And They Just Keep Coming

Look at what Pony Pal Julie is wearing. 

And the unicorns just keep coming.

There are Enough Unicorns Here

I dislike unicorns. I mean it; I really, REALLY do not like them. While I do have a couple vintage ones in my collection, I have no plans to buy any more. Having said that, unicorns are incredibly popular right now, and Breyer cashed in on the craze with their Christmas Day special.

Othello, Breyer's Christmas Unicorn

I'll admit, I was disappointed when I logged in and saw them. Three colors, a green, an orange (?), and a blue, plus Brighty in black as Coal. I like decorators and I like these colors, but unicorns? Most definitely not for me.

Besides, I had other unicorns in my home Christmas Day.

Pony Pal Cambria got not only a unicorn headband but a rideable, talking unicorn as well!

 While Pony Pal, Mila, received a plush unicorn.

 She also got a VERY pink My Little Pony. (Not a unicorn, thank goodness.) 

There were other horsey gifts, too.

 Cambria really liked her Horse Care kit from Craig and me.

It was soon opened and that plush pony inside got a good grooming!

And I got some metallic wall decor from my Colorado daughter and her family - a horse head for my wall!

There are already enough unicorns in my home without adding Breyer's Christmas unicorn to my collection. Maybe next year there will be something more to my taste. (A Pegasus would be nice!)

The Legend of the Donkey

From the time I was twelve until I graduated from high school, I cared for my neighbor's horses as well as my own. They had two Quarter Horse mares and a donkey name Jose.

Like all other donkeys, Jose had the dorsal stripe on his back and another line across his withers and shoulders which formed a "T" or a cross.

 (Photo from Google Images)

During the time I cared for Jose, someone told me a legend about why the donkey has that cross on his back.

Joseph and Mary riding into Bethlehem.

According to the story, because of the donkey's service to Joseph and Mary by carrying a very pregnant Mary on their journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem,

 assisting them in the flight into Egypt two years later, 

and carrying Christ into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday,

the legend says that God blessed the faithful donkey for his service and placed a memorial upon his back, and the back of all other donkeys, in the form of a cross.

 It's a lovely story, and to this day

the first thing I think of when I see a donkey is not those cute fuzzy ears or shaggy coat, it is of the contribution such a lowly animal played.

It is lovely to think about the role a donkey played in something as important as the life of the Son of God.

Merry Christmas!

An Isenbarger Night Before Christmas

(With acknowledgment to Clement C. Moore, author of A Visit from St. Nicholas.)

Twas the day before Christmas

 and all through our home

 wrapping paper and gifts

were stacked 'round the rooms.

 Twenty-two stockings hung on the mantle with care

 in hopes that Boompa and Grammy would fill them (if they dared!)

Baby Jesus was nestled all snug in his bed

While visions of feeding the masses danced in Grammy's head.

The home was all decorated and ready for guests 

 with breakables stowed away at Grammy's request.

Two trees were trimmed and ready to go

 with one up so high, that Boompa said, "Whoa!"

"Let's put one up for the littlest kids,"

 "And they can play with it without the adults blowing their lids!"

 The tables were prepped with festive cloths and candles

 the booster seats in the kitchen 'cause the chairs there had handles.

 There were plenty of healthy things to counter the sugar

which was in such abundance that it was really quite vulgar!

The holiday items were strewn through the house

 even in the bathroom was a painting of Santa Claus!

 From garlands

 and candy canes

 and baubles galore

Grammy and Boompa were ready for some rest and a good snore.

But a giggle outside and a ring of the doorbell

meant their family was now here - there was no time to chill!

A wink at each other and a clasping of hands,

They threw open the door to greet the merry band.

"It's Julie, and Kate, and sweet little Susie!

"And Ian and Mila, ohhhh, and cute little Lukie!

"Hi, Titan! Hey, Cambria! Come into the hall!

"Wow, JC and Trinity, when did you get so tall?"

From the top of the house and to the main floor, too,

Those kiddos dashed away, dashed away, away they all flew!

But we heard them exclaim as they scurried out of sight,

"Merry Christmas, Grammy and Boompa, we're staying up all night!"

Christmas Eve in a Barn - Thomas Hardy's Poem

In 1915, Thomas Hardy published his beloved poem, The Oxen. (See below.) In it, he tells of how, on Christmas Eve, the animals always kneel in their barns to honor the birth of the Savior.

As a young girl, there was a part of me that believed that this could be true and really happen. For several years I resolved to set my alarm, slip out of the house just before midnight, and head to the barn so that I could quietly watch and see such beautiful homage.

Well, year after year I never got up, either too warmly snuggled up in my bed, or simply asleep and not hearing my alarm clock. And then suddenly I was old enough to know that it was just a story, and so I never went.

I'm older now, but I find that once again I'd like to be in a barn at midnight on Christmas Eve. I want to reflect on what it must have been like for Mary to have ridden a donkey so near to giving birth and then to deliver her child in a stable, placing her baby in a hay filled manger.

I've birthed six babies, and it isn't easy even when you are in a hospital and surrounded by good care. I've always had great respect and sympathy for Mary and what she endured. But the horsey girl in me finds barns to be a place of familiarity and peace. I rather think that I should find that there on Christmas Eve.

Even if the animals don't really kneel.

The Oxen

Christmas Eve, and twelve of the clock.

“Now they are all on their knees,”

An elder said as we sat in a flock

By the embers in hearthside ease.

We pictured the meek mild creatures where

They dwelt in their strawy pen,

Nor did it occur to one of us there

To doubt they were kneeling then.

So fair a fancy few would weave

In these years! Yet, I feel,

If someone said on Christmas Eve,

“Come; see the oxen kneel,

“In the lonely barton by yonder coomb

Our childhood used to know,”

I should go with him in the gloom,

Hoping it might be so.

       by Thomas Hardy, 1915

Elias - A Life of Service

I love horses. Having said that, were I asked to choose only one animal to have in my life,  I would choose a dog. Why? Because you live with your dog and have a relationship in ways that you do not with a horse.

One of my dogs was Zeus, a service dog. Used to sniff out narcotics by the police, he had to be retired due to hip dysplasia at age five. We were the lucky ones chosen to be his retirement home.

But this blog entry isn't about Zeus; it's about Elias, a retired guide dog belonging to my friend, Kathy. I have written about her before. She is an amazing teacher with many accolades for her teaching. She has a been a blogger on The Huffington Post, authored two books, and travels the country as a motivational speaker with her faithful guide dog, Nacho, navigating obstacles for her.

Before Nacho, Kathy's guide dog was a yellow Lab named Elias.

 Kathy and Elias, the moment she was told she was Indiana's Teacher of the Year for 2015.

2015 was a heady year for the pair. As Indiana's Teacher of the Year, she traveled throughout the state for speaking engagements, dinners, and seminars. Elias went with her, guiding her through countless unfamiliar places and waiting patiently by her side as she spoke or taught.

Chip Reid interviewed her for the CBS Evening News, Elias right by her side. Go here to watch the interview. She was then selected as one of four candidates for National Teacher of the Year!

Kathy and Elias were invited to the White House where they met President Obama who was charmed by Elias and didn't mind when he needed a bathroom break and the White House lawn was the only place available!

Bo Obama even shared his personal water bowl with Elias!

You may have noticed the grey on his muzzle in these photos. Elias was nine at the time and needed to be retired just after Kathy went to the White House. Her parents, who live a few blocks from Kathy, took him in as they had done with her previous two guide dogs, and Kathy began working with Nacho.

Kathy speaking at Sheridan High School in August with Nacho using her as a pillow.

Elias was happy in his retirement, and Kathy saw him nearly every day. When Nacho would be done working, she often would take him over there to play with Elias and enjoy just being a dog. (Work-Nacho is very dignified, focused, and quiet; Play-Nacho is hilariously goofy and playful.)

Elias passed away yesterday at almost age 13. Kathy texted me the night before saying that he was doing poorly and the time to let him go was close. Just as he had spent his life being there for her, she was there with him until the very end, shepherding him to the next life where he will be waiting to be reunited with her.

I learned from Zeus just how much good a service dog can do, but I never needed Zeus for his service or to guide me. I can only imagine how close you would become to a dog whom you relied on daily for help in accomplishing the myriad things on your plate. What an incredible wrench to your heart to say good-bye.

Rest in peace, Elias. You deserve all the doggy treats, tennis balls, and grassy meadows there are in heaven. And thank you so much for your service to my dear friend, Kathy. You truly blessed her life, and the lives of those she touched with your aid.