Saturday Slight

 

My azalea wants to bloom again.  

I hope it does. 

It was in full bloom back in February when Bill bought it at Yoke's and gave it to me for Valentine's Day.

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Happy Saturday morning to all.  

When I went outside to take the horses to pasture this morning, I told Bill that this was one of those days when you would want to curl up and go back to sleep. 

Bill said that if it were dark and rainy, then it would be entirely appropriate. 

It's not, and we've had another glorious sunrise this morning. 

I actually felt like I was coming to life on this September Saturday while walking the horses down the lane. 

Actually, there is an excuse for wanting to go back to sleep and do nothing all day, but even it is not cooperating in giving me full license for more rest. 

Bill and I received our Covid vaccinations yesterday afternoon.  I may have mentioned before that they're available at Walmart and that this updated vaccine is good for a year. 

I had the pleasure of heckling the pharmacy tech, and she heckled back. 

 

Kelli was one of my students when I taught out in the portables at Sandpoint High School.  She was smart, quick-witted and a delight then.  All I can say is that she has perfected her wit over the past couple of decades. 

She is also the first student of mine who has administered any medical attention to me, and she did such a good job giving me my poke that my arm barely hurts and I'm feeling no side effects. 

I think the desire to want to go back to bed is more psychosomatic than anything.  

You have just been vaccinated, so, of course, you shouldn't feel up to snuff.  

Well, that hasn't happened.  I'm perfectly fine and working on erasing that wanting to snooze tendency out of my brain. 

We have found over the years that the side effects from Covid vaccines seem to diminish with each new booster.  The day is young, and maybe as it goes on, I'll recognize some misery, but so far so good. 

And, good job Kelli.  It's always good to see you. 

Yesterday was also a monumental day because I rode CB for the first time since February 2024. 

Laurie came over again, and we agreed this would be the last of her rides for a while.  We all have lots of stuff going on for the rest of the month. 

CB seemed to know that he had saved his best for last because Laurie was especially pleased with his lunging workout and his ride up and down the lane. 

"Do you want to ride him?" she asked.  I hadn't exactly planned to ride him but since it was the last Laurie visit for a while, I thought "Why not?"

As usual, the committee stood close by as I climbed aboard and when I dismounted. Yesterday's "committee" included Bill and Laurie. 

All went well from mounting to dismounting and in between AND that is important. 

I enjoyed the ride and am proud of his behavior and his willingness to work out the kinks.

He's not a "great" horse under saddle yet, but he's getting there.  

Debbie Love has a big event coming up next month with the 45th anniversary fundraiser for the Bonner Community Food Bank. 

There's no need to say that there is always a need at the food bank, so if you have any interest in attending the event or donating, call the number for more information. 

Thank you for your generosity. 

Guess that's enough babble for this fall-like Saturday morning.  Since I probably wont' go back to bed, I'll try to find a way to be productive today. 

Happy Saturday. 

Friday This and That

 

The Lovestead barn at summer's end 2025.  

We've seen more growth each year in  the Virginia creeper, which came with a start given to me by my friend Gail Redinger.

It's always amazing to watch it start from a small root and continually expand throughout the summer. 

That part is fun; the cleanup and disposal in the fall, not so much. 

Twas another day of schooling for CB yesterday.

  My sister Laurie has been coming once or twice a week to ride him, and I'm very appreciative. 

Plus, I think CB enjoys his continuing education. 

We met these two gentlemen earlier this week. 

Corley and Derek represent All about Chimneys. 

In addition to sweeping our chimney, they inspected the stove and the chimney itself. 

Turns out that, like so much of home maintenance, some work needs to be done on a portion of the chimney, namely replacing its insulation. 

As usual, this will involve some work on our part to prepare for their upcoming maintenance. 

Happily, the work will lead to our home being more safe during the winter months when we use our wood stove. 

So, we'll deal with the inconvenience as these experts fix what needs to be fixed. 

It was fun meeting Corley and Derek, and we look forward to seeing them again. 

Anyone who comes into our driveway may notice an oddly shaped bush near the barnyard fence, very full on one side and flat on the other. 

Over the years, the bush has been "pruned" regularly by our horses.

This year the flowering quince bush produced one quince.  I've tried to work with quince before and found them a bit challenging.  So, if anyone would like this quince, it's free.  

The last roses of summer are blooming and they are still pretty. 

It's been a great year for roses. 

Not much else to mutter about this morning.  I must admit that during blog time I've been writing while listening to the press conference providing information about the Charlie Kirk shooter. 

Lots to think about and ponder on that subject. 

We'll continue to tune in to the news and also move on with life----for me today a hair appointment and for Bill and me a shot in the arm.

Walmart has the newest Covid vaccine for those 65 or older.  This time the vaccine lasts for a year. 

So we'll get the shot and do our best to get past whatever temporary aches and pains it provides. 

Happy Friday.  Take time to smell the roses. 

A Simple Question

 

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Today, it's been 24 years since 3,000 people died during an attack on America. 

Afterward, citizens from all walks of life and political persuasions united and rallied in support of the nation.

Since those years, America has gradually moved toward attacking itself, virtually every single day. 

Victims are young, old, vocal, innocent, black, white, brown, downtrodden, rich, powerful, scorned,  helpless, admired,  etc. 

It's a saddening and maddening state of affairs for the the country that we have loved so much self-destruct through the acts of its own citizens.

When will they ever learn that violence and vile words will simply promote a never-ending, insidious cycle of more violence and more vile words. 

Will we ever learn? 

  

Out and About and Newman

 

Several years ago, in my first months of working as a correspondent for the Spokesman-Review newspaper, I was given a story assignment about Hope artist Russell Rosander. BTW:  Russell now lives in Mexico.

I can't remember the exact focus of the story since it was in the late 1980s, but I did get to know, respect and appreciate Russell and his talents during the interview process. 

Sadly, my story about Russell never appeared in the Spokesman-Review. After sending in a couple of drafts, my editor in the Coeur d'Alene office rejected the story.

The first draft, I was told, was about 2.5 times too long.  Shorten it to 8 inches, he said.  So, I did that, painfully so, and resubmitted it. 

When I hadn't heard back from the editor for several days, I called to see what was happening with the story. 

That's when he told me about the rejection, continuing on by listing several blunt and not so nice comments about the way I had written the piece. 

As he talked,  I listened on the phone, soothing my bruised feelings by emphatically writing several 4-letter profanities on a sheet of paper. 

This editor was not being kind to me, and it bugged the heck out of me that I had wasted Russell's time, all for nothing. 

That's how it seemed then, and the editor intimidation about my work continued.  Along with it, however, I learned.  

I learned more about how to make words count and how to craft a story than ever before in my life.  Lots of other journalistic basics improved also as time went on and eventually Dave would dish out a compliment. Can't tell you how much those meant, coming from him.  

I never saw much of Russell after that, but we have kept in touch over the years.  After all, we are the same age. 

Years later, I called that editor and thanked him for being a stern taskmaster and awakening me to many ways that I could improve my writing.  

"Newman" was the editor that I needed during that period of my writing career.  I will be forever grateful to him, even if he did make my life miserable at the time. 

To be constantly told throughout life that we've done a good job---when maybe we haven't---seems like a kind and lazy way to get past mediocrity.  

On the contrary, a little well-placed mentoring and honesty at times can help us move closer to the high bars in life. 

Later, as a high school newspaper adviser, I took a few pages from my Spokesman editor's playbook by reserving effusive compliments for appropriate moments.  

I was thrilled to learn in some written evaluations that my students knew that when I said "good job," I meant it and that they truly had done a good job. 

Thank you, Dave, and thanks, Russell, for posting the timely advice below on Facebook. 

 

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Do it today! 

It's free, and it's healing, no matter how adverse the state of the world is at the moment.

When we enjoy a sunset, it doesn’t happen by accident. We notice the sun going down, the sky shifting through colors, and something inside us says, “I’m going to stop for this. I’m going to take it in.” 

We make that choice, we dedicate the time and space, and suddenly the moment is alive. We say wow, and we mean it.

That isn’t passive. It’s an act of awareness. We are awake, present, and actively enjoying the experience. Without that choice, the sunset still happens—but it passes as though no one was there to see it.

This is a form of love. Love is not only a feeling; it’s what happens when we give our attention, when we permit connection, when we bring joy into the act of noticing. It takes intention, a willingness, and a choosing.

And it doesn’t stop with sunsets. We can do this with anything, with anyone, with every moment we touch. By choosing to dedicate presence, by giving ourselves to the here and now, we practice loving life.

And love, when lived this way, has the power to transform anything.

Again, don't forget next week's horse show at the Bonner County Fairgrounds. 

You'll see lots of pretty horses, and if you want to ride in the show, send in your entries.