Fargo Fund-raiser and Sara Meets a Horse (or Two!)

Fargo kicked off the Christmas season in style, with a fund-raiser for Meritcare, a breast cancer support system. It included a silent auction, a "girl's night out" gala, a marketplace and other events. One breast cancer survivor spoke, and she told a poignent, powerful story. She had been diagnosed with breast cancer, and after surgery and remission, was diagnosed with cancer in her sternum. She's had 5 cancer diagnosis and treatments in the past 10 years. She said that she and her family could have used a support system like Meritcare because they didn't know what to do, how to do it, how to feel...then she went on to say that she believes that her cancer was a blessing, and that if she had the opportunity to change things, she wouldn't. That stopped me in my tracks. She said, "Do you know why you are here? Do you know what your purpose in life is? Are you living your purpose fully? I am. If you are not, maybe you should go home tonight and think about it for a little while."

A silent auction was held to support Meritcare. There were all sorts of beautiful things such as this art deco wreath made of several gauges of silver wire and pipe, with crystal baubles... and some that were...well....different. This is a bird candelabra, I think. I was awed and enchanted by the tree decorated by the MinnDak Woodturners Club (Minnesota and Dakotas). They had carved ornaments--acorns, bells, birdhouses, and traditional turned ornaments. Some were carved from local wood, such as a crab apple tree cut down at the Fargo Library. Their entire tree was being auctioned, with an "angel bid" (immediate winning bid) of $500--what a steal, because there were probably 75-100 hand-carved ornaments on the tree!One of the carvers was there; his name was Norm Diede. He showed me a few of his contributions--this is one. Beautiful, isn't it? Although you have click a lot to get to the photos, check out their work at http://www.minndakwoodturners.com/ If you didn't want to wait for the silent auction to end, you could have instant gratification in the market place. You could buy miniature Christmas trees donated by supportive people and clubs, in a variety of wonderful themes. Prices ranged from $10-65--what bargains! How about a large gingerbread house--this one used banana chips for shingles! Isn't that great? $85 for one of the best gingerbread houses I've ever seen. Have you ever made one? My sister Kathy and I did, one year. We had a lot of fun and an incredible sugar high, since we tasted as we pasted!Odette drove me to the barn so that I could pick up my horses, but we needed lunch first. We had a terrific lunch at Ciao Bella. If you are ever in Falcon, be sure to stop in and eat. Almost everything is made fresh, on site, and is delicious. Sara got to taste everything--I had wild mushroom ravioli, and Odie had a cannoloni that was bigger than her head! (leftovers!!!) Then, Sara got to meet her first horse! She wasn't convinced that something that big could be friendly. So, I hopped onto Beau so that she could see that horses are great! Maybe they are better farther away...Hmmmm, that's a pretty big mouth! Horses say "neeeiiiggghhh!"OK, I think I can do this...OK, he's not so bad! Nice Beau!!! This one is really nice and soft! Cute, too! Ranger LOVES children. He is absolutely fascinated by them, and is incredibly gentle around them. Don't tell Brian and Odette, but if somebody asks for a pony for Christmas in a few years, she just might get one! Hey--spoilage is my perogative!The move to Denver has been really good for me, but you always leave good people behind. Tim is one of the "good ones;" he is the "fertilizer manager" at our barn. He's always got a smile and a helping hand--Tim fixed my truck when it broke down earlier this week--he diagnosed the cam sensing unit, installed the new one ($29, vs $300 at a shop) and installed a new $150 alternator in 6 minutes--something Falcon Auto estimated at $463! So, Tim saved me over $600 this week--thanks, Tim! I'm going to miss Tim, but I've got his number, just in case!

The horses are now warm and cozy in their new barn, ready for new adventures.

I hope that you are warm and cozy, too, gearing up for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Don't forget to leave a comment--I'm beginning to wonder if anyone stops by!

Mullets, Monterey and more...

This has been a fun, albeit exhausting, few weeks. I've worked 12 out of the last 14 days...yuck...but I got to see a MULLET! Business up front, party in the back!Yup, an awesome example. Should I submit this to mullets.com?

Upon returning to Denver, I spotted this culinary specialty in the crew room. Yes, those are cheetos on peanut butter and jelly. And yes, he ate it. Yuck....There is a reason that some people only have 3 stripes. This would be one.

We got to enjoy the long overnight at Monterey. I've always wanted to see the aquarium, so I set out on my adventure. I didn't get very far before I was distracted by a classic car show. Ok, so I didn't just look....I finally broke away, but the beach called before I got too far. This is some sort of anemone:I think that this is another anemone, although not the same kind, out of water during low tide. It was jelly-like, but not very slimy. I don't know if it eats the critters living inside the shells, or just collects shells like I do.What is it about me & birds--this guy sure was giving me the EYE! Could this sea lion be any fatter? Or lazier? Hey, that's NOT paint--didn't you see the seagulls? See the 3 stripes on his wings? :-)After collecting a handful of shells, I finally made it to the aquarium. They've got terrific jellyfish displays--have you ever seen anything like this? They also had an aviary of sea birds. I thought that this guy looked melancholy as he looked out the window, and I wondered what he was thinking... probably "let me out!" The aquarium only accepts birds in need of rehabilitation, and releases those that can be let go. They had bat rays and sharks, and more jellyfish. Have you ever seen a sea-dragon? You have now! How about a Moray Eel? Check out those teeth--scary! He & the Leopard Eel were buddies. The shrimp tormented both by touching them all the time with it's anntenae. It would back off when the eels snapped at it, but pretty soon was right back there, touching, touching, touching....reminds me of Ranger with Beau.... I'm sure you've read Cannery Row by John Steinbeck, haven't you? This is the ruins of one of the canneries upon which book was based. The book was set in Monterey.Monterey Bay at sunset: This pelican was waving goodbye to the sun:After the aquarium, I browsed the Farmer's Market. My crew and I ate dinner (BBQ, yum!), and sampled everything! I nibbled on heirloom tomatos, tried fresh-pressed virgin olive oil (delicious!), ate chocolate-covered apricots, tried home-made toffee, bought a cashmere scarf and a pearl bracelet, and then met the neatest glass artist, Nick Leonoff. Nick has trained at Haystack, Pilchuck and a number of other notable glass studios. Nick's work is incredible, and he kindly allowed me to take a photograph of him and his display. His pumpkins are very collectible, and I think that they are incredibly beautiful. He also does squash and other vegetables, as well as ornaments and light shades. I hope that I can tour his studio at some point. He's based out of Carmel at Masaoka Glass Design Studio & Gallery on Center Street. http://www.masaokaglassdesign.com/ if you want to view or order his work.

Remember my ugly old horse trailer? This is the NEW trailer!
I loaded Ranger today to go to the dressage show, and this was the result...darn it! A new cam sensor and probably two new batteries later, we might go rolling down the road... no show today, though.

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