Dandelions...

I would rather see one brave dandelion flaunting its little bright yellow banners in the chill of an early spring wind, than a hothouse of perfect red roses.

Once when I was being interviewed for a magazine about my life and art, I shared the above quote with the reporter, who was so taken with not only the quote, but what he described as all this enthusiasm and optimism he said I had which he felt was very refreshing.

Alec had only been told I was a unique artist when assigned the interview.  Well, to Alec most artists are unique anyway, so he didn't think much of it.  That is until he met me, discovering I was a artist AND a Little Person.  So immediately he became very intrigued.🤔

First, enthusiasm and optimism go hand in hand.

Yet what exactly ARE they?

From the book, "A Touch Of Wonder," Arthur Gordon, says, "The enthusiastic person has the capacity for generating excitement.  They respond to the stimuli of life not only with their five senses and brain, but with their emotions as well.  They feel things...care.  And as they care, they are ALIVE."

"This is why the display of enthusiasm is such an endearing and contagious thing, because it has optimism in it."

Alec knew as a Little Person I surely had so MANY challenges to deal with in every capacity of life, and was very keen to know how I came to have the enthusiasm and optimism he encountered.  You see, until Alec shined a spotlight on this, I hadn't realized my exuberant way of living was unique.  I had assumed most everyone were also living their lives this way, or striving to do so.  

I told Alec I had learned from my challenges one should have what I call a "gratitude attitude," by focusing on the many things in our lives to be thankful for, rather than focusing on what was wrong.  For in so doing, we become a happier, more appreciative person.

Then Alec asked to hear about my journey.  Like what carved me into who I was.  By this time I had just had my third spine surgery, where I had to learn to walk again for the second time.  And soon after had to be hospitalized on a Pediatric Oncology ward for a bone marrow treatment.  Then I touched on my childhood, which was a very difficult one.  

As Alec was there to focus on my art, I then shared how I was the youngest artist to be represented by an art gallery, showing him the work he wanted to see, which is of course...ahem, horses.🤣

And obviously that led us to my own horses.

"OH MY GOSH!  You have horses?!!  And you RIDE them?!!  How...HOW do you get ON them?"

Sigh.🤣

For two hours we talked, discussing my Art, Theatre Set Design work and what they meant.  Then my piano playing, my seven horses, hopes and dreams.

Alec again sought more insights into how such a young physically challenged person managed to attain so much optimism.

I gave this some thought for a moment, then shared with him how in "A Touch Of Wonder," Mr. Gordon also described an encounter he had on the beach with an old Rabbi friend early one morning.  

The Rabbi picked up a shell, held it up exclaiming with excitement, "Oh look!  The sun is shining from within it!"  

"You see, Mr. Gordon saw shells all the time, yet never saw the wonder in them before the way the Rabbi did, and he saw how this applied to everything.  He realized, '"One who has an awareness for the gifts and wonders of life with appreciation and enthusiasm, somehow always manages to rise above their tough challenges without inwardly becoming dragged down by them."'  And this describes myself and the way I strive to rise above my challenges."

"Wow, Adelaide.  You have shown ME so much today!"

Alec went on to write a lovely article which received many letters conveying how the piece about this particular artist had such an impact upon them.  I was very touched.🙂

The gifts of enthusiasm and optimism are 

contagious my dear ones, BUT...it is said that to keep these, you need to share them.  For when you do they touch others like a ripple effect which keeps spreading ever outwards.🐎💕🐎

"So HOW do you get ON your horse?!!"

When people hear I own and ride horses, the question I am asked first, and more than any other is, "How do you get ON your horse?"  Usually followed by, "How do you STAY on?"  I tried saddles, but I had more trouble staying on with a saddle, both English and Western, than I ever did riding bareback.  With short legs, and all the leather, even with stirrups, when I gripped, I usually popped up like a cork, with my horse looking at me like I was crazy.  Besides, I like to feel at one when riding my horses, which I do riding bareback.  And I stay on...for the most part.🐎😂🐎

So back to how I GET on.  I had such a bond with all my horses, they understood the fact that when it came time for me to get on, they needed to stand next to something.  Usually, I would lead them next to my car, climb on the hood of the car, then get on.  But horses cannot always be depended upon to stand perfectly still for more than ten seconds, so I had to act fast.  Sometimes with hilarious results.  I cannot begin to tell you how many times I would propel myself just a bit too hard and go flying right over them to the ground, and get that crazy look, because horses can be quite expressive in conveying what they're thinking.😂

If not the car hood, I would use fallen trees, or climb on a fence, or if lucky an actual mounting block.

Dismounting was always easier.  Usually I would slide off and drop to the ground, mostly on my feet...often unceremoniously on my rear.  Again getting that crazy look.😂

Horses sometimes are unpredictable.  Sometimes they suddenly stop unexpectedly.  When this happened, I would go headfirst sliding down their neck, if I was lucky.  Occasionally though, my flying high up in the air a bit before reaching the ground with considerable aplomb could occur.🙃

Sooo, now my dear ones, you know how this Little Person got on her horses, and the ways she also "got off" of them too.🐎😂🐎

The touchstone moment...

This is the final blog piece written about The Ride I am reposting, completing the series to honor this very extraordinary event which took place thirty-one years ago this week...

We all have one...those one of a kind exhilarating moments.  It defines us.  Those moments in our lives  knowing from somewhere deep within ourselves we have been part of something unseen...magical, full of wonder and love.  Something rare and very powerful.  Where everything goes amazingly right.  A cherished treasure carrying our hopes and dreams.  The moment we hold onto when we need our courage and strength.  A bright shining moment we revere with awe and gratitude forever.💫

I have told the full amazing, story in my earlier blog piece "And what a plunging forth," about The Ride my beloved horse Patches and I made one morning long ago.🐎

It rained that morning making the scene surreal due to the darkness and wet pavement.  And what an entourage we had with us!  A newspaper reporter, photographer, and television station crews were there.  Besides two policemen, since Patches and I had to travel on sections of busy highways and backroads.  One policeman escorted us from the front; the other, behind us, both with the blue lights blazing.  At the very rear, a friend with his horse van followed if needed for any reason.

So there we all were on a busy highway.  When our story began playing out the next day, Patches and I were on front pages, and television screens, and a million hearts fell in love with us.💕

In the video pieces everything seemed in slow motion.  It only appeared that way because Patches was a pony...a two year old pony still growing pony whose pace was "The Patches Pace."🐎

Anyway, as the video clips begin one sees a hill, then slowly the blue lights flashing of the first police car.  Then it blurs.  As it does, one begins seeing two horse ears bobbing up and down.  Slowly, Patches sweet bobbing head comes in view, and then I slowly come into view.  Bobbing with Patches.🐎😊🐎

Gradually we slowly come into full view with the flashing blue lights of the second police car behind us.  At that exact moment bright shining sunlight momentarily burst out of the clouds right onto the scene.  It was stunning.  We couldn't believe it. 

We began saying to each other, "Wow...did you see THAT?"

"The timing of it!"

"Incredible!"

"Not even Hollywood could have made that happen!"

The Ride went on to become an astounding success, touching and inspiring many.

Yet the image of that one moment became my touchstone...the bright shining moment I will forever hold in awe and wonder when my beloved horse and I shined.🐎💫🐎

The bloopers...

Continuing on reposting blog pieces about The Ride this week, here is the one on the bloopers Patches and I managed to have.  On camera...🐎😂🐎👇

As I have shared, as soon as anyone hears I own and ride horses, the first question I am asked is not what kind or colour but, "How do you get ON your horse?!!"  

So when television stations were featuring Patches and I during the time of our famous Ride, they wanted to film my getting on Patches, because our fanbase was keen to know this.  When I addressed this very subject in my funny blog, "How a Little Person gets on her horse," I touched on the fact horses cannot be depended upon to remain still for more than a few seconds so hilarious things can happen when making the getting on process.

First, what I used most, was my car hood.  All of my horses knew the process, which involved them standing next to my car, as I quickly climbed onto the hood, then got on their backs.  Twenty-four out of twenty-five times the process would go quite well.  And usually when that one time happened when it didn't go so well, there would never fail but be an audience on hand laughing hysterically.

Which happened when two television stations were filming their segments on how I got on Patches, got off Patches, and cared for Patches.  They had already done a segment filming how Patches came galloping to me when I called his name.  And that segment went quite well, because once and awhile, Patches in his excitement to come to me, could misjudge the stopping distance necessary at a full gallop, and slide into me.🙃

Anyway, I lined Patches up next to my car, then rushed 
to get onto the hood of the car before he moved.  Only 
he did just a bit.  No problem.  I knew I could still make 
the distance.  But the thing is, you see, I needed to really propel myself to do this, and had done it successfully many times.  However, if one propels oneself TOO hard, one goes sailing high in the air right OVER the horse to 
the ground with amazing aplomb.  Which is exactly 
what I did.  As the cameras were rolling.  And the crews were laughing.  Uncontrollably.🤣

Next, the crews wanted to get a clip of Patches and I galloping towards them from the fields.  We were doing quite wonderfully, Patches and I...until he decided to suddenly stop way before we arrived at the place where we were SUPPOSED to stop.  I promptly went flying over his head, but very heroically managed to somehow land on my feet.

THIS...was turning out to be one of THOSE days.🥴  

Next the television crews wanted to film me caring for Patches, like grooming him, and cleaning out his hooves.

To clean the hooves of a horse, one must balance their hoof in one's lap while squatting, then deftly clean and check each hoof.  Usually there very seldom is an instance where anything can go wrong during this process.  Perhaps it was because Patches' normal 
day was being interrupted to accommodate our being filmed, you see.  For as I was squatting with his right REAR hoof in my lap, I suddenly noticed his tail raising 
up, which can mean only ONE thing.  He was shitting.  
I managed to dive out of the way just in time.  PLOP.🤣

Then it was time to film me grooming Patches.  What could POSSIBLY happen doing THIS, right?!!  WRONG.

Patches absolutely loved whenever I groomed his back or scratched his back.  When I did, it felt so good he would completely relax with closed eyes loving it.  However, on very rare occasions, he would REALLY relax.  And I mean RELAX.  As in a certain organ of his anatomy dropping down.  THAT kind of relax.😱  

Well, Patches happened to get THAT kind of relax with television crews filming.  Oh, they really began laughing then.  I mean they just totally lost it.🤣  

Finally, they wanted me to get back on Patches again, and film us galloping away across the huge expanse of fields.  Now with THIS segment everything went right.  Beautifully right, as we galloped off without wings soaring away into the distance.😃

I made the television crews promise me to PLEASE not ever use those OTHER parts of the filming in anything.  They assured me they wouldn't THINK of ever doing such a thing.🙄 

Several months later, for our fanbase, a thirty minute piece was done all about our very touching story again.  And within the piece just happened to be this bloopers segment...🤣

Along the way...

Along the way on my journey I have often been asked if I must hate always having to look up at people.  My answer would be similar to the one blind or deaf people say:

"Because I have always been this way I don't know any other way."

And I don't.  I've never been an average height hooman.

There are brief moments when I am standing on one of my step stools where I pause, thinking how much different my life would have been if I had those additional inches.  Indeed it would have been.  Yet I don't have those inches so I embrace what I have.

I do avoid crowds though.  I mean all I can see are crotches and butts, and it's not a pleasant sight from down here, let me tell you.😂

Obviously, the thing I/we Little People hate the most is the ever worsening mean invasive ridicule, being followed, chanted "midget" to, and having our images taken on cellphones and uploaded to disgusting websites for the purpose of ridicule on a massive scale.  To these non-humans we are an object of scorn.  We have no humanity.  This, is what I/we hate more than any inconvenience.  This, is what we would change if we could change anything. 

Sadly, there are some Little People who do the Jerry Springer type shows, and demean not only themselves, but us all.  For you see, the non-humans seeing this assume we ALL have no pride and are like that.  We're not.  The ONLY thing Little People have in common with each other is the fact we're short with a form of dwarfism.  That's it.

We are doctors, lawyers, accountants, marketing executives, teachers, architects, secretaries, social workers, actors, writers, artists, and even a artist who has galloped upon her horses for decades.🐎😃🐎  

Many have achieved a lot.  Yet none of this matters when we must contend with the non-humans.  To them we're the scum of the earth, the slime of the sea, the lowest form of humanity.  

Trust me, we're not.  And I know I'm not, for you see I keep walking TALL.  I always have and no one can take that away from me.🐎😃🐎

You walk tall too, my dear ones, regardless if you're height challenged or not, because you matter.😃👍

Saving Patches from slaughter...

Because I reposted The Ride story yesterday, I am reposting the amazing story of how Patches and I came together...🐎😃🐎

Since I have told The Ride story in the "And what a plunging forth and not backwards blog," I want to share how Patches, the little unwanted foal in dire need and I came together.  My previous horse went blind, but a lady looking for a companion for her blind horse in a safe facility, was thrilled our mutual vet told her about Havilla, so I donated Havilla to her.  I then began looking for a foal to raise and have for its' lifetime.

The farm where I boarded my horses for years was a beautiful place, owned by brothers who could be tough with their horses.  One day Paul called me, to say he had found the perfect foal, a registered six month old Quarter horse colt he put in the box stall at the farm.  

Then he warned me, "The man threw in this three month runt of a foal for me to get rid of, and it is in the stall too.  BE CAREFUL!  It's dangerous!  It took four of us and a lot of beer to finally get him!"  

My heart immediately went out to the "dangerous runt."

I rushed to the farm and found the lovely fancy colt and the "dangerous runt," who had just been ripped away from his mama by four loud beer drinking men, with a heavy long rope tied around his neck, looking very dejected.  As I slowly entered the stall the "runt" began to back up, but I stepped on the rope.  He trembled.  I whispered I was only going to stroke his forehead, so he could end the day by being touched GENTLY.  He relaxed.

From the barn phone, I called Paul.  

"I'm taking the 'runt!'"  

He kindly replied, "What?!!  You're crazy!!!  He's dangerous I tell you!"

I said, "I'm taking him anyway!  Besides, you will have no trouble selling the fancy colt, and I will save you the trouble of taking the "runt" to slaughter."

"I still think you're making a huge mistake you'll regret!" 

"I'm taking him anyway.  How much?"

The next day I took sweet feed, a small halter, and grooming stuff with me.  The "runt" began to back up, then stopped...without trembling.  While he ate, I gently groomed him, with no sign of any fear or "danger" at all.

Patches was a white pony with palomino patches, hence the name I immediately gave him, so he would not become known as "the runt."

Day three, he nickered when he saw me.

I needed to get him out of the very dirty, dusty stall.  Told Paul I was turning him out.  

"What?!!  You're crazy!  You'll never be able to catch him again!"

"Don't worry," I said.  "We've got this."

I turned him out.  Day four, I arrived and found Patches on a hill.  I called him.  He stared intently.  When I went up to him, he made no attempt to run.

On day five when I called him, he neighed and came galloping TO me!  The "dangerous runt" was safe, 

loved, and mine.  We became very VERY close, sharing a wonderful twenty-nine years together.  They know when they are in danger and they know when they are safe.  Love grew Patches into a much larger pony than was expected.🐎💕🐎

When Patches was a little over a year old, I put lead shanks on each side of his halter one day.  Got on him, and simply began riding him.  THAT was all it took!

One day Paul happened to come along and see me riding Patches.  He stammered, "You're RIDING him!  How did you...I...I can't believe this!"

"Yep!  This is the 'dangerous runt' bound for slaughter. 

Still think I'm crazy?!!"🐎😃🐎

The Ride...

Thirty-one years ago tomorrow, 2 August, my horse Patches and I embarked on what became The Ride of my life as shared in my "Plunging Forth And Not Backwards" blog I am reposting in honor The Ride's anniversary with a newspaper photo at the end...🐎

W. C. Fields once said, "This old world is a very tough place, and you're darn lucky if you can get out of it alive."  And this world IS a very tough place, indeed.  We ALL have tough challenges.  Tough challenges need tough faith, in however one believes.  Often it is easier said than done.  I tend to take a deep breath and PLUNGE forth.  Sometimes I've PLUNGED BACKWARDS though, but sometimes, the plunge forth is sweet, oh, so amazingly sweet.

My last horse, Patches, was a foal in dire need of being rescued when he came into my life.  How he came into my life is quite a story too, for a later blog.  In the late 1980's following spine surgery...I had to learn to walk again for the second time, but was darn grateful I could.  Still there were complications, so I traveled to Johns-Hopkins to see the world renown Dr. Kopits, who devoted his career to Little People.  That I got to see him at all was the result of a plunge I made.  Due to the severity of my condition, he asked if I could move to Baltimore.  "Yes, of course!  I will go to my money tree!  No problem!"  I reminded him I came with a horse and cat package.😏  Financially, there was just no way.  Impossible.

After I returned to Kentucky, I had this idea, but shoved it away.  Everything could go wrong.  Yet the idea persisted.  I would ride Patches 10 miles, involve the media, and seek pledges for each mile.  If I plunged BACK trying this, the media would be right there to show it, so I HAD to shove the crazy idea aside.

Then I was given a nudge.  More like a huge SHOVE.😮  I was moving Patches from one farm to one closer to my home.  One day, leaving the farm I had him at, it suddenly came to me out of nowhere, to clock the miles from one farm to the other.  I did.  The distance...was...EXACTLY...10...MILES!

I took a deep breath, and PLUNGED forth.

And what a plunging forth of faith it was!  It HAD to be.  

I contacted both the printed and television media.  "You're doing WHAT?!!"😓  

Then I arranged for a friend with a horse van to be there too, if needed.  Since the first mile of The Ride involved riding down a 4 lane highway, I had to ask if police could assist.  "You're doing WHAT?!!"😓

I only asked for, and received promise of, a few pledges prior to The Ride, since everything depended upon actually DOING The Ride, with the help of media.

Then the day came.  Everybody showed up.  Patches was only 2 years old when I did this, the deep bond we shared enabling us to embark on this amazing little journey at all...escorted by police and a media entourage as we began.  Aside from the traffic noise, and two bridges...the one I thought Patches wouldn't have a problem with, he did at first, and the one I thought would be a problem, wasn't.  Other than that, we completed it in 3 hours!  

The newspaper and television pieces hit the next day.  And then...AND THEN...our journey REALLY took off!  People were SO touched and inspired, they couldn't get enough of us.  No one could remember my name, but they sure remembered "Patches!"  I quickly became known as "the Patches lady!"  With a business, prior to The Ride, in the event donations did actually come in, we set up a trust fund, and the donations began pouring in.  Not all was monetary.  Since I needed transportation to get Patches to Baltimore, one of the largest national horse transportation firms donated their services.  Mechanics overhauled my car so I could get there too.  A vet donated his fee to vet Patches with the paperwork needed to cross state lines.  It went on and on.

Because of the keen interest in our amazing story, the media kept coming to the farm to get more coverage of Patches and I...like the way he would come running to me when he heard me call him.  The news pieces were lovely.

Yet it didn't stop in Kentucky.  The govenor of Maryland at that time, learned about us, and welcomed Patches and I to Maryland!   In all, The Ride received just over $11,000.00 in money and donations.  We were on our way.

All because I took a HUGE crazy leap of faith and plunged forth.  And it all went FORTH...not BACK!😊

Newspaper photo of Patches and I following The Ride