Susie was Here

First Post of the Day

Yesterday while working on some 18th century pockets, I needed twill tape to complete them. I walked over to the dresser where I keep it, and as I opened the drawer, something on top of the dresser caught my eye.

A tagged Stablemate?

Only very rarely do I tag a Stablemate.

I picked it up for a closer look. The tag was not secured around a leg or tail but simply draped over the model's neck. I had to dust off my teaching chops to read what was written on it.

"Susie. 3. Fav. Small."

Hmmm. Susie had tagged this model for some reason. 

Not only that, but I found a stick on top of some sewing supplies. That's Susie for sure - she is ways collecting things that interest her. (It's actually a long dried stem from my old fashioned day lilies.)

And, there were two origami stars. I keep origami paper and several books on folding various things on hand for the grands. More things that pointed to Susie's presence.

Susie and her family had stayed with us for a week in July while she and her sisters had gone to Camp Tecumseh. The sewing room had been used as a guest bedroom during that time and the origami supplies had been out on the upstairs overlook for the kids to use.

Kate and Susie had spent a lot of time with me and going through my collection, looking at pieces, labeling a few that they'd like to have some day, and even taking home Zulu (Kate) and the buckskin lying foal (Susie.)

Susie must've spied the mini Alborozo unicorn and decided it was one she'd also like to have. She knew where I kept the tags, filled one out, and put it on the model. Easy peasy, lemon squeezie, and Susie had let me know that she'd like to have that piece!

Sweet girl, I am happy that you want it and I will make sure that that happens when the time comes. And finding your tag, stick, and origami made me think of you and smile.

Stay 'tooned!

Susie's Baptism

First Post of the Day

Two weeks ago, Susie chose to be baptized. In our church, babies are given a blessing shortly after birth and then are invited to be baptized when they turn age 8.

I made Susie's baby blessing dress and Emily has laid it out on the table in the photo.

Getting the lace overlay JUST right on the hem and sleeves was a bit challenging, but I was pleased with how it turned out and happy that Emily was sharing it at Susie's baptism.

Susie's baptismal dress was lovely and you can tell from these pictures that she felt pretty in it.

She especially liked the pleated skirt and how it swirled when she twirled!

In just about every picture taken of her, she is holding that pleated skirt out.

See what I mean? Sweet girl.

Lisa was able to attend the baptism and took all these photos but sadly, Craig and I were not.

I haven't said too much here, but there have been some new significant health challenges for both Craig and me and neither of us felt up to the drive down to Nashville. We were sad not to go, but Cole and his family were aware of the challenges and understood.

Thankfully, Lisa kept us supplied with pictures and we FaceTimed Susie later that day and had a lovely chat with her.

I'll share one of the recent health challenges that so recently popped up in the next post.

Stay 'tooned.

Into the Sewing Room, Part 2

Mercy was repaired and Elsie Mae's quiet book pillow was done, but neither Kate nor Susie were finished sewing. Susie asked, "Can we make accessories for our horses, Grammy?"

I had no idea what she meant by "accessories," but both girls had ideas so with my help they selected some different fabrics, grabbed the scissors, and got started.

Susie first made a blanket for Poppy, but a different kind of blanket than I thought she intended.

Wearing the blue ribbon from my props stash, this foal with the "comforting gaze" whose color is "very vibrant" now has its own blanket to rest upon.

Kate knew what she wanted to make, too, and it was evident that she had been watching when I measured and drew cutting lines for the quiet book pillow. She pulled out my quilter's ruler and, like a pro, drew her own pattern and cutting lines on her fabric.

She wanted to make a bandana for Zulu to wear, but she ran into a problem with his flying mane.

Her solution? She added a velcro girth and some of Mercy's leftover stuffing, and made a bareback pad.

She machine stitched it, too, with no help from me. I think I may have a future sewist here.

Susie next made a horn protector for her unicorn, one that protected the horn from breaking as well as keeping people from getting poked.

Her final project was to make a blanket with a velcro closure but it didn't fit Poppy. So we tried it on several other models and now my vintage bay Grazing Foal is much warmer.

Kate's last project was a gift for me. Knowing how much I like El Dorado,

she made him a bandana to wear. I was so touched and I have no plans to take it off him! 

After spending the entire morning in the sewing room, I called a halt for lunch. Although the girls wanted to sew some more afterward and I was willing, we all went over to Curt and Vanessa's home

  

and played games, watched the England/France World Cup match, and hung out the rest of the day. (Uno is not one of my favorite games, but give me the giant card version of the game and I am all in!)

It was our last full day together; Camp Tecumseh was over and our Tennessee family would be leaving after church the next morning.

Stay 'tooned!

 

BreyerFest Week 2025: It's Friday and It Begins!

It came! It came! Despite an email saying the delivery had been delayed, my new desktop showed up yesterday morning! 

And Craig, bless his heart, dropped everything he was doing (again) and got my computer set up and running so I would be ready for the start of BreyerFest today. (Thanks so much!)

While the new desktop will facilitate BreyerFest, there are still some non-tech challenges to writing blog posts.

Normally Pepper and Tammo are my writing companions, but there have been some "plus ones" for the last week.

And there is no way I am going to shoo the four of them out of my office (which, as you can see, is also doubling as the sewing room currently.) We are chatting and laughing and sharing, all while making memories that are already very dear to my heart. 

Tammo is especially happy to have Kate and Susie in the house, and last night climbed into bed with Kate! I agreed to let him sleep there if he wanted to and if Kate didn't mind. (You can probably tell from her face what the answer to that was.)

So.... back to BreyerFest! I feel like it is Christmas morning and I am waiting for everyone to wake up and gather by the tree. 

My usual Virtual Fest Friday plans are to go out to the "horse park" (the barn) and visit the horses, and then come home and go online. I turn on the live feed, shop, and begin trying to find out who the mystery surprise horse is.

Several of you wrote me and said that I had not dreamed it, that there really was a Family Arabian Mare and Foal pair in this year's auction. I was able to find a photo online of the two.

(If this is your photo, PLMK so I can credit you!)

The fact that the mold has been used is interesting. Did Breyer have some whitewall set back for something like this? Or did they pour a whole bunch with plans for a run of some sort? If it's the latter, then chances are higher for the mystery surprise to be the FAM and FAF.

But, I still think there is a high possibility that we will see the Proud Arabian Mare. My fingers are crossed! Just a few ore hours and we will know.

Rarely am I on the computer late at night, but since I was still getting to know this desktop, last night I was. To my surprise, an email from Breyer was waiting for me, saying that the last of my order had been sent with tracking included.

I checked the entire order and apparently they are sending the Celebration Model as well as my Stablemate early. And, they have put the Stablemate ticket with one of my online Traditional tickets. 

The other one is on a different account and I have not received any email from Breyer there. I hope I don't end up having to work things out, but if I do, I know Breyer will make it right. 

In the meantime, the day is finally here and I am going to enjoy it. I hope you all have fun, whether you are there in person or at home like me.

Happy Horse Fest!

Susie's Soccer Scream

Second Post of the Day

Cole sent me this video of Susie (#6) at the kickoff for a recent soccer match. 

Where on earth that yell came from is beyond us all, but it is hilarious! This girl is serious about her soccer!

BreyerFest Week: NAN & Other Things

The choice has been made, and to my surprise, it is not Gawain.

Pony Pal Susie chose Cosmus! It was a surprise but not a surprise, either. Because she had been so delighted with Gawain, I based my guess on that. But, she had also spent a lot of time looking at Cosmus - it seems it was the "wings that can fly" (she could make them flap) that were the decision maker.

Susie's name is now on his tag and Cosmus will be passed onto her when the time comes.

Today is the third and final day of NAN. Because I have been busy with family, I have only caught bits and pieces of it on social media, Fortunately, Shannon Call and Shannon Rodgers have sent me some pictures and given me permission to share them here. 

From Shannon Call:

This year's NAN cookies are so lovely!

The Top Ten ribbons.

The show hall. (Back in the BreyerFest host hotel again after many years elsewhere.)

Shannon C's NAN show string.

Top Ten in North America!

Two Top Tens and a North American Nationals champion!

Top Ten!

Top Ten and North American Champion!

Top Ten and North American Champion!

And another! (I love this mold.)

Shannon C. will be volunteering at today's NAN and this is her volunteer thank you gift.

From Shannon Rodgers:

Her show table displaying ribbons she's won.

Shannon loves green and a year or so ago asked me to make her a show tablecloth from that fabric for her. (I believe she also uses it on her antique dining room table, too.)

Top Ten!

I saw this last model when he made his show ring debut at Great Lakes Congress and he is fabulous!

An Appaloosa circus horse? Oh yes!! It is one of the most beautiful customs I have ever seen.

Thanks, ladies, for letting me use your pictures. And if any of you are at NAN (or in the CHIN or at the KHP) and would like to share pictures here like they did, please do! Send them to horsiemama8@gmail.com.

A Tennessee Birthday for Lisa

Lisa had quite a birthday this year. While down in Tennessee, she didn't just go to the football game. She celebrated her birthday and

she also drove down Saturday evening for a single adult event in Atlanta, Georgia. Doesn't she look fabulous? I am SO proud of this girl because I know how hard she worked to get her health back.

Game day was also Lisa's birthday, and she got to celebrate with Cole's kids who, as you can tell by their faces, loved celebrating with her.

The girls had made her cards 

and gifts

and all sorts of fun things to open.

Kate, Susie, and Julie were so excited to share their cards and gifts with her.

Looks like Lisa was excited, too.

On the table is the taco game that Kate made her. The point is to see who could assemble their taco first. (Lisa had to assemble two tacos while Kate only had to do one!)

Making jewelry together under the Christmas tree.

Celebrating with her nieces, a victory in the football game, and a trip down to Atlanta - Lisa had quite the birthday celebration!