Never Look Down

When we are going through struggles, it is important to not look down on life, but to look up to God for his strength. 
Never look down and become submerged in negative thoughts.  Look up at all the good and blessings, paying attention to the beauty (of nature and people) that surround you. 



I love this cowgirl quote.  And this photo taken at the Blue Jean Ball in 2021 of our (us cowgirl's) boots.

If we spend time doing the things we love, with the people we adore, we don't have time to look (or get) down.  And then when we sit alone, resting or awake in bed, we have wonderful memories and thoughts to sift through, instead of harping on or worrying about negative things. 
 
Gratitude helps us shift our focus from the bad things in our lives to the things that are still going well.  It protects us from the damaging effects of anxiety and stress, and has been shown to improve our mental health over time.

When life gets tough, what comes out? Joy, gratitude, peace and humility?  Or anger, bitterness, victim mentality and quitting-tendencies?  Never look down or give up.

Saturday 6/29 - Well, sometimes I do look down, when gazing out my desk window and into the woods below.  But I see the wonder of nature when I do.  There was a doe and three fawns, and I pondered if they were triplets. 

But a little later another doe showed up, and all five proceeded to drink, romp and play in the creek. 

Joe went out early to the ranch to throw hay to the horses and do some mucking, so I didn't need to rush out there first thing.  He now also has the shop completely clear and ready for this year's hay, we just need to get it cut and baled.  

Joe hadn't fed Wanda (not one of his jobs) so when I arrived at 9:15, she was waiting and ready for breakfast.  I muzzled our horses and fly-masked them all and turned them out on pasture.  Then I finished mucking and a few other little things until Courtney arrived. 

We collected our horses and got them ready to ride.  Courtney had Zorro tacked and ready to hit the trail. 





Zorro was looking a little bored with the photo session, until Courtney started scratching his ear. 

Then he leaned into her and just kind of melted. 





I tried to get a selfie once we were out on our ride, and I was leading the way on Amiga.  The photo did not come out well, but you can see how pretty the sky was. 

Zorro took the lead lots of the time and Amiga just loves tailgaiting her brother.  Luckily he doesn't mind.  She doesn't usually do this to other horses when out on the trail.  And Amiga does best when it is just her and I together.

When riding, it is important to not look down on the ground, but to keep your eyes up and out on what is in front of you and where you are going.  Not a bad plan for navigating through the tough trials of life.  





While riding down Marmaduke, we were accosted by eight inquisitive puppies at the log cabin house.  They were not aggressive, but definitely very curious.  I tried to get a (video).




Back at the barn, Wanda waiting for more food, as usual.  She is such a mooch. 

We changed into swim suits and then hit Dorchester Club House for a late lunch and took it down to the pool to eat and then sun and swim.  Joe and Patty joined us a little later. 




We were home by 5:30 and at Stonehenge grill a little over an hour later.  They have flowers planted in the pattern of the Tennessee flag. 

The four of us enjoyed our meals.  Once home, Courtney, Joe and I watched TV until my 9pm bed time and Courtney needed to hit the road, home to Nashville.

What a blessing to be able to ride, swim, hang out and dine together with my loving family.

Sunday 6/30 -  Shirley was unable to make it to church, so I hung out here at home and got this blog post started. 

Most of my day (nearly seven hours) was spent working at the pool because we had a big Pool Party.  Brian Mosley (seen above) was a nice 'one man band' who entertained the crowed for over two hours.


A group of six sisters came in (well one was actually a sister in law) and were having a great time. 

I borrowed Elli's shirt to pose with one of the gals in her shirt.  I love our happy resort guests who often seem to be celebrating something.  One of the sister's was turning fifty.  








The regulars always have a pot-luck on party days, and today there was a big spread as usual. 





There had been a good chance of rain so it wasn't a huge crowd. 







But the rain never came to fruition so it ended up being a great party.  




Everybody loved the band. 









And all enjoyed the food and relaxing in the water (which was the perfect temperature).

I kept busy with 'clean up' (food spills, wet bathroom floors, trash collecting etc.) and continued having fun with the guests and regulars.







And I never once thought about my cancer diagnosis. 






I must admit though, I was pretty tired by the time I got home a little after 6:30. 

I had done many of my weekly chores before going to work, so only needed to do my regular evening routine of feeding the pets, walking Maggie, and showering.

Monday 7/1 - And just like that, June is over and we head into July. 

I had fallen asleep last night as soon as my head hit the pillow at 8:45, but when I woke at 2am, there was no returning to slumber.  I rolled out of the sack before 3am and started computerizing and writing yesterday's blog entry. 

I was at the ranch by 6:30am, threw hay to the horses, fed Wanda, and went up to the house to read and nap.  Awake after 90 minutes of more sleep, I found the trash dumped over down at the barn.  Wanda's food container had been drug into the yard and chewed into, with all the kibble eaten.  This happened between 6:30 and 9am. 


I spent much of the day at the ranch doing my mucking chores, pulling weeds, and weed whacking, and clearing overgrowth that occurred on our trail in the back. 





Wanda was hanging out in the woods near the manure pile, which I made several trips to and from.  She was hunting and then napping. 






At the edge of the pond I could see pan-fish of some sort, probably bluegill, at their nest which they were guarding.  When I got close enough to get a good photo, I scared most of them away.

While in the shop, I noticed Zorro at the pond getting a drink.

I said hello to him, and he popped his he up, startled and wondering where I was at because I wasn't in his line of vision.  All the horses had come into the shed, so it was a good time to collect Amiga.

She never cooperates for photographs and I can't hold my arm far enough away to get a good selfie.  But I tried. 

I got Amiga ready to ride and headed out on our trail.  It was a beautiful day for a ride.  I accidentally shut off this (video) before I was done talking.  It didn't record that I had said that I got lots of help (from Joe, Patty, and Karen) on this trail I had made.  From this spot on the trail, you can see how desperately we need to get our hay harvested. 






I had fun on our short little ride.  Being able to take Amiga out on the trail gives me such pleasure and helps me find my zen (thoughts, meditation, and time with God).  All my worries fad away on the back of my horse.  My outlook on life always improves through the ears of Amiga.  This is my  happy place.

I didn’t get home from the ranch until 2:30 so there was not time to get to the gym.  I needed to shower cause I had gotten into some poison ivy, and then I took a little time to relax before heading to Mirror Lake Blast.  I always sit front and center on the hillside.  







It was a great concert by Second Wind Knox. The band was fantastic, the horn section was on fire and a good time was had by all.  These next three photos were shared on Facebook by Vernon Martin.

These are views of both sides of the hill.  










Look at the size of the crowd!

This last photo I got off a video Brian sent me.  I was enjoying myself along with the other hundred dancers. 

The busier I stay, the better I feel and the happier I am, not having time to think about future medical procedures I will have to go through.  I am having too much fun to look down on life.

Tuesday 7/2 - Babe on the porch.  We had had the air off and windows open during the cool spell for two days, but I shut them all this morning with more heat expected.  Last night I slept like a baby... no wait, babies don’t sleep so well usually.  I actually slept more like a cat. 







I worked five hours at the pool, had a two hour workout at the gym, and went straight to Druid Hills to hit golf balls with the girls (Micki, Sherri, myself, Randi, and Linda). 









I was there for an hour, having a great time, and actually getting in a little golf practice.  We were 'teaching' Sherri how to golf. 


A swing...


...and a hit.



Look how far Sherri hit the ball.  Ha, ha, ha.







Actually, Sherri is very athletic (like all these ladies) and ended up doing quite well.  I had a lot of mediocre shots along with a few really good ones and just as many really bad ones.  Good time, beautiful weather, and so much fun. 

Wednesday 7/3 - I had taken a pain sleep aid (having wore myself out yesterday) and actually didn't wake until just before 7am, after sleeping over ten hours.  Wow did I need that.  I got up feeling well rested.

Susan sent this photo of Zorro and Amiga that she had taken yesterday after feeding time.  They were enjoying their hay.

I had gotten a late start on the day, and had planned to take care of medical stuff, so spent all morning and half the afternoon working here at my desk. 

Marie had brought me fresh lavender (for calming and medicinal purposes) that she had cut from her bush.  Well I decided to dry it and hang it on our headboard.

I filled out a packet of papers (Dr. Davidson) the oncologist office had sent.  Joe helped me finally access my patient portal and I found an addendum path report of the MSI analysis of the mass, done at Mayo Labs in MN.  My interpretation is that I'm probably a candidate for immunotherapy before surgery and it was suggested I consider genetic consultation.  Well this lead to more questions and more research. 

I finally shut down my computer and got up and away from my desk.  I had chores at the ranch, which I did a tad early.

These photos were taken from this (video) I took of the horses coming in for dinner time.  Zorro looks good racking in.  Amiga, not so much, still sore.

Notice in the video the gate to the front pasture is open.  They come through that during the day, to get water and hang out in the shed to cool off.  Well, I forgot to close it, so Amiga (without her grazing muzzle on) and the other three got to eat grass all night long.  Shoot!
I had been in a hurry to get going to town, but that is no excuse.  UGH!  I did my much needed shopping at Tractor Supply and Walmart.

I didn't get home until after 7pm, so  had to scramble to feed all of us, unload and store supplies, and do the usual evening cleaning chores.  Maggie did not want to go for a walk because some early fire works could be heard from not too far away.  I insisted she at least pee.
Stevie continues to decline, causing me much angst.  Her diarrhea is worse, she continues to lose weight, and she doesn't want to be held, yet seeks to be near me.  Like many nights, I fell asleep worried more about her (and Amiga) than I was myself.
 

Thursday 7/4 - Happy July 4th!
This photo was taken by our son Daniel in Afghanistan in 2011.  Freedom isn't free.  Remember that America is home of the free because of the brave. 

When I arrived at the pool at 9am, for what turned out to be a very busy shift, I loved seeing all the flags waving in the wind.




We'd had over 100 customers by the time I got off work at 2:00, and most days we don't even get that many all day long.  But I love being busy because the time flies.  And it is such a joy to see people having fun. 






A shower, nap, and a little reading occurred once I got home.  Joe grilled pork chops and corn on the cob, and I probably ate too much. 





Then I was off to an evening of celebrating and fun.

I met Micki on the dam to our pond (Turtle pond at #17 of Druid).  Look how low the water is, when usually it is running over the spill-way.  I hate seeing it so dried up.  We desperately need rain. 







We walked over a mile to get to Robin Hood Park for the party and festivities.  This is what the new Bocci Ball courts look like at the moment. 




We were quick to join in on the festivities. 








We enjoyed singing, dancing, walking around and chatting with so many fun people. 




It was a beautiful night, although a bit hot and humid. 












And what a gorgeous sunset we were all able to enjoy. 
 

Lots of kids (young and old) had all sorts of light-up toys and accessories.  And many boats starting to congregate on the lake were also 'decked out' in lights. 








We all waited for the sun to go down and the real show to begin. 





And what a show it was.  Nobody was looking down.
Here are (videos) I took throughout the evening.

And these last three photos were taken by Judy Lynn. 

ooohh, awhhh





Micki and I were on the dock out over the water.  Judy was in the crowd up on the hill to the left of us.  In addition to a lot of loud noise, there was a great deal of smoke and ash fall-out.  That's how close we were. 

The fire department had hosed down all the area where the fireworks might hit, and they were set off over the lake, which helped prevent a fire from starting. 











But one firework did miss-fire and there was a small fire (I think the wood stand it was mounted on might have been what caught fire).  The fire fighters were right there and pretty quick to put it out.

Micki and I enjoyed our mile long walk home, talking about life and our passions as we went.  It was after 11:00 by the time I laid my head on my pillow.

Friday 7/5 - Joe and I 'celebrated' our 44th anniversary.  I remember my wedding day very well.  Not only was it a lovely ceremony in the church, and a fun reception (with lots of dancing) that followed, the day of our wedding was the famous (almost four hour) tennis match between Borg and McEnroe.  In fact, we were almost late for church while watching the end of the showdown.

I was hoping Dr. Davidson would have a cancellation (and I could get in to see him today), and finally called his office at 9am to check.  But I was told there would have been one by now, so I would have to wait till Monday for my scheduled appointment.  What's three more days when I have known I needed surgery since June 12th, and that it is cancer since June 25th? 

Stevie pinning my mouse hand while seeking love and comfort. 









This morning one of the fawns noticed a squirrel, and was so cute trying to get a closer look. 





The squirrel was hopping around from tree to ground to another tree.  










Even after the fawn's mom and sibling moved on, it kept trying to get a better look at the squirrel. 




I took several photos, but only in this one can you see the fawn and squirrel.

The morning flew by while I spent too much time here researching, this time soft tissue navicular syndrome in horses.  Horse chiropractor Katy thinks it's Amiga's problem which seems to explain why her navicular didn't show any changes on her x-ray. 

I finally made it to the gym and was having a good workout, until two things pissed me off. 

I ended up leaving the gym early, not even finishing my workout on the elliptical or doing my stretch/balance work at the end, because I had gotten frustrated.  This is not like me.  My annoyance was two fold.  HGTV (and the other two shows I flipped back-and-forth from) did not have audio, yet most stations did, so I had noting to watch while on the elliptical.  The other thing I had been extremely perturbed about, was a man and the spray cleaner.  He always sprays down everything (in excess) and doesn't wipe the spray off (very well or at all).  The bottle says not to inhale, get on clothing, or let it contact your skin.  I'd rather contend with a few germs than this nasty chemical.  Anyway, I had gotten my hands wet from his leftover spray a few times and then at one point, at the 'spray station' when he was soaking a paper towel (just after I finished there and turned to go) he was behind me and got spray on the back of my arm and leg, I guess missing the towel he was spraying.  UGG! 

Anyway, I shouldn't have gotten so frustrated about both these 'problems', but I did, so I just left.  Maybe it's just a combination of all my worries that caused me to go kaput (and look down).




After dinner and feeding the critters, I took Maggie on a long (45 minute) walk, wearing my weighted vest.  I wanted to somewhat redeem myself for not finishing my aerobic workout.  In these photos, I was checking out the section of trail that had been closed for tree removal.  Well, I hope they plan to finish cleaning up the mess they left.





Joe had taped the Biden interview and we watched that before I turned in for the night.  I was trying hard not to look down on life when there seems to be so much wrong in this world, country, and my little human existence. 

I had so many prayer requests and worries to off-loaded on God, I fell asleep before I got done.