It was one of those perfect summer days (i.e. no heat, humidity, or bugs) and Teacher Daughter Lisa came out with me to see the horses. As we drove drove down the lane to the new barn, the girls from the adjoining property came hustling over to the fence to greet us.They're Lisa's former students and love that their teacher shares their passion for horses. (When I subbed in Lisa's class once, they wanted to know which Breyer was my favorite and chat horses with me. Honestly, I wanted to do the same. Math lesson? What Math lesson? Hah!)
After visiting with the girls, goats, Fancy, and Jax, we walked out to see Abby.
Sultanna came over, too. She is so beautiful! (And she is in foal again!)
Lisa is really fond of her and gives her a lot of attention.
But like any horse, you have to keep an eye on them, just in case. Sultanna was licking Lisa's hands, when suddenly she sucked her fingers into her mouth and chomped down!
She left marks on the third and fourth fingers
with the fourth finger getting the brunt of the bite.
Lisa had to sit down in the grass and catch her breath for a moment but she was fine.
Sultanna is not a nipper or a biter. She's never pinned her ears at people or been aggressive. We think that since she was licking salt and peppermint juice off Lisa's hands, she just decided to see if those fingers were edible, too.
Yesterday I received a message from Anne Field with some in-progress photos of the circus doll that she was making for me.
Oh, my goodness! The doll was gorgeous!
I'd sent Anne this photo of a page from an old costume pattern book and asked if she could make something like the ballerina at the top left.
I wanted something elegant and simple with a 50s/60s feel, and Anne was making that happen.
Later in the afternoon I got another message from her telling me that the doll was finished and ready to ship. And, that she would be posting a blog entry today about its creation in her own blog, Field of Dolls Studio; Because Everybody Needs Dolls.
I can't wait to see how my new doll looks with my RubberNedz Circus Horse. I am hoping to enter Jennifer Buxton's Pandemic Performance Panorama photo show with them if I can get things made/pulled together in time.
Things have been hopping around here. Here are some bits and pieces to catch up.
Horsiemama's Haversacks & Mercantile is doing well and I am on my third round of ordering new fabric, getting it cut out, and stitching it into haversacks. I will restock in a week or two.
Horse Buddy Trinity flew out for a visit and stayed with us for five days - always a treat! She's getting glammed up for her senior pictures here - Aunt Vanessa is a photographer and offered to do them while Trinity was visiting.
When Trinity was little we started a tradition of making stepping stones to commemorate getting together. She was happy to do that again and helped her cousins, Pony Pal Mila and Cowpokes Ian and Lukie with theirs.
She also helped me make stepping stones with Pepper and Millie's paw prints.
Lukie insisted on adding an orange waterballoon to his stone. All righty then!
Trinity went riding during her visit. Her social media name, Horseyreader, reflects her two favorite things. This girl also has a small collection of model horses and has gone to live shows with me.
Anne Field is working on my circus doll ballerina and sent me in-progress photos. I was so happy with what she was doing that I cried. The doll is lovely! (Anne, you're making my dream come to life!)
Ian, Mila, and Lukie have been over several times the past week. Lukie always wants to see my Autism horse,
Illumination,
and Carnivale. (He loves the unusual colors.)
I'm really excited to have been asked to join two other bloggers in a special project. I can't say much more, but I will as soon as I can.
Speaking of blogs, I forgot to mention in yesterday's post that Daphne Headley has a blog, too. It's called Mini Hoofbeats Studio. Check it out!
I continue to work on research for the Mares' Tales project and have spent some time interviewing Canadian hobbyist Beth Peart. (Was that ever fun! Neat lady!) She's put me in touch with other Canadian hobbyists so I can get more information about the hobby's inception and growth in Canada. (Photo sleeves given to me by Nancy Kelly.)
Despite the pandemic, life is full, and life is good. I am certainly blessed.
Recently she sent me some photos of her haversacks and they are really cute. With her permission, I share them here.
I love the embellishment with the ribbons and buttons. And don't they look soft and cushy?
Daphne told me that she plans to use them for packing model horses that she customizes and sells. I like the cards she has printed up and tucked under the flap.
Thanks for letting me share your photos, Daphne, and keep sewing!
Teacher Daughter Lisa has been a real force behind the "get Mom back in the saddle again" movement. (I think she was as excited as I was when I rode this past weekend!) But even though she has been asking me to give her riding lessons, she is already a skilled rider herself.
She hopped onto Diablo after I was finished riding.
She has only ridden twice in the last eight years.
And she had never ridden in a western saddle before - she has always ridden English and was jumping while in high school.
But her seat and hands came right back to her as she took Diablo around the arena.
It only took twenty-seven years, but this finally happened.
Totally unplanned. Totally unexpected. And totally wonderful.
Horse Buddy Trinity is visiting from Colorado, and she and Teacher Daughter Lisa had gone out to the barn with me to check the horses. While there, we ran into Tim who was getting some barn chores done. He asked Trinity and Lisa if they'd like to ride, and I took a (very) deep breath, and asked if I might ride, too.
The surprise on Tim's face at my question was comical - after all, I've boarded with him for eight years and never once asked to ride. But he immediately responded enthusiastically, "You bet!" and we rounded up Diablo, found helmets (I dug mine out of my tack trunk), and got her tacked up.
Tim invited me to ride first, but it was a real struggle for me to mount. Both my knees are artificial, and I just could not get into the saddle despite using a step stool.
Lisa brought in a chair from the barn lounge, and that gave me enough height to step into the stirrup and swing my leg over Diablo's back.
I absolutely could not believe I was sitting on a horse again. My heart swelled with joy. (You can see by my daughter's face just how excited she was.) After leading me around in a large circle so I could settle into the saddle, Tim turned me loose to ride as I wished.
It was absolutely wonderful.
I just could not stop smiling. Diablo went into a running walk a couple of times and I felt like I was floating on air. (She is half Arabian, half Tennessee Walker.)
Unfortunately, dismounting was even more difficult than mounting had been. Not only have my knees been replaced, but my right hip is also artificial and has been very weak since the surgery in 2004. I was dismayed to discover that I did not have the strength to lift it and swing it over Diablo's back to dismount. I tried and I tried, but I just could not do it. Fortunately, Diablo is a tolerant mare, and she let me lean my body way over her neck for leverage and then drag my leg across her back.
I was teary with happiness, Lisa and Trinity were hugging me, and Tim had a big grin on his face.
Finally, after years and years of being unable to ride because of health issues and surgeries, I had made it back into the saddle again. (Truth be told, I should not have ridden. I didn't remember my post op restrictions from my June surgery until I was driving home. Oops!)
What a feeling to be on a horse again! I still cannot stop smiling.
Congratulations to those who entered the contest to win a haversack by guessing the name. Lindsay M. came closest with "Horsey Haversacks" and won. For everyone else who entered, check your email for a special surprise!
Naturally I had to use a picture of some Cowpokes and Pony Pals for the header. Abby and her pals, too.
The haversacks are grouped in collections by fabric, and there is also a fabric preview of ones I am currently sewing. Since this is a mercantile, other things will be offered for sale occasionally. I am making breed portrait pillows right now and I may even offer some models that I have "rescued" in the wild in order to get them into the hands of collectors.
Be sure to read the two announcements on the site so that you know how to order. One of them includes the email address where you can contact me. (Note - Sundays I am closed. Emails sent Sundays and late Saturdays will be answered early the following week.)
They're Lisa's former students and love that their teacher shares their passion for horses. (When I subbed in Lisa's class once, they wanted to know which Breyer was my favorite and chat horses with me. Honestly, I wanted to do the same. Math lesson? What Math lesson? Hah!)
