Good Morning,
Yesterday was an especially FUN and REWARDING DAY for ME! I was able to relax, graze, and reconnect with dear friends.
As many of you may know, one charity I have consistently worked to help throughout ALL of my career is OLD FRIENDS. This organization which is based out of Kentucky (and now has a branch, The Frankel Division, in New York by Saratoga) works to enable “OLD” racehorses….no matter what their ages….to live their lives with joy, purpose, and dignity.
Michael Blowen is the founder of OLD FRIENDS. Yesterday, he came out to visit with ME and update ME on the progress, accomplishments, and goals we are meeting….and how I have helped in this quest.
A dear friend of Michael’s, for many years…since he was a writer for the Boston Globe….came along for the visit. I think she was truly as excited to MEET ME as I was to be introduced to her! Her name is Angie Dickinson. Angie has spent her life in the entertainment industry and met so many amazing people…but, I must say, I think she really did GET A KICK out of meeting ME! Every time she touched ME…she giggled. Now this is TOO CUTE!
Additionally, Angie has also done a great deal on so many levels to support OLD FRIENDS.
I truly believe it is FABULOUS that my dear retired racehorse pals have so many wonderful people from so many different walks of life who constantly do SO MUCH behind the scenes to help. For Angie, Michael and myself….it is a gesture guided by passion and love for the HORSE. We are extremely grateful for all of the generosity and LOVE people show to our dear ‘retired’ racehorse friends.
With Love,
Hugs to All~(Great meeting you Angie!)
Z
Barbara Wood
Dear Z–thank you for the lovely pictures. Angie is one lucky woman!
@Kathy Baldwin–Amen!
@Kimberley Potter–great news! Thanks for sharing the updates with us. Please keep ’em coming.
@Stephanie Lambert–good to hear from you. I hope you’ll join us on our other site that is working for rescues. Barbara Grimaldi is working like a dog to get it up and running.
@Gary Moulton–yes, interesting, isn’t it?
@Anna M– loss is such a hard part of this troubled world. I understand completely. Praying for your healing. I lost my mom 5 years ago, and a day doesn’t go by without my mentioning her.
Love the fact that we seem to have some newcomers. Hope they all find this a wonderful place to meet.
Karen Mitchell
Haven’t posted for a very long time but have been reading the last few diary posts and this site is truly amazing. Just want to express my thoughts and love to Kari Bussell, Sharon in Seattle, and all others here who are struggling with life’s challenges.
@Kari B., I absolutely loved the video of Tempo and her bath. What joy she has and it is contagious. Thanks so much for posting. Much love and many hugs, as always, to Zenyatta and all her team and fans.
s (in San Diego)
Hello Dear Z and all.
@Dawn..not fair! just put the make up on for the day (0n vacation this week so no rush:), but now I have to start all over. Didn’t have that much on, but it is all smudged under my eyes and down my cheeks now. Worth every smudge.
@Kari and Sharon in Seattle…not a morning prayer time will go by that you are not both on my heart and mind.
Zenny the picture of you and Michael=POWER COUPLE :) for all you both do. Lucky Angie D.
Looking so forward to Saturday…would love to meet some of you and put a face with the names. Let me know if anyone is interested in meeting up :)
Karen Mitchell
P.S. @ Dawn Conrad, your words and thoughts are beautiful and incredibly wise and inspirational. Thanks for sharing.
Barbara Wood
@Susan in TN–thanks for the prayers for rain. We are desperate.
@Denise in AZ–love Peyton and Eli!
Lisa g
@Barbara Wood, I love my mom 6 years ago, I think this is the most difficult to handle…still struggling thru it…Lisa g
Kari Bussell
@Kathy Mithchelle & Anna B- Trust me when I tell you that is amazing Zenyatta family of friends has now circled their wagons of love, positive energy & prayers around you. You are both added to my list. May you be able to find Peace, Joy & Love.
Kari Bussell
Go Moroccan Sky GO- 11 MINUTES….love you CH o 68 Hope you are having a wonderful time!
Lisa g
@Barbara Wood: Notice the slip, love rather than lost…Lisa g.
Barbara Grimaldi
I wish there were 1000 Old Friends throughout the USA! Dear Zenyatta–you showed us the way to this great organization. Saving our horses is our heartfelt wish.
Love you, Zenyatta–thank you Dottie for the affiliation with OldFriends. Perfect combination.
Lots of action at the annex today…we need dumplings!!!!
JAG from California :-)
Results of race #1:
WAR ELEMENT – 1st
MOROCCAN SKY – 4TH
JAG from California :-)
GREAT RISING STAR – 2ND
ADMISSION – 3RD
Kari Bussell
Well, fiddlestix!!…Moroccan Sky did not fire today. Congratulations to War Element for the win…
Pamela Hill
for dawn conrad! you are one amazing woman! you way with words is truly inspirational
! don’t write on here often, but makes me want to meet each and every one of the zenny fans in person! and sure makes me want to step up to the plate in this ole world!
Brenda S..
Dear Dawn, Your words are awe inspiring. I wish we could have spent more time together, I could have learned so much from you, your calm personality and outlook, unlike mine which tends to be more volatile. I shall try to keep you in mind as I deal with the day to day issues.
Barbara Wood
@Lisa g–I know exactly what you mean. I’m an only child, and my mom lived with us for 3 1/2 years before she had to go to the nursing home. It was the worst thing I ever had to do, and I’ll never be ok with it.
@Dawn–thank you for your beautiful, uplifting post. I feel pulled from pillar to post all day every day (today’s crisis is another kitten rescue by our daughter), and your words just feel like a healing balm.
Kathy Baldwin
DAWN CONRAD, Very nice post you sent today!
Next time MORROCCAN SKY!
JAG, Thanks for posting the results from the
first race. ;)
KEEP THE FAITH TO ALL THE ANNA’S AND TO ALL
IN THE ZENYATTA NATION! :)
Blessings,
Kathy from SoCal xoxo
Jan
Zenyatta,
God Bless Old Friends for all that they do. What a nice picture. You all look good. Wasn’t Angie D. part of the Rat Pack crowd. Stay healthy & happy Big Mama.
@Stephanie Lambert: Good luck and hope all goes well with Baby Boy.
@ Kari B: video was adorable.
tony and sue
Zenny, Wow! Angie D. got to meet YOU. She is so lucky to have been in the presence of The Queen…no wonder she was so happy. It seems as if you are having lots of interesting visitors and all because of the wonderful things you do to make this a better world. Love you bunches. Kari and all the other dumplings, {{{ }}} for all of you.
Isabella
Perfect name for foal, regardless of sex. Vendetta!
Terry Crow
@Kennedys in San Diego-I believe one of Mister Bacharach’s netter horse, Afternoon Deelites, is at Old Friends.@Gary Moulton-The item was yours. I just stepped on it for no good reason other than a feeble attempt at humor. @Susan in TN-It just means that I’m old. @Brenda S-Good luck/. I’m still a Rams fan, the team of my childhood. @LIsa g-Can’t get anything past you. @Kari Bussell-Don’t go up on old Rocky Top looking for a moonshine still. @quarterhossgal-Very funny. Looks like I have a worthy stand-in. Like I said, my sense of humor is not for everyone. Here is today’s joke–The Pope, Billy Graham and Oral Roberts were together on a plane that crashed over the Pacific Ocean. They all died and went to heaven together. “Oh, this is terrible,” exclaims Saint Peter. “I know you guys think we summoned you here, but this is just one of the coincidences that happen. Since we were not expecting you, your quarters just aren’t ready. We can’t take you in and we can’t send you back.” Then he got an idea. He picked up the phone, “Lucifer, this is Pete. Hey, I got these three guys up here. They’re ours, but we weren’t expecting them, and we gotta fix the place up for them. I was hoping you could put them up for a while. It’ll only be a couple of days. what do you say?” Reluctantly, the Devil agreed. However, two days later, St. Peter got a call. “Pete, Lu. Hey, you gotta come get these three clowns. This Pope fellow is forgiving everybody, the Graham guy is saving everybody, and that Oral Roberts has raised enough money to buy air conditioning.”
Arlene
@ Anna M, Thoughts and prayers of comfort for you and your family. What a wonderful man your grandfather must have been. Memories are precious. God Bless you all.
LOL & Z Hugs, Arlene
Elizabeth
Dearest Zenyatta (and all OLD FRIENDS):
In honor of OLD FRIENDS, here is a beautiful poem about retired racehorses written by Philip Larkin (I apologize if perhaps this was posted previously, and somehow I missed it). It is a very beautiful and poignant poem:
AT GRASS
The eye can hardly pick them out
From the cold shade they shelter in,
Till wind distresses tail and main;
Then one crops grass, and moves about
– The other seeming to look on –
And stands anonymous again
Yet fifteen years ago, perhaps
Two dozen distances surficed
To Fable them: faint afternoons
Of Cups and Stakes and Handicaps,
Whereby their names were artificed
To inlay faded, classic Junes –
Silks at the start – against the sky
Numbers and parasols: outside,
Squadrons of empty cars, and heat,
And littered grass: then the long cry
Hanging unhushed till it subside
To stop press-columns in the street.
Do memories plague their ears like flies?
They shake their heads. Dusk brims the shadows.
Summer by summer all stole away,
The starting-gates, the crowd and cries –
All but the unmolesting meadows.
Almanacked, their names live; they
Have slipped their names, and stand at ease,
Or gallop for what must be joy
And not a fieldglass sees them home,
Or curious stop-watch prophesies:
Only the grooms, and the grooms boy,
With bridles in the evening come.
Love,
Elizabeth
Jenna
Two great ladies: Zenyatta and ‘Pepper Anderson!’ You look beautiful. Michael is one of God’s little helpers.
Maria K.
I love the pictures. You look so lovely. Have fun outside and I love you!
JAG from California :-)
HRN Power Rankings – Active Horses:
http://www.horseracingnation.com/polls/current/PowerRankings_Active
jen
Thanks for the update, Zenny. And thanks to Angie Dickinson for being such a huge supporter of retired horses and Old Friends. Love ya both!
Arlene
@ Terry Crow, Good one :-)
Sharon Call
@Elizabeth. What a lovely poem. Thanks so much for posting it.
Kathy Kimber
@Keri Bussell: I pray for your everyday needs even if it only for something to make you smile. I ask God to grant you those things you need for every day.
You are a beautiful women, I have never seen a picture of you but I don’t need to because yuor beauty shines thru in everything you write, in the links you send us and just in your being in our lives. I am so glad you are walking thru my life. You are changing things all around you. We are all, better for knowing you. We are all here for you in whatever way we can help. Hugs