Hope and Gratitude

It was a day highlighted by horses' hooves, talk of gratitude and total enjoyment of Hope. 

On "John Fuller Day" at our home, the conversation is always a blend of horse stuff and the stuff of life.  

Whenever I write my check to John at the end of a shoeing session, I know that I have received much more than just some hoof trimming and nailing on shoes.

It's been that way for years as John has worked through a couple of generations of my horses, dating back to big Black Rambo and Casey. 

These days, when that van rolls into the driveway either early or right on time (yesterday two minutes early), the horses don't need to be told that John is coming.

They see his van, their ears perk up and, for the most part, Lily and Lefty settle right in, taking their turns, standing outside the barn while John trims their feet and nails on their shoes.

As yet, CB hasn't been around long enough to know what's happening when John shows up, but he experienced his first session with my farrier and friend yesterday. 

We had to take him into the stall for his trim, but once he tried a couple of times to escape the procedure, he settled down and decided to make things easy rather than difficult for himself and for us. 

Lily and Lefty both stood relaxed as they each received a set of front shoes. 

And, through it all, lively conversation continued.  Often the topic deals with attitude, and as we both grow older, much more talk of gratitude.  

I remember a while back when the late Hazel Hall was chosen as one of the first Women of Wisdom in Sandpoint, "attitude and gratitude" dominated most of her take on how to live one's life. 

John is the same. He approaches each day with a zest for life.  He refuses to tell how old he is.  I quit asking a couple of years ago, but I do know that he is a few years older than I.  

One would never believe it, though. Talk about fit.  

This guy is incredible.  Even though he's taking "no new clients," he still shoes up to six horses a day.  It's back-straining, unpredictable work, depending on each particular horse. 

John is well read and well-rounded outside his time spent bending over, often with a horse's muzzle resting on his back as he trims and shoes. 

He could probably rival Oprah as an avid reader and as a pundit suggesting the next great book to read.  

And, his philosophical observations often match mine, so we usually have an enjoyable time visiting and extolling the opportunities that exist in this life though stretching our knowledge, expanding our circles and traveling. 

Yesterday, John did talk specifically about gratitude and how each day he and his wife Vicki take time to appreciate their blessings.  

Not a bad idea, I thought, expecially in the world these days where so much negativity and conflict seems to dominate.

As is the usual custom, I felt both inspired and invigorated mentally when we said good bye and John and his sidekick Sochi (yes, black and white) drove out the driveway. 

Plus, my horses' feet are now all in good shape. 

Later in the day, I listened to an interview on NPR.  In this case, the individual was a conservative commentator who not only talked about politics but also devoted some thoughts on "gratitude."  

He suggested that we might all lead happier lives if we didn't focus so much on what hasn't gone right for us and spent more time appreciating what has. 

Simple idea, I thought.  Sometimes, however, we tend to get so sucked in to all the negative influences that we concentrate on the bad stuff and don't take time to appreciate the good. 

We're all guilty.  

Occasionally and happily, however, we can experience "aha moments," thanks to those gentle reminders in general conversation or in formal discussions-----especially when we hear the same theme twice in one day.

Anyway, I'm feeling a renewed sense of reinforcement this morning on the need to focus more on the positive by consciously appreciating the nuggets----large and small---that breathe positive energy into our lives each day.

It's hard to ignore ugly and negative influences we face each day, but accentuating on the positive and appreciating all that's good around us can certainly help us with our daily efforts to maintain a good attitude. 

Besides John's visit and a variety of little segments of satisfaction around the place throughout the day, a trip with Bill to Hope and Ice House Pizza put the icing on the gratitude cake.  

Another gorgeous day in a gorgeous setting with some tasty pizza certainly topped off the day. Bill and I enjoy our trips out that way, especially this time of year when it's difficult to imagine any more beautiful spot on earth.

The folks who live in Hope certainly get to enjoy a sense of Paradise.  It's indescribably beautiful pretty much all year long. 

And, it's another pretty June morning.  Time to get out there and enjoy the day.

Happy Wednesday. 

   

Just for you, Becky!