Letter Art: Graphic Design for the Masses, the One-Horse Open Sleigh Stamp

Reveal

When I was much younger, I remember going with my grandmother to the Post Office. She took time to examine all the available stamps before choosing ones she liked. I wondered, and probably said, ‘Why bother? They’re just stamps.’ These days I find myself doing the same thing, opting for a moment of beauty in a mundane task. Which leads me to wonder about the artists who create stamps. Millions see their work; no one knows their name.

“The late Howard E. Paine was the art director. Artist Steve McCracken of Winchester, VA, created original art for the project.” Postal Service to Dedicate Christmas Carols Forever Stamps

Howard E. Paine
If anyone has information/links for artist Steve McCracken, please let me know. Steve McCracken Illustration, per comment below.
A Short Course on First Day Covers from the American First Day Cover Society, proving that there is an organization for everything. Although, given the number of horse associations to which I pay dues each year, I cannot cast the smallest pebble,

Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott

USDF Interview: Amy Struzzieri, Horse-Show Night Watch Service

“Behind The Scenes: Amy Struzzieri, Horse-Show Night Watch Service”
USDF Connection
November 2017
United States Dressage Federation

A short interview with the folks who check our horses while we sleep.

©2017 United States Dressage Federation. Used by permission. Reproduction prohibited without prior written permission of the publisher.

 

Previous Post [USDF Interview: Jo-Anne Young, Collegiate Equestrian-Program Director]
Previous Posts [Behind The Scenes]

Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott

Foto Friday: Instagram November 2017

Last month’s Instagram from @rodneyssaga.

… on …

 

Not as many this month. I left the ribbon picture up as a sidebar for my week of National Academy posts [Show Report].

Previous [October 2017]

Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott

Back in the Saddle Seat

Saddle Seat Wednesday

Rode last week. Not riding would have wasted a whole week of dreading [Warning, More Whining]. Robert was, of course, wonderful.

… on … Photo by Courtney Huguley.

My problem is one of certainty rather than confidence. I can be plenty arrogant confident when I feel that I know what I am doing. There were moments waiting for my classes on Sunday morning at Nationals when I was not totally a hot mess [Show Report]. The problem comes when I am not sure. If I am not 100% certain, then I must be completely lost, no?

I am an either/or person. (IRL friends are rolling their eyes so hard right now.) It is no accident that my eventing colors were black & white [Best Laid Plans]. I’m not good with gray areas. Never have been.

Unfortunately, for me there will always be an element of uncertainty with saddle seat. When a ride goes sour, my instinct is to sit in the center of the saddle and put my leg on. This is not what ASBs are trained to expect. Therefore, I either get ignored or make a deteriorating situation worse.

OTOH, some people do become fluent in a second language [Nice Horses and Lesson Programs, ex-pat theory].

Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott

#bloglikecrazy

Holiday: Rodney in Residence

What did Rodney do while Milton was gadding about the countryside [Milton on the Move]? He ate hay.

This is huge.

It’s huge because Rodney ate hay in the pasture, not in the stall. Until last weekend, we had been putting Rodney up while Milton was away. We didn’t want Rodney to spend the entire time galloping the fenceline screaming for his missing roommate.

After successive approximations and closely monitoring Rodney’s behavior, we took a deep breath and left Rodney out when we drove off with Milton. Rodney’s response? ‘Via con Dios. Don’t let the gate hit your butt on the way out.’ This means that when Milton goes to a multi-day show, we don’t have to bring Rodney (problematic) or keep him in a stall for days on end (un-ideal).

Rodney going to a show? Don’t wanna talk about it. Wanna bask in the victories we have.

Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott

#bloglikecrazy