Porches, Kitchens and Saddle Shops

When I was little I remember thinking, I don't want to learn from my mistakes because that looks like it hurts.
From the get-go Mom has been the best friend, mother and the best place to go for advice.  And that is lucky, because unfortunately, I hear and see a lot of kids saying how much they dislike their parents and I can't really even imagine that.  So it was pretty handy to learn from her mistakes instead of mine.   When I thought that, the idea was to skate through life.  I would listen to all that Dad had to say concerning horses and then in doing so, I wouldn't have to learn the hard way.  I juiced Mom for what all the "right" things to do were, then I wouldn't be wrong.  I listened to grandpas on porches and grandmas in kitchens, I listened to horse trainers and cowboys in saddle shops, I listened to girls go on about boys thinking I would figure them out(I haven't) and I listened to my teachers.  I'm still listening.  I still have a lot to learn.  My misconception was that I thought if I listened and learned everything I could, I wouldn't get hurt, or screw up or have a moment of idiocy and embarrassment.  All of this advice that I've sucked in has helped me a lot and even though I haven't always followed it exactly, I wouldn't change my knowing it.  I just thought I wouldn't have to hurt.  That is a funny thing.  It doesn't matter that I heard and listened to all of this, I still get hurt, I still screw up and I'm still beating myself up for my cow-work at that show.  I mean I've talked to trainers, showers, cowboys and Dad (who can be all of those things at once) and they've told me how to do it right.  And I knew how to do it right, but it just didn't happen.
The thing is, no matter how hard you try to avoid it, mistakes will happen.  I mean after all the saying "We're only human." is spot on.  So I'm not trying to have a moment of profoundness, or give you advice.  Frankly, I feel weird when people ask me or I give people advice because I feel like I'm too young and inexperienced to be advising people on life.  All I really want you to get out of this is that advice is going to help you, but mistakes are still going to happen.
The next time you find yourself regretting something, remember that mistakes are for you to learn from not dwell on.  And I'm working on that too.


Have a lovely night!
XOXO
Gussie

Happy Saturday

Happy Saturday morning from me (Gussie) and the fluffy red dog sitting next to me!
Krick, Dad and the Mums set off on a little adventure to Wyoming this morning while Zane and me watch the pups.
Sometime when you have a spare moment or two, sit down, watch an old movie, drink a hot cup of coffee and snuggle a dog.
And most of all....

Happy day all!!

Gussie

photo credit: tumblr

Passion.

Passion.

Luvs, Gussie

At 3:30 in the Morning

Before I throw this poem out here, I want to give a little bit of background information. I wrote this while Kricket was working in Colorado. I knew it was going to be hard letting my sissy go, and everyone kept saying it wasn't as hard as I had it imagined...but I thought it was harder! So here is what came out when I spilled my guts on a paper last October.

At 3:30 in the Morning
I miss just the two of us in the truck, flying down the freeway at 3:30 in the morning. 
I feel lost in the driver's seat without you to my right.
The truck feels empty on the way to a rodeo.
The truck feels empty on the way to anywhere.
The tack room feels off without your saddle on the rack.
I don't feel right walking anywhere being just one of the two of a kind.
I feel like my other half has dissolved and I just keep wishing it would reappear. 
There's one less coffee cup since you've gone.
One less saddle, one less hackamore, one less braid and one less heart.
Mine's just here wishing for you.
My hat sets lonely on the hat rack, my ragged old boots have lost their accomplice on the mud room floor.
Your horse is nickering for you from where he stands in the pasture, wondering just where you've run off to. 
But you've gone to where I always talk about; to ranker horses and different country.
Drifting on the breeze just like the old time cowgirls did.
So I whisper "Goodnight, sis." to the darkness knowing that you're doing the same and wishing we were in a beaten old truck, flying down the freeway at 3:30 in the morning.

Loves, Gussie <3

I Want, I Miss, I Wish

The little black face of a puppy lays near my arm.

Her feet twitch to what I imagine is a dream about snotty steers and games of the puppy sort.

Moccasins on my feet and the rings on my fingers are cold.

It feels like spring outside.

The sun is shining.

The hot sensation on my back that I have missed since fall dawned on me.

My arm is aching.

I think I'm having roping with-drawls.

It's finally starting to dry out; slowly but surely, the arena will be ready to disc.

Shaggy hair on muddy, gritty horse hides.

I don't have me figured out.

I miss the smell of fairgrounds.

The dirt in the air, horse sweat.

I miss the sound of fairgrounds. 

Spurs on muddy boots, creased hat brims and the devious smiles that glint off cowboys' faces.

I miss nights that never seemed to end.

Nights that started with ropes and ended with laughter and truck exhaust in the air and butterflies in my stomach.

I want rope burns on my on my skin.

I want pressure from a dragging calf running through the rope that crosses my leg.

I want my feet on the edge of a fire and a strong arm around my shoulders.

Hats on saddle horns.

Lips stained with a matte shade of red.

Dogs whining to have a hand run across their coat.

Ropes hanging from everywhere and styrofoam cups leftover from Dr. Pepper runs.

Striped lines pass underneath hats on a dash and smiles stained with lipstick and coffee.

There's something happy that I find about tanned skin and a lot of it.

Cut off shorts and reservoirs.

Cut off shorts and laceless roper shoes.

Cut off shorts and long legs that should be tanner than they are.

Strong hands and the kinds of scars that are attractive.

The kinds of scars that make you look tough, the kinds with a story.

I think I'm crazy and then I think I have it figured out, only to remember my insanity.

Fuzzy static of speakers getting drowned out by hysterical giggles and voices that don't have a hope in the singing world.

I want to read.

I want to stay up too damn late and drink coffee to early.

I want to live.

I'm gonna live.

XOXO

~Gussie Lou

Valentines Day and LOVE

Yes, we all know it is Valentines Day and it is supposed to be ever so romantic.

And if you have a significant other and you can spend it with them, you definitely should be spending it with them and enjoying each other's company!

BUT

I also think it is a perfect time to think about LOVE in general.

Like how

LOVE NEVER FAILS!

Try to

And remember

But most importantly...

Remember how God showed His LOVE for us

<3

 

Happy Valentines Day!!!

Love,

Kricket (And Gussie)

None of the photos in this post are mine, they are courtesy of Google Images.

Border Signs

Border Signs

The smog that lurks just beyond the sign

The love and the land that we're leavin behind

The border line.

The Elko town casinos

The Elko town bars

The rearview mirror scene of ours.

The horses, the hats, the cowboys and ropes

They stand behind us with bowed heads and our hopes.

Mountains and white lines

Sagebrush and speed limit signs.

With dreary hearts and lingering souls we drift on out of old Elko.

Coffee still on our breathe

And like a traitor to my own heart

I find us driftin farther apart. 

A haunting feelin dances in the air

And it just don't seem quite fair.

So with Nevada in our hearts

And Utah on our minds

We'll be wherever our road finds

Forever haunted by these border signs.

❤ Gussie