2000 Seasons Greetings!
Through the marvels of modern technology, I am now transcribing for the California VA hospital system - right here from my condo in Phoenix! It's a real mishmash of stuff including subspecialty clinics for anticoagulation, prosthetics, andrology, and pacemakers. I can't type an oncology report without it bringing a tear to my eye after losing my mom last year and Ralph's mom this past September to cancer.
I have a luxury southwest office to work from, thanks to Ralph who can fix and build anything. It took him the better part of the year to finish creating our double desk/entertainment center which is 12' long and 7' high done in whitewashed pine with a vibrant mallard teal desk top and backboard, accented with stenciled-on cow skulls and conchos strung with leather and beads. Our project for 2001 will be the master bathroom, and the plans for it are no less elaborate.
In February I was devastated by the loss of Buddy, my feline companion of 19 years. But Muffin blessed my life shortly thereafter. The Humane Society had dubbed him Ragamuffin because his long fur was so matted they had to shave his back half - a cat that only a blind woman could love! Although high maintenance, he now has a beautiful black-tipped gray coat. I had originally renamed him Little Miss Muffin because the Humane Society had told me he was a she; but after straightening that out, he is happy to answer to just Muffin!
The mouser in our family, however, is Ralph's yellow lab, Amber. She goes "on the point" at the stable. When a tack locker is opened, she'll rush in, flush out any rodents, chase them down, and, well, that's that. She has three to her name, well on her way to earning her Mickey Mouse ACE ears.
Ralph sold his Thoroughbred mare this year and has just his little mustang now. He's been giving Bucky a refresher course on all the tricks he knows, although we have yet to find facilities at which to practice jumping through a burning wall.
2000 was Zoe's first full year under saddle. We earned national Paint points at our debut APHA show this fall, with two thirds out of 11 in novice amateur hunter under saddle. We were
the cover girls on the 6/00 Paint Horse Journal and will be featured on the back page of the 2/01 Practical Horseman, so look for your copy on the stands.
May Visions of Sugarplums dance in your head this holiday season!
Warm holiday wishes,
Sam, Ralph, Muffin, Amber, Bucky, & Zoe (Sugarplum Vision)