Yearling Filly

I wrote this awhile ago and after coming across it last week, thought that I should share it for your amusement. There's some equestrian lingo that might be foreign for the non-horse people, but that's what I'm here for. Fire away.

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She’s a beautiful work of art, this one.

I was walking back from taking one of the horses to the turnout. Behind me, I could still hear him pounding the ground as the giant animal raced around as fast as he could in the not so large space when she came walking up to the fence. I had seen her eye us with those large doe eyes of her when I walked past her little pasture the first time with my charge, and a small, hopeful spark went on when I returned her gaze. She had trotted over to the fence alongside us, following as long as she could before turning back and walking away once we passed the entire length of the fence. I couldn’t see her when she followed since she was on the other side of the horse I was leading, but I could hear her.

Her pasture was one of the private ones, and definitely the nicest. It was one of the largest, and even had some grass growing in it. A sprinkler system had been installed to keep it growing, but coming from a place where we had acres and acres of green vegetation, I find it pathetic.

She watched me walking back towards her and walked up to the fence, towards the other end of her pasture. The path went a little closer there, so I wouldn’t be far. She knew that. She’s a smart little thing, this yearling filly. I didn’t plan on stopping for a chat, but she looked so hopeful that I couldn’t help it.

“Hey pretty girl.” I smiled as I walked up to the fence. Her eyes and ears perked up, and she reached her delicate little nose towards me as I stuck my hands through the fence.

Hello.

Even at just a little over a year, her baby awkwardness has all melted away, and she carries herself like a queen. I love watching her move. She does it with such ease, confidence and grace; even the baby fits of energy bucking and leaping are graceful. She has good, strong, long, solid legs, with an already well-muscled, high croup that looks out of place. She’ll grow into it though, it’s just part of growing up. Her front half is far more refined and delicate looking, but with those solid legs, she’ll definitely be a very pretty, fancy mare. I ran my hand down her face, brushing her soft, fuzzy nose with my fingertips. She quivered, ever so slightly, enjoying the attention. I cupped her muzzle in one palm, tracing the outline with my finger. She has a very pretty, refined head. A decently sized forehead, not too big, but not narrow either. It makes for a good, strong base, but with a delicate touch as it narrows down seamlessly and effortlessly into a long, slender muzzle perfectly flushed with a baby filly nose. Her nose is tiny, a lot like an Arabian’s, except it’s due to her still being a baby. I assume that as she gets older, her face will continue to mature naturally and she’ll lose some of the delicateness. But for now, her head is the epitome of what she is: small, sweet, beautiful, delicate and innocent.

“I think you should be a dressage horse. You look like one. If not, you’ll make a great children’s schoolmaster,” I told her as I scratched between her ears.

Really? She tipped an ear towards me as she stared at me unblinkingly, her baby eyes full of wonder and curiosity. If I had to describe her in one word, it would be feminine. Everything about her is pretty, from her little hooves, the long lashes, to her quiet, gentle personality. Fillies are known for being living, breathing, kicking nightmares, but not this one.

“Gotta go.” I drew my hand back, then spontaneously leaned forward a little and touched a quick kiss to her soft nose. Her ears perked up and her liquid brown eyes brightened even more in surprise, but she didn’t move or pull away. I smiled and walked away as she followed me as far as her pasture went. Anyone who ends up with this one is going to be one lucky person, so they’d better treat her well.

The Desolation of Smaug - A Review

I want to take a moment to talk to you people about the film that opened last week and according to Box Office Mojo has made a domestic total of over $96,000,000 and is currently the reigning king of the box office: The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug.

I’m not going to bother with much organization here, but I will keep the visible text spoiler free so if you haven’t seen the film yet, you may proceed safely. Just don’t highlight that last bit until you’ve seen the film, and if you can’t resist, dude that’s all on you.

I was so excited to see this film last weekend. The first one was wonderful; I enjoyed every second of it. This one however, too many flaws. It annoyed me. A lot. I accidentally kicked the seat-back in front me a couple times out of irritation. Sorry dude who sat in front of me. It wasn’t personal, I  promise. My foot just attacked your seat without my consent. (In my defense however, I didn’t kick very hard at all. I think.)

Why the film irritated me in one sentence: deviations from the original story, less than perfect CGI in several places, and really just too much made-up action and storylines and too little original Tolkien. It's such a shame because this film is overall a beautiful piece of work; Jackson really has great taste and style in film-making. I have a lot of respect for him and his work. The cinematography is great, the sets outstanding, acting also great, makeup - very nice (good job on contouring and highlighting those elf faces), scores as usual wonderfully done, but script? Meh.

Tauriel's story and addition to the company is not one that I personally liked very much, at least not the particular twist they threw in. Also, aside from one major problem being settled in this film, all other ends are left open and unresolved and the ending comes about at a most irritating time.

Speaking of Tauriel, the lovely Evangeline Lilly gave an interview here where she made some really interesting remarks about her fake Tolkien character, and throughout the article I was all,

Yes.

Ah ha.

Yes.

Yes, yes, I get that.

Okay fine that makes some sense.

Well at least I now have a better idea as to what their ideas were.

Your people really thought all these replies through, didn’t they?

But then I just look back at the film and want to scream, “WHY?” It’s really the same issue I have with the trilogy. Beautiful films through and through, but good grief man, why must you wander away from the story and do this to us?

I mean, I totally get it. Marketing strategy, for one. Example: Bloom is nice to look at. He has a big fan base. His character has a big fan base. Character and nice face making an appearance in a film where most of said character and face fan base is even though he doesn’t appear in The Hobbit story? Win-win.  Same thing with their created elven character. Strong female roles sell well. Also, personal ideas, forward thinking in what’s best for the film, Other People with power and money have a say in what’s in and out as well and a million other things are taken into account and all have a hand, foot and tooth in the making of a film but that doesn’t stop me (and many, many other die hard Tolkien fans) from getting thoroughly pissed.

I can respect this as a film, but as a follow-up to the first one that stayed so true to the original story this just went too far off the other end and as a result many of the characters ended up in situations that their original personalities per their original storylines just wouldn't take them. As a fan of the books, this was disappointing. However, those who griped and whined about the first film being too slow and the general audience who is not an avid fan of Tolkien, this film will probably be more to their liking.

When it comes down to it, all I can say is: enjoy the film for being an amazing piece of artistry. If you are only going to see it once and want to see it in the best way possible, IMAX 3D is where it’s at. However, Tolkien book fans, I’m afraid we’re all pretty much going to agree that this one kinda sucks.

I gave the film a 3 1/2 on Flixster, mostly for the artistry. The first was a 5, for everything. That, and the collective gasps, sighs and general noises of irritation that filled the theater at the end of The Desolation of Smaug pretty much sums it all up.

Additional gripes which are spoilers:

Gandalf going into Dol Guldur by himself – worst CGI of the film and people, please. Gandalf is smarter than that.

Tauriel and Kili. I just can’t. The whole idea of it still blows my mind as horrendously stupid that I still have a hard time finding the right words to express my extreme displeasure. 

The dwarves and Bilbo summoning their inner masochistic Latin dudes and trying to take down Smaug all by themselves (for real! Or fake, because it’s completely made up). They’re supposed to be smarter than that too. At least, much smarter than trying to kill a fire-breathing beast with liquid gold. I mean, really? The creature has fire INSIDE of him. Tell me again why you think you can somehow scald him to death?

Thought so.

People Forget

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You know, it’s funny how we forget.

How when the mind looks back, all it wants to see is what was good.

People always say remember the good old days

But in reality, there never were any good old days.

We just remember what was good.

We forget that the past had just as much poison as our present

And let our hearts be the filter as the mind sifts away all that was wrong,

Because history is all the proof that we need to see

There has never been such a thing as “the good old days”.

People fight and covet, steal and murder

They make big mistakes, and then they make even bigger mistakes

They enjoy times of good peace in the midst of such stress.

Is that really any different from our world of today?

It’s just unfathomable, yet completely comprehensible, how we forget.

We forget the worst of the past in the midst of the worst of the present

We forget that the past had horrible things too

Because all we see is the discontent we are in at the moment.

But sometimes in that moment we do remember the worst of the past

And all at once our worlds can come crashing down because suddenly we realize

We built fake worlds of Past and Present, and in one step we found the flaw

So now they come crashing down.

You know, the mind has this filter

People are obsessed with pleasure.

It wants to remember what was good

Because deep down

We all have wished that only the good was reality.

In the quicksand of time

The forward march of seconds,

Our memories wind down

Our heartbeats slow

The mind forgets

All but a few.

We remember the good days

Because they were good days.

But I think that’s just a little sad.

How could we even fully know what is good

If bad never existed to show us?

It’s strange how people forget.

November Thanks - for you

I'm thankful for you, and the time you spend on my social media outlets checking my work out (and coming back!) and just being generally really nice. You're awesome. I like you.

Happy Thanksgiving people! 

Thankful for: Music

Who doesn't love or at least like music? It is such a powerful, intoxicating art that can not only evoke every emotion available but recall memories of days long past or simple yesterdays. Music will pull you in, slow the world into a different timezone and invite you to stay awhile. 

Don't tell me that's not at all appealing. 

Because music is so powerful, discernment in choosing what you listen to has a much bigger impact on a person than you may think. Maybe I'll write more about that later. For now, I'll just give you some links to songs I've been enjoying lately.

First up, this:

 

I mean, come on. How can you not appreciate these girls' talent? A Capella at its finest.

Sooner or Later, by Mat Kerney. I've been loving a lot of his songs lately (such wonderful writing and artistry).

He Said by Group 1 Crew is such an uplifting and encouraging track. I personally don't completely agree with all the theology (maybe another future post on that), but the fact that as a Christian, God will always be there for you no matter what is a great and important fact.

And Carol of the Bells by The Piano Guys, because they're crazy, crazy talented and inspiring. Plus Carol of the Bells is just an awesome piece of music.

What have you been listening to and loving lately? Drop me a line or link and I'll check it out!

Waking Up

If you've been following my Instagram and Tumblr you would've seen this photo with the November Thanks hashtag. I had stated, "While an entire country struggles to recover, we sleep on in peace. I'm thankful that I woke up with all that I had yesterday."

This devastation is sadly, very real. The above photo on my computer screen is from USA Today. To say that it's incredibly heartbreaking to see what has been left behind is a gross understatement. It is impossible to imagine what living through such a thing is like if you have spent your life away from such an environment, tucked away in a safe place always with a roof over your head, food in the pantry and only first world problems are your biggest daily annoyance. And yet, there is complaining. Now that's just sad.

However, everyone can be a part of the Philippines recovering. If you want to find out one way, please follow this hyperlink. 

Be thankful. Life is a gift, and life with more then the basic necessities for human survival is an even greater gift.

The Thought of Nostalgia

Nostalgia – “a wistful or excessively sentimental yearning for return to or of some past period or irrecoverable condition.” (Merriam-Webster).

Nostalgia is a fickle thing, but that’s to be expected with emotions. She’s the bittersweet sensation of a happy memory marred by saddening circumstances, the art of loving the past and hating that you’re in the present, never to return. Nostalgia is wistful, but not strictly in that dreamy, happy, mystical state. There’s always going to be that touch of tragic, that one detail that tracks all over the happy state with muddy footprints of sadness to evoke both emotions all at once.

I think it’s worth it – nostalgia, that is. Maybe that’s just the artist in me, I wouldn’t really know. Even though it has to taint a happy memory to exist, it somehow is mostly worth it. If you’ve never truly experienced the way nostalgia wraps you up, pulls you in, slows down time and slowly muddies the joyful life out of you with reality and wishful longing during your remembrance of happier times, then I pity you. Your life must be so boring and uneventful to have never been in the position to experience and remember impactful gain and loss. 

Sometimes, nostalgia will just be there. She doesn’t always give explanations, but sometimes you can figure it out on your own.

Nostalgia is forever walking the line between what we simply call happy and sad. 

What evokes nostalgia for you?

#November Thanks

Someone suggested that we start listing all the things we are thankful for, every day up til Thanksgiving, and I've decided to take it up on all my social media (Pinterest, Facebook, Tumblr and Instagram).

If you want to join in, use the hashtag #NovemberThanks when it counts, and let me know about it so I can check it out!



I'm thankful that ink pens are still in use, and that I have many. In a world where technology is evolving so fast, it's still nice to have little things like ink pens that actually require some muscle work. Even though they can smear, spill, break and not work as quickly as a keyboard, handwriting is an art that everyone can still put to use.

What are you thankful for?


P.S. If you follow me on any of my social media accounts and I haven't followed you back, drop me a line one the most recent post and let me know that you're a follower of the blog and that I should stalk you back.

In Life and Dreams

Sarcastic Monday Smiles

I hate Monday. You probably don't like him either, so let's try to lighten the mood.

You know you are too.

Dude, tell me about it.

Grumpy doesn't ask questions. Grumpy knows.

That way?

And on a more serious note:

P.S. Simply Pixie now has a Pinterest account! You can find all these and more over there. Stalk me and I'll stalk you. K?

She Took a Walk in Autumn

I have nothing especially interesting or clever to tell you guys, so I'll just give you pretty pictures to look at in hopes that that will be satisfactory. I took these on a walk through a gorgeous piece of land tucked away in a place where the seasons all have their own personality and the leaves change colors and fall. To say that it is beautiful is an undeserving understatement, but in reality, nature, God's masterpiece, is truly beyond the comprehension of words. So with that I will simply say: I love nature.

If you've never had the pleasure of smelling freshly crushed evergreen trees, do it when you get the chance. I've actually tried to find a perfume that resembles it but none can compare to the real deal of fresh, sweet, green-spicy, minty cool aroma that floats out of the prickly green leaves when you stop to smell it.

These little summer flowers are some of the last to go. They simply refuse to acknowledge that summer is dying and in light of that reality, so must they.

Now put on your philosopher cap and take something deep out of that (if you can).

From 1,200 Miles Away

Everyone carries something heavy and burdensome with them. Not necessarily physically, but there’s something about carrying something around so mentally draining and heartbreakingly sad that it takes a toll on you physically.

“I remember someone I know…knew, wrote a poem about the ocean. It was beautiful, I loved it. Every time I visited the ocean after reading that poem I always thought of it.” The mid-teens, long haired, slightly awkward girl kicked at the sidewalk as she leaned forward slightly, sitting on her hands as her eyes fixated on the pavement. There wasn't any particular difference in her appearance that day but I'm pretty sure her hair and eyes have become duller and sadder. I went through a quick mental deduction of what could be wrong. Boy problems? Home issues? Parents, siblings? She had just moved into town, maybe she was homesick. It couldn't be any of her friends else I would know, I theorized. But then what do I know? But there was something about the way that she stumbled over the past and present tense of know and knew that made me think that her burden that day was the author of the poem. What had happened, I wondered, but when I asked she declined in-depth reply. “I don’t want to talk about that today,” she had said as she sat back and drew her knees up under her chin.

“That’s fine. We can talk about whatever you feel like talking about today.” Keeping my voice light and friendly was effortless, as it should be. I see it as my job to be clam and approachable so people like her could feel safe and secure about talking to me. 

“Feel.” I hear her mutter with sarcasm under her breath.

“Yes?” I say, pretending not to properly hear.

“The ocean.” She wrapped her arms around her legs and hugged them closer to her, as if to protect herself. “I miss the ocean.”

I nodded my head slightly. “The ocean is a beautiful place.” She was staring off into nowhere.

“It is.”

That was when I saw it. In the question of person, place or thing, it was not a person as I had originally guessed, but a place. From twelve hundred miles away the place she called home is calling her name, but the most heartbreaking thing for her is that it’s a call she can’t answer.