Happy Halloween!

This is one of my favorite holidays. I love Halloween!
I mean, I really love Halloween!

So much so, that when my children were growing up, they and I participated in Halloween costumed to the hilt!

Even the year Nathan was born, (1970) we dressed him up in a little Devil costume and took him Trick or Treating!
He was only two and half weeks old!

The tradition of my dressing up and parading with the children has continued, and this year, I will dress as a witch, accompany Sarah and Daniel to Traci and Nathan's house for trick and treating. I will help Traci and Sarah pass out treats to the neighborhood children, while Nathan and Daniel go door to door and beg for treats!

What fun! This year Daniel will be dressed as an Astronaut, to go along with his current "I want to be an Astronaut when I grow up" theme!

Sarah dressed as the grundgy "Aunt Scurvy" Daniel's alledged pirate aunt, and she went to the
Day Care Halloween party. "That's Daniel's Mom" declared some little girl in the class. "She is not" said Daniel "she's my Aunt Scurvy"! "Sorry Mom"! he said.

May it never, never end!

(Photo, 2007 when Daniel and his Mom picked a pumpkin from the patch that Tim and I planted especially for the joy of this little boy!)

Even Eagles need a push..

Why does the the thrill of soaring begin
with the fear of falling?

Red and yellow, blue and green, purple and orange too!

Those were the words I remember from a song
about a rainbow.

Linda called me last night and told me to go out
and look to the east from our house. I couldn't
believe how beautiful it was. A complete semi-
circle of rainbow, double to boot.

A few minutes after looking at this wonder and
Daniel arrived. He came through the door and
shouted "Did you see the rainbow"? "It's
amazing"!

Yes it truly was!

October 23. 2010, 37 years later

October 23rd, 1973 Sarah Elizabeth Von Duyke
entered the world, breach with her heels down.
I suppose riding a horse in a show the day before
she was born was a contributing factor.

She was destined to be a horsewoman.
She is a horsewoman and I am so proud
of her talents and gifts.

This is her horse "Winfield Whizkid" doing
a trick that she taught him.....rearing on command.

They both enjoy this time together.

She is strong, a little wild and beautifully unique...
Happy Birthday Sis!

It's not what you gather

RED MARBLES

A woman was at the corner grocery store buying some early potatoes.
She noticed a small boy, delicate of bone and feature, ragged but clean,
hungrily appraising a basket of freshly picked green peas.. She paid for my potatoes but was also drawn to the display of fresh green peas.
She's a pushover for creamed peas and new potatoes.

Pondering the peas, she couldn't help overhearing the conversation between Mr. Miller (the store owner) and the ragged boy next to me. 'Hello Barry, how are you today?' 'H'lo , Mr. Miller. Fine, thank ya. Jus' admirin' them peas. They sure look good.' 'They are good, Barry. How's your Ma?' 'Fine. Gittin' stronger alla' time.' 'Good. Anything I can help you with?' 'No, Sir. Jus' admirin' them peas.' 'Would you like to take some home ?' asked Mr.. Miller. 'No, Sir. Got nuthin' to pay for 'em with.' 'Well, what have you to trade me for some of those peas?' 'All I got's my prize marble here.' 'Is that right? Let me see it' said Miller.. 'Here 'tis. She's a dandy.' 'I can see that. Hmmmmm, only thing is this one is blue and I sort of go for red.
Do you have a red one like this at home?' the store owner asked. 'Not zackley but almost..' 'Tell you what. Take this sack of peas home with you and next trip this way,
let me look at that red marble,’ Mr. Miller told the boy. 'Sure will. Thanks Mr. Miller.' Mrs. Miller, who had been standing nearby, came over to help me.
With a smile she said, 'There are two other boys like him in our community.
All three are in very poor circumstances. Jim just loves to bargain with them for
peas, apples, tomatoes, or whatever. When they come back with their red marbles,
and they always do, he decides he doesn't like red after all and he sends them home
with a bag of produce for a green marble or an orange one,
when they come on their next trip to the store.' She left the store smiling to myself, impressed with this man.

A short time later she moved to Colorado , but never forgot the story of this man, the boys,
and their bartering for marbles. Several years went by, each more rapid than the previous one.

Just recently, she had occasion to visit some old friends in that Idaho community and while
there learned that Mr. Miller had died. They were having his visitation that evening and knowing my friends wanted to go, she agreed to accompany them. Upon arrival at the mortuary, we fell into line to meet the relatives of the deceased and to offer whatever words of comfort we could.

Ahead of us in line were three young men. One was in an army uniform and
the other two wore nice haircuts, dark suits and white shirts....all very professional looking.
They approached Mrs. Miller, standing composed and smiling by her husband's casket.
Each of the young men hugged her, kissed her on the cheek, spoke briefly with her, and moved on to the casket.. Her misty light blue eyes followed them as, one by one, each young man stopped briefly and placed his own warm hand over the cold pale hand in the casket.
Each left the mortuary awkwardly, wiping his eyes. Our turn came to meet Mrs. Miller. The lady told her who I was and reminded her of the story from those many years ago and what she had told me about her husband's
bartering for marbles. With her eyes glistening, she took my hand and led me to the casket. 'Those three young men who just left were the boys I told you about.
They just told me how they appreciated the things Jim 'traded' them.
Now, at last, when Jim could not change his mind about color or size--they came to pay their debt.'

'We've never had a great deal of the wealth of this world,' she confided,
'but right now, Jim would consider himself the richest man in Idaho.'

With loving gentleness she lifted the lifeless fingers of her deceased husband.
Resting underneath were three exquisitely shined red marbles.


IT'S NOT WHAT YOU GATHER, BUT WHAT YOU SCATTER THAT TELLS WHAT KIND OF LIFE YOU HAVE LIVED

You Light Up My Life!

I just saw Debby Boone on the Oprah Show. I know lots of you
don't like Oprah, but I do, and watch the show any chance I can
get.

Debby sang her single Grammy Award Winning Hit...You Light
Up My Life. I don't know anyone who didn't sing this song at
the top of their lungs whenever it played on the car radio. I know
I did.
It sounded just as beautiful this afternoon as it did 33 years ago
when she first sang it.

She is married (31 years) to Gabriel Ferrer, the son on
Rosemary Clooney and Jose Ferrer and the mother of
four children.

She has a new CD out honoring her mother in law.....Reflections of Rosemary.

Good taste and a good voice!

Lessons, sometimes too late learned!

I've learned that, no matter what happens, how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow.
I've learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles four things: a rainy day,the elderly, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights.
I've learned that making a 'living' is not the same thing as making a 'life.'
I've learned that life sometimes gives you a second chance. I've learned that you shouldn't go through life with a catcher's mitt on both hands.You need to be able to throw something back sometimes.
I've learned that if you pursue happiness, it will elude you. But, if you focus on your family, your friends, the needs of others, your work and doing the very best you can, happiness will find you.
I've learned that whenever I decide something with an open heart, I usually make the right decision.
I've learned that even when I have pains, I don't have to be one.
I've learned that every day, you should reach out and touch someone. People love that human touch -- holding hands, a warm hug, or just
a friendly pat on the back.
I've learned that I still have a lot to learn.

-- angels have walked beside me all my life--and they still do.

This is to all of you who mean something to me, I pray for your happiness.

1959...the last time we were together!

We attended a clam bake yesterday at the home of new friends, Traci and Jeff Sampson. Their daughter Samantha "Sam" takes lessons from Sarah and Sam had ridden my mare last season in the COSCA Shows.

We were invited as a "thank you" for helping get Sam to horse shows with our truck and trailer.

Lovely people, and we had a lovely time. After a few hours of eating and visiting the crowd had started to dissapate, leaving a few of us saying our last "tales" to people we may not know... when something strange happend. Tim was talking with a few men, hunting stories and the like, when he stretched his hand out to a gentleman and said "I'm sorry, I didn't introduce myself, I'm Tim Von Duyke". Almost instantly the man responded "I'm Eddy Belkey"! Both men suddently embraced and hugged and jumped around saying "No way"!.

Tim and Eddy had been high school buddies, inseparable with four or five other guys through their high school years. 1959 was the last time they had seen each other.

Can you believe it? Eddy lives in Westlake and was at the clam bake with his daughter, who is engaged to the host's brother.

Not only is it a small world, but it seems to be getting smaller everyday!

Northeastern Ohio Live Steamers!

Saturday night at 6:30 we arrived at the Lester Road
Rail Trail to take a ride on the "Live Miniature Train".
What a hoot! Children were invited to wear Halloween
Costumes (with the exception of long and flowing ones)
for obvious reasons when you take a look at the size of the train, and the close proximity of your feet and the ground!
(see last photo)

The little train wound through a maze of over 150 Inflatable Halloween Spooks, Goblins, Witches, Spinders and all sorts
of affiliated sights and sounds. The ride took about 20 minutes to complete, and by the time we got on board it was very dark, so the sights and sounds were extra amplified!

Daniel wore his Airline Pilot Hat, but pretended he was a conductor. He said "All Aboard, saluted and presented you
with a pretend ticket to ride". (much like the conductor for the Polar Express).

We waited in line for 1 hour and 15 minutes. The lines spread out behind us with hundreds of parents and children. The three of us rode on the last car of our designated train and it was a totally, totally cool experience. One not to be forgotten, and looked forward to for next year!

How lucky are we!

"Yes, there are some answers that can't be answered by Google"!

I had to share these funny church signs! They are funny....yet true! That is if you believe.

You must of been a beautiful baby!

October 13, 1970...Nathan Winfield Von Duyke arrived on the scene and my life would never be the same! Four days in an incubator with only quiet and a nice warm place to stay. I was frantic. A new baby, and I couldn't hold him! Nathan was born with the umbilical cord wrapped around his nect. So he needed to be kept quiet and safe so he could make adjustment to the outside world.

Well he did and as you can see, he grew up to be a wonderful good looking man!

(Shown at left the day he was born, below right with "Grandma Neta", below left last year on Mother's Day at Brunch, and below with Daniel in mid-summer this year when he had gotten his first short hair cut after 20 years!

Happy Birthday Son! Love you, Mom

How did you spend Sunday night?

I have had the same song playing in my brain over and over again for the last several days.
The country song that is new on the charts, can't remember who sings it, but there is a line that goes "It's not the breathes you take, the breating in and out, but the moments that take your breath away"!

Yes it is. Tim was supposed to leave for Pa. Sunday afternoon. He had been working in the yard, readying it for the winter when he stopped for a few minutes and said "I should leave for Pa., I need to deliver by Tuesday morning, but I feel guilty not spending some time with Daniel today. (Daniel had come in the morning as Kevin had to make an emergency drive down to Lexington, to drive the motor home back home. Sarah was too sick to drive back from the World Equestrian Games). I had been gone announcing a horse show since Thursday and arrived back home Sunday early afternoon.

Well, Tim and I talked and the photos below show what he decided to do.

A "take your breath away" moment!

Monarch V (Huckleberry Bey X Moska)

I have had a love affair with this Arabian stallion for a very long time.

I first met him at his home in St. Clairsville, Ohio when then owner Mike Ladyga invited me to his farm to visit and see the horses. The bright bay stallion was lead out of his stall and into the indoor arena. Mike took Monarch's halter off and the horse took off at a high rate of speed. Circling the arena, trotting, prancing and showing off like he was giving an audition. I knew I was in the presence of greatness.

He was bold yet gentle. He was not considered "large" for an Arabian, but his attitude projected his stature another two hands tall. It was love at first sight!

I had the pleasure of seeing him perform in a halter class at the Buckeye Show one year, with the Stachowski Training Farm staff at the lead. He was spectacular to say the least!

He was a prominent sire. He sired the filly "Lucsious Lorraine" that Sarah bred, trained and showed to the Sport Horse National Carriage Driving Turnout Champion last September, as well as her full sister "Peekaboo Larue". He also was the sire of my first Monarch filly, "Monarch Butterfly".

I lost track of him for a few years but found him again in Columbus at a horse Show. He was there with his new owners, Doug and Carrie Schane.

As Carrie will tell you, she never dreamed in a million years that she would ever own a horse of this caliber. The story of how Carrie came back together with Monarch is fairytale like at best. Ultimately, Carrie found him in Florida, for sale and living at Rohara Arabians.

Monarch came home to Schane Show Horses stables in Adena, Ohio and lived there until just a few weeks ago. He suffered a bad attack of laminitis, surgery, rehab etc., but in the end, he could no longer endure the pain and the disintegration of his hooves.

The painful and tearful decision was made to relieve his pain and end his suffering. He was buried next to the barns and his burial mound is covered with mulch, beautiful colorful mums and shrubs.

I visited his grave last week. It took me a long time to build up the courage to drive to Adena and say goodbye.

Goodbye dear friend. I will remember the beautiful dark eyes that would look deep into my soul.

Somewhere over the great divide, beyond the furthest shore, the beloved Monarch V has taken his final ride and found peace at Heaven's door.

A real pie in the sky!

Yesterday was too cool to work outside and not warm enough inside to not turn on the oven. I had a bag of Northern Spy apples to use up so I made some "from scratch" pie crust with lard. Peeled the apples and added the spices and other ingredients. Started to pile them up in the pie shell and realized there were just too many!

Oh well, I piled them up anyway, placed the top crust on and put that tall baby into the oven.

I usually bake a pie on 425 degrees for 20 minutes and then reduce the heat to 350 degrees after that. It took 15 additional minutes to bake this puppy due to the height of it.

But, as you can see, it turned out okay! Neighbors had pie and ice cream for dessert last night and they seemed to like it!

I will still adjust the crust recipe or tweak it a little. Not as flakey as the crust Dene Pugh makes up in Canada, but then, she used more lard than I did, and she also just uses her hands to crumble the flour and lard together. She does it strictly by feel, so I have a way to go yet.

But for the first pie of the season.....it was pretty cute!

Between the Lines!

A lot of days have passed since October 1, 1965 leading up to October 1, 2010.

16,425 days to be exact!

Today is the first day of the next 45 years!

As Tim would say, "Forty-five long, laborious years......two of which weren't bad"!