2023 Wrap Up: September - December

Happy New Year! I am starting 2024 here on the blog by ending 2023 with the last wrap up post. It's long, but then, a lot happened in those last four months of the year.

September, 2023

Happy, healthy horses who have summered well and are enjoying the cooler temperatures of September. Sultanna has been bred again and is hopefully in foal.

A composer in the audience for Matilda invited Titan to sing a solo in a song she had just written. 

Cambria was also invited to participate.

Here is the finished video performance.

The Feast of the Hunters' Moon was fast approaching and I spent most of every day sewing 18th century clothing in my sewing room.

I also went into Teacher Daughter Lisa's school and taught five classes of 4th graders a little bit about the French and Indian time period in Indiana.

 

September means Friday Night Lights for Craig, Lisa, and me.

Craig's high school was celebrating its 100th year of football, and the best of the best players over that 100 years were selected and named to the school's 100 Year Football Team. Craig was one of those who received that honor and he walked in the parade honoring the team members.

October, 2023

Abby is in her twenties and so I keep a closer eye on her as cold weather approaches. Looking good in October.

Tim did some tree planting in the northeast pasture. 

October brought The Feast of the Hunters' Moon.

This was Leslie's last year of being the director of the event. It was quite bittersweet. (I think this may be my favorite picture of Leslie and me that we've ever taken together.)

A windstorm came through the grounds late Friday afternoon, and I arrived Saturday morning to find that I needed to redo all my tent stakes and then put things back in order inside the tent. Lisa and Frank were on the grounds and helped me get through that crisis.

Curt's family joined us later in the morning (and enjoyed a few maple cakes!)

As did Cole, Emily (behind the camera), and their crew.

Leslie received a lot of well wishes and accolades

including a paddle salute from the French Voyageurs

and more Hershey Bars than she will ever be able to eat.

Lisa and I watching her last huzzahs and tributes from the military groups.

The October Great Lakes Congress Show is a favorite of mine. 

Because I was selling haversacks, too, I only took a small show string, but I still won some nice ribbons.

As for haversacks, I sold over half my inventory and came home with two empty tubs.

Lunch with Nancy Falzone, Barn Buddy Kelsey, Shannon Rodgers, and Donna Connors was a treat.

November, 2023

November was probably my busiest month of the year - the family was coming home for Thanksgiving and that made for a lot of preparation.

The snow globe video I'd made for Breyer dropped in the November Collectors Club newsletter.

Despite practicing making snow globes the previous Christmas (Breyer had asked me a year in advance to do this project), there were unanticipated challenges that caused me some stress, but in the end I was happy with the finished product and video.

Pony Pal Cambria was gifted the unicorn snow globe. 

Craig and I celebrated our 47th anniversary as the family began arriving for Thanksgiving.

Jessica, who was actually born on Thanksgiving morning, celebrated her birthday Tuesday with "Thanksgiving in the Woods" and then a pizza party and games that evening.

Thanksgiving Day started with Frank and Lisa getting hit by a drunk driver as they drove to our home (no one hurt; minimal car damage, thank goodness.) Dinner was a huge undertaking as we had 24 people (and four dogs) to feed.

But everyone pitches in, from cooking to setting the table, cleaning and childcare, so it works.

It's crowded,

and it's loud and noisy, but it works.

My siblings Steve, Jenny, Leslie and me.

December, 2023

Compared to November, December was quiet and calm.

Tim began graining the horses, something he rarely does. He wasn't happy with some of the quality of the hay that he's stored for winter, plus he pointed out to me that there are two geriatric horses, a pregnant mare, and a filly who is still growing in the herd.

Prompted by variations in sizes of Breyer models and having to adjust patterns frequently to fit, I wrote a series for the blog about scales of model horses

and how there could be a lot of variation despite two models having the same scale designation.

Two Welsh ponies, both included within Breyer's Traditional scale.

I also wrote a series about Breyer's holiday horses (and equids, haha), blankets, and ornaments,

and received the red glitter version of Wassail.

A Christmas gift of a stone portrait of Abby from Vanessa and Curt now graces my stepping stone garden.

Christmas was quiet for us, our first since 1976 without any of our children here to celebrate with us. 

And while we missed them (oh, how we missed them!) we are very, very blessed.  

Happy New Year, All! May it bring you health and happiness!