Just when winter is at it’s darkest we are offered a reprieve. The seed catalogs have been pouring in since Christmas, we sat down a couple of weeks ago and chose the seeds we were out of, and the new ones that sounded fun. Now it is time to get those seeds ordered and get them started. There’s just one problem.

Last year I decided I wanted to start some flowers too. They worked beautifully, I had huge baskets all summer. We didn’t have enough room to start them all though. My dedicated gardener husband jerry rigged enough lights and we staggered the starting dates so everything worked but it was not pretty. This year he decided to build a real honest to goodness seedling starter stand, we aren’t really sure what to call it.

Sure he could have ordered one ready made but what fun would that be? Not to mention expensive. Our favorite garden catalog, Johnny’s, carries them.

Earlier this winter my tech genius husband remodeled his computer . Many of the old parts were good just not good enough, so with all these computer parts laying around he decided to redo my old Mac. My dad gave me the old Mac way back in the early 2000’s when he got a new one, it was still good just not good enough. He may also be a bit of a geek, I love geeks. I haven’t used it much since I got my beloved little Netbook but before the Mac went into temporary retirement she was still working great for an old girl, I believe this series came out in ’99?

Nocturne:

I removed all Apple components from inside. they were not upgradeable and severely outdated. Replaced them with more modern PC hardware, quite a challenge because Apple did things there own way. The case modifications made insure that new PC hardware upgrades can be made easily in the future. With the new hardware we were able to install the newest version of OSX, Mavericks. At some point I will install Windows Seven as well and dual boot between operating systems.

I thought his computers remodel was impressive, it was nothing compared with this.

My husband and I sat on the couch the other night reading. On the end table lay an old treasured book of mine showing the wear and tare of many well enjoyed readings. He picked it up turning it over in his hands. The cover was missing and the pages badly dog eared.

“We could try to find a new one on Ebay.” he said. ” One with a cover maybe?”

I looked up from the brand new book I was reading and began to tell him that not every body cares if their books are as pristine as he keeps his. I had barely started the sentence absently folding the page to mark my spot when I noticed the horror on his face and followed the path of his gaze to the book in my hands. Taking note of his consternation and knowing full well the cause I looked him straight in the eye, wallowing in my meanness, and took care to tighten the crease in the page sliding my nail along the folded edge as I finished talking.

The look on his face clearly showed his distress over the savage cruelty of my actions in mistreating a book so.

I love being married.

We started a new session with a new book last night. We finished a very good book, who’s name I can not remember but it was written by Francis? Chan, I can’t remember anything anymore, at the end of November and took a month off for the busy Christmas season. Flash forward to February and we are starting up again reading The Case for Christ. I am really looking forward to it, I love the author and his very fact based style.

During the very first study of the book and the very first accompanying video I noticed that the preacher that got Lee Strobels wife into church thus starting this whole journey and great book series was Bill Hybels. I saw him and Willow Creek mentioned and I was like “Hey I know them!!”  To myself of course I didn’t think anyone else would be interested. It struck me as very interesting that this widely read book and the conversion of, if no others, the author and his wife were accomplished through a church that my grandmothers church has preached against, stopping short, I hope, of calling them evil.

It amazes me that this tiny little church with a miniscule congregation feels that they are doing so much more for Christianity and I can’t help but wonder why? We go to a church that I like to think of as Willow Creek in miniature. The congregation is vibrant and enthusiastic and ever growing. The music is loud and beautiful with guitars and a drum. Oh I think I see the problem. According to this other church, which shall go unnamed, music with a beat is evil.

They claim that these “mega churches” don’t preach from the bible, that they preach a watered down version not the truth and all the very difficult requirements that true Christians must follow. No music with a beat, for example and no cheese I believe. While they were busy preaching the evils of large effective churches we were listening to a sermon preached from the bible in which our pastor talked about dissension among Christians and churches. He stated that it is not usually caused by a true difference of beliefs but instead by petty jealousy and envy.

Because I even bought a ticket this time.

I thought about that live in nanny thing and decided it was just too much togetherness. I really don’t like having to be around people. I will put her in a house a mile down the road, that’s plenty close enough for a neighbor. She can be on call for when I want to get out. I she could keep house too that would be great. I guess she would have to be willing to travel with us to visit family and my other barns/ranches and of course to shows. Maybe also like to ride that could be very handy.

I have been looking at a building in town that has been for sale for years and thinking what fun it would be to open a store. Only if I didn’t have to depend on it to make money. What fun would a practical store be? I want to open a tack and book store. I have been planning this for years. It will have to be a pretty two story building. The one in town isn’t pretty but is the only empty two story building and is on the highway so I’ll go with it. On the ground floor will be the tack, new and used. I’ll go back east and pick up stuff at the tack sales and come out here and sell it. English, western, dressage all the good fun things that probably wouldn’t sell, anything and every thing horse related.

Upstairs will be the books new and used. It would be fun to emphasize local, Nebraska, authors with the new books. Marie Sandoz is as local as it gets. Maybe other locally made crafts and the like and who doesn’t love a used book store. There is no money in it though so it is good that I will have won the lotto. In front of the big windows I will put nice comfy chairs and have coffee and tea fresh brewed so people can sit and read their books. Ahh, it will be so fun, as long as I don’t have to sit there all day. I will choose books and decorate.

What really amazes me is that my very content husband has no dreams of what he would do if only. Is that good or sad that he has no great aspirations? I would have to insist that he stay home and quit his job and farm full time. Help manage all the horses I have collected.

Bawk – Chicken

Maw/Prrrr – Kitty

Dizzeeee – Daisy

Mmmmmmm(very high pitched in the middle) – Cows

Snort snort – Pig

Growl(with hands held in air) – Bear

Cluck (sound made with tongue) – Horse

Aaaagh – Sheep

Oo ooo – Owl

Sticking tongue in and out quickly and damply – Frog/lizard

Vrrrr(lots of grumbling) – Tractor/feed truck

Dare – Take me over there, now.

No(with pointing) – Nose

Uh uh (with a wave of hand in-front of face) – I am done eating, I do not want anymore and may never eat any of that again especially if we have just stocked up on what was previously a favorite.

Dat Dat – That, I would like that please. That right there, can you not see that I want that? Please give me that!

Danu (undetermined sound made upon being given something) – Thank You

Enthusiastic waving and blowing kisses in the air – Motions made to anybody who is showing no interest. Never when someone is talking to her or says goodbye.

Circle motions with hand while nodding happily – Please keep spinning the chair in circles until I am sick and throw up on the floor

Pathetic whimpering while clawing desperately for the remote – My show has stopped! Make it go again! I know that thing makes it go somehow if you wont do it fast enough let me try. Why don’t you love me enough to make it go again?

Holding hand out to object not quite touching then pulling it quickly back shaking it and holding hand to mouth – That is hot we aren’t supposed to touch it it will hurt. Maybe mom or dad would like to touch it? Please? It will be fun just try. Here let me show you how. (Grabbing your hand and pushing towards hot object)

I will very rarely buy a ticket even but it is a lot of fun to think what I would do with the money if I did. Especially when my mom keeps sending me adds for horses she thinks I should get. It wouldn’t be so bad if she didn’t know my taste in horses so well. So apparently if I had tons of money I would hoard horses big time. My ever helpful husband pointed out that I would never get them all ridden any way.

That would not be a problem. I would of course install a great trainer at my huge indoor arena and have all the assorted riffraff I collected in reining and cow horse training. It might be a little difficult to find a really good trainer who was willing to work with a breed besides the “usual” much less assorted riffraff. I remember how horrified the big trainer guys were, when talking to them at shows, that one in their midst was training a Morgan. Not me for once, they were discussing Monty Bruce I believe, riding the beautiful Rebels R We . I would find one though and my odd ball herd would travel the country making a good name for themselves. We would also make the Morgan Grand Nationals with the herd members of the proper bred.

To start my herd I would get this pretty little girl. She looks exactly like my old gelding Nate. May have to follow the link I could not get her picture to copy or the video to work

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=guYEZ6VyS3M

Look at the legs on this boy. It’s like draft horse legs on a pony body I love him.

This one doesn’t appeal to me quite as much but maybe in person he’s prettier than his herd mate.

This is my dream horse. If I had time and money and a live in nanny, which I will of course be getting with my lottery money. Or not, looking for his picture I see that there is a sale pending. Lucky people, hope they enjoy him.

http://www.candomorgans.com/sale.html

I’m afraid my daughter is going to take after her fathers side of the family, with all kinds of beautiful girls who spend hours on clothes and make up and doing their hair. Not after my mother and I who would rather go riding and consider a hat a good hair style. My grandmother would be proud at least, she has tried and tried to convert us to her very stylish way of thinking.

I was getting The Goblin Child dressed today to go into town and meet her father for lunch. I struggled against her squirming, trying to get clean clothes on her so she could look as adorable as she, almost, always does. Over her tights I put a tiny pair of Uggs, all white and furry, she immediately began taking them off. After putting them back on a couple of times I thought I had succeeded but as I walked out of the room she grabbed a different pair of shoes and followed me holding them up.

Looking down into her imploring little eyes I asked if she wanted to wear that pair instead. She nodded emphatically so I sat down

and we changed shoes. She was very proud of her pink cowboy boots and didn’t try to take them off once. Shows what I know, she is going to be a little shoe diva.

In the winter, especially, it is the only way to go. Riding bareback improves balance and gives a better feel for the horse. How can anyone not love the smell of a horse, so warm and earthy. So why is it that when I come in from a nice ride, pleasantly exhausted and ready to relax for a bit, my husband gets mad at me for sitting on the couch?

I got out for a ride on my pony yesterday. It has been a bad year for riding with the cold and ice and when I have gotten out it has been on Odie. The little Coyote has been neglected. He made that very well known during our ride.

My darling husband took The Goblin Child with out with him all morning to move a fence, put propane in the tank and feed cows. When he sent her in so he could get non child friendly tasks accomplished she went to sleep, immediately.  I was able to accomplish all kinds of things around the house, mostly cleaning. When he finally did come in he ordered me out of the house to enjoy some of the moderately nice weather.

I grabbed my bridle and a hand, make that pocket, full of horse cookies and went looking for horses. I could tell Coyote hadn’t been ridden for awhile because he came up looking for me. When he is being ridden regularly he heads the opposite direction. I slipped him his mandatory cookie with the bit and hopped on. He was very polite as we rode around their pen, we checked the hay bale and mostly looked for places to ride that were out of the wind. The other two ponies followed us, Jerry with short bursts of running and bucking, Odie cautiously vaguely curious about where we were going. I still don’t know if that strange pony even has a canter.

Bored with that I forced Coyote out the gate for a lap around the stack yard. We plodded slowly out checking out the cows and generally looking around. Then we reached the corner, the fence line, the turn around place. Every thing changed. We were headed

home, like a shot. His head came up, he pranced and danced, and leaped into the air performing high school dressage moves.

Sitting, bareback, upon my rampaging pony  I pondered the intricacies of riding. I could feel how still and steady and confident my seat was. Granted, I had a death grip on the mane, but there was not a drop of fear or tightness. Together we swayed and dipped in an intricate dance. I could feel his back muscles tighten and release with every spook and hop and I remained still, the eye of this whirling vortex.

So why can’t I ride? This is so frustrating. On Coyote, almost, nothing scares me, on any other horse everything terrifies me. It’s not fair. I am more nervous riding Odie, our twenty year old perspective kids pony. I do find him a little alarming to ride, I believe it is the lack of controls. I do mean that in plural, not a lack of control but the lack of buttons and levers. There isn’t the complete control over movement in any body part like I am used to. Coyote can be trying to run home sideways and I can touch him with my leg behind the girth and straighten his body, bringing the hindquarters back in line. Riding a horse without those controls is like driving a car with out, I don’t know, steering I guess.

Unfortunately it’s more than that, I think years of starting colts ruined me. I know what horses are capable of, I’ve seen a mare who could kick a saddle as it was placed on her back. I know that they can still kick you no matter where you stand. My own little Jerry has gone from standing completely still to gone out from underneath me in an instant. That quickness made her a great cow horse but I don’t trust her with the child or husband even now that she is old and lame. I often think that if I could ride colts with the same confidence as I do Coyote I wouldn’t get bucked off but I think I used to ride all horses like that and it must not have worked because here I am old, sore and sure that I am coming off.

Sometimes I wish for a quiet well behaved horse but mostly I enjoy my wild, little, old pony. He makes me feel like I can still ride without forcing me to be able to still ride.