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I know people who love it but have never watched even one episode of the series ‘Yellowstone.’ So when I came across a recent article on the web I was curious. It talked about an episode where a horse is buried alongside a person ‘in accordance with Indigenous tradition.’

When I was little I often rooted for the Indians over the Cowboys/Calvary because they had better horses. I’m by no means very learned in Indigenous American traditions but I was surprised that I hadn’t heard of this custom at some point. Maybe I blocked it out because it involved killing horses!

Burying horses alongside human remains was a common practice among many Indigenous American nations well into the early 1900’s. Much like the ancient Egyptians, as part of revering the dead and providing for them in the afterlife, the Ute buried the deceased’s possessions with them. Often this included favorite horses who were sometimes killed on-the-spot as sacrifices for the deceased. Horses were vital in everyday life for Ute society allowing them to form large hunting parties, obtain big game from distant places and become an economic force in the area, dominating many other tribes. No wonder they valued their horses so highly and wanted to provide horses for their dead in the afterlife.

Photo: Indian istockphoto-517581785-

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Christmas nears, and for some Christmas Time conjures visions of Sugar-Plums or…but wait, what IS a Sugar Plum? I’d always pictured Sugar Plums as cute little girls in pastel color tutus dancing to the Nutcracker Suite. But no – SpecialityProduce.com says the Sugar plum is large oblong-shaped, purplish-blue skinned fruit with a confectionary sweet flavor. Well, I doubt many people are dreaming of pieces of dancing fruit in anticipation of Christmas Day.
Sugar Plums are also defined as sweethearts or lovers, but I don’t think that’s what Moore had in mind when he wrote The Night Before Christmas.
So back to the food theme. The site inliterature.net states “The Victorian sugarplum is essentially a preserved pitted plum rolled in sugar and baked at low temperatures for days until the plum is dried out and the sugar crust crisp”, apparently a delicacy. Other sources say the treats included toasted nuts and warm spices.

So this seems to be the famous Sugar Plums Moore was referring to. Interestingly back in the day sugar plums were also known as ‘comfits’ and started life as a medicine to treat indigestion. I guess it’s an appropriate image to come to mind in anticipation of over doing it at a huge Christmas feast! But I digress….

There certainly are countless different visions of Christmas.

For some Christmas Time conjures visions of Santa with his sleigh and reindeer running through the powdery snow, and for others a dinner feast, a bounty of gifts, the blessing of reconnecting with friends & family.  And for many the true meaning of Christmas is a shining star in the night sky, a Nativity scene and hope.

Yet not all is cheery and bright this time of year. This morning on the Today Show, Archbishop Timothy Dolan spoke of the current darkness in the world. Yes, there certainly is darkness but there’s also hope. I love Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s words, written on Christmas morning 1864:

“Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
‘God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;
the wrong shall fail, the right prevail, with
peace on earth, goodwill to men.’ ”

Photo Credit: Dorota Kudyba from Pixabay

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The American Thanksgiving Day is commonly thought to originate in 1621 when the Plymouth colonists celebrated the harvest – a matter of life or starvation – with a feast, thankful that they had survived. Pretty heavy stuff back then. These days how ow many of us are truly thankful? We get so wrapped up in preparations for the big day that we often lose focus on the real intent of the holiday.

On this Thanksgiving holiday, after you’re stuffed with stuffing, will you count your blessings? Will you run through the list of what you’re grateful for?
– a loving family?
– your horse(s)? (my favorite)
– your health?
– all the friends in your life?
– a worthwhile job?
– or a comfortable retirement?
– fulfilling hobbies?
The list goes on and on and….

Do you consider
yourself lucky to
have these things?

I’ve come to believe ‘luck’ is not the proper word. These are not just lucky coincidences in a chaotic world. There is something else at work here.

I look around me and KNOW I am not lucky… I am ‘BLESSED.’
It’s a great perspective – I recommend it!

Want to comment? Click ‘Giving Thanks’ above
Photo by Ave Calvar Martinez: https://www.pexels.com/photo/fantastic-scenery-of-seascape-in-sunset-light-3663066/

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Photo credit: Kimerlee Curyl Photography

Today we celebrate Veterans Day

By no means downplaying the debt we owe these brave homo sapien veterans, millions of equids also served, although not voluntarily. One of the most famous, ranked as one of America’s greatest war heroes for her deeds and named by Life magazine among America’s top 100 heroes in 1997, is United States Marine Corps 1st Division, 5th Regiment, Sgt. Reckless. This small Mongolian mare served during the Korean War, was wounded twice, and decorated with two Purple Hearts. She was one of the lucky ones who returned to the United States and lived out her days at Camp Pendleton until she died in 1968.

Horses and mules shaped American history in tall our wars at home and overseas. So on this day when we are honoring the humans who served, let’s take a moment to thank the equine soldiers who have contributed to our nation.

Sgt Reckless at work

*Poll commissioned by the Cohen Veterans Network
You can comment by clicking on the link at top.

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