Horses, Tunes, Candied Pecans, Etcetera. (December 2021 Update)

Greetings all, merry Christmas!

Yes, I disappeared again. Sorry. I don’t have many excuses, I just… haven’t been posting. Oops. Anyway…

Actually, I do have some excuses- life’s been nuts, and I put my writing projects on the backburner for a few months. I’m so ready to jump back into everything though, my brain is so full of new ideas and feelings and thoughts about life that it’s been hard to stay on one topic long enough to come to a solid, typeable (yes I made up a word) conclusion! I have a bunch of partially written posts in Google Docs, and I’m excited to finish and share them with all of you starting in January. Before the year ends, however, I thought I’d oblige and give everyone a quick life update- a little peek into what I’ve been doing, reading, and listening to, and thinking about, like a collection of mini posts. So without further ado…

My calendar has been FULL over the past few months, and I’ll just hit the high points. First, I think I briefly mentioned in my last post that I hold an official, paying job now- I babysit for about two hours every weekday morning for a family near us, and I’m loving it! Their daughter Harper is in kindergarten, and I love seeing her sweet smile every morning. :) The early mornings and more rigid schedule were definitely big adjustments for me, but I’ve settled into a new routine and I can’t think of a better job situation for me right now.

<3

I’ve been spending quite a bit more time at the barn lately than I ever have- about 3-4 hours a week since October. Most weeks I get lots of practice time with the horses using a revolutionary and new-to-the-barn training method called Liberty, as well as helping with general barn/horse upkeep. There have also been a few weeks where I’ve had the privilege of helping out when a group of women from a safehouse near us come to have sessions with the horses, and that has also been amazing. I’ve had so much fun getting to know the year-round barn staff and working with horses I don’t come into much contact with in the summer during normal sessions. Every visit these people and horses teach me things you wouldn’t intuitively think would be learned at a barn, and I’m so thankful I have the privilege of being part of this incredible community and ministry!

Just chillin' in the arena with Toby. I feel like this photo captures some of the peacefulness of the barn.

One of the highlights of my entire year occurred last week. I met my dear friend Lily in real life for the very first time, and she got to come with me and a bunch of other mutual friends to the Christmas Celtic Ball 2021! This ball was even better than the summer one, if that’s possible. I did discover that dancing nonstop for three hours in bare feet is a recipe for some rather sore, blistered feet the next morning :’D

Sadly we didn't think to choose a better backdrop (though the exit sign is festive), but this is the group of friends my brother and I came with. :)

As usual, I’m reading a whole bunch of books at the same time for school. It’s still too early in the year to determine my favorites, but currently I’m enjoying The Woman in White (fiction) by Wilkie Collins, Frankenstein (fiction) by Mary Shelley, Les Miserables (fiction) by Victor Hugo, The Vision of the Anointed (government/philosophy) by Thomas Sowell, and A History of the American People (history) by Paul Johnson, to name a few. Some favorites earlier in the year have been Uncle Tom’s Cabin (fiction) by Harriet Beecher Stowe and The Blue Castle (fiction) by L. M. Montgomery, and a few short stories by Poe and others.

I’m loving the Victorian era of literature; the movement of Romanticism is fascinating to me. Horror stories such as Frankenstien aren’t just meant to creep us out, they’re also meant to remind us that there’s more to life than just the solid facts and not all of reality can be scientifically explained. I think that idea is hauntingly beautiful, both assuring and terrifying. Isn’t it comforting that Jesus is King over both the seen and unseen?

(scroll) This adorable little candle is from Etsy; I couldn't help but notice that it coordinates nicely with my growing collection of books. :P

I’m still listening to a lot of music in a wide range of styles. Cody Fry has been my most recent artist discovery (just the other day), I love how he combines dreamy and thought-provoking lyrics with epic orchestra scores. :P Other current favorites include The Gray Havens as usual, NEEDTOBREATHE, the Hamilton and Dear Evan Hansen musical soundtracks, Coby James (toning down my obsession with some difficulty) and a handful of other indie artists. Upon heavy recommendation (or peer pressure, your choice) a healthy serving of Shawn Mendes, Ed Sheeran, and One Direction has made its way into the mix as well… not really my general style/aesthetic, but the guys do have a few good songs each, I’ll admit. :P There are of course a bunch of other individual songs I love by artists I’m not as into, but I’d better save a more complete list and analysis for a full post.

I feel I’m in the season of life right now where everything feels new and big and sometimes a little scary. Where is my place in the world? What will my future look like? Am I where I’m supposed to be right now? Everything just gets more complex as you get older- theology, relationships, planning and finance, society in general. I’m not even sixteen, and I’m sure some of my more experienced readers are rolling their eyes at me. What do I know? Answer: More than I did yesterday, but at the same time NOTHING. XD I’ve been learning to find beauty in even the most mundane- the shadows in my garage, the sounds of my mom mixing up candied pecans, and the color of my rabbit’s eyes are a few interesting things I can think of at the moment. Isn’t it cool to think about God designing the light to reflect and create shadows in a certain way or sound waves to vibrate in our eardrums so exactly- with just a word?

That’s all for now. Thank you my dears, my ramble-readers, for patiently waiting for me to get my life together. XD Have a wonderful Christmas, happy New Year!

-Alayna