Abby Passes Away

With a broken heart, I want to let you know that my sweet Abby was killed this morning by a lightning strike. Sadly, Two Socks was with her and also died. Sultanna is away being bred, but Hokey was present when it happened. He shows no physical injuries but he is very shaken and spooked and does not want to leave the old barn. 

I am devastated at Abby's passing as is Tim at the loss of sweet and oh, so young Two Socks.

I will write more when I am able to. 

Lynn

Breyer Continues the Wild Ride

Breyer continued its wild ride for collectors yesterday. Three things, THREE, were announced. And one of those confirmed a gut feeling I'd had when I constructed my guess list of models who were candidates for the Mystery Horse Surprise. More on that in a minute.

First, the BreyerFest program was released. 

Forty two pages of information about the weekend's activities, guests, and more.

I was a little disappointed that only one page was devoted to virtual BreyerFest. But, it makes a sense in a way because the program contains maps, calendars of daily events, and things that those who are at Kentucky Horse Park would need to know.

Next, Breyer showed us more of the auction horses.

Notice I did not say the last of the auction horses. In the latest BreyerFest news section, Breyer says they are revealing more of them and to look for the last reveal next week. A look at the web address of the BreyerFest program shows that none of the auction horse pages are included in it.

The first auction model that was posted confirmed a suspicion that I'd had when I drew up my list of Mystery Surprise Horses earlier this week. I'd written, 

At this point, I crossed off both the heavy mares but kept Wixom in mind as a slight possibility despite not being a Moody mold. Wixom just "felt right."

And look who was the first lot in this batch of auction horses.

Wixom. A mold that was last seen as Puffin in the 2021 Birds of a Feather series is an auction horse. 

Did Breyer have some leftover Wixom blanks from that and use one of them for this year's auction horse? Or were they running her mold because she will soon appear again in Breyer's regular run lineup? Or maybe even in two short weeks as the Mystery Surprise Horse?

Time will tell. And I will post my guesses tomorrow. (I hope. But if more announcements come from Breyer today, then I'll postpone it again.)

None of these lots appeal to me although I do think that the color on Croi is exceptional. 

But Breyer wasn't done posting things for collectors. The June Collectors Club Newsletter dropped late in the afternoon.

June Collectors Club Newsletter

There's a link to a video from 1996 of Karma Gypsy and her filly, Morning Star at BreyerFest. Hobbyists are also interviewed in it and I was delighted to see Sande Schneider and her husband Tom.

Sande and I have been friends since the late 1980s and she's been to my home many times (in both Illinois and Indiana.) She has an incredible collection of horses.

Like I said, Friday was a busy day in Breyer land. I doubt we will hear any news today, so my plan is to post my two Mystery Horse guess lists Sunday and Monday.

Stay 'tooned!

The News Keeps Coming!

I  spent many hours the past two days researching and writing today's blog post about my guess for this year's BreyerFest Mystery Horse Surprise. It's ready to go and was scheduled to post this morning. 

And then two big news items from Breyer dropped yesterday and took precedence.

First, Vintage Club Kirk is available!

He is on the Geronimo mold (one of my favorite new molds) in a vintage glossy splatter dapple grey and he's a nightlight. Even better, the plug in his belly can be removed if you want to use him in your show string for a halter horse or some other reason.

Vintage Club collectors have two weeks to order Kirk, but I did not wait - he's already ordered. But ordering was problematic.  

I was asked to verify that I was not a robot and to click all the buses in the tile square. But there were no buses. Not a one. There were a lot of RVs, three in fact, so I thought that might be what I was being asked to click and so I did. 

I got a message to click ALL the buses, and the tile photos changed. Still no buses.

I clicked the refresh button and two school buses popped up. I clicked those and yet again got the "click ALL the buses" message. This led to several refreshes, clicking more random school buses, and being told I needed to click on them all despite the fact that I just had.

Finally I decided to start over and went to click the log-in button again. But when I did, my account popped up instead of the log-in page. Somehow, I had been logged in while the tile square had remained present and still asking for image clicks. 

This is the first time I have ordered anything directly from Breyer since the new web site went live. Is there a glitch in the log-in process now? Or maybe the first time an account is logged into?  Time will tell.

And second...

Emails went out to those who are attending BreyerFest in person and since I have an All-Access ticket, I got one of those emails.

In that email, we were told which two models we had been selected for and could pick up at BreyerFest. I got my top two choices!

 Better than Revenge

Can't Hold Us Down.

I'm really happy about that! The Mystery Horse Surprise is my third pick and then, aside from the Quagga, I am not interested in the others. In other offerings, I do hope to get Fortitude (this year's crystal) and, if I like the mold, the Mystery Horse Surprise.

But after all the research I have been doing on this year's Mystery Surprise, I think I might be okay with not getting one, especially if the model is a Moody mold as rumored. And I like Moody Molds. It's just that it doesn't look as though the Moody molds I'd like to add to my collection are in the running for the Mystery Horse Surprise.

If the rumors are incorrect and it is not a Moody sculpt, then I may need to look on the secondary market for one. Usually the Mystery Horse models are not hard to find although the price point for those may count me out.

Tomorrow I will share that post about my guess for the Mystery Model. It was a lot of work to research it all, but I hope you find it worth the read.

Stay 'tooned!

 

Throwback: My Art, the Blue Horse, & Octopus

Here's the story about a piece of artwork from my college days and an example of how I used Art to teach Science and Science to teach Art in my classroom. 

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An art class while working on my Masters degree changed me in an unexpected way.

At the time I was going to school full time with six kids all still at home. While Craig and I shared the parenting/home responsibilities, it was probably the busiest time in my life. I knew how to multitask, how to streamline, and how to get things done quickly and efficiently.

The art class was the polar opposite of that. Twice a week we had two hours to create. I found it difficult to not go-go-go through my projects - and as a result, I always finished early and there was no joy in the journey. But as the class progressed, I began to understand the value in slowing down and taking my time.

And then something magical happened - I created a piece of art. And I had to slow down to do so.

We'd been given a piece of clay and told to create whatever we wanted and then given two hours to work. The professor fired our projects and then the next couple of classes were spent painting and glazing. 

The rationale behind that college class for teachers was that incorporating art into lessons is a wonderful way to educate kiddos. I loved that experience and vowed to incorporate art as much as I could into my teaching.

Fast forward two years and into my classroom. It was there that I found that teaching science through art engaged my students and enriched and broadened their learning.

One way I did that was through Gyotaku, a Japanese art form that originated as a way to study fish after they died. When my students studied oceans and marine biology, I'd go to one of the Asian fish markets near Purdue and buy frozen whole octopus.

We would lay them out on paper and ink their bodies, carefully place rice paper over them, and then lift up that paper and set it aside to dry.

We would also carve our own chop marks and add that to the octopus print. 

I'd rinse all the octopus off in my classroom sink and put them into the refrigerator for the next day's science lesson - dissecting those octopus! 

Believe it or not, even though a few kids were hesitant or even squeamish at first, I never had a kid not jump into the activity. I didn't force those who were unsure about dissection - I told them that they could just watch - and every time, those who hung back eventually could not resist the lure of seeing what was inside an octopus. (Try nine brains and three hearts for starters!)

I also learned (the hard way) to NEVER EVER EVER let the body parts go down the sink during post-dissection clean up. The year I learned that lesson, my classroom smelled like octopus for days and we had the windows open even though it was cold outside!

I no longer have my blue pottery horse. When my dear friend and penpal Sue Seese's husband died of a brain tumor, I sent it to her as a gift. But the lesson I learned when making that horse - to slow down, to enjoy the process of creating - is still with me.

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There was another piece that I created in that college class that I was especially proud of. I gave it to my mother. She displayed it in her home until she passed away and then I inherited it back. I hope to share pics of that soon but I need to pull it out of storage and take some photos first.

I'm also working on my guess for the BreyerFest Mystery Surprise Horse and will share that soon, too.

Stay 'tooned!

 

Auction & TSC Models Announced

Yesterday Breyer did a second drop of models that will be available for the auction. Here are some screenshots of them from Breyer's announcement.

A vintage mold! And while I am not much of a fan of pintos or paints, I do like this piece a lot.

I'm a vintage collector but there are new molds I like, too, and Dundee is one of them. I don't care for brindles, though. Were this a regular run piece, I'd probably buy him. (Just as I am going to buy this year's BreyerFest special run Can't Hold Us Down. Her brindle markings are softer and look much more realistic to me.)

The shading is gorgeous on this one.

What a beautifully done Sham! As time has gone on, I have really become a fan of Breyer's palominos.

Not only were more auction models announced, but the 2024 Tractor Supply models were, too. I'm not sure if Breyer formally announced them or if someone just discovered them on TSC's web site and then posted pictures on social media, but here they are! (All screenshots are from the Tractor Supply web site.)

The Lonesome Glory mold has grown on me ever since I got the web special Sassy in 2020. "Sassy" was Abby's name at Indiana Horse Rescue, plus the model was an Appaloosa, so I "needed" her. (Ahem!)

The Clydesdale Stallion in navy and gold plus a new model on the Adios mold are both high on my want list! Unfortunately the Tractor Supply here in Lafayette does not get all the TSC web specials. And if they do some of them, it's the Freedom and Stablemates, unicorns of all scales, and Mane Madness, not the Traditionals.

When I have tried to order them online from TSC in the past, it always defaults first to shipping to the store in Lafayette and then switches to "not available." I missed out on Joleene due to that and a couple others that I wanted as a result.

Tomorrow we will look some more at artwork from the past and how I was able to incorporate art into my teaching. In fact, I got my Masters degree in doing that.

Stay 'tooned!

 

Throwback: Doodling on Schoolwork

Yesterday I had a very sudden thought as to who the Mystery Surprise piece might be. I have started a list (two, actually, because this idea can go several ways) and I will post the lists when I'm done thinking about who the model might be.

In the meantime, here is another throwback post on my own attempts at drawing when I was a child. More goodies that came from those boxes of elementary schoolwork that my mother had saved!

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I seem to remember a few things from my childhood differently from the way they really were. For example, I was taught to not doodle on schoolwork in elementary school, and I passed that directive on to my own students.

Apparently I was never actually taught that and my memory is off, or perhaps it was that I did not listen to my own teachers very well!

 In going through the boxes of old school work that my mother had saved for me,

I discovered that I drew horses (what else?) all over my school work! (I read and wrote about them, too.)

 

From Math assignments

and scratch paper

and even Science, it is clear that my mind was frequently not on what was going on at school, but dreaming about horses instead.

I even used the old trick of eraser art - removing the color on the cover of a book with an eraser. Can you see how I have turned that square into a stall with a horse looking out over the barn door with an X on it? Look closely and you can see an ink drawing of a horse on this cover, too.)

Year after year of school, my papers are covered in horses (and once in a while, a mermaid. Go figure.)

My artwork has not improved much in the intervening years, but I do still occasionally doodle horses on papers. And, when I was grading the work of my students who were horsey like me, I'd often draw them a little smiling pony next to their grade.

My mother always told me that she could document my love of horses back to when I was two. I wish she were still living - I'd love to explore that more with her now.

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More art coming tomorrow - and hopefully some BreyerFest news, too!

 

Throwback: Tracing that Horsey Love though the Past

Now that the BreyerFest Best Customs Contest entries have begun appearing on social media, artwork has been on my mind. My mother was an accomplished illustrator, but that particular gene skipped me. But that's okay - I can still appreciate others' work and skill.

Having said that, I still doodle occasionally, and when I was teaching, the horsey kids in my classroom often got a cartoon horse on their papers alongside their grade.

I thought it might be fun for the next day or two to share some horsey artwork, be it doodles by me or artwork by others. Here's a throwback post to 2019 when I was going through old school papers my mother had saved and discovered these.

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I have loved horses for as far back as I can remember. My mother used to tell me that when I was two, I would stand up in the car while we were driving (those were pre-car seat days), and watch for horses as we drove along.  But WHY I am so attracted to them remains a mystery to me. I simply have a deep, abiding love for horses.

I have been going through some boxes of old schoolwork that my mother saved and it has been an eye opener. You can see that love of horses in almost every assignment that required drawing. Here are a few samples of what I mean.

2nd Grade, November 10, 1964. (How about those birds in the sky, hm?? The big one must be an eagle.)

2nd grade, 1965. A horse in one paddock and a pig in the next. (At least, I think it's a pig, judging by the curly tail I drew!)

 

2nd grade, 1965. I think the brown horse is supposed to be lying down.

Date unknown, but I am guessing 3rd Grade, 1966.

4th Grade, 1967. You can see a sudden shift in realism. I think this is because a new horsey girl, Bobbie Sue,  moved into my school. Her mom was an artist, so Bobbie Sue had had some art training. I learned and improved from looking at how she drew horses. (However, I was still drawing red barns which had doors with Xs on them - in fact, I still do that!)

 Undated, but I think this is 5th grade, 1968. My drawing was continuing to improve.

Undated, but I think 6th grade, 1968. Notice how I slipped a horse into this assignment! It was supposed to be a calendar wheel of seasons and weather in Mediterranean countries.

My all time favorite has to be this picture from 2nd grade, December, 1965. Can you see what makes me smile when I look at it?

I'm holding a model horse!

Santa brought me my first model horse, a Made in Japan china saddle pony in December, 1963. (I don't think he missed a year after that.) I believe that this picture was drawn the following Christmas because the model horse I am holding is the same color, is in the same position, and has tack on it just like that first piece, Brownie.

Brownie made an appearance in Nancy Kelly's recent book, Exploring the Model Horse Hobby. (Photo of page from book used with permission.)

My drawing skills are not much better than these even now, decades later. Still, it was interesting to be able to step back in time and see how I expressed my love of horses way back in early elementary school. 

I have some more boxes to go through; I hope there is a box of kindergarten papers. I'd love to see what the horses that I drew looked like way back then!

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Tomorrow we will look at some more Lynn-doodles, this time in places they really were not supposed to be.

Stay 'tooned!

BreyerFest, the Funeral, and More

Tick! Tick! Tick! BreyerFest is getting closer and closer! Here are some updates for you along with some speculation and hopes from me.

More BreyerFest News.

I did not think that Breyer would post new information about BreyerFest on a Saturday, and I was right. I did see a blurb somewhere about the guest horses, but that wasn't really news; it was more revisiting or a reminder about who the guest horses are and their personal back stories.

However, Breyer had posted their list of virtual vendors for BreyerFest 2024. I went in and poked around the various sites and saw some fun things. Despite BreyerFest being three weeks off, the links to the sites were open and I was able to check out every site I clicked on. Go take a look!

Lynn's (Very) Wild Hopes

Speculation continues about who the Mystery Surprise model will be. Indications have been that it will be a mare.  My hopes are (notice I said "hopes"):

1. In Between Mare (now there's a wild hope for you!)

2. Lippizaner Mare 

3. Grazing Mare (another one that will not happen)

4. Standing Quarter Horse Mare

5. Andalusian Mare

6. Susecion

7. PAM (this would cause a lot of excitement among hobbyists)

8. Marabella

9. Shagya Arabian

10. Weather Girl

Quite a list, hm? And realistically, most can be ruled out. But a girl can still hope and dream!

Triple Booking the Date

When you have a big family, you simply cannot accommodate everyone's plans for other things. Such is the case with this:

Catch that date? Yep, BreyerFest Saturday. (Music City Cole's birthday, too!) But it will be okay - I am doing virtual BreyerFest plus the shower is being live streamed so I can stay home. Always, always, always, family things take precedence over my hobbies. In this case, I can do both the shower, the birthday, and BreyerFest. JC (our grandson) and Jayci's wedding is also getting closer - August 2!

Uncle Ned's Funeral

If there's one thing good that came out of the pandemic, it's that so many events are now live-streamed. I am so grateful that I can participate in events (Ned's funeral, Jayci's bridal shower, BreyerFest, and more) without the expense and time of leaving home.

The funeral yesterday was lovely and I took a couple of screenshots.

Sissy (my aunt) leaving the service escorted by my cousin Robert. Family is following. Lisa is in the cranberry dress on the back right and is just preparing to step out and join the family.

Lis joining the family processional.

She would next  be heading out to the cemetery with the rest of the family.

My cousin Robert gave the eulogy. The gentleman next to him is interpreting the eulogy in sign language. My cousin Shannon is deaf, and so the entire family signs. 

Sissy and Ned used to have trouble with that in church. Instead of asking their kids to not talk during the service, they had to issue a broader directive - no communicating in church. My cousins would sit there and sign to each other, making no noise to disturb the service, instead of listening!

Second Women's Cap Finished

I finished the second women's cap yesterday afternoon. Like the first one, it has sewing clips holding the seams flat - you just cannot iron them as there is too much gathering.

I have Mila's girl cap to make next and that's on Monday's agenda. 

It's still hot here in Indiana but it's not expected to be as hot as it has been. I am hoping to get outdoors a bit today. Lisa is flying home and I will go drop the dogs off at her home, then head over to church. Curt and Vanessa have asked us all over for dinner, so we will all meet up there around 5:00.

A busy day, but a good one. Hope yours is, too.