Cowgirl at Sea?

Blogged in 2011

After years of being frightened of the sea, suddenly this cowgirl has an appreciation and serenity for the ocean. Was it Jack Sparrow of Pirates of the Caribbean behind this new passion?.........well maybe......but not really. It was my son, who wanted to show his mum what he terms as his 'piece of paradise'........ Yeppoon Marina and the surrounding bay. Ben has his boat, The L'Amour, birthed at the marina and enjoys the relaxed lifestyle that is attached to this boating community.
He decided to take me fishing after sleeping overnight on the boat. Armed with seasick bands strapped to my wrists, we headed out past the islands tracking down schools of fish. It wasn't long before we were hauling in one after the other. Ben would hook them and I would reel them in. I even baited my own hook and held the fishies while I carefully pulled the hook from their mouth, apologizing if it took too long. Most of them we released, but one special one we took home for Ben to prepare his favorite recipe........yes it will be on the cooking page soon!!!
The day was so special, because when your son marries and creates a life of his own, it's not often you get to have bonding moments like you did when he was little. To listen to his heart and see his enthusiasm for a place and passion where he feels close to God, is a memory worth holding close to my heart.

Well hello USA !!!!

Blogged in 2011

 My diary entries might have an American slant, because I am visiting my daughters at the moment. Denver, Colorado is my current location, it's summer, yet the mountains still have snow on them. God's beauty and creativity was amazing from my window seat on the flight from LA to Denver and the hour of circling we had to do before we could land, to avoid a tornado above the airport, just gave me a better view. Wind swept deserts in hues of browns, rusts and mocha. Rivers that twisted with white rapids clearly visible. Gorges, cliffs and valleys that I longed to ride my horse through. Then of course the mountains, majestic, richly clothed in forests, topped with patches of snow and occasionally cradling a lake on their plateaus.  
You would have thought that God's breathtaking creation I had just witnessed or the very rough decent I was experiencing would have been my main excitement for the day, but no, something beat that hands down......... Prairie Dogs!!!!!
OOOohhhh the cutest little things who stand by the sides of the roads, bold as brass. Furry little darlings that bark like a dog yet look like a cross between a squirrel and a meerkat. They have captured my heart.                                 
Now I know by now you American readers will be using words like "pest", "rodent" and "rabies", but when our pests in Queensland come in the unattractive form of a cane toad......... well, you should be grateful for your Prairie Dogs. Besides, I've read that their little burrows help aerate pastures that cattle have compacted and they redirect water and stop erosion during floods. I do admit they wouldn't be loved on a golf course..... or a well manicured garden.... or where you want to have a good gallop across a paddock , but by the side of the road.............. they are very cute!!!!

For everything God has created is good, and nothing is to be thrown away or refused if it is received with thanksgiving. 1 Timothy 4: 4
Even the cane toads ?????

Some serious shopping

Blogged in 2011

The question on everyone's lips....
Today I pose to you a serious question............. Can a woman spend 4 hours in Hobby Lobby followed by 2 hours in a thrift store (op shop)....and still needed more time to shop?
Well, I realise that you have probably laid awake at night wondering this very thing. So out of the goodness of my heart, I tested this theory. I am pleased to report that the answer is YES!!! Katie dragged me out of Hobby Lobby after a 4 hour shop......... and I still hadn't seen half the store!! The thrift shop, the size of our average Woolworth's, after 2 hours, still had treasures in it I am sure I missed. However my search, rescue and buy mission did turn up some wonderful goodies, at bargain basement prices, that I will lovingly transform into one of a kind western handmade originals.
How I love to take something that is old and discarded and give it a new lease of life, restored and useful once again. I am sure the Check-out Chics look at me sometimes wondering what on earth I am going to do with my purchases or if I am actually going to wear the hot pink leather pants that are 3 sizes too small for me? Little do they know they are destined to be cut up, ready to adorn pillows, western shirts, quilts or numerous other unusual items I have stored away in my sewing room.
Restoration is a beautiful thing, whether it be a hobby, a marriage, financial, health related, a broken heart, or a relationship.......... God loves restoration!!
Ask God today if there is anything in your life that needs restoring and given a second chance, to be once again appreciated and have the blessing of a fresh start.

The Young and the Reckless

Blogged in 2011

Wow, look at the fun my daughter Chelsea was having in the Mississippi mud the other day. Together with three friends and two dogs they posed and played in the summer heat, laughing and joking with each other. Oh what it is to be young and reckless.
Sophia Loren once said:
Mistakes are part of the dues one pays for a full life.
Now, one wouldn't think that a mud fight would end up being such a big mistake? Well unfortunately poor Chels didn't realise that there were fire ants in the mud....and they were a lil' angry with being disturbed by giant giggling girls. 
Well, later that night, a very swollen, bitten all over, itchy, painful Chelsea, called me to express her sorrows and regret at having had such a fun time wallowing in that mud. An allergic reaction to the multiple bites, caused her to swell and feel sick, and after numerous medications.......she fell asleep.........probably dreaming of ant armies coming to attack her!!
There are hidden dangers every day in our lives, innocently covered up, deceptions and tricks that we are totally unaware of as we go about life. However, to avoid situations in which we could make a mistake.... could end up being the biggest mistake of all.
Being a God guided, adventure seeking, fun loving, risk taker is of course the key. Pray each morning that God will reveal the hidden snares, so life can be lived to the fullest and you can have the freedom to be young and reckless, no matter how many candles are on your birthday cake.
Oh..... and when you do make a mistake, learn from it.
Chelsea.................  Don't play in the mud!!!!

What do you want?

Blogged in 2011 

Last night I had the excitement of seeing my daughter Katie run a big grey horse at a barrel race put on by World Champion, Charmayne James. Katie had an excellent run considering she hasn't ridden for 3 months and ended up in the 2D. During the night I had the privilege of chatting with Charmayne and watching her encourage and mingle with the competitors. This woman's barrel racing career is the most impressive in NFR World Champion history. Below, I have taken a couple of paragraphs from her website to give you an idea.

At the young age of 14, Charmayne James earned the title of World Champion Barrel Racer. It was a title that she continued to hold for the next 10 years.

Her story begins in Clayton, New Mexico with little more than open spaces, practice barrels and a drive to succeed. Proving that with grit and determination anything is possible, the young barrel racer began her lifelong career filled with success at every turn.

Each of the consecutive ten titles was achieved with the same horse – Scamper. James became a member of the Women's Professional Rodeo Association in 1984, when she was awarded Rookie of the Year honors. She earned National Finals Rodeo qualifications for 19 consecutive years, also beginning in 1984, and was National Finals Rodeo Average Champion seven times. In 1992, James was inducted into the National Cowgirl Hall of Fame in Fort Worth, Texas. With her horse, Cruiser, James won the 2002 WPRA World Championship, her 11th WPRA World Title. This legendary barrel racer and horsewoman has been heralded by professionals across the world as "one of the greatest horse people of all time."

Her name identifies an industry. Say "Charmayne" and it's like dropping Babe Ruth's moniker or Michael Jordon's or Lance Armstrong's. People who don't even follow the sport know that Charmayne James is the greatest barrel racer of all time.
Barrel racing is what Charmayne is known for, and she is successful and respected in that industry.
WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE KNOWN FOR????
The answer is easy for me.......... I want to be known for loving my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, I want Him to have the glory and honor, and I want to be successful in shining His light to those who don't yet know His wonderful love................Oh, and to be able to barrel race like Charmayne would be a bonus Lord!