I'm ba-ack

I'm having deja-vu, making this trip back to FL so soon.  The humidity here in AL already has my grown-out hair-do looking like a wild mess!  Buzz cut?  jk honey!  I left Madison on Friday, early afternoon, with Tequila and Willow in the trailer, my Dad as my driving buddy, and Michael, Willow's human, following hauling his RV.  Friday night we stayed in Mt. Vernon, IL with a really nice woman named Tracy.  The horses had a little pasture to stretch their legs in.  Tracy bred French Bulldogs, and had a litter of pups, 4 weeks old.  So Cute!!!  She appeared to be a responsible breeder, and had very nice dogs.  Saturday morning, we were on the road by 6:30 (ugh) but had a little setback.  The trailer brakes on my truck kept reading OL and were not working.  With some putzing, they would work for a brief time, but then would act up again.  We ended up locating an RV dealership in BFE, IL who found a broken wire on the trailer.  A quick repair, and we were back on the road.  The horses were very patient through this delay.  

Saturday night, we stayed with some family friends of Michael's in Birmingham, AL.  Sisters, Marilyn and Diana were very hospitable.  The horses once again had a lovely paddock, and we had a spaghetti dinner, showers, and beds.  I have to say that all of my layover stops from the first trip and this one have been amazing.  The people we stayed with that weren't friends, were all found on www.horsemotel.com.

I have been reading Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell per Pat's recommendation.  It is a pretty quick read, and interesting, about why certain people are successful, and what factors other than hard work are involved.  I don't feel too anxious about my arrival in Parelliland, though this time will not be like the other trips!  I am glad to know some other students, Michelle, Bekah, and Michael who will be getting educated with me.  

getting settled in

The adjustment period hasn't been made easier by the several days of sickness I've endured :(  Some kind of upset stomach, tired, achy, headachy thing.  I think it's fading.  I haven't seen Tequila since I got back on Tuesday.  I've been trying to catch up on bills, taxes, household animals.  I suppose he could use a few days to resettle as well.  But starting Tuesday, I will be spending horsey time with Tequila and Lady 4 mornings a week for 3 hours.  This is set in stone!  The first order of business is taping some footage to accompany my application to Pat's Mastery program.  Then, taping an on-line audition by March 1st.  It's time to get that green string taken care of!  Geez! 

Rosie, Our Golden Retriever had to have a hematoma removed from her ear flap on Thursday.  I've been battling chronic yeast hypersensitivity since she was 4 months old.  I've treated it with steroids several times and it returns within 10 days of discontinuing them.  She's seen several holistic veterinarians, had acupuncture, chinese herbs, dietary therapy, etc.  Some things help, but nothing has ever given her complete relief.  She is currently on a course of oral and topical steroids and an antibiotic since her ear has an incision which is draining and quilt like stitches to help the flap heal together again.  I'm also going to test her thyroid levels.  Even though it would be unlikely at her age and she shows no other symptoms a thyroid disorder is still a possibility.  I'm hoping to make an appointment with Chris Bessent from the Milwaukee area, and I'm also considering trying homeopathy.  She is such a great dog though, and everything I went looking for in a Golden Retriever.  It just goes to show the pitfalls in buying a purebred dog even when you try to choose wisely from a reputable breeder.  

Packing the bubble

Sorry about the gap in posts.  My fourth week at the Parelli Center was an intimate time.  Returning to the real world is daunting.  I have come to love the growth that happens in the safe environment created here, and I am really scared of not growing further, or even regressing.  In the past, when I've left the Center, I have not done a god job of honoring my journey.  It has shown in my relationships with those closest to me, it has shown in the management of my daily activities and schedule, and it has shown in the painfully slow development in my relationships with all my horses.  So, I have really been preparing all week for my return.  If you see me walking around in a bubble, do not be surprised.  I will be trying really hard to carry my Parelli bubble with me at all times.

   I have left with Pat my application for the Mastery program!  Aaron and I have had much discussion about the process of becoming an endorsed Parelli Instructor.  I feel so ready for this challenge, and our relationship is now ready as well.  Having Aaron on board is not only necessary, but also icing on the cake for me.  I am so pumped to take on this challenge and his faith helps me go there.  

I think I will continue to blog here on my horsemanship progress.  If anyone has any questions about the Center and what it was like to be there, feel free to ask me!  I'd love to share.  One of my hopes was that this blog was able to give you a little insight to what a Center experience is like, and hopefully inspire you to go there.  I know it is financially hard, and hard to get the time away.  It will come back to you tenfold.  

I put my shoes back on

      Farrah and Michelle have been running around in these wacky shoes!  They are called Vibram five fingers.  They look like gloves for your feet.  People notice them everywhere we go, so I have heard the explanation many times.  They allow you to protect your feet from the ground, but don't inhibit natural foot function.  The human foot was designed by evolution to carry us.  Conventional shoes basically immobilize the foot, and don't allow it to function at all.  Then start adding in heels and lifts and arch support, and these additions start to cause compensations through the rest of your body as you try to balance your feet.  Their explanations included such wondrous changes in their bodies such as breathing deeper, improved posture, improved flexibility, etc. and all literally from the moment they put them on.  I will admit that I was skeptical.  Surely they were exaggerating.  Yesterday Lori, my Mom and I went to try them on, and lo and behold, we all left with a pair.  They really are quite amazing.  My feet felt like they were coming out of hibernation.  The first afternoon I wore them, I literally felt fatigued throughout my body, and literally immediate release of tension in my lower back.  My posture walking out of the store was that of the woman my Mother has been trying to produce for years, usually by using her thumb in my shoulder blade.  So this was all cool, until today when we had an outdoor session and it was pouring rain.  I took of my Vibram five fingers and put back on my boots.  IMMEDIATELY my lower back knotted, and spasms shot up into my shoulders and neck.  Standing square felt awkward, and as I reached down to pick up a pen on the ground, my knees bent and twisted.  5 minutes earlier with the Vibram's on, I could touch the ground with the palms of my hands and did not have to bend my knees at all.   COOL!    

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Foggy mornings

It rained today.  Overall the week was hot and humid.  Often, a thick fog filtered through the ranch in the early mornings, but the sun burned it off pretty quickly.  Kristi was right...the middles can be so hard.  But as hard as times this week were, great friendships were made, old friendships were refined, and being self-aware has taken on a whole new meaning.  My relationship with Tequila continues to be very good.  I believe that he is allowing me to explore the other areas in my life that I need to apply the principles of PNH to.  It is time, it is necessary, and I am ready.  The fog is lifting. 

     There's an amazing thing happening in America this weekend, and I'm not talking about the superbowl!  This weekend is the first Celebration event in TN.  Besides being the first event of it's kind, this event is very important in other ways.  Pat and Linda will be unveiling huge changes in Parelli.  Here at the Center, we know nothing, but there is huge anticipation of the announcements.  All these changes for the better will be posted on www.parelli.com as of Sunday.  I, personally, cannot wait, so I've been catching the play by play updates on twitter. For those of you who don't know, go to www.twitter.com  It is a free site where you can recieve continuous information from Sue and Niel directly from the Celebration. 

     My parents are coming this weekend!  After some hindrance from the weather, they will be arriving Saturday and staying through Sunday.  I'm so excited.  They don't get a chance to see me play with my horse very often, and my Dad takes awesome pictures, so look for some to be posted here and on Facebook soon!   

reminder

We focused on zone 5 driving yesterday.  First with one line, then two.  I stayed on one, to refine a little, and make sure I could suggest things rather than ask, tell, or promise.  It was great to be reminded of the steps towards getting there, and not just put on two ropes and hang on!  I also attended a farrier prep session and was reminded that the root of the relationship building is indeed Level 1 with excellence.  It's not about the farrier (or natural hoof care practicioner ;0)  

     What does L1 with Excellence mean to you?  It has been one of those phrases that I've been blowing over.  It has not meant that much to me, until now, when I am ready to let it sink in.  Even though I had done a lot of farrier prep in the past,  I saw holes that directly related to my zone 5 driving, my haunches in finesse riding, and my driving game.  Pretty cool!  Tonight, I'd like to make a list of what L1 with excellence means to me.  Then I can see where I need to take it to.