Drip, Drop

I love the rain. Even as I type this, my hair and capris are soaking wet. (Thank heaven for thick sweatshirts.) Minnesota is the best cause you get some Washington in there, a snatch of Texas, and more than a bit of Alaska.

Part of why I love the rain is the suspense factor. You know – “Is it gonna rain?” “Better hurry, looks like rain!” etc. And before the rain comes clouds. I think everybody’s mood is triggered somewhat by weather, and mine is too. Except I am thrilled with a cloudy sky instead of a blue one. Except in winter and sometimes fall – then I prefer sunny. But all other times, I LOVE clouds!! They make the day seem so much more adventuresome than weather that’s sunny and perfect.

Last week, coming home from a grad party, we thought we were going into a tornado. We drove underneath a huge cloud that was literally BLACK. Other wisps of white clouds blew across it at an alarmingly fast rate. It was a sight to see.

- “The sky is the bread of the eyes.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

June 14, 2010

Bantering

Got this idea from Gwyn over at the Celtic Cowgirl blog. Enjoy my conversation with my main character!

Ellyn (me): Only one more round of revisions and Torn Heart is finished. I can’t wait!!

Jacha: I’m sure you can’t. But I don’t like being tweaked around like this.

Ellyn: Come on, I’m not tweaking you very much. Won’t you like your new section?

Jacha: *grumbles* More work for me…

Ellyn: That was my point, kinda sorta.

Jacha: *wrinkles brow* Kinda sorta?

Ellyn: That’s how they say it in my world sometimes.

Jacha: You live in a strange world.

Ellyn: I know. But you don’t have to say it in that tone of voice. I should have taught you your manners long ago. Where’s your respect for me? I created you, didn’t I?

Jacha: Hey, I’m learning, aren’t I? Besides…*quietly* Without me, you wouldn’t have a protagonist.

Ellyn: *teasing* Oh, protagonists are easy to come by. Quite.

Jacha: *turns* All right. It’s been nice working with you. *walks away*

Ellyn: *gestures wildly* Wait! You can’t LEAVE! The book is almost FINISHED!

Jacha: Doesn’t matter. I’ll find a gig somewhere else. Do you think Christopher Paolini would take me on? What did he write again, something with dragons…?

Ellyn: *mouth drops* You wouldn’t dare.

Jacha: Watch me.

Ellyn: *shouts* I’ll have you break your leg! I’ll have someone steal Violet! I’ll -

Jacha: *yawns* You know what, I’m kind of tired. I guess I could stay…

Ellyn: *wipes brow and heaves a sigh of relief*

Jacha: *smirks*

Ellyn: *hesitantly* You wouldn’t really leave…would you?

Jacha: *low voice*: Of course not.


June 23, 2010

Eat Your Fruit...First?

According to Dr. Oz, we should eat the fruit part of our meals first. When we swallow fruit, it doesn’t mosey down the pipe like everything else – it wants to zip through the stomach to the intestines as fast as it can so that it can clean out our system.

So, if you eat your chips or a sandwich before a piece of fruit, it can’t go as fast as it wants and clogs up behind all the other food. That’s why you sometimes burp after eating fruit on a full stomach…

Here is some info on certain fruits and how they can help us. And I quote…

KIWI: Tiny but mighty, and a good source of potassium, magnesium, vitamin E and fiber. Its vitamin C content is twice that of an orange!

AN APPLE a day keeps the doctor away? Although an apple has a low vitamin C content, it has antioxidants and flavonoids which enhances the activity of vitamin C, thereby helping to lower the risk of colon cancer, heart attack and stroke.

STRAWBERRY:Protective Fruit. Strawberries have the highest total antioxidant power among major fruits and protect the body from cancer-causing, blood vessel-clogging free radicals.

EATING 2 – 4 ORANGES a day may help keep colds away, lower cholesterol, prevent and dissolve kidney stones, and reduce the risk of colon cancer.

WATERMELON:Coolest thirst quencher. Composed of 92% water, it is also packed with a giant dose of glutathione, which helps boost our immune system. Also a key source of lycopene, the cancer-fighting oxidant. Also found in watermelon: Vitamin C and Potassium.

GUAVA & PAPAYA:Top awards for vitamin C. They are the clear winners for their high vitamin C content. Guava is also rich in fiber, which helps prevent constipation. Papaya is rich in carotene, good for your eyes.

Endquote. Also, canned fruit juice is void of a LOT of the natural vitamins and minerals. So is cooked fruit, because it has been under heat. Growing your own fruit is great, because you can be sure they are wholesome. We have lots of apple trees, and also plum and pear. I think we might have a sour cherry, too…no regular cherries, though. Minnesota isn’t good for that We’re also growing strawberries this year. Unfortunately, we won’t have a prime harvest of them until next year, because if you want your plants to thrive, you have to pluck off all of the strawberry flowers the first year.

Hopefully, you have learned a few new things about fruit from this post!

- Ellyn

June 14, 2010

Snippet

This is a snippet that I found in my files. I wrote it a few months ago just for fun. In it, I have a few of the same characters that I have in Torn Heart, but instead of being 18, 20, and 23, they are 7, 9, and 12. It’s not completed, so maybe I’ll finish it up later and give you the end in a different post. Remember – this was written for pure fun. There isn’t really a plot or a purpose.

———–

The fearsome warrior advanced toward the glittering dragon with his sword held aloft and his blaze of red hair shining in the sun. The dragon widened its golden eyes, trying to hypnotize him, but the warrior stood firm. Behind him crouched the princess, her filmy skirt swirling over the dirt in pale pink torrents. The warrior raised his sword as smoke poured from the dragon’s nostrils…

“No, say ‘billowed’, not ‘poured’,” corrected the princess. “It sounds better.”

“Okay then, smoke billowed from the dragon’s nostrils as he bent forth to eat you.”

“Well, kill him quick, then!” The princess was getting impatient.


The fierce warrior swiped off the dragon’s head in one blow. All of his guts spilled out onto the ground. His slayer gave a triumphant yell, and the princess squealed.

“Eeew!” The princess squealed obligingly. “You’re brave and fierce, all right.”

“How was my yell?”

“It hurt my ears. Kiann!” Nine-year-old Silke jumped to her feet and pointed at the retreating “dragon.” “Dusty’s making right for Mum’s garden! We’ve got to stop him!”

The two children ran after the lanky brown horse, who trotted placidly along, hot on the trail of sweet green buds and shoots. His leadrope bounced behind him.

When the animal was finally caught and returned to his pasture, the door of the white farmhouse on the hill swung open and a tall woman with beautiful chestnut hair popped her head out. “Oren’s here, you two.” A twelve-year-old boy jumped over the threshold after her and jogged toward Kiann and Silke.

“Hi. Watcha playin’?”

“The usual.”

“Oh.”

“Do you want to play? You can be the evil wizard who –”

“Nah.” Oren ran a hand through his shock of black hair. “I’ll only play if I get to throw Silke in the mud or something.”

“Mo-o-o-ther!” Silke wailed, but Mala had already gone back into the house.

“Then I won’t play.” Oren said.

“Well, what do you want to do, then?”

Oren turned to Kiann. “Cuz, let’s go to the secret treehouse.”

Kiann turned all too willingly to bound after Oren. “See you later, Silke.”
“So long, Askila,” said Oren, with a lofty wave of his hand.

“Wait!” Silke stumbled over a tree root and fell right on her nose. Her pale tresses of hair trailed in the mud. “Show me where the secret treehouse is!”

“Girls.” she heard Oren’s echo from somewhere in the deep woods. “Always whining aboutsomething.”

Silke got to her feet and sorrowfully wiped off her nose. “Fine. I’ll find a game to play all by myself.” She stomped off toward the house. When she opened the kitchen door, she saw her mother mixing something in a large blue bowl.

“What happened to the boys?” Mala asked her daughter.


“They don’t want me to play with them and Oren’s so mean,” Silke pouted. “Every time he comes over, Kiann goes to his side.”

“Do you know how to wrestle?”

“Not their way, and you don’t allow me to.”

“Do you know how to swordfight with sticks?”

“No. All their games are too rough!” Silke gave an exaggerated sigh.

“Presto. You have the reason why they don’t want you to play with them.” Mala wiped chocolatey fingers on her apron. “Go clean yourself up and you can help me make this cake for Papa.”

“Is it is birthday?”

“No, it’s just to make him feel better after a hard day at the brickyard. Now off to the washbasin with you.”

A while later, just as Mala was taking the hot cake out of the oven and the aroma of warm chocolate had come to linger in the kitchen, the two boys burst into the room, red-cheeked and ruddy.

“There you are,” Oren exclaimed to Silke. “Mala, is that cake…”
“No. You grab some cookies and get your muddy selves out of here.” The woman made a shooing motion with her hands.

Silke tagged after Kiann and Oren as they ventured out into the yard. Kiann reached back to give her a cookie and she chewed it thoughtfully, listening to the other two’s whispered conversation.

“What do you think, should we tell her?”

“Hmm.” Kiann had a mouthful of cookie. He shrugged.

“Tell me what? What are you boys talking about?”

“I don’t know if you would understand…” said Oren, hemming and hawing.

“I’ll understand it better than you!”

“But we’re the ones who made it up,” mumbled eight-year-old Kiann, confused.

“Okay, we’ll tell you, but you have to promise not to tell. Ever! Not a-n-y-o-n-e.”

Silke put her hands on her hips and shook her head. “No way. Papa says it’s never wise to agree to anything you don’t understand.”
Oren sighed. “You always have to make things so difficult. Just come on.” He and Kiann took off into the woods and Silke bunched up her skirts and ran after them, breathless. She caught up to them just as they reached a ramshackle jumble of boards and nails and grass in a tree branch a few feet off the ground.

It must be the secret treehouse, Silke thought to herself.

“This,” began Oren with a dramatic sweep of his hand, “Is the secret treehouse.” He bowed and motioned Silke in.

“Er…where’s the door?”

“Bother. You girls don’t know anything. Come on, Kiann, we’ll go in first.” He removed a fair amount of sticks and leaves and ducked inside.
Once inside, the treehouse was cozy, and much sturdier than it looked from its hodge-podge exterior. However, Silke could see that it needed a feminine touch.

“You should put some violets around the walls for decoration,” she suggested, “And get some old carpet for the floor.”

“Naw, this is a treehouse for tough people.” Oren swung a cloth flap over the door and leaned forward.

“Kiann and I have decided to start a secret club.”

Silke shrugged. “So? You have before. They all dissolve, and I’m sure not even you remember them.”

“Well, this one is different. It’s got a purpose and a password.”

“And we’re asking you to join it,” Kiann broke in.

“Kiann!” Oren turned on his cousin. “That’s not the way! You can’t just say it. You’ve got to use stealth. You’ve got to be wise to ensure what you want without making the other person feel like they’ve gotten the upper hand!” He shook his head in reproach. “I’ve got things to teach you.” He turned back to Silke. “We don’t have to have you join, you know. It’s an honor to be asked.”

“Well, what’s the purpose and the password?”
“Kiann lost his parents in the queen’s court, and I lost my aunt and uncle.”

“They’re the same.”

“Right. Anyway, both of us think that the queen is up to something bad, and we both vowed that when we get bigger, we’re going to fight hard for the rights of the people.”

“How do you know she’s up to something bad? You can’t just falsely accuse.”

“I listen to my father tell the news every night, so you can trust me.”
Silke narrowed her eyes at him. “I don’t know about trusting you. Every time I do, you throw mud balls at me or pour water all over my head or take away whatever I…”

“You can trust him this time,” Kiann assured her.

Oren nodded. “I’ll show you my notes later, okay? Meanwhile, do you want to take the vow or not? Do you want to help us?”

———-

And that’s the END!! Augh!! What a cliffhanger, huh?!! Catch ya later. I may be posting again soon because we have been getting a lot of rain.

June 11, 2010

The Wheels Are Turning...

My dad/editor finished reading Torn Heart and he wants me to make it longer! But that is okay because he gave me some ideas on how to do that.
He wants my main character, Jacha, to take a bigger “hero” role, and he also want more preparation for the battle. I am pretty excited to get working. My mom/editor-second-in-command is reading it next.

That’s mainly why I stopped to write a little. What else can I tell you about?

Indy is doing really, really, really well. I took him on the busy road with one of my friends the other day, and he didn’t spook the whole time. He did spook on the not-so-busy road, but that was just because a dragonfly flew right in front of him. Hey, if a bug flew right in my face, I’d spook too. And a few days ago, me and that same friend rode out on the trail. Indy doesn’t really like the trail too much – I think he gets nervous because the foliage is so thick he can’t see very far ahead of him. But he did great! Even when we got lost…

Yeah, we took a wrong turn on the trail so my friend decided to let her horse Jake lead us out. They do it in all the books and movies, right? Horses just seem to know the way home. Well, it’s true! I was skeptical when Jake turned onto this overgrown path three feet deep in ferns, but we eventually came out right where we wanted to be. And Indy didn’t spook that whole time.

I think it’s because I’m starting to behave more like a leader in our horse/human relationship.

Another cool horse thing is a horse place right by my house. My friend and I met the lady (I will call her Sue), and she holds a rehibilitation program for kids with palsy/autism, and etc. I’m hoping to volunteer there next week. I was going to go yesterday, but it was raining really hard, so I’m guessing it was canceled. Sue is also going to help us improve our riding in her spare time. Cool!!!!

And again…I’m sorry about this double header. Actually, I’m starting to get used to it. Now you have a choice to make with my pages! Will you choose to click the TOP “Books” button, or the BOTTOM one? I seriously do not know how to get rid of it…I also can’t figure out why my pictures won’t stay in my posts. >:(

Well, I’ll sign off. I’ve got things to think about

June 9, 2010

Something of Great Importance

It seems like if someone is having a problem, the friendly advice they get from Christian friends is always, “Read your Bible.” Why in the world is reading your Bible so important?

I’ll give an example.

There was a girl who owned a pretty troublesome horse. However, she did not know how to train him, much less ride him or any other horse. She got hold of a five-star trainer and asked for help in learning how to ride. The trainer said, “Well…I will be out of town for a few weeks. But I’ve written a book on this subject, and I think you’d find it really helpful. I’ll send it to you right away.”
The girl agreed. She received the book in the mail and skimmed a few random pages somewhere in the middle before setting it down with a yawn. “This won’t help me,” she said. “I’ll be better off on my own until that trainer gets back.”
She went out to try and work with her horse, but he was so disobedient that she ended up face-down in the dust. The girl got up and pulled her cell phone out of her back pocket. She was mad, and that trainer was going to be sorry he hadn’t helped her right away. When he finally answered, she launched into complaints. “Where are you when I need you?” She demanded, after she had gone on and on about her horse and her poor self. “What?” The trainer asked, sounding a little hurt. “Didn’t you look through the book?”

That isn’t a perfect illustration, but it gives the gist of the problem. We have received a book from the Lord, and if we don’t read it, how is He going to communicate with us? Why should we think God is going to personally appear to us when we need advice if we’re not even paying attention the advice He already sent? I read in a study book that 90% of God’s communication with us comes through the Bible, while only 10% comes from other things.

“But the Bible is so boring!” Really. Have you given it a chance? If you want romance, read Song of Songs. If you’re a history buff, start in Genesis and read on through the whole thing. If you like poetry and rhythmic verse, read Psalms and Proverbs. There are miracles in the four gospels – Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. And if you’re in the mood for some hair-raising and gruesome deaths, read Judges.

I heard a lady on the radio give an example about Bible reading once. She said that when you first start reading, it’s like runny porridge. You abhor it! It’s lumpy, it’s displeasing, and very bland. But if you keep on reading a little bit each day, it becomes oatmeal with milk and sugar. Maybe not your choice breakfast, but it’s definitely better than runny porridge. If you keep on eatin’ your oatmeal every day, it will turn into a dish of peaches and cream – something that you constantly run to and delight in.

I think I’m in between the oatmeal and peaches stage. In our house, we try to read for 1/2 an hour each day. I usually do my reading right when I get up in the morning. I don’t always look forward to it, but if I don’t do it, I find myself constantly thinking about it throughout the day. And 1/2 an hour may sound like a long time at first, but it really is not. I don’t read from one place for the whole time, though…my attention span is too short. Instead, I read a bit from the Old Testament, a bit from the New, one chapter of Proverbs, and I also work on memorizing passages.

On the Proverb thing – if you’d like a way to start reading the Bible more, try reading a chapter of Proverbs each day. There are 31 chapters in the book, so you can read the whole thing every month.

I will leave you with a verse…Psalm 37:4 ~ “Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.”

How do you delight in Him like that?

Read your Bible, of course!

June 7, 2010

Back in the Saddle

My ankle has almost completely healed. We think it was sprained instead of twisted since it took so long, but that doesn’t really matter. What does matter is that I finally got to go ride Indy today. It’s only been…a week and a few days, but it’s felt like a year.

As I set out, I had stars in my eyes. I knew in the back of my mind that Indy would be rusty, but all the same, I was not thinking reality. And it doesn’t have to be just horses, but whenever you have starry eyes about something, something else is sure to happen that will make all your stars fall.

First, I couldn’t find my halter ANYWHERE. I decided to chance it with just a leadrope around his neck.

It didn’t work. Indy stepped on my foot. I’ve been stepped on before, but this was the worst. :S It hurt and I whacked him. By this time, I had hit reality, but then something else happened.

I went to get my spare halter from my locker and then tied Indy to the gate so I could brush him. I hadn’t even started before he launched into a bucking fit. This is where quick release knots come in handy. I loosed him and he ran across his pen to the other side. I was mad until I saw that there had been a big horse fly buzzing around his hind legs. No wonder he bucked! All the same, I was a little nervous while I tacked up and led him through the barn.

After that, things began to look up. (not literally.) When I got on his back, I think he tried to buck, but I kept his head up and then got off to shoo any flies away. I didn’t do any cantering, but I walked and trotted and I think I got him into an extended walk. I’m not sure, but I gave the proper signals and his stride seemed to lengthen. Overall, it was a good ride.

But incidentally…does anyone know of a state that doesn’t have mosquitos or horse flies??

June 1, 2010

Hurrah!

Just a short note to say that the third draft of Torn Heart is finally FINISHED!!! I am so happy! I am printing it out right now….I will have my editor (Dad) read it and give his suggestions, and then maybe hand it out to a trusted friend so she can give her comments.

And after that…start the publishing process? Maybe?


May 30, 2010

Plot Lists

I’ve discovered that if you’re a “list-person”, it will help out your writing quite a bit. Whether you’re doing an essay, report, short story, or novel, let me repeat – lists do help. If you’re not an outliner, maybe your a list-er. If you’re a writer, you’ll know what I mean about outlines, but that’s a different post for a different time.

I am very much a list person. When I was younger, I’d make lists of my “top-five” favorite horses, names, places, etc. I find it much easier to think and talk on paper. Why? There are lines on paper to keep your thoughts straight and even. Paper is also smooth and flat so you don’t stumble over words quite as often. When you’re writing, you can pause for as long as you want while thinking of the right adjective or adverb, and when you write it down there is still the same amount of space between your words. But when you’re talking out loud and you pause…and pause…you’ll get some pretty irritated looks. I prefer writing to talking because its usually easier to understand and organize. You can’t erase spoken words, and that makes them more dangerous.

Well. If you need to know the definition of a rabbit trail, read the above. I’m really here to talk about lists. So anyway.

I have made tons of lists for my current novel during the writing and editing process. Whenever I am frustrated and stuck on some important plot hole or detail, I’ll write it down. I usually write down the question I’m trying to figure out:

(Example) Why would Character X be so suspicious of Character Y?

Then I might write down what I’ve already put in the story.

-Y was absent during _____, Y acted strange at _______.

Then, I’ll write down ideas for more ways of how I could make Y more suspicious to X. Or maybe after my list, I discover that I don’t need more signs after all.

A very important rule about lists like these is don’t refuse to write something down just because you think you already know it. This never fails me – if I start diagramming out the stuff I think I already know; even the stuff I really do know – I’ll stumble upon some hidden plot hole that needs to be mended or I’ll think of some brilliant plan to fix what I’m diagramming.

I’m trying to make the big fight at the end of my book more difficult, so I started a list. I titled this list,

Army Problems

Next, I wrote down the problems the good army has and filled in how those could be fixed. I’ll give you the problems, but not the answers. Those have to be my secrets

– Not enough weapons

–Lack of armor

^ Light bulb! Right here is where I got a great idea for making the fight longer.

–Lack of the surprise tactic

–Lack of knowing the “terrain” they’ll be fighting in.

Sounds hopeless for my poor little army, doesn’t it? Actually, it sounds worse than it really is when you don’t know what’s going on.
But with the help of this list, I was able to fill in the answers and get everything straight in my head.

‘Cause really – if you don’t have it straight in your head, how will you get it straight in your book?

P.ost S.cript ~ I’ve also found out that a handicap is great for exploding the growth of your writing life. I twisted/sprained my ankle on Saturday and since then, I’ve been writing up a storm because there is almost nothing else to do. The third draft of Torn Heart is almost finished!! All the same – I hope my ankle recovers sometime soon. Poor Indy is going to get lazy.

May 25, 2010

20 Things...

10 Pet Peeves

1. Bananas – touching them, smelling them – everything about them.

2. Keeping pet fish and people who give goldfish away at fairs. I won’t elaborate, cause I don’t want you to be paranoid about fish too.

3. Loud chewing and chewing with mouth open

4. Everybody talking at once

5. Not being able to work

6. Spongebob

7. Guys wearing skinny jeans or pants down around their knees

8. Forgetting what I’m going to say

9. Hearing things I already know

10. When my brothers start playing the piano just as I turn on my radio
Ok, now for a more positive approach!

10 Pet…Good Things

1. The way little kids say my name – “Ewin”

2. Eating and reading at the same time

3. Knowing exactly what to say

4. Crooked Still band!!

5. Working really hard

6. Dark chocolate with sea salt

7. Short people

8. All of my family’s inside jokes

9. Feeling a thrill when I see a horse – any horse.

10. Finding out I’m really good at someting.

I’ll write more later! Have a wonderful weekend.
May 28, 2010

Summer Things

Well, I deleted my last post – Spring at the Barn – cause the pictures disappeared. I really need to ask my dad to help me fix my blog so pictures will work.

I will finish school this week. Talk about exciting! It is really hot here…okay, well…around 75 degrees. But I call that hot. Some things I am excited about for the summer include:

1. Helping out at a riding stable near my house and riding Indy

2. Swimming in the pool

3. Painting my room (I’m going to go light blue)

4. Having a tent party with three of my best friends

5. Going to Georgia with my grandma

6. Getting baptized

7. Being a bridesmaid in my cousin’s wedding

8. My brothers go to camp (just kidding, I will miss them a lot )

9. Learning to mow the lawn

10. Having people over

Well, just a short note…I’ll write more later.

May 17, 2010

My Life and Horses - Part 3

The second horse suggestion we got from our neighbor was from his vet. Another veterinarian whom he worked with had a horse at her parent’s house who was for sale – Zeke. My mom called the number and I kept my ears pricked through her entire conversation. I remember that my grandma was over and we were playing Wii downstairs at the time.

When my mom hung up, she told us what Zeke’s owner, Chad (all names have been changed – except Zeke’s) had said about him. He was free, because Chad didn’t like his type of horse. That was a pro! He was skittish, which was a con. But he was a middle-aged gelding, which was a pro, because that was what I wanted and the kind of companion Chief needed. He didn’t like to be ridden out alone, and whenever Chad got on him, he would back up some fifty feet. CON. But he loved attention and was a “girl’s horse”, in Chad’s words. That sounded pretty cool.


We decided to go and take a look at this Zeke on the following Sunday. After church, I changed into warm, outdoor clothes – it was January – and my dad and I started our long drive to Zeke’s home, which was about two hours away.

When we arrived, there was a skinny chestnut gelding racing back and forth along one side of a round pen. I guessed that it was Zeke and I was correct. I was a little afraid of him and a bit in awe as well. He looked like a wild mustang. I got my first ride on him in a beautiful field of snow. Chad had to get on him first so he could back up his allotted fifty feet. Because I was a little nervous about him, I didn’t go any faster than a walk. My dad and I asked Chad a few more questions and then headed for home.

My dad and I were doubtful, but surprisingly, my mom was all enthusiasm, and she rubbed off on my dad, so I was the only one with unsure feelings. My mom asked me if I thought I could love Zeke. I said, “Yes.” She asked me if I thought Zeke could bond with me. “I said, “Yes.”

However, I had a few fits of doubt – one took place a week or so after my visit to Zeke’s place, in which I confessed to my mom that I didn’t know if Zeke was the Right One. She told me that if I kept on waiting and waiting for the Right One, I’d probably never get a horse, because no horse is perfect. She said that when God answers our prayers, we tend to doubt His answers. In Zeke’s case, we had prayed long and hard; all the circumstances had lined up just right; she thought he should be my horse, and Dad thought he should be my horse. Basically, the gist of her response was – “ELLYN. THAT’S YOUR HORSE. Are you going to take him or not?”

That did it. My parents thinking that way about a horse could only mean one thing – they were right. It only took a day until I was convinced. Zeke would be my horse. Since I disliked the name “Zeke” and thought that his registered name, “Diversified Profit” was even worse, I began thinking about a new name for my near-future gelding. I thought of Copper, Redcoat, and assorted others, but I kept coming back to a name I had picked up a while before, from a horse-search site. I looked at the pictures of Zeke, considered affirmed, and consulted my mother.

“Mom, what do you think of changing Zeke’s name to Indy?”

She thought for a moment before replying. “Yeah, I think it suits him.” I thought so too, and from that point on, I decided to call my lovely Diversified Profit, “Indy” unless a better name came up. No better one ever has. ☺

By now, you may have guessed that Indy became my horse. If you did, you’re right. It was on January 19th, 2009, the day of Indy’s arrival, when I had my second moment of doubt. It was when I was putting the trailering fee, $250, into an envelope for Chad. Yes, Indy was a free horse, but we paid him to bring Indy down for us since me and my family have had zero experience with horse trailers. This $250 was all money that I had labored long for, and there’s something about giving a bunch of money to someone that tugs at your heart. It takes so long to earn it, but so little to lose it. But I knew that a horse would be a hundred times better than a stack of green paper, so I pushed past my moment of doubt. It could also have been the fact that I was finally getting my own horse that caused such a conflict of emotions.


Before the trailer arrived, I was having another conflict – a conflict in the belly. I was so excited and pent up and hyper and worried and stressed, that…whew…I paced back and forth and back again, feeling as if I was going to throw up any second. But after I floundered out into the snow to greet my new horse, I felt fine. Just a little shivery when I saw Indy in Chief’s corral, eating hay as if he had been there all his life. Everything went so smoothly that you couldn’t help but see God’s hand in it. I was worried that Chief and Indy would have a nasty fight, as horses often do to establish the dominant one and the underdog. Or the underhorse. We prayed that this would not happen.

As it was, Chief and Indy sniffed noses over the fence and that was all it took for them to become fast friends. No fight. Zilch! Not even one scream or kick! Even Chad was amazed. (That doesn’t mean Indy – the underhorse – never got kicked by Chief – the dominant. They just didn’t have World War III deciding who would get that privilege.)

Indy was not the nervous, back-up-aholic that we had seen at Chad’s. He was completely relaxed, and my nervousness of him vanished. In fact, the first time I got on him at Chief’s, he didn’t back up one step.

Since then, Indy and I have had many adventures together. We’ve moved (Chief had to get a new pal named Reno), we’ve bonded, and we’ve learned. Once, when he was still boarded at Chief’s, it was raining hard but I decided to go out and see if he was okay. Chief had exercised his dominant position and kept Indy out of doors in the rain so he could have the whole barn to himself. Indy was shivering like crazy and his eyes were rolling, meaning he was scared. I panicked, ran back to the house crying, and loaded up with towels, which I went back to the barn with and attempted to dry Indy off. I put Chief in a stall so that Indy could get in the barn, and I gave him some hay so he’d have resources to keep warm. He was shivering so bad at first that he wouldn’t even let me touch him. I was terrified, but he was okay, and it turns out that horses shiver all the time. All the same, I was glad to be there.

Another time last fall, I was riding Indy at my house when he bolted. I scraped into a tree, fell off, and broke my wrist. Indy went galloping for home, which was on a busy road. He survived and I did too. I went to the ER to get a temporary splint until I was ready for a cast, and that night I asked my dad to drive me over to the stable so I could make sure Indy had been taken care of. I went into his pen and he came right over to me. He followed me all around and when I was petting his neck, he folded it over me just like a horse hug. I’ll never forget that – it was so sweet! By the way, my wrist healed fine, but I still have a permanent scar on my nose to remind me of the incident.

Indy is not a KC. If I had met him at horse camp, I probably wouldn’t have liked him. But since he’s my horse, things are different – he’s my favorite horse in the whole wide world. But also since he’s my horse, I can’t just dismount when things get hard and ask for a calmer mount. I’ve got to stick with it, which is really hard sometimes. When I broke my wrist, I lost my confidence, and I’m still getting it back. Confidence is like money – hard to get, easy to lose

Through Indy, God has taught me to not give up, how to conquer fear (lots of prayer), responsibility, and all about the wonder of His creation. I’ve experienced the terrifying moment of hurtling off a horse’s back onto the hard ground, the excruciating decision to get up and ride again, and then the wonderful swell of joy that follows after you overcome your fear or a difficult part of training. After that, you can say, “Praise the Lord! I DID IT!”

And with God’s help, I plan to keep right on doing it.

—–

10 Things About Indy

1. His nicknames are Windy Indy (cause he doesn’t like wind), Red Velvet, and Sodden (the rainy day incident, remember?)

2. He can trot at the speed of a lope.

3. I believe he thoroughly enjoys spooking.

4. He was born in Oklahoma.

5. He doesn’t like the indoor arena.

6. He’s a girl’s horse – and a ladies’ man! He has a girlfriend named Blondie – she’s a National Show Horse a palomino, and a flirt.

7. He’s naturally thin – we’re still trying to get more weight on him since Chad’s! Better than naturally obiese, I guess.

8. His favorite treats are butterscotch nuggets and carrots.

9. He’s a fiery steed – in color and personality.

10. He’s the most beautiful horse in the whole world. <3

April 7, 2010

My Life and Horses - Part 2

Well, sorry about the delay for Part 2…are you ready for the second half of my horse history? ☺

Where was I? Ah, yes, the end of the KC era. I didn’t think about my beloved Paso Fino much after my last year of horse camp. But I was looking online at horses almost everyday, and it wasn’t long until another horse captured my heart. Remember the man who let me ride his draft, Rosie? I had been neglecting her lately, so I headed over to give her some exercise. Surprise, surprise, there were two horses in a barn stall. They were like twins, both huge, black, and beautiful, with intelligent eyes and alert faces. The main difference was that one, who was a bit bigger-boned than the other, had a tiny white spot on her forehead. I found out from my farmer friend that they weren’t his – his friend was boarding them there while he waited for a buyer. (A buyer!) The horses were still young and wary of people, and they were half Percheron and half Morgan. My friend said that they would probably turn dapple gray as they grew older. I named the one with the white spot Firefly and the smaller one Kizmet, which was a misspelling of the word “kismet”, meaning “destiny.” I found that out, but decided I liked spelling it with a “z” better. I’m afraid while I rode Rosie that evening, I paid more attention to the two black shadows hanging over the fence than I did the red roan Belgian under me.

By the way, I was extremely proud of Rosie, especially when cars slowed to watch me. Once, I was riding in my farmer friend’s hay field when a car stopped and a man told me how pretty my horse was. Smiling, I told him she wasn’t my horse, but tried to look as professional as possible on Rosie’s back as the man spoke to his little daughter and they both watched me for a while before driving on.

Anyway, I decided that I was more partial to Kizmet than Firefly; she was more responsive to me and I loved how she kept her big eyes on me whenever I was near. I told my mom about her and suggested that maybe my farmer friend would even let me help train her. Then one day I went to his barn and the two black drafts were gone. I went home and cried. Yeah, I know – cried – again. When it comes to horses, I’m pretty prone to tears. Again, my parents had to deal with my heartbreak. But like it always did, the rain blew over eventually.

Some time after this, I began riding with my friend at a new stable. We were wary of it at first, being so loyal to our old horse camp, but after a month or so, we were settling in just fine and knew all the horses – which ones you wanted, and which ones you didn’t. Which ones to watch out for in the arena, which ones were slow, and which ones were fast. I began learning more and better details about riding.

And of course, I was continuing my searches online. Not only that, but I had begun to pray for a horse. Sometimes I even prayed out loud when we had our family devotions in the evening. At some point, I began to feel discomfort with my online searches. Something inside told me I should stop looking on the world wide web. I resented the idea – how in the world was I supposed to get a horse by just waiting? But God kept telling me, and I finally obeyed. Horsetopia and Horseville disappeared from the “Most Popular” tab on my browser. I kept on riding at my new stable, every Thursday – even when it got cold and I had to wear three or four layers of clothes.

I know I mentioned in Part 1 that I was collecting horse magazines, but I forgot to say who they were from. The neighbors who lived behind us had two backyard horses whom they didn’t ride, but loved just the same. First, it was Chief and Rocky, but Rocky colicked and had to be put down. I was actually there when he was led to the vet’s trailer and it was heartbreaking. The lady got a plethora of horse magazines every month and she’d leave them in the barn for me and a friend of mine. ☹ After Rocky died, the neighbors got Goldie, a high-strung purebred Arabian mare. They had her for a long time, until the winter of 2008, when I was riding at my new stable.

There hadn’t been any magazines for a long time, but I thought I’d go check anyway. My dad said he had heard a disturbance over at the barn the night before, so I’d check that as well. When I got to their yard, I saw a huge tarp lying on the ground, and I walked around it to see Goldie and Chief. Chief greeted me in the barn – there were no magazines. And no Goldie. I walked hesitantly around, trying to find her, until my search brought me back to that tarp in front of the sliding metal door. I tiptoed around it, wondering what I should do. Finally, I crouched down in the snow and lifted a teeny weeny corner of the tarp. Underneath, I saw two pairs of horse hooves. I dropped the tarp and swallowed. Goldie! Now I saw a bit of her tail sticking out as well. Sorrowfully, I turned and bolted for home.

My dad and I went to sympathize with the Mr. of the house. It was only a few days before Christmas, and we found out that his wife was in the hospital, so he was alone. He casually brought up the idea that if we wanted to get a horse, we could board with him for cheap. The company would be good for Chief, and the money would help him fill in the gap of his wife’s non-working state. We decided to think about it.

My mom liked the idea, and so did my dad. My mom thought that because of my new riding stable, I now had more of the ability needed to control a horse. I was incredibly happy, but not in a loud way. That’s what’s funny. In the movies, when girls find out they’re getting their dream horse, they shriek and hug everyone within reach. Me? I just get a grin on my face which I try to control and say, “Wow. Thanks.” Not that extreme. Of course, I didn’t have a horse in mind yet; my mom said she’d ask our neighbor to ask their veterinarian.

Soon, our neighbor gave us a scrap of paper with a name and a phone number on it and told us to call the number. “She’s got a horse for sale.” Shaking, I dialed the number that night. (Which tells you a lot – I hate calling people on the phone.) I had to leave a message though – all that courage for nothing! I think it was the next day the girl called back. I asked her all sorts of questions about her mare and tried to scribble it all down with my left hand. I was so excited that I had taken the phone in my right hand, leaving me in a pretty mess for taking notes. The horse was a palomino paint, she didn’t spook, she could ride Western, English, Bareback, or Roman – which is riding standing up, I think. Everything sounded great! Then came the clincher.

“And how much did you want for her?”

“Well, she’s a great horse. I’d let you have her for $50,000.”

I think my mouth dropped open. With some difficulty in composing myself, I said, “Well, let me think. Um, I think that might be a little above our price range. But I hope you get a good buyer – she sounds great.” We hung up and I brought my notes – especially the last one – to my dad. I wasn’t too disappointed. After all, this horse was a mare, and I wanted a gelding. I was confident another would come along.

Which it did.
April 5, 2010

O Frabjous Day!

Well, I know I just wrote “Part 1″ of my horse history, so logically “Part 2″ should be my next entry…but before that comes a few announcements.

My dad and I left to catch a matinee of Alice in Wonderland this afternoon. I had been wanting to go, and he had said he would take me, and it finally happened. Oh, man…that was the best movie I’ve seen in a year. Most of the people in the theater left when the credits start to roll, but my dad and I stay through the credits because…that’s just what we do. Dad said that the movie was like “Narnia turned sideways” and I thought his description clinched it perfectly. My praises for Wonderland…

1. The characters were all cast perfectly. I applaud the person who did the casting – especially for Alice. Mia Wasikowska was just as distracted and sweet as Alice should be. I loved her and cheered for her. Johnny Depp was great too, and so was Stephen Fry. I got a kick out of the Red Queen – her poutiness was perfect. And as for the White Queen…I’m sorry, but I did not like her…she’s too sweet. Makes me think she’s really as bad as the Red Queen is
2. There’s so many good quotes in there. My favorite is the “six impossible things before breakfast”, and the one about all good people being mad.
3. My favorite part, hands down, is when Alice gives the bandersnatch his eye back and then makes friends with him My dad’s favorite part is when the Mad Hatter recites the “Jabberwocky” poem in a Scottish accent.

I can’t wait until this comes out on DVD, so I can own it.

And also – HAPPY EASTER everybody! We flew kites today and will be coloring eggs tonight.

Jesus is risen. God bless you!

And now, I had better go “galumphing back” to my duties….
April 3, 2010

My Life and Horses - Part 1

As the song by Templeton Thompson says, “What is it with girls and horses?” I don’t know what it is or why God chose to make it like this, but I also don’t know what I would have done if He hadn’t.

At about eight, I was like a lot of girls my age – horse crazy. It started with horse models at a friend’s, and then progressed to my first week of horse day camp, where I learned the basic stop and go and cemented my new obsession on the back of a placid sorrel named Cassidy. For a few years, I only got to ride five days out of the total 365. But I was busy in the meantime, collecting horse magazines, saving my money, learning all I could, and scouring “horse-4-sale” websites.

In – well, I think it was my third year of horse camp, I met KC. I thought there could never be such a dreamy horse. He was a Paso Fino, so his gaits were really smooth, and that dark bay color matched with the white star on his forehead…oh man, I was in love.

I wasn’t the only girl who loved KC, however. He had a certain charisma, because when the camp girls were hanging out and talking in the barn, there would always be a few using KC as a headrest. I was always one of them. There was an even informally formed “KC fan club”, which had three sole members. It was hard to love KC, because everyone got to ride him, and lots of people wanted to do so. He was a popular horse.

The spring after year 3 of horse camp, I cranked up my online searches for a horse. Because of KC, I had become a Paso Fino fan, and I found a pony in that breed named Princess. She was only $500 and she came with all her tack. WOW! I showed her to my parents and we went so far as to e-mail the owner twice. I was ecstatic – at first. Princess had some problems. The owner said she had some problems tacking up, and also, she was a pony. Me, a girl who was taller than most of my friends, would be too big to ride her in a few years. But it was my chance, and I couldn’t let it go. I was at my grandma’s with my siblings at the time – we were having an overnight there. I had a lot of time to think, and the more I thought, the more I decided that Princess was not the Right One for me. I worried about what my parents would think, and the ordeal ended in a sobbing fest on my part, when they came to pick us up. Luckily, they had been thinking too and they had come to the same conclusion, so we passed Princess on.

It was Easter day, and we had just gotten home from my uncle’s house. I ran to the computer to check up on my new hot horse (that I hoped to buy). I hadn’t asked for Jack yet – but my parents knew that I wanted to. I scanned the world of Horsetopia but Jack was nowhere to be seen. I couldn’t believe it – just as I got hyped for horse ownership, the horse I wanted disappeared! I didn’t cry, but I moped for a few days and kept on looking.

That summer, I met an older man who lived about ten minutes from our house. I’d walk up to visit his horses and finally, he noticed me and we talked about horses and how he got his, and all that good stuff. He let me ride his draft, Rosie, almost every night that summer. Rosie was stubborn, too big for a saddle, and not exactly pretty, but I think she missed me when I was gone and she was a great one to learn on. It was the place where I really learned how to get a bridle on a horse. At horse camps and lessons, there are people to help you do things, so if you don’t get something on your first try, of course you’re going to wave for assistance. But when you’re all by yourself and the only way you’ll get to ride is if you can get a bridle on a stubborn old horse, you’re going to get that bridle on that stubborn old horse.

It was that time of year again! HORSE CAMP!!! I was going to get to see KC again. I got to ride him on the first day, and I couldn’t have been happier. But when I was riding another horse, I didn’t feel so happy. Prompted by one of my friends, I asked the camp director how much KC would be if they sold him.

$3,000.

Actually, more like $5,000.

I blinked back tears as I tried to laugh it off, but I made a secret resolution that I would save up that money, and I’d buy KC if it killed me.
I doubted myself, though. On Thursday, I was feeling sick, and I told my mom that I didn’t feel up to going to camp. She asked me if anything was wrong, and I told her about KC. Of course, almost everyone I came into contact with had heard about this dazzling and marvelous horse, but she got to hear about him again. I told her that riding didn’t seem like fun unless I was on KC, and that I was worried I was beginning to not like horses. It doesn’t seem like anything serious now, but at the time, I went through quite a few tissues. My mom told me that it was ok to like certain horses better than others, but that KC was needed at my camp. He didn’t have a special love for any certain camper – he just let them come and let them ride. Looking back, I think God made me stay home from that day of camp so that I could have that talk with my mom.

The next day was the last day of camp, which equaled the special “show” we put on for the parents. It was also my birthday. I got to ride KC for the show, and it was great – I love him so much. What a great horse. Then, I said goodbye to him, and my friends, and the camp helpers, and everything, and left the camp. I didn’t know it then, but was the last week I would spend there.

In the car, on the way to a pizza place we were going to celebrate – as was our custom – my mom and my grandma were asking me questions about camp. I could only give one-syllable answers because I was trying not to cry. When we got to the pizza place, I did start to cry, and my mom told everyone to go in ahead of us. Poor Mom! If I was her at the time, I’d tell me to just suck it up.

“I want KC, but he’s $5000, and I’ll never be able to save up that much, and…”

Mom shook her head. “Honey, you’re not going to get KC.”

I cried hard for a long time, but finally I composed myself enough to go in and eat. The pizza tasted great, and my mom had gotten a few videos of me on my dream horse!

Thus ends part 1 of my horse life.

April 2, 2010

Just How Important a Name Can Be...

God’s plan to save the world was written in many places. Knowing how much we humans enjoy cracking codes, he wrote his message in the names of ten of the most notable men who walked the earth. Check out the key to the code……

Adam means Man


Seth means Appointed

Enosh means Mortal


Kenan means Sorrow or Home

Mahalalel means The Blessed God

Jared means Shall come down

Enoch means Teaching

Methuselah means His death shall bring


Lamech means The Despairing

Noah means Rest or Comfort

If you read the name meanings all together, you’ll see a prophecy…that came true.
March 16, 2010

Getting Unstuck

I am working on incorporating a whole new sub-plot into Torn Heart and the tangled plot was driving me nuts. I got scared that I would lose my character personalities while I was obsessing over outline organization. I ended up writing down all the questions in my head and answering them through the characters. This makes me laugh because six good guys and one bad guy are in a councilroom together discussing what they’re going to do. Yeah, I know it’s outnumbered, but my other bad guys would not cooperate in that situation.
I’ve posted it here just for fun….understand that it is just for fun and its not going in the book.
————————————————————————

Jacha looked around the circle. “Why wouldn’t Lark try to kill me? He’s supposed to be cruel, right?”
Lark chuckled. “I don’t believe you should be the one asking that question, sweetheart. It sounds quite odd.”

“Well, I escape, so…”

“The way I see it,” Kiann interrupted, “Is that he’d be too levelheaded to think about killing you. He’d kidnap you, maybe, but why would he dirty a clean sword blade while cutting off your head like a crazy person?” He paused and glanced at the gaunt figure across the table. “Isn’t that right, Lark?”

“Hit the nail on the head, young man.” Lark gave an engaging smile. “Now if only you didn’t have to come along and rescue her, the story would be almost perfect.”

Kiann’s jaw clenched. He stood up and jabbed a finger in Lark’s direction. “I don’t care if you do drop bundles of swords at our doorstep, you can just – “

“All right, let’s stick to the outline.” Michach slapped his hand down on the ink-stained sheet of paper before him.

Jacha fidgeted on the hard-backed chair. She didn’t want to be stuck in this cramped room discussing plans for the future. She wanted to go out and ride. “Why does Kiann have to rescue me?” she muttered. “Couldn’t I just dodge Lark by myself?”

“It won’t be just Kiann, Jacha. Michach and Oren will be there as well.” Mala laid a soothing hand on the girl’s shoulder.

“But – ”

“Enough!” Michach boomed. “Jacha, you know you learn to like him eventually, so just go along with it.”

Mala laughed at her husband’s words, but Jacha glared at Kiann and he stared coolly back.

Blonde Silke took charge. “Next on the agenda, everyone. I think we should bring food to Greenlodge before Jacha is admitted into our cell group instead of after. That way our kindness can be established and it can serve as a test to see if she’s loyal.” She surveyed them with serious blue eyes. “All in agreement, give a show of right hands.”

Suprisingly, everyone raised their right hand.

Next, Lark stood to address them. His gaunt figure loomed over the table, and just for a moment Jacha felt a flash of fear. What if things didn’t go as planned and he did try to kill her, instead of just kidnapping?

“When am I exchanging messages with Jacha?” he asked.

Michach consulted his papers. “It says here in the outline you’re doing that after Jacha confesses to us.”

Lark shook his head. “Let’s move it up, somewhere before I save her from Vorrda and consult with him.”

“Why?” Jacha demanded.

“Because I believe it fits better there, sweetheart.”

Jacha jumped to her feet. “Would you stop calling me that? You do it in the book too, and it makes me mad.”

“That’s my point, dear one. Is everybody in agreement with my little switch?”

No one objected, so approval was taken as a given.

Oren’s left eye was graced with a sudden spark of mischief. “Shall we elaborate on the scene where Silke and I kiss? The kiss itself only gets one line in the book…”

Michach’s eyes went from his blushing daughter to grinning Oren and he lifted his eyebrows. “I believe it’s fine just how it is,” he said drily.

Everyone laughed, including Silke, though she tried to pinch Oren’s arm under the table.

“Say, where’d Kiann go?” Jacha asked. She had realized that the red-headed boy’s seat was empty.

The others sprang up from the round table and pushed their way to the door.

“Really, him being out in the sunshine while we’re locked up in this dusty councilroom. Come on!” Jacha burst out and took a breath of fresh air.

“I doubt you’d be able to bring him back even if you tried,” said Michach.

“I’m up for a try,” said Jacha, laughing.

Behind them all, the smudged outline fluttered to the floor.
March 11, 2010

Inkblots 1

A few weeks ago in our writing club, the Inkblots, we were discussing how our beliefs come out in our writing. To illustrate, we did a survey of sorts so we could compare our answers with our writing. Here are my questions.

1. What do you think is the most important virtue in a man?
Standing up for what he thinks is right.

This is evident in my novel – Torn Heart – with both men and women. After all, part of a rebellion means the people are rising in order to to uphold their own beliefs, correct?

2. What do you think is the most important virtue in a woman?
Friendliness – willingness to accept everybody

I think this comes through in Torn Heart as well. The main character, Jacha, doesn’t know how kind people can be until she settles in to spy at a country farm. The people there, the mistress especially, all instantly accept her for who she is and welcome her into their home.

3. What offense are you slowest to forgive?
Slandering me (talking bad about me behind my back)

I can’t think of any example of this in Torn Heart. Betraying isn’t exactly the same thing as slandering.

4. What offense are you fastest to forgive?
Um…maybe some kind of physical injury.

This was a hard one to answer, but I don’t think this is portrayed in my story, either. At one point, one of the villains wounds Jacha and it helps her see that his side is the wrong side. However, he wounded her deliberately, and in the above question, I meant an accidental wound.

5. What kind of story do you like to write the most? (Not genre, but theme)
Friendship/Character growth
Torn Heart is definitely all about character growth! Jacha starts the book as a wary, timid animal out for herself, and ends the book…well….you’ll see for yourself if I get it published.

So this didn’t work out perfectly – I didn’t get all affirmative answers – but the opinions in my head about virtues and story themes at least worked out right. It worked enough to illustrate the point: that because I’m a Christian, my Christian views should come out in my writing. If they don’t, it will be a clue to me that I need to spend more time in the Bible instead of my fantasy books.


March 5, 2010

Published!!

I forgot to mention to everyone that I am now a published author. Not my novel, just a short story, but it still counts. My story, “Who to Trust” is featured in the Spring 2010 issue of Young Christian Writers Magazine.

I also got my first rejection slip from the contest I entered with Torn Heart. That’s okay, it only opens my eyes to improvement and I’m busy trying to weave in a new subplot.



“Don’t spend your time in the rain just looking for the rainbow – haven’t you ever realized how beautiful a raindrop is?” – Me

March 9, 2010

Yo!

Hello, everyone. Just a note to keep you reading.

I entered a writing contest last year with “Torn Heart” and I was supposed to hear back on February 2, whether I had won or not. I didn’t hear back, so I assumed my entry had been lost, and I e-mailed them to ask about it. Today, they e-mailed back that the winners would be announced the first week of March. I’m glad I’m still in the contest, but I have to deal with more suspense now.

I’ve also been toying with the idea of writing a sequel to “Torn Heart”, as I don’t want to leave that world behind just yet; and I also have a good idea for the sequel. I started outlining, so we’ll see if I have time for that along with all of my other writing projects.

I’m also learning how to play the banjo. My dad is too. It’s really fun so far – bluegrass has risen on my music categories list. Yes…bluegrass is GREAT!

Well, I’ll talk more later.

“It will keep him most occupied, most occupied indeed….” Alpha, “Up”
February 6, 2010

Thoughts from the Saddle

While racing around the arena at a breakneck trot today, I decided that riding is a little bit like life.
First of all, in riding there’s a delicate balance between relaxing and staying on. You have to learn how to tighten and calm your muscles at the same time for the most pleasing effect. If you have a good seat and nice posture, you’ll be able to stay on if your horse takes a sudden turn or does something crazy.
It’s the same way with life, isn’t it? We don’t want to be uptight, but we also want to get stuff done and go with the flow.
Some riding days can be just really…amazing! But hey, let’s face it: it’s not like the movies. Neither is life. But life is better because its yours.
There’s one way I can think of that life and riding are (figuratively) different. In riding, you’ve got to be the one in control. If you’re not, you’re going to get thrown around like a rag doll. However, we tend to want to be in control in life, as well, and the rules are different there. We have to remember that God is the one who holds the reins.
“If you can’t be a good example, you’ll just have to be a terrible warning.” – Anon
February 6, 2010