YES WE HAVE NO BANANAS

As a child, we wish and wish and wish to be grown-ups - then no one tells us what to do, and we get to make all the decisions and we can eat French Fries anytime we want.

And we do grow up, regardless of how little we are prepared or ready for it. And we grow sick of making choices. We can't eat all the French Fries we want because we are watching our saturated fats and our ever growing waistline.

But we can't make friends on the playground anymore just like that. We lose people we love - we grow distant from the ones we still have.

We're lonely - we live 'lifes of quiet desperation.'

I think we all feel isolated because we are going through mortality. Alone.

But that is deliberate. It is part of the test.

As the popular Christian saying goes, "I didn't say it would be easy. I said it would be worth it."

But it still can hurt.

A HERD VS. A CROWD

The Encarta dictionary (the one comes automatically with Microsoft, and with which I argue vehemently more often than I agree with it - not that it changes the definitions for me or anything) states blandly that a herd is "a group of animals" while a crowd is "a large group of people gathered in one place." 

So I have a crowd of a herd now.

Before 2002, if anyone had had suggested that I might complain about having EIGHT HORSES, I would have laughed. Well, laughed and then probably wept at the simple thought of having a horse of my own (this is before I got on anti-depressants; I cried a lot more).

Then in 2002, I abruptly acquired a gorgeous Paint colt for a purely token payment (a friend had to choose between living in Arizona or staying married). And then within a few weeks, was given an abused Thoroughbred mare (all because I mentioned to my husband I wanted to get a neighbor's goat to keep the colt company).

The pair were immediately and emotionally joined at the hip, which limited my wishes to actually ride the colt outside of the pasture (the mare would quite literally go into hysterics if the Paint went out of her sight).

So for quite some time I have had two very large, furry pets to fed, brush, listen to, and love behind my house in the empty Arizona chaparral brush three miles from the border of Mexico.

And when a friend was selling her horses before a move to Germany, I told her if she had problems getting them sold, let me know.

She did - have problems getting them sold, I mean. With the economy not completely tip-top, people don't have an extra three or four thousand to spend on a pure-blood Arab, let alone outfitting, feeding and upkeep.

So I offered to take one or two of the mares to help her out - went over to her place to make more formal arrangements - to find out she wanted me to take ALL SIX.

Now, I did take a stand. A very firm one.

That I wouldn't take the stallion.

Come on, someone is moving to Germany in the next few weeks - she doesn't have any options, really, other than abandoning the horses or something like that.

Yeah, I'm a wimp, I know. I even ended up taking the stallion - but kept him over at a neighbors until he was gelded.

Now I have eight extremely vocal equines in my backyard, ranging in age from 6 months to 20+ years - one is a registered Paint, one is a registered Thoroughbred, and six are pure-blood Arabs.

Did I suddenly become wealthy and elitist and just didn't notice it?

And if I did, do I have to become a Republican too?

COATS ARE COMING OFF

The weather here is rapidly returning to normal for Arizona - cool nights, warm days, lots of sunshine.

But animals that live outdoors are still wearing their winter coats - and suffering because of it.

I have never been a believer in covering horses with winter blankets; their natural hair seems to work just fine. But I also don't rushed to curry off that same insulation when it begins to get warm.

This evening - well, I may have sped the process up just slightly.

Have you ever heard a horse groan in almost pre-orgasmic relief?

It is a lovely sight.

I am now absolutely covered with white, black and brown horse hair. But at least five horses have less of their winter coats on (Sally refused to be groomed - she is certain that if she is clean, she is going to be moved, and so races to the far end of the pasture when any brushing implements surface).

So, what did you do this evening? And can you work in "pre-orgasmic relief" without resorting to an "NR-17" rating?

ANNOUNCEMENT OF MY CANDIDACY

I am throwing my hat into the arena of the 2012 Presidency because of the following Huffington Post notice: "Fox News has suspended the contributor contracts of Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum, two high-profile Republicans widely believed to be running for president in 2012, for 60 days, the channel announced Wednesday."

Seriously, people, something must be done to detract voters from these two - something besides the additional terror of even considering Sarah Palin - or Huckabee (yuck!). Please, America, you cannot be serious about these clowns!

My platform can be stated in one concise sound bite:

"NAPS FOR ALL!"

I will run for the sole aim of increasing the average America citizen's sleep/REM time, with a direct corresponding decline in crime, martial difficulties, road rage and consumption of Hostess Twinkles at 3:04 a.m.

Can I count on your vote?

"THE "KINGS SPEECH"... I THINK

Typecasting is something actors try to avoid.

See, it's difficult once you have seen an actor play a convincing serial-killer-zombie-alien to believe they could actually be June Cleaver.

While it is an acknowledgment of their talent (or lack thereof), it cuts down a great deal on future job offers

Which is while watching "The King's Speech," I was seriously distracted by a number of characters being played by actors I associate with other movie roles.

Helena Bonham Carter, who plays the Queen, very convincing possesses the role of the evil incarnate Bellatrix Lestrange in the Harry Potter movies.

Geoffrey Rush, who was rightfully nominated for best supporting actor, I may always see as the swash-buckling Captain Barbossa from Pirates of the Caribbean.

Jennifer Ehle, who plays Rush's character's wife, starred in the BBC Pride and Prejudice which first brought Colin Firth to the attention of American audiences as Fitzwilliam Darcy.

Timothy Spall, who plays Churchill, is also the despicable Wormtail in the Harry Potter films, while Michale Gabbon, who is the second Professor Dumbledore, plays the King's father.

I'm glad all these fine actors were in this worthy movie... but I was flashing back to all their other roles throughout the entire "King's Speech."

Which, again, is either a tribute to their fine acting -- or yet another symptom of my brain injury.

HOW ABOUT THESE HEADLINES

(HW) Wednesday, March 2, 2011:

A teenage mother took exceptional care for her 9 month old son, providing food, warmth and security as well as providing paid day-care for two other small children with the same level of excellence.

Three television stars acted in their weekly sitcoms without resorting to the use of drugs, alcohol or anger management problems. They spent their generous salaries to provide for their extended families, save for future needs, and donate to a charity which builds homes for low-income families.

A group of 87 American military personnel landed safely in Afghanistan

 

New Jersey passed a bill regulating the state's purchase of non-US produced products, intended to encourage government officials to purchase locally.

Twenty-eight windmills provided safe and reliable energy to Bakersfield, California without any threat or danger to the surrounding pasture land.

Ten senior adults were cared for by the paid staff of their assisted-living facility. They were fed, bathed, and attended to. A birthday party was thrown for the facility's live-in companion dog, with cake and ice cream for all.

Sorry - I feel obligated to check CNN headlines on-line periodically, since my husband is in Baghdad - but the headlines today just blew me away. I needed to see these stories to buoy my own normal optimism.