Who says horses only leave hoofprints on one's heart?!?

The list of things I am thankful for continues to grow:

Dear friends, near and far who know me so well and love me anyway.
Albs with pockets.
Chapstick.
Riding helmets.
Madelaine's extra toes.

As promised, here is an update on Zoe's progress, or backslide perhaps it is better called. Last Sunday afternoon I was content and satisfied. Both services had gone well, I was happy with how my sermon turned out, and Sunday school was a blast. To nap or ride Zoe? With some encouragement from my mom, I drug myself off my pillow to go for a Sunday afternoon ride, and that felt great too... until.... Zoe was a bit hot, but not unusually hot.  Trotting quite nicely around the outside of the ring, we passed another horse (Zoe's friend Bernard).  I was waiting for her to pull something silly and was ready, but one can never be ready for anything.  I remember feeling her come up under me and the next thing I remember was the CRACK my helmet made as it hit the ground. I saw hooves scrambling around me and then she was gone.  The stars were spectacular.  Quite a meteor shower...too bad it was my very own private one and couldn't share it with anyone else!  Being stubborn and stupid as I am, I staggered around until I caught a wild snorting mare floating around with her tail in the air. Got back on for 2 minutes and decided that was a bad idea. Pounding head, churning stomach, crossed eyes... time to go home.  Thanks to my dear friend who drown me in coffee to keep me up all night.  4 days later, most of the aches are gone, but the hoof print bruise and headache are still holding on. 

Time for a new helmet. A week of lunging after a week of recovery.

Pax.



Let the rain begin.

A quote from a recent unposted-post: "Well, the sunny season on the Oregon coast has come to an end. I was so excited to see the sun this morning, but I doddled too long and missed my chance for a sunny ride. The clouds are falling, once again, though liquid form is an improvement over yesterday's hail."

Thanksgiving Day the sun was out.  I enjoyed a lazy morning before heading to church for the Thanksgiving feast.  Last I heard there were 52 turkeys involved in this meal.  This year, the meal rotated to Gloria Dei so the past weeks have been rather hectic in preparation.  Free and open to the community, we served somewhere around 500 meals.  I am thankful for all those who have been and continue to be a friend.  I am also so thankful for the new friends I am finding here on the Oregon Coast who are so supportive. Other things I am thankful for? Too many to list, too many I take for granted. Very recently appreciated is my alb with pockets.  Albs without pockets ought never to be created!

Story.  Early one week, a call came in, someone looking for a pastor to officiate at a burial at sea. Somehow I ended up being that someone. That Friday I joined 3 people I'd never actually met at the Charleston boat basin. As I walked down the ramp to the dock, the thunder began. The captain said, "There are already 12-footers out there." Off we went.  Thunder. Lightening. We didn't make it too far, barely into the bay, before our passengers said, "That's far enough." Hail. We had a little service under the canvas cabin and the hail let up enough for the woman to scatter rose petals and her late husband's ashes into the bay. We could see enormous waves at the mouth of the bay crashing violently against the rocks.  Perhaps a once-in-a-lifetime experience! One of these days, I must watch a storm from the top of those cliffs. When I returned to Clifford, this is what I found:

Some of my current projects include a gift drive for the teens of a local youth shelter.  The beginnings of a youth group.  Looking for an adult class topic.  Writing my 3-month intern evaluation.  Though, I also have many "projects" going on outside the church in my personal life.  I've been playing a bit with watercolors and Sculpy clay.  Zoe is rocking my world, in more ways than one.  First, she is really suppling up nicely, becoming (a bit) more accepting of my leg, and building up some schnazzy muscle over her neck and back.  All this leads to a fit mare with lots of extra energy (though she's not getting much grain!) and new muscles that leap us into the air or spook us across the ring in one move...and I LOVE it! (Zoe update with a different tone coming soon!)

I am also reading a great book, Writing as a Way of Healing:  How Telling Our Stories Transforms Our Lives by Louise DeSalvo.  If I remember correctly, one of my very first blogs was about how I was afraid to start a blog because I didn't think I had anything to write or was capable of doing it in an interesting way.  That hasn't changed much.  I still doubt.  I don't write now that I don't have amazing pictures and tales from adventures abroad to share.  I get bored writing and if I am bored with  my blog....who on earth is going to read it?  Ok, some of you might read it, but don't tell me you don't yawn. But, I want to write.  How do I break into my creativity again?

Pax.