“God grant me the serenity to accept the person I cannot change, the
courage to change the person I can, and the wisdom to know that it’s me.”

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My mother’s story

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I’m not sure if these will display…

You’ll have to click on each one for now, I’ll rescan as photos.

Some observations of my own.

I was loved!  I was born in October.

The expressions of the wedding photos – priceless.  Mom had that glow women get who are thrilled to being a mom to be; Jack, not so much like somebody had his gnarls in a vice.  The comments next to gramma opie (Good Luck) and mom (Help Me) and the fact that she was smoking during her pregnancy.

I’m hoping somewhere in the volumes of documents she left me it will be revealed the secret of who she was so madly in love with and who is my bio father!!

Merry Christmas or I’m dreaming of a wet Christmas

A few thoughts from Christmas service 2016

• I am a blubbering idiot. When I walked through the doors of the church today I knew all that has transpired has been caught by my church family.
• Intercessory prayer is visceral – not intellectual (hence the blubbering).
• Prayers for Eric, he may have diabetes and last night he was still angry about it.
• I am the Lord’s servant, may your word to me be fulfilled.
• Love is action. It is a verb, not a noun.  Love is not a feeling, it is grace.  Love is not getting what you deserve.
• I am home until I am home (at church today).
• I crawled into the church this morning like a man emerging from the desert dying of thirst who has just found water and I was received into the arms of my family – JR, Alan and a number of other dear friends and God lifted the burdens of my heart and gave me water.
• The babies (and children today) are so precious and innocent.
• Love is a noun.
  • Honor your father and your mother. (period) It doesn’t say honor your father if you like him or if he has taken good care of you or if he is loving.
  • Honor your father. The father I gave you, because he is my child.
• I rested my burden at the cross today. Thank you, Jesus.

2 Cor 9:15

Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift.

There are no gifts this morning, there is no feast.  But my son is home, we have shelter and love.  We have food (just not our favorites).  I gave love this Christmas – what more do you need?

Love to all of you.

Merry Christmas

October 27, last year?

October 27 will be the tenth anniversary with Autumn. That is the day my son and I adopted her.
She notices every different thing. Not only notices but evaluates. Is this new thing something worthy of jumping from? Usually the answer is yes. Jump firs, inquire later. That’s what she was taught by humans. Self preservation at any cost.
This morning after a session I went into the barn leaving her standing out in the paddock. After a minute she followed me and waited until I came back out. It has taken me a decade to gain the skills she needed me to have. She is horse – complete and absolute in her nature. If I want a relationship with her, I must change. I must become her leader – my promise to keep her safe, assure her health and nutrition. The day that she has full confidence in my leadership will be a great one. She came to me as a companion for Pete. Now he is the companion to her.

I wrote that some time ago, maybe earlier this year prior to Hank’s arrival.
I have been addressing envelopes today. My language skills are not up to par. Some of my letters had to be rewritten and I”m mixing print with cursive. Minor things but I noticed. Lingering effects of the strokes.

Ironically on that note I have been playing a Spanish and Italian digital language game again before bed at night. In the Spanish game it’s all about numbers so far. The Italian game is reading Pinocchio in Italian, so you have to match the sentences in English to the words and order of the words in Italian. I stopped playing tahta awhile ago and I”m surprised how much I’ve retained. I have a request for a young Italian couple to come for a couple of months end of year/first of next year to stay. In exchange I’ve asked that they teach me Italian. we’ll see if thy arrive or not. (I’ve left the spelling/language in this paragraph on urpose). frustrating.

Adventures of an Air BnB host

I’m done hosting on Air BnB, by the way. I gave it a good run. I live on a farm and have hosted travelers for a decade. The good majority of people who I’ve hosted are friendly, happy and thankful to have a safe, friendly place to stay. I’ve hosted for several months and the first wave were great people. A couple comments about “could be cleaner”, agreed, so I increased my efforts. I’m loving how clean my house is now by the way and maybe that was the lesson for me.

There is a change in attitude when you are “paying” for a room.  I did my best to meet the criteria, it’s just not worth it to me to open my home to people who see only what’s wrong with the property and have no gratitude for what’s right.

This is a bunk house, on a farm, with livestock AND FLIES.  The flies get in the house, every time you open the door.  We have fly swatters readily available for use.  These people want to be pampered and catered to for a pitance.  I finally lowered my nightly rate to $18+ (cleaning fee, tax, Air BnB fee, etc) and still someone came in and went right back out the revolving door.  Do you know how many hours it takes me to clean this space? 4-8 hours to prepare for 1 stay.  Vacum, beds, windows, mirrors, porch, shared spaces, parking, yard etc.  For $18 and the priviledge of seeing someone make a snarky expression because there are flies in the house.  No thank you.  I’m out.

Give me the weary travelers from Couch Surfing, Warm Showers, Work Away, Wwoof, Global Freeloaders and like minded communities.  I offer you a warm, safe bed, a private/shared room (depending on who is here), a hot shower, washing facilities for your clothes, indoor storage for your bikes and trailers, a firepit and wide open skies that can be viewed inside or out.  Share a meal with me, share your stories and I’ll share mine.  I offer you laughter, love and acceptance as we walk this road together even if just for a day.

I digress.  I’ts 8:40 am and I have done nothing but feel deflated today.  I have calls to make and a

I have a business to run.  I’ve had breakfast and coffee and it is a Blessed Day.  I know this because today I woke up and said “Good morning, God.  What will we do today?”

Hope to start writing more again, maybe from the road.  Most of the next 2 weeks I’m off work.  I’ll be riding and cleaning and planning and following through with my plans.  I think that’s it.

Love you all.

Spanky Challenge – update

WOW, Skipped the whole month of July. Hank was sick with Shipping Fever and that took 2 weeks for him to feel better, then peak started at work for me so I had little time in the mornings to do what I had to do. Between hosting, cleaning for hosting, work and travel. A week ago Thursday as I was bringing him in he banged his hip on the side of the door and was lame for a week, more travel for me and now I think we are both back and ready to resume. So we begin week 9.

Total Week 4				6	2
Tue Jun 28	5	1	29				Worked tons of overtime this week, Hank got a 2nd week to recoup.
Wed Jun 29		2	30
Thu Jun 30		3	31
Fri Jul 1		4	32
Sat Jul 2		5	33	45		1	Evening ride with Sheryl around the bean field nd back
Sun Jul 3		6	34
Mon Jul 4		7	35	45		1	Rode in pasture, working on leaving buddies and focusing on what we’re doing.  Used a neck rope and rode a lot with the reins on his neck, no contact with mouth, only seat and body cues.  It was more or less successful.
Total Week 5				1.5	0
Tue Jul 5	6	1	36	45		1	Same some more.
Wed Jul 6		2	37
Thu Jul 7		3	38
Fri Jul 8		4	39
Sat Jul 9		5	40
Sun Jul 10		6	41
Mon Jul 11		7	42
Total Week 6				0.75	0
Tue Jul 12	7	1	43
Wed Jul 13		2	44
Thu Jul 14		3	45				Hank banged his hip on the house coming in to get saddled for a ride and is limping.  Contemplating if he needs to see Charles.  I’ll give it a day or two and watch for improvement.
Fri Jul 15		4	46
Sat Jul 16		5	47				He seems to be improving slowly.  Time, rest and Essential Oils…
Sun Jul 17		6	48
Mon Jul 18		7	49
Total Week 7				0	0
Tue Jul 19	8	1	50				Overtime Work
Wed Jul 20		2	51
Thu Jul 21		3	52
Fri Jul 22		4	53
Sat Jul 23		5	54
Sun Jul 24		6	55
Mon Jul 25		7	56
Total Week 8				0	0
Tue Jul 26	9	1	57
Wed Jul 27		2	58
Thu Jul 28		3	59
Fri Jul 29		4	60
Sat Jul 30		5	61
Sun Jul 31		6	62
Mon Aug 1		7	63				Horses broke through a gate and went on a merry romp around the back 40 pasture and over the creek.  Glad to see Hank galloping and trotting after his buddies.

 

Spanky Challenge – Week 4

Already week 4, that snuck up on me!

Tue Jun 21	4	1	22	180	1	11787	Hank and I rode around the perimeter of the bean field and back.
Wed Jun 22		2	23
Thu Jun 23		3	24
Fri Jun 24		4	25
Sat Jun 25		5	26
Sun Jun 26		6	27
Mon Jun 27		7	28
Total Week 4				3	1

Spanky Challenge – Week 3

Week 3 – blew right by me.  I’ve added steps from my pedometer – really shows the days I ride!

Tue Jun 14	3	1	15	60		6234	I’m really slacking this week…
Wed Jun 15		2	16	60		8679
Thu Jun 16		3	17	240	1	19063	Hank and I rode out on our own on the trails, along the road and through the bean field.
Fri Jun 17		4	18	60	0	5890	>90 Too hot to ride.
Sat Jun 18		5	19	30	0	3790	Event in Mechanicsville
Sun Jun 19		6	20	60	0	10758	Business…
Mon Jun 20		7	21	45	0	5210
Total Week 3				9.25	1	59624