“Where does time go?”

It has been a whirlwind of a year since selling the Bistro. I know we all comment on “where does time go?” Short answer, it goes fast – so, make every minute count. With Thanksgiving behind us and more holidays ahead it will fly by.

I have a very full life with a couple of cool projects in the works that keep me busy in a very different way than I’m used to.   I worked minimally sixty hours for much of my time owning and building a restaurant that became an iconic  “home away from home” not only for me but for many. Now, I don’t have to be regulated by a business but, in a sense that was much easier than having to discipline myself to be organized and structured without those parameters. It is certainly an adventure of another sort. And, fun.

One of the best things, very happily, is that I have been able to spend time with my mom that was pretty much put on hold, other than phone conversations, during the Covid years. As a reminder, I traveled to Florida early in March of 2020 to accompany my mom and my sweet, newly adopted, 7 year old pup Sophia home. We made it back in the nick of time as the Covid cloud descended upon us and within 3 days the state was in lock down. That was the last I saw of my mother other than a wave from her driveway for almost 2 years. You remember the “ 6 foot rule”- so, no hugs, no kisses, no physical touch. Mom has since moved to assisted living, not without some contention, her home is sold and now this is the new way of life for her at almost 95 years old. I and my sister’s, here and away, do our best to make her comfortable, happy, and dignified.  I look forward to my “Wednesdays with Mom” each week. I cook something special and we set a table with a linen cloth in a private dining area and have a nice visit. The best part is bringing my mom a COLD beer. She barely finishes half of it but sure enjoys the heck out of a Blue Moon with an orange wedge or a Pete’s Wicked. Two hours later we head back to her apartment, clean-up dishes, get her jammies on and I’m on my way back to home. It is often an added treat to have my sister Liz join us. The laughs are many. I realize how very fortunate I am to be able to stroke my mom’s face, rub her shoulders and give her a kiss hello and good night. Her skin is perfect, no wrinkles. How can that be for a woman with 7 children? Her smile is genuine when it comes. I only wish it would come more often. 

My ongoing love of horses took me to another country, the Netherlands with Vanessa Voltman, my dressage trainer, to find my next Ziezo, who is healthy but retired from competing. Vanessa is from the Netherlands and has an extraordinary ability to pair horse and rider. Lucky me! My intention, one that I had visualized for many months, was to get a 10 year old Z and be able to achieve my goal of a silver medal. What an adventure that trip was. I rode about 20 horses in 5 days. Some big, some small but each providing a unique experience in their own right. For instance, I rode a pony that was kept in a house garage stall – yes, he took over the car’s space. We were able to walk him from the house to an indoor arena a few blocks away. I was the “test rider” for a woman who could not travel with us but was looking for a smaller horse. What a hoot, my feet almost hit the ground. That was the first time I was on a pony and trust me they are as mighty as they are small. Vanessa rode each horse, not the pony , LOL, before me, most of which she gave her thumbs up on me trying. There was the 18 hand plus gelding who was trained to a very high level. This guy was huge and a big, ground covering horse. As a reference, a hand equals 4 inches and is measured from the ground to the horse’s withers, or, where the neck meets the body. He was way too much for me. The fourth horse I rode was an “add-on” at our first barn. I had already tried the 3 prospects there that had been chosen as reasonable for my level of riding. Keeping an open mind I was ready to move onto our next stop.  As we were leaving Vanessa was approached to try one more horse that had just recently arrived. My heart stopped when I saw him. A big, beautiful black 9 year old stallion, trained to a level that would teach me what I needed to advance my skills. I was excited to get on him. I had never, and will probably never ride a stallion again. (DJ is now a gelding) He was so much more trained than any horse I had ever ridden but Vanessa assured me that I’d be fine. I was and we hung out while he was untacked and put back in his stall. He was a perfect gentleman. I was determined to ride the next horses lined up for me and did so over the following few days. Not one caught my heart like Don Juan de Luxe. When it came down to making a decision it was easy. I knew, like I did with Ziezo, that this horse would be my next partner. And now he is.

The story gets better. I travelled all the way to Holland with the intention to acquire a Dutch horse. My last three have been, Picasso, Z and Kos. I love the breed. The twist to this is that Don Juan, nick- named DJ, is not. He is a German Sport Horse that had only been in the Netherlands for a short time. He went as a 4 year old from a small German town to a dressage training barn in the Ukraine. When the war encroached on his town, DJ was sent to be sold in Holland. I know, as evidenced with his kind nature, that he was well loved and very well trained. I am certainly very fortunate to have him as a partner.

I can’t finish without filling you in on Maddie and Sophia. They are still the most incredible pups at 11 and 12 years old. Maddie has been here 4 years and Sophie almost 3. They totally love each other and I’ll often find them “sharing” a crate, cuddling together. Sophie totally needs physical contact – all the time!!! I sit, she is on my lap. I’ll ask her and Maddie to go to their beds when I’m ready for lights out and most mornings when I wake she’s sleeping right next to me. She’s on my lap right now as I write and is always happy to be loved by anyone that comes through the door. Maddie is very agreeable and compliant to anything I ask of her. Sophie, on the other hand, has an appointment for hearing aids…just kidding. She is a really bad listener, unless, of course, the word “Treat” is involved and her hearing becomes perfect. These little girls are certainly “This Woman’s” best furry friends. They make life very full and happy.