Queen of the Monon!

I am trying to curb my enthusiasm for bridle rosettes, but I do check eBay every now and then, "just to see." (Honestly, I'm not even fooling myself.) I've looked at (and resisted) many pairs including the neatest Wizard of Oz rosettes, but I simply could not resist these.

 Monon, the Hoosier Line!

Why was this pair so irresistible? Check out this photo.

That's my mama, Fern Honeywell, in the white dress. (I did not add the arrows; aren't they an odd trim for a dress? But I love how they point out her banner!) Mom was West Lafayette's Queen of the Monon Railroad in 1947. The girl on her left was Lafayette's queen, and the mayors of both cities are at their sides. I don't know the man on the far right; my guess is that he is an official from Monon.

The occasion was the 50th anniversary of the railroad, and to celebrate, they did a whistle stop tour all along the route from Chicago to Louisville, stopping in all the towns along the way for pictures, autographs, food, and fun. A four man band from Chicago was on board the train, playing at the stops, too.

Posing with other queens. My mother is on the front left.

As you might imagine, I really wanted those Monon bridle rosettes, and so Cole bought them for me for a Christmas gift. They're a nice addition to my original pair and my Barnum & Bailey/Ringling Brothers  circus rosettes.

But really, I am not collecting them. Not yet, at least.

Miracle at the Temple

Craig and I went to the Indianapolis Temple last night - we serve there every Tuesday night. But I was worried this week - I had begun a new health plan, Optavia, and part of the program is eating a small meal every two to three hours. How would I do that while serving a five hour shift?

It felt disrespectful to the Lord and His temple for me to be nibbling while on-shift. I hoped for a rare break to be assigned me, but did not really expect one. Still, I packed a cheese stick in my temple bag and just went on faith, figuring that either I'd get a chance to eat or that the Lord would bless me and help me through.

I took this videos for my two Optavia health buddies - they are LDS, too.

I got my schedule of assignments when I arrived, and there was no real break there. Okay, I figured that this meant that He would take care of me and started my shift. I was scheduled for Initiatory at 6:00. As I walked in to let the Initiatory Coordinator know I was there and looked to see which booth I was assigned to, I saw another woman's name written down, not mine. Thinking I'd gotten my times mixed up, I checked my schedule again. Nope, I was where I was supposed to be. The Initiatory Coordinator checked the night's master assignment list, and sure enough, four sisters had been scheduled to work in Initiatory at 6:00, not three. And since the other three were already working, I was the odd woman out!

My heart leaped - was this His help? I thought it was, but I knew that I should first check with the Shift Coordinator - it was possible that she'd meant me to go elsewhere and I was expected to be there to serve. When I found her, she checked the master schedule, and everything in the temple was covered. I asked if she wanted me to serve somewhere else anyway, and she requested that I check on a new sister who was learning what to do as an ordinance worker and then "just circulate." 

There it was - I had some time to grab my cheese stick and go to the break room, where it did NOT feel disrespectful to be eating. (I checked that new sister first.)

I have no doubt that this was not an accident. Plus, it was RIGHT ON TIME for me next fueling. As you might imagine, I am very grateful and touched that He would be supportive of my efforts to get healthy.

The First Snow

Last winter was bitterly cold with many days having below zero temps and a heavy snowpack almost all winter. The snows just kept coming and coming.

This winter has been very different - we just had our first accumulating snow last weekend. We got 7+ inches of heavy wet snow, and it was gorgeous!

 Craig took his Christmas snowblower out for its first run. It worked well!

So well that he did four of the neighbors' drives and walkways. (One neighbor tried to pay him with beer. Haha!)

He was fighting a bit of a losing battle, though, because several more inches of snow fell, and then the wind picked up, filling in all his hard work.

 Our lovely great blue heron statue got a snow mohawk from the snowfall.

This gives you a bit of an idea as to just how much we got. Look at the furniture.

 Then we had a freezing fog, and it was stunningly beautiful!

A look at the fog from our driveway.

This snowstorm seems to have opened the floodgates - we are expecting an inch Thursday, 1-3 inches Friday, 8-12 inches this coming Saturday, another inch Sunday, 1-3 inches next Tuesday, and 3-5 inches Wednesday. That's a grand total of 24 inches, should we get the highest amounts! Most likely we won't, but regardless, there is a LOT of snow in the forecast.

One of those times when I feel grateful to be retired and don't have to go anywhere.

Owing a Piece of Sam Savitt Art

Growing up, I devoured books on horses. Not only did I frequent the library, but my parents bought me many, many fiction and nonfiction books, always about horses.

Often they were illustrated by Sam Savitt. This particular book was my favorite.

Until I got my first horse, Amy, when I was twelve, Sam Savitt's illustrations figuratively took me to the barn and other places,

allowing me to dream of someday owning a horse of my own. (Photos retrieved from Google Images.)

Recently while reading an article in Untacked written by Sam Savitt's son, Roger, I discovered that the Savitt family was selling off the artist's original artwork. I had to read that twice before it really sank in - I could own a real piece of Sam Savitt art! Not a print or a reproduction, but an original!

The magazine listed the web site (SamSavittArt.com) and I clicked over there as fast as I could. There was a large assortment and a range of prices. Honestly, I felt the prices were reasonable, especially when you consider who the artist was. I decided to splurge and get myself a piece to have for myself.

A flurry of emails between Roger Savitt and myself followed; the first picture that I wanted had just sold, but Roger found another piece, not yet listed for sale, that he offered to me for the same price. I liked it even better than the first and quickly popped a check into the mail.

A large envelope arrived Friday, but I could not bring myself to open it right away. I had to savor the fact that, sitting on my kitchen counter was some original Sam Savitt art.

I opened it Saturday. There were three layers of very stiff cardboard inside the envelope. And the picture was tucked into a protective plastic sleeve.

 It's a pencil drawing on 8x11 paper.

 I would have recognized it as having been done by Sam Savitt even without the signature!

 I cried as I looked at the horse - Savitt's illustrations were a huge part of my childhood!

I am still pinching myself, and I'm heading out to get it framed.

Thank you, Roger Savitt!

Christmas 2018: Wrapping Up

These are just a variety of photos from Christmas that I want to remember.

Boompa walked with Cambria and Titan to church on Sunday.

Pony Pal Julie in her spiffy unicorn tee shirt the day she went home.

Our last day together with everyone, we went to Steak and Shake for lunch.

 Sarah and Trinity kept the kid's table rockin'. 

I came over and had some fun, too.

Lunch!

I think everybody likes mac and cheese and french fries!

After lunch, we went to Get Air so that the kids (and adults) could work off some energy. Although I wasn't quite sure about the wisdom of jumping on full tummies...

I didn't jump; I stayed with Lukas

and played a fun game of

peek-a-boo!

Just because the kids got up early

doesn't mean that Jessica can't still snooze a bit!

Sarah, Trinity, and I went to The Golden Lion to get a new chain for Granny Slash's locket. We also saw a $32,000 Tanzanite ring.

Lisa took a snooze with Molly.

And later in the day, kept the little ones entertained.

We played lots of games, 

at one point with two tables going!

Such a fun holiday! Although my ears just might be still ringing... 

That's an Isenbarger Christmas for you!

Christmas 2018: Treasured Moments

Pony Pal Cambria wandered into my office on the day before she went home to Virginia.

"Wow, Grammy," she said in awe. "You sure have a lot of horses. Oooo, look! A green one! And prizes! Did you win all those?" Cambria spun slowly in a circle, taking in all the models and ribbons on display.

I offered to let her see some pieces.   She chose the "green horse with bells" and then selected one of the ribbons I had hanging above the windows.

 I had to laugh when she hung the ribbon on her shirt.

Cambria played with them while I worked at my computer. I'll admit that I was a little nervous, (she'd selected a $100 horse!) but I had played with my carpet herd (what collectors call the pieces they had as children and played with) and know that that is the beginning point for many collectors, so I decided to just let her have fun.

She was absolutely THRILLED when I handed her my treasured set of sleigh bells that Jennifer Buxton made me.

My real horse sleigh bells hang on my antique player piano, and the Pony Pals are allowed to play with them, especially when we scroll through the Jingle Bells roll, so despite the fact that they were miniaturized ones, she knew what they were!

Then she discovered my vintage unicorns. For all my distaste for unicorns, I do have a few because they are vintage, which is the focus of my collection.

Cambria fell in love with my oldest one. I thought for a few moments and then decided to just offer the piece to her to keep.

I added a foal blanket to it and she grabbed her unicorn headband, and this was one happy Pony Pal! Cambria promptly named it "Sarah" after her Aunt Sarah.

Hearing all the excitement upstairs, Titan came in to see what we were doing. 

I have some duplicate models that I let the Pony Pals play with when visiting me, and so to be fair, offered Titan one of those to keep as well. He chose the Semi-Rearing Mustang. Its name is now "Roses" because he likes roses.

They looked at all my shelves and were especially enamored of my "mermaid" horse (one that is done in blue and pink with white snowflakes on it and a pearly mane and tail), my "rainbow" horse (an Autism Benefit Horse painted with colorful autism puzzle piece symbols), and

(no surprise) my small collection of unicorns.

 They really liked my Hagen Renaker mini orange octopus, too. (So do I.)

 I wondered if the excitement of having their own models would soon wear off. But it didn't.

 Titan ate a snack with Roses by his side.

And Cambria kept Sarah with her the rest of the day.

She brought Sarah downstairs first thing the next morning when she was dressed and ready for breakfast.

Same thing with Titan - Roses, now named "Spirit," was in his hands along with a picture he had drawn.

As their parents packed the car for the long drive back to Virginia, my two little Pony Pals kept their new horses close by their sides wherever they went.

I'm so glad they like the models I gave them and hope that Cambria and Titan enjoy them for many years to come. Even more, I hope they treasure the memories that we made together with them.

Christmas 2018 - Gingerbread Houses

About five years ago, a tradition was begun for the day after Christmas. The ladies in the family who wanted to participate made gingerbread houses. (Why the day AFTER Christmas? The kits are on sale!)

Aren't they pretty?

The judges - impartial of course.

My "Anne of GREEN Gables" placed last. Not really a surprise, but I had fun making it!

"Christmas in Sarajevo" by Jessica came in sixth. When she'd opened her kit, the pieces were broken, so she went with what she had in a very creative way! JC placed this one first.

Sadly, the other judges did not see it the same way as JC.

This year's winner was Vanessa's house, with Lisa coming in second. (Lisa won last year.)

The ladies who made houses: Jessica, Vanessa, Sarah, me, Emily, Lisa, and Trinity. We are standing behind our own homes in the lineup.