Working on the new kennel

Here is hoping this workd. Ive enclosed a link to those of you that have asked how the building of the dog boarding kennel is going. We are not completely finsihed yet however we are almost there. For those of you that havent seen us lately and have wondered what we have been up to, here is the answer. The concrete was poured in the old barn last July and Bear and I have been working our fingers to the bone to finish it. In September, I was using a router (scarey power tool) and routed my index finger to the bone. Had to have skin graft surgery and after a long recovery, this is where we are with it. If by chance the link does not work, you can also go to aol video and type in Ohio kennel or Bear Back Ranch and kennel and get the video. The view from the back of my horse is all the months we worked and I for one can say that we are happy it is behind us and we can actually put the finishing touches on it and open! Yeah!
Blessings
Tena

Mothers Day

I called my mother in law to invite her to a cookout at our place and she declined. She said she had issues with this day because it was just a day designed by the retail market to sell cards and gifts. Hmmm. At first, I had to agree with her but then I got to thinking, who cares! Whether it is a commercialized day created for whatever reason, it still has merit. Mothers still should have at least one day a year that honorsthehard work they do. I didnt want to celebrate the daybut rather celebrate who she is and all she has done where her children are concerned. I for one as a mother enjoy this day. My two girls and my husband and new son in law go out of their wayto cook me dinner and spend time with me and they bring me cards and I love it! I am celebrated by people who care about me. I am thanked for those sleepless nights when my kids were little and sick and I sat up with them all night. I am thanked for all the cookies I baked and the field trips I went on because the other parents were too busy. The lilacs are in bloom, the cold weather has finally left us and I cant think of a better reason to celebrate. So today, the view from the back of my horse are those capitalist card manufacturers that created a day just for us mothers because I would like to thank them for giving us a day of our own. Celebrate your mom today and go buy her a card. If you are a mom yourself, sit back and enjoy it. Happy Mothers Day.

Blessings
Tena

The More Things Change

They say the more things change, the more they stay the same but after visiting Equine Affaire this weekend, it would seem the more things change, the more we miss the way they used to be.

Now I know that the economy is bad and we are all feeling it in every aspect of our lives. The days of disposable income are behind us for now. The housing market has all but bottomed out and the equine industry is feeling the brunt. But what I witnessed at Equine Affaire this year was the result of more than just the economic slump.

For those of you that have gone in years before, you remember the endless rows of beautiful stallions in the barn and the overflow of vendors in the third building. You remember the line of cars that stretched out onto the expressway and the friendly faces of the people in the office that work really hard to make it the best year ever. For me having been there with my stallion and then being a presenter for years, I remember my cell phone ringing as I arrive welcoming me and hearing the friendly voices of the familiar faces that I see every year. But this year, my phone was quiet. My husband and I walked into the barn to find a third of the stallions that usually grace the rows of the Gilligan barn. There was no long line of cars as we approached the Fairgrounds and even a lot of the vendors that have been there as long as we had, commented on the changes that have occurred and the lack of excitement that used to exist among the people that work with them to create such a huge event. Some of them have been replaced with new people while some may be tired and overworked, I can only guess as to why things have changed but the effects of these changes were evident in the turnout and the overall mood of everyone we spoke with.

I smiled and said hello to a gal that I have worked with in presenting my seminars and she passed me with no recognition. No, I was not a presenter this year however after six years of volunteering my time as a presenter at this event a "hello Tena" is not too much to ask. I also spoke to another presenter that has volunteered his time for seminars for as many years as I and he sighed and his comment was "things have changed. It isn't fresh anymore and if you are not on the agenda this year, you do not exist." This is a very well known, well respected trainer and former judge.

The view from my horse is Equine Affaire past and present and the difference between them. It would seem that when we come to having a seminar that explores the difference between stallions and mares, it is time for an infusion of new blood in the ranks. We need to fill the barns with laughter and excitement and beautiful horses as it used to be and so easily can be again. We need fresh ideas for seminars with imaginative names and more and more new and creative ideas for the youth. I have to ask... "What happened?"

On a bright note, the two new books were everywhere and we stopped to sign them between shopping and visiting with old friends. I was pleased to see how well they are doing. The Foal Is The Goal book was still everywhere we went as well. We are looking forward to a full summer of book signing events and seminars. So maybe change is inevitable but we have seen the possibilities of Equine Affaire and what it once was and I have to believe can be again. I have seen first hand how much work it takes to create an event such as this and would so like to see them continue to succeed. Here is to November and Massachusetts and a great show.

Blessings
Tena

Equine Affaire

Greetings Bloggers,

Well I am still holding on to this upper respiratory infection but heading toward feeling better. Next weekend is Equine Affaire down in Columbus Ohio and we are excited to go. This will be our tenth year attending. Usually I give seminars while there however this year, I will be going for some fun. We stay with Jeff and Laura Stratton and they are the most fun a person can have. For those of you that have never been, you really should put it on your list. It is equal to Disneyworld for horse people.

The first year we went, it was in Dayton and the only person doing a demo was John Lyons. All the stallion stalls were inone room with the demo arena in the middle of the room. We used to sit on the top rails of our stalls to get the best view. Then it grew and was moved to the Columbus fairgrounds and occupies several buildings. When The Foal Is The Goal came out, I was asked to present seminars for them and it became so busy trying to do that and have our stallion there at the same time. So after six years of takinghorses, I walked out to the barn and asked the crew of horses, "Who wants to go to Equine Affaire?" No one raised a hoof so we went without them.

This year, we will visit with friends, see people we only get a chance to see once a year, sign a few books and party. My buddy Courtney from Wrangler will be coming up from North Carolina this year and it will be great to see her. The weather can be unpredictable and we have had everything from below zero temps with snow to tornado warnings over the years but the shopping and the food is always good. I sometimes miss being a presenter however life has gotten busy and it wastime to let someone else do it for a while. I've presented at the Columbus event about six years, I have also done California, Kentucky and finally attended Mass. last November. All were fun but none of them outdo the Ohio one. I will have books with me but will be moving around a lot so if you are there and looking for a book or just need one signed, call me on my cell and we will come meet you. (419) 392-4036. If you have a booth there and would like us to stop by and say hello, give us a call too.

The view from the back of my horse will be Columbus Ohio the 10th through the 13th of April. Hope to see you there.

Blessings
Tena

Spring Is Upon Us

Spring is upon us. Years ago, my friend Lisa and I were in charge of the big spring blow out ad for the local newspaper advertising the paint that was on sale at the store where we worked. It became a joke between us that instead of coming up with something original, each year the ad began with that same tag line. It seemed to work and was quick and no one was the wiser.

The arrival of spring shows its signs different ways to different people. The first flower, the buds on the trees, the first robin, etc. For horse people however, the first signs of spring are things that most people would not even notice. The snow turns to mud and the slop in our pastures makes way to green grass. The fat that has kept our horses warm all winter turns to muscle before our very eyes as we struggle to lose our own fat that has come from riding less during the cold winter months. We pray for rain so the price of hay goes down and then we pray for less rain so the hay doesnt mold in the fields come bailing time. Longer days allow us to get more things done and we sit for hours cleaning and conditioning the endless leather goods that come with having horses in our lives. Breeding and foaling season make the excitement in the barn a never ending flurry of activity. All of these things signal the end of winter and the new hope of spring and at the top of the list is this.

SHEDDING! As the days get longer and the weather a little warmer, the challenge begins. We know that under that dull winter coat caked with mud is a shiny, smooth summer coat that is waiting to be found. We know it is there because when the horses lay down to roll, they leave behind a pile of hair that looks as though there is an extra horse in the pasture. Oh yes, we can cheat and cheat we do by double worming them in an effort to push the process. We can blanket them to sweat it out. We add supplements to their feed with the promise of a shiny coat but in the end we know that the answer is elbow grease. It is taking a rubber curry and a shedding blade and spending hours brushing them. That is the only way to find that summer coat. We know that most of that hair is going to end up covering our gloves and jackets and blowing across the round pen for the birds to collect and use in their nests. We find great joy when we get that rare day that is warm enough to pull out all the stops and actually bathe the horses because as they dry and the sun shines on them, we can actually see spots of the new coat. Still, there are patches of the old lighter coat that remain and the brushing becomes a challenge of getting rid of these mangey looking areas. Only then is spring truly here.

The view from the back of my horse is the cloud of hair that he leaves behind as he sheds out his winter coat and reminds me of the beautiful horse that I know and love. Spring is upon us, everyone and that means it is time to break out the curry brush and get busy. Don't even get me started on the time it is going to take to comb the knots out of that mane and tail!

Blessings
Tena

Cats, cousins and Contests

Thanks Michelle for linking this blog to my site so I can share thoughts with those who come to visit. That said, I am dizzy today. No really, dizzier than usual because apparently I have a viral infection that has spread to my middle ear and glands. They have me on steroids for 10 days so this is the view from my horse while dizzy and on steroids! Lucky you.

Cats...
Yesterday, I ventured out to the barn to find an unnamed barn cat walking backwards. Ok, I know what you are thinking, steroids and dizzy...no! She was walking backwards and then running into the tree. Walking backwards and running into the barn. As I got closer, it became all too clear why she was acting dizzier than me. She had a JIF peanut butter jar covering her head. It was on there tight and as she breathed, the clear plastic grew cloudy from her breath and as she tried to breathe in, it would clear. I convinced her to allow me to pick her up but once I grabbed hold of the jar, all hell broke loose. It was on there really, really tight! She attacked me and actually drew blood so I let go of her. As she staggered into the corral to the neighbors house, I called for back up. Our dear friends Mary and Sherry next door who proceeded to catch the cat again and cut the peanut butter jar off her head. So the cat finally has a name...JARHEAD. I wonder if JIF knows about this. Life is wierd, moving on...

Cousins...
This morning I am sitting here with my mind racing and fever blaring when the phone rings. It is approximately 9am. A really friendly male voice on the other end informs me that he started reading one of my books at 3am and has just finished. His name was Marvin Bastian from Franklin Tennessee and he wanted to know if we were related. Now I suppose we are related somewhere down the pike but for the life of me, I cant figure out how. I am still trying to figure out why he was reading instead of sleeping. Bear and I visited Franklin once and felt right at home so maybe thats why. So Marvin was really nice and we talked for a long time and I hung up wondering if he realized how sick I was. More importantly, if I said anything to embarass myself, I appologize. So Marvin, even if we arent really cousins, I think we are now. We will meet ya in the little diner in Leapers Fork across the road from the General Lee car and the outside movie screen. Keep in touch cousin!

Contests...
Idle minds and steroids are a really bad combination. I mentioned in an earlier blog that Dove chocolates was holding a contest for the best expression of love phrase and the prize was a beautiful bracelet. Sitting here this morning in my jammies and hoodie with my tissues and the remote, I got a little bored. I have followed this contest for months. The reason is that I am a writer and I like to write slogans for fun. I have created an entire advertising campaign for Wendys and another for Harley Davidson. No really, the only difference is that I usually keep them to myself. I did share the one for Wendys with my friend Laura who works for Wendys but other than that, I keep them to myself. Ok, that is where the steriods come in. So I have been following this contest and going to the site every few days because I really, really want that bracelet! Today, I surf on over and guess what? It's gone. The site is there but the contest is gone, it's over! There is no list of winners and I havent been called to be told that my beautiful bracelet is on its way to me. Soooooo I pick up the phone and call the MARS company who makes Dove chocolates and I ask a simple question... "Who won the pretty bracelet in the contest?" She says "What contest?"

"What contest?!" Is she kidding? You know, the one that I grew obsessed with and entered and dreamed about winning. That contest, of course. So I proceed to tell this poor customer service rep the story of how my husband used to bring me Dove chocolates to tell me he loved me and how he almost died and had to have two open heart surgeries and had three strokes and two back surgeries and how much hell our life was and how I knew it was over and everything was all right because he brought me a Dove chocolate. I know, I know but I really loved that bracelet! If someone is going to hold a contest, they should at least tell us who won, right?

So anyway, Bear will be home soon to take away the phone I am sure. I feel like Poo, JARHEAD is free of the peanut butter jar, I have a new cousin named Marvin in Tennessee I still have a fever and I still have to take the steroids for another nine days and (I still have my cell phone.) Tee Hee. Who knows what tomorrow will bring. I am sick so if you are as bored as I am, pick up your phone and give me a call. Or better yet, call Dove and tell them I want my bracelet. Going to sleep now.
Blessings
Tena

Author Unknown

Author Unknown
By
Tena Bastian

She is sitting in the hospital, waiting to be seen
Nine months pregnant and barely sixteen
When a voice in her head says “Take a deep breath”
And “pick up a magazine.”
She flips through the pages as she sits there alone
She wants to call her mother and ask if she can come home
When she comes across a letter there on the magazine page
That seems to be written by another young girl approximately her age.
It says…

Mama, I need your guidance
Because I don’t know what to do
I’m scared and alone and I want to come home
Because I feel safe with you.

Through her tears and her pain, as she reaches for her phone
She notices the letter is signed
Author Unknown.

She sits in her car in the parking lot as her world comes crashing down
She has been diagnosed with cancer, a tumor has been found
When a voice in her head says, “Take a deep breath”
And “turn the radio on”.
She flips through all of the channels as she sits there all alone.
She wants to call her husband and ask if he can come home
When she happens across a familiar song there on the radio
That seems to be written by another young woman with a long, long way to go
It says…

Honey, I need your guidance
Because I don’t know what to do
I’m scared and alone and I want to come home
Because I feel safe with you.

Through her tears and her pain, as she reaches for the phone
She notices the radio says
Author Unknown.

She is sitting with her mother on her very last day
She knows it won’t be long now as the seconds tick away
When a voice in her head says, “Take a deep breath”
And “listen to your mom”
She has something important to say to you and you need to hear it before she is gone
So she leans in ever closer as her mother struggles to speak
She takes her hand and kisses her as a tear rolls down her cheek
She says…

Lord, I need your guidance
Because I don’t know what to do
My daughter is scared but I want to come home
Because I feel safe with you

Please help her find the strength Lord, not to miss me when I am gone
It is at that moment that she realizes that it was HIS voice all along
The magazine, the radio, as she takes her final breath
Through the tears and the pain, he was always there from her birth until her death
When she was pregnant, when the tumor was found, every time she felt alone
It was God that loved her, that showed her the way
Until now HE was the
Author Unknown.