Valerie's Update

It has been a while since I have put in my personal update on daughter Laine. We have been busy in the barn care taking our 10 beautiful horses & ponies and keeping them cool and comfortable during these hot and humid months. They stand in front of their fans and sweat!!! I had new waterers installed and of course only 'my' horses are the dork individuals that stand bewildered in front of them wondering how to get water by pressing the paddle down!!! I was amazed that baby Seajack was the first one to easily figure it out! Both Laine and I were amused by the 'smartest horse in the world' and his discovery!

We have our good days and some not so good. The pictures of our dear Frodo keep coming to our mail box and rear porch door.....paintings of Eric & Frodo by local artist Don Davis which are an unbelievable labor of love and respect for my daughter. I came in the door with a big smile 2 nights ago to a big box waiting in my hallway.....Frodo's ashes. I can not convey the deep dark spot in my soul that remains there in his absence. My life has been like the Griffin roller-coaster ride at Busch Gardens....one day you are up....the next you plummet down. I am careful not be too emotional in Laine's company as she is on the mend....but I let my hair down calling her grandmother or my dearest friend Lynnie. Both my mother and Lynn have always supported our endeavors and I am fortunate to have extra shoulders to lean on. It all seems so fresh. The accident happened 2 months ago....yet it seems like yesterday. I ALWAYS find peace in one thought that prevails beyond my grief. Laine pulled through April 26th. She remains with me today when somewhere in her darkest hours in ICU she rallied for survival because she confessed she would never have left me alone. We have a promise between one another. When I am put away in a nursing home, I will see this little white convertible pull up...with a gorgeous lady and red scarf blowing behind the wheel and that will be my 'knight in shining armor' my own mother promised me growing up. And for Laine's 'warrior mentality' even off her feet......I will forever be Blessed. Each and every day remaining in my Life. Together we are finding our ways through this fog. I can face the rest of Life's turmoil now because we made it through this, and step by step we are inching forward.

As always, I can't thank you enough for the continued support that fuels positive thoughts in my day to day life. I am awakened spiritually to realize how fortunate we've been to have friends all around the world who are still concerned with my daughter's progress.I hope in the years to come....if any of you see me at the events or on cross country ....you will stop me for introductions, but only momentarily for it is the vision of Laine and her partner that puts wind in my sails to continue with our dreams and the pursuit of excellence that makes life so worthwhile.

Valerie

Frodo the Magnificent

FRODO THE MAGNIFICENT

There are horses and courses throughout the land,

Theres riders and sideliners who would give you a hand,

There are horses with heart, that stand apart,

There are riders and friends, who would give you their heart,

This poem is about one, who stood alone,

Her passion to ride her horse was her home,

They traveled to lands across the sea,

It was Lainey and Frodo the best there could be,

They ran down the trails, they jump far and true,

It was two into one, always coming through,

The hours of training, the long days they worked,

Their dream of victories, despite the hurt,

From one state to another, they graced the lands,

And horse a rider with guiding hands,

Their love for each other, so tried and true,

No matter the obstacle they would never be through,

Then a terrible day that turned light into dark,

A moment of uncertainty that would pull them apart,

There were days filled with tears, Life and death far and near,

Then by the grace of God and the thousand of prayers,

Lainey opened her eyes, we knew God was near,

Lainey has been blessed, by God above,

The prayers, the letters, thousands of emails all about love,

Home with her Mother, home with her Grandma,

Out of the hospital, a lot less trauma,

If you ever meet her, you’ll know her game,

She’s guts and glory, and Frodo’s fame,

The end of this story, is the beginning of a dream,

You see Lainey and Frodo still are jumping clean,

For she now has a spirit that runs above,

Frodo looks down on his Lainey and love,

For he’s Frodo the Magnificent, the horse that was so blessed,

It was Lainey and he that flew by the rest,

This isn’t the end, and certainly not the past,

This is a love story that always will last,

To my beautiful niece,

Love Uncle George XOXOXO

Update For Our Friends

Good Morning our dear friends,

I have not talked with all of you for quite some time now. I felt I should give an update on Laine's progress.

We have been to numerous doctor appointments. Each doctor represented one of the multiple injuries on Laine's slender more than ever body. Laine's Jenny Craig diet before KY has nothing on the 'wiring jaw' approach! She looks lovely, but then again.....I always thought she did.
We are on that road to recovery. Right smack down the middle lane. All systems forward. We encounter only green lights and that is all we accept. Again, I see that "Warrior Mentality" in Laine. We made changes to our competition calendar for fall.....and it has actually been nice not getting up crack of dawn hours and following a serious schedule. Our horses have been spoiled rotten. They look like little aliens with their ears all pricked sporting all of their new fly masks grandma bought them! Life is coming back slowly to Crow's Ear Farm and even Dos, our attack rooster is on his game for attacking my little pink Tracker as we pull each day into our drive! Boy it is so funny how the tiny nuances in Life can pull you together and make one appreciate the good we all have around us.
Family. Friends. Furred & feathered. At about the same time our dear boy Frodo departed this world, along came a tiny solid black with white dot (how ironic is that?)small, 4 week old kitten....abandoned on our road where our friend Jessica Bowen rescued and brought her in. She was caretaking my farm while Laine and I were in KY and we call our new hobo "Princess Arowyn" after our beloved Lord. Of the Rings.
Arowyn scampers all around our feet and is one of the most adorable and happy little kits I have ever been around. Laine especially.....loves her. I know Frodo and this is his attempt at saying "my Lainey, I am never too far away from you...ever". God we miss him. Beyond words. It is a heavy swelling deep in our soul that triggers relief by emptying water with every minute of memory we embrace of his sweet existence. No doctor can mend that break. Laine is extremely fortunate to have had 8 years with her Frodo and a partnership she will never duplicate. We had the privilege to know and love Frodo and within that spanse of time together he added and changed so much in our lives.
Laine's father came for a visit from CA and the vision of his daughter laying in the ICU bed with tubes everywhere diminished as she walked up and slowly put her arms around him. I know that feeling. It is the same one I have that releases water. We as parents have been blessed. We are so fortunate. God gave us another chance for happiness. No matter what happens in each of our 3 little lives......we return to this thought.
Life is delicate. It is a Gift. What we make and take from it is most precious. Looking back on my 52 years of life, I was fortunate to be raised from the love of my devoting mother and father. Their love is infinite. My brother who has always been my hero as he watched over me growing up....I cherish. We will combine our lives when I get back home. Laine's father. Michael. Ironic. Today would have been let's see....our 31 year anniversary. I am smiling. He gave me the greatest gift of my life. Even in our divorce we remain rocks for one another and for our daughter. Sources of strength. Positive energy. Everything we 'just' missed out in our lives that brought us heartache was put in it's place when Februrary 10, 1984 the REAL DEAL was born. From that point on I have been running across fields dashing in and out of roped gallop lanes.....following daughter Laine and her pursuit of her own dreams. Just as my mother and father did for me. And how Michael and I did starting out. Everyone has them. A dream.

In this life what matters most is how you achieve them. The road we journey to those dreams offer undiscovered treasures along it's long and winding way.......those being our families with their inexhaustible support and the incredibly bounty of friends we are so lucky to 'find us' along the way. Opening up those treasures one discovers themselves. Riches beyond belief.

Happy Wednesday, June 11th everyone. We all have something to be thankful for this day.

thank you for all your continued support.......
Valerie