Nicole's

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Ode to my cowboy boots

Thank you for the years of shining service. For two whole years you took me through rodeos, parades, pageants and trails. Always supportive, always around. You might have required a spit shine or two, but you hung in there. Now you are retired to the status of work boot and riding boot. You sag in a few places. You’re a bit worn in others. But the wrinkles and wear are a testament to the history you’ve endured. It has not been an easy road. No more shall I try to patch you up with white paint and expect you to mingle with the younger, fresher pups. You can relax now...

My Greatest Fear (and how it won’t leave me alone)

In continuing with sharing a little more about myself in each blog, I hereby share my greatest, irrational fear with you all. It is not failure. It is not heights. It is not public speaking. It is snakes. I’m scared-to- death, completely, ridiculously scared of snakes. I remember each and every time I have seen a snake since I was ten or eleven. I remember each location I saw them and how loud I screamed. So when I saw three (yes, three) snakes on my bicycle ride home last night, I began to rethink my method of transportation. There has been teasing from the family, talk of ways to break my fear, utter panic whenever I go to a zoo or park. Honestly,...

Reinvention and Originality

“We may only have a smidgen of God’s creativity, but what are you doing with that smidgen?” – Clint Kelly at the OCW One-Day Conference, Saturday, October 15th, 2011. Clint Kelly (who has to be one of the most entertaining speakers I’ve seen to date) spoke several simple messages throughout his keynote and two workshops on Saturday. Create – do what God has called you to do and be creative. I’m now realizing the true difference between those who simply create without attempting to be original, and those truly out-of-the-box creative ones. So where do I fit in? Have I continually pushed myself to be original and provide a unique...

An interview with…myself (part 2!)

Last week, I started a four-part interview series with the most interesting subject I’ve ever hosted on this blog. Myself. (Kidding, kidding.) This week, the questions get a little deeper, and sometimes I wonder what this crazy interviewer was thinking. 🙂 11. When did you get your first doll? Doll? More like horse…I collected a lot of horses (both the small, toy versions and the larger, more expensive kind) over the years. 12. When did you learn there was no Santa Claus? One Christmas I caught my parents shuffling around downstairs and I got out of bed to investigate. By then, I had already put the pieces together. I don’t even remember...

Family Resemblance: like grandsire, like grandson…

In researching the history of Polish Arabians for my current manuscript, I dug into the lineage of my own baby. See what I found! (and realize there’s a difference between my photography and the professional shots…) Do you see the family resemblance? Here is my Grunnion, again: His grandsire, Gdansk: Now, the head shots: And Gdansk: All Gdansk images from http://www.gilbriar.com/gdansk.htm.