Memoir Monday April 29, 1966

 A fairly quiet and ordinary day. Obviously no major catastrophes or blow ups. Yes, I am sure I was properly thankful. Two days earlier on my birthday I noted in my journal that no one spoke a harsh word to me all day. That was remarkable enough to be noted!

April 29, 1966 Friday

Got up and fed etc. as routine. Mom and I drove out. I hastily saddled Buzzie to do my leading. No mail for me so letters to Dusty and the Witts were mailed. I led Rico and Twink on the River Road and met Joan Graf by the bridge. She won first in trail horse at Camp Verde and her Louie had a colic on April 6. Isn’t that weird? I rushed and rushed but Mom drove me to my dental appointment. It was a misery but I’ve got a new filling in now. I put $4.00 in the bank and my $20 has earned 20 cents interest for me. So I have $24.20 now. Did the evening chores as routinely. Spent the evening sewing. I have an empire muu-muu, a pair of snug blue shorts, a blue and white angel top and a lavender and floral apron for my efforts. Took down Chief’s final feed about 10:30 and tumbled wearily into bed.

Really 23 now and trying to move ahead and find some hope and plan for a future that was not like the present. Actually I had four more months on my "sentence" but only the slightest inkling that a major change was soon going to find me. There were some hard trails ahead but each stride got me a step closer to the magic moment early in September. 

Let's see--Joan Graf was the chief ranger at Tuzigoot National Monument who had arrived a few weeks earlier. She was also a horse lover and we got acquainted, mostly by happenstance since I rode nearby and sometimes cut through the monument on the road we used to access the pasture.. Of course I was almost ordered to use that friendship for profit in some way--sell a horse to her (whether she needed or wanted another or not!) or prevail on her to book a breeding by one of our two stallions.  I did not accomplish either so naturally was berated and condemned for my ineptness, laziness and all else that made me so inferior. If I were not worthless, I would have gotten that job done...She had a Quarter Horse gelding named Louie and I think a mare. 

Rico was Tina's older son and now near two years old. I should have been getting ready to train him but that was just not going to happen. I do not think it would have been any harder than say Patrick and Ginger, but I probably would have had to get permission (since he was not officially mine anymore) and I balked at that but did not quite dare to just do it. The old rock-and-hard-place I found myself in so often. Twink (Twinkles) was Patrick's full sister, a year younger. so not yet ready to begin riding. Then there was Dingbat, Peppy's colt, who had come to us as a few months old with the two mares Peppy and Bunny. He was close to two also. 

It may have been a small act of defiance but I spent the evening sewing instead of on any of the favored and supposedly 'worthy' tasks.  I had not quite come to really saying "Eff off" to the Boss but was moving in that direction. I do not specifically recall those garments. An "angel top" was an invention of mine taken  off the same basic pattern as the muu-muu or "voluminous" I made for patio dresses, lounge wear etc.  There was a round yoke (pop over your head)  to which the main part was gathered so it flowed freely. Sleeves were of various styles from puffed to ruffled or fairly straight.  The dress style was knee length or a bit below and the tops were just past the waist. Some of the dresses were gathered under the bosom, or high-waisted and then flowed free below that. 

As I think I mentioned last time, we were giving some of the horses who had been sick a small, extra, late feeding, sometimes grain, mash or a little flake of hay. I would do that, sometimes with Charlie Mike's help, just before bedtime.

Photos? Nothing new but here are a few. First is Bravo, probably that spring. He had almost the same blaze Tina did and the same foot white. A real mini-me of his dam.  Next is "Dingbat" about the same time and age--short two year old. Then Charlie Mike with Twink. Last the old original muu-muu. The sleeves had been replaced from the original where they were the same fabric. For some reason, I still have it. It is somewhat sentimental.  Kind of hard to see the construction from the photo but it is very easy.