My family and I spent some time at the ranch this afternoon.  We groomed the horses, picked their feet, put on their saddle, and away we went on our trail ride.  My entire family was able to go on this trail ride today, and we had the absolute best time!

We started out on pretty flat land, then went over some unstable ground.  It was at that time that my youngest daughter struggled to get her horse to cooperate.  The horse went into a trot, and all she could do was hold on at that point and try to enjoy the ride.  She’s okay, and this did not scare her at all as her heart is 100% into these horses.  It did get me to thinking this afternoon, though.More

You are beautiful.  Yes … You!  The one reading this right this very minute.

Proverbs 3:15-18 ESV   She is more precious than jewels, and nothing you desire can compare with her. Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor. Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to those who lay hold of her; those who hold her fast are called blessed.

More

My mind wanders back to my childhood days where I would run wild and carefree just as barefooted as you please with the hot summer sun beaming down on me. I would chase my dad’s chickens all through the “chicken yard” as they scrambled and extended their wings at times to escape my tomboy ways. I smile at the thought of those days that are long gone now.

There are so many things I can recall from my childhood. Another favorite is playing in the forbidden hog pin. My dad warned us about not getting close to the hogs, but did I listen? Not as good as I should have, but that, too, brings a smile to my face and causes me to pause for a good long chuckle. I fondly remember trying to be Wonder Woman as I jumped off the ramp at the entrance of the hog pin. I would also climb the highest mountain (okay, it was a pile of wood), adjust my silver wrist bands, and position myself in that super hero pose as I jumped. One time the landing didn’t go so well, and I found myself laying on the ground trying to recover as I knocked the breath completely out of my body when my knees hit my chest on impact. Thankfully, I did not break anything. There were no injuries, except to that of my pride. More

Last night my family and I watched the movie Unconditional at a friend’s house. If you have never seen this movie before, I highly recommend it. I had no idea what the movie was even about when it started. But, my, oh my, did it ever bless my heart.

While I have no intention of giving the entire movie away, I will tell you that part of the story line struck a cord with me because of how much I can relate to it. One of the main characters was a writer. However, something tragic happened in this lady’s life, and she lost the desire to write after that. If you’ve read the “About Us” section, you’ll understand that this struck a cord in my heart because I went through something very similar after the death of my only sibling, my sister. Before, the words just seemed to flow like a river. Once tragedy struck, though, it felt as if I was thrown into the middle of the dry Arizona desert. More

Just a few, short weeks ago I was sharing a post about the snow we had in our area. I was so excited to actually see some of the fluffy white stuff around here, as it is extremely rare! Now, though, the weather forecast was calling for the dreaded ICE! While we tried to prepare, my family and I joked about the Vanilla Ice song from the 80s, “Ice Ice Baby.” This was our attempt to lighten the mood as we braced for the worst.

Ten years ago, we had an ice storm come through our area. I was pregnant with my youngest daughter at the time. Our Winter Wonder Land quite literally became an extremely slippery slope. You could hear the “crunch” beneath you as you tried to walk out on the patio, IF you were lucky to make it across without slipping and falling … hard … on your backside! That hurts terribly, by the way, especially as you get older! Just speaking the truth!

As the ice storm threatened our area and ultimately took down power lines and trees ten years ago, we were forced to flee to shelter. We simply could not remain in our house with an eight year old and being pregnant at the time as well. We were without power at our house for an entire week before the utility company could work their magic to get us back up and running. We were never so glad in all of our lives to get back to our house. It definitely gives new meaning to “Home Sweet Home” when you’re forced out due to conditions beyond your control and not allowed access to your beloved home!

Fast forward now to the present, and here we are in the same situation. The younger generation surely did not remember what it was like ten years ago as they were much smaller, of course. The adults, however, knew full well what the approaching storm would bring. We prepared as best as we could, but our state is simply not set up to handle this type of weather. We’re used to extremely mild winters with everyone freaking out when the temperature dips down a little below freezing. With white stuff in the forecast, we joked that people were rushing to the stores for bread and milk while forgetting how to drive along the way! Now with ice, oh brother, that made it a thousand times worse! More

I am involved in a fabulous group that challenges us with our writing. This week they have asked us exactly why we write and if we write for a specific niche. They also asked if we think we are more of a fly-by-the-seat-of-our-pants writer, outliner, or planner. I’ll share my thoughts here.
More