Memoirs of a Wannabe Cowgirl: A Lifetime

People come into your life for a reason, a season, or a lifetime. When you figure out which one it is, you will know what to do for each person. When someone is in your life for a REASON . . . It is usually to meet a need you have expressed. They have come to assist you through a difficulty, to provide you with guidance and support, to aid you physically, emotionally, or spiritually. They may seem like a godsend, and they are! They are there for the reason you need them to be. Then, without any wrong doing on your part, or at an inconvenient time, this person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an end. Sometimes they die. Sometimes they walk away. Sometimes they act up and force you to take a stand. What we must realize is that our need has been met, our desire fulfilled, their work is done. The prayer you sent up has been answered. And now it is time to move on.

When people come into your life for a SEASON . . . Because your turn has come to share, grow, or learn. They bring you an experience of peace, or make you laugh. They may teach you something you have never done. They usually give you an unbelievable amount of joy. Believe it! It is real! But, only for a season.

LIFETIME relationships teach you lifetime lessons; things you must build upon in order to have a solid emotional foundation. Your job is to accept the lesson, love the person, and put what you have learned to use in all other relationships and areas of your life. It is said that love is blind but friendship is clairvoyant.

~Author Unknown

So, we’re all happy and lovin’ our horses… All of us came from nowhere… brought together to RHO. IS that fate or just the way things happened? Who knows? For me, I’m sure it was fate from the beginning from “Rivendell” to where we are now. We’re together for a reason, and hopefully a lifetime.

So as a barn, we did everything together.

We started out with horses from all over... now, with horses from RHO. Tom made the ridiculous mistake of telling us that “Soon” we would have branding day and all these horses will bear the RHO stamp. We couldn’t wait!

Having said that, Tom should know better than to tell us something and not be definitive. Like “soon” isn’t a time... its Tom Riley time. For us, we need a TIME and answers.

Sue…. Sometimes she’ll talk to Tom…most times she won’t when requests or questions arise…

Donna… forget it... she won’t ask

Sharon… well... Sharon will talk to Tom anytime…. She’ll just say, “Michele has something to ask you”

Like the safety cones for example. We all wanted them. Ritchie got them for us… so we could play and do all the stupid stuff we learned at the Expo... but who’s tellin’ (asking) Tom?

Me… Ummm Tom, do you mind if we put 12 giant LIME GREEN traffic cones in the outdoor arena so we could do patterns?

Tom: What the F*$#??? “Here’s a pattern for ya… go run around the damn arena in a circle and I’ll chase ya with a shovel… believe me when I tell ya”

Like the lounge, for example. We all wanted it. The hay loft above the barn was great… overlooked the front and back of the property… a few couches, pillows, coffee table, a Keurig coffee machine, a heater, nice old rug and maybe a microwave… a few magazines scattered and a small rack to display our wares… right? How nice would that be… but who’s tellin’ (asking) Tom?

Me… Um Tom.. We really want a lounge. A place to hang out after riding, etc. It would be real nice if we could use the hay loft upstairs and turn it into a nice area to relax. We’ll keep it clean… and we won’t smoke.

Tom: “What the F*$#??? You ain’t touchin’ my hay loft. Go the hell home if ya wanna relax. I don’t want ya hangin’ around. Ride your horse and then go home dammit”

He loves us.

When all else fails… Courtney.. yeaaaa… let Courtney ask him.

So, Branding Day was going to be a big deal to us. We couldn’t wait…. But again… I was always the one asking something….

Tom, when’s branding day?

~Soon.

2- weeks later….Tom, when’s branding day?

~Soon

.. and later yet….Tom, when’s branding day? I was like a little kid...

~Soon. "Shut the hell up before I brand yer ass”

Soon came and we finally got a date.… and my ass got away unscathed and unbranded. We combined branding day with Katie’s high school graduation party. Katie, Tom’s older daughter was a true cowgirl. Funny, strong and could ride like the wind!

Who’s bringing what food... decorations….music? RHO was plannin’ a party! It was a fiasco for sure…. But something that we have been waiting for …for a long time.

Branding Day was here!! We set up a tent in the outdoor arena and decorated… food and deserts galore… and Katie was surprised. It was my ultimate goal, however, to capture Tom Riley on film carrying a handful of balloons to the arena. Goal achieved!!! But, I rather value my life and will not be posting pictures of that… but the temptation is so hard to resist.

Branding time was like a show we’ve been waiting for … packed into the aisle, of course, my Bizzy girl was up first… and what a good girl she was. Not a flinch during the big ordeal, she turned and was led out of the stall branded as one of RHO’s finest stock!

So, me and my trusty clippers strategically shaved each one of our equine stars and one by one, they were marked as part of RHO and branded forever on our hearts.