Between the ears of a horse

My husband knows I love to ride our horses. He knows if I'm down in the dumps or discouraged, even a short ride will make me new again. He usually surprises me with the car loaded down with saddles and helmets. Yes, we wear helmets and if you ride with me you will wear one. I'm too old to learn to walk, talk and go potty by myself again, after a brain injury. Be smart, wear a helmet.

Christmas was wonderful this year. All the children had a great time, it was nice seeing all the family. As we crawled into bed my husband announced we were riding the horses, the next morning. The weather is still mild (in the 70's) and since Alabama is still in drought conditions, they are no trails washed out behind the farm.

We usually do not ride during the Alabama summers (it's too hot) and Fall was far too busy this year for anything but grooming and feeding.

We have four horses. The old guy, we no longer ride. He's almost 30 and his heart is not good at all. He enjoys pasture rule over the mares and short, assisted rides with small children only. He's a good old boy that will stop right in front of you to get a belly rub or neck scratching. He has floaters and cataracts in his eyes and can't hear very well anymore. I often look at him and think "how long old friend until I'm there with you?" Like him, we just keep moving forward each day.

Some people have horses they send off to be "tuned up" each year before riding season begins. Of course, my husband is not going to pay for such nonsense. That would be far to easy, right?

You know those horses you can get on after six months of no rides and after fifteen minutes knocking off the rough edges, they are fabulous? That's the kind of horse everyone wants. It's less work and less trouble, who wouldn't want those horses? You can easily take that horse for granted. As it is in life, when you do not put in the work, you do not get the expected result. My sweet husband puts up with my love for horses. He is the true horse husband, only along because he has to be. He tolerates the riding but doesn't breathe the horses in, as I do. He does not love the smell of manure or hay in his hair. Therefore, "those horses" the ones that go along easy are a necessity for him.

I knew it would be rough riding for a while when my mare ran bucking and kicking for 20 minutes in the pasture before we saddled her. She is normally as mellow and calm as they come. Oopsie, this should be fun!

When I chose Cookie from the auction pen that night almost ten years ago, I knew I was taking a chance on an auction horse. She could have major problems but I felt something looking into her eyes and there was no more looking. I waited until after 1:30 a.m. for her to come through the auction. She is a laminitic mare and we learned by fire, about caring for her. Yet I would not trade her for a young $10K horse. She's often cantankerous, isn't touchy feely, has to have medication/special trims, but is still the best horse a person could have. Despite all the problems, she's smart, calm, neck reins and wants to please you as soon as the saddle is on her back. She also has a huge butt, asthma and likes cookies. That's my girl! We are soul sisters.

After about five minutes riding yesterday we learned they indeed would make us pay for not riding lately.

Skip hates moving forward and stopping, listening to you and water puddles again. Did I mention moving forward? That's pretty necessary too if you wish to ride. I just sat back and watched as he (my husband) mumbled under his breath as she dragged him through the trees on the edge of the trail. Just to get his attention, you know. I reminded him he would get nothing from her if he didn't remain calm. So he sat still for a while (she does love standing still) while he calmed down.

Cookie has forgotten all her neck-reining ability, basic commands and calmness. [It's a bit like a 2yr old in Chuck E Cheese for the first time] Let me run, let me run! Please, let me run! Thank goodness she still has a good attitude under saddle.. only needs more wet saddle pads. By the end of the ride, she was back to her old riding self and apparently has forgiven me for not riding more often (and for the extra weight I carry). I promised her I would work on the weight issue as I brushed her down after the ride. There will be rides and more often, it's good for me and for her.

You know it reminds me as we get older we can't rest. We have to be more diligent about our own care (as with that horse) and we have to keep our minds and our bodies in tune... We grew accustomed to taking the winters off from riding, because Don hates the cold but we can't do that any longer. We discussed it on the way home. The horses are getting older and need the constant movement and challenge the trail brings. It keeps their minds sharp and their skill set good.

It is the same for us. In my relationship with Christ, I must stay in shape. My mind needs to dwell on God's word with purpose, I need to dwell in that holy place to remain nimble and obedient. When I let my study and my prayer life slide, my attitude reflects it.

I feel like a warrior on the back of that horse, I know I carry His sword and shield daily.

[Ephesians: 6:10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 16 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; 17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God,]

I must give the best I have because he gave all He had for me.

There's a great deal to be learned between the ears of a horse.

I need the sunshine

It's what my mother, mama, always said. I need the sunshine, Leisa. If ever a woman suffered SAD, it was my mama.
Mary Lou, an almost perpetually happy woman, woke with the chickens, a smile on her face and humming something before she poured the first glass of iced tea. My mother occasionally drank coffee but iced tea was her "go to" drink. I remember on school mornings she didn't iron a dress or make breakfast before she got her tea. You wanted her to get her tea too.
Like flowers need rain, my mother needed sunshine. After the iced tea came the opening of all the curtains to let the light in..  She went from one end of the house to the other opening curtains and windows, if weather permitted. Sunshine released her from the night, you could see it on her face.
Likewise, she hated dark, gray days. It was as if someone drew out her very last breathe. I liken it to dementors in the Harry Potter movies, they come to devour his very soul.
Like a bear in hibernation my mother would don her winter armor- snuggly socks, house shoes and always a bath robe on over her clothes with EVERY light in the house on.

I'm not sure she was ever depressed but she was surely down when the sun didn't shine.
Then, like a child looking forward to Christmas she counted down the days to December 21st.
Promptly calling each of her children on the morning of, making sure we remembered, "shortest day of the year today." Every day gets longer from here, by early February you will really notice it, she would say.  We would have excited conversations about how long it would be before the first Irises broke ground or how long it would take for the buds to appear on the azalea and plum trees.

I imagine my brothers both know what today is but someone really should call to remind them.

 
.

He Should Donate his Brain to Science. Also, we have a special on beans.

This is a little tidbit from a year ago.
It was only a few days after Thanksgiving and there was a nice chill in the air. I love when it's time for the first pot of chili. When you look thru the pile of blankets for the extra fuzzy one, your reindeer socks and you begin to crave grilled cheese sandwiches.

I called my hard-working husband and asked him to pick up a can of chili beans on the way home.
He was excited over the chili but asked if we could forego the beans? Not because he didn't like beans in his chili mind you but because he has difficulty in grocery stores. This is one of those things that truly makes me scratch my head. It's a simple concept, food all lined up on shelves, big signs over the aisles pointing you to the food, people work there wearing the same vests (where you can find them) all there to point you to food. It seems easy to me but not to my Don. He would rather rewire a house. 

No baby I say, we need the beans.  

I grew up in a home where men cooked. My daddy made pancakes on Saturday mornings, he fried eggs and made bacon. He made the best chicken and dumplings you ever tasted. He cooked at the hunting club.  I  heard all the stories of big meals of deer steak in gravy and big "cat head" biscuits. My brothers both cook. My oldest brother taught me many things about being a good cook, correctly he would say.
Steve was only fifteen when he would have dinner waiting on mama when she walked through the door from work. The look on my mothers face told me, at that moment, she loved him the most. I was okay with that, because the roast beef, corn bread and potatoes were delicious. 

Donald said, stay close to the phone in case I need you. [It's beans baby, just a can of beans]
As expected, the phone rings in about fifteen minutes. Here's how it goes-
"They do not have any chili beans."  "Donald, yes, they have beans honey. Where are you? Go to aisle three and..." "WAIT, I'm going to aisle three now. I see pork n beans, northern beans, green beans, .. what kind of beans?"
"Donald. Chili beans. You know, for chili?"   "Yea, yea.. chili beans. No. There do not have chili beans"
(long pause, as I beat my head against the wall)
"What do I do now?"  Donald, baby. I tell you what, find someone that works there and ask them. They will take you to the chili beans. I'm going to get busy here okay?
I want to say- You are 64 years old, use your skills, find the beans.
Ten minutes later he calls back. "Leisa, there is not a can of chili beans in this store. I'm telling you."  At this point, I'm feeling rather foolish and I begin to doubt there are beans at Publix. (that's how good this man is)
I direct him across the highway toward home and to please stop at Piggly Wiggly, "its on your way." Because now even I believe Publix has no beans.
This sounds reasonable to him and he's off.
I am now standing in the kitchen doing the prep work all the while thinking, this was an intelligent man when I married him.  My husband IS Richard Dean Anderson. He's MacGyver for goodness sakes!

This man can do anything, repair anything, run a room size computer at U.S.Steel, repair a car that needs an alternator with a gem clip and a twinkie. He once presented a finished house plan to an inspector for review and the Inspector said in all his years he had never seen a hand drawn plan from anyone like this. It was perfect and Donald did it all with a twelve inch stick ruler and a engineers pencil. Right down to the last hand-drawn brick. but that same man can't find a single can of beans in a store. It's like a maze to him.
All the prep work is done, it's been at least an hour. I'm waiting on the beans when I get another call. "Baby, they just don't have any beans." What? Has there been a run on beans? Store #2 doesn't have beans either?
You know that thing you do when you are about to pass out? Your head gets fuzzy and you can't hear well. It's like you are in a barrel.  I hear from him, "No, I'm still at Publix"..
I begin to get dizzy, I'm guessing it's my blood pressure.. I can hear my mothers voice, she would be cackling with her head thrown back about to wet her pants. She loved my husband. In her eyes he could do no wrong and she would be laughing her head off at my misery.
Okay, you know what Donald. Just come home. I would like to eat this da*n pot of chili before the late evening news.
He says one last time, "I'm sorry baby, there's just not any chili beans to be found"

My patience has worn thin, I add the remaining tomatoes to this BEAN-LESS pot of chili and head to the bathroom to shower and cool down, telling myself I will feel better after a shower. [I also begin to understand why people drink]  

After my shower, I emerge from the bathroom to find Donald gathering his clean clothes for his shower.  I tell him I'll have the grilled cheeses done when he gets out. He thanks me and heads to the bathroom.
I walk into the kitchen and there on the counter are SIX cans of mild chili beans. S-I-X stinking cans of beans.
I storm into the bathroom with a can of beans in hand, what the stinking heck , Donald?! He looks through soapy eyes and very calmly says,  Oh, a guy helped me find them. 

We have extra beans, if anyone needs them.   

Callaway Gardens review- Fantasy in Lights 2016

As promised, my Callaway Gardens, Fantasy in Lights review. First I should tell you, I am not easily impressed. I've been known to be a bit of a skeptic but Christmas is one of my favorite seasons and we have grandchildren which makes it even better.  So, here goes. It has been several years since we traveled to Fantasy in Lights, the year before mama died, I believe. I decided this year we must begin a new tradition of taking the grandchildren!

Accommodations are easy to find, as Callaway operates several. [I have heard people say they had difficulty perusing the Callaway website, I will offer links to assist in your search]
The Lodge and Spa   For those wishing to be pampered.
The Southern Pine Cottages    My personal favorite. A room here will run you $100 a night during the week. Be aware it almost doubles for the weekend. It is the most beautiful setting though, pines trees and wildlife outside your windows.
Mountain Creek Vacation Homes  I call this place "rustic elegance".. a fine balance of comfort and a homey feeling. MC has the most options for accommodations. Still pricey for a retired man and his wife.
Mountain Creek Inn  Super nice place. As all the others, run well and well appointed.

There are also options "off property." Smaller towns surround Pine Mountain and offer some less expensive stays, considering you aren't going to spend much time in your room. 

Have Pets? You want to stay at Mountain Top Inn. 

Find it HERE   I checked out several booking sites and found a nice room here for only $83 a night on Saturday.  Just an example of your other options.  Don't forget the Georgia State parks, which I will admit, make me more thankful for the way Alabama State Parks are run. They are a less expensive option if you have a RV. Franklin Roosevelt park is 5-7 minutes from Callaway but stays pretty booked.

Now, we've got that out of the way. Time for the FUN!  

**TIP: Look for the Robin Lake Beach entrance on your gps. This is the location for boarding Fantasy in Lights trains, Christmas Village and the outdoor Food Pavilion. Callaway is HUGE with several entrances and to get you in quickly for your ride thru the lights, this is your best option.  

Christmastime at Callaway Gardens...  It's just awesome, no other way to describe it. 

You can drive your own vehicle through Fantasy in Lights BUT it's not the best way to do it.  The absolutely BEST WAY is ride the trolley. [Park on the Robin Beach parking area per gps.]

There are CG attendants everywhere to guide you to the tents set up for waiting in line. Don't let the line scare you, it moves really quickly. [We went on Saturday of Thanksgiving weekend and didn't stand in line more than 15 minutes] You can buy hot chocolate along the way, be warned its pricey as well. [Bring your own thermos and cookies to chow down after the ride]

Now, this is personal preference but there are two trolloys- the ones with seats lining the sides (each person facing into the center and you must turn sideways to see both sides of the road while riding.

The second choice is the "rowed" seat trolleys. (***DING, DING, DING.. we have a winner) You face forward with a supportive back and can toss your quilt from home, across everyone's knees.
[When they bring you up to board your trolley to board, if your choice is not up.. simply step back and tell the attendant in an elf hat, you need the forward facing trolley. No one minds if you wait for the next, there's always someone ready to jump on the one you passed up]  Enjoy your ride as you choose, you paid for it.

Speaking of paying. There are discounts available for groups of 10 or more. Also, active military get a remarkable special. Read about it here-  Explanation of Military discount options- Active, Retired and Veterans.
There are also Annual Passes, which is what we plan to buy.

Here is the page for pricing for everyone. Fantasy in Lights Pricing Calendar

PLEASE NOTE- Purchase your tickets online, please. If you fly all willy-nilly, seat of your pants style and then complain you waited forever in line and you didn't know where to go and about all the perks.. well, that's on you. I'm giving you all the great info here.  

After you disembark from the trolley, you will be ready to warm up and want to make your way to Christmas Village, which is stroller friendly. (It's the HUGE Dome just past the beach and food court) Let the children sit on Santa's knee and you can do some shopping.  The beach space is not without it's own rewards, used during the Holiday season for light displays. There is a large Nativity scene among other lights in this area.  Parents, you will find some well known "characters" [Abominable, Minions, etc] available for picture taking before going inside. 

Are you thinking yet, "how will I see all this?"  Well, yeah! Callaway "gardens".. Oh, yes. The gardens. When you purchase your advance Fantasy in Lights tickets you will receive entry into the gardens during the day OR you can return before January 7th for a daytime park adventure. [This is a savings of $20 for each adult]

~There are adventure courses and ziplines through the trees (extra charge for zipline)

~The Discovery center is "stroller friendly" and children of all ages will enjoy it. Plenty of parking. 

  You can hike all over the park, see the outdoor "Birds of Prey" show. (Caution: the hawks and owls do some serious buzzing by your head during the show. You are asked to REMAIN seated throughout the show.) We took a 2yr old who sat mesmerized right up to the minute she fell asleep in my lap.
The older children loved the show as well! There are activities for the children at the discovery center as well.
~The Cecil B Day Butterfly house is a wonder. Sit on a bench and watch the butterflies light right in front or you or on you! Watch the hatchlings out front or the video explaining the cocooning process. 

Did I mention this is a huge park! 

~Golf course for the enthusiast. 

~Designated picnic areas 

~Beach and water sports 

and special events throughout the year. Check it out.. Things to do at Callaway

Now for the drive down from Birmingham. We were pulling a 40 ft RV, but found 280 East the best route going down and returned using US 431. (Less traffic on 431) Takes about two and a half to three hours, depending on your stops. Yes, you can make it a day trip but why would you? There's too much fun to be had for just one day!  

When you ride through the light show in the cool night air with your quilt over you and loved ones at your side and begin singing old time Christmas carols, Silent Night, Away in a Manger.. it simply filled my heart. Thoughts of Christmases past flooded my soul. What a wonderful time of the year. 

There's still time for you to see Fantasy in Lights 2016.  I hope you love it as much as I do. 

Time to make the Christmas cookies.