The other day I decided to document my morning at the barn with my iphone and low and behold my friend LK decided that why not do an iphone photo Friday ~ so here we go two birds with one stone or shall we say two horse with one carrot? Actually that might be more difficult ;)
* all photos taken with my iphone and camera bag app
I decided to make a little Christmas cheer for the barn where I ride. There are pics of all the sweet ones in little gold frames and of course a sleigh bell.
This is the other book that I made at Art and Soul with Judy Wilkenfeld in her class "Aging Gracefully" I decided to put my own twist on it and created a book of all the dearest friends in my life - my horse partners ~
left a photo of a quilt my mother made me of all of my horses
right my latest Creus ( the horse I lease) and me at 40
Rio Concho and me at 13
Mariner my first horse at 7
My sweet girl Ebony and me at 28
Habi and me at 17
I created this remembrance book for my darling sweet girl Ebony who I lost this past May after 18 yrs in Judy Wilkenfeld's class Just in Case at Art and Soul in Portland. First, a little about Judy and why I took 3 days with her. She is incredibly generous of spirit - sharing all her techniques and thoughts and ideas freely, she is encouraging and supportive, and she herself puts all the meaning and nuance into her own work which is what drove me. I was very happy about how the book turned out and more than anything it really was a process in my grieving.
Nuance~
horseshoe nails - 2 - to represent the two shoes she wore on her front feet
her name
The button pin that I used to wear at the nape of my neck when I showed her~
a piece of her mane is braided held within
an antique bag with a beaded rose patch because she love to smell roses~
A metal circling the day she was born and a blue ribbon~
Pictures of her sweet face and a copy of a painting I did of her~
Pictures of the two of us~
A picture card with a poem that reads:
I haven't swept the flower path
to welcome guests,
But for you my friend,
the gate to my garden
is
always
open
T'u Fu
A copy of a painting that I did right after she died~
A photo of her on the morning she passed, a calendar page with the date of her death and an E for her name~
I love this book and more than anything it is a part of her that I will always cherish.
We recently just added a new addition to our family - a min. schnauzer pup named Bentley - he is now 12 weeks old - he is the sweetest, most lovable pup - if you are looking for a dog go to Ludwig's Min. Schnauzer's where I got him - Traci breeds out of her home and her daughter shows horses - ( she must be ok right ;) )
The Summer Olympic Games - watching them the equestrian events that is has been rather frustrating - as in I haven't been able to find them!! But alas - this website - shows streaming video and lots of fun stuff about all EQUESTRIAN - check it out
Ah, fitting a saddle to my 40 year old body .... hmph - kinda like finding breeches. Many, Many years ago like 15 or so I purchased an Albion Comfort saddle which I loved. It fit my svelte 20 something body.
Last week as I was riding another horse that needed a different saddle than my own - a Karl Neidersuss - I realized as I sat in this new ride that uh I had outgrown my saddle ;) after 2 kids and now being 40 my bottom etc is no longer what it used to be. I rode differently, cantered more easily and it was if I had taken a magic pill - ah ha! its the saddle!
So now I search for the new fit and find a new owner for my old friend.
What do you ride in? Has it changed over time? I would love to know your thoughts!
Yesterday, I turned out Sweet Boy and had a little photo shoot. Here are the results ...
