Virtual Brush Box

On the 9th Day of Christmas: Nine Pounds a-Droppin’

Yesterday looked forward. Today looks back. How did I do with the 2014 resolutions?

Weight “My third goal for the year* is to lose weight.” [9th]

Victory! Taken off & stayed off. Show vest buttons with ease. [Progress: photos at end]

No thanks to me. Credit goes to an obliging metabolism and an outstanding chef. I simply eat what is put in front of me.

Magazines “One of my goals for 2014 is to get re-energized about writing for money.” [7th]

Bzzzzt. You can’t win if you don’t try. Early in the year, I bought a stack of equine magazines. I diligently dissected the articles and the ads. I pondered topics. I pondered approaches. I wandered off to do other things.

Maybe the time of a career based on the straight-up magazine article has passed. I should reinvent myself. Maybe my time with equine publications has passed. I should expand my horizons. Maybe I am a lazy slug. I should get off my ass.

Or all of the above.

Jump “Therefore, eight jumps would mean a hunter class would mean I was riding & showing & jumping.” [8th]

Not even close. Not even the one, almost, pseudo jump of 2013 [Midwestern Mounts: #11]. The horses that I ride, don’t jump. The horses that jump (or should jump), I don’t ride.

A few times, I was able to step in with advice during a jumping session. Not that I am an expert. I’ve just taken so many jumping lessons that I know the tricks. Nice to find out I hadn’t forgotten everything.

Score
One success. One failure. One that was neither. Thirty percent, grading strictly. Good for a batting average, less good for a carton of eggs. Fifty percent, grading generously.

Bring on 2015!

2013
On the Ninth Day of Christmas: 9 Pounds a-Droppin’
~~~
Since posts are better with pictures, another unrelated but seasonally appropriate illustration.

The person who gave me the pretty ornament this year [Present], also gave me this one:

1986? That doesn’t seem possible.

The sharp-eyed among us may notice that this ornament was not on the tree in yesterday’s photo. I took it off for this photograph, put it back on, took it off, & forgot to put it back on for my third attempt at a decent shot of the tree. Those Breyer stirrup ornament are shiny! And not in a good way.

On the 8th Day of Christmas: Eight Resolutions

Change of plans. I spent several days quagmired in an earnest, heartfelt post on my past, present, and future. Nevermind. Take it as read that for 2015, I want to keep the good bits (husband, health, horse shows) and improve where needed (food habits, exercise habits, work habits). The standard suite of New Year’s resolutions.

Instead,
things I would
like to, hope to, want to
do this year,
with varying degrees of likelihood,
in no particular order,
other than the first two:

*Jump a horse. Jump more than once. Jump many fences. Jump with air time. Jump an entire course. Jump cross-country. Jump high. Find a jumping schoolmaster who can get me back in the groove so that the preceding is possible.

*Show my own horses. See above. I’d be happy going for lessons. Who am I kidding? I’d be happy cantering peaceably around the backyard.

*Buy a DSLR camera. Learn how to use. Learn how to make light behave. Do a better job photographing shiny objects, such as horse show ribbons, LEGO bricks, and Christmas ornaments. Better photo skills will help me to …

*Start model horse showing. Inspired by a post* on the subject, I decided to check out the only live show in my area, which takes place next month. Then, says I to myself, since I’m going anyway, why not enter? Just for giggles. This way, I can experience the show from the inside. Competitive? Moi? I had no idea if this was feasible. Turns out it is. However, scheduling conflicts will most likely rear their ugly heads. So, this year, I will do photo shows. Next year, I will go to my first live show. Yes, there are other shows within driving distance at other times. However, if I’m going away for the weekend to a show, I’m gonna be riding: my own horse of a preference; a Saddlebred if I may. The plan is for models to be a part-time, secondary, or possibly tertiary, interest.

(*It was on a private blog, so I can’t link to it.)

*Go on monthly adventures. In researching the model horse hobby, I have been plowing through the archives of Braymere Custom Saddlery, “I make teeny tiny saddles and blog about all things horse related.” The author often takes trips to shows and other horsey places, such as the Longhopes Donkey Shelter. Blog fodder would be my excuse for such day trips, but it’s mostly impetus to get off the farm.

*Learn the Australian crawl. Less discoordinated floundering. More sleek swimming machine. Decrease my level of embarrassment when I am the only one in the pool & the lifeguard has nothing to do but watch me.

*Stop buying books. Of course, this will never happen. I could slow down the torrent. You know how some people binge eat when they are hungry, angry, lonely, or tired? I binge buy books. Unlike diets, this goal is not about deprivation. It is about enjoying the many fabulous books I already have, lurking in piles all over my house. It is about cutting back on shopping as entertainment. After all, the point is to read the books, not to accumulate them.

*Write 365 blog posts. Then write something other than blog posts. Perhaps publish a short story? Unfortunately, I haven’t written fiction since being traumatized by a professor in college (English departments & I do NOT get along [Origin Story**].) However, the blog is morphing into a black hole. As I type this post in late December, I have already worked on posts halfway through January. Time to divert a little of that blogging energy to other uses.

(**The professor I refer to over there isn’t even the one who traumatized me. That one kinda liked me. But I digress.)

In conclusion
I’m not claiming that self-reflection is not important. Just that it does not always need to be shared. For those who would like to go through the heartfelt examinination process with their own life, these posts were helpful:
Into Mind: Your Year in Review: 50 Questions to Help You Reflect, Appreciate and Get Excited for 2015
Into Mind: The Minimalist’s Guide to Setting and Achieving Goals

2013
On the Eighth Day of Christmas: 8 Fences Jumping
~~~
Since posts are better with pictures, an unrelated but seasonally appropriate illustration.

My horse ornaments on a tree cut from a wooden pallet. It’s in front of a similarly-built, unused, wooden stall door. That’s why the visuals are confusing.

On the 7th Day of Christmas: Seven Horses Showing

As with last year, I had the opportunity to show in saddle seat academy classes through the Stepping Stone Farm lesson program. It was, um, a growth year. Much was learned. Many horses were ridden. Some whining occured. We ended on a high note. Onwards!

Show mounts for 2014
Trump [SSF Summer Show]
Sam [Winter Tournament 2] [Pro Am] [MSSP] [SSF Fun] [National Academy] [GA Fall Classic]
Natalie (riding & driving) [SSF Fun Show] [Winter Tournament 1:2015]
Maggie [Winter Tournament 3] [Dixie Cup]
Lola [NE Georgia] [Al Charity]
Bingo [Rocking S] [UPHA]
Alvin (driving) [SSF Fun Show] [National Academy]

By The Numbers
Number of shows: 14
Number of big shows: 8
Number of classes: 43
(2-3 classes at most shows, 4 at a handful, 8 (!) at Nationals)
Number of driving classes: 4
Number of ribbons: 45
(one per class, two series-end awards, all hanging in my office, perks of working at home)
Number of classes won: 12
(half of these from the last two shows of the year)
Number of lessons: 57
Number of lesson horses: 15
(Above, plus Willie, Tango, Roberto, Moony, Jazz, Freckles, Bo, & Bama on the long-line)

Thank you to the owners for sharing their lovely horses.
Thank you to my coach for instruction, for moral support, and for seeing what I am capable of, whether I believe you or not.

Waiting Photo by Mom — Waiting
Photo by Mom

My favorite show picture on my favorite show horse.

2013 On the Seventh Day of Christmas: 7 Mags a-Payin’

On the 6th Day of Christmas: Six Suns a-Settin’

All images taken with phone during evening dog walk around the pasture.

2013 On the Sixth Day of Christmas: 6 Grassy Acres

On the 5th Day of Christmas: Five Fluffy Foofs

Five championship ribbons from 2014:
One because I was the only rider in the division. [Banquet]
Two in an actual championship class where I had to beat someone, but only one. [Pro Am]
Three and Four for regular classes in place of blue ribbons. [Georgia Classic]
Five was an year-end, endurance ribbon for slogging to more shows than the folks who beat me all year. SESHA Academy Horsemanship [FB post]

Not what you would call highly contested prizes. Still, I’m thrilled with each and every one of them. Am I that shallow? Yes and no.

No, I am not that shallow. I understand that a ribbon is a symbol. In one show, I placed first among the adults in a mixed class of kids and adults and then moved up a spot in the next class [UPHA]. Was I happy? Pffft. I rode badly. The horse went badly. A pleasant time was not had by all. The those ribbon were ashes to me. I was grumpy for days, weeks even [Caveat Lector]. Conversely, I was not upset by the purple and green parade at Nationals [A Horse Show in 80 Tweets]. I really wasn’t. I did what I came to do. I did so on the horse of my choice. Judges didn’t like our flavor of ice cream? Oh well. So, I do recognize that the horse and the ride come first. Placings are nice, but ultimately out of my control.

Yes, I am that shallow. Because, ribbons!!!

2013 On the Fifth Day of Christmas: 5 Dressage Rings

On the 4th Day Of Christmas: Four Rolling Wheels

Driving. Showing in driving classes. Wasn’t expecting THAT this year. I don’t see driving replacing riding. I get too much information through my butt. I do hope to stay with it as a sidelight.

How I ended up in a cart: Annotated Camp Tweets

2013 On the Fourth Day Of Christmas: 4 Custom Shoes

On the 3rd Day of Christmas: Three Hard Hats

Three helmets. All purchased this year. That’s a lot of hat for someone who rides in a lesson once a week and shows once a month in school horse classes.

When I replaced my old hat, I bought a nicer one for showing and lessons [New Equipment]. Then, a schooling helmet for camp [Tweets]. Then, a more colorful hat for showing [Show Report].

My inner curmudgeon wants to kick up a fuss about this emphasis on the exterior. Doesn’t what I DO matter more than how I LOOK? However, that voice is drowned out by the squeals of my inner Pretty Princess getting her bling on.

Update: Illustration added once I got permission from the artist. By Jennie Breeden, The Devil’s Panties: It’s not Satanic Porn, thedevilspanties.com

2013 On the Third Day of Christmas: 3 Feed Sacks