Conquering my FEAR!!!!

OK so I'm so happy I could, well never mind what I could do:) Today I conquered a fear I've had for, oh probably 3 years. I rode the BLACK horse....You see this horse has thrown both my Jeffie and my brother Steve... And hurt them both pretty bad, not just a dump... But somehow I knew this was my horse, he was from the day he came home with us from the stockshow in 2007. I have seen this horse in a full out buck with my brother on him, and when I said "your OK Shotzy" the horse totally stood still...That's when I first knew I would be able to ride this horse cause he listens to my voice, something those big bad cowboys don't do is Talk to their horse... Anyway's I have fed him everyday and taught him great ground manners and he is so sweet on the ground, BUT I had this huge fear of him because of what I had seen him do. Last year my cousin Terry, who is in my opion one of the best horseman I know, rode him and said I would be fine, and showed me what to do with him, so I DROVE that horse from here to kingdom come, and he listened to every command I gave him, STILL I couldn't get on his back.....I was AFRAID.

So today my son came out to trim all the horses and he wanted to ride... So we saddled up Shotzy and Buddy... He said he would ride Shotz, but I told him just take Buddy for a ride first and I'll work Shotz a little.... Well I told Jeff It's time, help me out here...First off I made Shotzy bow his head and we said a little prayer:) and then I got on him, first with my Jeff  holding the lead rope, leading me like a kid.... Then I gave the ok to unhook him!!!!! About this time I was feeling a little like the Chris Ledoux song, you know the one about riding the mechanical bull, the part when he says " go ahead and turn her on" lol...Well it was amazing the bond that horse and I have... He did everything I asked of him, backed up like a prince and everything... Then Mick came riding up on Buddy and he just watched for a minute, and then I got the "good job mom"... Don't know why that was so important, but it was:):):) So today was the first day of ridding my Shotzy, but I assure you it won't be the last.... I've made a vow to give him 30 minutes at least 4 days a week... I'm posting the pictures even tho I look horrible and NO MAKEUP!!! But it was a GREAT HORSE DAY!!!!! and there is nothing better then A GREAT HORSE DAY!!!!

So I ask you, what are you fearing???? and what are you going to do about it??? Remember it never hurts to say a little prayer first!!!! I am one happy girl, smiling from ear to ear:):):)

First SNOW of 2011

I woke up early this morning to SNOW!!!! Everybody knows how much I like snow, not only for it's beauty, but we make our living plowing it! But mostly I have really come to love it out here on the ranch. I can not explain the peace there is feeding the horses in the snow, but I will try:) First off on a snow this early in the season, I am outside first thing in morning, NO COFFEE even! Because the horses haven't gotten their coats yet, so I know they will be shivering..... Nothing LOTS of grass hay won't cure! So anyways on snowy days like this, I love going out to feed and as I am curring the wet horses, I can hear them all munching on hay. For some reason, to me, there isn't a more peaceful sound any where. The STILLNESS is amazing. I didn't take my camera into the horse pen because it is always so muddy, and I seem to take my fair share of falls, so SAVE THE CAMERA right? :) But I do have some beautiful pictures to share. I must say it is nice to be sitting by the fire now, all warm and cozy, dogs all snugged up in blankets all over.. I do believe it is a "Little house on the prairie" day... Thank you Lord for your beauty AND your provision! Have a Blessed day everyone!

Neighbors

Cookin chili (my mother in law's chili:), lovin the cool weather!!! Here I am cookin and again got distracted to BLOG!!! and I'm havin the neighbors over for super and play cards!!! Still got toilets to scrub and vacuum Annie girls hair from the carpet, but hey, DISTRACTED is what I do lately.. I was thinkin about all the stories my Grandma Norman would tell about visiting relatives on the farm in Nebraska, but of coarse they didn't play cards, I believe they thought it was sinful. I think I am sorta happy for the financial troubles in America, I am seeing a return to super with neighbors and family, a time of communicating again!!! And laughter that doesn't require the high cost of other entertainment! I for one LOVE it!!! I think we got a little lost for awhile:)

So I took a picture the other day looking out my kitchen window, the view is perfect for me, horses grazing and the like, but then I took another one today, AFTER the wind and MUCK storm... In the country, dirt happens.....Why am I posting these???? Because it's just another way I have de-stressed myself, see normally if I were having company, I would be out there washing window's even when the wind is STILL BLOWING!!! Now it is just funny:) Don't get me wrong windows will be sparkling clean again NEXT WEEK!!!! Enjoy your day (and my pictures) and laugh a little at what used to make you CRAZY!!! A return to the simple life!!!! God Bless

                                       



 The view from my kitchen window a few days ago

The view from my kitchen window today:)

Chors at 50 vs. 20 A differant attitude!

Cleaning out the fridge today, I was thinking about the change in my attitude from when I was 20. At 20 I never did nothing but complain about almost everything, if not out loud to somebody, I sure did a lot of it under my breath. Especially if it was something in the house (as I am so much happier outdoors!) and by the way my house was spotless at 20, vacumed my dark brown carpet 2 and 3 times a day, but not with a JOYFUL heart, lol.... Now at 50 cleaning out the fridge and vacuming the floor and a few loads of laundry has taken me the better part of the day, BUT!!!! I have had a few cups of tea on the front porch in my rockin chair, played with the dogs and just now stopped vacuming cause I got the urge to BLOG!!! My heart is happy & FULL, and I now take the time to enjoy looking out the kitchen window at my horses, that rock my world btw... and it seems lately, I am in constant thankful mode to my Lord for His simple Blessings... At 20 everything had to be done fast, so weekends could be spent "PLAYIN" on the jet skis, fishin or whatever else we did. Now don't get me wrong, I'm thankful for doing all that too, I'm just saying I'm feeling very blessed to have my peace and quiet, non rushed days now. I'm finding I love it when we go places and are with the grandkids for sure, but I am feeling more Blessed then ever just sitting here on this beautiful mini ranch counting my Blessings!!!! Have a BLESSED day and ENJOY it, no matter where you are in life, try to be thankful for the SIMPLE things!!!

The SIMPLE LIFE!

I've been thinking all morning as I've been vacuuming and doing dishes, just routine chores really, but today seemed different... As so many days have lately. I was thinking about my life. I hear people do that more at 50:) and I came to this conclusion ~ I am truly enjoying my life these days, after what has seemed to be a crazy, wild ride the last 5 years or so. Funny thing is.. not much has changed in my circumstances, other then my Jeff is my best friend again, just like when we were young, before kids, but hey that's another BLOG all together!! So here's what's going on in my head..
In 1996 we got our first horses, we boarded them at my Cousin Roxie's Ranch (Ellis Ranch in Loveland, a beautiful wedding park now) Well that was a new lifestyle for me, one of simplicity and quiet... We vowed IF we ever got our own ranch, or in our case mini ranch of 40 acres, we would never take it for granted... Well guess what??? With all the chores and still trying to keep up with my friends and woman's lunch's and church and volunteering and so on and so on... I've taken it for granted!!! But in just the last 2 months, something in me has changed! I'm no longer wanting to go do all the THINGS I used to do.. Along with everyone else in America, I also don't have the money to do it! At first that was a problem!! Someone wanted us to go here or there and we said yes, just like we always did, and then realized, wait a minute we don't have the money to do that.. Well that even turned out to be a BLESSING. We found out we have some pretty amazing people in our lives that bought us tickets to go with them and gave us things when it was needed, Jeff and I were blown away by our friends and family and continue to be, to this day..So what am I doing these days that has changed??? I'm TAKING time to enjoy the beautiful mornings on my deck with a great cup of coffee, for free. I'm also sitting outside at night, sometimes for hours to look at the stars and God's beautiful creation, AND get my thoughts clear, also for free. Thoughts such as being thankful for what I do have, for my family and my horses and 2 very cute goats, for the Internet that has amazingly connected me to so many friends and family, for a pretty small fee when you think about it. So we sold the camper to make up some house payments, I'm thankful I had the camper to sell, and all the memories that we had there. We had some young cousins come out last weekend just to sit in our quiet, that was awesome. I'm enjoying the kids and grand kids more, just as GRANDMA, I don't have to change a thing, it's my children's turn to figure out there lives, I'm just here to sit back and watch!!! By the way, they are all doing an great job at life:) I've made a choice to do LESS and enjoy more, so my commitments are slowing down.. My main goal is to enjoy  life, take a few more photo opps in the mountains, be grandma to my kids and to mentor the younger generation the same way my grandma has mentored me. No more Bible studies 3 nights a week, or good causes ALL the time. I'm getting a little tired. I still want to ALWAYS be there for my friends and family, but I think I know now, I can't be there for everyone or do everything. So I'll be baking a little more, keeping a cleaner house, praying for others need to be met, but not necessarily by me... I want to hear the Lord a little clearer before I act... I want to fish with my Jeffie, picnic with my children and grandchildren, enjoy my horse poop chores again, and most of all finishing up the next 40 years leaving a legacy to the family and friends who want to be a part of my life, just as the older family members gave me, most of them are gone now, but they live on in my heart!!! Oh yes I think I will be blogging a lot on the simple life!!! As a friend on face book always says, go make your day count!!!!!

My Uncle Harlan

Last night our neighbor (Joe) came over and drank a beer (or maybe a few more) with Jeff. We ended up talking about my Uncle Harlan Norman. The thought of him makes me smile :) We got out his hall of fame books from when we went to Jackson Mississippi, and reminisced for hours. It all started with me working my Gunner in the round pen, something I don't do enough of, by the way, anyways I taught him something he had never done before in just minutes, and it came back to me just how much I learned from my Uncle Harlan the 5 years we spent almost every weekend at The Ellis Ranch. We were TRUELY BLESSED to have that time with him and the WHOLE Ellis family. I don't even think I remember half of the horse knowledge I got there, it just comes out when I need it. I love my Uncle Harlan and Aunt Margie with my whole heart. And I am so thankful for my horse life, it has been loads of fun! And just  a side note, I was looking up my cousin Steven Norman (he's a great horse shoer for all the big race horses in KY) on the Internet to show Joe, and I found a great blog my cousin Billy Harlan wrote about growing up in S.D. My isn't the Internet a wonderful thing!! I guess I am trying to say, I have had a great life with relatives, and I have wonderful memories! It makes me happy when I think of the memories we are creating for the younger generation right now, JUST BY BEING WHO WE ARE!!!!! Awe yes, Life is really good!!

Learning this BLOG thing, bear with me:)

Micky J.. and Leon Coffee!!!Just playing with how to upload stuff! Love that boy:) Just sayin'