A Lack of Intelligence Worked!

Sierra and pepper are Sun Hunters friends.

Today, March 12, 2012 Age 7

Sun Hunter(center) is the off the track thoroughbred (OTTB) that I have owned for nine months and he is seven years old today.  Although he has a less than stellar racing record he is one class act.  Having no prior experience with the OTTB I had not heard the lingo used  often to describe these horses;  crazy, head strong on drugs and hard to train.   Sunny has performed beautifully since day one.  He taught me the importance of taking time to join up. embraced training with ease and is beautiful in motion.  At first the goal was to consider Western Pleasure but he is so smart and tries hard to do whatever is asked.  A positive response is found with  both Western Reining and  Barrel Racing techniques.  Perhaps we will embrace the new national goals(soon to be written) for Western Dressage.  For sure he would perform beautifully.  What do you get when you offer respect to a woman, a child, a dog? You get respect back and  it is no different with a OTTB!  The plan as I approach 60 had been to consider driving a pony cart.  Well, perhaps that idea will need to wait until my 70’s!  Yes a lack of intelligence about the false history of the thoroughbred worked in my favor.  My husband and I are like two school age kids going out to play with Sunny boy.    Although we still have much to learn we absolutely LOVE to ride Sunny!  Happy Birthday to our special horse.  Sun Hunter you rock!

                                                                         Berta

Sun Hunter August 2011

Historical Event

The historical event I would attend if I was able to Time travel would be my wedding day.  Yes, today August 26th is my 39th Wedding Anniversary.  Sounds pretty historical for todays standards anyway.  I met my husband in 10th grade while on vacation in Ocean City, New Jersey.  Graduated from high school in June of 1972 and married that August.  It would be good  to have a nickel for everyone who bet we were too young and the marriage would certainly be short-lived.  If I could go back in time some changes could be made.  I would not allow people to write HELP on my husbands shoes for all to see as we knelt  at the altar. I would not let my uncle steal me from the reception.  Some jokes are just not funny.  To this day my husband can still remember the photographer asking where is your wife for pictures and he had to respond “I don’t know.”  It was pretty silly traveling three plus hours from Hyde Park, NY to Ocean City NJ on our wedding night!  There are many things that should not be changed.  It was fun to have my Home Ec teacher take me shopping to buy my gown material.  Would make the gown again even if I thought I did not like it by the time it was finished!  Most importantly I would marry the same guy all over again.

Seedlings 2011

It is so different today witnessing the day of a child.  There is a huge difference from the 1970’s to 2011.  When I was a mom( early 70’s ) in this small Pennsylvania town the country farm existed all around me.  Mom’s were busy trying to decide if they really wanted to work in the home raising children or out in the community working 9-5!  It was much more about freedom and not money.  Today, I would suspect it is much more about money and trying to survive. People in the past and today  do not realize just how much one in the home raising children should be paid!   A mom in the home  has never really been valued in America.  Historically it was observed as more of a right of passage and not a respected position.  Women got married and raised the children and that is just what they did.  Today we find the nanny, the day care worker and even the dad raising our children.  My perception is that for the most part it is day cares that are raising our children. For this reason alone I choose to recognize Bright Beginnings, my grand-children’s Day Care Center.  If you perhaps feel undervalued please know you are now alone.  I once was raising children and realized how lonely and under valued of a job it can be.  You indeed have the most valuable job of our society.  You have the gift to nurture a child and as an Oma I thank you.  You started these seedlings in the Spring and we have nurtured them along all summer.   You have also started a seedling as a being and that is my grand-daughter.  Thank you! You have given to a child and to a grand-mother the gift of nature and I thank you.  Along with Olivia, Sofia and Liliella of course!