A big dose of reality..

This is a post from Sarah to Facebook yesterday.  I picked Daniel up from School yesterday and he got into the car and said "I am so sad Nana, Dozer is going to die and I don't want him to."  I know Daniel, I don't want him to either.  We are so lulled into "this is the way life will always be, when reality of the circle of life hits us in the face and slaps up back into the real world of "time goes by and we can't freeze frame it".


Sarah Vas


Ugh. What a long night. explaining life and death to a seven year old who is learning that the dog he has grown up with has cancer and is going to die. Lots of sadness and confusion. lots of hard questions. Lots of honest answers. Thank you to my parents who allowed me at a young age to take part in the cycle of life so I could be prepared for this part of parenting. Thank you for never "sending fluffy off to live on a farm in the country". I know the truth and want Daniel to know too. Please keep Dozer and Daniel in your thoughts as a little boy loses his first pup.

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Spring is too early this year at least that is what my body is telling me!

It can't possibly be this warm on the 19th day of March. 79 degrees is just not right! 
 Yesterday I spent the day working with Sarah at the barn.  She has horses to go to a show in Ky. in 15 days.  Three horses that have never been to a show, and are "green" as spring grass.

My body is telling me that I am another year older and probably two decades behind the times.  I mostly groom, get horses bitted, watch the horses work in the arena, give my opinions, then help untack them and hose them off,  put them away and  get the next one ready.  The aisleways are cement and the arena is deep sand.  My legs are now used to the walking back and forth in the sand and the cement.  But my arms and shoulder (the right one)  ache all the time.

I feel like the first day after the first day of spring.  You know the day you walk around outside, the sun is shining and you start bending over and picking up sticks in the yard.  Then you pull leaves out of a flower bed, trek across the lawn bending and picking up,  bending and picking up.  That next day you can't move.  Muscles and tendons, ligaments and joints are protesting  in a loud and violent way.  My hands are swollen, fingers don't close, they look like gourmet (you thought they would look like plain old sausage?) sausages and my muscles burn.

Well, welcome to the world of the "assistant groom". When I go to horse shows and look at all the farms participating, I think the average age of a groom is about 20.  I am going on 70!   I know it will get better with time as my muscles acclimate to the physical stress but gheez louise, every morning my body complains!

But boy oh boy, am I aching now.  Even though I have been doing this for several weeks now, I still have arguments with my torso and limbs.

My friend Jo Ann has been excersing every day for 30 mintues for the last eight to ten weeks and is losing weight and getting really trim and fit.   I haven't heard her complain!

Me?  Still flab and sloppy! My legs don't hurt however, so I guess that is a good sign.

Photo at right:  The real Athlete...Sarah Vas!

Wait now, is this what they mean by "getting to the burn"?

Today I met someone

Today I met Christine.  Let me back up a bit.  Sarah had to haul an Arabian Gelding to Brecksville to his new owner, Stacey Giere, co- owner of Maple Crest Farm.  All was uneventful, perfect trip, no problems.  Even though the gelding was not an experienced traveler, he has matured living as a boarder at Sarah and Kevin's Farm and trusts Sarah even he may be cautious.

He arrived unscathed, walked out of the trailer, around the barn, moved into his new stall, with just a tiny bit of anxiety and then started munching his hay.

We are longtime friends with the owners of the farm, Meredith and Stacey (mother and daughter dynamic duo) and so we took the opportunity to visit with them for a bit before they had to get back to work and Sarah and I had to get back to the farm.

One of the owners said "I want to introduce you to someone, she's new here and she is our inspiration".

I turned to look and was shocked.  I tried not to show my shock, but I was sincerely shocked.  We said hello to one another and Sarah asked how long she had been a participant at the farm.  "I came here in January I think."  She had been riding on the trail with one of the owners that day and was tidying up, waiting for her ride to show up.

She had been involved in a house fire.  She had no hands,  two prosthetic legs and burn scars all over her neck, face, head and the arms that were showing out of her tee shirt.  Bad, bad scars. 

She had been riding.  She also is learning how to drive a horse hitched to a carriage.  She said "I prefer to ride in the back (navigator's seat)!

She had no hands.  She had two artificial legs.

She made me so humble.  She had the most beautiful eyes and smile.   "Nice to meet you, I have to go now".

And I am complaining about what again?

How many children?

My friend commented something to the effect of "how many generations of children do we have to educate".
My response, "as many as educated me and you".

Though some are childless, they too received an education.

Though some are on fixed income, they too received an education.

It goes on and on and on.  One foot in front of the other till the job is done.  And then, the jobs that those educated children take, will pay the taxes and social security of those that have gone on to educate them.

At least that's my take on it.  Someone did it for me and I will do it for someone else.  Even though my children are now supporting families of their own I will still support education.

If there is no good system there will be no good rewards.

I guess I just don't agree and that's okay.

Right?

What's Wrong with this Picture?

Yesterday's election results were an interesting read in the newspaper today.

The most interesting two issues affecting Liverpool Township were a surprising comparison.
On the ballot were the following:

Vote for the Jilbert Winery to have Sunday Wine Sales Yay or Nay-  results proved to be Yay

Vote for the Buckeye Schools levy Yay or Nay - results proved to be Nay.

Although I know Mr. Jilbert and have been to his winery many times, it just seems frivilous to pass this ballot item and defeat the school levy.  The levy was not an increase in taxes.

I wish the residents of this community would realize...the quality of the schools will dictate part of the value of the property.  No one wants to purchase a home for the prices that this community is expecting if the schools are not great. 

Spend a little, save a lot!
Don't even go to the place where "how much is your education worth"!