Friday the 13th - A Great Day!

Friday the 13th is supposed to be a bad luck day, but for us - especially Betty - it has been a good day.

Betty worked with Sugar in the round pen this morning. This is only the third time she's had Sugar in the pen. Here's how it went...

First, Betty did some de-sensitizing with Sugar's lead rope by throwing it on her back, neck, rear, and around her legs and feet. Sugar's cool and calm.


Then she did some neck flexions with her. Sugar has a supple, flexible neck which is good.

Then she did some de-sensitization with her training stick - the stick and string she uses with Sugar in the round pen.

Then she got Sugar going around the pen, first at a walk and then at a trot and canter.

Then six different times she got Sugar to change directions. The goal is to get Sugar to turn toward Betty when she changes direction - not to turn her rump towards her. Sugar did perfect every turn.

Then after about 10 - 15 minutes of moving Sugar around the pen and making her change directions, Betty invited her to come to the center with her where Betty let her rest and loved and rubbed on her.

Then the best part of all, inviting Sugar to 'hook onto' Betty and willingly follow her wherever she goes. This is the goal of the round pen work - for Sugar to accept that Betty is her leader and she will follow her. This is what the horses in a herd do with the lead mare. Betty is establishing herself as Sugar's lead mare.


Well done, my favorite horse woman!

Today is February 13 and if today is your Birthday then you share your day with: Mena Suvari (actress, "American Beauty"), Kelly Hu (actress, "The Scorpion King"), Stockard Channing (actress, Rizzo in "Grease"), Jerry Springer (TV host), Peter Tork (singer, The Monkees), Kim Novak (actress, "Bell, Book and Candle"), Chuck Yeager (hero pilot and test pilot who broke the sound barrier), Tennessee Ernie Ford (singer, "Sixteen Tons"), Grant Wood (artist, "American Gothic"), and Bess Truman (wife of President Truman).

On this day in 1542 the fifth wife of England's King Henry the Eighth, Catherine Howard, was executed for adultery. In 1635 the oldest public school in the United States, the Boston Public Latin School, was founded. In 1741 "The American Magazine," the first magazine in the United States was published in Philadelphia. In 1795 the University of North Carolina became the first United States state university to open its doors to students. In 1866 Jesse James holds up his first bank. In 1920 the National Negro Baseball League was organized. In 1936 the first social security checks are put in the mail. In 1965 sixteen-year-old Peggy Fleming won the ladies senior figure skating title at Lake Placid, New York. And in 2000 Charles Schulz's final "Peanuts" strip ran in Sunday newspapers, the day after the cartoonist died in his sleep at his California home at age 77.

Happy 200th Birthday Abe!

"It is said an Eastern monarch once charged his wise men to invent him a sentence to be ever in view, and which should be true and appropriate in all times and situations. They presented him the words: 'And this, too, shall pass away.' How much it expresses! How chastening in the hour of pride! How consoling in the depths of affliction!" The Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln edited by Roy P. Basler, Volume III

"We all declare for liberty; but in using the same word we do not all mean the same thing. With some the word liberty may mean for each man to do as he pleases with himself, and the product of his labor; while with others, the same word may mean for some men to do as they please with other men, and the product of other men's labor. Here are two, not only different, but incompatible things, called by the same name - liberty. And it follows that each of the things is, by the respective parties, called by two different and incompatible names - liberty and tyranny." The Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln edited by Roy P. Basler, Volume VII

"In regard to this Great Book, I have but to say, it is the best gift God has given to man. All the good the Savior gave to the world was communicated through this book." The Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln edited by Roy P. Basler, Volume VII

"The probability that we may fall in the struggle ought not to deter us from the support of a cause we believe to be just; it shall not deter me." The Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln edited by Roy P. Basler, Volume I

"Perhaps a man's character was like a tree, and his reputation like its shadow; the shadow is what we think of it, the tree is the real thing." Recollected Words of Abraham Lincoln compiled and edited by Don E. Fehrenbacher and Virginia Fehrenbacher

"Common looking people are the best in the world: that is the reason the Lord makes so many of them." Lincoln and the Civil War In the Diaries and Letters of John Hay selected by Tyler Dennett

"I have been driven many times upon my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go. My own wisdom and that of all about me seemed insufficient for that day." Lincoln Observed: The Civil War Dispatches of Noah Brooks edited by Michael Burlingame

"...I know that the Lord is always on the side of the right. But it is my constant anxiety and prayer that I and this nation should be on the Lord's side." The Inner Life of Abraham Lincoln: Six Months at the White House by Francis B. Carpenter

"Fourscore and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal." Lincoln's Gettysburg Address on November 19, 1863

HAPPY 200th BIRTHDAY ABE!


Today is February 12 and if today is your Birthday then you share your day with: Abraham Lincoln (16th US President), Christina Ricci (actress, "The Addams Family"), Arsenio Hall (comedian), Joanna Kerns (actress, "Growing Pains"), Ray Manzarek (keyboardist for The Doors), Bill Russell (Boston Celtic center), Joe Garagiola (baseball player and announcer), Franco Zeffirelli (director, "Romeo & Juliet"), Lorne Green (actor, "Bonanza" and "Battlestar Galactica"), and Charles Darwin (scientist).

On this day in 1733 English colonists led by James Oglethorpe founded Savannah, Georgia. He named the new colony Georgia for England's King George II. In 1880 the National Croquet League was organized in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In 1908 the first round-the-world automobile race began in New York. (It ended in Paris the following August.) In 1915 the cornerstone for the Lincoln Memorial was laid in Washington D.C. In 1940 the radio play "The Adventures of Superman" debuted on the Mutual network with Bud Collyer as the Man of Steel. In 1959 Barbie made her debut. And in 1973 the first release of American prisoners of war from the Vietnam War took place.

Out of Our Hands

This is one of those days that is out of our hands. If we had to choose, we would ride the horses, watch movies, read, or something similar. However, it didn't work out that way.

The plumber was supposed to come back this morning with the part he needed to repair our leak, but naturally he didn't show up. Maybe tomorrow morning which will screw up that morning.

This afternoon and evening we're meeting with people for pastoral counseling. Two women in the afternoon and a couple this evening. Even though it's the ministry we do and enjoy, it still would not be our first choice of things to do today. But, that's the way it is with ministry - you often don't get to choose what to do and when.

Such is life.


Today is February 11 and if today is your Birthday then you share your day with: Brandy (singer), Jennifer Anniston (actress, "Friends"), Sarah Palin (Governor of Alaska), Sheryl Crow (singer), Bobby Pickett (songwriter, "Monster Mash"), Burt Reynolds (actor, "Smokey and the Bandit"), Tina Louise (actress, Ginger on "Gilligan's Island"), Leslie Nielsen (actor, "Naked Gun"), and Thomas Edison (inventor of the phonograph and light bulb).

On this day in 1752 through the efforts of Benjamin Franklin, the first American hospital opened, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In 1812 the Massachusetts Legislature, at the behest of Governor Elbridge Gerry, passed a re-districting law that favored Gerry's party, a political maneuver that resulted in the term "gerrymandering." In 1858 a French girl, Bernadette Soubirous, claimed for the first time to have seen a vision of the Virgin Mary near Lourdes. In 1953 Walt Disney's "Peter Pan" premiers. In 1960 after censors cut a 4-minute segment from the Tonight Show, host Jack Paar walked off the air. The censored material was part of the monologue about a "water closet." And in 1966 Willie Mays became the highest-paid baseball player in either league as he signed a two-year contract with the San Francisco Giants for a salary of about $130,000 a year.

Tuesday Snow

As I write this the sun is poking its head back out, but today has been cold, windy and snowy. This morning we had a plumber come out as we have a leak in our hot water floor heating system. Fortunately, the leak is running outside the house so nothing is being damaged, but it's a waste of water. He has to get a part and he'll be back tomorrow to install it.

Betty is helping a friend as she goes through a medical procedure this afternoon. I'm watching the movie "Contact." Jody Foster is an excellent actor.

So, to close here are a couple of pictures from today.

First, Sugar getting every last drop from her lunch-time grain and supplements.

And, here's a picture of a snow squall that passed in front of our house along the Sandia Pueblo lands. It looks like smoke from a fire, but it's really snow.

Have a great day and stay warm.

Today is February 10 and if today is your Birthday then you share your day with: Laura Dern (actress, "Jurassic Park"), George Stephanopoulos (ABC news commentator), Greg Norman (pro golfer), Mark Spitz (gold medal swimmer), Roberta Flack (singer, "Killing Me Softly"), Robert Wagner (actor, "Hart to Hart"), Lon Chaney, Jr. (actor, "Wolf Man"), Jimmy Durante (comedian), and Boris Pasternak (Russian author, "Doctor Zhivago").

On this day in 1604 King James I orders that "a translation be made of the whole Bible". In 1863 showman P.T. Barnum staged the wedding of General Tom Thumb and Mercy Lavinia Warren -- both of them midgets -- in New York City. In 1934 the first sheets of postage stamps were issued by the U.S. Postal Service in New York City. The stamps had to be cut out of a sheet and then you had to apply glue to get them to stick. In 1942 the first World War II Medal of Honor was awarded posthumously to 2nd Lt. Alexander Ramsey for his heroism at the Battle of Bataan. In 1956 Elvis Presley made his first recording in Nashville. "Heartbreak Hotel" was on the A-side and "I Was The One" was on the B-side. In 1968 Peggy Fleming of the United States won the gold medal in women's figure skating at the Winter Olympic Games in Grenoble, France.

Monday Video - Standing Strong

For today's Monday Video we're taking a break from horses. This video was shot in December, 2007 on the Western coast of France. The lighthouses are along the Normandy coast and are actually manned - people are living there.

Enjoy what Mother Nature can do and how well-built lighthouses on strong foundations can resist.




Today is February 9 and if today is your Birthday then you share your day with: Ziyi Zhang (actress, "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon"), Travis Tritt (country singer), Mia Farrow (actress, "Rosemary's Baby"), Alice Walker (novelist, "The Color Purple"), Joe Pesci (actor, "My Cousin Vinny"), Carole King (songwriter), Roger Mudd (CBS newsman), Gypsy Rose Lee (burlesque actress), Carmen Miranda (Brazilian actress with the fruit hats), Ronald Colman (actor, "Shangri La"), William Henry Harrison (9th US President).


On this day in 1825 after no presidential candidate won the necessary majority, the House of Representatives elected John Quincy Adams the sixth president of the United States. In 1861 Tennessee votes against secession. In 1870 the US Weather Bureau was established and they've been wrong ever since. In 1895 the first college basketball game was played as Minnesota State School of Agriculture defeated the "Porkers" of Hamline College, 9-3 (good defense). In 1942 Daylight-saving "War Time" went into effect in the United States, with clocks turned one hour forward (and cows have been confused ever since). In 1963 the first Boeing 727 took off. It became the world's most popular way to fly. A total of 1,832 aircraft was built before production stopped in 1984. And in 1964 the action doll "GI Joe" made its debut.

Sunday Reflections - How Much Are You Worth?

"Are not two sparrows sold for a penny ? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows." (Matt 10:29-31)


It would be easy to make a joke here that if two sparrows are sold for a penny then if "many sparrows" is 100 sparrows then I'm worth more than 50 cents.

I don't think that's what Jesus meant.

There have been times in my life when I haven't felt much worth at all. When I was a kid and a teenager I had all the usual insecurities that most kids face. Even as a young adult, I wasn't sure of who I was or supposed to be.

I grew up with the belief that my worth was wrapped up in my career. I felt good about myself during my 'career' in the Navy. I thoroughly enjoyed my shipboard time and I loved being a navigator and going to sea. With the help of a good quartermaster Chief Petty Officer, I was a pretty successful navigator - even navigating the ship around the world.

During my career with Procter & Gamble I had my ups and downs so my self worth also went up and down. At a low point in my career I wasn't feeling very worthy.

It was only after I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior did I begin to understand what my worth was.

"You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Rom 5:6-8)

I learned that when Christ died on the cross, he died for me. My worth is in what he did, not in what I do or who I am. What Christ did on the cross is certainly worth more than many sparrows.


Today is February 8 and if today is your Birthday then you share your day with: Seth Green (actor, Oz in "Buffy the Vampire Slayer"), Gary Coleman (child actor, "Different Strokes"), Robert Klein (comedian), Nick Nolte (actor), Ted Koppel (ABC newscaster), John Williams (composer, "Star Wars"), James Dean (actor, "Rebel Without A Cause"), Jack Lemmon (actor, "Some Like It Hot"), Audrey Meadows (actress, Alice in "The Honeymooners"), Lana Turner (actress, "Peyton Place"), Lyle Talbot (actor, "Plan Nine From Outer Space"), Jules Verne (author, "20,000 Leagues Under The Sea"), and William Tecumseh Sherman (Civil War Union general).

On this day in 1893 a charter was granted for the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia. The 2nd college in US. In 1883 Louis Waterman begins experiments that invent the fountain pen. In 1922 President Harding had a radio installed in the White House. In 1936 the first National Football League draft was held. Jay Berwanger was the first to be selected. He went to the Philadelphia Eagles. In 1969 the last issue of the "Saturday Evening Post" was published, ending a magazine tradition that began in 1821. And in 1985 "The Dukes of Hazzard" ended its 6-1/2 year run on CBS television. The series was credited with using more stunt men than any other TV series in history. The show would use as many as eight cars per episode when the crash sequences got complicated.

Exploring Her World

Today has been a quiet day for Betty and me which has been nice. So, I thought I would share a couple of pictures of our granddaughter, Juliet, that our daughter-in-law, Marie, just sent.

Juliet is almost 15 months old. She's close to walking and talking and is able to get around most everywhere to explore her world.

Marie discovered her checking out one more part of her small, but ever-expanding world.

I love that youngster!


Today is February 7 and if today is your Birthday then you share your day with: Ashton Kutcher (actor and camera salesman), Chris Rock (comedian), Garth Brooks (country singer), James Spader (actor), Eddie Bracken (1940's actor), Larry "Buster" Crabbe (actor, "Tarzan"), Sinclair Lewis (author), Laura Ingalls Wilder (author, "Little House on the Prairie"), John Deere (founder of John Deere Tractor Co.), and Charles Dickens (author, "A Christmas Carol").

On this day in 1313 Robert, "the Bruce," captures Dumfries, Scotland (one of my ancestors was his aide). In 1795 the 11th Amendment to the Constitution was ratified. This curbed the power of the federal judiciary in relation to the states and reaffirmed the sovereignty of the states (too bad we've gotten away from that idea). In 1812 New Madrid, Missouri earthquake occurred. It may have been the largest earthquake in the recorded history of the US. In 1882 the last bareknuckle fight for the heavyweight boxing championship took place in Mississippi City. John L. Sullivan punched KO'd Paddy Ryan in round nine. In 1905 Congress grants statehood to Oklahoma. New Mexico and Arizona are the only remaining territories. And in 1964 The Beatles arrive in US first time.