I Didn't Know I Did This

Ever since I started to ride horses, back in 2002, I  always looked no further than their head and ears. while in the saddle and cueing the horse.

 I wanted to make sure the horse  willingly was walking and moving forward.  I guess I couldn't believe this ride was accepted by my horse.   I had to make sure i was walking....straight not crooked.  Do horses walked crooked? They walk without direction but not crooked.

Do not ride a horse and focus on the top of their head looking down at their ears.  Why?  They need a leader and they need to know you have a direction and plan to take them on this ride they are allowing you to take.  I came upon this statement from a a a facebook friend who just came back from a riding .clinic in Winnipeg.  Her professional horse trainer told her that   "You'll do great just keep looking ahead!" The horses ears are not going to fall off. (got it).

I rode my horse the other night and I did not  look down, I did not ride with my eyes focused on her head and ears.  I kept looking ahead, to our next step,  the next corner.   It was a very solid paced ride because I was telling her what I wanted to do.  Her ears are always attached to her head they will not come off so I do not need to watch them.  lol!  what a good teaching statement!

This sounds so silly!  It's so important.  I can't walk down the street looking at a sidewalk or the ground all the time.  I can tell if I am in trouble just with my quick glances and peripheral vision. Same with riding.  It's important to read the ear position but not to constantly stare at them like the ears are coming unglued.

• must always look ahead 
•  observe as you ride
•  horse's ears communicate
• pointing forward
• or pointing back
• or straight up
• do not focus on the ears as you ride
• look ahead and the horse will know you are looking out for him 
• you are a leader.

Horses often rely on their ears and eyes to communicate with each other, according to a recent study. The animals' eye direction and their large, mobile ears can be used to tell another horse where to direct its attention, which can be beneficial in locating food and avoiding predators.Aug 5, 2014

watch for these angles

VISION

Horses were believed to have poor vision and be short sighted but they actually have very good binocular vision with a tendency towards long vision. It's logical to think that given a horse's wide vision range, they are able to see a rider on their backs however a rider is in the horse's blind spot.

This is going to make my rides more in control and my horse Gracie will know I am the "director" and she can trust me.  When you understand the horse and what their messages are in the pasture then once you saddle up that horse needs to understand your cues and working as a team is what it is all about.

like minded

Have you ever wondered why sometimes you work hard to go

out the door to an obligation or to wonder why your health

is failing as you age.  Here are 3 things that impacted me these last 6 months!

Dear Food

I know that I am not your best friend and I am not going to say that you and all your food groups and tastes and texture are hard for me to digest into my stomach.  So let us make a truce .  I love you food and I have a challenge as when I encourage my body to eat more of you than it can handle.
So I am practicing the art of small portions and slow eating, like chewing slowly and pausing after a few bites.  This may sound easy for some but it is a challenge for me.

Then I can appreciate you food and we can get on a more like minded relationship.

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Dear Church

I am not feeling any connectedness at my church and I attend once a month.  I took a progressive Christian course for 10 weeks this last fall.  It was hurting my brain, or helping it, I'm not sure which.
Part 2 of this course is on now and I declined to re-join after Christmas.  So this is the first time I am writing something about it.  I can't make a stance (yet) or maybe I just did.

"It is for those who have stopped taking the church seriously at all.  Many people of deep spiritual integrity simply cannot suffer the shallow message of the churches of their birth any longer. They have an intuitive sense that there is more to Christianity than the rigid rules and theological constructs of the past." (Excerpt from Rev. David Felten and Rev. Jeff Procter-Murphy)

I am open-minded about my faith and this must have been what I required to fuel my belief.  Some interesting things came up but it challenged my belief and I liked my faith before I took the class and I did get educated on the bible stories and what they mean in our words today.  It was deep and our Minister said it would bring questions up and it is all about having those questions and not definite answers as the bible is stories written to teach us how to live.

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Dear Gym/Team Training

This is my like-minded place.  The trainers and the gym owners are there for ME.  I put in the effort
and they make sure I do my training safely.  Here is  a great post on the trainers.

The people I train with are fun and very much in the same place I am.

This is a great go-to place!

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I am liking the mind of the person who shared and created this!

Do you like this idea?

it must come down

High Blood Pressure is a well kept secret of the amount of pressure your blood is running through your arteries.

I had my vitals report from the doctor in January and he took my blood pressure.  Everything went up my blood sugar too.

But how does one fix that when I am already on a good diet and I have been working out 3 times a week.  I had also just returned from a vacation in Mexico?  sooooo what brought this pressure up?

It took me some time to figure it out and my neck has been aggravating my left shoulder once again and i was worried about my shoulder and not being able to get it relaxed and all the massages and appts to possibly help me out with it was a stressor ;  then my weight was bothering me I started to think I was getting very fat but it was just the muscle I developed over the last few months of swimming laps.  I am doing 15 - 20 50 metre (olympic lengths) twice a week now.  I walk outside alot too.

What is going on I am retired and have a good life in the country.  I thought it was family and possibly it was that ?  didn't make sense my family has had it's frustrations because we work at  being a close knit family but really we are a respectful family.  I respect my siblings and families and parents; we don't always understand how we live each others lives;  I was brought up with judging people and I love my parents and the ways they cared for me to the best of their ability.

Here is what I went back to for lowering the blood pressure (IT MUST COME DOWN):

1. massage to relax that neck/work on that shoulder stuff - massage therapist is my yoga teacher (love that)
2. yoga class/sign up once a week
3. use my infrared sauna we have at home daily (for 20 - 30 minutes)
4. use energy techniques to clear my head (tapping, body talk, healing touch) Carol Tuttle had a type talk on facebook and it was about "the shoulds"?

 "I should be thinner-  I should socialize with friends more -  I should invite people over to my house- I should be more settled - I should not be such a loner - I should... I should not....I did her tapping session (where you tap on your forehead and temples and under the eyes and under the nose and on the chin and on your chest and you say out loud the 'shoulds' and should-nots and then when that is completed just press both hands on the heart centre or your chest and breathe it all in and out.

Today my High Blood Pressure was back down to 129/84 for the first time in many weeks
I am keeping up the yoga and infrared sauna sessions

note to self is that  when vitals go up it is always the mind that tells the body how to hold the craziness in as  the body will hold all right and keep everything tight until you release the stuff!



Dr. Donna Kirk
Kirkville Therapy

end of January nearing

{Too Much To Carry...Throw Away!}

Guilt, Money, Judgement, Purpose List

1.  I am comfortable being uncomfortable. {past coworker)

2.  Focus does not mean you say YES to all things pertaining to what you want to focus on, it is

saying NO to 1000 ..... distractions BE GONE!  {Steve Jobs/Brene Brown}

3.  I am responsible for my life results and I am trusting that the results other people are 

creating is perfect for them now. {Carol Tuttle}

4.  The missing puzzle piece is Self-Love {Doodlesforchange}

5.  I appreciate money and money appreciates to support me. {Carol Tuttle}

6.  I am not a decorative plant and if I have to step back and be a quieter self to make others

comfortable...well time to move on from that environment. {Sweatpants and Coffee}

7. I am benefiting others when I am living true to my energy profile or nature. (Carol Tuttle)

8.  I must always make myself clear so others know exactly where I am at.  (my life lesson)

9.  Guilt is an opportunity to correct something and to stop feeding the past. The past is always

looking FOR SOME GUILT!

10.  I need to stand for something or I will fall for anything.

January is almost over!

i am not a commercial blogger

can't get to Kirkville website?  

where to go?

Google is refusing my custom domain name

of kirkvilleacreage.com

as they want to charge me as a business

website.

This is of course because we use gmail for all our email

services and google is behind it all.  Google +, Google Circles, Google G Suite

et al....

I can't seem to contact them or explain I am not receiving

revenue as a business

so I have had to go back to just being a blogger.com

blog

I am not wanting to lose all my photos from 2008 here,

almost 10 years of family and horse adventures photos and stories.

(technology is getting more complicated for me)

I love to blog and share and connect socially

on this internet or social media.  I really do, however,  I am 

wanting to keep it as basic as possible.

if you are a fan (💓 and I thank you) then you need

to search for it under this URL:

kirkville-acreage.blogspot.ca

that's all folks!

fall switch-ups

I had fun changing my cowgirl boots from all black

to this!

Brian and I bought a horse.  Well we bought out the other

co-owner's share.  We spent all spring and summer attempting

to sell this buckskin called Brushetta; but I knew deep down she needed to be my horse (well 

Brian's horse too.)  So we done did it! and now can take her out and feel

comfortable with a good solid and mild tempered riding horse.

 As a 10 year old she is young enough to enjoy

rides with her for a good many years

T

Horses are not always what you hope for

so we have sold one colt to a trainer outside Melville

This young one, (Tuko),  showed he liked to buck for no reason... really?

He has had lots of rides on him and trained thoroughly

by both my husband and his partner.

He is at a good home now though as this trainer was

looking for a project horse. (perfecto!)

(fare thee well Tuko!)

I bought some clothes in Utah at my Dressing Your Truth

weekend retreat and I am attempting to get an outfit

together.  I bought this long forest green open sweater.

(so comfy)

Here's to stylin' it up and enjoying your pets!

energetically turquoise

The colour of my blog header

is Turquoise! A colour I have not

always been attracted to.  I couldn't figure

out why I preferred this color instead of the others for my new header.

here's why....

I have been attracted to this colour

just a wee bit this last few months

and I found I am wearing this pendant alot lately.

{Swarovski Crystal Apple pendant}

Turquoise or Robin Egg colored easter eggs

is on my brain today.

Have a Happy Easter!

emotions of spring

I am getting overwhelmed with all

the oncoming spring distractions,

like lazy about planning supper,

deciding where I should go walking.

I am cleaning out clothes I haven't worn

all year and donating.

 I am energetically manifesting more money for

fun 2017 summer and fall activities.  

I 've booked a womans' weekend retreat

in the scary "Trumpland" at Salt Lake City Utah for fall.

(very excited about that)

My previous interest in gemstones is calling me back.

People ask what are gemstones, minerals and crystals?

They are rocks!  Collected and some mined from countries

all over the world.  You may own a bracelet and earrings

or pendants that are gemstones.  Most are polished and some

are rough cut.  

This is a red-brown jasper precious gemstone

I wire wrapped it in craft wire and made

a pendant necklace.  Yay me!

This blog has been going for 9 years and I now changed the template and color
 because it was time for

something simpler and more eye catching to look at.  I am having some frustration with changing the header picture.  I like that picture but it is not my photo.  That's okay for now.  

I have had 2 skin tags removed and my physiotherapy for my right shoulder is almost done.  

I am now dancing my way to Latin Rhythm music with Kathy Smith.  She is 65 years old now.  It is fast but fun and I don't have to lift weights or hold a plank position or do sit ups.  Just move my feet to the music.

I just found another distraction; my husband finished my art easel.  I can stand and paint or draw

and it's portable!

The community choir and me as an Alto 1 singer has been challenging

but good for me.  A concert this Sunday and then the final May 7.

I have to practice at home because I am not that strong of a singer.

My piano training helps immensely.

Also horses running around and training is getting revved up as the riding area is

dry now.

Blessed spring emotions and distractions can make me crazy but a it's a good crazy!

what is working for me

toque up

glove up

it's the heart of winter!

 as far as the new year that has begun,  I know what worked

for me in 2016 and that was exercise

5 days a week, and an average of 8,000 activity steps

a day

I have no goals or new year resolutions

I am just going to keep on doing what worked for

me last year

What is still working for me these last few years is blogging

and writing in my morning pages (journalling and personal prayers); photo taking!

 my new year 2017 quote.....

anything or anyone that does not bring you alive is too small for you.” 

― David Whyte, House of Belonging

The Value

I am writing in the 3rd person for this post it is easier

to describe my first year.

"She thought she would post about

the events that happened in her new home this

past year.

She thought it would be harder to fit in and

get to know people here.  It hasn't been.

The home is taking shape nicely

and the horses are well and

friends drop in more frequently now.

She was isolated back in the other place.

The windy place.  She had work friends

but never any one dropping in.  She lived several miles

out of the city before.  Now she lives 10 minutes away 

from grocery stores and banks.  She is pleased and is

comfortable.  It must be the right decision to be here.

The lakes are her friend and when they freeze up in winter

they are always welcoming her the next summer.  It is a reassurance for

her."

This is valuable to her soul.  Some friends have fallen away

and it clears her path for more room for herself."

{photo taken at the {Ravine Ecological Preserve}

Her life has value!

keep it going

I have been looking back at older posts on this website.  Some of the writings of my earlier posts

tend towards bluntness and sometimes directionless.  I am at an insecure phase right now

about writing and painting. 

What I will say today on this post is that

we all have "blocks" and we keep moving forward but

somehow what we say is not really what we are

thinking.  This may not make sense to you.  It is real for me

now and now that I have reached my goal for this move

to happen and I am here I am closed off as what more

to share with you the reader.  

I have to finish what I started.  I started writing a document that is

personal and it is stored in my closet in the art room.  I opened this closet and took down the accordian folder that I saved it in and started to edit; some of

what I documented on this project needs more mature grammar

and the paragraphs are not completely clear information.

Regina skies

I am now able to share this writing with an editor  and it is making my thoughts about

my immature writing more vulnerable for me.  I was told by a woman who has written several

books through Hay House and other publishing companies that her first publisher/editor reviewed her

writing and asked if she finished high school.  She is now still writing and very successful.

Keep editing and writing and stay calm!

  

proud of

 I am proud of.............

1. the 21 year career i retired from at the credit union

2. the 2 boys I raised

3. my lifeguard bronze medallion

4. teaching myself and working with my husband to learn to ride horses

5. my canoe and paddling adventures

6. attaining my grade 6 piano

7. the handmade soap i make

8. my marriage

9. my dancing

10. nurturing my connections with long time friends

11. my son Tom

12. walking 30 minutes a day

13. managing my diabetes

14. singing in a choir

15. acting in 2 musical productions

16. my public speaking

17. writing hand written cards/notes to keep closely connected to loved ones

18. my blog

19. my photography

20. my vulnerability when I write

21. my drawings/paintings

22. my bravery

23. crazy character

24. my humour

25. ballet picture I bought at an auction 29 years ago

26. energy therapy training

27. attaining my level 3 Healing Touch Certificate

28. my massage table

29. my tan-easy skin

30. what adversity has taught me

I need to get up to 100.....

just musing and stuff

receiving and giving

which is harder?

it depends as I know people who do not like 

to receive anything but like to be more givers.

you really cannot give if you cannot receive.  (think about it, it is deep)

it means that alot of us are not comfortable receiving compliments, gifts, admiration from others

it is important to let others be the giver.  It is a 2 way street as far as I am concerned.

Christmas is giving and receiving and talking and listening, praising and non-judging.  

Kind of special to me.

expressing honest appreciation and we must never pretend appreciation, but if we feel it we must express it.  This new horse called Thunder was untouchable up until a few days ago.  Mantracker called the pasture manager down the road who is also a farrier and has spent his life working with horses.

Thunder needed to be roped and roped gently but firmly so she could learn that the touch of a

human is not terrifying.  We are so appreciative of him coming over on his own time

and it took him 30 minutes max and he was rubbing Thunder's face and neck and back.

it was amazing to watch.  We learned an awful lot in those 30 minutes!

thanks Cliff (our community pasture manager) for your expertise.

 i just liked this photo because of the black horse and the
 red horse shelter and a bit of white snow.

 the young horse  brings a youthful vigor to our place and it is exciting.

it keeps me in the "present" and the moments for this horse is always in the now and what's in it for me.  Training, as I am sure Mantracker would agree keeps you  always in the present moment because that is all there really is when a communication and closeness is learned and it is how we relate and communicate well when, in this case, we want to keep this horse focused.

Here is Storm, our charge this last week while owner's were holidaying in Mexico

The only imperfection this dog had was she snuck a couple of ornaments off the tree and tucked them under the coffee table.  I noticed them when we got home from dropping her off.  Ha I had a good chuckle.  She could sure fly through that snow fast too.   That was funny to watch!

that is the musing post for today.

keep grounded and safe this week!

dharma is

my dharma is?  well first off dharma means purpose of life.  Okay so my purpose is (and I will state this as simply as I can)

writing and storytelling

there it is!  I am creatively sharing and writing on this website and have been since Jan 2008.  Almost 7 years.  I write and take pictures because it is extremely enjoyable for me and i would like to do more of it. Creating in my art room is my process room and not necessarily anything worth presenting in a craft or trade show venue.  

student of the horse 

there it is!  another purpose!  I have lived almost a year without horses around me 24/7 and I hated it! These animals are so grounding.  I will always be a student and having a relationship with a horse is almost better than any other kind of relationship I have encountered.

This has been difficult to surmise what my purpose is and once I kept myself true and genuine and grounded with my self I realized that I am basically here to share and learn.

my dharma (purpose) is very heart-centred and joyful to me!

photo memories 2013