Writer on a Horse
And a Dog

The world looks better from the back of a horse and the roads of life are easier with a good dog beside you.

Friday, March 18, 2016

I love to dig... dirty fingernails are beautiful to me


Gardens helped my family (us, Ronnie's parents, sisters-in-laws) make ends meet for over 15 years.  Not that any of us would have starved but meals were a little better because of gardens.  Now that it's just me and Ronnie... Missy does her own garden,(got that from her Mama)...and sister-in-laws fix meals for one...a garden seems like a lot of work and not necessary... that is what my husband says every spring.  Last year, I let him convince me that I could buy what we needed at the farmer market for less money.  

You can't and I missed it so much.  This year the Weaver's will have a garden.  I already have tomato and pepper plants in the ground. 

 I love to dig in the dirt.  That deep musty odor is like a friend I only see once a year.... fresh plowed dirt beckons me to share my wealth of seed and my sweat to reach the goal of large tomatoes that burst with sweet/tangy flavor and sends taste buds craving more.  The heated crunch of a cowhorn pepper is so appealing I eat them with everything including breakfast.  Well I don't eat it when I have cereal


So if you want to feel the love of Mother Earth, dig in the dirt.... plant something and watch it grown... but be careful, it is an addiction.



Tuesday, March 8, 2016

A Hundred Horses by Sarah Lean


Below are two reviews of this book.  I agree with both.  Nell is the main character and the story is told in her point of view but as in the reviews Angel overshadows the main character.  Don't get me wrong... the Angel character doesn't take from Nell, in fact I think the merging of these two characters is what makes the book so great.

 I told my writing buddies I would give this book a 10 (which from me is high praise) but after the glow of the last chapter faded... I would adjust it to 4.5.  Here are the reasons for the subtracted points... one Nell is a little annoying with her whining in the first few chapters (the author tried too hard to make the reader aware of how much Nell hated her life since her father left)  I think less would be more here but the saving grace is Nell finding her prize... the catalyze of the whole story.

  Then of course the horses were introduce and I was hooked.


 The story made me laugh, get a little teary and realize how lucky I am to have friends like these characters.  Friends that will stand with me though the good and bad... fight for me, cover for me and cry with me.

 How lucky the human race is that God gave us the heart to be a friend and to realize how lucky we are when others love us back.

Reviews:

A Hundred Horses emphasizes a loving connection between humans and animals, and the ties that bind members of a family -- biological or otherwise.

To an adult, A Hundred Horses gets off to a slow, predictable start, with the troubled city girl sent to visit a farm where fresh air and hard work will set her straight. That happens, but there's also a lot of magic and mystery: Angel's story, the legend of the hundred horses, and the connection between humans and animals. As the plot and characters deepen, the story grows more beautiful and uplifting. This emotional book is a marvelous find, especially for girls who love horses.