The beneficial beauty of selfless acts

Do something for somebody every day for which you don't get paid.

- Albert Schweitzer, philosopher, musicologist, doctor

Al was a smart man. He knew that generous acts benefit everyone, including yourself. The small actions you take now, no matter how insignificant they may seem, can have profound effects that you may never know about. Sometimes, just living as a good example has the power to inspire. Not quite as well-known are the physical and mental benefits that being a positive force can have for you. When you help others, stress decreases and causes less physical harm. Work and athletic performance improve. A positive attitude appears. And the mind is eased as troubles are put in perspective. Doing for others can involve a small gesture (pick up trash, write a note of encouragement, offer to mow your neighbor's lawn) or an ambitious undertaking (volunteer at a neighborhood center, mentor a coworker, work with disadvantaged youth). Make a habit of thinking "What can I do today to make someone's life easier?"

OK, this is an other SparkPeople Healthy reflection, but I am taking this TOTALLY wrong today. 

 

I am 1000+ emails behind and just now getting to Nov. 1, 2008 emails.  I try to read the important ones everyday, but if something has slipped trough then I am sorry.  I take what is said above to heart.  Al may have been a smart dude, but I'm thinking he didn't have teenagers when he wrote this.  I think I need to print this out in extra big print and give it to the teenagers.  Somehow, some way, some where the kids today think we owe them something.  I know part of this it that I am getting people's rejected kids and they all have their own special needs, but DANG!!!  I do one nice thing for them and then they come back for more or anothe one saw I did something nice and they bombard me with requests.  Somedays I just need to keep my grumps bear personna and keep the silly cirtters away from me.  :P

 

I keep telling Rick that it he really wants me to get caught up on EVERYTHING then I need walls for my office.  And a door with a lock.  Now I will date myself.  My home office is kinda open and I guess asking for walls is like the guy on WKRP putting tape on the floor and making people use his door.  (Funny, I jsut thought of that!)  But in our world I put on my headphones and crank them so I can't hear children and then they threaten to put me on utube.  :P  There are days that killing them and not letting them turn 18 would be really easy and justifiable, but alas they live. 

 

Now if I can just get the silly girls to understand time management and that since they are home all day THEY need to cook dinner and not me.  Oh, well.  This to shall pass or that's what I am told.  I am still waiting for that.

 

The car above is my new ride.  I am offically a grandma with a 2005 Ford Crown Victoira.  We got it for $1500.  No, I didn't miss a 0.  It does have 174,000 miles on it (now).  And we did have to go to Lawton to pick it up, but it was a corporate car and has mostly higway miles.  I have and will add considerable more highway miles.  It gets about the same gas milage as a smaller SUV that I was looking at and has a HUMONOGOUS trunk.  I'd say two teenagers would fit quite nicely inside the trunk.  :P  So Allyson has the Altima.  Now for her to get her permit.  The other two will be liscend first, but at least then they can get to work if they had work.  :P

 

Well better get.  Got tons of real work to do.  Luckily I think we hired a secretary and maybe someday will get another engineer so I won't be so overwhelmed.  But this too will pass.  I get off the whole week of Thanksgiving.  Hope to get caught up some.  And maybe ride some.  Have a great day!  And don't forget to do something nice soe someone else.  :)

 

Deb in Claremore

www.sierraranchok.com

www.horsematch.net

Blogging at www.sierraranchok.net

 

 

New HorseMatch.net Stuff on Zazzle!

http://www.zazzle.com/HorseMatch

 

We are adding stuff when I have time to add them. 

 

Life is getting more interesting.  But that is to be expected.  :)

 

Have a  great week!  One more and I have vacation!  YYIIIIIIPPPPEEEEE!

 

Deb Stowers

www.sierraranchok.com

www.horsematch.net

www.sierraranchok.net

My New PINK Laptop!!!

So this was not a planned purchase, but like replacing a PC is ever REALLY planned. :P Rick came home yesterday to the laptop that he uses for our horse business being as he puts it kachingaed. Yep, that a technical term for friged beyond repair. :)

So we went laptop shopping at our local laptop places. And who would have thought that for $80 less, Intel, and a webcam you could get a nice PINK laptop. :) Needless to say instead of him fighting the girls off of his computer I got the new PINK laptop. Cuz I am meaner than him and will not take a cute smile to release my computer. :P

So, I have been getting stuff loaded.

What took a whole weekend the first time I did this took two hours. DANG! The pink one has a 200 GIG hard drive and 3 meg of ram. Can we say I got SPEED? :) OK, so I am SSSOOOOOOO NOT a PINK person, but ya know ya gotta do something to save a buck or two now days. :P Dude at the store acted like these creatures were not moving very fast. It was a pretty good discount. I know three girls at our house that would love this. And aren't gonna get it.

Course I know one friend I ride with that will try to steal this from me the next time I see her. Pinky was the pink power ranger at Halloween. She has a pink saddle, and every other thing that a horse could use, and every item of clothing. Luckily she is not on Multiply, but I may have to tease her a bit. Heehehehehe!

And ya know it's not really that pink when it's open. :) And now I am off to finish paying bills and working on the ranch books. YAY RIGHT! :P I'm off to figure out this web cam thing. LOL!

I did upload the new ranch site. Kinda an incentive to get the stinking site finsihed. Maybe over Thanksgiving. More later. Just had to post pictures of the new toy. UUmmmm, tool. Yay, that's it tool. Heheheheheh!

Deb in Claremore

www.sierraranchok.com

www.horsematch.net

Blogging at www.sierraranchok.net

We have great news... Well maybe not wonderful but at least news!

This is a picture of Ashley taken about August 2007. August 21, 2007 she decided that she jsut had to get married and pictures of that and the resulting pregnancy are on other places on this bog.

November 12, 2008 Ashely was divorced. The picture below is from the trial ride on November 1, 2008 at Praugue Lake. Dalia never got in front and didn't get any pictures of her smile, but Ashley is much happeir now.

The pink headed girl is one of Ashley's friends that has moved in with us. Both girls have contracts and are learning what living up to them means.

Ashley is not required to pay child support, since she doesn't have a stable job. She is beginning to figure out that she needs to get her GED and driver's liscense to get a stable job. And she is beginning to head in that direction. Liz is talking about reenrolling in high school. I don't think Ashley will do that, but you never know.

Ashley does have superivsed visitation until she is 21, has a driver's lisence and taken a child rearing class. Rick and I get to be the supervisors, although others can be in that role. Her mother and grandmother are not allowed to visit Rain unless at a DHS approved site. Those two people needed to be kept very far away. Justin was awarded sole custody of Rain in every effort to keep that element from her.

Over the last several weeks Ashley has shown that she does not want to be a full time mother. I think it would have been better if she had realized that 14 months ago, but some folks just have to live to realize what they want in life and what they don't. It's just a really hard lesson to learn and watch being taught.

Hoepfully the remaining lessons until Ashely is 18 (April 11, 2009) are not as hard.

Allsyon is doing better in school. She is learning that we were serious about needing to pass all her classes. She failed Algebra and is retaking it this trimester. In OK you have to pass it before youcan graduate from high school. Maybe having the two older girls around will help Allyson understand what she needs to do. :)

Well, better get back to work. Hope you have a wonderful week. We feel a large relief at our house. Not everyone celebrates a divorce, but sometimes it's a good thing.

Deb in Claremore, OK

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Deb and Rick Stowers

www.sierraranchok.com

www.horsematch.net

Blogging at www.sierraranchok.net

www.sierraranch.multiply.com

 

PS.  Only 200 Conscientious Equestrians Will Ever Be Able To Say They Are This.

http://www.horsehealthcollection1.com/go/sierraranch

Can You See the Difference?

To illustrate yesterdays point on bio-mechanics of horses fitting riders, here are some pictures of our last trail ride. The trailer windows are the same height, only the mounts are different. Given that MOST americans are larger and heavier than americans 100 years ago (the cowboy days) what would you ride up mountains, crossing rivers, or brush popping?

 

Think about it.

Rick Stowers

www.horsematch. net

www.sierraranchok. com

What Are They Thinking?

Everyone seems to think shopping for a horse is like shopping for apparel, either go cheap (like Wal-Mart) where the clothes are inexpensive and made God knows where by God knows whom, or go to the mall store and pick designer (and pricey) clothes to show your ability to pay the high price.

Well reguardless of price a horse:

Needs to eat (what does a bag of feed cost at your local store?)
Needs shelter, and possibly a blanket or two.
Needs Veterinary care.
Needs dental care.
Needs hay (not cheap anywhere these days)
Needs Farrier care.
Needs a saddle that fits, and all the tack.
ETC

So when looking for a horse, most people are looking for one who can carry them, wherever they want to go and do whatever they want to do.

Heck the payment per month on a well kept horse would lease a Mercedes and you should get your money's worth, however I have encountered just the opposite with horseowners lately. The horse that they bought is just not matched to the human or to what the human wants to do, and the two UNIVERSAL responses to "Why did you buy this one?" are either "He was cheap" or "He was pretty".

 

In most cases it's "he was cheap" most horses today cost about the same as the saddle on their backs, not that a bargain is a bad thing, everyone wants to get a good deal, but first make sure the horse is something that will suit your body and riding style, THEN BARGAIN.

 

How many of us have boots in the closet that we never wear because they were on sale, then we figured out how uncomfortable the sale boots were and left them in the closet. The good news is that boots in a closet do not require daily care, but a horse does.

 

Two weeks ago I was on a ride where a rider was hand carried out on a stretcher to a waiting ambulance because her "bargain" horse did not have the muscle mass to carry her and her saddle and her saddlebags up a mountain. Less than 20 minutes later the ride stopped again because the pretty black and white paint argued at the wrong time and took a tumble with it's rider, hurting the horse and breaking the riders collarbone. Anyone who has ridden for awhile can remember some stories of this type.

 

My point here is simply DON'T BUY ON PRICE OR COLOR. Find a horse that suits your physical makeup and the type of riding you want to do, then find a temperament that works for you, and only then start looking at colors or bargaining on price.

This might just keep you alive,
Rick Stowers

www.horsematch.net

www.sierraranchok.com