“Follow your dreams, believe in yourself and don’t give up.”– Rachel Corrie
We can’t expect people to believe in us if we don’t believe in ourselves. Stay focused on your dreams and never let go of them.
Believe In Yourself
Humor
Aging and Birthdays
“Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter.”
Mark Twain
I have never been big on celebrating my birthday. I remember one year my mom called to wish me happy birthday. I told her it wasn’t my birthday, I didn’t know what day of the month it was but it didn’t stop me from opening my mouth and inserting my foot. My mother was quick to remind me that she was there for the delivery, yes she said it, and that she should know. Once again mom was right.
I remember as a kid I thought 40 was old. I thought you moved into the old folks home at that age. I had no idea how wrong I was. As I celebrated my 25th birthday, I came to realize that people lived into their 60s, 70s, and even 80s. Ok I never said I was the sharpest tool in the shed.
I never really thought I would make it to my 60s. But to my surprise I just turned 68. I have reached that point in life where my body and mind seem to be arguing a lot. My body says you really aren’t going to do that are you? You better think about what you are doing and my mind says hold my Geritol and watch this!
My Take on Aging
Growing old doesn’t bother me. I know it is a given and I accept it. It’s the changes that concerns me.
Every year my hair grows grayer and my beard turns whiter. When I get out of bed in the mornings it sounds like someone poured milk on Rice Krispies.
The biggest disappointment is not being able to do the things I used to be able to do.
My strength wanes every year. Fifty pound feed sacks now feel like a hundred pounds. I easily run out of breath and my “Git” along seems to have done got up and got along all by itself. I can no longer play “pull my finger” because it is like playing Russian Roulette. The word “depends” takes on a whole new meaning. It now is known as a protective under garment. You now plan your outings around bathrooms. When I go fishing the number of steps decides where I will be fishing instead of where the fish may be hanging out. The song Gimme Three Steps is no longer about a jealous boyfriend and a man with hair colored yellow.
Growing up all I heard about was the “Golden Years” and I can tell you now the only thing Golden is my doctor’s wallet.
Finally I’ve started thinking a lot about the here after. I walk into a room thinking now what did I come in here after.
Now you have my thoughts on aging. Good thing is I am still on the right side of the dirt and hope to be for sometime yet. I just have to take it one day at a time and put on my big boy panties and say I can do this!
October 10, 2020
Day three and no problems so far. One thing i have learned is how important it is to keep my foot elevated. It keeps the swelling down for sure.
My biggest cocern was getting around. I had access to a walker and my insurance would pay for crutches. The crutches make it easier to navigate steps.
The pain was an 8 the first 3 days and today it has subsided a lot to a 2. I must confess I was a little worried because I had heard from a couple they had a real tough time. I hope I’m not jinxing myself.
So if you are thinking about getting a full ankle replacement all I can say is it isn’t going to be a cake walk. It is going to be tough. I plan on keeping you posted on my progress.
What Next?
I would imagine all farriers have some war stories to tell. The following is one of mine. No names are mentioned to protect the innocent.
Some years back I had just finished supper and the phone rang. It was a lady who wanted me to shoe her horse. She said a friend had recommended me. She told me that she had bought her first horse and was new to horses. Now I am not knocking first time horse owners but through my experience with them it was like the doctor telling me I only had a week to live.
She said that a friend had told her that “hot shoeing” a horse was the only way to do it and asked if I “hot shod”? I said yes ma’am and I set an appointment for her.
The day finally arrived and I showed up on time only to find that the horse was in the pasture. She apologized and grabbed the halter to go catch it. What followed looked like a scene from the Keystone Cops! I watched with amusement as this horse played her like a fine fiddle until I could “takes no more” and took the halter and caught the wild beast.
I began trimming the horse and got the shoe I needed. I placed it on the hoof to see what adjustments were needed for a correct fit. I placed the shoe in the forge and started to trim the other front foot as the shoe heated up.
I took the hot shoe and shaped it on the anvil and once shoe was shaped correctly I placed it back in the forge. This is where it gets good. I took the shoe to the foot and began to burn it on. Well if you have never seen a hot shoe on a hoof let me tell you, the smoke rolls and the aroma of burnt hoof is not the most pleasant smell that will ever reach your nostrils.
The lady begins screaming at me using words that would make a sailor blush. The horse becomes spooked and I am trying to get out from underneath it without ending up on the ground. This whole time I am holding a hot shoe that would leave a permanent horseshoe brand on any flesh, man or horse, that it touched. I was successful at staying on my feet and not branding anything. Then the owner proceeds to tell me to gather my things and get off her property. I gladly obliged.
That night I received a phone call. Yep you guessed it. The new horse owner. She immediately began apologizing and admitted she didn’t really know what “hot shoeing” was and got scared when she saw the smoke and smelt the burning hoof, even though I had already explained it to her. Drum roll; she then asked if we could reschedule. Let’s see now, I told her to have the horse caught up, which she hadn’t done and I explained to her how “hot shoeing” works but obviously wasn’t listening or didn’t believe me. Now I believe in giving second chances unless there is a great chance that I could get hurt. Maybe I am crude and rude but without saying a word I hung up on her. Maybe not good business practice but this client I don’t think I was going to be able to “charge her til I liked her”.
My beloved Kate. RIP
A Little Farrier Humor
First let me make it clear the names have been changed to protect the not so innocent.
A young man had bought a grade horse and was obsessed with finding out exactly how old the horse was to the point he became very annoying.
Now Bubba had been told by the sellers it was twenty one years old. Someone made the mistake of telling him that the sellers were known for not telling the truth. Now Bubba was convinced his horse was close to thirty. He asked the vet to age him by looking at his teeth. Vet said as near as he could tell the horse was in his twenties.
One morning while I was in the barn shoeing horses he began his rant of not knowing exactly how old his horse was. I wasn’t having a good morning. A horse had pulled its foot back at the same time the nail exited the hoof and sliced my finger. Billy Bob, who worked at the barn, was holding horses and fetching them for me.
Well Bubba just went on and on and I had had enough. I said there is one sure fire way you could get close. You know how a tree is aged by its rings? Well a horse grows an anal ring every five years so if it has four rings it is between twenty and twenty five. At this point Billy Bob almost choked on his tobacco. Billy Bob said that’s right. I had forgot about that method.
Well Bubba told us we were full of it and walked off. I never gave it another thought. I was sure he knew I was being sarcastic.
I was under a horse prepping the hoof for a shoe. Meanwhile Bubba had pulled his horse out of the stall and was grooming him. I was checking the shoe fit when Billy Bob said you have to see this and was laughing hysterically. I set the foot down and looked in the direction of Bubba.
I looked on in disbelief. Bubba was holding the tail with one hand and with the finger of the other hand he was opening the business end of the horse with his face just inches away. Bubba and I were laughing so hard we had tears running down our cheeks.
I guess Bubba heard us and dropped its tail and judging by what he was saying to us it was a safe bet we were no longer on his Christmas card list. He didn’t talk to us for months and to my knowledge never asked anyone how old they thought his horse was.
Let me tell you. It was quite a sight to see. I still laugh when I think about it. I never thought in my wildest dreams that he would do that. I guess I was wrong.
A Little Trip Down Memory Lane
During my teenage years my family would vacation every summer for a week at a campground in Mammoth Spring, Arkansas called Many Islands. It was located on the Spring River and offered premier trout fishing.
Our first year we camped for a week in a tent. It didn’t take long to realize that this was not the best of ideas. The following years we rented a cabin with all the comforts of home.
Spring River had several springs that flowed into it. The water temperature was cold and colder. Remember this little bit of information. The shock of hitting the water would take your breath away.
Generally we would wade the water to trout fish. On this one particular morning my dad informed me he was renting a boat and trolling motor so he and I could get where the big trout hung out.
There was a concrete slab where one could pull the boat up to and tie it off. My dad had pulled the boat up to the slab and informed me he was going to show me how to tie the boat up properly.
I was thirteen and excited about my dad sharing his knowledge with me. I watched attentively as he explained the proper knot to use as he tied it off. He then instructed me to retrieve our tackle boxes and rods and reels. He began loading the boat with our gear. He took one load aboard and came back to get another load.
On this trip he set his foot on the front seat of the John boat and still had one foot on the slab. At this point the boat began to drift away from the slab. Little did I know my vocabulary was going to expand with words that if I had ever used would have ended with me getting my mouth washed out with soap.
Now you have to picture my dad with one foot in the boat and the other planted on the slab and the boat slowly backing away. The gap between the boat and slab has widened. At this point I began to wonder if at the age of thirty four if my dad could physically do the splits.
My dad is trying frantically to pull the boat back to the slab with his leg. I stood there in disbelief as I watched the knot my dad had tied begin to unravel and the boat was now free and it occurred to me my dad was now at the point of no return.
All of a sudden I was overcome with the urge to laugh. I immediately started biting my tongue and realized how much I enjoyed life. I didn’t want to be standing in front of the pearly gates at such a young age so with great determination I was able to suppress my laughter.
I watched in horror, but laughing on the inside, as the gap became too wide for my dad to maintain his balance. SPLASH!!! Did I mention how cold the water is? He rises out of the water and onto the slab with the agility of a teenager. Like the Phoenix rising from the ashes!! My vocabulary was expanding with the speed of light. His language would have made a sailor proud!
Needless to say that pretty much ended our day in the boat exploring Spring River and a trophy Trout was spared. When we got back to the cabin we had a real good laugh. Ahh the memories of growing up.
No, They Are Not Just Dogs!
Kate
Eros
My dogs are family and treated like family. Yeah, I’m one of those!! If they don’t like you I probably won’t either. If you visit my house I guarantee when you leave you will have dog hair hitching a ride. I can’t imagine what life would be like without them. Kate is a 2011 model and Eros a 2012. Kate had a few problems when she was a pup. She had crystals in her urine and had hip surgery at a year old.
She slept on the couch and I slept on the floor beside her. When she was healed up she became my ride dog.
I am a retired farrier and she loved going to the barns with me. She took her riding shotgun seriously.
Then there is Eros. He was so little when he was a pup. He now ways 124 pounds.
He can be pretty intimidating. He is a big teddy bear. He is definitely a “protector”.
“A dog is the only thing on Earth that loves you more than you loves yourself.” – Josh Billings
They both have their own personalities. They are good listeners, loyal, and give unconditional love. They are always glad to see you and add joy to your life.
Now don’t get me wrong. They can get sick and leave a big mess to clean up and they can just simply be a pain in the butt. They are a huge responsibility. All in all I still say they are worth it.
Nope they aren’t just dogs. They’re family.
Life 101!
“Life is a journey that must be traveled no matter how bad the roads and accommodations.” – Oliver Goldsmith
Once a person slides through the birth canal and pops out into the world, it’s “game on”, the journey has begun. Nope you can’t go back. No matter how hard you try, you can’t scratch and claw your way back into the birth canal and hide. Now put on your big boy/girl panties and grab life by the horns because it is going to be one hell of a ride.
The first eighteen years is tough. For the biggest part of those years, someone else makes decisions for you. There will be times that you will swear those people making those decisions have only one purpose in life. Yep. In this complicated world, believe it or not, just one. Make your life as miserable as they can! When you start thinking this way, the odds are that you have graduated to teenager status and at this point you know it all.
Then that big day comes. You achieve adulthood and the biggest surprise, you are alive. You survived. Now we are going to see what you are made of. You thought it was tough when the internet was down for 3 days, well you ain’t seen anything yet.
“No one saves us but ourselves. No one can and no one may. We ourselves must walk the path.” – Buddha
Now folks this stat may blow you away. Americans between the ages of 18-34 are more likely to live with their parents than in any other living situation. Pew Research Center’s analysis found that in that age group 32.1 percent will live with their parents. Marriage/Cohabitating 31.6 percent, Alone/Head of Household 14%, Other 22% Men are more likely to live with their parents while women are more likely to take a spouse or partner. Now I don’t know about the rest of you but these numbers blow me away. Damn if I did that I bet I would still have a curfew of midnight. In high school my dates could stay out longer than me. Needless to say I didn’t stay at home until I was 34. Nope. Instead I learned how to cook and do laundry. Do you know how embarrassing it is when your date’s dad says have her home by 1 a.m. and you say I will sir. Little did he know I had to be home at midnight.
“Life is a journey and it’s about growing and changing and coming to terms with who and what you are and loving who and what you are.” – Kelly McGillis
Well I hope you enjoyed the blog today. I appreciate you stopping by and reading it. Shh, don’t read so loud you might wake them up and they might throw me out. I am still blown away that more people live with their parents than with a partner or spouse. Be sure to spread the love.
One Hole or Two
If you use Facebook I am sure you have seen this before. If you have used one you are going to know where I am coming from but if you have not I may be hard to follow.
My story begins in Lafe, Arkansas in the 50s. My grandparents had a farm located here. They lived in an old farmhouse with out running water and ………NO BATHROOM! Yep you heard me right, no bathroom.
Now it just so happens that they did have an outhouse. Because of their glamorous aroma, especially in the hot weather months, the outhouse was located some distance from the house. Did I mention that it didn’t have electric in it. Anyway ours wasn’t just any old outhouse. No siree! It was a genuine two hole privy. Not just one hole by two! Well butter my butt and call me a biscuit, we were styling.
Or were we. Now if you have never seen a two hole privy let me tell ya, the holes ain’t that far apart and there is no divider or stall like you see in the public bathrooms today. Nope, just two holes cut in a piece of wood. However my grandpa had installed a couple of real toilet seats which added some comfort. Now for the life of me I can not, CAN NOT, imagine two people sitting there, that close together, beside each other having their morning bowel movement. I read that back and it even sounds sick. I don’t ever recall seeing two people coming out of the outhouse together. One hole would have been enough.
Grandparents old house.
Now when I was knee high to a grasshopper I became acquainted with my grandma’s tom turkey. Now he had somehow figured out that I was terrified of him. Now in my defense, if you have never seen an old tom all puffed up and strutting his stuff and coming at you don’t pass judgement on me. I am here to tell ya that will scare the devil out of you especially when you are only 5.
Now every time I had to go to the bathroom that old tom would be between me and the outhouse. I need to explain something at this point. When a guy is headed for the outhouse that can only mean one thing because there were plenty of trees to tinkle behind. Ok now that I explained that, when you have had a big plate of biscuits and sausage gravy for breakfast time is of the essence. It is dangerous to be playing around at this time.
Another view of the old farmhouse.
My grandparents got running water in 1970. All the kids, there were nine, chipped in and had a well drilled for them. Then five years later my uncle and I put a bathroom in the old farmhouse for them. I remember one visit in the summer not long after we installed the bathroom, I saw grandma grab the TP and head for the barn (outhouse had finally succumbed to gravity). I asked her why she didn’t use the bathroom and she said it was too “purty” to mess up. That winter when I was down visiting and the snow was whirling she used the inside bathroom. I guess the bathroom wasn’t that “purty after all.
I had a lot of fun on the farm. I wish my son would have been able to experience some of the things that happened on the farm. It was a great time in my life that I will always cherish and Grandma White, well she was a saint and the sweetest person you ever met.
Thanks for taking the time to read my post. I hoe you enjoyed it. Remember share the love.
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