Greetings fellow horse lovers and friends. Gonna take a big sigh today because this week is almost over and its been one for the record books. The good news is that the groundhog did not see his shadow! We have already spotted four robins and we have new puppies. This has been the week of the big storm that dumped about 10 inches of snow and then coated it with a lovely coating of ice combined with wind and sleet and anything else the weatherman could pull from his magical "crappy weather" bag.
It's always exciting to track a big storm but then there is the digging out from it that we all have to contend with. I spent the week snowed in and waiting for puppies to be born which was also exciting because this particular mom, Sadie spends her last days before giving birth attacking any dog that comes near the hallway that leads to the room her whelping box is in. No one sleeps well in this house on a good day so when you find some time to sneak in a nap, it is frightening being awakened to a dog fight. Yikes!
On top of the snow and the puppy watch, it is tax time so my office is decorated in last years stacks of paperwork, the calculator is out and smoking and since we itemize, we each have a shoebox of our receipts for the year. Mine is overflowing, hubby's has 3 receipts. I say "Honey, where are your receipts for the year?" He says, "What?" "Your receipts, the write offs for the year". He hands me 11 for a grand total of 14. For the entire year, he is trying to tell me that he has only made 14 purchases. NOT!
So this morning I meet with the tax preparer to see what the damage is and in the kennel, there are 3 boarders, one of which wants to rip my face off, one that wants to bark all the time and one that is frightened of his own shadow but the sweetest of the bunch. I am finding it sad that I am excited to meet with the H&R Block rep because it is the first break I've had in a week. Then when this day is done, I am going to pour myself a glass of wine, sit in a hot bubble bath, then maybe admire the beautiful new puppies.
The view from the back of my horse is the week I leave behind, I won't miss it. Tomorrow is Super Bowl Sunday and aside from caring for our crew, the phones will be unplugged and silent for the day. Wish me luck doing taxes today because something tells me that I am dearly going to need that glass of wime when all is said and done.
The thing about bad days or even bad weeks is that we all get another chance to get it right. It may have been bad but come Monday or even come morning, it's a fresh start with a new perspective. Take a deep breath, a bubble bath, drink a glass of wine or whatever ends that bad day on a good note and get up and get it right. Kahil Gibran said "Out of suffering have emerged the strongest souls; the most massive characters seared by scars". I totally agree with the first past but as for the scars, they fade. So will the worst of days. I promise you that.
On another note, one of the directions I would love to take this blog in the coming year is to include product review. If you have a horse product or products that would appeal to Cowgirls in general that you would like me to review, get in touch with me. If I try it and like it, I will make it a point to tweet and Facebook and spread the word. One of my favs this week is a company called Simply You. Fun costume jewelry so check them out. There is a picture of one of their rings on my fb page. LOVE them.
Heres to the week ahead, may it be slow and easy with no stress. Until next time, hunker down, spring is almost here!
T
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Time Will Tell
Someone just pointed out to me that there are exactly 55 days until spring. We have suffered through all these cold days of winter so can we make it 55 more days until we are warm again? Time will tell. I personally can't wait to shed all these layers of clothes and break out the shoes that don't weigh as much as the boots.
I am ready for green grass and flowers and the prettiest of all the birds to come back to Ohio. I am ready to play with the next litter of mini aussies out in the yard and maybe even take a few days and drive down to Nashville and spend time with friends. Im not sure if that can be arranged but again, time will tell.
Time reveals a lot to us if we are patient enough to wait and see what it brings. I will be the first one to admit that I am not a patient person by any means but the older I get, the more I understand the plan and how we sometimes have to trust in that plan even when it seems as though our entire world might fall apart. In hind sight, even the worst possible things happen for a reason and whether or not we like the outcome, it is the road we have to take to get to where we are supposed to be in our lives. There are lessons we have to learn and people we have to meet both good and bad that makes us who we are in the end.
Take my writing for example. It is a talent that was given to me to use and share and yet my life has come to a point that leaves very little time to write at all any more but I keep finding the time to do it. I still have faith that the things I write will somehow, someday get into the hands of those who are meant to read them and it is not for me to question the who and the when but to keep writing. It's part of the plan I guess.
I often hear that our lives are more about the journey rather than the destination and I believe this to be true. As anxious as I am for winter to end and spring to begin, if I don't enjoy the journey, I will have missed out on the next 55 days of my life. Thats 55 more days to work on the things I am writing and possibly catch a spark of something inspiring. 55 more days to plan a new season that brings with it less time to curl up on the sofa with a hot cup of tea and just think. 55 days to make new friendships or improve the ones that I already cherish. 55 days to watch the winter snow melt away and the signs of spring begin to unfold.
So in that time, I will try not to fret about these cold winter days and layers of clothing. Instead, I will just enjoy the journey, knowing we are headed into Spring, when all things are new and fresh and less burdening. It's going to be a good time, I can just feel it but only time will tell.
Stay warm, be safe and think SPRING!
I am ready for green grass and flowers and the prettiest of all the birds to come back to Ohio. I am ready to play with the next litter of mini aussies out in the yard and maybe even take a few days and drive down to Nashville and spend time with friends. Im not sure if that can be arranged but again, time will tell.
Time reveals a lot to us if we are patient enough to wait and see what it brings. I will be the first one to admit that I am not a patient person by any means but the older I get, the more I understand the plan and how we sometimes have to trust in that plan even when it seems as though our entire world might fall apart. In hind sight, even the worst possible things happen for a reason and whether or not we like the outcome, it is the road we have to take to get to where we are supposed to be in our lives. There are lessons we have to learn and people we have to meet both good and bad that makes us who we are in the end.
Take my writing for example. It is a talent that was given to me to use and share and yet my life has come to a point that leaves very little time to write at all any more but I keep finding the time to do it. I still have faith that the things I write will somehow, someday get into the hands of those who are meant to read them and it is not for me to question the who and the when but to keep writing. It's part of the plan I guess.
I often hear that our lives are more about the journey rather than the destination and I believe this to be true. As anxious as I am for winter to end and spring to begin, if I don't enjoy the journey, I will have missed out on the next 55 days of my life. Thats 55 more days to work on the things I am writing and possibly catch a spark of something inspiring. 55 more days to plan a new season that brings with it less time to curl up on the sofa with a hot cup of tea and just think. 55 days to make new friendships or improve the ones that I already cherish. 55 days to watch the winter snow melt away and the signs of spring begin to unfold.
So in that time, I will try not to fret about these cold winter days and layers of clothing. Instead, I will just enjoy the journey, knowing we are headed into Spring, when all things are new and fresh and less burdening. It's going to be a good time, I can just feel it but only time will tell.
Stay warm, be safe and think SPRING!
Monday, January 3, 2011
Tena's Take
I want to thank Missy and Meredith and Couture Cowgirl for hosting Tena's Take over the last few months. My decision to bring it back here has nothing to do with them, I adore them. It has more to do with the fact that I have neglected my own site for a while now and feel the need to touch base so to speak. Since there seems to be less and less time to write lately, actually to do all the things I want to do, I felt the need to regroup and come home for a while.
Home... a word that encompasses so many things. Not just a place to hang our hats and stable our horse but the one and only place that feels like the center of who we are. Home is having the freedom to be yourself without any expectations placed upon you. It is the light in our soul that allows us to shine but only after we are filled with the warmth of that light that we recieve, are we truly home. It is the comfort of knowing that we are safe and nothing from the outide world can hurt us. Home is where all things become quiet enough that we can think about our day and what tomorrow may bring and we can prepare ourselves for anything that may challenge us in the days ahead. It feels good to be home again.
I will admit that lately, it sometimes feels as though my life is spinning out of control. I have been working too hard for too long and truly feel I need a break. Not even when I was traveling all over the U.S. promoting the books and presenting the seminars have I felt so overwhelmed. Waking up in strange places and needing to take a moment or two to remember what city I was in. Getting home only to get back on a plane the following weekend and do it all over again.
The only difference is now I get up in the morning, slip my winter warmies over my pajamas and work until the sun sets. Then I fall in bed exhausted and get up and do it all over again. It's tiring.
It is a new year with new projects and new challenges and the holidays have taken their toll on all of us. So I have declared January "Be kind to yourself" month. Not officially and not for everyone with no act of Congress, tee hee, but here at my home and at all of yours if you so choose to recognize it. This month will be spent working but not as hard. Writing but writing what I want to write and for as long as I want to write. Long hot bubble baths and a glass of wine now and then. Getting to know my husband again who has worked as hard as I have in the past year. I will at some point, get on a plane and go see a friend and January will be about planning that trip. I have yet to decide who or where or even when exactly. I honestly don't know but the fun is in the planning to go for now.
If what we do defines who we are, lately, I am anything but a writer because I never have time to write. That is about to change. I think we all need to take time for ourselves and do what makes us who we are or we are lost. I think we all need to go home again, to that place that makes us feel safe and reminds us who we are. We need to go to the core of who we were before the chaos and feel the warmth of that loving place and just center ourselves and begin again. Thats where I am this January and today, I am taking the first step toward being kinder to myself, showing gratitude to those who love me, to slow down and really feel something again aside from exhaustion. To sleep through an entire night and wake in the morning at my own pace and feel refreshed. This is my journey and it begins right here and right now. I know it will allow me to be more creative and a better person in general and I invite you to come along on that journey.
Take a deep breath today, the holidays are over, we have spring to look forward to in a few months and in the meantime, we all need to slow down and take a break from the chaos and just be still and listen to what is possible. Be kind to yourself this month and take time to touch base with who you are and what you set out to accomplish in your life and use this month to get back on track. It's time to go home. Back to where it all began and look at it with a fresh perspective. Reset those goals and move ahead from there. One step at a time and one thought at a time. Only then can we enjoy every day that God has given us and stop worrying about what might happen and just be in the moment. So here I am, home. It feels good.
Home... a word that encompasses so many things. Not just a place to hang our hats and stable our horse but the one and only place that feels like the center of who we are. Home is having the freedom to be yourself without any expectations placed upon you. It is the light in our soul that allows us to shine but only after we are filled with the warmth of that light that we recieve, are we truly home. It is the comfort of knowing that we are safe and nothing from the outide world can hurt us. Home is where all things become quiet enough that we can think about our day and what tomorrow may bring and we can prepare ourselves for anything that may challenge us in the days ahead. It feels good to be home again.
I will admit that lately, it sometimes feels as though my life is spinning out of control. I have been working too hard for too long and truly feel I need a break. Not even when I was traveling all over the U.S. promoting the books and presenting the seminars have I felt so overwhelmed. Waking up in strange places and needing to take a moment or two to remember what city I was in. Getting home only to get back on a plane the following weekend and do it all over again.
The only difference is now I get up in the morning, slip my winter warmies over my pajamas and work until the sun sets. Then I fall in bed exhausted and get up and do it all over again. It's tiring.
It is a new year with new projects and new challenges and the holidays have taken their toll on all of us. So I have declared January "Be kind to yourself" month. Not officially and not for everyone with no act of Congress, tee hee, but here at my home and at all of yours if you so choose to recognize it. This month will be spent working but not as hard. Writing but writing what I want to write and for as long as I want to write. Long hot bubble baths and a glass of wine now and then. Getting to know my husband again who has worked as hard as I have in the past year. I will at some point, get on a plane and go see a friend and January will be about planning that trip. I have yet to decide who or where or even when exactly. I honestly don't know but the fun is in the planning to go for now.
If what we do defines who we are, lately, I am anything but a writer because I never have time to write. That is about to change. I think we all need to take time for ourselves and do what makes us who we are or we are lost. I think we all need to go home again, to that place that makes us feel safe and reminds us who we are. We need to go to the core of who we were before the chaos and feel the warmth of that loving place and just center ourselves and begin again. Thats where I am this January and today, I am taking the first step toward being kinder to myself, showing gratitude to those who love me, to slow down and really feel something again aside from exhaustion. To sleep through an entire night and wake in the morning at my own pace and feel refreshed. This is my journey and it begins right here and right now. I know it will allow me to be more creative and a better person in general and I invite you to come along on that journey.
Take a deep breath today, the holidays are over, we have spring to look forward to in a few months and in the meantime, we all need to slow down and take a break from the chaos and just be still and listen to what is possible. Be kind to yourself this month and take time to touch base with who you are and what you set out to accomplish in your life and use this month to get back on track. It's time to go home. Back to where it all began and look at it with a fresh perspective. Reset those goals and move ahead from there. One step at a time and one thought at a time. Only then can we enjoy every day that God has given us and stop worrying about what might happen and just be in the moment. So here I am, home. It feels good.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
The Kennel
Nestled in the woods here on our farm is a project that has been a year in the making. When Bear got sick and we almost lost our farm, we had the decision to either change things dramatically or walk away so we sat down and discussed what we would do. My aunt and uncle whom I love dearly ran a dog boarding kennel when I was a kid and later in life, I ran one here in Swanton for three years. We already had the building which had been used as one of our barns so we started laying out plans of how we could do it and how much it would cost and we went to work on creating a small, friendly kennel. We gutted the entire barn, poured concrete, created an office, a small animal room, a waiting room, a kitchen, put in drains and a septic system, a bathroom, etc. Drywall, months of painting and trimming out each room, fencing for play yards, and so on and so on. I am tired just thinking about it but with the help of our daughters and son in law, we opened last spring. Im happy to say that we built it and people came. In fact people still come, bringing their lovely dogs to stay in our new kennel. I can't travel as much as I used to however I am fortunate to have it and look forward to spending time with the dogs every day. Aside from one person, we have enjoyed everyone who we have met and the best part is that its ours and it is a project that continues to grow. Yesterday, I created a Bear Back Ranch and Kennel page on Facebook in an effort to give dog owners tips on finding a kennel that suits them and have had many compliments on it from family and friends. That made me smile because I know how much work we have put into this little venture and what it means to us to be successful. So if you're local, visit us and if you are not, visit us on Facebook and see the photos of the inside. It's a new chapter in our lives that brings us joy and offers us a new beginning after some pretty rough times.
Blessings
Tena
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Tena's Take
Good morning!
Getting ready to head down to Equine Affaire and spend time with old friends. (all my friends are old once I hit 50!). Haha. Then on to Quarterfest in Tennessee to kick off a new venture... The Cowgirl Posse Radio program with my buddy and now co host, Emily Jo Peak. I also have a new column called Tena's Take at http://www.couturecowgirl.com so please stop by and read some of my articles there.
Aside from that, all is well. Staying busy and having fun! Gotta run.
Blessings
Tena
Getting ready to head down to Equine Affaire and spend time with old friends. (all my friends are old once I hit 50!). Haha. Then on to Quarterfest in Tennessee to kick off a new venture... The Cowgirl Posse Radio program with my buddy and now co host, Emily Jo Peak. I also have a new column called Tena's Take at http://www.couturecowgirl.com so please stop by and read some of my articles there.
Aside from that, all is well. Staying busy and having fun! Gotta run.
Blessings
Tena
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
How To Find Me
Hello!
I havent been here in a few weeks but this is not the only way to find me and see what we've been up to lately.
I invite you to join me on Facebook under Tena Bastian
My fan page on Facebook is new and you can find me under Tena Coker Bastian
I am also on Twitter under, you guessed it...Tena Bastian
I will catch up here as soon as I get a bit of time but until then, please join me at the above places. Thanks. Happy St. Patricks Day and Thank you GOD for the warmer weather!!!!
Blessings
Tena
I havent been here in a few weeks but this is not the only way to find me and see what we've been up to lately.
I invite you to join me on Facebook under Tena Bastian
My fan page on Facebook is new and you can find me under Tena Coker Bastian
I am also on Twitter under, you guessed it...Tena Bastian
I will catch up here as soon as I get a bit of time but until then, please join me at the above places. Thanks. Happy St. Patricks Day and Thank you GOD for the warmer weather!!!!
Blessings
Tena
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Snow Falls Gently... WHAT!?
Snow falls gently like feathers after a pillow fight. Spring is upon us. WHAT THE HECK?! Enough already. Even I can no longer find inspiration in this winter or the snow or the cold. I want spring! The view from the back of my horse? I havent been on a horse in too long. None of them want to play in a foot of snow. My hubby, Bear, the eternal optimist, looks at me each morning and sees the toll that the lack of sun is doing to my mood and says "Honey spring is just around the corner." I put the pillow back over my face and scream because its either that or strangle him!
We have five acres which to some of you doesn't really seem like a lot but take that 5 acres and spend almost 20 years putting in fencing, a dog boarding kennel the size of the house, bushes, trees, various other obstacles and then try and remove endless amounts of snow from that same 5 acres. Now add to that the hoses and dog toys and tennis balls that I continue to hit with the steel blades of the snow blower and it becomes an Olympic event! Those tennis balls fly clear into the neighbors yard! The hose however, got tangled up in the blades and shut her down cold! By the time we get the hose out of the blades, there is an additional 4 inches of snow so you start over again.
I have been on the internet so often this winter that the Twitter folks and the Facebook friends are now family. I know what each are doing at any given time throughout the day and have even adopted a few and claimed a few more as brothers and sisters. The neighbor posted that she saw four robins in her yard but it is snowing so hard, I can't even see her house!
I said to the dogs yesterday, "Lets go feed the horses". This is something I say every day and with great excitement, they plow through me and run to the barn. Yesterday, two of them ignored me and the third one went upstairs and hid out under my desk. Last week I decided to venture out to the grocery store and got in my car, turned on the wipers and because of the ice on them, they shredded and all I had was the plastic frame of the wiper.
I tried tanning, had a hot flash in the tanning bed and almost passed out. Thought about driving down to Nashville for a few days and they got a snowstorm. Changed all the lightbulbs in the house to 100 watters which worked a bit until I got the electric bill. I need spring. I NEED to be warm. I NEED Bear to lose that positive attitude and say "Honey, lets run away from home and go somewhere warm". I need to know that the neighbors first robins are not buried in the snow or dead from the tennis balls that the snowblower launched at them! I NEED just a hint of green grass, a bud on a single tree or a peek at the sun for more than 2 seconds. I NEED all this white stuff to head north to Vancouver where a Twitter buddy tells me they are wearing flip flops in February. I need to go visit my new brother Keith in Texas or my new sister Emily Jo in Alabama but guess what, they have snow too!
I need to go to Mexico and drink some fruity drink with a little umbrella. Most of all, I NEED to lose these coveralls and winter coat and layers of clothes that weigh a ton. I need an attitude adjustment and I need to mow the grass. Snow falls gently my ass people! It comes in blinding snowstorms, in inches, in feet, and it doesn't go away. March is just a few days away so the view from the back of my horse is winter! I say we leave it in the rear view and just keep riding. PLEASE someone come dig me out of this unforgiving winter and take me to a happy place.
Blessings
Tena
We have five acres which to some of you doesn't really seem like a lot but take that 5 acres and spend almost 20 years putting in fencing, a dog boarding kennel the size of the house, bushes, trees, various other obstacles and then try and remove endless amounts of snow from that same 5 acres. Now add to that the hoses and dog toys and tennis balls that I continue to hit with the steel blades of the snow blower and it becomes an Olympic event! Those tennis balls fly clear into the neighbors yard! The hose however, got tangled up in the blades and shut her down cold! By the time we get the hose out of the blades, there is an additional 4 inches of snow so you start over again.
I have been on the internet so often this winter that the Twitter folks and the Facebook friends are now family. I know what each are doing at any given time throughout the day and have even adopted a few and claimed a few more as brothers and sisters. The neighbor posted that she saw four robins in her yard but it is snowing so hard, I can't even see her house!
I said to the dogs yesterday, "Lets go feed the horses". This is something I say every day and with great excitement, they plow through me and run to the barn. Yesterday, two of them ignored me and the third one went upstairs and hid out under my desk. Last week I decided to venture out to the grocery store and got in my car, turned on the wipers and because of the ice on them, they shredded and all I had was the plastic frame of the wiper.
I tried tanning, had a hot flash in the tanning bed and almost passed out. Thought about driving down to Nashville for a few days and they got a snowstorm. Changed all the lightbulbs in the house to 100 watters which worked a bit until I got the electric bill. I need spring. I NEED to be warm. I NEED Bear to lose that positive attitude and say "Honey, lets run away from home and go somewhere warm". I need to know that the neighbors first robins are not buried in the snow or dead from the tennis balls that the snowblower launched at them! I NEED just a hint of green grass, a bud on a single tree or a peek at the sun for more than 2 seconds. I NEED all this white stuff to head north to Vancouver where a Twitter buddy tells me they are wearing flip flops in February. I need to go visit my new brother Keith in Texas or my new sister Emily Jo in Alabama but guess what, they have snow too!
I need to go to Mexico and drink some fruity drink with a little umbrella. Most of all, I NEED to lose these coveralls and winter coat and layers of clothes that weigh a ton. I need an attitude adjustment and I need to mow the grass. Snow falls gently my ass people! It comes in blinding snowstorms, in inches, in feet, and it doesn't go away. March is just a few days away so the view from the back of my horse is winter! I say we leave it in the rear view and just keep riding. PLEASE someone come dig me out of this unforgiving winter and take me to a happy place.
Blessings
Tena
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