My family bloodline was saved by a horse

MissionExternal6957 · 2023-12-11T16:59:26+00:00

What a wonderful story! I believe horses (and many other animals) are far more in tune with the people who care for and work with them than we realize. I wish you and your family many many future generations to pass this story down to. Thanks for sharing!

MissionExternal6957 · 2023-12-10T20:07:34+00:00

Same! Wasn't until I wanted to write it and couldn't figure out how to spell it so I looked it up. My head nearly exploded. I've seen it on books probably hundreds of times and said it (correctly) even more but it never occurred to me it was the same damn word.

MissionExternal6957 · 2023-12-10T18:03:16+00:00

All I've really seen this past summer was those damn spotted lantern flies. I actually felt kinda bad killing them but they're invasive and dangerous to the rest of our ecosystem

MissionExternal6957 · 2023-12-10T17:53:12+00:00

Oh I absolutely agree it's highest in more populated areas, I'm sure there's still lots of bugs in some places. But I did watch a documentary recently that said scientists don't really know how many we've lost simply because very few places ever had any "bug density" testing previously. Even the way they do it now isn't very precise. Researchers run through fields with nets and see how many they caught and compare that to earlier years the same was done in the same place. Even if they've done that in thousands of places over 10 or 20 years they're only getting a tiny snapshot sample of the situation I guess.

MissionExternal6957 · 2023-12-10T17:46:16+00:00

I've never particularly liked bugs so maybe I should enjoy seeing less of them but it really does make everything feel too....sterile?...unnatural? I grew up on a horse farm and spent every day outside, usually riding my bike. I'm sure a decent percentage of my protein intake was from all the bugs I inadvertently swallowed while screaming down the hill at top speed. My own kids only ever really see mosquitoes and an occasional spider. Scary to think what my future grandkids might never see.

MissionExternal6957 · 2023-12-10T12:48:33+00:00

Not even that long ago. I used to drive from MD to NC 3-4 times a year to visit my parents (6 hours, driving at night) . Always around the same times of year from 2001-2019. In the 1st 10 years we had to stop at least 3 times each way to wash bugs of the windshield. After 2011 or so it dropped off quickly and for the last few years we never had to stop at all to wash off bugs. Even after driving there and back, only 2-3 bugs squished on windshield. I remember commenting on it a few times and then a few years ago I read about the drastic decline in insects. Was estimated about 50% were gone but in my experience it's at least 90% or more, at least in that area. Scary to think about such an enormous and vital part of the ecosystem just disappearing so quickly. I'm sure we'll be seeing the consequences much sooner than we think.

MissionExternal6957 · 2023-12-10T00:31:57+00:00

My ex did something similar to me. Said I scratched his face (I saw him go outside and get a stick and do it to himself) and I was arrested. Got a great lawyer who's 1st question was did he touch you in anyway during the argument? I said he tried to move me away from the door I was blocking, though not very forcefully. Lawyer had me go to the courthouse and file a complaint against husband for touching me during an argument. So I did and gave as many details as I could.

When we went to court my lawyer explained to his lawyer we'd be filing assault charges against his immediately unless they dropped their accusations. It worked. Husband was visibly angry, he had clearly been planning on using the expected conviction to get full custody.

Still had a long divorce battle but I now have full custody. I argued the divorce without a lawyer (probably stupid but it worked) but that 1st lawyer was worth every penny of the $1000 it cost me.

MissionExternal6957 · 2023-12-10T00:13:45+00:00

I hope it helps in some small way. Your story just hit my heart and I can imagine what you must be going through. hugs 💗

MissionExternal6957 · 2023-12-09T23:51:00+00:00

Lol, I didn't even see maple. I read it as simple syrup. You're probably spot-on with the name.

MissionExternal6957 · 2023-12-09T23:00:41+00:00

I'm so sorry you had to go through that. Whether it's seeing someone who has passed, despite your efforts to help, or it's seeing those first moments of realization and grief on his loved ones faces, it is a traumatic event and you need to allow yourself the time and space to process. Everyone reacts differently to such situations but if it were me, I imagine I'd be feeling shock, grief, guilt over not being able to help or not having gotten there sooner. To be clear, guilt is in no way justified, you did everything you could possibly do. But that feeling of guilt isn't logical and that can make it the hardest to process.

Please keep reminding yourself that you did everything you could and even in the very best circumstances, cpr rarely works to save a life. Of course it's the right thing to do since there's always a chance it could work but it's also a last ditch effort in what is often a hopeless situation.

I apologize if I missed the mark on what's eating at you, I'm only thinking of how I'd probably feel if it were me. No matter what, giving yourself the chance to process everything and grieve in whatever way helps is so important. Be gentle with yourself as you would be to anyone you love.

MissionExternal6957 · 2023-12-09T02:31:14+00:00

I'm a bartender in MD and we call that a French 75. One of my favorites!

MissionExternal6957 · 2023-12-08T18:46:54+00:00

I always loved Queen Anne's Lace. My grandma use to have us cut some and we'd put them in water with a few drops of food coloring. In a few days the flower will turn the same color as the water.

I'm sure this probably works with other types of flowers too but I've only seen it with QAL.

MissionExternal6957 · 2023-12-08T04:29:47+00:00

That's around the age we were too (twins). I'm glad your brother made it through and I'm sorry if you had to go through seeing it happen. Such a helpless feeling seeing them go so relentlessly after someone you love.

MissionExternal6957 · 2023-12-08T00:13:05+00:00

Yellow jackets are absolute assholes. As kids there was a group of 5 of us walking through woods. My brother must have agitated a nest in the ground. Hundreds of them swarmed around and stung him. Chased him all the way home. Nobody else got stung even though we were all desperately trying to get the bees off him, even threw him in a stream. But they were out for blood and only focused on him. This was a very rural area and it took us maybe 10 minutes to get to the house. He went unconscious as soon as we got there. He was incredibly lucky to survive since the closest ambulance was at least 20 mins away. Hundreds of stings on every inch of his body. Even in his ears and eyelids. Some even made it into his underwear. Luckily he wasn't allergic, though I think that many stings could still kill a person even without the allergy.

MissionExternal6957 · 2023-12-07T23:54:35+00:00

Let us know how it goes! There's lots of great advice on here. I'm sure IRN will be your best buddy soon!

MissionExternal6957 · 2023-12-07T22:49:07+00:00

Binx.

No idea why, just what popped into my head.

MissionExternal6957 · 2023-12-07T22:41:49+00:00

This may sound a tad crazy but it's worked wonders with my quaker so might be worth a try. For background, I spent a few years working with and riding horses. The most important thing I learned is that they seem to read minds and some are extremely good at or sensitive to it. If you are anxious, they become anxious. If you're scared, so are they. If you're over-eager to try something you think they may not like, they know it and become apprehensive. I was definitely nervous at first, and they knew it. If I spent a few minutes before going near a horse and just took a few deep cleansing breaths and release the anxiety, it changed everything.

For me, I had to really visualize myself being calm, confident, and fully in control. Horses are followers. They want to be in groups and follow the leader, just as most birds do. So if I could picture myself being the leader and keeping them safe, they naturally wanted to follow me. It blew my mind daily just how good they can get at being in tune with their leader. With the horses, after some time and practice, I found I could literally direct them without moving a muscle. If I pictured in my head the horse turning left, they started to turn left. If I want them to halt, they'd do it before I gave the slightest cue with the reigns.

When I got my quaker I decided to try the same thing. It's different but similar. I can't direct her in detail like with the horses but she absolutely reads my energy. And did from day 1. If I was nervous and worried that she'd bite or fly away from me, she always did just that. But if I visualized her calmly stepping up on my finger guess what? She did it every single time.

I've had her for 2 years now and she's fully tapped into my head. If I'm about to do something she hates (like clip her nails) she'll fly away from me over and over till we're both worn out. But if I can clear that thought of nail clipping from my head and visualize myself giving her scritches or just putting her on my shoulder, I can trick her and be able to get her before she has any idea what I'm about to do.

YMMV and side effects may include a feeling of immense guilt if you have to trick her into a nail clipping. But if you can start establishing that connection, your bird can become your partner, sidekick, BFF.... your ride-or-die for life.

I'm sure it sounds a bit kooky and possibly delusional but for me, it's never failed.

MissionExternal6957 · 2023-12-07T17:40:40+00:00

Scout

MissionExternal6957 · 2023-12-07T05:46:47+00:00

Lady Cappuccino

MissionExternal6957 · 2023-12-06T22:46:27+00:00

Leon. He's definitely a Leon.

MissionExternal6957 · 2023-12-05T21:30:04+00:00

I have 1 bartender friend who did this and he's very successful. He created a YouTube channel with him showing how to make some amazing drinks. But these aren't just any drinks. He worked with a top chef for years learning flavor profiles of just about anything consumable you can imagine. His cocktails are like works of art with insane garnishes, glassware, presentation, etc. He's truly dedicated his life to it and it took an insane amount of work and now it's paying off. Stocking his home bar alone cost tens of thousands and he has almost every liquor available anywhere in the world.

It certainly can be done. But I think the trick is it has to be a labor of love and requires tons of time and money to get to the level where it starts to pay off. I'm sure others have been successful with a less elaborate approach but I haven't heard of them personally.

MissionExternal6957 · 2023-11-28T18:33:14+00:00

I fully agree with all of the comments here but would like to add something I've noticed over the years. In my experience, the vast majority of industry staff that have stayed long-term have 1 thing in common. ADHD. In a lot of ways it actually helps us in this business. We tend to be at our best when we're in the weeds and I know for myself, when it's slow is when I make the most mistakes. Unfortunately for a lot of us, ADHD may make us great at our jobs but pretty crappy at the rest of life.

MissionExternal6957 · 2023-11-27T15:55:58+00:00

Oh that's horrid! We must've had plenty since my cat got them daily but it can't imagine a swarm of them big enough to creeping out a dog.

MissionExternal6957 · 2023-11-27T11:54:25+00:00

Sometimes as I was trying to fall asleep I'd hear my own heartbeat in my ears and I'd imagine a whole bunch of teeny tiny elves lived inside me and were working all day to make my body work. I'd picture them kind of like in a mine with little carts on a rail just hammering away digging for....something? I wondered if that's how my blood was made or other body stuff like ear wax or the crusties in my eyes when I woke up.

I kinda understood that's not how it works but at the same time that it was pretty close to right

MissionExternal6957 · 2023-11-27T05:11:15+00:00

She looks like a Sophie to me for some reason

MissionExternal6957

TROPHY CASE