Muckboots n' Aprons: Mental Health Day

Ever Lived Someplace You Didn't Like?

"Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon. Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their produce. Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not seek decrease. But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the LORD on it's behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare."
Jeremiah 29: 4-7

Aren't we exiles on the earth? Maybe we are exiles in our daily life, the physical, mental, or spiritual place we are living presently...

Sunday, September 18, 2016

Mental Health Day

Much like everyone these days I feel like I have a never ending list of to-do's. Some days I don't want to do any of it because it feels so crushing I want out from under- I want an escape. I'm sure you feel the same sometimes.

A couple of days ago I decided to scrap all my responsibilities and take an afternoon off. I live surrounded by beauty and I am blessed to have two gorgeous horses, but I rarely ride them. I rarely take the time to enjoy the scenery for long enough to really unwind; observe the Redtail Hawks, listen to the doves and see the ground squirrels scamper around straight lines of quail.

I texted my neighbor and friend and asked her if she wanted to ride out after lunch. She was as happy as me to have the chance. She has a nice mare and just lives across the road and about a half mile from my place. The truth is we have several friends in the neighborhood who own horses and we could ride with.

I document everything- obviously writing and photos of most things get logged somewhere. I spend a lot of my horseback time snapping pictures.

My friend's family owns the surrounding apple and pear orchards so we rode those 90 acres. It's apple picking season and we happened on a section of just picked apples in the huge Apple bins waiting for pick up by the semi trucks that come through.

Before I rode out I took my paint mare next door and lounged her so she would be too tired for any shenanigans. For a green broke horse that gets ridden a handful of times a year she does really well as long as she's with another horse on the trails.

She and I could both stand to lose a little weight and lots more rides.

Now you know where your apples come from :)

We have miles of orchards and dirt roads to ride through. I freely admit to being amazingly blessed to live here and have the luxury of horses and so much room to ride them.

We all enjoyed a long afternoon ride. The weather was perfect and I felt my mental health had been amply restored for awhile. But I sure am looking forward to the next ride.