Smurf

Anyone who knows me well, knows I have been a horse lover since I was a shy kid in Junior High School.  I read every Walter Farley book out there--The Black Stallion, The Black Stallion Revolts, The Black Stallion and the Girl (I imagined I was the girl) and so many more.  I read the books by Marguerite Henry--Misty of Chincoteague, Stormy, Misty's Foal...  I drew pictures of horses and knew their mannerisms and anatomy.  

I would beg to stay at KOA campgrounds as a kid--the ones with horse stables of course. I would just hang out by the round pens and breathe in all I could--even the not so pretty smells.  I never owned a pair of cowboy boots, nor a cowboy hat, but I had the western shirt and jeans.  I would get to sign up for the follow-the-leader trail rides in places like Montana and Idaho... this short joy ride would keep me satisfied for another year until we'd go on a family camping trip again and do the trail rides.  I begged my parents to let me get a horse--which prompted amused questions from them about where would I keep the horse and how would I feed it? etc. All things that I figured would work themselves out once I got the horse.  

We had some neighbors about a mile away who had some horses.. not sure if they were actual horses or ponies, but we decided to ride them one summer's day.  Having only done the well trained shuffle of the old trail horses, I wasn't quite prepared for the ride I got on one of the neighbor's horses.  I don't even recall if we had parental supervision--probably not.  I mounted "my" horse--I could dream couldn't I?  She decided I wasn't what she wanted on her back and took off and headed straight for a tree branch.  She saw it, I did not.  The next thing I knew I was on the ground with a big lump on my forehead that quickly turned into a purplish egg.  

Once I was "grown up" I lost sight of my love for horses.  We would occasionally go on trail rides when visitors were here in Arizona, but I never experienced real horseback riding.  As I got older, I started developing some fears about horses.  I decided I didn't really want to ride anymore, because I was afraid I'd fall off and break some part of my body.  I could admire them from afar.  

Then, along came a special young lady in my son's life, who re-introduced me to my love of horses.  She invited me to tag along with her to the Scottsdale Arabian Horse Show and shared her vast knowledge of horses with me while we watched the different events.  We went through various stables and visited these beautiful Arabians-- I was nervous about getting too close and gave them plenty of room.

I started thinking about riding lessons.  It came from something Melissa said about many "older" riders enjoy competing and begin riding later in life.  It  just so happens there is a horse facility across the street from us.  I called.  I boldly asked about lessons and signed up for one 60 minute lesson for the following Friday.  You see,  I've been facing some of my recently acquired fears and I'm reminded to do this every day as I pass by my refrigerator where a magnet says:  do one thing every day that scares you~Eleanor Roosevelt.  

Friday came and I fidgeted all morning until I walked the two blocks to my lesson. After introducing myself,  I flat out told the instructor I was green and nervous.  A trainer's favorite kind of student, I bet. Ha!  She seemed more nervous to have me as a student, than I was of the horse.  I filled out forms and signed them--basically ridding them of any liability if this horse decided to run me into a tree.  I was then introduced to Smurf.   Smurf is my  teacher.  A German Warmblood.  He is going to show me more about myself than I've ever thought possible.  I learned how to groom him.  I learned he didn't like to be petted, but he ended up nuzzling me and licked my hand.  He wasn't so finicky after all.   I learned I wouldn't automatically be kicked if I walked behind him--as long as I stayed close to his hind end.  I learned how to saddle him and lead him to the round pen.... did you know that if you look back at the horse while leading, they will stop?  Always keep your eyes where you want the horse to go.  Never knew that.  As I was waiting to bring Smurf out of the stable, I had a sudden urge to walk out and say I couldn't do it.. it was a brief thought and I refused it.  I learned how to mount the horse, not from a stepping block, but from the fence.  Hahaha.. I'm sure I looked ridiculous, but he was patient with me.  I was instructed  on how to walk, stop and turn Smurf.  We took time to get to know each other and by the end, he was doing my bidding.  I slid off my trusty steed--like they do in the movies--and walked him back to the stable and did the whole grooming routine again--including lifting his mighty hooves and cleaning out the rocks and debris that collected.

I left the barn and felt something I haven't felt my entire life.  I am learning to trust.  I am learning to listen with my eyes and speak with my hands.  A n d, I'm signed up for more lessons!  I'm so excited.  

Thank you Smurf.

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Intercalary Day

Happy Intercalary Day!

A Quick History Lesson

The Egyptians were the first to come up with the idea of adding a leap day once every four years to keep the calendar in sync with the solar year.

Read more: Leap Year 101 – Next, When, List, Days, Calendar, Years, Calculation, Last, Rules — Infoplease.com http://www.infoplease.com/spot/leapyear2.html#ixzz1nmVdmMvh

I'll take an extra day, thanks.  One more day to get it right, right?  But the reality is, we have a certain number of days and there isn't a calendar out there able to change that fact.  Still, it's fun to consider.

Look at your life now. 

Are you living the life of your dreams?

If you have one year left to live, what would you do?

If you have one month left to live, what would you do?

If you have one week left to live, what would you do?

If you have one day left to live, what would you do?

If you have an hour left to live, what would you do?

If you have one minute left to live, what would you do?

If not now when?….begin,think,decide, act, change.

Life wont wait…………. only you do.

-borrowed from Jack Kruse

After

And so, I've cleaned my creative space.

Okay, it's not perfect and by no means ready for Better Homes and Garden.

But I can do my thing in here 

and be very happy 

in the not-so-cluttered

space.

See that sewing machine?  I have plans to set that up 

and sew some things.

And behind the closed armoire?

I have my art supplies of paint, ink, pens, paint, beads,

papers and inspirational books.

I can't have it too tidy, how could I possibly be 

creative in a neat environment?

Work on One Thing

I subscribe to The Happiness Project.  Gretchen Rubin always has something for me to ponder and utilize in my life.  In this moment.  Today I checked out her blog on Commandments.  This is a good one for me.  The eleven commandments are more for writing, but I think they can be used in other ways too, as does Ms. Rubin.  

Here's my variation on the 11 commandments:

1.  This is the same... Work on one thing at a time until finished.  This means my den/hobby area.

2. Start no more new projects, add nothing new to the mess I already have.  (This one will prove challenging for me.. I'm forever delving into something new.. I wonder if it's an unintentional way to avoid what needs to be done?)

3. Keep this one the same.... Don't be nervous, etc.

4. Work for a certain amount of time without getting distracted and stop only when it's time to.

5.  I can't create until I've worked on organizing my space.

6. Tweek the creative space every day until it's just the way I like it.

7. Take breaks and listen to something profoundly inspiring.

8. I'll keep focused on the end result which will bring me happiness.  I'm positive. I am.

9. Keep it the same.

10. Forget the other projects you wish to do, focus on the one thing that is current and that's the creative space you wish to have.

11. Organize first!!  All other endeavors will be that much sweeter after the work is done.

❧

Henry Miller's Commandments, from Henry Miller on Writing:

1. Work on one thing at a time until finished.
2. Start no more new books, add no more new material to “Black Spring.”
3. Don’t be nervous. Work calmly, joyously, recklessly on whatever is in hand.
4. Work according to Program and not according to mood. Stop at the appointed time!
5. When you can’t create you can work.
6. Cement a little every day, rather than add new fertilizers.
7. Keep human! See people, go places, drink if you feel like it.
8. Don’t be a draught-horse! Work with pleasure only.
9. Discard the Program when you feel like it–but go back to it the next day. Concentrate. Narrow down. Exclude.
10. Forget the books you want to write. Think only of the book you are writing.
11. Write first and always. Painting, music, friends, cinema, all these come afterwards.

My Creative Space 

Before

It's been the "catch-all" for all things without a home.

I've been working all day (and starving) with finding homes for

all the homeless accumulations!

I've lit a candle--a Jo Malone Orange Blossom Candle--in the room and put on some

music such as Bublé and songs from the Big Band era.

Currently I am updating this day of organizing with a blog post and sipping a cup

of hot lemonade tea.

Now, back to the Creative Space.....Stay tuned for the finalé.

Less is More

This is quite an interesting idea and if nothing else, it's interesting viewing.

To briefly sum it up, it asks the question:  if you were to edit your life, what would you leave out?

As a blogger, I am obsessively writing and editing my words and pictures, and the idea of going further and editing my life is intriguing to me.  This leaves me to wonder if I can start with editing one room at a time and perhaps weave this editing throughout my entire life.  

It would be unrealistic for me to live in a dwelling under 500 square feet, but seriously wouldn't it be cozy and sweet?  Wouldn't it be lovely to have a personal space edited just the way you like it?

I have a bit of editing to do, today.

I ought to get started!

Have a fantastic and productive day.

One Minute Rule

I'm not one to make resolutions.  Really, I'm not.  

But, this blog post is 

going to sound an awful lot like a resolution.

The non-resolution is prefaced with a confession.

I

am

a 

"but I might need this one day, so I should hang onto it for awhile"

kind of person.

These objects of safe keeping are piling up and I can't find the one thing I might need on that one day I was saving it for.

I've mentioned the Happiness Project in past posts and I signed up for the 
2012 Happiness Challenge.

I hesitated before hitting send on the registration, because here is one more

thing I have to keep track of, but I'm hoping it will help me

in getting rid of my too many cows. 

Clutter overwhelms me to the point of being paralyzing.
In the book, The Happiness Project,
author, Gretchen Rubin suggests the "one -minute rule" of
Do anything that presents itself right away, as long as it can be done in one minute.
I can do this.  
Sitting here on the sofa sipping a cup of tea,
 I see a blanket I could fold and put away.   
A pile of folded clothes (yep, I did fold them- because I dislike ironing)  on the coffee table 
to be put away.


I'll be right back..in one minute.

I am feeling the satisfaction of de-cluttering a few things, already!
(A personal realization:  Without messiness, neatness can't exist).


I can do this!
The thing is, once I started picking up things.... it lead me to putting away something else...then another thing.. 
and before I knew it I had cleared away the clutter of an entire messy room...
but I guess this is not following the rule of 
"Do anything that presents itself right away, as long as it can be done in one minute".

I have some more ideas to share in future posts..

Auld Lang Syne