Sunday, February 22, 2009

The wind of heaven is that which blows between a horse's ears.*

Image and video hosting by TinyPic


What's the rush? -- you might be asking yourself.

First of all, I'm in a hurry to get out of the funk I've been in for some days now. Enough of this, I tell 'ya. It is, however, often times easier wished for than accomplished. Sometimes you can do it on your own, depending upon how dark your mood. In the lighter shades of a slump I can actually help myself simply by
acting as if I feel energized, positive, hopeful. And there are therapists, gyms, music, hobbies, toys, drugs and alcohol, eating, reading, sleep, yoga, animals......many, many things to help get depressed people out of their depression, some more viable and reliable than others.

On Saturday morning my therapy came in the form of a cheerful email with attached photo from my friend, Nancy. Ours is one of those former co-worker friendships that actually has withstood the years since we both left work.

Some years ago, she and her husband moved to central Oregon over the mountains, and there Nancy has her horse Oakie, a beloved female being indeed. Nancy is artistic and in her email she said she has recently added knitting to her skills. She made these two hats for herself and had her "kid" model them for this shot. She wrote that Oakie "tolerates a lot" from her! They are quite a pair....... and I'm not talking about the hats (although I do think the hats are great).

Today I'm celebrating the special bonds of friendship that help us through our lives. Among those, surely, are the treasured relationships we have with our pets. It's coming up on time for me to post another picture of my cat, Willow, who is simply the light in my life right now........


But today is Oakie's Day at Writerquake!



So how sweet is this? Worth rushing to see, most definitely.



* quote: Arabian proverb
graphic: tinypic.com

19 comments:

dmarks said...

I've never seen horse earmuffs before.

Marie Reed said...

I can't wait to see more Willow shots! My two cats were adopted during my divorce. Those fuzzballs miraculously taught me how to smile again!

The Acolyte Tao said...

(=
What a cute horse! Haha, it totally made my day. Cute cute cute.

Anonymous said...

Lydia, I've enjoyed your recent posts (Buffy Saint-Marie, Spiral Tunnel, very much, but this horse photo really does take the cake! Love it! I understand what you say about being in the doldrums (I forget what words you used), I have been feeling that way too...I've decided not to follow the world news quite so closely for a while, see if that helps...a few crocuses will help, too! :)

Darlene said...

Very sweet, indeed. Oakie's ears certainly will stay warm when the weather turns cold.

Lydia said...

@dmarks- Funny that you'd call them horse earmuffs! :)

@Marie Reed- Stay tuned for shot of Willow. I'm so glad you had your two kitties at a time their expertise in counseling/cuddling/listening/clowning was needed most of all. Long ago when I went through divorce my two cats and dog were my lifeline. :)

@Acolyte Tao- If my friend reads your comment it'll really please her, I think. :)

@Mibsy- I think the photo of Oakie hit you and me the same way! Don't you just want to thank that horse for the good feelings? :)

@Darlene- Yup, and believe me it gets cold over in Central Oregon. I highly doubt that winter is finished over there!

Wayfaring Wanderer said...

That's too funny! Great pic too.

Don't Feed The Pixies said...

This may only be a UK thing - but i find that British women who spend too much time around horses end up looking like one: big teeth, often quite posh, horsey laugh (look at writer Jilly Cooper if you want to know what i mean)

Never own an animal bigger than you are - only a matter of time till it decides it's boss!

Seriously tho' and jokes aside this is a lovely horse and its always great to hear from a friend just when you need that extra push.

Feel better xx

Unknown said...

Funny, funny, funny. The look on that horse's face...secretly luuuuvvvvvs the ear muffs:>)

Carlos Lorenzo said...

Great post Lydia. I like that vintage movie effect. As to the feed. I was updating feeds today on Google Reader. Cleaning stuff in feeds that were not updating. I don't know what I touched. But today all blogs I followed in my blogger dashboard were followed anonymously and not public. Maybe that's why you didn't see me. Sorry for the inconvenience. My fault.

Lydia said...

@Carlos- Thanks so much.
I wonder if that isn't one of the first movie images? Not sure.
No, this wasn't an inconvenience at all! I was just worried I'd lost you as a follower. Since you were my first that makes you very special!

secretfragileskies said...

love this post; the quote, the horse graphics, the ear muffs. great stuff!

Di Mackey said...

Stunning horse and she must be a stunning person to not only think of it but to have her horse trust her.

Did I tell you, Gert said I am allowed my dog when I get back from my 3 month stint in Berlin at the end of the year :)

Lydia said...

@Wayfaring Wanderer- It really is a great pic. I remember the fantastic shots you took last summer of those cows. Have you photographed horses yet?

@Pixies- Whew! I was glad to get to the end of your comment to see that you were joking around! My friend Nancy is beautiful and doesn't look anything like a horse........although her horse is so beautiful....oh, you know what I mean. :)

@Distracted- I think you pegged the expression. That's what I saw in Oakie's face too: sheer delight in making Nancy happy!

@secret, fragile skies- Oh, good; I'm glad you liked it. I had saved the graphic in drafts because I loved it and was just waiting for the right post to come from it.

@Di- I really hope that Nancy reads these comments! Oakie really is stunning and, you are right, Nancy is too. Her love for Oakie is a beautiful thing.
Now I am so excited that you'll be getting your dog *this year*! Lucky doggie, lucky you.

Kirie said...

Willow is adorable, and it's clear why she is the light of your life right now. And Oakie! Pets are so special--yours are beautiful. Thanks for sharing the photos.

Roxanne said...

people don't celebrate friendships enough, so good for you!

I heard that to get out of a funk you should do somethinig new. New songs, new coffee, new surroundings. It stimulates your nerve cells and you grow brain cells as a result... in fact "comfort food" and "comfort movies" do more harm than good :)

Lydia said...

@Kirie- You back from your New York trip? Yes, my Willow and my friend's horse Oakie are much loved.....and they deserve it!

@Honour- For some reason your comments struck me as extremely profound tonight! It makes so much sense to me that newness = aliveness. I thank you for your nudge, Honour. Right now we are worried sick that Mike's job may be involved in a 30% staff reduction, and I need to keep my head screwed on straight. I'll try something new, even a little thing, this week.

Roxanne said...

Oh dear, that's always hard to deal with... good luck dear Lydia ... we are thinking of you and Mike

Lydia said...

@Honour- That means the world to me to know you are sending good wishes our way. Mike said tonight that he was suffering from "survivor's guilt" because this morning he rode up the elevator with a co-worker who was lamenting the 5% reduction in pay beginning next month.....and then later in the day that person was let go.
I'm going to build meditating for the peace of mind of others into my daily routine.

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