So this happened

Yes it was expected, eagerly anticipated a matter of fact as I was pretty sure this cross was a good one

“And he should have one green eye and one blue” a quote from  Practical Magic. Well he doesn’t have a green eye but he certainly has one lovely Blue eye. A gift from his sire Fern Valley’s Phoenix. Out of The Drama Queen (Reina) 

Funny thing I can't seem to get that magic thing out of my head , seems I am leaning towards FV Practically Magic" as a name, not written in stone yet but...

and yes I usually try to connect to the pedigree but sometimes the name just calls you 

Equine Authors of Canada at The Mane Event 2019 Red Deer Alberta

Books,a portal to imagination, adventure, joy and education. Unlike TV and movies, books can take you anywhere you want to go, at your pace and rather than just show you, a book will lead you on the pathways to your adventure but the only limitations on your adventure/journey are the ones you set. 
Our goals as author are to tell our story and let you go wherever you want it to take you! Join us at the Mane Event in Red Deer this weekend at the Equine Authors of Canada booth! Visit, adventure, meet the authors! Booth 4317 
 I will be there with my 3 collections of poetry 
Telling Tails 
Tails Trails and Campfire stories
and the newest 
Cowgirl Logic, its not just about the horses
Plus my children's book, "Why? Mother Earth and Father Sky ", and the newest in my efforts
A farm first aid  book"What's in your Kit?" 
 I will be attending with Carolyn Williams , who has penned  two children's books The Lil Grey Donkey And The Happy Horse 

Also Linda Finstad  will have some of her newest books there,including  Shorty The Shetland Pony
I have included links with all the the books if you cannot come to the show, please consider supporting Canadian authors.
If you can make it we would love to see you !  Our booth is in a different area than usual we will be right across from the arena.

I take my coffee with one cream, just sayin'
 Stay safe! Hope to see you there!

Give me a horse

As some of you know I am a writer. Usually poetry but more recently I have felt called to write and share different writing. Recently published  "Whats in your kit?" a beginners look at farm first Aid.

What's in your Kit?

I am also considering putting together my "honorable mentions" in a collection of short stories
 Opening with the poem "Give me a Horse "  and that is currently the working title.

Just a little update.

Possibilities

This post is something a little different. Sharing  one of the new(er) things I am doing in my world.
I recently started a page on Facebook called Possibilities . It is about and for my use of young living essential oils. Here is part of my "why"
In this current day and age we are seeing a trend towards people returning to nature and returning to a more organic way of life. With so much technology and pollution both of the air and of our minds, we are seeking a simpler gentle lifestyle.
People are turning back to ancient ritual, ancient learning and ways of knowing. Using homegrown natural products, making/growing our own food, and looking to the plants and the earth for medicine, and healing. One of the ways we're doing this is the use of pure extracted essential oils.

I have used essential oils for many years, and have reaped great benefit from the natural healing properties. In approximately 2009 I signed up with Young Living, essentially just to get my oils at a discount. I wasn't interested at that time in building a business or networking just wanted my oils.

 I have recently connected with a wonderful group of people who are sharing education, supports, and mentor-ship for those of us who are interested in building community with Young living oils.

 If this is something that interests you , let me know, if not carry on and we will keep talking horses and poetry and life. 

I am just sharing this part of my life with you all as well 

Enroll with me

for the cowgirls

got thinking about horses and cowgirls, and one in particular who joined us all in blogging for a time. I miss my friend. But I believe this to be true so we will meet again.

When they have died 
When they are gone
Fear not friends 
The cowgirls live on 
In the crackle of lightning 
And the rumble of thunder
Those left behind
Will listen and wonder
If the cowgirls of past
Are racing their horses
Or climbing the mountains 
to meadows of green 
Riding new trails yet to be seen
Forever they are
And stories they’ll share
The cowgirls and horses
Beyond the great somewhere

My Muse beckons

One of the things I find I miss most about blogging regularly, other than all of my wonderful frends is, the writing. Simple right? I seem to get busy running in circles and forget to sit done and write. Well I think my muse is tired of that crap and I have been feeling a strong pull to open my mind and share. Not just on Facebook or social media, but to REALLY  share . SO I am sitting at my desk, both elbows feeling fine and well able to type and sharing my thoughts. For now just with my computer but ...
What I did share so far on social media is this :

apparently I am entitled to more vacation time than I thought. So am now blessed with a few random days off to do ... well I intended to do nothing, and do far I am knocking that plan right out of the park. But also feeling called to do some writing. Not poetry this time, but something different. I wrote an essay/short story for submission to a writing contest last fall and it seems to be calling me to come back and write some more of that story. Will it ever become a book? Maybe, or maybe it will only be a little story I tell myself. Either way when the muse beckons ,I must follow.

Here is the first line

"In the beginning it was simple. Just the girl and her dreams"

Lets see where my muse takes me! 

I am also going to set time in my calendar every day, to "connect" everyone talks about disconnecting ,but I am good at that it seems I need to reconnect with my writing and my blog, and with you, my wonderful friends. See you soon and stay safe

Playin' in Playa!

I had intended to be more present here, but I feel like of late I haven't had a lot to say. My muse was broken? Maybe , or maybe just tired. In any case I was away fro a bit to Mexico, I picked the perfect week to go as we had temps of -40 and beyond. For those on Imperial measure - 40C is - 40 F reallyfreakin cold!
 SO now I am back and while it has still been cold apparently the "polar vortex is finally on its way out. We came home to temps of -20 C so certainly colder than Mexico but way better than what we missed.
I haven't looked at the regular camera, and we didn't take as many pics as past years but here are a few highlights

 Feeling like a fat cat in a sun spot

 Post massage hair, don't care

 Dinner at Alux (restaurant in a Cenote)

 Our very adorable guests at the room 

 Coati, "give us all the foods!"

 Dinner with Heather and Marc, we swapped seating to prove after a week together we can still get along lol 

 Martin and I upping our selfie game

 Met our nieces Terri and Kristy with who were staying in Play at the same time

 Me and my guy

 Swam a few laps, I guessed the distance at about 150 meters,however a military fellow commented later I had underestimated and I actually did about 300 meters, a straight and true! Pretty pleased with the new elbow! 

My new friend. I am not typically a little dog person but this little charmer! I can almost hear hime saying "come Senora, we drink some tequila, we buy some shiny things!" 

The shop owner who he belonged to handed him to me while he showed Martin some things, so the pup and I just snuggled.

That's it for now, I will be back. Time to go see what you all have been up to .

Stay safe! 

On to the rest of the year so far.

So since our mini vacation in September we have been doing the usual, work sleep, eat,repeat.
Oh and I published another book... actually two!
Another collection of cowgirl poetry "Cowgirl Logic,Its not just about the horses" 

and my first venture into children's stories "Why ?Mother Earth and Father Sky" illustrated by none other than Mel (Almighty Marshmellow)of our old blog crew! 

I also have a farm first aid tips and tricks volume in  the works. SO I have in fact been writing, just not so much on the blogs.

It is my hope that that is about to change. Since I started I actually wrote 4 posts in one day! I have them scheduled because I also am about to have some down time. Thursday October 25 I am going t have my right elbow replaced (so by the time you read this I should be on the road to recovery) Had my left one done 2 yrs ago and I guess as a result of overuse and Rheumatoid Arthritis it is time to do this one. My recovery was super last time and very straightforward so I am looking forward to the relief . 

I have spent the last few days/weeks readying myself and the farm as much as I can fro the downtime. Martin is home and Mel is here to help out along with my family so I am sure it will all go well. Foals are weaned and hanging out in the barn so I think I am ready. Even if I am not its happening so I best buckle up! 

Thanks to all who have stuck with me, I am off to read other blogs, catch up and rest up! 

Meanwhile as always , stay safe! 

So very much to say ! And a lot of pictures . Part 3

Before summer was done, we celebrated a wedding. My dad married his sweetheart Bonnie. A few pictures from the day.

We wrapped up with another quick run to Jasper on Labor day. Just Martin, I and the dogs in our very tiny little RV. But to mess with a song lyric a little "love grows best in little spaces"

So that brings us to September.  And I still have more to tell you! Clearly I need to be blogging on a far more regular basis!
 till the next installment
Stay safe!

So very much to say! And a LOT of pictures ! Part two

Hi again! And welcome back to those who are still hanging in with me.
Wrapping up the Mane event ,I was honored to have an article published about our group in Saddle Up Magazine!

Also in June, I had an experimental Stem cell treatment on my ankle. DAMN!!! It actually helped but in was bloody awful! The bone marrow extraction was bad enough but the injection was brutal! Upside is that it helped and the ankle is very nearly fused so I wont have to go through it again.

The next weekend while I was laying low and recovering, I got to be swamper in my brother in law's rig for the Farmers Day Parade. 

Then Hubby and I took off for a couple of days. A quick trip to Jasper, to reconnect and well to just breath.

Nothing like the Alberta Rockies to help you breath and reboot! 

Then home to prepare for some festivities! 

Martins Sixtieth birthday ! 

And what better birthday present than a colt born in the middle of the festivities? Meet Sixty (FV Martini Sunset) 

Summer was ,well summer, it flew by as always. I played around with making some home made bath and body products, did some foraging for wild herbs and plants. Took my little paddle boat out for a spin(hilarity ensued!) and of course I did what I do, I took pictures! Bunches of them! 

 A wonderful visit with my beloved Auntie Elsie, at a sausage making class! 

 Birdie's first horse? 

Two posts in and we haven't finished August! 

See you  with part three shortly

and as always ,stay safe!