Giddy-up!

Last weekend was our first show of the season. It was a small, cut-down-the-costs, show-off-the-trailer, no ribbons kind of show. It was amazingly sunny out- and just as COLD!! We spent the full day outside- due to some verrrrrrry slow judges- and came home sunburned and windburned!

The first show is always kind of tough. Both the ponies and the kids were jittery. Jason rodes his cousin Matthew's pony Judge in the walk class. Jusge wasn't exactly cooperative, and Jason came out very frustrated, and quickly burst into tears. It was tough to see his heart break.

What he didn't unterstand is, as green as he is, he did a really good job with Judge. He received high praises from all of us, including one of his riding intructors. He got lots of hugs and kisses too.

I know how he felt. I used to have the same kind of temperament- type A all the way. I would get very upset if my ride wasn't perfect.

It is a hard lesson to teach anyone, especially kids. I wanted him to understand that he tried hard and did well- and that's the important part. Ribbons are not the end goal.

I'm not sure he beleived me, but I hope to keep working on that lesson. Try hard. Laugh at the bad days. And keep going!

Hugs,Lee

Vanishing Time

I was blog hopping, and realized that I haven't blogged in a long time! Well, I have written posts in my head, but not gotten to the part where I type and publish. Do you do that? I have these long, eloquent posts (at least in my own mind) that never get typed.

There are lots of things that contribute to this, I think.

• Living in tight quarters.
• Not really having a space of my own (boy, was I blessed having a studio at the Maine house). 
• Working 4 days a week, in a row (I have been working shift work since graduating with my BSN in 2000, which means having streteches of days off)
• Getting caught up in day to day stuff and not really paying attention to my own creativity. This is a biggie- living with my parents means that I can't leave stuff out willy-nilly. I get caught up in the combination of my families needs and the needs of my parents. I may have a day planned in my head, but then end up doing something else. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but as you all know, creativity takes space and time. Somehow, the time just vanishes.

There are tons of online classes out there. I just can't seem to commit myself to any! Any of you taking a good one?

I won classes from Jeanne Oliver (Creatively Made) and Melody and Kathy over at Brave Girls (Soul Restoration), and ran out of steam. I finished all but one part of Jeanne's, and made a book from Brave Girls, but haven't filled it in yet (part of that is that I lack any pictures of myself). I wouldn't say I'm the kind of gal that never finishes anything- because that couldn't be farther from the truth- but I found that once I tried certain techniques, I was done with them. Has this happened to you?

I have also notices in this creative lull, that my tastes are changing. I see some art out there that I used to be attracted to, that I used to do, that I can't stand anymore. I look at some pieces and think "ugh" or "this is messy" or "I don't like this anymore". Any of you out there like that? I'd be interested in how you are evolving. I am interested in painting, like big abstract canvases. Check out my Pintrest folder. I feel like I don't have the know-how, but sometimes you just have to wing it!! I bought some heavy bodied paints, now I just have to use them!!

In the meantime, I'm going to try to actually post the things I compose in my head. That's a start, anyway. Then I'm going to nap, because to day is my only day off, and I'm still recovering from a pony show yesterday!

Tell me what you're up to!