THANKFUL THURSDAY by ZEBRAFINCH (guest blogger)

I have become surprised by the attraction of thankfulness. It’s more than habit. It creates a yearning to be really grateful, and the alternatives do become less appealing. Having complained so long and loudly in my life, I never thought I’d see this happen.

What, then, if there is a tidal wave of blessing?  Lately, a lot has been happening in my life. Deadlines, dreams, friends, work schedules, medications, environment all shifted. A nearly supernatural gift literally fell in my lap. Two people I admire tremendously included me in their work. One of my dearest friends is in town. Someone I had never met showed me healing techniques for free. As I write now, so much more floods back to memory, that I realize just how much I missed. What a great week it was.

Yet it all felt like disruption at the time and threw me off balance. I began to complain, because deadlines are not my friend. I felt sad, because I had wanted to achieve more. In the process, I missed my daily walk across the bridge (where I meditate and give thanks). Did I thank others? I missed an evening gratitude ritual or two. The point is not to worship a habit, and I don’t dwell in guilt. Counting my blessings at the time might have changed life for me and others, and even outcomes. Noted.

The point is not that I had a task called “be thankful.” The point is how gratitude, woven into each moment, creates something.

(Photo found on Yogi Zen Dude)

I was deconstructing, not creating. Thankful Thursday is here again to remind me that people, events, time and space are perfect supports, not obstacles. So, I want to say thanks for everything that happened this week, in perfect timing. How wonderful it is to be in process, becoming more aware and linked with others who keep me in the circle of gratitude.

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Jan 28, 2010

I’m always spouting about how to live simply.  How emancipating it is.  How it opens up opportunity for adventure, and how it opens the senses to a profound understanding of the Universe around us.  Not to mention that we get to experience MORE out of life because we become more in tune with life.  “Less is more” does really work in this instance.

So in the spirit of simplicity here goes my simple post of Gratitude.

1) fantastic friends

2) beautiful clients

3) great animal kingdom companions

4) warm comfy abode

5) loving daughter

6) yummy butternut squash and broccoli soup

7) breathtaking mother nature, and…

8 ) simple peace

I love my life and who I have become. To be frank -  I am so THANKFUL that I am me!

For more gratitude/thankfulness please visit these sites: Akal Ranch – Tired Dog Ranch – Enlightened Horsemanship Through Touch – From The Horses Back – Grateful For – Jonathan Lawson of mysnowpro.com and of course our guest blogger Zebrafinch,  and our newsest Heart of Gratitude Maryanne Garvin of the Silverton Movement Center… OUR CIRCLE IS GROWING

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Warning! Photo heavy post.

I have dreamed of snowshoeing since I was 16 years old.  Just never got around to doing it… until today.

Tim Black (TJ) is my landlord and also one of my massage clients. He is a very interesting person and part of the local color of Silverton. He invited me to go snowshoeing and I jumped at the opportunity.

Here are some photos of  our outing…

Kendall Mountain Recreation Center ski lift is literally in our back yard. Its a 2 minute walk from Heathers house. TJ and I walked from town (maybe a 10 minute walk) to Kendall Mountain carrying our snowshoes to tromp around in the powder south of the ski slope.

Then I followed TJ into the wild blue yonder…

…and here I am  all bundled up wearing Heather’s snowshoes having the time of my life.  Wore my knee brace just in case. But my knee did really well. I am so Stoked!!!!  Thank you Maryanne for all the help you have given me to get my knee back in shape.

Right after TJ took that photo of me we turned around to face this.

A new snow storm rolling in. You can see the fog on the lens of the camera. Not sure my camera enjoyed being out in the cold.  Heather’s house is right behind the yellow house you see in the distance.

The wind came with the snow making it stinging bitter cold so we turned back toward the Kendall Mountain Recreation Center. The  snow you see going up the side of the mountain is the Kendall Mountain avalanche shoot.  We were a bit too close to it for safety so heading back was probably a smart thing.

On the way back we had some fun with a camera shoot out!

Then we marched back to town to Mobias the local coffee shop. Megan who runs the place is also a massage therapist and more of the local color.

Our Christmas tree in the middle of town taken from our window seat in Mobias while sipping hot chocolate and enjoying some home town made (The bakery) pumkin bread.

Sultann Mountain – one of the grand sentinel alpine’s over looking our happy colorful little community.  Did you notice all the smiles?

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Dragon, who refers to himself as “King” Dragon scratches at the glass wanting out to go girl hunting.  I’ve told him repeatedly that there are no girl dragons in the house.  He doesn’t believe me.

I swear he is telling me that I have no idea what I’m talking about.

So out on the bed he hunts…

…and hunts…

He’s pretty positive that she’s behind those pillows.  I am always amazed at how stubborn Dragons can be. Once they get something in their heads their is no changing their minds until they have exhausted themselves trying.

Dragon (Bubba as I sometimes call him) is out right now hunting girls while tasting mom’s clothes that should be put away.  It has taken him three years to feel safe outside of his cage and safe with me. Safe that he wont be dropped, and safe that he will be put back into his cage when “he” wants. He does this little head bob with a swallowing gesture when he is trying to  intimidate me. I do it right back. I get the funniest look from him when I do that.  What a character. The TUDE DUDE

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Another  THE PONY EXPRESSION  commenter, Chelsie from Adventures of a Horse Crazed Mind Shared something real cute today. (Hi Chelsie, good to see you here. I have enjoyed your blog for how long now – over a year.  Anyway Chelsie commented On How Deep Is Too Deep and added a link to her favorite snow/car commercial. Again I could not resist sharing it with all of you.  Today I had to really look hard before digging my car out. It was the shortest and of course well hidden by the snow.

Check this out – too funny!  And too probable.

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Another THE PONY EXPRESSION update on life in Silverton.

Today we woke up to 3 foot of snow. I don’t know what everyone else in town had, but that is what was piled up on top of my car.

See where Freddy is shoveling? Right across from him there is a pile of snow he just threw onto the nose of my car. He just laughed.

See the pickup with the canopy (4 vehicles down)? The car just this side of it is mine. The snow you see behind the cars is 2 to 3 feet deep pretty much all the way across the road. That’s a lot of shoveling and still no hope of driving my little low clearance car down the road.

Yep that’s a bunch of snow. They say the next one tonight or tomorrow will bury us even deeper.

My Hero!!

That leaves me about 2 foot distance to the road to shovel  THANK YOU  Snow Plow Man!

Now just to be able to get in the car.  Next time…  I back in to my parking space.

Oh and by-the-way…

It’s Snowing!

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One of my blog readers commented on the Trotting Horse Races Under Saddle post. MyShiloRanch described how when riding  a certain toy horse that you’d post up and down to make its legs move in and out then shared a link to an example.

I couldn’t resist.

From: Country Living Antiques

The Mojo brand of horse was produced in England from the 1950s through the ’70s. Mojo became popular in the United States because Americans wanted to replace wooden rocking horses with examples made of lithographed tin. These toys were inexpensively produced, which made them an affordable riding toy for the masses. Collectors prefer wooden examples.

Valued at: $200

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JAN 21, 2010

Yep I’ve made a Thankful Thursday Badge Copyrighted THE PONY EXPRESSION. Please be respectful and ask permission before using it.  The painting of a poppy and the photograph of the bird are both owned by me. I cropped them then pasted them together specifically for this badge.

Original Photograph “Frigid” by: Stacey Huston – A Focus In The Wild
Original Painting by: Tina Campbell

I have to tell you that I am overwhelmingly thankful for these two pieces of art. What joy they bring to my heart every time I gaze upon them.

I spent yesterday reorganizing my room. All my totes are now stacked up in the corner next to the door with Dragons habitat propped up on top of them. By doing this I have opened up more space in the room and Dragon is a wee bit warmer being up higher in the room. I believe he will feel a bit more secure also when people enter the room. Being up higher allows him to peer down upon them, in stead of the other way around. To make this adjustment I had to finish up the painting of that corner of the room.  Yay! Closer to being done!

This meant that the TV could be moved and the desks could be organized so that my plants could be more consolidated in front of the window. They now share a space with a 10 gallon fish tank that Heather gave to me. It will house Connor the betta fish and a live pond plant, most likely an unbrella plant…

…along with a handful of Fathead Minnows (Rosey Reds).

My fish tank wont be the most spectacular, but it will be a sustainable ecosystem driven off of natural bacterias with no extra lighting or pumps or heaters. In other-words it will be completely self contained.  Most folks use Rosey’s as bait fish or feeder fish, and if you havent kept them as pet hobby fish you are missing out. They are so personable compared to most schooling fish.  Just stick your hand in the water and they’ll be all over it nibbling away and they’ll come racing out to greet you at dinner time too. Sweet little fish that glow with an iridescent sheen on a light pinkish golden body.

I love fish and for this little ecosystem I am very grateful.  The serenity it will provide and hours of visual enjoyment and  let’s not forget the companionship it will provide means the world to me.

Ive had a great day today. Got a good nights rest and woke up easy. Went to Kettlebells class and received a good workout. Walked to the post office and found my large Bluebird photograph waiting for me to pickup. A while later I was off to receive a wonderful massage and now I’m sitting back with a beer in hand with nothing more to do than to say THANK YOU!

For more gratitude/thankfulness please visit these sites: Akal Ranch – Tired Dog Ranch – Enlightened Horsemanship Through Touch – From The Horses Back – Grateful For – Jonathan Lawson of mysnowpro.com and of course our guest blogger Zebrafinch,  and our newsest Heart of Gratitude Maryanne Garvin of the Silverton Movement Center… OUR CIRCLE IS GROWING

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Aren’t those the happiest faces you have ever seen?  Yeah  uh huh…  There’s no faces hidden in the leaves of these mint plants.

I’m thinking that mint plants are very happy plants. Plants with great attitude about life.  These guys struggle, they do not have the best light source and it’s winter when they should be sleeping.  But look at those little faces. Each leaf cluster just looks like its looking right up at you with pure expectation.

This is one of the mom’s to the babies below. You can see the babies roots in the vase behind mom in this picture.  I had no idea that mint could be started from cuttings.  These guys love to succeed! I have several pots of mint from cuttings from this mother plant and her sister. All started from cuttings in little vases. Mom and her sister provide me with fresh garnish for my drinks and entrees and maintain the greatest attitude ever.  Just a very nice sustainable surprise from a cheerful little plant.

(Don’t forget me! I want attention too!)

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I probably should be out walking, or doing something rather more productive than posting a blog today.  But something just happened that could very possibly change my life forever.

On a whim I decided to visit a website of a Master of Horsemanship who entertains only a small group of people. Those who share a similar philosophy.  He doesn’t make himself available to the general public. You have to earn his trust just as you have to earn the trust of horse.

When I wrote my email of application to join his online forum based school, I figured  that I would be flat turned down.  I share his philosophy, but have trained in traditional styles most of my life.  However, I have been going through a life long change of application and personal relationship with horses.

The experience involved with the process of living with Spanish Mustangs (particularly the ones I lived with), and working with wild BLM mustangs (American Mustangs) changed me forever and basically ruined me for traditional horsemanship of, I think, every kind out there.  I don’t care if I ever ride a horse again.  Of course I would like to ride I love riding, but when it comes to my relationship with my horse, I really don’t care. I don’t want a horse for riding – that’s the point. If I ever get another horse he/she will be a companion, friend, co student.

I WANT TO SEE  WHERE OUR RELATIONSHIP CAN GO AND WHAT WE CAN LEARN FROM ONE ANOTHER, NOT WHAT MY HORSE CAN DO FOR ME OR FOR HIS BREED – I WANT TO GROW WITH MY HORSE AND WITHIN MYSELF.

I truly have been changed where horses are concerned. Horses like Asad

and Kindlewood

changed me for life.  They were friends and we sometimes went riding together. I was never alone or needed human companionship when either of them and I were together.  They new things about me no one will ever know or understand. I believe it was same in return.  Looking into their eyes there was equality between us.  I became over protective.  That became my personal down fall. I thought I could protect them. I believed it – too much ego involved there.  We all fell.

With all that aside, I know my days with horses are not over.  I’m not sure I’ll own a horse again. (OWN) Yeah okay – I’m not sure I will share that intimate life long experience with one certain horse ever again. Then again maybe I will.  That part of my life is up in the air.  I can tell you this…

…if i travel down this road with this Master I will not be involved with exploiting horses for any reason or for anyone ever again.

I am honored to be accepted into the online forum school of  Nevzorov Haute Ecole – the school of  learning from the Horse Kingdom.

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