Hard Answers to EASY Questions

It is so normal for people to make assumptions in making judgments on important issues. Take for instance, Horse Slaughter.....Sounds BAD. We love horses. They are noble beasts. True, they are livestock, a bit like CATTLE, but they evoke an emotion in most people that is more akin to the family dog. For without horses our path to civilization would be far different. So we vote and petition to make slaughter of horses in the U.S. illegal.... And then, we offer no alternatives. So the horses that can no longer be cared for, the horses that people can't afford to feed. The "bad" ones have no home. We euthenize cats and dogs at our local humane society. But, what do they do with the horses. The local horses that are being turned loose in empty fields and left with no food, no shelter, no water at times. These horses become a public charge. OR they slowly die,

yes,

That is SO much more humane. Breeders keep breeding. At the high end they produce better sport horses that excel in many disciplines. On the low end, they produce horses that don't even sell for the minimum bid of $5 at the local auction house. Sales of even nice young horses are slow to nonexistant. It costs about $5000 per year to house and feed a young horse. And that is if nothing goes wrong. Veterinary bills mount quickly. So your bargain youngster is a big investment and must be chosen carefully. Some great breeder friends of mine have wonderful babies for sale. The prices are a BARGAIN and they are willing to house the horses at a minimal rate until they are ready to ride. If you are looking for a future star, drop me an email or comment and I will happily send you their way!

Mercy

What does MERCY mean to you. It reminds me of wrestling as a kid and feeling the pain and suffocation of my cousins and siblings bearing down on my chest.... we would cry MERCY! The rush of air and coolness after the struggle, that is MERCY to me.

Mercy is also the name of a little girl. A small girl with a ragged smile. Her teeth are broken from falling. She falls because she has seizures. There are NO NEUROSURGEONS in her ENTIRE country. She needs help....sigh....she needs relief, she needs MERCY. This little girls condition is getting worse.

My good friend Kim is holding a raffle for an Ipod Touch to raise funds for Mercy's travel to the U.S. for lifesaving surgery. Please visit their website http://berriesnhoney.blogspot.com/2009/10/mighty-to-save.html.

So, if you have wanted an Ipod Touch, are touched by Mercy's story or just feel generous, please go make a donation. I know I will! This little girl has a long stuggle ahead of her and a long journey from Uganda to make to find her own version of MERCY.

They Could Use a little HELP people!

Our local Northwest Therapeutic riding center has a great fundraiser Nov. 7. The event is called Denim and Diamonds and features a great banquet and live and silent auction. They are accepting any donations for the auction and reservations for the banquet. You can check out their website at www.NWTRC.org You can win a pony.... I know a great trainer.....

2009 DENIM TO DIAMONDS AUCTION DINNER

Chincoteague pony for the NWTRC

On Saturday, November 7, the NorthWest Therapeutic Riding Center is sponsoring the 6th annual "Denim to Diamonds" dinner/auction at the Elks Lodge, 710 Samish Way. Doors open at 5:30 PM. Audra Schroeder of the Cascade Radio Group will be the MC for the evening. Pamela Cady is the auction chair.

"We are really excited to have Arawn, a 4 year old Chincoteague pony, to bid on at this year’s fundraiser," said Julia Bozzo, executive director of the NorthWest Therapeutic Riding Program. We are accepting qualified written bids prior to our dinner/auction fundraiser on November 7th as well as during that evening. Reserve bid begins at $2,500.00. Arawn may be previewed (by appointment) at the breeding farm, Canrydd Stables, www.canryddstables.com. For bid information or to preview pony, contact Julia at nwtrc@premier1.net, or call 360-966-2124.

ARAWN is a 2005 black-bay gelding. He has an exceptionally nice temperament and is a fantastic mover. He is handled daily, has been backed, lounges very well and goes nicely over poles. Arawn should mature at 14.2, and has potential to develop into a wonderful performer at any discipline. He’ll make a gentle, quiet companion and willing partner for a child or adult.

Breed: Purebred Chincoteague Pony
Registration: Can be registered with the NCPA
Height: 14.1 hands
Foaled: 4/6/05
Color: Black bay with star and small snip on muzzle
Health: Excellent; all shots and worming current
Training: 5 months professional training
Prospect: Suggesting hunter/jumper

Tickets for the November 7 event are $50.
Please contact Julia Bozzo,
1884 Kelly Rd., Bellingham, WA 98226
360-966-2124
nwtrc@premier1.net.

The Horse Othewise Know as 4....?

If you look at my boy Diego you will notice that he has a big 4 on his right shoulder.....it has been there since birth. I guess it is some sort of birthmark. As he becomes WHITER by the day, the 4 stands out more clearly. It dawned on me today that maybe he is like "the artist formerly known as Prince" and would like to be known as 4.....What do you think? Is it a SIGN?

When we Need Help...

http://nieniedialogues.blogspot.com/ I have a secret pass-time... I read blogs that I find inspirational. Blogs that make me feel small. Blogs that make me wonder what the purpose of my life is. Blogs that make me want to slow down, look at my children's faces. Enjoy the moments.

Have you ever had a moment so perfect that you stopped. You stopped and thought...REMEMBER ...the feel of the sun, the wind, the smell, the look of your loved one's expression.....I want more of these moments in my life. I wish I was a mom who took more pictures. Who carried my camera and captured those moments in more than my ever fading memory.

I every mom would reach out to others and ask for the help they need. Where did we all decide that we are failures if we ask for a hand. I have BEEN there. We ALL have been there. It is not failure to reach out and take help that has been offered. It is a cultural WIERDNESS that Mom's want to do it all themselves. We often need help, we seldom ask for it. ASK ME IF YOU NEED A HAND, I will be happy to help and I will then feel open to Ask you to help me.......

I Never Wanted to Be That Girl....

That girl who didn't have her act together. That girl who struggled. That girl who didn't make this world a better place.

When we dream of what we will be when we grow up it all seems so easy. It seems like we just have to follow a straight path from A to B and the world will bend to our will. It hasn't really happened that way for me!

I grew up as the "smart one". I was the middle sister. Smack between the Sporty one and the Pretty one. Our family also included the number one, and often-times prodigal son. We were all raised to believe we could have it all.

I wanted to be a doctor. DEFINITELY not a lawyer or God Forbid a REALTOR or HORSE TRAINER (that is definitely a hobby, not a profession). I wanted 12 kids (the Pretty one ended up with all the kids;) I wasn't sure I needed a husband. My father had failed in the husband area, so I couldn't at that time see what value a husband brought to a family (I have since learned and LOVE having a lifepartner).

I definitely wanted to go to an Ivy League School. Better yet, one of the Seven Sisters. I apply myself in high school. I graduate 3rd in my class. I interview, I SAT and I get into my school of choice. I also fill out an application to Purdue.....It was free.....and get a scholarship....My parents tell me I am going to Purdue.... Where the HECK is Purdue? INDIANA????? NO WAY..... Off to cornfields and cows I go....

Somewhere along the way I fall in love. I get married before graduation and move to KANSAS...


You get the picture... My life has not been a straight path from A to B. The road has many bends and turns. It is a good life....