It has been awhile since I have written about what is going on here at Rattlebridge.  Well, let’s start with our rescue horses.  Shotzi is biting and I mean biting hard. She got my nephew in his arm but good.  So I, the expert, went up yesterday after having been away for a couple of weeks on and off judging (saving this for the next post).  Mind you Shotzi and Buttercup just returned to the farm after having been off to boot camp for a month ensuring that they are fine tuned as my nephew and niece were going to start riding.  I was going to teach Annie to ride on Shotzi and probably Melissa also. Melissa is here to attend Ohio Wesleyan University; she lives in the dorm but is here quite a bit playing with puppies. Melissa has not ridden since the last time I put her on a horse when she was twelve.  After she fell off, she swore off horses forever but has been reconsidering.  So I began saddling Shotzi up and she promptly tried to eat me.  She is lucky that I didn’t eat her.  Every time I began to adjust the saddle, she flattened her ears,whipped her head around and tried to nail me.  I lunged her with no problem and unsaddled her after giving her such an evil eye that she behaved.  So now we have a problem.  We need a companion for Buttercup but we also need a safe horse for all concerned. Nothing is ever easy.  Now as to my dream horse,Stanley:  Stanley has been lulling us into a sense of trusting his overall demeanor, kind eye and acceptance of training.  Well, he has been lying in wait.  With his confidence being built by his training, he has begun to assert himself but good.  He has tried to run me over, our wonderful trainer over, and head butted her so badly she wound up in urgent care.  So since the rescue organization from where we got these two horses, no fault of theirs is full, we are in, as usual, another dilemma.  Perhaps my dream of riding again is not the great idea I thought it was. Oh, well, until next time.

please God let him learn to sweep floors!!

Whispers 

The man whispered, “God, speak to me” and a meadowlark  sang.

But, the man  did not hear.

So the man  yelled, “God, speak to me” and the thunder rolled across the sky.

But, the man did  not listen.

The man looked around and said, “God  let me see you.” And a star shined brightly.

But the man  did not see.

And, the man shouted, “God show me a miracle.” And, a life was born.

But, the man  did not notice.

So, the man cried out in despair,  “Touch me God, and let me know you are here.”

Whereupon, God reached  down and touched the man. But, the man brushed the
butterfly away and walked  on.

I  found this to be a great reminder that God is always around us in the little and simple things that we take for granted … even in our  electronic age. 

So I would like to add  one more: 

The man cried, “God, I  need your help!” And an e-mail arrived reaching out
with good news and  encouragement.

But, the man  deleted it and continued crying .

Don’t miss out on  a blessing because it isn’t packaged the way that you 
expect.

 

I may have included the following in my blog before, but it bears repeating:

Written By Regina Brett, 90 years old, of The Plain  Dealer, Cleveland, Ohio

To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45  lessons life taught me. It is the most-requested column I’ve ever  written.

My odometer rolled over to 90 in August, so here is the column  once more:

1. Life isn’t fair, but it’s still good.

2. When in  doubt, just take the next small step.

3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

4. Your job won’t take care of you when you are  sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch.

5. Pay off your  credit cards every month.

6. You don’t have to win every argument.   Agree to disagree.

7. Cry with someone. It’s more healing than crying  alone.

8. It’s OK to get angry with God. He can take it.

9. Save for retirement starting with your first pay check.

10. When it comes to  chocolate, resistance is futile.

11. Make peace with your past so it  won’t screw up the present.

12. It’s OK to let your children see you  cry.

13. Don’t compare your life to others. You have no idea what  their journey is all about.

14. If a relationship has to be a  secret, you shouldn’t be in it.

15. Everything can change in the blink  of an eye. But don’t worry; God never blinks.

16. Take a deep  breath. It calms the mind.

17. Get rid of anything that isn’t useful,  beautiful, or joyful.

18. Whatever doesn’t kill you really does make you stronger.

19. It’s never too late to have a happy childhood. But the  second one is up to you and no one else.

20. When it comes to going  after what you love in life, don’t take no for an answer.

21. Burn  the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie.Don’t save it  for a special occasion. Today is special.

22. Over prepare, then go  with the flow.

23. Be eccentric now. Don’t wait for old age to wear  purple.

24. The most important sex organ is the brain.

25. No  one is in charge of your happiness but you.

26. Frame every so-called  disaster with these words ‘In five years, will this matter?’

27.  Always choose life.

28. Forgive everyone everything.

29. What  other people think of you is none of your business.

30. Time heals  almost everything. Give time time.

31. However good or bad a situation  is, it will change!

32. Don’t take yourself so seriously. No one else  does.

33. Believe in miracles.

34. God loves you because of who  God is, not because of anything you did or didn’t do.

35. Don’t  audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.

36. Growing old beats  the alternative — dying young.

37. Your children get only one childhood.

38. All that truly matters in the end is that you  loved.

39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting  everywhere.

40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw  everyone else’s, we’d grab ours back.

41. Envy is a waste of time.  You already have all you need.

42. The best is yet to come.

43.  No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

44.  Yield.

45. Life isn’t tied with a bow, but it’s still a  gift.”

Its estimated 93% won’t forward this. If you are one of the 7%  who will, forward this with the title ‘7%’.

I’m in the  7%.

Friends are the family that we choose for  ourselves.

My instructions were to  send this to people that I wanted God to bless and I picked you. Won’t  you please pass this to people you want to be  blessed.