Happy Tuesday Everyone!
I am still having fun thinking about my BARN 55 visitors last weekend. The weather has been very nice and I’ve been able to spend lots of quality time outside with all of my paddock buddies.
I also want to wish my dear friend, STEVE HASKIN, HAPPY BIRTHDAY! He is a fellow Aries and celebrated his special day yesterday! Cheers to you, STEVE! May you have a fabulous, healthy and happy year!
The photo above is TOO CUTE! Tim is holding MY CAKE! Earlier, I played with a cupcake for a moment to have a taste of frosting, but my REAL BIG CAKE was one made up of all of my favorite foods. Claudia Rubio helped put it together for me. She cut up big pieces of pears, apples and bananas and layered them on whole carrots with the green portion decorating the outside of the box. Then shredded carrots were shaped in a BIG Z on top! It was rather heavy to carry…so Tim helped out. It was absolutely delicious!
There was so much ‘Z CAKE’ that all of my barn friends were able to have a GENEROUS portion and help celebrate with ME. WE all agreed that it was not only a clever type of cake to create for ME…but extremely tasty too!
March Madness ended last night with the Championship Game. Kentucky made it to the Final Four and in itself that is a great accomplishment. Butler and UCONN played last night for the Championship with UCONN winning! Congratulations to them…and all of the teams who worked so hard during this tournament!
Now, our TOURNAMENT begins tomorrow. It is getting exciting! BRONZE #19 is really curious to see who her new owner will be! GOOD LUCK, Everyone!
With Love,
Hugs to All~
Z
Shirley Nolan Al-mlaiti
HAPPY BIRTHDAY SWEET ZENYATTA, I AM ALITTLE LATE AS I HAVE BEEN ILL AND HAVE NOT BEEN ON THE COMPUTER BUT I LOVE YOU AND THINK OF YOU WITH ALL MY HEART…
I WOULD LIKE TO SAY SOMETHING TO ”DJ” AND BECKET AND SHASTA ..GOD BLESS YOU , I CRYED AND I CRYED , HOW SAD AND HEARTBREAKING I KNOW HOW YOU FEEL ,HORSES ARE MY LIFE I HAVE 6 OF THEM AND LOVE THEM DEARLY …JUST REMEMBER ALL THE HAPPY TIMES AND SMILES YOU HAD WITH BECKET AND SHASTA AND KEEP THEM CLOSE TO YOUR HEART FOREVER , THEY ARE THERE WHEN YOU NEED THEM I KNOW I LOST MY BEST FRIEND 21 YEARS AGO I RAISED HIM FROM 3 WKS TIL THE DAY HE DIED AND THAT WAS THE WORST DAY OF MY LIKE BUT HE IS WITH ME EVERYDAY IN MY HEART , HE WILL NEVER LEAVE ME AND I WILL NEVER LEAVE HIM..I STILL CRY AS I AM NOW FOR I LOVED HIM SO MUCH BUT I FEEL HIM WITH ME AND I KNOW BECKET AND SHASTA WILL ALWAYS BE WITH YOU SO JUST FEEL THE LOVE ”DJ”IT WILL MAKE YOUR DAY,, GOD BE WITH YOU ”DJ”AND MY LOVELY ”ZENYATTA….
DJ
You are a dear-heart Shirley…I was pleasantly surprised to come across this post from you and it shone bright like the morning sun today! I wish I could see a picture of your six horses, they must be so lovely. What are their names? There is so much in a name. I hope you are feeling better today and able to get adequate rest. Blessings to you for beautiful Friday and of course blessings to our Sweet “Z” for bringing us together!
DJ
Thank you Lisa, that is good of you to say. I accept responsiblity for unfortunately changing the tone of the Post site with my sad story which was also unexpected. Recognizing there are different levels in which we ‘meet’ another soul, and this is such a large and varied site; if even one person was upset in any way, I was careless. Even though some of us ‘venture into the deep caverns’ without hesitation at any given time, just as many may prefer the comfortable surface until they are prepared to do otherwise. I believe the former is best reserved for ‘one on one’ sharing, so my error was one of thoughtless indulgence in which I do apologize. Thank you for your conversation and have a beautiful today!
Vicki B.
@DJ, I don’t think there was anything unfortunate about you writing your story of sadness. I liked it, I think it’s good when people say what they are really feeling. I understand your concern, that even one person was upset, but in such a varied world, that is something they are able to handle and can be responsible for — it’s not all on you, after all. That would be too much for anyone to take on. Please consider giving yourself a break.
zenyattaloveramy!
looks yummy!!! way to go big gal!!
Kathryn Cogswell
Days after the fact, it occurs to me that we have entered a refreshed social contract, and not only because of a respect, then a trust, then a love for Zenyatta, and her story, which draws us still. There is in the NW, Shilshoele Bay . .. not merely a wonderful place, but derivative of a name coming from words meaning, ‘threading of the needle.’ Woven among strands drawing us here, is an understanding that we not only ‘give’ in isolation our stories, we recite them as if being already heard. You will know if you have read to a child — and omitted even a word or phrase, and been quickly corrected to its proper cadence. So, for me, it is the fundamentally correct cadences here we respond to, knowing the truths and the truth that propels them onto the waters, regardless of how they`re sent. Like messages in bottles, they may not float to every beachcomber on shore, but they do seem to bump along until they find their proper, timely purpose. Letting things go is one act of faith. Taking up slack, another. Threading the needle, or spinning & cutting the twine, it`s all trust. And it`s all good, and time tells how the words work out their various meanings, just as patiently bringing along a gangly, sometimes balky, filly worked to good purposes; given time, gently enough, and in the canny notion it would become a whole greater than its parts.
DJ
Kathryn,
As I was leaving to have lunch with my dear son in college, who I am blessed to still be sharing these daily ‘moments’ with after almost 20 years (only difference, he is driving me and choosing the restaurant!); I took a peek and discovered your message. Your words are edifying and full of spirit and light. I would like to offer in return for your ‘gift’ a little passage…
“The Wound That Heals”
There is a great paradox.
The more we are wounded the more healthy we are.
For the continued burning of love’s fire
both heals and soothes even while it inflicts pain.
Indeed, the wounding is only present
in order that the Spirit may comfort us
more deeply and more abundantly.
O blessed wound inflicted by God who cannot
but heal it!
O happy and blessed wound inflicted for our joy and comfort!
Great is the wound because of the greatness of the Inflictor!
Great is its delight – for love’s fire is infinite!
This is indeed the touch of God!” – St. John of the Cross.
p.s. I am grateful that your little message bottle bumped along until it met mine :)
Kathryn Cogswell
Early AM, DJ, & grateful — both for the winnowing and the stretches. St. John knew a thing or two, no? ~ K. [PS: Lovely you have son, chauffeur AND your own ZAGAT guide, in one!
Kathryn Cogswell
And, Lisa g: Some part of your notes above spoke volumes regarding that ‘stepping into the place of the other’ to share the lot common to all. When Donne wrote that ‘no man [was] an island,’ it caught the reader viewing only himself and others from above the waterline. But the continents, stretched enough, reach to the islands, so we are shaken, too. That was a remarkable insight.
DJ
For Kathryn C:
Such a beautiful book John Donnes ‘No Man is an Island’….also appreciate the school of contemplation in ‘The Cloud of Unknowing’ – anonymous author. A treat for the soul!