It is the people who first started following this blog in November of 2005 who helped give me confidence to keep writing...and painting. Many of you helped in the early years to pay for the many animal needs I took on-trapping the 25+ semi ferel cats {remember that?}, helping the original Misfits when they were sick, funding my books and buying them too, sharing my art and vision–all of this support is so important to me. Even you lurkers, as many of you are [I have no problem with lurkers, in fact, I lurk a few places] generate energy that seeps into this blog by reading [one need not always speak to show support here]. Over the years I've received a five dollar bill in the post with a note in shaky hand from a stranger wanting to help an old goat; I've read letters from people who lost mothers, mates, or children thanking me for my "Misfits" book; I've gotten drawings of Pino for Pino by five year olds and aprons from octogenarians across the sea. So as I go on my 10th year of this blog, I'm thankful for the community it has birthed for me.
I was thinking about what to write for Thanksgiving. I've so much good in my life. Life is not easy-even for those Kings or Queens who appear to have it all, for they might look at me with some envy–noticing the freedom I have each day. Even the simple barnyard tasks I do daily must seem like vacation for them, for when I'm slopping pigs in muck boots there is no paparazzi lurking in bramble, and certainly no newspaper wanting my opinion on the day's outrages.
But life is not easy for so many people-and many don't show it. The faces you see on the bus or walking down the street, even the smiling ones might be hiding pains and fears that have cripple their hearts. Some might be in physical pain and in pain a body takes over and life becomes much more veiled in shades of gray.
I posted this photo of Boone and my farrier for Thanksgiving because it represents so much of what a good life is for me. My farrier and I are about the same age, we've come to a stage in life where many family and friends have died or will die soon. We see people our own age start to vanish, or fall ill with the myriad of illnesses that can change your life in a second. And as he trimmed Boone's feet yesterday, that's what we settled on-we can move, breathe, and are not in pain. We have best friends as mates. We enjoy the grape but are grounded in our work. We can still pick up the horse foot and carry on to the next.
I wrote this brief note to everyone on Facebook yesterday for the holiday. It seemed to resonate with readers. So I'll share it here.
"Every day life is hanging by atoms and a string-I think the one thing I have that I have to bow down to ...is life itself, here, with a healthy body. Life is much different without health, and I'm grateful for it. Put a check in the bank today. Filled the tank. Kissed my husband in the morn and I'll kiss him at night. Hung out with some pigs and groomed anyone who would tolerate me. I drew in pencil on beige paper. I had bacon for breakfast and tofu for lunch. It was a perfectly balanced day. And I showered. Now I'm going to make Buttermilk Pie and Chess Pie. Happy Thanksgiving. I hope each of you can find many things to be grateful for, even if in pain."
