Mom and Jim looking intently at one another

Jim and Jay have spent the last couple days here in Texas.  Mom has been overjoyed to be with Jim.  Jim has been overjoyed to be with mom.  Last night, a group of us went out to dinner at the Mexican restaurant.  Blake’s mother, Jo Etta watched my mother and Jim cuddle and kiss for awhile and then said, “so do you think there is hope for us?” questioning if we, the two single ladies would ever find love again.  Who knows?  But Jim and mom make it look easy. 

We all had a fun time with Jordyn getting to see her GGJim as she calls her Great Grandpa Jim and Kendyll getting to meet him for the first time.  The food was good (even the Mexican connoisseurs, Jay and Jim, thought the food was good) the fellowship was great and the opportunities to be together were to be cherished. When Lauren and I took mom back to the nursing home, they had a live polka band playing in the lobby.  I texted Jay to suggest they come on over, but he just told me to have fun!  I think the busy day(s) had caught up with us all.

Jim and Jay had another full day.  They had found a place to hit some golf balls.  Then they headed over to my place to see the horses and meet the dogs.  Dr. Criner was there working on the horse’s teeth so Jim thought that was all pretty interesting.  I guess at one point he was standing on a plastic chair looking over my fence at big Bruno.  He asked Lauren if Bruno wasn’t 16 hands.  Lauren told him no, actually over 17.  Jim thought he was a big guy.  I just wish I had a picture of 95-year old Jim standing on the plastic chair gazing at the horse.  How great would that have been?

After that the “boys” went down to Bravos Bend State Park in search of the alligators.  They got to see  a lot snakes and enjoyed the park, but didn’t spot any alligators. Jay told me they had lunch at a little diner in a gas station where a Cajun women was presiding over the menu.  He said the food was great.  Gas station diners in south Texas are the best!

In other news, after much soul-searching and professional veterinary opinions, it has been decided that Off the Track Thoroughbred (OTTB) Bruno’s hoof problem needs the attention of the surgeons at Texas A&M Vet Hospital.  It will be tough but the consensus is that there is an on-going infection in the hoof so they will go in and clean out the infection so the hoof can grow out safely and strongly.  I would rather do the surgery now  instead of starting him in training and needing it later.  It will be over six months (if all goes well) before Bruno will be back under saddle but that will give him some time off to just be a horse.  Most thoroughbreds start into training right around January of their second year (so Bruno was about 20 months old).  Bruno went from the track to hunter/jumper training so this will be the first time for him be a part of the herd and just have downtime.  Seems ridiculas but it is important for their minds and development as well as ours to have some time off.

Lauren will continue with Feather and we will plan to sell Mimi to right home.  Mickey may try to find a young rider to serve as a jumper or equitation horse for, if we could find the right match.

When Jordyn was down this weekend we got the Christmas decorations up and she had fun with all the ornaments.  However, she kept taking ornaments and asking if she could take them home.  She wanted to show them to her parents. 

Amber’s family is coming in Christmas day and it is the first time my immediate family has been together for the holiday since 2007.  It has been over a decade since my mom has been with us so we are looking forward to a joyful time.  They will stay with Ally (more room) but young Riley says he is not staying with Aunt Ally.  He is staying with Granny and the horses.  We will see how that works out.