hi·a·tus

A pause or break.... Well I have certainly taken a break from this blog! Much has happened since the last time I sat down to write. Its been one hell of a year. All I can say is that sometimes life is hard and barn time is the only thing that keeps me sane. Ace has moved on from law enforcement and is really enjoying his new semi-retired career teaching drivers ed to high schoolers. We have suffered losses of friends and family and have gained new friends and family! So much has happened that is just too much to write about. So here is just a note that I am still learning lessons from the barn every single day. I love my horse! She has turned into the sweetest gentle girl I new she had in her. She just needed some time. I love my husband. He has been through hell and back and it had its effects on us. But, I think our marriage is stronger for it now.

What doesnt kill you and all.

Beekeeping is my next adventure! I am very excited to start. My new beehive should arrive tomorrow and will look very similar to this photo. Unpainted pine with a metal roof.

I am hoping that the weather stays warm and dry so I can get this painted and placed before my bees arrive. Ace and I painted the barn yellow and since I have an abundance of leftover paint the new hive will also be yellow. I am hoping my creative self shows up so that I can make this a cute/beautiful addition to our yard and its not just a yellow box sitting out there. I will post photos of what I end up doing.

Looks like a full weekend is sneaking up on me. Painting, riding, learning! Should be really fun.

Don't be surprised if this turns into a "bee blog" for a while.

Its a Cowboy Wedding

I had the honor of attending one of my best friend’s weddings this past weekend. The wedding was so wonderful! Full of laughter and love and hard cider. I will skip all the flowers, music and decorations that every wedding has and tell you about what made this wedding so special and unique and classified it as a truly “cowboy wedding” Laughter!! Friday night I got a call that the best man was in jail, after a number of phone calls and running around, thankfully none of it by me, the best man was sprung and the wedding was back on track. But for about 2 seconds I was convinced I would be sending Ace to stand in as the best man. Ace is a law-man and was supposed to attend the shin-dig that landed this poor soul in county lockup. Thank goodness for the little things that keep on where we are supposed to be. (On a side note, I try really hard not to curse traffic or red lights. You just never know!) During the ceremony, the rings were put on the wrong fingers and the bride was staring at the best man and the ring bearer refused to go sit with grandma. It was lots of fun and lots of laughing the entire weekend Love!! The groom I have been friends for close to 11 years. I love him like he is my flesh and blood. I only know him because my now hubby, Ace, pawned me off to his wing man on the fateful night I met them both. But, I digress… I love his new bride and hope that we can become close and I adore their little 6 week old baby boy. It is so much fun to go to a wedding with your spouse. I feel like it reminds me of our commitment and I always leave weddings feeling more in-love. Ace doesn’t think he dances well. But I tell you what, he is a great dancer and I love being all wrapped up in his arms swooning to a sweet love song. Who doesn’t love those little moments in life? Hard Cider!! The wedding moved back to our group site at Camano Island State Park and we went through 1 full keg of hard cider. I only had 2 small cups the entire day… those cowboys sure know how to party! Big bon fire, jokes, dancing in the dirt. Just plain ol’ good fun cowboy style.

Its not you; its me.

I sincerely feel that moving barns is very much like breaking up! Or maybe like giving notice to an employer you love but that doesn’t really pay the bills. The torment, the agony, the sleepless nights!! Am I doing the right thing? What if this is as good as it gets? Is the grass really greener on the other side? Not to mention all the questions about my pony...will she like her new home? Will she make new friends? Will the new barn management take care of her to my standards? UGH!! This has been weighing on my heavily for the past couple of weeks. My old barn has a delightful owner and I was the only boarder. But it also had a few issues, which I will spare you from all the unpleasant details here. Let’s just say it had less hay selection, less structure and consistency for feeding times, cleaning and turn out. And on a personal note, I was lonely at the old barn being the only boarder! Despite, or maybe because of, my sleepless nights, endless phone calls to patient friends and even my animal communicator friend, it all worked out. I stumbled over the words and gave my notice. I feel lighter and happier since. But, it was a tough call to make because of how emotionally invested I was. “It’s a barn!” says my hunky hubby – but to me its really a second home and one with very important relationships to tend to – me -> Miss Echo -> barn owner -> me. Tough conversations and decision making for someone else’s wellbeing is definitely a rough one. I finally did it; I made the Dear John call. I was so nervous. My heart was racing, my palms were clammy. I didn’t want to lose my friendship with the manager/owner, but I was following my heart and it was telling me this “break up” was the best thing for us both in the end. Its not you; It’s me. Really.

Grace, Beauty, Spirit, and Fire

“The essential joy of being with horses is that it brings us in contact with the rare elements of grace, beauty, spirit, and fire.” ~Sharon Ralls Lemon. Hello, pleased to meet ya! Today I find myself doing something I never thought I would, starting a blog. But the last three years or so have been full of things I never thought I would do. I got married, moved to the country, got a horse (and a donkey, a few goats, chickens, ducks, cats and a dog), made some amazing friends, gone on some wild adventures and fallen more in-love with my husband, we will call him Ace for now. I got a horse, or more she got me and I am just like every other horse crazy –read: horse poor – girl out there. I would trade my fancy car, and did, to spend more time at the barn. I love the smell, the soft energy and the strength that is there among the horses. It just seeps into your bones and changes you, for the better in my humble opinion.