Moon "Dancer", a recent adoptee, is from a nearby farm relocating to Florida. As part of the move, they are unable to take their horses. Two went to another farm. Dancer came to us. She is Arabian/Saddlebred mix. Approx 18 years old. Dancer is somewhere in the middle of our horses by age - the Mustangs being the youngest (12) and June Royal being the oldest (32).
Dancer and our pony, Starburst, became fast friends - within days they were grazing next to each other on pasture. Now, Starburst does not like to be without her. That is a problem since Dancer is skinny and Starburst is fat - requiring two separate feeding schedules.
Dancer seems to like grain/feed, a lot. And she is easy to handle. Her coloring is almost identical to the pony but it is easy to tell them apart...tall and skinny....short and fat!!!
As with any animal we adopt, we hope to do justice to previous owners for all the care they put into their animals, and for the animals - to give them all the freedom, space, food, and shelter we can provide for comfort and longevity. As the previous owner stated, "Our horses seem to be very happy." We feel their happiness - and believe Dancer will be very happy here too!
Every year when the Nobel Prize is awarded in many categories, I am reminded to give my own prize to people, organizations, and efforts that command my admiration. This year, I decided to give a prize to all the seed houses, farmers, and gardeners that save seed from heritage/heirloom plants so that future generations share in the biodiversity that was Planet Earth. I have been a grower of heirloom plants for over 25 years. Most of my seeds are purchased from rareseeds.com, growitalian.com. There are other organizations that promote and sell heirloom seeds. The prominent ones in this country are seedsaversexchange.com and sustainableseedco.com. and d landreth seed company, and seedsofchange.com and the cooks garden and wild seeds farm.
The list goes on and on. Our diet is expanded to include thousands of varieties of vegetables. The possible natural health medicines and remedies and protectors...are endless because of this work. To all seed houses, and the many farmers, and household gardeners that preserve seed from their ancestry and the wild from one year to the next, Congratulations!!! Hard work well done to make a difference in the World. Also, those people that have help preserve heritage animals, many thanks to you as well.
Living on the jagged edge - a catch 22 - a double edged sword.
Freedom is undervalued, a priceless commodity. Freedom comes with a price - the jagged edge. Sometimes - it costs everything - a life.
Martin Luther King, Gandhi, Dianne Fossey...the list goes on. People that paid their life in exchange for freedom. The freedom of African Americans, Indians of every Caste, The Mountain Gorilla.
Every person fights each day to preserve it.
The Jagged Edge is the story of how that fight often results in tragedy.
in memory of Auntie and the work she did and the gifts of love she gave. She introduced us to theater.
We come together for a family gathering in Memorium of our Auntie - a figure that influenced each one of us in a special way - we are grateful for our time together - memories take us back to the times we shared, individually and together. We will miss you Auntie...
Our maternal and paternal side of our ancestry lend such leadership to our family. We reflect on those teachings - knowingly and unconsciously. So much to emulate and so much to learn. Moving forward in time, we will honor their memory and send prayers of goodness in the afterlife, knowing they may hear and feel how much we miss them.
“A Noiseless Patient Spider,” Whitman:
A noiseless patient spider,
I mark'd where on a little promontory it stood isolated,
Mark'd how to explore the vacant vast surrounding,
It launched forth filament, filament, filament, out of itself,
Surrounded, detached, in measureles oceans of space,
Ceaselessly musing, venturing, throwing, seeking the spheres to con-
nect them,
Till the bridge you will need be form'd, till the ductile anchor hold,
Till the gossamer thread you fling catch somewhere, O my soul. (CRE 450)
I think of my Aunt and she reminds me how to grow old with grace according to many of the "self help" books.
1/ Cardio - working out helps to feed the brain more blood/oxygen. A 30 minute workout is all you need to get the heart pumping. I like tennis as a cardio sport - also keeps the brain active with court strategy. My Aunt used power walking in her 50s and early 60s. Once she retired, she did cardio no more. We never asked her why.
2/Comradarie/Social/Friendships - "people who need people are the luckiest people in the world" - as it turns out - socializing is great for aging. More fun, laughter, being out and about. These are some of the ways to add quality to your life.
3/Pets - dogs, cats, even goats - any pet adds love - and that is always a good thing. They may limit travel so one needs to weigh the pros and cons.
4/Travel - exploration keeps you young for all these reasons - keeps your mind active seeing and learning about new places, people and culture. May involve the companionship of other people if you travel in groups or pairs. Involves alot of walking - if you are going to places that involve more than a spa or beach retreat.
5/Massage - this is my own take on aging well - touch, muscle stimulation and detoxification. Always makes me feel rejuvenated!
6/ Mediterranean diet - olive oil is one of the keys - also, fish and mostly plant based diet. Vitamins, omega 3s, anti inflammatory - all rolled into one.
7/ Keep Learning
anything that stimulates the brain is a powerful tool to aging well - learn a language, get a Masters degree, learn a new trade.
For more on this and other useful ways to age healthier - read The Blue Zones - a study of centenarian cultures.
https://www.bluezones.com/blog/
