Fire Within first chapter and intro
Artist History
I have been making songs and changing lyrics towards educating and inspiring folk towards peaceful connections with nature/animals for a couple of decades now. I have realized that it has been healing for me. I now want to do more to encourage others to step up and sing/speak their stories.
I am not sure that I would classify it as artist history, but have been singing to people while riding horses during trailrides for over 20 years. Have been singing at open mikes regularly for the past 10 with a few times doing solo shows. I do not like promoting myself, so am now working to be sponsored to inspire others to share their stories/songs and to openly promote peace, and nature.
This will not be a normal book. I am basing it from a cd cover that I had designed in 2009. The cover photo was a picture of a painting that someone riding with me had made. The title is from a song that I had made in 2009. Only a year or two before, I would have easily been able to pay for the production of those songs, but I wanted a team to be part of the production. I didn’t want professional people doing it because they were paid to. I wanted it to be more than a polished product. I wanted it to capture the combined passion and peace that I feel when sharing them and the memories they are meant to capture. I still do.
I figure that I will divide the book into chapters according to songs that have been written. I was going to start with the chapter “Let’s Sing Together” , to begin with the end in mind. I do want to have many of the songs to eventually have English, French and Okanagan karaoke versions. It is the title of a song that is recorded and produced in a combined animated/live video style. I think most folk who know me, currently know me through the business of Mandy and Me trailriding. I basically have done trailrides for more than 30 years and most of them with the business of Mandy and Me. Met people from around the world as well as was a member of local business and community groups through the connection. It makes to more sense to start with it.
Outline of chapters, to go along with a Frisbee / horse shoe golf course I had planned – have expanded the 9 holes which were going to represent the 6 horses, Hank, Prince and I so that can have more of the songs. Haven’t seen my cover to know if there were some other songs on the back side or not.. may add another chapter, but this gives me lots to work on!
Mandy and Me Theme Song
Riding Serandipity
Justice
Indian Cree Philosophy
Let’s Sing Together
Cool Momma
It’s about twine
Ralph’s Rocks
All about the Peace
Fire Within
Peace in the Valley
Discover Magic
Bonus Chapter— Serandipity Springs Drunk on a Dream
Chapter 1 The Buck Starts Here!
Mandy and Me Theme Song
Riding our horses, all the day long
just like Roy Rogers when we sing our songs
Riding the horses you’re wild and you're free
you can be yourself, at Mandy and Me!
Put a smile upon your face, a little hustle in your pace,
you'd be amazed what you can do
You can get a lot of things done, and have a lot of fun
just when you sing this tune:
Riding our horses, all the day long Just like Roy Rogers when we sing our songs riding the horses you’re wild and you're free you can be yourself, at Mandy and Me!
Where to start? I think that I have a pretty big imagination and sometimes need to put reins on it as well as give points of reference where the imagination breaks from reality. I have started calling the Petterson Rd Mandy and Me, ground 0 and the new place ground double 0, or the infinity sign. Writing this is a very challenging thing to do because Mandy and Me is a reality that evolved from a dream and a combination of dark and dream times. It steered away from the direction I had first wanted, yet became more than I could ever have imagined. It became a bit of a never ending dream that includes the Magic peace park. Mandy and Me Trailriding was a real place that gave many memories with some that turned into tunes.
Some real facts. Mandy was born in Saskatchewan and originally had the name Lady Jane in 1981. Mandy and Me Trailriding began in about 1990 and Lady Jane passed away in about 2015. I made the Mandy and Me theme song in about 1996. Will figure an outline and go from there. This could be the longest chapter .. probably a book of its own, but with the idea that I would like to finish it, I will limit myself…and try to keep to the script that I put out. Having said that, there will be tangents into the past, present and future plus occasional imaginary trips into each of these dimensions of time. For example, as I was thinking about this intro, I started thinking about how I might one day like to write a book about the KnightMare on Mayer Street. I had a house on Mayer for only a couple of years but it gave me great insight into the real world of many. A friend recently was talking with me about the cave by Plato. Mayer was a cave of sorts. One short segment of the book would be about how one day I was really tired of the constant drama originating from one couple in particular. While getting ready to get up, I had started thinking of something that I would like to say to them. Time makes the original motivation a bit cloudy, but I suspect that some drama had occurred that morning or the evening before. After getting up, I got a pen and paper and went to the kitchen to start writing it out. To give some background to the environment, the house was two houses put together, with 4 apartments per side. Each set of apartments had a common kitchen and the houses were divided by a common area that had a roof, but plywood floors, non-finished walls and a peak that had about a 5 inch diameter uncovered section across the building when I first bought into it (important part of the story, but not to be written about any more at this time). There were two couples living on my side, each with their own bathrooms with showers/ baths. I had bathroom that would have been shared with the 4th room, but it was empty at this time. As I was writing it out, the lady who lived across from my apartment, came into the kitchen. I asked her what she thought of what I was writing, and started reading it out loud. It started something like how I used to wake up to calm and it would be great to do this again. I described something about how that would be but I was no longer reading from the paper because I hadn’t had a chance to write it yet. I was going from memory of what I had wanted to write. I may not remember what I wrote, but I can still see the look of surprise from my housemate as she realized that I was reading from my memory. I concluded with a loud “Good Morning Canada” and we both laughed and went on our separate days. I don’t think I finished writing out the note, but I do know that at least the fellow of the couple had heard me. He one day mentioned it and thought it was good yet there would be times he was very volatile. I later learned that he had killed someone while driving impaired and was waiting for his trial. I would learn that his girlfriend had been assaulted as a youth by her soccer coach and others. I had tried to work with them, but they never paid rent and often caused troubles. This is a small and a bit of comedic relief to a tumultuous time. I use my imagination mixed with knowledge since then to try to figure how to have prevented some of the physical damage to things and people, but we don’t know what we don’t know.. I would like to think that we can try to learn and not repeat the negative patterns- or put them on the stage!
Another new add.. interesting timing of a facebook memory
I am reading a book that in the last chapter writes about how, though it may seem otherwise, the goal of each generation is to advance our growth and evolution. It also writes how as individuals, "we were born incomplete and immature, slowly and inevitably working our way toward a more evolved state."
Comment: I think back to bad times in my life, when i could do so little and realize these are the times i have grown the most.. k, sometimes i slipped very badly, but upon reflection and much work along with the realization that i didn't want to do what i did again, the things helped me grow.
Song origin
Name evolution and inspiration
Original Goals
Some of the dark humor history of the roots of Mandy and Me
Where too from here? Ground 00 Serandipity Springs
Mandy and Me Theme Song Origin
I think that it was in about 1995 that I made the song. We had a trail that crossed Bear Creek a couple of times. It was called the Excalibur trail because of an incident when first clearing it when it was difficult to extract an axe. The trail was a favorite one, especially in the summer. Some horses loved getting themselves wet by splashing with their front feet and could make it very entertaining for everyone other than their rider on the ride. Most times, the rider would get pretty upset that they were getting soaked too! In any case, it had been a day where I was able to take the time to do the annual late spring rock clearing of it. Every year, the spring runoff would result in rocks covering our previous year’s crossing areas, making it more difficult and dangerous for the horses to cross once the speed and depth of the creek slowed down enough to think about crossing. It was a fun chore to do, but was first done when the creek was pretty chilly and would take some with some of the larger rocks that would find their way onto it. Once I set my mind to do it, I would normally like to do both crossings the same day, but sometimes come back and work on them again. Sometime I would hike down, sometimes I would ride down to do them. This particular year, I had ridden down and sometime while working on the crossings, had made the song. I remember singing the song while returning from the second crossing when I came upon a friend on his way down to meet and help me. At the time, I was pretty embarrassed, but I remember him saying something about how I did ok. He was a pretty great guy who originally paid for a ride with some fellow Newfie friends but was who kept coming back and eventually helped and even guided rides. I know that he helped guide because only a few years ago we reconnected and he told me of a story where his horse had stepped on a hornets nest and then started acting up. He told me that he was with a group of Asian guests and that they commented “Ride em cowboy!” Ironically, from his description of the event, this happened at a place near the creek that was pretty close to where we would have caught me singing that day! He was so good at telling a story, that to me, it still seems that it was like it happened yesterday. He came a few times over the years, but there was a huge gap where I only saw him in passing. Then I started to see him at the OK corral and we would reconnect in large part because he had divorced and would come as a bit of big brother for his cousin. Unfortunately, he passed a couple weeks after my brother did, in 2019. I went to a celebration of life at the Canadian Brewhouse Bar and Grill. His brother mentioned in his comments about the good times he had at Mandy and Me. This is exactly what the song is about. How can you put a price to a memory like that… you have a great time that you want to share with others. If they catch your favorite feelings in any way, it becomes a bit of Magic that lasts beyond that day.
The song has a part about Roy Rogers in it. I spent my grade 1 to grade 3 years living at the Dundurn, Saskatchewan air force base. There was at least one season where I remember racing my bike home at lunch time so that I could catch Roy Rogers reruns on the TV. I loved that his horse Trigger, and dog Bullet. I am pretty sure that I wanted to be Roy Rogers when I grew up. Funny enough, I also remember wanting to be a match maker of people. At that time, it was for people. Over the years, I would introduce a few friends and at least one relative to someone that they would later marry, but I know that I introduced many people to horses that they loved dearly and to a love of horses that would carry on to other passions for pets. Years later I learned how he had his Trigger and Bullet taxidermied. I thought it sad at the time, but later, I had my original dog Prince mounted. Ironically, he had been shot by a bullet. He had been such a great dog and I felt pretty awful. He was white, ¼ wolf, ¼ husky and half blue healer. I had paid $100 for him partly because I felt sorry that he spent his life cooped up in the canopy of a pick up or on a chain. I pretty much let him free as soon as I got him. I remember him following me everywhere except for when I wanted to go for a car ride. My business was going decently and I had started running again. I had wanted him to come with me as I went for a trip to the coast, but he didn’t want to go into the vehicle (I think that was my 1985 Silverado, but not 100%). In any case, he was not around when I got back. I had hoped he was running free with the coyotes. Within a couple weeks later, some neighbours of mine found him in a ditch when they were looking for their dog. I blame myself for not working harder to get him to come with me, or not taking more care for ensuring other’s looked into caring for him while I was gone. I still have the original Prince- trained him so well. Told him to sit over 20 years ago and he still holds that pose! I currently have another dog named Prince who is black and completely different breeds including lab and collie. I have had him since a puppy. He hates the sound of gun fire and loves car rides. A friend had 7rl puppies and wanted a couple of hundred dollars for each. I had 2 older dogs at the time and over 10 horses. I thought it be great to have a puppy that maybe my other dogs could show the ropes to a bit. I did not want to pay that kind of money though… later I gave her a guitar and she would give me Prince! He has been quite the companion, worthy of a book or two just about him. For now, we will just say that I am pretty sure that we both got a greater than $200 value for the trade and we are probably better friends for it too.
Another major point about the song and my inspiration of Roy Rogers is that he legally changed his name. I knew this and believe that is a big reason why I changed my name. I legally changed it in 1996. I had a friend named Nevada and thought her name really suited her. She was great with horses. She was a natural trailguide with her experience based knowledge. My search for a name often ended with my not remembering a name that I liked. I had thought of Alberta, but learning that was an older ladies name didn’t suit my liking. I at some point thought of my truck’s name being a pretty cool one to have. Realizing it was a 1985 model and that I had won 2 silver medals in the Canada Games that year seemed to make it an act of serendipity. Apparently, I talked a lot about my challenges with choosing with someone that I sometimes ran with at the track, so I know I did bounce the idea off at least one person other than myself before taking the financial plunge and extra efforts to do it. Many people who I thought were close to me, did not understand the cautious thinking that I put into this very big decision. I was possibly to abrupt in their abrupt responses. In any case, I kept my new name and lost some friends. Later, someone would tell me about the movie Silverado. I didn’t watch it right away, but did love it right away. In one of the opening scenes, a young Kevin Cosner gets a kiss from his horse. At least two of my horses have always given kisses. Interestingly, the movie was made in 1985 and is considered one of the best Westerns made. That is a huge statement to make.. there are some pretty great western movies and series out there. I kind of want to make a series about Serandipity Springs. No guns involved in this one… no triggers or bullets, but lots of horses and dogs. By the way, Trigger was a golden palomino and Bullet was a German Shephard. My Serandipity is a pale palomino and I have a German Shephard named Hank. I semi planned for Serandipity, but Hank was serendipitous. Reality truly is stranger than fiction.
Name Evolution and Inspiration of Mandy and Me Trailriding
I think that it was in about 1995 that I made the song. We had a trail that crossed Bear Creek a couple of times. It was called the Excalibur trail because of an incident when first clearing it when it was difficult to extract an axe. The trail was a favorite one, especially in the summer. Some horses loved getting themselves wet by splashing with their front feet and could make it very entertaining for everyone other than their rider on the ride. Most times, the rider would get pretty upset that they were getting soaked too! In any case, it had been a day where I was able to take the time to do the annual late spring rock clearing of it. Every year, the spring runoff would result in rocks covering our previous year’s crossing areas, making it more difficult and dangerous for the horses to cross once the speed and depth of the creek slowed down enough to think about crossing. It was a fun chore to do, but was first done when the creek was pretty chilly and would take some with some of the larger rocks that would find their way onto it. Once I set my mind to do it, I would normally like to do both crossings the same day, but sometimes come back and work on them again. Sometime I would hike down to the creek, sometimes I would ride down to do them. This particular year, I had ridden down and sometime while working on the crossings, had made the song. I remember singing the song while returning from the second crossing when I came upon a friend on his way down to meet and help me. At the time, I was pretty embarrassed, but I remember him saying something about how I did ok. He was a pretty great guy who originally paid for a ride with some fellow Newfie friends but was who kept coming back and eventually helped and even guided rides. I know that he helped guide because only a few years ago we reconnected and he told me of a story where his horse had stepped on a hornets nest and then started acting up. He told me that he was with a group of Asian guests and that they commented “Ride em cowboy!” Ironically, from his description of the event, this happened at a place near the creek that was pretty close to where we would have caught me singing that day! He was so good at telling a story, that to me, it still seems that it was like it happened yesterday. He came a few times over the years, but there was a huge gap where I only saw him in passing. Then I started to see him at the OK corral and we would reconnect in large part because he had divorced and would come as a bit of big brother for his cousin. Unfortunately, he passed a couple weeks after my brother did, in 2019. I went to a celebration of life at the Canadian Brewhouse Bar and Grill. His brother mentioned in his comments about the good times he had at Mandy and Me. This is exactly what the song is about. How can you put a price to a memory like that… you have a great time that you want to share with others. If they catch your favorite feelings in any way, it becomes a bit of Magic that lasts beyond that day.
The song has a part about Roy Rogers in it. I spent my grade 1 to grade 3 years living at the Dundurn, Saskatchewan air force base. There was at least one season where I remember racing my bike home at lunch time so that I could catch Roy Rogers reruns on the TV. I loved that his horse Trigger, and dog Bullet. I am pretty sure that I wanted to be Roy Rogers when I grew up. Funny enough, I also remember wanting to be a match maker of people. At that time, it was for people. Over the years, I would introduce a few friends and at least one relative to someone that they would later marry, but I know that I introduced many people to horses that they loved dearly and to a love of horses that would carry on to other passions for pets. Years later I learned how he had his Trigger and Bullet taxidermied. I thought it sad at the time, but later, I had my original dog Prince mounted. Ironically, he had been shot by a bullet. He had been such a great dog and I felt pretty awful. He was white, ¼ wolf, ¼ husky and half blue healer. I had paid $100 for him partly because I felt sorry that he spent his life cooped up in the canopy of a pick up or on a chain. I pretty much let him free as soon as I got him. I remember him following me everywhere except for when I wanted to go for a car ride. My business was going decently and I had started running again. I had wanted him to come with me as I went for a trip to the coast, but he didn’t want to go into the vehicle (I think that was my 1985 Silverado, but not 100%). In any case, he was not around when I got back. I had hoped he was running free with the coyotes. Within a couple weeks later, some neighbours of mine found him in a ditch when they were looking for their dog. I blame myself for not working harder to get him to come with me, or not taking more care for ensuring other’s looked into caring for him while I was gone. I still have the original Prince- trained him so well. Told him to sit over 20 years ago and he still holds that pose! I currently have another dog named Prince who is black and completely different breeds including lab and collie. I have had him since a puppy. He hates the sound of gun fire and loves car rides. A friend had 7rl puppies and wanted a couple of hundred dollars for each. I had 2 older dogs at the time and over 10 horses. I thought it be great to have a puppy that maybe my other dogs could show the ropes to a bit. I did not want to pay that kind of money though… later I gave her a guitar and she would give me Prince! He has been quite the companion, worthy of a book or two just about him. For now, we will just say that I am pretty sure that we both got a greater than $200 value for the trade and we are probably better friends for it too.
Another major point about the song and my inspiration of Roy Rogers is that he legally changed his name. I knew this and believe that is a big reason why I changed my name. I legally changed it in 1996. I had a friend named Nevada and thought her name really suited her. She was great with horses. She was a natural trailguide with her experience based knowledge. My search for a name often ended with my not remembering a name that I liked. I had thought of Alberta, but learning that was an older ladies name didn’t suit my liking. I at some point thought of my truck’s name being a pretty cool one to have. Realizing it was a 1985 model and that I had won 2 silver medals in the Canada Games that year seemed to make it an act of serendipity. Apparently, I talked a lot about my challenges with choosing with someone that I sometimes ran with at the track, so I know I did bounce the idea off at least one person other than myself before taking the financial plunge and extra efforts to do it. Many people who I thought were close to me, did not understand the cautious thinking that I put into this very big decision. I was possibly to abrupt in their abrupt responses. In any case, I kept my new name and lost some friends. Later, someone would tell me about the movie Silverado. I didn’t watch it right away, but did love it right away. In one of the opening scenes, a young Kevin Cosner gets a kiss from his horse. At least two of my horses have always given kisses. Interestingly, the movie was made in 1985 and is considered one of the best Westerns made. That is a huge statement to make.. there are some pretty great western movies and series out there. I kind of want to make a series about Serandipity Springs. No guns involved in this one… no triggers or bullets, but lots of horses and dogs. By the way, Trigger was a golden palomino and Bullet was a German Shephard. My Serandipity is a pale palomino and I have a German Shephard named Hank. I semi planned for Serandipity, but Hank was serendipitous. Reality truly is stranger than fiction.
Name Evolution and History of Mandy and Me Trailriding
Mandy and Me Trailriding, was originally Mandy and Me Trailriding and Babysitting. I had done trailrides as a hobby in high school. We had 7rl horses at the time and I thought it made sense to offer rides and help pay for their pay. I had seen a stack flyer for Bear Creek Trailrides in our tack room. The front cover showed a girl on a rearing horse. I think that the horse was a palomino, but I may be imagining that since I am pretty sure that the flyers would not have had color. Our neighbour, Mrs Petterson, had a palomino gelding named John at the time, so I may be mixing memories up. I had also done at least one summer where I looked after a girl who was about 9 years old and was paid either $50 a day or $50 a week. Her parents owned a comic/ book store that I sometimes went to. Was the best job, we rode hiked and played all day. There were a few families and some kids that would regularly ride, as well as a few couples. There was a lot of fun that was had by some of the groups outside of the rides. Memories of a few of us include times of hide and seek at the creek, as well as camping/day trips. One afternoon after a stop at the creek, I remember a group thinking that I hid the horses. They might have thought I was at first (apparently I had done that before, saying that they ran home) but we we all walked home and found them there. The girl I babysat became a friend and would end up helping me advertise riding and join me just because we had so much fun.
While I was going to university, my father would take people riding but I think it was in my third year of university, he told me one of the families had bought a farm and wanted to buy a few of the horses including Dibs and my horse Windy. I had found Windy while driving to or from Vancouver for a track and field race. This was hard for me, yet I understood it would have been hard for him to be looking after everyone and knew that the family would take great care of them.
I am not sure if Jennifer found out about Dry Valley, or myself, but we ended up letting the remaining horses be leased out for trailrides both there and at a couple of camps over the summer. Cash agreements did not always be honored, and Jennifer would point out that our horses would take more rides and not be under the shelters as often. While there, 4 horses were bought and an unbroken 2 year old was given to me. Her name was Cody. I would make a decision to start rides at our Bear Creek location and walking her home from Westbank in the rain one day. She had not been trained yet. I know we spent a lot of time where I would just hold her rope while she grazed. There was not a dramatic exit, in fact the owner Jerry Bailey had ultimately inspired the Mandy and Me Trailriding and Babysitting name because he had said how Mandy would look after one mare’s foal that would let no other horse near her baby but Mandy! I would work other jobs while the trailriding business got in the black, including landscaping, fruit picking, log pealing, grape picking but it would be working at dominoes pizza that would prove steady. There would be many kids that would help and sometimes pay a bit to ride but more often help to earn rides so the babysitting was dropped.
To be honest, Mandy’s name was changed from Lady Jane, because she was black and Mandy had been a common slave name. While at the Dry Valley ranch, we would acquire a dog that became named Toby. I would later change Mandy’s name back to Lady Jane, saying that she had attitude because the place was named after her. Seemed she did act more lady like after her name was changed, but I think it was because horses had learned to respect distance around her back end and we learned to make sure folk riding horses did too! I would change Toby’s name to Charming. I am not sure who’s name was changed first. Charming was amazing… so loyal. He loved playing fetch and going on rides. He had been wandering around and no one had claimed him. In 2015, we had had a horse named Darby who had had lost a lot of weight after one winter. Lady Jane and her ended up becoming buds and we would let the two go graze in the orchard near by. Lady Jane would open the gate for herself and Darby to come back into the stables and get water, then open it again for them to leave and get more grazing! Earlier in the year, there had been a time where Darby had a hard time getting up. I believe that the vet was already scheduled for some work to be done, and I said that Darby would be needing to be put to sleep. The vet had already suggested it happen before the winter to her. The crazy thing is, the day the vet came, I was coming down to the stables and saw Darby lying down. Darby saw me coming down and then got up as if there was no problem at all! I delayed my decision about her death and we learned some things that could be done to assist her. There was a lady who loved Darby very much and she did some massaging and some of the techniques as did a couple of other people. Though the care wasn’t consistent, she had her Lady Jane and I just let things be. However, there came a day where Lady Jane stopped eating. I was in contact with the vet and keeping an eye on her and her manure. In short time, I would see blood and then as that became more prominent, the decision to put them both down became obvious. They were buried together. Darby would have been lonely without her Lady Jane. At the end of her life, Lady Jane had again been the babysitter.
Original Goals
This is a bit of a convoluted story that again blends past, present and future. Reflecting makes some things pretty obvious but at times, I did not think about where my passions stemmed from or how lucky I was to be able to pursue many of them. The precursor to the name Mandy and Me was the 4 F club, meaning Fun Fitness and 4 legged Friend. I am pretty sure that this was in my early years of university or possibly even high school when this idea was churned with some of my younger friends. I was so lucky to be able to do the rides part time while training for the Olympics as a runner, but did work very hard and think that the horse riding balanced the intensity of my training. It was a way to socialize with people that shared liking animals and the outdoors. There came a point at university where I could no longer concentrate on my studies because I no longer had a long term goal for them, but I could see the potential of helping folk help themselves to fun fitness and self fulfillment through the horses.
While in middle school, I had had a friend who later told me how the times at the trail riding stables were an escape from some intense situations at home. I had no idea at the time. She told me this while visiting before our final year of high school. My mother had died of a heart attack earlier that year. I had put my energies into school, the horses and my running. I had won gold in the high school 3000m in record times and later won a gold in the junior pan am games, which had been a great boost, esp when I had had thoughts of doing well for her. I remember a boy coming to my hotel room to talk to me and mentioning my jacket.. I told him my mom had made it and he was impressed but probably did not understand why my mood would have become more somber. I am pretty sure that I did not share the rest of the story to him or anyone else on the team. I know that I at least part of that trip, I slept with my gold medal, feeling great satisfaction with the past efforts. Later, a couple of other team mates played some kind of trick on me. This combined with memories of my mother’s death put me in a funk that a teammate would notice, but which I did not feel I could talk to anyone about. When my friend shared her story, my troubles seemed so insignificant.
In later years, I wanted to help others by having a place where folk could forget their problems and escape into that world of fun fitness and fur legged friends that would also be fulcrums for self- fulfillment. I had some very dark times but would throw myself into my studies, running, and horsing around, with pretty good success in each. Of course, this left no time for learning social skills and I am still pretty much friends on a superficial level with everyone, though genuinely mean well. I guess this comes with time to most people to keep everyone would be emotional wrecks all the time or lack compassion of any kind. In any case, there would be a time in 1988 where I won gold for my university in a couple events and win a national championship in the home crowd. The cross country championship winning feeling is one I can tap into fairly easily and something I wish everyone could feel all the time. At the same time, there became a part of me that would recognize it would be tough to top yet it put me in a place of discomfort in social situations. I did not like talking to the press and near beat myself up later over things I said or didn’t say. I later went to toast masters to help get over this but having the stables was the best remedy. I met people from around the world. There would be many that would come regularly, be it once a year or a few times a year. The stable people and animal connections over the years would provide a basis of great common ground and conversation. We worked hard but also tried to have fun while bringing good times to others. Things could get really busy. Reading the guest book, at the end of the day, helped bring everything into perspective. There would be times where horses or people were hurt. I got hurt many times too, but overall, the good times greatly outweighed any pain or loss. The greatest and best memories were the ones to be made for others. These feelings outweighed the running ones and were ones that were shared with people helping. This is a gold that is truly priceless and that I try to share through music and stories.
I would touch base with my middle school friend years later. We talk a few times a year now. A memory of hers of our times together provides much perspective for me still. She has talked about how we would play “shoot Hitler from the hay stack”. Pretty sure that was her game to begin with, but that I joined along as we were just playing with air guns for fun. Apparently I made a rule of not shooting cars that had the base sticker on them (our parents were working at the air force base in Alsask, Saskatchewan, which I would later learn was strategically commissioned due to the cold war going on at the time). There was a time when she fell off and though I initially laughed at her, (probably thinking she was joking around because she had skills of comedy and singing that were always entertaining) I made sure to get help once I knew she was really hurt. Two things about this stick out to me. First of all, it was someone not just from the base but from her own household that was hurting her and her mom. The second thing is that part of her believed that she could count on me to help. Maybe I had found my way of fulfilling my goal to be Roy Rogers in a different way. The sadist thing is that her father was an army medic. My memory of him is that of a time when “Mandy” and kicked me in the chin when I was running with her around a makeshift track at the stables. When he saw me he recommended that I go to a town doctor. He said that if I had been a guy, he wouldn’t have minded stitching me up, but there would be less of a scar if someone else did it. He was a medic, trained to help people, yet he hurt his wife and my friend. She waited until she knew her mom would have support before telling her mom what was going on. She waited until they moved back to Manitoba. Charges were laid and a precedent was set. My friend deserves medals more than I ever did. She now is working with a highly trained therapist part time in some specialized equine therapy programs. She has had lots of training in music but let that go due to it being more of a coping mechanism for her. She is doing well in her work practices. She lives close to and is close to her mother. It is so ironic that I have been working with my music and aim to use it as therapy for others. She saw my youtube channel and was impressed by my having the nerve to “just go for it”. She also wrote that for me she will “lift my moratorium on karaoke”. I look forward to hearing her sing again one day!
Where to from here? Ground 00 Serandipity Springs
This is a great question. I have always had high aspirations, and that has not changed. My circumstance has though. I had goals of recording a cd and had the money to do it, but not the confidence. It is amazing what living the nightmare can do for learning to speak and sing through fears! I have goals of forming a band of people and pets, possibly called Rawhide and the KnightMAREs with MARE standing for Mentoring Active Recreational Example. I am one of all of us that have had some experience in life that through sharing could make someone else's life not only less difficult, but possibly even fun! It would almost be like a Mandy and Me two movement. - One of many unforeseen or calculable benefits of Mandy and Me was that I feel many of the young people that helped gained a confidence that helped them be able to interact with peers and adults later in life. Unfortunately, my lack of communication skills, esp with relation to what many teens would be facing, limited the benefits but I am hoping through the music and stories to put this up a few notches. A stable community can be a healthy one... would love if the music and story side of things can help bring more sustainability that the tourism income that was dependent on whims and weather. I hope to be able to pay folk to help look after the horses and have a membership basis for any riding that is done. Planning to put the drama and dreams on the stage... and look to others to help design and build the "Dreamers Stadium" that will house the school for this and other healing modalities. Dreamer was my second horse.. bought her with beer bottles and babysitting money. She was a great horse that brought many people good memories. I think that I may be the only person to have fallen off of her while i had her. My fault... another story to tell another time, but I will say that I had been foolish so i am glad that it was me that got stitches and not her! The ground 00 stands for the infinity sign. Interesting, when i went to feed the horses today, Feb 14th, 2021, I found Serandipity limping with blood on one of his legs. Luckily, it was not one that I felt needed a veterinarian and i had supplies on hand to deal with it. However, it is nice to have funds and ability to cover unforeseen expenses. I feel that my skills and experience warrant an investment. Our bodies will all pass on from this reality, but our cells and stories may bring forth some light and laughter to the future. Magic smile was our logo and I have had the goal of him being more famous than Mickey Mouse for many years now. Here's hoping! "Smiles Ever MIle" This book will now be on pause while i find out if i am the only one.. planning to start promoting the go fund me I made a while back with goals of setting my Fort Socs company to be able to sell shares and develop a more long term stable living situation.
be so great to be able to pay folk to help bring this to fruition... Planning for the songs and stories to always be online for free . This is a very unpolished first chapter of the Fire Within book. Eventually will have the book finished and available for $20 but it will include a pass for a farm /fort tour.
couple of years ago, i tried out for a entry using the following and , i think, a video plus a couple pictures. I think that this might be a good place for it in the Fire Within book.
Silverado Socrates to Open for Caroline Myss in Kelowna
February 14, 2017 at 11:47 PM
Hello. I'm embarrassed to say that I can't seem to load videos on here...
I'll try a post but it's not near as fun. Basically horses and dogs have been healing me and bringing peace to many for over 30 years and the video post was to be about that. They have been great teachers. Currently I have 3 horses that are 21 this year and I've been with all their life, two that are turning 20 that have been with the others since one and 2 years old and another who has been with our fur family over 10. I'm like a life guard while they teach others to swim in a sense of freedom we forget we always have. My first lessons were with a very unforgiving coach- i learned to fly yet be grounded by falling many times- often on my head! These guys and gal are much kinder. Good thing really because i did not appreciate or respect that they are much more than a vehicle to cover distance. They help bring peace to the most chaotic times.
I would love to be able to able to talk about peace/ healing/thru pets and also about an organization i am with called the international institute for peace through tourism. I am so excited at the idea of bringing the voices and ideas of healers together and helping the industry become more mainstream.
I am going to add another quote from facebook, from Feb 14th, 2017. It seems so appropriate. My brother died of a heart attack a couple years ago. He had been in the armed forces but was retired. He has probably been the single biggest influence of my life. He was 12 years older and joined the air force when I was about 6 or 7. Though i know no other, i am sure he was one of the best big brothers ever. I am grateful he did not die while working, and it is in large part my realization that he might that I got involved with the organization the International Institute for Peace through Tourism. My rationalization was and is that if you are friends with someone, why would you want to fight them? I think the real factor here is money though. If we can give monetary value in addition to the comfort value to peace, we have a golden partnership. Here is to turning words to wealth. Peace and Happy Valentine's day 2021!
I'm returning the book "For your tomorrow" and thought I would do a couple final quotes from it before i hand it off to the library. The author says at the funeral "Jeff inspires each of us to take the journey inside ourselves--to heed our own heart's calling, to face our deepest fears, to give ourselves to some higher end." She is the aunt to a fallen soldier who only had a few more months to serve before returning to live the life of a dad and husband and serve from his home base in Manitoba. Melanie Murray, you did a great job of the eulogy and the book..incredible that it is your first and I look forward to the next (I have it reserved). I have to admit to shedding a tear or more.
Comments
The second quote is from Theodore Roosevelt: “It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”
Feb 19th shortly after writing the last entry, I realized it be great to put Drunk on a Dream at the end of this chapter. Here it is…
Drunk on a Dream
Drunk on a dream, don't want to sober up
People are dying for a drink I want to fill their cup
Not talking about a fluid that is easily served
Talking about a vision that is not too easily blurred
Talking about a culture, that leaves no one behind
that respects those serving on the front line
what we like will one day be us
arm in arm, with no fuss
To give a buck for the common good can be the only way
if we are to live beyond today.. we have to do more than just
pray
We can build a future, that leaves no one behind
that honors those, serving on the front line
what you don’t like will one day be you
ashes to ashes, is everybody’s review
To give a buck for the common good can be the only way
if we are to live beyond today.. I want to hear the whole world
say!
Let’s get Drunk on a dream, we have to sober up
People are dying for a drink, we can fill their cup
Not talking about a fluid that is easily served
Talking about a vision that's not too easily blurred
Talking about a culture, that leaves no one behind
that honors those, serving on the front line
what we like, will one day be us
arm in arm with no fuss
To give a buck for the common good can be the only way
if we're to live beyond today.
It has changed a bit since I first wrote it. The second verse is now done rap style. I had made the song while running for MP in 2019. Being a sucker for punishment, I ran independent again as an MLA candidate for Kelowna Lake Country in 2020. The night of the election, I ended up giving someone a ride who has recorded rap songs. He gave me travel money to bring him to Penticton and we swapped a couple of songs on the way down and back. He really liked the Drunk on a Dream song, so I later asked if he might do the one verse rap style. I kept that plan and another friend took me up on the request. I would probably never have thought to do it that way if not for the first gentleman’s encouragement.
I have been fortunate to have received lots of encouragement over my life. Many do not. Music is a great conductor for creating healthy, vibrant, inclusive communities.