In regards to my Zelda fan fiction, there's the topic of what breed of horse Epona is.
For much of my youth and time spent as a Zelda fan, I always thought Epona was an Arabian. This is due to the appearance of her in-game in Ocarina of Time especially:
She has a slim build and most importantly a slim neck. Additionally, I presumed the white on her legs was just normal stocking coloration. However, this isn't the case in the official art:
She still has the curved neck, and even appropriate ears, but she's too stocky for a pure-blood Arabian, and there's also the issue of her white marks being the "feathers" found on draft horses.
At this point, it became clear that Nintendo was aiming not for an Arabian (which made sense to me as a kid; the only other horse we saw outside of Lon Lon Ranch was Ganondorf's and another Gerudro's, so I
The vivid lights from the bonfires and the
sounds of the dancing and partying still swimming in her mind, Zelda entered
her dark bedroom. Setting down her gently burning oil lamp on her desk, she
closed the door behind her. With a sigh, she leaned back against it wearily.
Turning away towards her open window on the other side of the room, she walked
over to shut it. She reached out to do so, but paused, gazing out below.
Beneath her were the castle grounds, a vast span of gardens and man-made hills.
Seven of the largest hills was a bonfire; seven being the traditional number
for All Soul’s Night. Around the flames were the dark figures of partygoers, flitting
about like ghosts, casting long shadows as they danced, drank and chatted
around the flames. For a moment she longed to join them, but then remembered
her duties the next morning. Looking out one last time at the fires and then at
the brilliantly shining Castle City beyond the grounds, she shut her window
firmly.
There was nothing left for her to do but
try to get to sleep as quickly as possible. She closed the shades over the
window, leaving just the light from the oil lamp to illuminate her room.
Sitting down, she listened to the silence enforced by the thick glass of the
window and the stone engulfed the room. Longing for some companionship, yet at
the same time glad for a moment of solitude to reflect, she turned her gaze
upon the largest tapestry on the bedroom walls. Upon it was stitched an intricate
image of herself as a child with her red-haired mother beside her, who had been
dead for ten years now. Having already offered sacrifices and prayers for her
mother for Spirit Night to ease her spirit, Zelda wondered what else there could
be to say. Her mind ran through many different discussions she had longed to
have with her mother, but reluctantly shook them away. Wiping her eyes, she
forced herself to look back at the tapestry, smiling.
Her voice only quavered slightly as she
whispered, “Happy new year.” She gulped. “Please, watch over me, Mother.”
She stood up to get ready for bed, this
time ignoring the stinging in her eyes. All Hylians, young and old, knew the
sorrow of remembrance that All Soul’s Night brought would always be washed away
by the sleep that night. The legends said it was blessed by the goddesses to
ease the sorrows of all who had lost loved ones. Zelda supposed it just felt
refreshing because everyone was so exhausted from partying, but she was also certain
there was something special about this night.
Mumbling a quick prayer to Farore to watch
over her dreams, she settled down to sleep.
A dark cloud on the distant horizon threatened to block out the sun. As
she watched, it grew, shrouding the vast sky. The dark, sodden ground rose up
past the horizon, followed by the sound of a stormy sea. Water began to envelop
everything, and she feared she would be swept away from where she stood. But
she could not move. The sun did not die, even as the rains began to fall, but
there was never a rainbow.
Nothing touched her; not the wind or rain.
Calming herself by rubbing her arms and breathing in the faint mist shrouding
her, she realized with absolute certainty that she was safe. Zelda smiled for a
moment, but she felt a terrible wrenching in her chest. Her heart was being
twisted inside of her, as if some cruel hand was wrenching it. Crying out, she
collapsed, the darkness engulfing her.
*
* *
Only one bonfire was lit in the celebration
of the villages that dotted the banks of the mighty Zora’s River. All of the
villages gathered together for three days at the largest river settlement, the
only one that was big enough to be called a town rather than a hamlet. Oerbel
was its name, and this night was the last evening of the celebrations it
hosted. All Soul’s Night was the climax of everything under the sky, the
beginning of the New Year.
Even before the moon had risen to the
position that told midnight, some of the revelers had already gone to bed.
While the rest crowded around the bonfire in Oerbel’s plaza, dancing and
telling stories, some hunkered away into their homes or wherever they had
managed to acquire lodging for the three days of celebration.
Up in the loft of an old, yet stable barn
that smelled like salt and fish bones was sleeping a young Hylian, Link. He was
the only one sleeping in the barn, as it had been offered to him free of charge,
allowing him to direct his severely limited funds towards getting his younger sister
more hospitable lodgings.
Link rolled over uneasily, murmuring in his
sleep. Underneath his lids his eyes had begun to dart around rapidly. He
clenched his fists and went rigid as he began to dream.
Link leaned back in his small fishing boat. He was floating idly down
the river, moving both quickly and smoothly. The smoothness struck him as just
slightly unnatural, but he decided to accept it. It was so terribly nice and
warm. The sun shone down on him, and its light encompassed all around him, so
all he could see was the boat and the shining river around it.
The sunlight began to fade, and mists
rolled in. They felt like warm summer showers, so Link did not move, and let
them slowly soak him. The light faded even more, and the mists grew steadier.
He jerked his head up as the boat slowly rolled to a slow stop.
Link sat up straight, rubbing his eyes and looking
around. The mists had changed into a soft rainfall, and the sunlight that shone
off the droplets dazed him. He shut his eyes and rubbed them again briskly, as
if to motivate them to work as he wished.
Softly out of the haze came the sound of
chiming bells. Link looked up and around carefully, shielding his eyes from the
glare of the light on the river. The sound came again and he looked behind him,
frowning. The sound was undoubtedly a bell, but it also reminded him of the
sing-song voices of the little girls who had told riddles after the All Soul’s
Night prayers.
Desperate to find a source, Link rose up,
keeping the boat steady with practiced ease. He looked down at the water
carefully to find that the reflection of the light had vanished. The deep river
was entirely black except for a faint light emanating from far below. The
chiming sound came again, calling out to him softly.
Link’s eyes only flew open for a second
before he shut them again. He rolled over in the blankets, letting his mind and
body fall back into the sweet weightlessness of unconsciousness. As it
enveloped him, he was vaguely aware that the ruckus of the revelers had
vanished. All Soul’s Night had come to an end.
The Legend of Zelda and characters copyright Nintendo
"The Legend of Zelda: Deluge" writing and original concepts and characters copyright Mahira / Mahira-chan
This Hurricane Sandy is pretty incredible, in a sort of terrible way; it's bringing all these power outages (even though it's only a category 1 Hurricane) and all, and it's also bringing all this cold weather around where I live, and up north in West Virgina they're getting tons of snow! But it must be really hard if their power is out there. I hate to say it though, but most of the houses in West Virgina are older, so at least they're far more likely to all have proper fireplaces.
Anyways, I'm in the cold weather side of Sandy was I said before, and frankly, it's pretty amazing. We finally got a light frost, and it's really beginning to feel like we'll soon be heading into winter...at least, sooner than later. We had been having quite the Indian Summer last week, and frankly it's relieving that it's gone (even if the lack of the humidity combined with refreshing breeze and warm sunshine did feel VERY nice indeed.) Well, either way, we usually do get such a part of the autumn around this time of year. But enough about that!
Recently, I've become more and more aware of beauty around me, not in just creation, but in fellow people. I finished editing my sequel the other day, and I think that really realizing this is probably connected. Still, for some reason human beauty is so much sadder than almost anything else, despite how amazing and sweet it also is. I suppose it has to do with everything that Eva is about; being hurt, misunderstanding, distance, loneliness...all the things that have always, always hurt people. We are rarely more powerless than we are when someone else will not accept us, and rarely does it hurt more. Yet even then, it perhaps is almost too easy to see the beauty in the other people, if we're willing to realize that we must be grateful for the part they have been in our lives. This sort of thing is everywhere, in everyone's lives in all different ways. It's something irreplaceable, perhaps, and certainly one of the most bittersweet paradoxes in fallen human nature. Which is why it hurts so much and why Eva devoted an entire series to what can happen around it.
Well, might as well mention that this blog will always be used for my large Gratitude Journal thing, and I do want to continue my Bath and Body Works Scents-picture series on here as much as I'm able. But from this Wednesday on, I'll be using it to submit my Zelda fan fiction to.
This blog will be the ideal place to read (and for me to submit) my fan fiction, as I'll be able to put up a song in front of each chapter, so the reader will be able to listen as they read. I do have a set "soundtrack" for the fan fiction (as sad as that sounds, I know, but it's really a lot of fun) and this blog lets me do as I please in regards to that.
This will not be the only place I shall submit the chapters. I'll also submit them on:
My deviantart account: http://mahira-chan.deviantart.com/
My fanfictionnet account: http://www.fanfiction.net/u/4297930/
My tumblr (yikes): http://a-single-thread.tumblr.com/
Since this is my ideal place for my fan fiction, I'll probably be putting up extra stuff (like sketches, concepts and all) on here that won't be on my other places.
And for a picture:
This one is based off the scent "Twilight Woods" which is a definite favorite of mine. This looks a little darker and scarier than the sweet scent would make you feel, but I guess I can't keep Halloween away from my mind. And I think the colors of the sky make up for it a little bit.
It's been over a week since the last entry. That's probably because I hardly know where to start! There's so much happening that I have to be grateful for.
So, last weekend was my break. I went up to the Mountain Glory Festival in Marion, North Carolina. It was positively wonderful. There was SO much there, and I managed to get a present for my grandmother, which is always a harder thing to do. There were lovely shops in addition to all the booths, and we went in one that had old records and albums; one of them was a super old Christmas album, and I only knew one song on there, "I Want a Hippopotamus For Christmas." I considered getting it, just to show it to my grandmother, but decided against it, because I'd really have no idea what to do with it! Oh, the same story also had some really nice dresses, including one that was DREADFUL and covered with sequins. I kinda want to try it on, you know, just to see what it looked like!
Really, that was a wonderful trip. The driving itself took a while, but it was really nice to talk and catch up with my friend who went with me. Besides, I do like taking longer road trips. It can be a little troublesome if everyone is very tired and cranky, but fortunately that wasn't the case. And the scenery is always worth it, especially in North Carolina!
This past week was a pretty nice one, too. Strangely enough, I and just about everyone else at the Uni felt very dead after returning from the break, but it was still an easier week...the professors probably know that everyone gets a strange sort of school-fatigue after tasting freedom! There was a final, but I murdered my wrist by giving awesome long answers, so I'm pretty pleased with that...though, last night I did have a dream that I FAILED that test, because I didn't have enough time to answer everything! How strange!
I also started going to the Newman Club again and I do think I should attend regularly, since I commute. It's still a little sad that I'm disconnected more from just about everyone at the campus since I don't live there and I just really started getting involved this semester, but there's still a lot to be grateful for, mainly still being close to my family and the extra chances I have to be with friends who go to other colleges. So, that's very nice. Plus, there's this group I really want to get into that seems really nice...I'll probably start this upcoming Sunday, they meet on a Sunday.
Let me think...well, that was this week, and then on Friday I spent the day hanging out with a friend, and then on Saturday my sister and our childhood friend went up to the Arts and Crafts Festival at Lake Lure. I really adore that town, but the festival was also amazing on it's own. I could have done ALL my Christmas shopping there; I already did quite a bit. I'm pretty happy about that...oh, and I also got a pottery turtle to add to my turtle/tortoise figurine collection. Score~!
But that town is fantastic. The trees were really getting underway in changing, the lake itself is beautiful and clean, and the river and the main town area are both adorable. I got a really cute coaster for only two dollars there, and we just had a great time in the FREEZING river, goodness. But it was all really, really fun. And small towns and small town shops and stores are really adorable (well, MOST of them, no where is perfect.) But still! I'd love to live in such a town someday.
What's strange is that after going up to the mountains twice, I started yesterday reading a book for school called "The Body Farm" that takes place around Black Mountain NC. It's a little creepy, but also kinda neat in a strange way!
Oh, at the fair we got this fresh Kettle Corn that was AMAZING. Nothing quite like it....I mean, we saved some and all, and it's still good, but everything's best fresh! Oh, and there was also this amazing fudge stand both at the Marion and at the Arts festivals. One piece (good sized) for a dollar! And other great prices. It's really great! They must do amazing buisness no matter where they go, really!
Finally, I found more things about the Dreamwork's "Rise of the Guardians", which I've been crazy about for a while now. So, yes, that also made this past week very awesome! And then, of course, there's also the things like the winter birds flying around (cardinals, blue jays, blackbirds), all the humidity going away and leaving us with 40-degree nights, and the fact that even the pin-oak trees are starting to change, which is a big step.
One last thing....in a little over a week, my Zelda fan fiction starts. I think I'll put that up here, as well as on deviantart and fan fiction.net. I just edited it this morning, and I'm pretty stoked!
A happy October, as it begins it's first steps to closing down with Halloween...
The homely satisfaction of smelling apples in the bin or
of counting our jars of applesauce on a pantry shelf is only half the
experience of being human in October. The companion half
is that of walking out through the thinning orchard, where dry
leaves run ahead of us along old furrows.
--Bonaro W. Overstreet
Today, I'll be going up to the Blue Ridge Mountains with a friend. But she's running a little late, so I've been doing some long-needed cleaning of my room. While I was doing so, I realized I had a lot of letters and cards that I really needed to put away somewhere. I have scrapbook that I've had since gradeschool; I've been putting all my letters and cards in there for a long time, and I hadn't opened it in months. To think I had ever imagined it would be a chore to go back into it to place new memories in!
A scrapbook is like a memory museum. It frames the past, like glittering jewels, reminding us of past times and friends, friends we've lost or still hold dear. It's something to remind us what's really important in this life. And to include new memories, new friends in there is something not to be missed. I think someday I shall soon buy a new scrapbook, one bigger and a lot cuter...though the look of it doesn't really matter. But still, museums are places of marble and grandeur, though what attracts us to them are the pictures of the past, not how they look. But it's how important the past is that makes us wants to make it all beautiful and grand.
The importance of the past is only matched by the importance of the future, and both are just barely beat by the present. The present moment...invaluable, like a treasure. Every second, like a box waiting to be opened, an opportunity and a space for us to use, like waiting for someone or something. It's an empty space that can be filled with joy or frustration.
Ah, Simple Abundance has updated for October! As always, it's worth sharing and keeping here:
Last
week as I entered the greengrocer’s shop I was stunned by the abundance
of white, green and (Hermés worthy) orange pumpkins, along with a
bounty of squash, ears of dried corn and pots of beautiful burgundy and
yellow mums. Is it that time of year already? Everything was so
gorgeous. Such simple splendor. I wanted to scoop up an assortment of
visual candy corn and take them home to decorate. But with a catch in my
heart, I heard a bad tempered, parsimonious fairy scold me: “Don’t be ridiculous…you’re not wasting your time on that tat on your own…Be practical.”
Well, the rest of the conversation was so thoroughly unpleasant I’ll
spare us both total recall. But the point of my brief encounter with
sudden beauty is confessing that every creative urge was completely
squashed. Secretly since then I’ve been moping and mourning the past,
especially as I remember how much fun I had decorating with the seasons
once upon a time when my little one was little and I was Mother Plenty
in her eyes. This yearning has prompted many unexpected musings during
my own personal “Season of Relinquishment”. In the last few months I’ve
had to say good-bye to so many things I’ve cherished including my
English idyll and I won’t kid you, losing a beloved home is hard; it
hurts in places we never knew existed. The unruly and cavernous losses
in life that everyone seems to be facing each day can’t be carefully
managed with the right software program. Sometimes the raw enormity of
your unmooring overwhelms as a perfect storm ambushes you in a grocery
aisle full of pumpkins.
Still, my Southern mother taught me well and truly that “if you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all” and
perhaps that is why I haven’t really been able to share myself and my
thoughts as freely I’ve done in the past. However, the dry leaves aren’t
the only things to race a head of me as time shortens each day—not only
in the length of hours of light—but in my whirling dance to keep and
catch up.
“Poplar
trees yield their yellow leaves to sudden morning wind. A woman
glancing out of the window as she washes dishes feels a tug at the
heart—here it is again,” Bonaro W. Overstreet writes in Meditations for Women (1947).
“Hands idle a moment, she marshals what she needs for the understanding
of autumn—a philosophy of life and death, the two strangely one…The
woman alone in her kitchen nods to herself, ‘That’s how it is. [But]
you can’t get ready for loss at the very moment when it happens—not the
loss of the poplar leaves, nor for the loss of a person you love. You
get ready for all the lettings go by being as wise as you know how in
all the moments of living.’ She looks out at bare trees—and smiles—and
goes on with her dishes.”
Well, looks like I've fallen behind. And yet there's so much to say!
Lately, no horse back riding, since October is looking very busy so far. Already it's been quite hectic, but there's been a lot of greatness in it. The weather has been lovely; the past couple mornings I woke up and it was so cold I didn't want to get out of bed. Which was a bit of a problem, but still! It was very nice. There's something strangely cozy about being in a warm bed when it's cold in your warm, and there's something uncomfortable but still very invigorating about having to get up and out into the cold.
And it seems just like getting out into the cold, autumn is all about getting out of your comfort zone. It's not always fun, but when you're doing it to do something good, then it's rather something. Even if it's a small thing! The other night, my mum and my sister were away on a retreat that I think did a great deal for my sister, so that's great. But anyways, it was just me and my dad at home. We don't really spend all that much time actually doing things together, so I suggested going to see a movie, that "Hotel Transylvania" movie. It was really great; having any excuse, or no excuse, to go out with someone you know (be it long or for a short time) and making a good memory is always worth other sacrifices of staying in your ordinary experiences, which may be good for sure, but doing something both good and different just stands out, stands out as something more assuredly worthwhile. The movie wasn't great, but it wasn't bad, and I really liked a lot of the designs, especially Mavis. It's a movie I'll definitely watch with my kids someday around Halloween. It was also rather pro-marriage, which really surprised me, but I was really happy about that. There was something quite Disney-esque about it with the "once in a life-time zing" which leads to marriage forever, but that's probably part of what's good about Disney, and the fact that they presented it as a little strange and that love-at-first-sight doesn't happen for reals but good love and marriage does was good, better handling than Disney I might say. Though that does depend on the movie. But anyways!
We also got sushi before the movie, that was always good. Oh, and then my brother came back to visit after going to a wedding and being the best man! I'm quite proud, heehee! But we found out something rather extraordinary about A and B personality types.
My family is full of type A. I've tendency towards Type A definitely, and...well, a couple Christmases ago when we were with family, everyone was like....everyone HAD to know everyone else's schedules down to the T otherwise dinner plans or whatnot would be RUINED. It's really quite funny, but it works out fine. Now this friend of my brother's, he and his family are very much more Type B. It kinda drove my brother a little crazy, though not much. I mean, it did work out. Though it is just very different....let's say, less than drove crazy, more just shocked.
But the ultimate thing was when we found out that my brother's friend had been using our Netflix account on his PS3 for months without realizing that it was ours. He just thought that it had come with the PS3 somehow and that the mysterious account owner just happened to have the same tastes that he does (I'm surprised at that too) and....well, it was all very magical for him and he didn't question it. It was hilarious to hear about! Sounds like my brother knows quite the GK Chesterton, if you know what I mean! It's really neat, really.
Let's see....oh, it was very nice, at work last weekend I saw a couple girls I know from the Newman Club. It was a nice surprise. I'm a little sad I didn't make it tonight, because I'm interested in talking with them about a club that they're in that does service and meets on Sundays, and it would be after horse back riding hours, too. But it can wait til next week. I highly doubt I'd have the time or energy this Sunday! Again, busy month! And I need to get editing!
Hmm, now I haven't much to add, but I'm sure there's plenty.
Let me share an exercise I've had to do recently...just, repeating to myself, that I am grateful for X, whatever it may be: grateful for a friend, grateful for a family member, whatever. It really does help when I feel like I'm just seeing the negative, which can really weigh you down very dramatically. Nothing is fixed on anything, but a new perspective helps a girl like a new great hair cut (but better!) We always tend to emphasize the negative, especially when our feelings are hurt or conflicted or muddled up, but reminding ourselves that we should be grateful especially for the people in our lives individually really helps the positive to shine. It's helped me realize again the goodness in others around me. Of course, nothing's perfect...and it's something I think I should do very frequently. It would certainly help. Gratefulness for the small and the great does wonders, and reveals beauty in other people we would not have seen before. It's almost too sad to think of all the things we would have missed in others if we did not stop and breath and thank God for them and the goodness and beauty in them!
Find
something new to be thankful for today. Many of Life’s most sublime
moments sneak up on us and then just as quickly vanish. --Sarah Ban Breathnach
October's poplars are flaming torches lighting the way to winter. ~Nova Bair
And October is upon us all. Today is a perfect, gloomy day, the first of many for this particular month in which it really does feel like autumn has begun to declare her presence. We're coming into gloomy, grey days with a chill in the air and on the wind that I love. My stories are somehow fueled by the cold, especially days such as these, so my creativity goes on an all-time seasonal high every time we hit one such day.
Autumn is a pretty amazing season. Unlike spring, I think it's one that everyone is incredibly aware of in a very good way. Spring everyone notices primarily because of allergies, and also the mixed bag of spring storms and warmer weather. In autumn it's about pulling out your cute cold-weather clothes and getting back into the cold-weather comfort food that you've probably eaten since you were a child. Autumn and Winter are definitely the most nostalgic of seasons, begging for memories to be recalled and for new ones to be made.
Soon it will be my Autumn break, and although it was a week earlier than I thought it would be, I'm still pretty excited. One of my friends is coming up from south in the state, and I want to go "find autumn" together with her when she's here. We've already decided to go to the apple orchard....mmm, apples are lovely. Crisp, cold and fresh, just like the season.
And then I might go to a large hot air balloon fest with my family and a friend the next weekend after break. I really hope that can work out. I'm sure the balloons, so large and close and in such glorious shades of color, will be quite a sight to see. I wonder how they'll compare with the autumn leaves?
The full moon the other night was pretty amazing. I can't wait for the one this month; moons in the autumn are just special, and the cooler air makes the sky seem so much clearer.
I was really happy the moon was out and about Friday. On Friday evening I went with a friend, her friend, her sister and another older friend of theirs to a spooky amusement park nearby. I've only gone once before, and that time I discovered I'm not very good with such things! I did go in a few mazes this time, but...I closed my eyes. Still though, overall it was fun, being together and having fun with them all and then sleeping over at her house. Though I don't think I'll ever go to such a place again! Going on the rides at night was fun and all that sort of thing, but I'm not brave at all with such things...maybe I should face my fear, but my legs were wobbly the whole time almost! Maybe I was just too tense. Still, it was worth it, especially since it was her birthday and I hadn't seen her since summer ended. And everyone was really great, and it was a great time really. And my friend has very exquisite taste...her whole birthday was sorta Avengers-themed, and the cake was an orange cake with raspberry everything else...it was REALLY good. Mmmhmm.
So yes, it was all really great, though I did suffer from like, a social-excitement withdrawal on Saturday evening after I came home. It was a first, and it was very strange! It's certainly a great time to get some creative work done!
Let me think, there was that....oh, we went horseback riding for the last time in the month yesterday. It was a little sad, since we aren't riding this month. But it was still good. Fancy and I did well together, and I think I really do like her now, and she trusts me more, even though I had put a saddle on her that was MUCH too big and it was more like bareback riding, since I had to rely more on my knees than the stirrups. Oh, I REALLY want to do bareback riding someday.
Oh, so much awesome stuff is going to happen this month, really. One thing is that the next season of "Merlin" will be starting! The show isn't, like, super fantastic amazing, but I really like it, and it's great fun and good for listening/watching while doing homework. That was basically how my spring semester went this year...but yeah, it's good fun, and I'm excited.
And then there's finishing my editing absolutely, and also officially starting that long Zelda fan fiction. It is a bit of a big deal, since it will be a very large part of my life for the next three years come the end of this month. When I finish it, I will be into grad school, or wherever I wind up. Either way, I pray it will go absolutely well, as well as it can. The games are lovely, and the characters and ideas and themes and art are all unforgettable. Perhaps it's unrealistic, but I hope I may capture everything good and great in the games as well as I can (as well as, you know, making it my own as well.) There's a lot of different beauties in those games, as a sort of rule, from the atmosphere/s to the roles of the characters, and it's really amazing, it could just explode from...well, awesomeness! So I want to do just extol it all and write as well as I possibly can.
So, I may put some sketches related to that fic on here. I am not sure. But this is a dairy-type of blog, and that fic will be a huge huge part of my life soon. So I can only pray it will bring me aplenty to be grateful for that will be worth writing about on here. That fic will be capturing a lot that I personally am grateful for, such as the seasons and holidays and all the various forms of love. I really hope I can write well enough to make it all shine!
I can really only be grateful for all that happened in September. I can hardly believe it's gone so fast. But as much as what happened then, all the school and time spent with or calling friends, the highs and lows, the fun of stories and horses, I can only know that those times were great and fun and I pray will only make me a better person, but times just as great are ahead of me, in each moment. I only hope I'm able to appreciate and accept them!
The human soul is slow to discover the real excellence of things given to us by a bountiful Creator, and not until the shadows of death begin to gather around the object that we love, do we see its worth and beauty. Autumn is the dim shadow that clusters about the sweet, precious things that God has created in the realm of nature. While it robs them of life, it tears away the veil and reveals the golden gem of beauty and sweetness. Beauty lurks in all the dim old aisles of nature, and we discover it at last. ~Northern Advocate
