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"Ever present, never twice the same.... Ever

changing, never less than whole...."

~Robert Irwin







Wednesday, June 29, 2011

v  In our lives, we may be lucky enough to know someone whose love extends to animals and plants………. At lease to some extent, these people have realized the interdependent nature of life. (pp. 118-119)

I am gathering together the food for the horses. Kopper is in the dry lot by himself, as soon as he sees me he let’s out his usual high pitched whinny of greeting, I look over to him and tell him good morning.  I think of how he has been “off” lately and my suspicions of it being degenerative suspensory ligament disease (dsld), I am researching doctors to have ultra-sounds performed.  I go into story in my mind of the “horrors” of dsld. My gut clenches, there is a tightening around my eyes, I am looking down, and my hands are gripping the feed buckets.  Kopper whinnies again, to my hearing, with a little more impatience in his tone.  I look up at him and smile.  I think to myself how beautiful he is and how spunky his presence is in my life.  I physically whip shake my head and remind myself to reverse the negative energy I was releasing and create a new story for him to live into, after all, at this point, it is all story.  He is love.  The grip on my gut starts to unroll, and my touch softens as I give him his breakfast.


Wednesday, June 15, 2011

v  Practice mindful breathing in order to come back to what is happening in the present moment. (p. 128)
I am on a moonlit horseback ride with my partner, Lightning Bug.  This is the first night time ride for Lightning and I.  I think of my last moonlit ride, with his herdmate, Kopper Top.  Kopper has not been sound for riding lately and I notice melancholy settling into me.  I have a restless feeling in my core as if a whirlpool is swirling in my abdomen, my chest begins to tighten, and I notice I am gripping my reins.  Lightning’s head comes up high and his step begins to quicken, interspersed with a hop here and there.  I realize I have allowed myself to not be present with him and he is calling me to wake up.  I relax my shoulders and loosen the reins, I take in a deep breath thinking “I breathe in peace,” I exhale thinking, “I breathe out love.”  The swirling in my stomach slows, my chest expands, Lightning’s head lowers and he resumes a walk.  I stroke his neck and tell him thank you.

Tuesday, June 14, 2011


v  There is nothing to chase after.  We can go back to ourselves, enjoy our breathing, our smiling, ourselves, and our beautiful environment. 
I ask my husband to take a picture of me sitting cross-legged completely under my horse, Dusty.  I want to show his extreme gentleness and patience.  As I place myself under him, my soulmate pup, Gabriel, lies down beside me and my eldest cat, Kalifornia saunters up to me.  I am filled with gratitude and surrounded by love.  My chest expands as a wave of warmth washes over me, my breathing is slow and regulated, my cheeks tingle as I smile.