Beautiful Blog Award

I was recently bestowed this little award from my good friend Tammy over at HorseTrailRiders. She always has great and inspiring posts about trail riding in Nebraska and her family life with horses and cows. I always look forward to seeing her Lucky Shots photographs because she is actually very skilled with the camera- not just lucky!

I was fortunate to meet her last year in person when she invited me to ride along with her on her Friday before Mother's Day Trail Ride from Valparaiso to Loma and back. It was so exciting to ride over real bridges out on the trails. It was such a wonderful experience for my daughter and I. (Thanks Tammy!) I even enjoyed the loooong two days drive there and back because I got to spend quality time with my mother and my daughter. What more could anyone ask for on a perfect Mother's Day?

Anyway, back to the award.

One of the conditions of the award is to provide several unknown facts about me:

1- I feel like I've graduated from two high schools. I moved in the last term of my Senior year and because I was 1/4 credit short in English, I couldn't get my diploma unless I enrolled in another school and earned it. When I went to enroll in the new school, they said that I couldn't get my diploma with them because I needed to attend at least a semester of school there. Fine, I would get my diploma from my old school. When it came time for graduation, the new school sent me my diploma. And I get all the reunion notices from my old school. Crazy, huh?

2- Which brings me to point #2. I've never graduated. Well, I've never walked down the aisle and received a diploma. Because of the mix-up with my high schools, I never bothered. Then, a few years later I graduated from Vocational School with an Accounting Certificate and never went to graduation. Last summer, I received my Associate's Degree in PreManagement, and still, never went to graduation.

3- I gained a half inch in height several years ago when I was in my forties! Always, I was five feet, four and a half inches. Now, I am officially five feet, five inches. Go figure! I attribute it to the fact that I like to lay on my back at least part of the night when I sleep and I never use a pillow when I lay on my back.

4- I was always very shy as a child and through high school. Then, in my early twenties, I decided that I was wasting precious time not being/doing what I wanted so I decided to quit worrying about what others think of me. I live for me, not to please others. Given opportunities for things, I always try to accept, to experience all that I can in life. I want to live my dash.

5- I don't consider myself a selfish person. I always try to think of what other people are feeling and usually put others before me. In my later years, I have learned to listen well.

6- I lost my husband to cancer three years ago. We would have celebrated our 29th anniversary last week. I miss him terribly and feel cheated from life whenever I see old couples together. My husband died at fifty and my dad died at fifty-four. Often, I think of my Mom and wonder how she has managed all these years by herself. My greatest fear nowadays is losing her. She's eighty-two.

7- I want to travel to Europe and Africa and Australia. If I were to win a lottery, I would buy a round the world cruise with my sister.

I feel like this award has been around several times and I tend to break rules so I want to name just a few of my favorite blogs. If I didn't name you, please don't take it personally, I'm just picking the first five that come to mind:

Brown Eyed Cowgirls She loves barrel racing and has a whole herd of beautiful horses!

Fern Valley Appaloosas Breeders of the beautiful Appaloosa horse and cattle, Sherry, I always want to call her Fern, writes a beautiful blog about her never ordinary life in Canada.

Ride a Good Horse Puppies and foals and Beamer, oh my! You gotta check her blog out.

Malfunction Junction More than enough adventures to satisfy the adventurous reader, Paige always has something worth reading

HorseCentric I had the pleasure of meeting Winter this winter. She writes a good blog about the trials and tribulations of horse ownership.

There are many other blogs I read regularly that are just as deserving. Just visit my blog list on the sidebar.