Country Time Acres Blog

Well, it’s that time again, Christmas is just around the corner. This weekend I will be at the Ocean City, Maryland Convention Center for their three day gift show. Country Time Creations has a lot of new items for shoppers to enjoy. We still have all the great horse gifts and jewelry but, have added a ballet section. Our popular book and puzzle section has been expanded and we have some  awesome new towel designs. New to the racks are our hand designed hooded bath and swim towels for kids. They currently come  in three designs, hearts, horses and Sponge Bob. The event is for three days so, make sure you stop by and say hello while you load up on lots of great gifts for this year’s holiday giving.

It was a beautiful day for a performance. Author, Katie Hardiman read a chapter from her recently published book,  Nutcracker Stallion” to a small but, delightful group. I wasn’t sure how the day would go, originally the reading was to take place in the indoor arena. Unfortunately, the new building did not go up as planned and was no where near completition forcing the event to be moved outdoors. This presented a number of possible obsticles.  All week we had unusual warm weather and sunny skies. That day there was the threat of cooler weather and wind. There was also the distraction of other horses which is a major problem for me when performing at liberty. Sundae, is a very right brain horse and tends to express lots of energy when in new places. With the help of my husband, Terry,  grandson, Makhi and a few good friends we got the sound equipment set up fairly quickly.  I had been bundled in my winter coat while setting up the arena but, when the program was about to begin suddenly the wind stopped blowing and I was able to shed my coat. The horses also seemed to be as calm as the wind. All the other nearby horses had been moved to the barn without much notice to my horses. When the music started I was shocked to say the least that my horses were dancing just as we had rehearsed.  We were almost done when they suddenly caught sight of a horse at the end of the arena and they darted off to say hello. Well, it was almost perfect! I ran my horses to the other side of the arena, they were beautiful with their manes blowing in the breeze and their pretty garland glistened. After retreaving them we headed to the fence to say hello to their audience where they were quickly rewarded with many smiles and pats on the head.  I am hopeful that Katie and I as well as C-Line Stables will be working together on some future projects. My Paints are truely amazing, not because they can do some pretty tricks but, for what they have brought to my life, the lives of others and the people I have met because of them.  It was truely a beautiful day.

On Saturday, November 12, 2011 the C-Line Stables in Townsend, Delaware will host “The Nutcracker’s Stallion”. The program begins at 2:00 with a reading by author, Katie Hardiman followed by a performance by Jowana Lamb and Her Amazing Paints, Sundae and Dakota. Books are available for purchase and will be signed by the author. There will be coloring pages and gift bags for the kids. The program is free of charge and open to the public. For more information call Jowana Lamb at 302-284-9898.

       I am always amazed with the speed of technology but,  I just love Facebook!  Not only is it  great for social networking but, the photo’s and  information we can get by “sharing” is priceless.  I would like to share some of these images with my readers.  With the economy the way it is more and more people find it difficult to feed  and care for their animals. My animals are like my children so, I could never imagine having to give them away because I couldn’t feed them or had no home for them. I think that all creatures take comfort in feeling safe. It doesn’t matter what life throws at you,  things just seem to feel better in the arms of the one you love or who loves you.  This is one of the most touching photo’s I have ever seen. Here we have a man who is homeless and wants nothing for himself but, wants food for his puppies. Those puppies feel safe and find comfort in the arms of this man.  It is a shame that we live in one of richest countries in the world and yet we have people living on the streets. Bless this man and his puppies. I hope they find compassion from their fellow neighbors and may their be plenty of food and shelter for them. May we all be inspired by this photo.

This photo can be found on Facebook: I’m a stray. I’m worth loving. Owner of the photo is unknown. If the owner of this photo wants it removed or a credit for sharing please contact Jowana Lamb.

Dancing is a way one expresses themselves. It’s a  a way to release tension, let yourself go and a great way to exercise.  It’s not just for kids. Unfortunately, many adults stop dancing as they get older. They are intimidated by others who feel they need to “act their age”. There are so many different ways to enjoy dancing and I encourage you to try as many as you like.  A few years ago I took up hoop dancing. I am sure my husband thought I was crazy. I even tried swinging poi. I love to dance with my horses using all sorts of things such as hoops, ribbons and scarves. This year I tried belly dancing. It turns out, I really like it. It’s a fantastic total body  workout and helped build the muscles in my legs. Making those coins jingle was lots of fun! I enjoy line dancing because I don’t need a partner. I recently performed with some friends as the Village People to the song YMCA and some other friends to Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy at a party. Last week I started teaching dance-movement to kids again. I have decided that no matter what others think, I am going to dance my way through life!

Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass, it’s about learning to dance in the rain. “Unknown”.

A great way to start the day.

Breath taking views are worth the trip.

The one thing I really noticed during our recent trip to Bermuda was the lack of horses. In the States, horses are a common view in the countryside so, I really didn’t give much thought when looking for a place to ride. Bermuda is a small island and everything must be shipped in, that includes hay for horses.  There isn’t much land available so you won’t be seeing any fields of hay growing.  This makes it very expensive to have horses. In fact, during our drive on the island I only saw two places where there were horses. One of those places was Spicelands Equestrian Center located in Warwick, Bermuda.  Trail rides were not offered through the cruise but, Terry was able to find us a place to ride. Thank goodness for the internet. Our ride began early, with a little threat of rain. Terry and I were the only riders which made it extra special. The beaches are beautiful and the scenes breathtaking.  Our horses lead us through sandy beaches, grassey hillsides and down the back streets of town. If you travel to Bermuda this ride is a must. Visit http://www.spicelandsriding.com

To travel by water is a new experience for us. I am still a land lover!

Life is a journey filled with many wonderful experiences. Often Terry and I have talked about taking a cruise but, would end up talking ourselves out of it. It didn’t seem to make sense to travel by boat when we have a perfectly good motorhome sitting in the back yard. As for going out of the country, well the US has 50 beautiful states to explore.  My sister, Alfreda was planning a cruise to Bermuda so once again the topic came up. This time we decided to be adventurious and book the trip. Many people like the idea of paying one price and having most activities  and food covered and let someone else do the driving. For me, the thought of the open sea wasn’t appealing. After all, once you leave port it’s about 700 miles of nothing but, water.  It can be a bit stressful for first timers, going through the process of getting on the boat. I found that most things were on a schedule that didn’t seem to fit into my schedule. I didn’t like the fact that things were only offered once and many things cost additional money. I had planned to take some classes at the gym, spinning was $12.00 and the boot camp was $60.00 for 4 half hour classes.  Terry and I didn’t want to dress up and have dinner with a table full of strangers (we liked being alone) so we ate at the buffet every day. The food was good but, the variety didn’t change much and by the end of 5 days we were tired of it, especially all the sugar free drinks and dessert. If you want to drink soda you had to purchase a drink package.  Although the whole boat thing wasn’t my thing, I must say that Bermuda is a beautiful island.  The water is so clear, unlike the polluted waters of the US. The highlite of our trip was swimming with the dolphins and a beautiful ride along the beach on horseback. Unfortunately, aside from laying on the beach the island’s biggest draw is high end shopping, something I have no interest in. There are no parks for hiking and the narrow roads make it dangerous to ride bikes. The trip was wonderful but, I have no desire to return. As we say, been there, done that.

Am I whining or am I venting? That’s a good question. All of us have moments when we need to just spill out our feelings but, for some it’s more than venting, it’s a constant whining. To often it’s for no other reason than to get attention or to get our own way. More and more I found myself complaining, especially about things I could not change. It was just so frustrating to me, so I saw this book and decided to see if it would be of some help. I have to admit I wasn’t to impressed at first. It seemed to me, Dr. Laura’s answer to everything was to stop whining and just do it. If you hubby leaves his dirty cloths laying around, just pick them up. How would you feel if he were dead and no longer had him to pick up after? You don’t want him dead! But, come on, he’s a grown man, pick up your mess. Not, that my hubby does that, but some do.  Well, that was the reason I was in the situation I was in in the first place. I had spent the last 30 years just doing what had to be done. I felt that sometimes I was to easy and for that reason people took me for granted. To often I would do something nice and end up just feeling used. I did get a few good lessons out of the book so it was worth reading. Face it, we won’t agree with everything someone writes, the purpose is not to just hope to get some good advise, but to look at things in a different perspective. Here are a few lessons I did get from this book: Challenge your reactions, redirect your energies.Take control. Become the master, not the slave of situations and your weaker, less constructive emotions. Make lists, celebrate your success and learn from your slip ups. She also cleared something up for me in this statement: I have some insight into the reason why a person might wish to be in the middle. It is gratifying and powerful because everyone likes you, gets along with you and is curring your favor in order to manipulate you into picking their side. This really hit home for me. Check out Stop Whining, Start Living and maybe you will get a few helpful tips to make things easier for you to cope with life’s unpleasant people. As for me, I am still working on it!!!!!

The new years gives us the opportunity to focus on new beginnings.

Two weeks have already passed into the new year. My, how time flies. Last year had it’s ups and downs but, I survived yet another year. One of the highlites was the arrival of my grandson, Kaidyn. I now have two gradsons who both are the light of  my life. I was very successful n reaching my fitness goal of losing 10 pounds. With lots of exercise and some drastic diet changes I lost 20 pounds and am the same size I was when I was first married some 30 years ago.  Terry took a job as a manager of a fitness center which lead to my new career as an instructor and salesperson for the same center. Over the past six months I have acheived certification in group fitness, step, core strength and kick boxing. Which leads to this years goals.  Physically, I feel more fit than I have in years but, I can’t honestly say the same for my mental health. Over the years I feel that I have been getting so involved in the goals and dreams of others that I no longer know what I want out of life. All of my time has been spent going to work and doing housework. My life was becoming to boreing!! I wrote a list of all the things I loved to do that I no longer had time for. What an eye opener. Such things as playing the piano, sewing, cake decorating, scrapbooking and the list went on. The worst thing was no time for my horses. They are my passion, my dream. When I am performing with them I am happy. I could not let this go on. While the weather is cold I have made it my mission to get my house in order and when the weather permits, to hell with the house work. It’s time to play! George Bernard Shaw says ” We don’t stop playing because we get old, we get old because we stop playing.