A Few Steps

Posted on December 30, 2014 by Exechorseluver

As we continue through the holiday week, Jordyn has spent the night a few times. As you recall, I have morning feed duty which consists of getting in any horses that pastured outside overnight and feeding, dogs, cats and equines. I have not accomplished this duty since my surgery. This has left Lauren on morning and night rotation. It is a little overwhelming, and while many of you will not get the reference, it is like being in the Groundhog’s Day movie, where you get up, you do the same things over and over, go to bed and get up to do it all the same again.

Jordyn has really come of age over the autumn months, confidently now, managing tasks that were beyond her previously. As you see in the picture above, she is leading Mickey, with just a lead rope slung over his neck, out to pasture in the early morning light. Taking Mickey to the pasture is an iffy proposition for any of us but Jordyn has been successful more than not. This morning, while having difficulty with Snowboy’s blanket, she made quick work of both Playboy’s and Avery’s blankets, just like she had been doing it forever.

This morning, My doberman awakened me around 3 am as she needed to go out. As I stood by the back door, Jordyn came down the hall. “Granny, is it time to go out and help Lauren?”, she asked. I couldn’t believe she was dressed and ready to go. I sent her back to bed. What kid can’t wait to get up to go out in the dark cold morning and clean stalls? This one, I guess.

Kendyll, too, has learned so much about the horses. When I am off at work I miss her almost daily adventures with the horses. I was surprised to learn upon heading in to make feed that Kendyll knew where each horse’s supplements were and which colored bucket they went into each day. It was just one of many things she has picked up, like each horse’s name and the owner’s as well. She will quickly inform anyone who asks (and many that don’t) all about Granny’s farm. The kids continue to take steps forward in becoming farm kids.

I laid the crutches down and tried a few steps on the cane yesterday. A little unsteady, a little frightened, I shuffled down the hall. A few steps at a time, I am walking again.

Count backwards from 100

Posted on December 2, 2014 by Exechorseluver

Tomorrow morning, long before the sun makes it way up into the sky, Lauren will drive me to a downtown hospital for my total hip surgery.

We will exchange roles from earlier this year when I sat alone and waited the long hours for her surgical repair of her broken arm. This time she will be waiting and my bones will be replaced with titanium. I suspect Lauren may wander off to Chik-Fil-A at some point as the morning stretches out endlessly.

I would appreciate your prayers for myself and my family. Thank you for riding along and being our support system!

Getting the fever

Posted on September 22, 2014 by Exechorseluver

It has been a long time since I have felt this way. Probably all the way back to spring of 2003 when I brought Kid home to a boarding stable near our house. But even then I really don’t remember this intensity of feeling. I definitely have the fever for my new mare!

While Kid was our first Texas horse, bought three years after we arrived here from Florida, and I was seriously enamoured by his impeccable manners, his glittering copper coat and forelock hanging in his eyes like rakish teenager, I was not at point in my life where a horse could emotionally take over my life. I loved to be sure but I was not obsessed with him.

Now, 11 years later, with a whole lot of road behind me, rocky road, uphill climbs and some gentle trips to the country, my heart is more open ( or ready ) to care. The day after giant Bruno lost his fight and I laid him to rest, an ad appeared on Facebook for my roan mare.

From the moment I laid eyes on her, I had to have her. And it wasn’t because everything was perfect. Certainly, I did not have funds for a new horse, not after vet bills, expenses with my mother’s passing, huge medical bills for Lauren or needing to fix up the barn (again) for new boarders. Completely irresponsibly, I worked out a deal to buy the mare. I owed money to a bunch of people, but still went ahead.

I am an experienced horse buyer and let emotions drive the purchase. I didn’t even ride the horse, although I watched the owner and my friend ride her. Stupid! I should have asked more questions as well,but I didn’t.

And from the moment, the mare we named Kalina, Hawaiian for heaven sent (which I believe her to be) I fell head over heels for her. I LOVED her amazing thick tail that falls to the ground. Her forelock is the bleached out black of an island kid who spends everyday surfing. Her eyes are gentle and kind. Kalina is a registered quarter horse with the big bone and size of her Hancock relatives and the grace and performance style of the Zippo Pine Bar horses. As much as my world is now deeply seated in warm bloods and jumpers, my roots will always go back to my daddy and his love for the athletic quarter horse. But this mare is big as well. I watched her in the pasture yesterday standing amongst Feather (Irish Sport Horse), TeeDee (thoroughbred) and Cody (World Champion Quarter horse jumper) and she was taller than any of them!

At just over 16 hands, my incoming filly, Betty Sue will no doubt out grow Kalina to be the biggest in the barn, but right now Kalina is the tallest. She is not startling tall like Bruno but with her unique blue roan coat, she is eye catching.

In the category of it all being perfect, while this mare has wonderful ground manners, the first time I rode her I didnot get what I expected. From watching the videos of her and seeing her go in person, she appeared uncomplicated. Gee, not so much. While she walked where ever Jordyn or I asked her to go, at the trot she was prone to fast stops. When I asked her to canter we were not much of a team. Our communications were off. As we went around at the canter, she would suddenly drop her head and stop on a dime. Pretty hard to ride and unsettling as well!

Lauren had just been released to get back in the saddle. She has been doing some flat work withFeather. I think Lauren just felt I was old and couldn’t ride so she got on Kalina. The walk and trot went okay. Oh, but the canter, Lauren got lulled into thinking that would be fine as well. Off they went in Kalina’s big strided, flat kneed canter, until once again she stopped, dropped her head and spun just like she cutting a calf. And just as cleanly, Lauren flew from her back, instinctively protecting her broken arm. When she hit the ground, the tears sprung from her eyes. In seconds though, she realized she wasn’t hurt and laughed happily.

Yesterday, Dev worked with the big mare and assured me with a little work she will be just fine. I am even going to take some lessons on her. Who knows I might even end up in the show ring again! My riding goals this year were around what I would do with Bruno. Those opportunities are gone. But some new goals are in order.

I am finding myself wandering out to the barn and Kalani’s side over and over. I get off of her and minutes later want to saddle up again. I even picked out this beautiful new brow band for her. I am in love with this sweet mare. What a wonderful feeling!

Rain and some more Rain

Posted on May 28, 2014 by Exechorseluver

The arena today after three days of storms.

We have had brutal rain showers since Memorial Day. They came in like a wrecking ball (I know, overused words, but so true!) mid-afternoon on Monday. I had gotten the horses (including our new boarder, Cody) into their stalls. My phone started its frightening screeching sound that signifies something really important was occurring and I looked at it to find we were under a “take cover” Tornado warning.

My mother is from Oklahoma. I spent a lot of my youth in the tornado prone areas of Illinois. My mother made sure every tornado warning was met with an instant retreat to basement corner of our house. I don’t think I have been through too many non-hurricane related tornado warnings since. I certainly had not yet thought through where in our new house we would take cover in the event of a tornado.

I stood in the metal barn, watching the rain fall contemplating what I should do next. I should have reacted more quickly and headed to the house but I did not. In this particular case, I was safe and the tornado passed safely away from us. Lauren was caught in the Memorial day traffic making its way back to Houston from the beaches of Padre Island and Corpus Christi. I was scared for her.

Just as she safely arrived home, the downpour started. We rushed to close the doors and windows of barn. The barn roof had been sealed just days before but we quickly found out a few places were still not completely water tight. The rain rushed into our new old barn, but fortunately it fell on the side used for storage and not the stalls.

The rain ran like a river through the storage side of the barn.

As more and more small leaks sprouted in the barn, Lauren and I got more anxious and frenzied. For seven years we have been fighting floods to our property and barns. We felt we were safe in our new home. Then the sky seemed to collapse and water just poured. I have to say we got a little worked up. Not even 24 hours had passed since our first boarder arrived and we felt due to our prior experience with rain of this nature, that we would shortly be evacuating horses and apologizing to our new guest.

Things looking a little brighter today.

But then almost as quickly as my frenzied feelings came over me, they went away. Listening to the radio it became clear that this was not, not, not normal and we could live many years here without ever seeing storms like this again. Now, pulling my wide-eyed frantic daughter down to this same brilliant conclusion was not so easy. My momma used to call it “awfulizing” and Lauren was doing an excellent job of only seeing the positively worst scenarios coming our way.

In the end, over 60 hours of rain and storms later, we had received a total of almost seven inches of rain. Anyone ever get seven inches of rain before? I feel it was a pretty unusual happening. The stalls stayed totally dry. The horses stayed in, dry and reasonably happy in their stalls. We will have to add some sand and build up the storage side of the barn. But until we see rain of Biblical proportions again, I think we found out we could ride out the average storm, and even a pretty bad one.

This is not our old farm and we will be safer, drier and calmer here, once we unwind some of our previous learned responses.

Back in a soggy but green pasture.

Thanks for riding along with us! Hope everyone got through the storms okay.

Bad News

Posted on April 20, 2014 by Exechorseluver

I had scheduled an appointment, to follow-up with the orthopedic surgeon, for my mother’s broken arm. The clinic and doctor where we have all been seen so many times, including my mother, called late Thursday to tell us they would not see my mom and to go elsewhere. I was pretty furious. She is an existing patient of this doctor, as are Lauren, Ally and myself. Really? Really bad marks for you STMC! You should take care of your patients when they need you.

I was then forced to wait until Good Friday morning to try to call a brand new orthopedic clinic and make an appointment. The Lord works in mysterious ways! They immediately had an appointment that morning with one of their sports medicine doctors. I felt my almost 90 year-old mother was a long way from team sports, but at least the doc could decide to cast or not cast, and would understand a simple broken arm. Boy was I about to be so wrong.

I had a new sitter, Mary, staying with mom as she was in too much pain and was too confused to be left alone. Mary came along with me as we made the long drive back towards Houston and the new doctor. Thankfully, she did as I could not leave mom alone a second. She would complain the splint on her arm was too heavy and pick it up and move it around. I would cringe at the pain she must have had.

The doctor came in quickly after reviewing her films. He asked me if I seen the x- rays. I said no but understood her arm was broken right above the elbow. He said no that was not the case. Then he told me, “except when he was working on middle Eastern war casualties and in gangland tortures in New York where he trained had he ever seen an elbow shattered as badly as this one. Additionally, she had a displaced fracture (dislocated) of the humerus bone.”

I wanted to cry and I have many times since. The doc went on to tell me they had an elbow specialist but this was so bad they may need the trauma specialist in Houston’s top trauma hospital to repair it. I asked with her age what was the best we could do. He thought it would take a total elbow replacement as there were so many fragments broken off. I asked what if we didn’t do that. He said minimally the dislocation had to be fixed and the bones pieces removed due to a high chance of infection.

Okay, then I was sick again. My poor tiny momma enduring surgery, inpatient stays, risks from surgery and anesthetic all because she was left alone in her room and not put to bed. Apparently, she was left in an armless chair and fell asleep as it was past her usual bedtime. She was found on the floor. She must have toppled over and landed with her full weight on her little left elbow.

I WANT TO SCREAM!!

For now, I have sitters with her about 12 hours a day. We are keeping her pretty sedated which helps with her pain, but increases the risk that she may fall again. Tomorrow Lauren and I will take her to the hospital for a series of CT-Scans. We see the elbow specialist Tuesday.

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My horse and dogs are all safely moved to the new place. On this joyful Easter there is no joy in my heart just pain and guilt about my mother and that I should have been there or at least had her in a safe place where she would not ~~have~~ had such a horrible accident.

Please keep my mother, Midge, in your prayers. If you want to send her a pretty pink card, I can send you the address. Pray her pain is relieved and she lives through this brutal time.

Bruno, Snow and Kona making their way to the pasture for the first time.

Pretty Feather

Bruno getting the lay of the new land.

Falls and Moves

Posted on April 17, 2014 by Exechorseluver

Kona watching out for our precious items as the truck is unloaded.

Stalls are almost ready for horses.

We have had movers scheduled for over six months. At the last minute it occurred to me the moving van might be too tall for our gate. Thank God I checked because it was too tall and we would have been walking items from the road. As dusk fell last night the movers had found a truck to rent under the 13 foot max that the gate allowed.

Lauren and I were off to bed early last night exhausted by the tearing down of furniture, final packing and preparing the horses to leave. At this point most of our stuff was already moved. I had no phone charger, so I took my phone to the car to charge.

As I awoke at my usual time this morning to feed the dogs and horses, I went and checked on my cell phone in the car. I was surprised to see six missed calls. From the phone number it was clear they were all from Elmcroft the nursing home where my mother is. The first message I got which remember is in the opposite order in which they came was -you need to pick your mother up at the emergency room. The second message was your mother has taken an ambulance to the emergency room. The third one was your mother had a fall earlier tonight and we are taking her by ambulance to the emergency room and the very first one was your mother fell but is okay.

I was horrified, felt guilty and was terrified that she wasn’t okay. She had broken her left arm right above the elbow. They had her back at the nursing home and I was headed that way in a fine rage first thing this morning. We are totally out of our morning routine and nothing is the way that it normally is. And I wasn’t functioning in any way that was good or straightforward. So I threw my car into reverse to hurry to the nursing home. I smashed into Lauren’s car which was parked directly behind mine. The damage wasn’t bad but it was certainly significant for an almost new car or at least new to us.

I got to the nursing home to find her already dressed which I didn’t understand how they did, in the dining room trying to eat some food. She was certainly better than I had anticipated. I remembered Ally and how much horrible pain she had been breaking her arm earlier this year.

I am angry because I have a sitter that stays with her each evening and is supposed to get her back to her room and to bed. But the sitter had to leave early to get a check in the bank and so she wasn’t there when mom came back from dinner. I think the people at the nursing home didn’t know that she went to bed so early and had left her sitting up in the chair. She was found laying on the left arm next to the chair.

Anything we tried to do seemed very, very difficult for her. Even trying to get her to the bathroom with just one good arm and the other one so painful was extremely difficult.

Since it was the day the movers were coming there was no way I could stay. The nursing home administration quickly found a sitter to coming to stay with her all day long because someone had to keep an eye on her. It was horrible to leave her so little with such a big cast just by herself on the bed. Prayers are gratefully requested.

In the end the movers came. We packed up almost every single thing in the little green house. We left the dogs and the horses behind and made another trip back to Richmond. It took a long time to get all the things in the house. And we were very happy when our friends Tracy and Amanda came and brought us lunch after our horrible day.

Lauren and I drove back down to Wharton to see my mom again late in the afternoon. I think she had had as good a day as she could with the sore arm aching and aching. The sitter had arrived for the evening and we stayed with her little over an hour as she quietly laid on the bed. She just didn’t seem to understand and would occasionally move her arm to and flinch with the pain.

When we got back to the new house it was almost dark. It would be the first night we would both sleep in our beds with our furniture and three of the dogs. Lauren and I walked out to the barn with the dogs to see what progress had been made on the barn and the fences. The barn looks so good and is almost ready for occupants. Two of the pasture fences have been completed as well. That was a very happy note on which to end this very sad day for us.

Update from Kona

Posted on April 15, 2014 by Exechorseluver

Kona standing guard at the front door

This will be short tonight as I am posting off my phone as I spend my very first night (alone!) in the new house. Lauren is back in Wharton with the remaining furniture and dogs, cats and horses. Richard is doing an amazing job on the fences, arena, and barn build out.

Kona posing by the new tack room.

So I am going to be a mere 25 miles from work when I wake up tomorrow. I am sure all will be fine but sure wish Kona would quit walking by the windows and growling!

Pin Oak Angst

Posted on March 17, 2014 by Exechorseluver

As we discussed last year, and a few times in between Pin Oak is the top horse show in all of Texas. It is a charity run to benefit Texas Children’s Hospital.

Last year, neither Feather nor Bruno were ready for the show. This last 12 months, Feather has only increased her abilities. She was on the fast track to finally show and hopefully place at the big event.

In mid-January, Lauren went off of Feather, pretty much just bailed before a tall, skinny jump which intimidated her with its size. She hit the ground hard.

She saw the family practice doc the next day, took her prescribed meds and didn’t get better. Then she was off to the orthopedic surgeon. She had MRIs. The doc said her MRI was inconclusive. No riding! But she was ordered to go to physical therapy.

PT lasted one day. Lauren hurt so much after the first session, she was referred back to the ortho guy. Then the ortho guy had to leave the country. Lauren’s pain was totally debilitating. We then got a referral to a spine specialist today.

We have been spending seemingly every waking moment preparing for the move. Construction plans, arena configuration, packing boxes, giving a million things to the Episcopal thrift shop all have been done. All continues to roll on our house move issues. Today was spent tracking down the flood elevation certificate. Another $400 to get this piece paper. Then the new buyer of my house showed up to be sure the septic tank was working right ( it was- thank God!). This action required totally cleaning the house.

Lauren headed up towards Houston to see the spine guy. I wish I had been with her. But she did just fine. While our general orthopedic surgeon thought her back MRI was inconclusive, this new doctor (specializing in spines) told her a muscle in her back was torn badly, although not all the way through. And he agreed with the other doctor, in saying Lauren she had a ruptured disk. He insisted that she attend non- strengthening sessions at physical therapy for the next month.

He told her she could ride on the flat. No jumping. He warned her a move in the wrong direction would completely tear the muscle and she would be facing surgery.

So while Lauren is really yearning for Pin Oak this year she is not well enough to ride. While I can tell her there will be other year’s it is still hard to be on the sidelines when your friends are entering the ring.

Yesterday, Dev readily agreed to work Feather. Although off for over two months, Feather was ready to jump. Pictures tell the story. She was amazing.

Please keep

Dev taking Feather for a fly!

Please keep us in your prayers and hope that Lauren has a speedy recovery! Thank you.

A visit from Amber’s family

Posted on January 13, 2014 by Exechorseluver

Weather looks miserable but actually warm breezes were blowing!

Amber, Ryan and kids, Riley and Lexi arrived on Thursday to rain and overcast skies, but as they had left a very cold Colorado and we had come up above freezing for the first time in days, we were all okay with the overcast skies. It didn’t take long to throw a halter on Snowboy and head out of the barn to the only semi-dry spots. Two year old Lexi, showed no hesitation about climbing on board and off she went trotting with Aunt Lauren across the water and around the trailer. It wasn’t long before her four year-old brother, Riley switched spots with her.

While we got a short video of them trotting we warned them not to show Jordyn. She would be mad they were on her horse and that they were TROTTING. Sometimes, you just have to let other’s accomplishments serve as a way to motivate you, but more about that in a minute!

Friday the kids helped out around the barn, filling water troughs, raking hay and mucking stalls. The rain had stopped, things were still wet but with 70 degrees showing on the thermometer, it was a pretty great day to be outside. I enjoyed getting to know my grandkids a little better and had a lot of fun watching Kona have so many people to throw his ball. Jordyn got out of school a little early so that she, Ally, Luke and baby Kendyll could join us for Texas barbecue. Luke got busy digging some ditches to let our water flow out to the ditch. It started to recede immediately, it was like we were in the Peace Corps or something!

I got Ally to go with me, later in the day, as we took all the great-grandkids to my mom’s. From the minute we got there, she was overjoyed to see the children. It is unclear that she realized they were any kin to her but she loved them, nonetheless. It was nearing dinner time for her and the kids helped her get on her make-up and do her hair. Jordyn always loves this part of the visit and I think momma loves the attention. Jordyn, in an overdrive teacher mode with her young cousins, explained how to put on blush, eye shadow and lipstick. I think little Lexi made sure she had all the same make-up her Granny-Nanny did!

Jordyn and Riley getting their great grandma all fixed up for dinner.

I think the sweetest thing was as we left momma’s room to head down to dinner, with no prompting, tiny Lexi walked up and took her great grandma’s hand in hers and walked down the hall with her.

From back left, clockwise-2 year old Lexi, Granny Nanny, me, 4-year-old Riley, 1 year Kendyll and 6-year-old Jordyn.

There were lots of hugs and kisses from all the kids. I wish they could visit her more often as it made her so happy!

Saturday, another warm day, was spent taking great professional photos with Ally’s friend Elvia. Ryan got roped into going with Lauren and I to get 12 bales of alfalfa hay. Amber couldn’t understand why it took us so long to go get hay across town, but there is a certain period devoted to visiting with the hay man that has to take place. It is not as simple as backing in and loading the hay. We appreciated Ryan’s help.

We got Snowboy out again, saddled up this time, and everyone had helmets on. Jordyn was determined not to be out done by her cousins. I took them toward the road, then I let Snowney’s bridle go and headed him to the barn. IMAGINE this-he trotted in a straight line right back to the gate and Jordyn was TROTTING BY HERSELF! She demanded to do it over and over. It was a pretty big milestone until Kona ran after Snow, nipped him in the ankle and Snow headed trotting off to the neighbors with Jordyn screaming. But she tried it again and successfully trotted alone to end the day.

Here is her trotting video-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ZeIsCYDe8Q

I hated seeing the kids (all of them) leave on Sunday. I feel I miss so much with them being so far away. Hopefully, this time Lexi will remember a little about grandma’s and Riley will build on his memories.

Jim returns to momma-tomorrow

Posted on December 12, 2013 by Exechorseluver

Just like last year at this time, my mother’s 96-year-old husband will fly in from his home in Arizona to see her tomorrow. They have not seen or talked to one another since then, although Jim has sent her many notes and pictures. Last year this was a startling beautiful reunion that made me a believer once again in true love.

As Jim came through the doorway, my mom’s eyes lit up and they eagerly hugged, kissed and greeted one another. My mom loved Jim’s new beard. Jim had tears in his eyes as he saw my mom.

But it has been a tough year for Jim with a fall and an injury to his head that has taken some time and hard work to overcome. My mom, well, she is another year deeper in the evil grasp of dementia. I feel lucky when she recognizes me. It doesn’t happen every day any more.

We will see what the weekend brings. I hope to get some great photos of former US Calvary member, Jim, with big Bruno. And if we don’t get too much rain, Lauren and Jordyn hope to show their grandpa and great-grandpa, respectively a little of their riding skills. Jordyn has been working with her baby sister Kendyll, to say “GGJim” as that is what she has always called her great-grandpa Jim.

Ally and Lauren made my mother’s old recipes for Manicotti and her famous Sherry Cake we all used to love. We will have a fun family dinner on Saturday.

I am grateful that Jim’s son, Jay, is helping make this trip happen. I can’t wait to see mom and Jim reunited again!

Exechorseluver

The life and times of modern day horse woman

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