Our Friend Shirley

Happy Birthday dear friend!

Tuesday we celebrated the birthday of Shirley Nowak.
Shirley has been a family friend almost as long as I have been married, which is going on 46 years. Her birthday
was actually yesterday, but we got together the day before for lunch.

The "We" being the "Old Horse Broads Club". Not to be confused with "The First Wives Club" but you get the picture. What's even nicer about us old broads getting together several times a year for lunch is now we have the addition of two of our daughters, who are on their way to becoming "old horse broads" as they are both trainers. (A couple of our "Old Horse Broad" friends live out of state, and they also have daughters who are trainers.)

We eat, talk, laugh... and then eat, talk and laugh some more.
This year we added a new "Old" broad, Judy Demshar. She was tickled to be invited and enjoyed the afternoon. She even offered to host the next event!

Remembering old times that we all shared with horses is a very special time. Horror stories, funny stories and tearful stories all have equal air time.

The bond we share is special. And Tuesday we shared our time with a "special lady".

In horse circles, this statement could be made about Shirley... "She's forgotten more about horses than most people will ever know!"

See you for lunch next April Shirley!

Green? or Not so Green?

In the line at the store, the cashier told the older woman that she should bring her own grocery bag because plastic bags weren't good for the environment. The woman apologized to him and explained, "We didn't have the green thing back in my day." The clerk responded, "That's our problem today. The former generation did not care enough to save our environment."

He was right, that generation didn't have the green thing in its day. Back then, they returned their milk bottles, soda bottles and beer bottles to the store. The store sent them back to the plant to be washed and sterilized and refilled, so it could use the same bottles over and over. So they really were recycled. But they didn't have the green thing back in that customer's day.

In her day, they walked up stairs, because they didn't have an escalator in every store and office building. They walked to the grocery store and didn't climb into a 300-horsepower machine every time they had to go two blocks. But she was right. They didn't have the green thing in her day. Back then, they washed the baby's diapers because they didn't have the throw-away kind. They dried clothes on a line, not in an energy gobbling machine burning up 220 volts - wind and solar power really did dry the clothes. Kids got hand-me-down clothes from their brothers or sisters, not always brand-new clothing. But that old lady is right; they didn't have the green thing back in her day.

Back then, they had one TV, or radio, in the house - not a TV in every room. And the TV had a small screen the size of a handkerchief, not a screen the size of the state of Montana. In the kitchen, they blended and stirred by hand because they didn't have electric machines to do everything for you. When they packaged a fragile item to send in the mail, they used a wadded up old newspaper to cushion it, not Styrofoam or plastic bubble wrap. Back then, they didn't fire up an engine and burn gasoline just to cut the lawn. They used a push mower that ran on human power. They exercised by working so they didn't need to go to a health club to run on treadmills that operate on electricity. But she's right; they didn't have the green thing back then.

They drank from a fountain when they were thirsty instead of using a cup or a plastic bottle every time they had a drink of water. They refilled their writing pens with ink instead of buying a new pen, and they replaced the razor blades in a razor instead of throwing away the whole razor just because the blade got dull. But they didn't have the green thing back then. Back then, people took the streetcar or a bus and kids rode their bikes to school or rode the school bus instead of turning their moms into a 24-hour taxi service. They had one electrical outlet in a room, not an entire bank of sockets to power a dozen appliances. And they didn't need a computerized gadget to receive a signal beamed from satellites 2,000 miles out in space in order to find the nearest pizza joint.

But isn't it sad the current generation laments how wasteful the old folks were just because they didn't have the green thing back then?

Thanks to Linda of Louisville

Today's Wisdom!

This pretty much says it all!
TODAY IS THE OLDEST YOU'VE EVER BEEN,YET THE YOUNGEST YOU'LL EVER BE,SO ENJOY THIS DAY WHILE IT LASTS.
-Observations on Growing Older ~Your kids are becoming you...and you don't like them...but your grandchildren are perfect! ~
Going out is good.. Coming home is better! ~
When people say you look "Great"... they add "for your age!" ~
When you needed the discount, you paid full price. Now you get discounts on everything... movies, hotels, flights, but you're too tired to use them. ~
You forget names .... but it's OK because other people forgot they even knew you!!! ~
The 5 pounds you wanted to lose is now 15 and you have a better chance of losing your keys than the 15 pounds. ~
You realize you're never going to be really good at anything .... especially golf. ~
Your spouse is counting on you to remember things you don't remember. ~
The things you used to care to do, you no longer care to do, but you really do care that you don't care to do them anymore. ~

Your husband sleeps better on a lounge chair with the TV blaring than he does in bed. It's called his "pre-sleep".

~Remember when your mother said, "Wear clean underwear in case you GET in an accident"? Now you bring clean underwear in case you HAVE an accident! ~

You used to say, "I hope my kids GET married... Now, "I hope they STAY married!" ~

You miss the days when everything worked with just an "ON" and "OFF" switch.. ~When GOOGLE, ipod, email, modem .... were unheard of, and a mouse was something that made you climb on a table. ~

You used to use more 4 letter words .... "what?"..."when?"... ??? ~

Now that you can afford expensive jewelry, it's not safe to wear it anywhere. ~

Your husband has a night out with the guys, but he's home by 9:00 P.M. Next week it will be 8:30 P..M. ~

You read 100 pages into a book before you realize you've read it. ~

Notice everything they sell in stores is "sleeveless"?!!! ~

What used to be freckles are now liver spots. ~

Everybody whispers.

~Now that your husband has retired ... you'd give anything if he'd find a job!~

You have 3 sizes of clothes in your closet .... 2 of which you will never wear. ~~~

~But old is good in some things: old songs, old movies, And best of all,

OLD FRIENDS!!
Love you, "OLD FRIEND!"

Toot, Toot, Tootsie

Sarah and I just returned from a four day Horse Show in Springfield, Ohio at the Champion Center. The Ohio Half Arabian Association was the sponsoring organization.

Pictured is Sarah and "Waterspryte" (or Watersprite) fondly known as "Tootsie". This was Tootsie's first ever in the show ring appearance, so hopefully she

will "bloom" into a summer flower. She did well for her first time, and Sarah did very, very well.

The client, Kelsey McGinty and her Mother Carrie McGinty that joined us also did well.

Carrie was a super big help and a great horseshow Mom!

Pictured below is Kelsey and "Eddie" (or Halstead Traveller).

They ultimately took the Sport Horse Under Saddle Junior to Ride Championship.

Congrats to all!

Nice to see so many old friends and acquaintances and be in the aisle with good horsemen and horsewomen.

Nice show and nice facility, but strange spending Easter dinner last evening at McDonald's!

HAPPY EASTER


All I need to know
I learned from the Easter Bunny!
Don't put all your eggs in one basket.
Everyone needs a friend who is all ears.
There's no such thing as too much candy.
All work and no play can make you a basket case.
A cute tail attracts a lot of attention.
Everyone is entitled to a bad hare day.
Let happy thoughts multiply like rabbits.
Some body parts should be floppy.
Keep your paws off of other people's jelly beans.
Good things come in small, sugar coated packages.
The grass is always greener in someone else's basket.
To show your true colors, you have to come out of the shell.
The best things in life are still sweet and gooey.
May the joy of the season fill your heart.
AND MAY GOD BLESS YOU!
Happy Easter!

What a difference a year makes!

This photo at right is Daniel last year, putting the Easter eggs on the chandelier in the dining room.

Pictured below is Daniel on Sunday of this year doing the same chore.

Note the difference in height.

Where has the time gone and how did he grow so fast?

Take me out to the Ball Game

I know this sounds like an unlikely topic for me to blog about but please read on. A few weeks ago my daughter-in-law, Traci invited me to a luncheon meeting of the North Ridgeville Rotary. Having that time slot open I gladly accepted. I like spending time with my daughter-in-law and you know how much I love food, so this was a match made in heaven. The speaker for the event was Bob Dibiasio, Vice President of Public Relations for the Cleveland Indians Baseball Team. (Had I known that I probably would have "passed" on the event, but the speaker obviously accounted for all of the Indians Clothing and Ball Caps on the guests in the audience) I had a front row seat (me who knows nothing about baseball) so when Mr. Dibiasio stood at the lecturn, I politely turned my gaze to him wondering how long "this" was going to last. I have to tell you how surprised I was at my interest in his speech. He was easy, breezy, personable and enthusiastic in his presentation. I learned more things about the Indians, the draft, free agency, "big money" and Mr. Larry Dolan then I ever knew or ever hoped to know. Who knew? Certainly not me that I would thoroughly enjoy myself at the "presentation" part of the event. I was so very impressed with the speaker and his knowledge, the ease at which he spoke, the subject matter and who knew the interest piqued in me. I jokingly told Traci "I can hardly wait to spend time with my son Nathan (an avid Indians fan) at the ball game". Is there a "take your Mom out to the game day?" Wow, I wonder if I can get him to come and speak at a meeting of something that I belong to here in Medina? Well that about covers it....now I am going back to reading the Sunday Plain Dealer Sports Page!

Quality Time

I just returned from the Equine Affaire in Columbus, Ohio. An equine extravaganza of 220 clinics, breed demo's, vendors trade fair, shopping, networking and seeing old friends. The "audience" was made up of men and women alike, lots of Mennonites, school kids, middle aged and up adults and horse lovers, horse owners, horsemen and horsewomen, 4 -Hers, horse club members and top notch clinicians. I am like a kid in a candy store. I will stay from the opening bell until the last hurrah all day every day. Bonus this year, I got to spend 3-1/2 days with Sarah. A rare treat in today's life. Someone asked what my favorite part of the extravaganza was. My reply "spending time with my daughter". Photo right: Sarah and Winfield Whizkid, Registered Half Arabian gelding bred by Sarah, trained by Sarah, and played with by Sarah