found out a year ago yesterday that she was pregnant and I was literally in shock. I was scared of what issues the baby might have due to no prenatal care, taking birth control the entire time, and the fact that my daughter had been barrel racing her horse just the week before. At 11:49 a.m. a year ago today, my beautiful granddaughter arrived into the world and was absolutely perfect!

Today she is a beautiful, perfect baby that is beginning to walk and talk. She played in the yard yesterday and I was so amazed at how smart she seems to be. She loves to walk and she is such a happy baby and one that will give you a huge smile and has the cutest dimples. She has learned to wave bye bye and she tries to say it. She says hi and she says Papap for her Papaw. She says Momma. For some reason, she seems to call me YEYE. I prefer to be called Mamaw, but I don't think she likes that, so for now I am Yeye.

The next year will bring about many changes in her walking, talking, personality, and looks, but she will always be my perfect little angel. I never really wanted grandkids, but I would not trade her for a million dollars because she is the best!

Why can't grandkids come first?

The Kelly Miller Circus

Last Friday night, I took my daughter and granddaughter to the circus. We met up with my oldest daughter, her boyfriend, and his nephew. We went to the fairgrounds to see the Kelly Miller Circus. We had gone to see the same circus year and had a really enjoyable time, so thought that we would go again. What an amazing time a circus can be!

When we arrived, the previous show audience was leaving and there really were not many people walking around to join us for the later show, but I knew it would quickly fill up and I was right. We decided to get in line and two of us went to the box office to ask if we could upgrade our tickets to ringside and we were able too. If you sit ringside, you have chairs to sit in instead of the bleachers. Much better sitting, especially with little ones.

We anxiously awaited the start of the show as we sit in the front row. We were well aware though that the big cats were not in the show as last year, this ringside would be a cage in front of us. I was immediately disappointed as I was anxious to see how grandbaby would handle the roar of the tigers. After a half hour, the show finally began.

                                                  This was the ringmaster for the evening and very knowledgeable .

No circus would be complete without clowns and this one was certainly a good one.

The acts on the trapeze and in the air were some of my favorites. I am amazed at the aerial feats that these performers do.

The dancing elephant was my granddaughters favorite. The elephant captivated her attention. She was surprised each time it passed her as if it was the first time she had ever seen it.

This old timer was sharing advice on how to train a mule. It was a funny aspect to the show.

I felt this photo captured the standing ovation that this circus deserved. This lady had this miniature horse, some dogs, and a goat that she worked with and trained to do multiple stunts. It was a fun part of the show and provided lots of cheers and laughs.

This gentleman was another amazing display of what stunts the human body is capable of with a little training. Multitalented and a wonderful addition to the show.

This was the final performance of the evening. I wish I had some better photos of this because it was one of my favorite parts of the entire evening. He was known as the human volcano and he done multiple amazing stunts with fire. A truly magnificent ending to the show.

I believe that it was a good night for all especially the little one. I believe that she truly enjoyed the circus!

A Farm House

When I think of a farm house, I think of a two story home with a large front porch with a swing and a couple of rocking chairs on that porch. I imagine a huge jug of sweet tea on the porch as well. A welcome mat by the door and a warming invitation to all who enter it.

I live in the country and I live on a small hobby farm, but I certainly do not live in a farm house. We have a small home that really does not have a front porch at all. The deck out the back door could be considered a back porch, but I do not think that it is big enough to be a porch.

I also imagine a nicely cleaned and freshly painted kitchen with red in it as well as roosters and sunflowers as the décor. I do have the sunflower décor but I have mostly cow items in my kitchen and no red anywhere. I guess my kitchen does not fit the description either.

I have horse décor in my bathroom  and the floor is hardwood. I guess that makes up for the small house and the other things that should make it a country home. I hope it is enough. I will never have the farm house that I want and dream of, but I hope that I can make this one have a comfy, country feel. I am thinking of adding some gingham curtains- that should help.

What do you think of when you think of a farm house? We do have mason jars and milk bottles that we can drink from.

Just a few thoughts!

Held Ransom

Internet thieves can be so disgusting! Internet thieves will sneak in and take things that are not theirs and they steal money from innocent people. They use their thievery to earn a living off of unsuspecting and naïve individuals. Last week, they attacked here. I was looking for some information on our YMCA and after attempting to download an application, I opened a file that I believed might be the form and suddenly I had a strange message that I was not sure what it was.

I actually did not really pay any attention as I thought I must have done something wrong, so I decided to look at some of pictures I had of ideas for birthday cakes for my grandbaby. Suddenly the same message was on my screen and NO pictures. This message said something about paying for my files to be retrieved or pray for a miracle. I suddenly realized that I had become a victim of ransomware!! Thieves had stolen all my files- pictures, documents, and music! Now my documents and my music was truly no big deal, but my pictures are a whole different story! I was mad!

I began to research this scam and found that it is one of the most dangerous virus' that is out right now. There is really not much of a way to recover your items and it is best to wipe things clean and start over. My only saving grace is that many of my pictures are still on my camera and not one single photo of my grandchild was lost! It did not help because I was still mad!

I decided that I would call our computer guy and he will clean it up, but he even said he did not think that he could get my files. I decided that this had to be a crime and that I was not sitting doing nothing. I contacted the FBI and I plan to contact the attorney general internet crimes division. I won't be held at ransom and do nothing. They messed with the wrong grandmother!

A dear friend of ours heard of our situation and since I sell for him online, he decided that I needed a new computer so I now have a really nice new system with Windows 10 and I am learning a whole new system. I am learning so it was take awhile, but I will be busy here now.

I hope all of you had a Happy Mothers Day! My husband done dishes for me after I cooked dinner yesterday. My daughters both bought me a nice gift and I got to spend my first Mothers Day with my adorable and beautiful grandchild! Smiles all around!

Fridays Findings

Hard to believe that a week has gone by so quickly. My day has been quite busy as I have been attempting to clean up the farm outside. I usually clean the inside and I don't mind cleaning it, but it seems that it is a never ending job. The weather has been not so fun so far this spring and with the weather nice, I have to be outside. I began the day there and hopefully, will end it sitting around a small fire tonight.

We had a pile of brush that had been growing over a period of years on a spot that we never use for anything. I have mentioned that it needed to be burned many times the past few years, but we never found time to burn it. Today the weather was perfect for it and so I started my morning by setting it on fire. I lit it and knew that I needed to keep a good eye on it, so I have stayed outside with it most of the day. Once it started to wind down, I decided that the day was perfect for me to be outside to read and that is what I done. Since my daughter was off, I did not have to keep the baby and that allowed me some time to do some fun things for me. Since I deeply enjoy reading, it was the perfect way to relax after cleaning the yard some.

I will check the fire multiple times this evening and I will cook some pork steaks for dinner for my hubby and I. I will also hopefully, find time to light a small fire in my firepit and enjoy a nice relaxing evening talking with hubby around the fire. My daughter, her boyfriend, and her friend should be here for a bit tonight. The friend and my daughter will be here all evening but he won't. Curfew is 10 p.m. for him at our house, even though my daughter is 19 years old.

We decided to move the Alpine Goats that I got a couple of weeks ago into a pen that we had a donkey in and we placed the donkey in with the horses. While moving the donkey, she decided that she wanted to run and it took us a few minutes to get her into the pen. The goats were a handful as well, but my daughter's boyfriend is quite the farm boy and he handled them like a pro. Glad he was here! Farm life sure can be challenging! We love it though!

Have a great evening! I will try to post some photos this week as well.

This is my dear Jenny! I love her so much!!

Today's Tidbits

As I sit here waiting on my husband to get home, I was playing catch up on reading the blogs that I follow here. It has been a tough couple of weeks for me to find time to read anything. My daughter has worked quite a bit which means that I have had my granddaughter more and so very little gets done other than playing with her and keeping her out of things. I usually spend the evenings with my husband since I rarely see him during the day. However, he got called out to go rescue someone broke down tonight and so here I am.

Life here on the farm has been crazy as we have all been sick quite a bit this winter and I think that I have been the worst. I had the flu, never really got over it and then came down with a severe sinus infection. I am finally getting over it and now that the weather is beginning to warm a little, I am hoping that I feel better and can get out and enjoy some fresh air.

I did work in the yard some today and then was treated to a meal at the Mexican restaurant in town with my husband, daughter and granddaughter. I was glad to not have to cook and spend a little time with the family all in one place. Once we arrived home, I watched Criminal Minds, one of my favorite shows, and the others went about their own business.

Well, I suppose I should close for the evening and get busy reading or doing something a little more constructive. Have a good evening! Thanks for stopping by and please leave a comment and I will respond back as I appreciate each of you that read my thoughts.

BitterSweet Day

Friday was a bittersweet day with my daughter attending her senior prom with other homeschooled children and the loss of her horse. One of our beloved horses, Abdul, passed away on Friday morning and he was her dear companion. Abdul, was a Tennessee Walker- Arabian mix and he was a dream.

We bought him from a friend about 6 years ago for my daughter to ride and show at 4 H. She was moving up in her riding skills and we were moving her from a smaller pony to a small horse. She was scared of him and swore she was not going to ride him. After my husband and our oldest daughter rode him, she decided that she would try. After a few rides, they were best buddies and have done so many things together.

Abdul has participated in many 4H classes both halter and showmanship classes as well as contesting. He was not a barrel horse, but he did not mind to try. He would run when he needed and he would go around the barrels as though it was natural. He did not ride gaited as he had walked with quarter horses too many times and we were fine with that. My daughter does prefer to ride western than English or in a gait. He would do the trail classes and give her some problems even though he had been a trail horse all of his life.

Abdul has been dressed as the Mad Hatter, one of the Duck Dynasty crew, Uncle Sam, as well as many other things during the 4H costume contests. He never minded anything that we done to him. He was even painted once to be a zebra. He has worn ball caps, wigs, clothes, etc. and would take it all in stride. He loved to place in a class as well as she did.

He was our babysitter horse for anyone that did not know how to ride or had never been on a horse, was sure to be able to ride him. He knew what he do. Many have said, he had " been there, done that" type of horse. He knew what we expected and he done it. He knew his job was to protect my daughter and that is what he done. She could ride bareback, backwards, sit crossed legged on his back, never touch the reins, etc. and she knew that she was safe. We were constantly reminding her that something could spook him, but she never felt unsafe on him.

She has turned down quite a bit of money for him and my husband always told her that the decision was hers. The answer to anyone that attempted to buy him was " you don't have enough money". We were camping once and she turned down $5,000 for him. She truly loved the horse and he loved her. The mutual respect that they had for each other was truly amazing!

She found him in the barn on Friday morning looking as though he had just fell asleep in his stall. We knew on Thursday that he was frail and we assumed that he might pass overnight. He was not ill but he was simply old and we knew it was about his time. Whatever we expected though, was not enough to prepare us for the loss. She came in totally broken and crying. She told her dad that he had passed and asked for us to give her a few minutes before she went back out to cover him and we did that. She was able to get some of his mane that she may want in a locket and she was able to go back to the barn and say her goodbyes. It was so sad! I knew her heart was breaking and there was nothing I could do to make it better.

Knowing that she had prom that night, I was concerned that she might decide to not go due to feeling so upset over the loss she had suffered. However, she decided to go and she was able to get her mind off of the loss for a bit. She did cry when one song came on that she had practiced musical freestyle too with him. She had a nice time though and we ended the evening with her and I dancing her senior dance together. A smile ended the evening and that made me thankful as I knew Abdul was there in spirit. He was once again watching over her.

For the moment, tears have ended but if I don't end the post, the keyboard may be wet. I am going to end with some photos of him. This is our beloved Abdul. RIP 03-18-2016

 

Faithful Friend

 

                                                                Abdul, The Babysitter
          
                                        

                                                               
                                                        A Great Ride

                                     

 

Forever Remembered and Loved