Horses and Hats

When I was in fourth grade, I became horse crazy.  Every day I would draw horses--probably because it was the only thing I could draw very well. The white paper is now yellow, but I saved some of the work I did when in elementary school. I drew this picture when I was age 9. The above horse's name was Cuddles and Cream.

I drew this horse at the end of fourth grade when I was age 10. The paper has yellowed because this drawing is 55 years old!  It seems like it was just yesterday.

I had always loved animals and mostly read books about them: Bambi and Bambi's Children by Felix Salten, Black Beauty, Beautiful Joe ( about a dog who had his ears cut off by some mean person), but then I discovered the Black Stallion books by Walter Farley and that did it! I read all 12 of them while in 4th grade! I fell totally in love with Arabian horses and from that moment on I kept track of which horses won the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness, and the Belmont Stakes.  I was overjoyed in sixth grade when my family got a TV because then I started watching all of the Triple Crown races on television.

If a human can have a horse for a hero, then I would have to say that Secretariat became my hero. I can still remember when Jim McKay on ABC's Wide World of Sports called the Belmont Stakes when Secretariat won by 31 lengths. No horse has ever won the Belmont with such a large margin of distance. Secretariat also set the world record in speed. Secretariat's record at the Belmont has never been broken. 

Above is Secretariat winning the Kentucky Derby in 1973.  He set a track record that has never been equalled. He ran the 1 1/4 miles in 1:59 2/5 minutes.  He achieved the unheard-of feat called "Negative splitting" which means he ran each quarter mile segment faster than the one before it.  His successive quarter mile times were:  25 1/4, 24, 23 4/5, 23 2/5, and 23. He was accelerating faster and faster in each succeeding 1/4 mile and was still accelerating by the time he crossed the finish line--something that no horse had ever done. 
This black and white photo shows Secretariat  31 lengths ahead of the 2nd place horse in the Belmont in 1973.  Secretariat not only broke the margin-of-victory record , but he also ran the fastest 1 1/2 miles on dirt in history, at 2:24 flat. This works out to a speed of 37.5 mph for his entire performance.  Secretariat's world record still stands. 

(In fact , no other horse has even broken 2:25 for this same distance.)

This color photo shows just how far ahead Secretariat was from the rest of the horses when he won the Belmont.
Because many consider Secretariat to be the greatest race horse of all time and because his records at the Belmont Stakes have never been equalled, they erected this bronze statue in his honor by the entrance gate at Belmont Race Track.

Although I have always loved Secretariat's speed. I think Arabian horses have the most beautiful heads of any breed of horse.  Compare this black Arabian's head with Secretariat's. Just look at the small chiseled noses on these gorgeous horses.

Again, notice this grey Arabian's head and how it narrows at the nose.

Arabians' heads are so much more exquisite than those of quarter horses

 I always wanted my own black Arabian, just like the child pictured in this movie poster.

Aren't they stunning when they run?

Today, Mine That Bird, a long shot--a horse with 50-1 odds won the Kentucky Derby. In the whole 135 year history of the Derby, only one other horse has won with such big odds. 

Here's Mine That Bird crossing the finish line today.  I bet his owners are kicking themselves because he is a gelding. (This means he cannot sire any children.)

Randy always said the best part of baseball is "the game within the game." I loved having him explain "the game within the game" to me when we would be watching a baseball game on television. 

Well, part of the game within the game at the Derby is the unofficial contest the ladies have to see who can have the best hat.  Here are some of the ladies who were watching the Derby today. It must have been a lot warmer in Kentucky today than it was in Utah because most of the ladies are wearing sleeveless dresses. 

At least this one is made out of see-through material.

This one, shaped like a horse's head, gets the unofficial award for being the most creative.

All of these hats are so big, how can anyone see the horse race?

Jerel Runs in SLC Marathon

Jerel, Camille's husband, came to Salt Lake last weekend and ran in the Salt Lake City Marathon in order to raise funds for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.   Jerel's team was entitled Steps-4-Sisters in honor of his sister Shannon, who passed away from this disease last October 5, 2008, and another sister, Lindy, who fights this disease every day.

Here Jerel is crossing the finish line after running 26.2 miles.  Jerel and his family were able to raise over $15,000.00 in donations for this important cause.  I am proud of you, Jerel, for having the tenacity to do this! 

Here are Tanner, Jordan, and Trevor waiting for their dad to cross the finish line. They had to wake up early to go watch, and Trevor still looks a little sleepy.

Here are Chase, my oldest grandson, and my daughter, Camille, waiting for Jerel to cross the finish line. I love them all so much and I  was so happy to have them here, so I could enjoy their company even though their trip was very short.  (I am amazed at how mature Chase looks and I still love Camille's cute dimples.  My mom always said that dimples are where the angels kissed her when they brought her here to earth, so that is what I always think of when I see my beautiful daughter and her cute dimples.)  

Surprise Image

This by far is the most incredible optical illusion I have ever seen. I have done it several times and each time, I am just as amazed as the first time.

Follow these instructions: 

1.) Concentrate by focusing your eyes on the 4 small dots in the middle of the picture.  Stare steadily at the image for at least 45 seconds. 

2.) Then take a look at a wall near you ( any smooth light colored surface will do. I look at the wall behind the computer desk, which is about 3 feet away.) 

3.) You will see a circle of light developing. 

4.) Keep looking at the wall and you will see a figure emerging. . . when I do it, I see the figure appear on the wall, but then it starts traveling up the wall and onto the ceiling at a rapid rate of speed.

5.)  What do you see? Moreover, who do you see?  Let me know by leaving me your comment.

Rainbow Ribbons

Beloved Randy--Last March of 2008, while walking arm in arm with you down the hospital halls, we both marveled at a double rainbow that filled the entire eastern sky.   Both rainbows formed almost two complete arcs.   We remarked how we had never seen a more beautiful rainbow. 

                        

It was one year ago today that I last held your hand

       and told you I loved you.

Just one year ago, I heard you take your last breath. 

When you left, you took my sun with you.

Rainbows can't exist without the sun . . .

Sweet are the memories 

of lollipop flowers

Of gingerbread houses

Of sugar coated hours.

Of fairy drawn coaches

and fanciful rides

Down silvery moonbeam 

Slippery slides.

Of rainbow ribbons

Tied in my hair.

Ah, Rainbow Ribbons

That I no longer wear.

But even though rainbows

and moonbeams must fade.

They only melt into skies

Made of pink lemonade.

(Note: I wrote the words and music for the song Rainbow Ribbons one sad, rainy night while I was at BYU the fall of 1965.  It is written for a classical guitar and a flute accompaniment. Later someone on campus heard it and asked me to perform my song for a play she was directing the spring of 1966.  I wish I knew how to add my own recording to a blog playlist, so you could be listening to the song as you read this. The music expresses my emotions so much better than the words.) 

 

However, there are no skies of pink lemonade for me now.  

I need the Sun for them to exist . . . .

In 1966, I was on a BYU a cappella choir trip on a bus near St. Louis, Missouri, when the following words just came into my mind.  It was springtime.   Although I wrote this poem 43 years before I ever dated Randy, the words seem to be quite prophetic in expressing what has transpired and how I feel now:

Candlelight and lace,

A lingering embrace,

A tear upon her face

       Sighed goodbye

       To a springtime sky,

              His familiar knock,

               A lilac scented talk,

               A moonbeam tinseled walk.

Candlelight and lace

Now grace

An empty place.

       A dress with an old style look,

       Pressed rosebuds in a book,

       A weed crowned garden nook

              Remain to say

              He went away . . . .

   

Dedicated to Randy

I wrote and gave this to Randy several years ago:

                   Tapestry

One day in time

I found a new thread

Woven into my tapestry of life.

Intriguing---

Because this thread

Added a new dimension and texture

To an already most unusual design.

I love the adventure

Of seeing a new color.

Exciting---

Because once the Master Weaver

Adds a new color to the loom

I'm never quite certain

What changes will be made

In the overall design.

Sometimes I am able 

To alter the pattern of threads,

But other times the threads weave in and out

Almost as if these inanimate objects

Had a will and life of their own.

It is not always easy to weave.

Sometimes threads break

Altering my design forever.

Sometimes the spindle pricks my finger,

And sadly I find that

Beauty does not come easily.

To have it

One must often pay the price of pain,

But contrasts enhance the overall design.

Light and dark, smooth and rough, joy and pain---

All add a necessary depth and dimension.

I am most fortunate

Because no one

Has a tapestry quite like mine.

I must make it so.

Uniqueness---

An imperative life force for me.

My tapestry of life

Woven both by Gods and mortals

In a design

Which will never be complete

Nor comprehended 

Until life's final breath

Shuts down the loom. 

        ---Written by Bonnie

         * * * * *

Thanks, Randy, for being that unique thread that has only added richness and beauty to my tapestry of life.

Patterns Etched in My Heart Forever

                  Randy's hand by a rose in our yard

                         A sunset from our back yard

              Kaleidoscope

A sunrise

A rainbow

A blossom

Shimmering jewels

In a kaleidoscope of color

Beauty

Joy

How brief

How transitory

How fragile

Patterns in glass

Patterns in life

Patterns of love

Etched in my heart

Forever

Even though your stay

Was brief.

I want things

To remain

The same.

I want to stop

Time.

I cannot.

Written by,

              Bonnie

Happy Birthday, Tricia!

You look so adorable in this photo

that I just wanted everybody to see it:

Happy Birthday to you

Happy Birthday to you

Happy Birthday Dear Tricia

Happy birthday to you!

It's supposed to be spring . . . .

so why have these bedraggled and fading primroses

 been sitting on a table in my kitchen for over 2 weeks

 instead of being planted outside?

because this is what my backyard looks like today

  and the weatherman has promised a storm every day

for the next week!

So for a breath of springtime,

PLEASE read the next post

that is just below this one.

A Giant Carpet of Begonias . . . .

Happy Spring from Brussels, Belgium!

( I visited Brussels in 1966.)

Every year in the Grand Place Square in the center of Brussels, 

over a million Begonia plants are placed to make beautiful designs. 

These giant carpets of flowers are 300 square meters in size. 

 Notice how small the people look in the photos.

Every year they make a different design. 

 The above carpet of flowers used a Medieval design.

Here is a night time view from a previous year.

Snowflakes and Babies

Snowmen fall from heaven unassembled,

but babies come perfect.

Through the years after taking down my Christmas decorations, my house has always looked so empty . . . until Nickie gave me the idea of putting up snowmen decorations to liven up the winter months.  
I already had my first January decoration because only one week after our first date on 12/26/99, I gave Randy the statue shown above as my first Christmas present I ever gave him.  It is called, "Making a new friend." 

After Nickie gave me the idea of snowmen, we went to a store and she helped me pick out some snowmen. I like the one on the far right, where he is sculpting a giant snowflake because it also has a great message on the bottom: "To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but dream, not only plan, but also believe." Anatoie France wrote the quote.

I was also with Nickie when I bought this snowman holding the bird.  

Nickie had this statue, which I just loved. It is called "Ketchum and B. Quick," but it was nowhere to be found. Camille found out that I wanted it and gave it to me for my birthday several years ago.  It also has a great message on the bottom: "Life is a series of inspired follies.  The difficulty is to find what to do. Never lose a chance; it doesn't come every day."  This was written by George Bernard Shaw.  This has become my modus operandi ever since I lost Randy.  The uncertainty of life has really hit me.  Now, if I get a good idea, I don't wait,  I just try to do it as soon as I  possibly can.  Thanks for being so thoughtful, Camille, for searching for it and giving me something so special.
Nickie was also with me when I got these cute snowmen pillows.  As I was at the checkstand, I found that one had a flaw and so Nickie was sweet to run and go find a better one for me. Thanks Nickie.

For Christmas this year, Nickie made and gave me this adorable sign.  I have always loved the saying: "Snowmen fall from heaven unassembled." I was so excited when I opened her gift.   Thanks so much, Nickie.

However, babies come from heaven perfect.  Here are Nickie and Aubrey on March 1, 2009, the day Aubrey was blessed in church.
It looks like Aubrey is really sizing up her sister and saying, "Don't you wish you had stylish legwarmers like mine."

Dee came up so we could celebrate his birthday with him. 

Here's Dee's birthday cake that Nickie made.

London is so busy that it is hard to get her to stand still for a photo, but I finally accomplished it.

Here E-man is with his rock collection.  Notice how close he is to all those delicious cookies that Nickie made.
I love this picture because it reminds me of Randy. My grandmother Ella McKinnon always told me that I should not deliberately cross my eyes or they just might permanently stay that way, so Randy used to cross his eyes to tease me because he knew what my Grammy had said.  It looks like Ethan is following in the footsteps of his Grandpa Randy in this photo.   I also love how tenderly Cris is looking at his precious baby girl.