Hope, Dreams, Blessings and a Horse

Last night as I was lying in bed reflecting on my day with family and friends and counting my blessings, I asked myself a very important question.  "If I could have just one more thing in my life, what would it be?"  The obvious answer was, "My own horse".

I made up a photo collage of the horses Dave and I had.  Two beautiful thoroughbred mares with their own personality and very patient and affectionate.  When I was looking for a horse of my own, I couldn't choose between Stormy (Warrior's Love) and Dee (Detour Sign) so I convinced Dave that I needed to buy both so that he could have and ride Stormy.  Stormy was 17 hh so the perfect size for my tall husband and as he got on her, he admitted that it had been awhile since he had ridden a 'real' horse.  He looked so good on Stormy and I enjoyed riding beside him on Dee. 

"To many, the words love, hope and dreams are synonymous with horses."

I know I sometimes make owning a horse a big deal in my blog posts but it does mean a lot to me. Riding is something I've always enjoyed and always wanted to have as part of my life.  When Dave and I were married, that dream came true for me and now that I've started all over again back in Australia, I want to own a horse again as a reminder of the life I shared with Dave and also because it's something I enjoy.  I've started buying magazines (Town & Country Farmer and Horse & Rider) to feed my interest and passion, to teach me and also to help me understand my 'dream'.  Fred says that those magazines only show the glossy side of farming life and while that's partly true, I am also sensible enough to know about having to repair fences in the snow, chasing horses back into the pasture when it's late (or early) and having responsibility for taking care of a horse.  I've done that before and I want to do it again.

Having said that, I am content with what I have now.  I enjoy my job, I am making new friends and renewing 'old' friendships. I am beginning to rebuild my library again and renew interests and hobbies I have had in the past.  A new friend gave me a brand new squash racquet and we will be playing squash together, soon.  Nathan gave me back my "old" guitar again and in the mail today, I received a box of books including a book called, "Children's Songs" with 80 songs that include complete lyrics, chord symbols and guitar chord diagrams.  Another plus is, when I was looking for my electronic tuner, I found the "Playing the Guitar" teaching book that I had bought back in the States.  Perhaps I'll even pick that up again and start 'stretching' myself to learn how to play the guitar more proficiently.  I know I should.

I don't know what will happen tomorrow, much less what will happen in a month's time, a year's time or even beyond that.  All I can do is take a day at a time. A quote I read today in a little book I received called, "Passions..... Horse-riding" said, "A horse gallops with it's lungs, perseveres with its heart, and wins with its character." Federico Tesio (1869-1954) and a Chinese proverb says, "Distance tests a horse's strength.  Time reveals a person's character."