Changing Tides

Female Jockey Interview with Chris Forbes

2011-03-09T15:47:00.000-08:00

1) FOTH: Where were you born, and what states did you grow up in?

Hi Chris, I was conceived in IL, born in Wilmington, DE, raised in two cities there, and then we moved to Cape Hatteras, NC when I was 12, where my parents bought a seafood restaurant named The General Billy Mitchell. At 15, we moved outside of Charleston, SC to an island called Isle of Palms.

At 17, I left home and moved back to Cape Hatteras, but after the summer, I headed to the west coast for my first cross-country adventure. My friend Sharon and I, along with our dogs, drove in my 1969 VW to Sausalito, CA where my sister was living.

It was there that I was first introduced to the world of Thoroughbred racing, and got a job as a hot walker at Santa Anita Race Track.

Since growing up is a life-long process, I'm still moving to, and living in various states, but to date, those states would include: DE, NC, SC, CA, NY, FL, MI, AZ, HI, NJ, LA, NM. I've also lived in numerous cities within those states, as well as traveled to and stayed in various other states and countries.
　　
2) FOTH: What sort of girl were you growing up (e.g., shy, tomboy, outspoken, class clown, most liked etc.), and what size family did you come from?

Growing up as the baby of five, I was always by myself. My sisters (identical twins) shared a bedroom, as did my brothers. While in elementary school, I would have to say that I was a shy-tomboy, who followed the crowd, and by no means was I ever a "most popular" kid in school. I was typically picked on for being so small, and my northeastern accent was a topic of ridicule for the Delawarean "snob girls" in my class. Children raised to think that they are better then all the others, when in fact, we were all just middle classers.

By the time I hit around 24 years of age (approximately 1982), I guess I'd have to say that I was truly beginning to come "into" myself and become my own person. At this turning point in my life, I was really starting to stand my ground, carry though on my own analytical decisions, and NOT be swayed by the assertive voices of all those that came into my life. I was learning how to use my brain, and apply inductive and deductive reasoning to the data and choices before me.

Meanwhile, that being said, having gotten on the Race Track at 17, with only a high school diploma, I really was quite ignorant about so many things. But, the tomboy in me grabbed a hold of the challenge to become a female athlete, in a male dominated sport. Despite the sarcastic, male responses to my statement that I was going to be a jockey one day, I pressed forward with determination. Mind you, I was at Santa Anita in the mid 1970's, where the weather is to die for, and the racing is of the highest caliber, as is the money, so of course the men try to intimidate females seeking to take a piece of "their" pie, from doing so.

3) FOTH: What was it that started a love of the horses in your heart, and at what age? At what age were you first exposed to the racing industry? Were any family members on the track before you, and if so, did they help you get established?

Ever since I was about 8 yrs. old, I use to go riding at Fred's Riding Stable, in Delaware, or maybe Pennsylvania, for $2.00 an hour, with my friends Susan and Vicki. Of course, I was still very insecure about myself then, so being that I didn't think I knew what I was doing, I always opted to ride bareback. I was under the mistaken notion that only good riders could use a saddle, so I rode without one. Little did I know that I was developing a great seat, hands, balance and core body strength that would really benefit me professionally, some 12 yrs. forward from that point in time.

At the age of 16, living outside of Charleston, SC, I bought my first horse, however, it wasn't really a horse, but a pony. Not knowing the difference at that point, but still thinking that being small I needed a small horse, I quickly learned that giant can be gentle, and small can be really stubborn!

I immediately returned the pony to the previous owner (as we had that agreement beforehand), got my $60.00 back, and bought a real horse, a Quarter Horse, for $125.00 from a friend who was also going to teach me how to ride. Now this was back in 1974, so prices were quite different then.

My horse's name was Colorado Blue and he was magnificent. I learned how to break my first young horse using western tack and western technique. By 1976, I graduated from high school, and moved back to NC, taking my stud with me (I hadn't yet learned that owning a blossoming stallion could present problems I wasn't equipped to handle). When I realized that living on my own without proper facility to stable my horse, was a major problem, I called my blacksmith in SC to come an get my horse for me, and take him back to SC. He came, got him, and I went on my first cross-country venture to CA, where I'd be introduced to the racing industry.

I was 17 yrs. old when my friend Sharon and I arrived in CA. Needing work to survive, I gained employment at a fancy restaurant named Richardson's Water Works in Sausalito, right on the water. Being that I grew up in the business, when they became short staffed in the kitchen, they called me in off the floor to help. As a good prep-cook I liked my knives sharp. While I was chopping carrots, real fast, somebody opened a can of Ketchup using the can opener hooked to that table, and as they swung the lever down and around, it shifted the table just as I threw my knife down. Needless to say, I cut the top of my finger wide open and blood went everywhere.

A week or so later, I was invited to a black tie event for East-West Leather. While there, one of the crowd bumped into my finger and it broke open bleeding all down my arm. It was a "gambler" who noticed my plight, and immediately came to my aid. As he doctored my wound, he took note of how small I was, and told me that I should become a jockey. Not knowing at that time, that I had had a great uncle who had trained racehorses for the DuPont stables, and at Yonkers, I had no idea about what racing entailed at all. I didn't know that there were multiple races per card, multiple jockeys per race, or racing conditions. I didn't know that there were trainers, or owners, or tons of race tracks throughout the world, nor that one would travel with the meets. This new person in my life, the gambler, would change all that for me though. That night he invited me to attend the races at Bay Meadows with him the next day, so I went. He introduced me to his good friends in the business, who happened to be trainer Bobby Frankel and jockeys Willie Shoemaker, Laffit Pincay, and Francisco "Paco" Mena, who were there to run in, and ride the feature Handicap.

The "gambler" gambled that I would become a jockey and paid to fly me to Beverly Hills, CA, to go to the races with him at Santa Anita. Once there, I tapped in on the racing connections I had met at Bay Meadows, and called Paco to get me onto the track.

While I still lacked the knowledge of previous family in the business at that point, it was Bobby and Paco who would help me to gain entry onto the racetrack at Santa Anita, and settled into my first job as a hot walker for trainer Roger Clapp of Three Rings Ranch. I had no idea how significant and prestigious the connection to these figures was, or how very successful and iconic they were.

4) FOTH: What do you remember about the first time you saw a live horse race and where was it?

As I mentioned earlier, the first live races I ever saw were at Bay Meadows, in northern CA. My first impression was that it all seemed so surreal. Watching these little tiny guys in funny attire, especially on the monitor, was very dreamlike. The horses were beautiful, and so full of vigor that I immediately had a connection to them, but the concept of "working" as a job, being a "jockey" was a hard concept to embrace initially. At that point, I didn't know about racing conditions or purses, or percentages or anything. I was just kind of going with the flow as my life and personality were beginning to take form.
　
5) FOTH: What was your first job on the racetrack, and what track was it at? What do you remember about the experience?

My first job was as a hot walker for Roger Clapp, trainer for Connie M. Ring, the granddame of southern CA racing. Roger gave me a cot to sleep on, a tack room to live in with 3 other girls, and my pay resulted in $98 dollars, after taxes, for 2 weeks of work. It was a top notch, class outfit to learn from. While I had no money for food those first 2 weeks, I was and am a vegetarian, and Roger fed all his horses high quality feed, organic carrots and honey, raisins, hot bran mash, and vinegar, nightly. While stirring the feed to set it, I'd lick off my hands, and boy did that taste good. Therefore, I was NOT without food. I ate hot mash daily(as we also had a Sparklettes water machine with a hot water tap, which was way ahead of the times), along with lots of coffee, which Roger also provided. Seeing Robyn Smith and Mary Bacon at the track also proved very inspirational. Robyn rode for the outfit on the backside of our barn, so I use to see her in all her class and elegance, daily.

I loved living in the barn, I loved taking naps in my tack room, and I loved watching the little mice scurry about in the dim lighting of the late night. I loved the sounds and smells of the horses, and I especially loved rising at 4 a.m. to tend to the horses. There is nothing like living in a barn with the animals. One day I'm going to build my house in such a way as to have my horse and goats, dogs, cats and all, living side by side with me, all readily accessible.

6) FOTH: What experience inspired you to give serious consideration to becoming a professional female jockey in a male dominated sport?

I vividly remember working one day, at The Isle of Palms Restaurant, on Isle of Palms, SC, and thinking to myself that one day I was going to find a job that was outside, worked with animals, and paid good. I wasn't sure what that would be, but when I was introduced to the racetrack, and then learned what kind of wage a jockey had the potential to earn, there was no more question as to what I planned on becoming. I didn't even allow doubts of there ever being any successful female jockeys, to cloud my vision. There were lots of nay-sayers, but I was and am a "see the glass half full" kind of person, so I never allowed those negative thoughts to have any power over me. "Optimism" has always been one of my favorite words.

What I did consider though, was that statistically, women were being received as professional athletes and deemed credible, much more frequently on the East coast, and at the tracks where the weather was often cold, wet, rainy and snowy. With this new knowledge, I made hast to drive to NY and check out The Big Apple! :o)
　
7) FOTH: Who all would you give credit to as the source of your so called, "leg up" into racing?

Number one would be the Lord God for gifting me with talents, abilities and fearlessness. Then, my parents for instilling within me an indomitable spirit. Of course the chance meeting with the "gambler" set it all in motion. Bobby Frankel, The Shoe, Laffit, Paco, and without a doubt, Roger Clapp. As for my first literal leg up, onto a race horse, it would have to go to trainer Bruce Headley. Bruce was stabled out at Santa Anita and would let me and my dear friend (now a retired jockey as well), Jeannie Hellem, to jog his horses in the shedrow at around 3 a.m.

From there, it would be Tony Everard, of the former Another Episode Farm, in Ocala, who gave me my first opportunity to break babies and truly learn how to ride. While Mike Falzone let me groom his 7 head, gallop and walk them too, before going to the farm to break babies, it was at the farm that the best foundation for riding technique was developed and refined.

It was trainer John Foggiano who was going to name me on a horse at Hazel Park, in 1979 and make me a jockey. Unfortunately, the week I was to get my license, after finishing 4th in both of the training races for the Stewards, a baby flipped on the cement crosswalk with me while going onto the track, and broke my arm. I then left Michigan and moved back to hot Florida, where the horses were less fractious as I rehabbed, and it wasn't until 1981 that I got my next opportunity. Jockey Sheila McKenna hooked me up with her trainer when she was leaving to ride in Japan, and trainer Ralph MacFarlane named me on my first mount.

Once racing, but still in need of that break that would get me on live horses, it was trainer Mary Hodge that put me on my winners that would get my bug ticking and guarantee me a very successful meet at Tampa Bay Downs in 1984 & 1985.

Trainer Joey Orseno also gave my career a boost when he rode me on a few winners at Atlantic City, Philadelphia Park, and Monmouth. There were plenty of others that played an important role in my successes, but then again, everybody that touches our lives for both the good and the bad, plays an important role, so really, everybody is important.
　
8) FOTH: Did anybody teach you how to ride, or did you learn a lot on your own, or was it a combination of both?

Yes, I'd say it was a combination of both because, "nature and nurture" or should I say, one's environment and one's genetics are both key elements that determine an outcome. From my childhood days of dance training (ballet, tap, acrobatics, gymnastics, and jazz), to riding bareback at Fred's stable, the right combination of "elements" was fashioned for shaping my riding abilities. Add in martial arts (for balance and mind control), and being one that refuses to quit, combined with being in the right place at the right time, and making the right connections to network and mentor me along the way, and success becomes a reality. The caliber of trainers and jockeys back then, as I traveled nationwide, was phenomenal. Just like "iron sharpens iron," when you hang with world class athletes, you can't help but to become like image to some degree.

Which is another good reason why one should avoid racing at the levels of the cheap claimer dregs, or even the fair circuits, as the cheaper the tracks, the cheaper the purses, the cheaper the horses, and the cheaper the horseman and tactics. Predominately, "cheap" will get you killed.

However, when galloping for, and learning from trainers like Charlie Whittingham, Johnny Longden, Laz, Larry and Albert Barrera, Bruce Headley, Cycil Jolly, Bill Mott, Henry Moreno, Eddie Gregson, Roger Clapp, Chuck Taliaferro, Keith Stukey, Richard Mandella, Frank Gomez, and the like, one can't help but to come away from the interaction as a more educated horsemen. Education is the key to success.
　
9) FOTH: Tell me what you remember about your 1st race.

My first race was on the twelfth day of the Calder meet, Monday, June 15, 1981. The race was a 6 furlong, $4,000. dollar claimer and I was named on Vergulf, tacking 107 lbs. with my 10 pound bug, for Ralph MacFarlane, at 12/1. The conditions of the race were for three year olds and upward. Three-year-olds, 116 lbs. Older, 123 lbs. Non-winners of two races since April 18 allowed 2 lbs.; two races since April 1, 4 lbs.; a race since June 1, 6 lbs.

Needless to say, my horse hadn't won a race in ages, and with "Kostir" (my name spelled incorrectly in the program), the 10 lb. bug aboard, we were in light.

It was an 11 horse field, I was in the 3 hole, I finished 9th, and got beat 15 lengths for win. The good news was that I wasn't dead last, I stayed out of everybody's way, and finished safely. Plus, we still managed to finish 8 lengths ahead of the last horse in the field.

Now, here is what I remember that hot, June day in Florida, riding my first race on an Argentinean horse that neck reined. From the moment I got into the Jock's room and got undressed from my street clothes, and then put on my bright yellow silks, I worried about rolling the rubber bands on my sleeves correctly. Then, I worried about hearing the call to go out to the paddock. Then I worried about whether or not my valet would remember to take my stick out to the paddock for me. But once I finally got out into the paddock and heard the call for "riders up", I worried about nothing, until I actually got legged up onto my horse.

Being that my saddle weighed a pound and a half rigged, my feeling was that there was nothing between me and my horse, and the stirrups sure were tiny. My pants felt very slippery atop that polished naugahyde leather, I felt naked, and while my head whirled with "Wow, how am I ever going to make it around the track in this tack, let alone out of the gate," the need to warm up my horse took over and all other thoughts were pushed aside. I didn't have time to worry any longer.　

10) FOTH: Tell us all about your 1st win. Was it an incredible experience?

My first win was ridden during the Tropical at Calder meet, on Thursday, November 26, 1981, Thanksgiving Day, and it was the fourth race on the card, and my 23rd mount. Good ole Ralph MacFarlane legged me up on 5 yr. old Tayyar, a 17.2 hand French bred gelding of 1976, by Ridan, out of Shahla, who absolutely would not let even the biggest of male riders gallop him (he always ran off with them), nor would he run for anybody in the afternoon. He was a total morning glory and his racing record was horrible, hence why we were listed with odds of 20/1, but went off at 32/1. We paid $64.00 for every $2.00 ticket to win, beating the favorite, ridden by Alfredo Smith by the hair on my horse's nose. Alfredo claimed a bogus foul against me, though we were miles apart throughout the race, which the Stewards disallowed.

The race conditions, for the 7 furlong race, were for 3 yr. olds and upward. Three yr. olds, 121 lbs.; Older, 122 lbs. Non-winners of 2 races since Oct. 31st allowed 3 lbs.; 2 races since Sept. 22, 5 lbs.; a race since Nov. 6, 8 lbs. Claiming price $4,000. Being that my horse was older, he was assigned 122 lbs. Being that he hadn't won a race since the cows jumped over the moon, he got all the weight allowances. With me, a 10 lb. bug on him, his new weight to carry became 104! Yeah, that meant that I weighed no more then 102 lbs., but I think I was actually under 100 lbs.

As mentioned, Tayyar's way of training was to run off with his exercise riders, though because I would stand straight up on him at the end of the knot, and drop his head, he use to gallop like a gentleman for me, and Ralph thought that was just so great. To pull up, I'd verbally command him to "whoa". Now the trick with this horse, when attempting to breeze him, was to make him think he was running off with you. So, I would gallop him as usual but as we neared our pole to break at, I'd drop my hands down on his neck real fast, as if I'd dropped the reins and needed to gather them up again. He'd feel me squirm, and take off running. The more I reached for the reins, the faster he'd run. After a few months of doing this, Ralph figured him ready to run, and surely he was.

The field was big with 11 horses, and I was on the #1. I don't really remember much about the race from start to turning for home, however, I do recall that as I approached the 1/8 pole, it was time to start making my horse think he was running off with me. Being that I was so well conditioned myself to do this from the morning workouts, the fact that I was suddenly on the lead in a race didn't register with me, until Red Drifter, the favorite with Alfredo, came flying up on the outside. That's when I realized that I needed to throw a cross and get to race riding.

However, due to being green and totally in shock about this potential win looking like it was going to be snatched away from me, I panicked and rather then picking my horse's head up, I just flailed as my reins dangled. With my horse honestly feeling me in a state of panic, he opted to take control of the situation and run!!! This is where the truth of "getting out of the horse's way" is legitimized. Unfortunately, while Tayyar graciously assured me of my very first victory, or should I say "his" victory, the more technique I learned as a rider, the more impossible it was for me to duplicate that winning state of panic in starts on him thereafter. While we retained an excellent relationship as a team during morning workouts, his purpose within himself, as the captain of my ship, had been completed.

Looking back on the program from that race, I now see that Tuesdee Testa, a former female rider from the 1960's, who later became a trainer, also had a horse in that race picked to finish 2nd, though he did not. My fellow riders consisted of: Gonzalo Prosper, Eloy Fuentes, Patrick Brown, Mary L. Russ, Odin Londono, Luis Suarez, Steve Gaffalione, Frank Pennisi, Jorge Guerra, and Alfredo Smith, Jr.

It was my valet, Jerry Santage, later to become Sheila McKenna's husband, along with Stevie Gaffalione and my good friend and mentor, Mary L. Russ who implemented the rites of initiation and doused me with water and eggs upon my return to the Jock's Room. Jean Rafferty, who later married David Ashcroft, was the photographer who captured the award winning picture of the event.

11) FOTH: How long did you end up riding for, beginning when and where, and concluding when and where?

I was supposed to get my jock's license in 1979 at Hazel Park in Michigan for John Foggiano, however due to a baby flipping on me on the cement crosswalk, and breaking my arm when he stood on me to get up, my next chance to be entered into a race didn't come until 2 yrs. later at Calder Race Course, in 1981. I ended up riding professionally from 1981 through 1986, and concluded my career by choice, at Santa Fe Downs, in Santa Fe, NM. From that point on, I packed my dog Astro, a few belongings and myself, into my truck, and we all shipped to the Hawaiian Islands, where I ended up exercising Polo Ponies on the nude beach situated on the North Shore of Oahu.
　
12) FOTH: What led to your retiring? When you rode your last race, did you know at that time that it was your last race? Do you still have any of your tack?

Numerous injuries, concussions, and spills which typically landed me in the hospital for a barrage of tests, and bed rest, put worry into the heart of my Mom and siblings, who feared for my life and requested me to stop riding. While they were all very proud of me, and proud to claim that their sister was a professional jockey, nonetheless, they also wanted me to be alive and not dead, so this factor led to my retirement. In 1985, after a horse I was exercising one morning at Finger Lakes, spooked while backtracking, bucked me off and then kicked me in the head before departing, left me totally amnesic and with severe brain trauma, my Mom and sister Niki invited me to take a Hawaiian vacation with them while my brain healed. While I was on the Hawaiian Islands with family, the joy of that camaraderie really set in. It was at that time that my family and I fashioned a plan for me to get off the racetrack for good by moving far, far away from any possibility of an easy return, so, we all decided to move to Hawaii together.

In 1985 I started my trek towards the Pacific coast by moving to Santa Fe, NM first. My sisters were both living there, and since Niki was also planning on moving to Hawaii with us, she and I could depart together. Unfortunately, by the time Sept. of 1986 came around, she had decided to stay on the mainland, so me and my dog Astro (see the photo by Tom Cooley, that won him runner up status in Purina's "Great American Dog contest twice: `85 for NY, `86 for NM [photo by me]) traveled to the shipping docks of Los Angeles to fly to Hawaii alone, but to meet up with my Mother, who had left Arizona to move to the Islands.

When I rode my last race, I did indeed know it. I think it was on one of my most favorite horses, Majestic Lake, for Rolland Hoenburg, at Santa Fe Downs. After the race, as I was packing my tack to take it out of the Jock's Room, I sold my 1 1/2 lb. saddle to Louis Figueroa, for $50.00. It was a really comfortable saddle that I bought from a jock named Mike Peace. I now wish I'd have kept it just as a wall mount, but I do still have all my other saddles, helmets, whips and tack, and they mostly just reside in the closet anyway, so no sense in having more useless stuff unless I plan on eBaying it one day.
　
13) FOTH: During the time period that you rode, do you think that you were treated fairly by male trainers, owners, and other male jockeys? If not, could you elaborate on a few circumstances and what you came to believe was the biggest stumbling block for them, in their viewing you on a professional level, and treating you with the same respect as your male counterpart?

You know Chris, that was so long ago, and I'm such a "press forward" person, that I really have to dig into the recesses of my mind to recall the times and answer this question honestly. The long and short of it would be, "no, I was not treated fairly", as without a doubt, my being a young, assertive female, with hip length blond hair, a tight body, and good form on a horse, totally rendered the mind of the male during the `70's (be it trainer, owner or jockey, though mostly trainer) inoperable. Unfortunately, it is true that we women are predominately emotional creatures, whereas men are physical. I think that the "other brain" of men was the biggest stumbling block to my successes during my career.

Examples of this conclusion would be best answered with a few quotes from the trainers, coast to coast mind you, when I'd walk into the barns to introduce myself to them as a jockey, in hopes of gaining clientele:

"I got something for you to ride." (Lots of snide laughing)

"You can get down on this." (Gesturing to their own bodies)

"I don't ride no girls." (Which I always appreciated hearing straight up, rather then wasting my time.)

"Meet me at my barn later, and bring your boots and whip." (Total perverts)

"Come spend the weekend with me at the Keys on my yacht, and we'll talk about mounts." (Right!!!)

"I need a boy who can handle a big whip." (My whip was the stoutest, old-timer hand-crafted whip in the jocks room! LOL)

"This colt needs a strong, male jock to handle it." (Like strength was the reasoning factor of the mind??? NOT!)

"Don't you want to get married?"

"Shouldn't you be home having babies?"

14) FOTH: What would you classify as your best and worst experience as a jockey?

I think my best experience as a jockey, was simply working from the ground up to become one, and then persevering over the years, despite injuries that took me out of the running, to actually see my dreams realized. Being a well trained athlete is like becoming a well honed machine. Nothing like hitting on all cylinders and purring like a kitten in the process. One gains self confidence, respect, physical fitness, identity, stardom, travel experiences, financial freedom, and notoriety. What more could one ask for?

The worst experiences as a jockey would have to be my witnessing horses breaking down during races or under me, loosing their limbs, having a heart attack during a race, or being lacerated and impaled by the rail. Death is never pretty and I have a number of these horrid stories too, as well as photographs.
　
15) FOTH: If a young girl came to you, wanting to become a jockey, how would you instruct her to proceed? Are you mentoring young ladies now, be it your own children, or maybe through electronic communications with girls that have attended schools like, Frankie Lovato's Jockey Camp?

I would teach the same way I was taught, and that's "old school". I believe that male and female alike need to start from the bottom up, learn as a hot walker how to handle a horse's various mindsets on lead, then become a groom, learn tack, equine anatomy, and run bandages correctly, as well muck a stall (shaving and straw) in timely fashion. Learn how to level a shedrow. Setting feed and giving medications is way important, and well maintained feet are critical.

I believe that if an aspiring jockey is too cocky, they need to stay on a wheelbarrow until they get over themselves. When a person becomes a well rounded horsemen/woman, they typically make good riders as well. Plus, when the body is no longer able to ride races, well educated horsemen/women make good trainers too. There are a few young gals that I dialog with about their becoming jockeys, and I advise them to get to any equine facility in their area, and depending on their ages and parental consent, do volunteer work on the ground, as much as is possible. Help the Blacksmith, Vet and Chiropractor. When they have graduated from high school, then they can move away from home to either a racing farm, or racetrack, and apply their skills as they advance up the ladder to success. While on a farm, seek to learn about breeding, the breeding shed, mares and foals, and vaccinating.

Learn how to unload a truck full of 50 lb. bags of grain, work hard, don't complain, go to bed early, and don't be a partier.

Of course, my advise is to follow the path that I did, which is leave the track after hot walking, grooming, & ponying horses, to break babies at a racing farm for a season before heading back to the racetrack to become an exercise rider and then later, jockey.

Finally, don't sell out or compromise your morals, character or integrity for a promise to ride you "if" you do a favor for the trainer. Talk is cheap, but taking the low road to success will haunt you the rest of your life. If a trainer won't ride you for your abilities as a horsewoman, then forget it all together. It's not worth it.

16) FOTH: Do you think that a female rider will ever win all three of the Triple Crown races consecutively?

Of course I do. Just like we still wait for the next Triple Crown winning horse, ever since Affirmed (see my picture) in 1978, it's just a matter of time before the Lord rises up a female jockey to be the "first" rider of said horse. And what an earth shattering, ground breaking day that will be! :o) Hallelujah.
　
17) FOTH: What are your thoughts on what Pimlico did last year (May 14, 2010) with the "retired female rider" Lady Legend's Race?

Well, I was associated with Jason Neff long before all the details of that race were solidified, and Jason's idea, back before "The Living Legends Race" out in CA, where Julie Krone also rode, was certainly novel.

Given that Pimlico was the only track to give serious consideration to Jason's idea, I applaud them for that, however, I was bit confused at the billing "pioneer female jockeys" when in fact, there was only one, Barbara Jo Rubin, from the mid 1960's in the race, and others gained their successes during the time that I rode in the late `70's and `80's, or even beyond. This of course, reeks of a political alignment and double standard.

Being that I head up the Facebook group, *Female Jockeys*, and through research, know that the "true" pioneer female riders rode and won against men as early as 1906, and Wantha Davis was beating the likes of Johnny Longden at "recognized, pari-mutuel" racetracks in 1950, then the terminology applied to an era that was overflowing with change, while exciting, was incorrect. The 1960s saw a lot change, and female jockeys made real headway during that ripe time frame. However, they were not really the pioneers in the truest sense.

As for Pimlico now planning on running the "The Lady Legends Race 2" (which seems like a high-jacking of Jason's original idea), it nullifies the "Jock" movie quote, "...for one last ride...".

In my opinion, if Pimlico wanted to capitalize on the monetary momentum the first race created, they would reached a much larger audience if they had of billed a whole new set of retired female riders, who other fans identified with. They could still have the first group there to sign autographs and mingle, but the fan base would have grown exponentially if they brought in new blood. Sales would soar, but I think this now "annual" race is going to stagnate.

Had they have solicited riders like Jeannie Maxwell Richardson, and Donna Hillman Walsh, Julie Krone, Vicky Baze, Kathy Kusner, Maryann Alligood, Abby Fuller, and others from coast to coast, I think new blood would have brought new money and a heightened interest in racing.

18) FOTH: If you could change a few things about the professional sport of horse racing, what changes would you make?

I think there are 2 elements that have helped to destroy racing and racing farms all over the country.

One is over breeding anything with sperm and a womb, without consideration to Pedigree or genetics, simply to be in the game. The game that use to really be "the Sport of Kings" has turned into a joke with all the syndication making completely uneducated novices into owners and trainers.

We now have such an over saturation of horses all across the country that the majestic Thoroughbreds, greatly misunderstood by the masses, are being literally starved and dehydrated, and dying grizzly deaths alone in fields because they have become too expensive for the so called owners to care for until they live out their natural lives. Mankind made this mess out of a greedy heart, and the animals are now suffering. They are God's awesome creation, living creatures with feelings, and not commodities, any more then we females are "man's" commodities, and our patriarchal society needs a wakeup call.

Two, is the human fixation on speed. Speed wins races but on the fragile ankles of 1,000 lb. horses, speed kills. Here, I'd like to cite a poem I came upon years ago by Valentine McCreedy called, "Oblivion":

Dropped upon blue grass in happier days
Spindly of leg with wild young ways
Ebony black and a patch of white
Romped and frolicked from morn 'till night,

His soulful eyes sang a silent song.
To which courage and heart in lyric poetry belong.
They took him to the races 'cause he was born to run,
Raced him and raced him in the afternoon sun.

They tested his courage and tore at his heart;
Those human cash registers gave him start after start.
They swelled his ankles, they crippled his legs,
And hastened him down to the cheap claimer dregs.

'Twas at a bush track that it came to a halt,
You be the judge as to whom was at fault.
He had beaten the gate in that daily double race,
Zoomed to the lead and was setting the pace,

When the sickening snap of shattering bone
Drew from the crowd a tumultuous groan,
With broken leg dangling,
Pressed forward and on

'Till he raced right in…to oblivion.

by Valentine McCreedy

19) FOTH: Looking back over your career, was becoming a jockey easier or harder then you thought it was going to be? What obstacles did you have to overcome, and over what span of time?

Hum, I guess it was harder, as when circumstances detoured my racing start in 1979, such as the gender conflicts, broken bones, the need to travel all across the country in search of that one or in my case 2 trainers that would give me serious consideration to take out a jocks license, I hadn't considered the time such adversities would require from the beginning.

This of course was a good thing, as if I'd have known the future before it happened, I may well have chosen a different career path. Not knowing the long road before me, not only allowed me to chip away at the stepping stones one by one, but the adversity built, sculpted and shaped me into a horsewoman of character. Like diamonds, one will not be made into a gem without both the refiner's fire, lots of pressure, and time.
　
20) FOTH: Can you elaborate on any of the spills you've been in during races? What injuries did you incur throughout your career, and what was the worst one?

My first spill in a race was at Calder in 1981, when a filly I was on stumbled out of the gate, hard to one side, and unseated me in the chute. What a drag to watch the field run away from me as I stood there.

Aside from the whack in the head by a horse's head, broken fingers, toes, spinal nerve impingement, getting bucked off, or having a horse flip on you, the first big spill I had was at Fairgrounds Race Track in Louisiana, in 1982. I was riding an Allowance feature on a horse by the name of To Tall Tara, for owner Don Huffman. I forget the trainer's name, but an article says that it was a 6 furlong Turf race for 12, 3 yr. old fillies, and I was in with 107 lbs. All I recall is thinking that as we turned for home, I was going to win the race. Then I hours later I woke up in the hospital and when I was able to watch the rerun, it turns out that a horse bolted off the inside rail in front of my horse, and we clipped heels. It was only by supernatural intervention that my entire pelvis wasn't crushed, as I was unconscious on the turf, spread eagle, as she was fully extended and placing her front feet atop my pelvis, miraculously, they were moved to the side of my left hip. There was no earthly way she could have moved herself. Anyway, it took me weeks to get over the vertigo of a severe concussion.

At Atlantic City, in 1984, there were two instances that really cost me, given that in the first 2 weeks of the meet I was listed as leading rider with 7 or so wins, and a proportional amount of seconds and thirds.

One night I'd won the daily double, and then had to ride a 30/1 longshot that my agent allowed me to be named on, given that I rode the Auwater's outfit, and had to take the bad with the good I was told. Well, Adrian's Pie was what I know now to have been a Down Syndrome horse. The father and son operation either did not know what the other was doing, or intentionally put me on this speedster thinking he'd run off with me, win and pay a hefty price.

Adrian's Pie was in the 8 hole, broke on top, bolted to about the 15 hole, and despite my best efforts to pull him up or stop him, he still finished 3rd, and then propped and wheeled in the clubhouse turn when he saw the gate moving in the 3/4 chute. This sprained both of my hips, and tore the ligaments in my right ankle. I also suffered whiplash and a fractured coccyx. For the next two nights of the overnight, 7 of my horses won, and 5 finished second being beat a nose. I was utterly devastated to say the least. My title was denied me all because of some really foolish decision to ride me on a retarded horse.

The next incident involved me being put over the rail during the running of another turf race, where the extension rail was up, by another female rider. I thought that I was going to win that one too, and this time I was on the horse Sanin's Town, the one that I lost my outfit to the Hodges for, having been beaten by a nose by my then boyfriend, who use to be his rider, but I gained his mount (and other outfits) when he was late arriving to AC. My horse was seriously cut up from the goose neck pads lacerating his shoulder, chest and legs, and took about 6 of us several hours to assist in him being stitched back up. He never regained his form due to the extensive nature of his injuries. Trainer Earl Skeldon did have another horse I won on for him though, a horse by the name of General Nate, who went off at 125/1 and paid $255. for every $2. win ticket.

Finally, the most severe riding accident happened 16 yrs. after I'd first retired from the racing industry, and was back to being a breeze rider for Adena Springs South, at their farm in Ocala, FL for 3 yrs.

On March 13, 2005, while riding in the 2 yr. olds in training Breeze Show, being filmed by Adena Springs South, in Williston, FL, a filly I was instructed to get on [who I'd never been on previously] went through the outside rail of the turf course [due to having a previously undiagnosed fractured pelvis herself and unable to negotiate the turns at high speeds], in attempt to get back to the dirt course where she was accustom to pulling up on, and going back the security of her stall, and she catapulted me into the 3/4 pole in the process at approximately 44 mph.

I remember going from Technicolor [red and white pole against a blue sky] to pitch black, and communing with God. Like the Apostle Paul, I departed my body and was aware that "this was it," "this was really bad," "this really hurts," and there was an awareness that my Mom still needed somebody to take care of her. Then I regained consciousness and was almost 10 feet from the pole, and closer to the middle of the track. Little did I know, that 1 yr. later my Mom would be diagnosed with breast cancer, and pass on two months after a needle biopsy.

Meanwhile, in the process of trying to remove me from the racetrack, that could not sustain the weight of an emergency vehicle on the slope to the chute, due to the faulty design of the track, I went into shock from the 90 minute ordeal. This further complicated the stabilization of vitals. They finally had to load me on a gurney into the back of a farm pickup truck in order to get me down off of the track and into the EMS wagon.

Due to the extensive nature of my injuries, the EMS wagon transported me to Shands Hospital in Gainesville initially, where they misdiagnosed all my injuries. With the assistance of 8 different types of medical specialists, 3 surgeries and years of rehab, over a period of 3 years, they discovered both internal and external injuries to the joints which have resulted in arthritis and other limitations. The catalog of injuries follows:

The soft tissue injuries to the lower left extremity involving ligament tears are:

1. Medial Lateral Collateral Ligament

2. Posterior Cruciate Ligament

Injuries sustained to the right Sacroiliac region resulted in tears to the following muscles:

1. Gluteus Medius

2. Quadratus Lumborum

3. Periformis

X-rays, CT scans, multiple MRI's and a brain scan revealed several broken bones involving:

1. Left medial malleolus fracture [ankle joint] which needed to be surgically wired and pinned

2. Left knee fracture with a 3.5 cm osteochondral lesion, which required surgery and still has a lesion non-repairable.

3. Left tibial fracture

Closed head injuries:

1. Concussion

2. Brain trauma

3. Brain Stem injury

4. Migraine syndrome

5. Vertigo

6. Speech delay, causing stammering and stuttering

7. Memory problems

Soft tissue injuries to the Spinal column:

1. A sprained neck

2. 2 herniated disks at C5-6, C6-7 [impinging upon the spinal cord] which required a 2 disk, anterior discectomy fusion [2 pieces of cadaver bone inserted, 2 plates, and 8 screws]

3. Numbness and occasional paralysis of the right arm

4. A herniation at L2-3 and 2 bulging disks at L3-4 and L4-5 [impinging upon the spinal cord], resulting in numbness radiating down the right leg, all of which required 30 days of extensive traction through VAX-D

Additional injuries include:

1. A massive18 inch long by 10 inch wide hematoma of the lateral left thigh and hip (the photos show the extent of the flesh wound and bleeding)

2. 7 broken teeth which needed to be crowned and 2 extracted (damaging my smile)

3. Jaw damage to the Tempormandibular Joint

4. Inflamed upper right Trapezius

5. Right shoulder damage to the scapula and rotator cuff

6. Nerve damage to the right elbow

7. Chronic pain to the occiput

8. Adverse reactions to pharmaceuticals for treatment [inciting more fear of further treatment]

9. Vocational dysfunction requiring retraining

Where I was once proficiently articulate before the accident, due to the head injuries, I struggled to communicate effectively [but praise be to God alone, almost 6 yrs. later (now 2011), I'm almost back to the me I once was]. However, due to this vast array of injuries, I have been medically forbidden from continuing in my riding profession and had to seek State assistance in being retrained in a new vocation [now a Paralegal]. My rotator cuff injury, cervical fusion, lumbar herniation and femoral lesion prevent or limit me from certain aspects of swimming, biking and running, due to aggravation causing pain.

Regardless of the permanent nature of some of the injuries I sustained, we all have the choice of either laying down and dying, or getting up and embracing life. I chose life and press forward.

Today, I'm unstoppable and hustle around like those half my age. Core muscle strength is good, I cut grass, dig ditches, fix fences, haul and unload hay, grain, and do other things associated with running a 5 acre farm, such as trimming the hooves of my 250 lb. goats, tending my horse, Herz Koenig, and being a slave to my 3 dogs, 4 cats and a very vocal bird too! Life is good, but God, the Great Physician alone gets the glory. He is great.
　
21) FOTH: What are you doing with your life nowadays, after retirement, and what part do racing or racehorses play in your life after-the-fact?

Chris, presently I reside in the Ocala region of FL, am a farm owner, and mother to 11 animals, one of which is a race horse that Adena allowed me to adopt from them. Herz Koenig was one of those 2 yr. olds that was known to be a real bad-ass. This information was kept from me when I (as a retired jockey) went to work for the barn he trained out of. Little did I know then, that Herz's rider was a 175 lb. guy accustom to his cantankerous ways. Just like the stereotypical "racetracker mentality", they figured that I could find out what he was like on my own.

Well, again, praise God, as Herz and I related to each other in love, and he never was a problem source for me. After he shipped to Dickie Small in MD, Small sent him back to Adena after 3, 6 furlong starts, saying the horse didn't want to be a race horse.

The farm trainer at that time was Danny Vella and his niece by marriage, Jenna, who was instructed to get on Hertz out in the paddock to see if he'd make a good pony horse for Frank Stronach's granddaughter. Well, Hertzy bucked Jenna off in the paddock and then proceeded to chase her around the paddock, scaring her to death. It was then decided that he might not make a good horse for a 12 yr. old, and being that I, his rider, wanted to adopt this Friendly Lover, Magic Woman gelding, they gifted him to me.

Today, I've even named my property after him, Koenig's Korner. He's my all in all and I just love him!!!

Aside from that, I'm currently a server at a fantastic BBQ Restaurant (though a veggie), and get to tell stories all day! My lifestyle affords me the luxury of working on the computer daily, managing my farm, hanging out with my animals, shooting photographs, and I'm now getting my photography business started. Soon, my website, www.sandrakosterphotography.com will be up and running, so don't be a stranger.

One day in the future, I plan to relocate back to Santa Fe, NM, where the Southwest holds my heart in the Rocky Mountains.
　
22) FOTH: I am out of questions, but offer a "thumbs up" to you for doing this interview. The floor is yours now, and I'd love to hear any last thoughts or stories you might like to share with racing enthusiasts everywhere. Any photos or videos you'd like to share with us would be greatly appreciated as well! Thanks again for your time and in sharing a private look inside your life.

Chris, I really applaud your on-going efforts to digitally archive stories and stats for female riders from the past, present and the future. I don't know of anybody else out there doing the selfless and invaluable work that you are, and I'm one who really appreciates the value of what you've taken on. I know your girls will appreciate seeing what their daddy has done too, especially if they end up as horsewomen, or maybe even female jocks! Bravo buddy, I give you 2 thumbs up!

Now, I would like to share a racing story with your readers, that matches the win photo I've provided as well. In all my career, there were many horses I had special relationships with, but none like that with Deb's Playboy. This is our story:

It all started Oct. 19, 1983 in Miami, FL, at Calder Racetrack, with a trainer named Mary Hodge, a filly named Disco Road, myself, a stumble out of the gate, a dramatic come from behind finish, a victory, and a healthy pay-off of $29.20.

From that moment on, a very positive working relationship was established between the Hodges and myself. They alight upon me like vultures, though, they proposed a sweet racing deal. I would, however, have to commit to giving them 1st call on their entries at the Tampa Bay Downs meet.

Being my life had just surfaced from the dregs of hell, I was financially strapped, and my spirit bordered on being totally broken, I scooped up the offer and prepared myself for a brighter future.

The Good Lord knew I had bottomed out, had mercy on me, and turned my hands to gold. No matter what kind of racing record my mounts had, I had been blessed with the golden touch and everything came up a winner.

My first mount was in the 1st race of the 1st day of the Tampa meet. The racing record of my horse, Debi's Playboy, didn't look all that impressive since he'd go out front, run a while, and then stop. But, since he was coming from racing with "big boys" of the Calder meet, and we were 8/1, I had hope.

Well, I was given my usual instructions by Bobby Hodge to, "get em out of the gate on top" (they liked me because I was like lightening getting out of the gate), "go to the lead, slow down the pace, and then whip and drive to victory."

"Sure Bobby, that's what I'll do," I said.

Well, Debi was kind of a rogue little son of a gun, and I'm told that he'd pitch a fit with everyone all the time. My forte' was with temperamental horses, being of the high-strung nature myself, therefore, I figured I'd pacify Debi, and give him what he wanted. So, when the gates flew open during that 6 furlong race and Debi just kind of walked out of the gate and took himself back to last, I started to think about freaking out a little bit, until "BOOM", much to my surprise, Debi plugged in or something, and took off flying, giving me the thrill of my life.

He ran up butt, zigzagging in and out of horses until we passed everyone except the horses on the lead. Tampa's surface is deep, red clay, and dirt was flying everywhere. I must have eaten a pound of it myself. Deb settled in behind the leader, tight on the rail, just missing the act of clipping heels with each and every stride. By the time we hit the quarter pole, Deb had already switched to his right lead, the crowd was roaring, and Wayne Crews, on the 10 horse, winged out off the rail, just enough to show Debi daylight between the lead horse and the inside rail.

Well, that was all the invitation Debi needed, and we were history as we slid through the hole and galloped to victory. That was the beginning of the love story between Deb's Playboy, the gutsy little chestnut colt, and myself.

Approximately three and a half months later, on Jan. 28, 1984, I rode a horse named Judd's Black Gold, a giant 17+ hand bay gelding, that spooked at his own shadow. It was a beautiful, clear day, and we went off at 5/1. Bobby and Mary thought a lot of this horse, possibly because of his size, and in the process of their "high", lost their objectivity.

The race was 1 1/16 mile, we had good post position coming out of the 5 hole, got a good break, tucked in early, saving ground on the first turn, set 2 off the pace with a handful of horse, managed a few jumps over shadows, which normally would have cost us, but didn't, and then proceeded to go for the lead at the 1/16 pole.

It was wide open, clean sailing, yet, Judd was having problems with intimidation. This big, massive horse was a coward. I quickly looked at his ears and sure enough, he was looking over at the other two horses who were just about to beat us. So, I picked up his head, setting the bit in his mouth, fanned my whip in front of his eyes, and screamed bloody murder at him until he forgot them and got back to business, which took all of 2 seconds, and we won the race by 1 1/2 lengths.

It was however, a close call, and a very uncomfortable feeling having Judd's brain wander. I knew then what Judd's Black Gold needed, but suggesting changes to trainers is like walking through a mine-field, so treading lightly, but armed with knowledge, I waited.

Sometime during the following 2 months, I rode Judd twice more. Once, he was in over head, and the following race would have been conditionally perfect, but not only was Judd a coward, he was a "Lookie-Lou". The race turned into a mind-altering, congested, no-win situation. It was a large field, jocks were everywhere, and nobody seemed to be racing very professionally. That sometimes happens in the racing game as it goes with the territory. Needless to say, all my efforts at bettering our position in that route of ground race, were thwarted by bad racing luck, and we ended up finishing second, getting beat a nose for win by a longshot named Sanin's Town, ridden by a jockey who just happened to be my boyfriend.

The Hodges were mighty mad at me, being as they were heavy gamblers too, and usually bet $800 - $1,000. per race, to win no less, and this time their horse got beat. So, whose fault was it in their opinion? Mine!

"Why did I get beat?" Because sometimes you win, but most times you loose, and the small, but major point, that "Judd was unable to concentrate". No, the Hodges were not happy with that answer as it wasn't dramatic enough, so they came up with their own conclusions. They decided that I got myself beat intentionally (that's called fixing races, aka, a felony) so that my boyfriend could win, and then he and I could cash a ticket (also known as illegal). They were really bothered by the newspaper headlines that said, "He didn't win, but Judd's Black Gold took his place as a game loser". After reading that, they took me off all my mounts for them, and fired me from riding for their outfit completely!

Woe! I was named to ride Deb's Playboy on the overnight, and nobody got along with, or loved him like me. The paper also said, "I was spitting fire after the frustrating ride," and now I really was. Oh well, too bad, that's racing.

So, there I was, innocent on all counts, fired and off Debi. I still had other clients, thank God, so I immediately booked it over to Bill Teske's barn (a Canadian trainer I rode for who liked route-of-grounders), and informed him of Deb's Playboy's soundness. Bill had already been eyeballing Debi as a possible claim, and now was the time.

That week the Hodges ran Debi, as scheduled, with some other jock onboard. They got beat, (as I'd hoped), and Debi got claimed (as I knew he would). Two weeks later, on March 11, 1984, I was looking at the overnight for March 13th, and saw that the Hodges had once again entered Judd's Black Gold in a route of grounder.

A wave of bitterness passed through me until my eyes fixed on my own name in the same race. Surprise, surprise, guess who I was riding? That's right, it was time for the big "A & J", avenge & justification to take place. I was in the race too alright, and not on just any horse, but little, tiny, "ass-kicking" Debi! Although, I must confess, I was a tiny bit concerned about the race being 1 1/16 miles since Debi had never raced anything but 6 furlongs.

But, praise God, we had a shot to win, and my heart was pumping now big-time. For the next 2 days, I was on a major high as I rehearsed every possible racing scenario over and over again, in my head. Finally, the moment of truth had arrived.

The jocks and trainers gathered out in the walking ring, and icy glares where exchanged between the Hodges and myself as we graciously, though pretentiously wished each other "good luck".

What better ending to a story could one wish for then to beat the bad guy at his own game with his own weapon.

Bill, having been a jock once himself and aware of the reality of "situations out there", was cool, and his instructions were to, "win, have fun, and come back alive."

My heart pounded as we loaded into the gate. "Hah!" and we were off and running.

Deb ran in his normal "get into trouble" fashion. The more trouble and life threatening situations he could get into, the happier he was. Most jocks thought I was just plain crazy. As figured, Judd was just off the pace. As we straightened out for home Debi passed through a wall of horses, while hugging the inside rail, but Judd's Black Gold and Brilliant B. were necking it out with only 1/8 of a mile to go, and me and Deb were about 7 lengths off Judd's flank.

For a brief moment in time, I conceded the race was over for us winning, as I continued to watch Judd go on to victory, and us finish 3rd. Then...the lights went on in my brain and I remembered that Judd needed blinkers, so I screamed at the top of my lungs, "JUDD...HEY JUDD, LOOK HERE BOY", and then Debi got real excited and dug in, just eating up that ground and with less then 70 yards to go, I kept on screaming to Judd, and good ole Judd, his ears start flicking, he lost his concentration, and Debi's nose said, "MINE", as we hit the wire for a photo finish, and I said, "Yes Lord, that honey is sweet!" as my face became one big smile!

Now that race, and the principles behind it were more then thrilling, they were totally awesome. As I jumped down off Debi-baby, weighed out, and passed Bobby and Mary Hodge, I kindly said, "Judd needs blinkers," just in case they needed a freight train up the side of their head to figure that one out.

Note: When the meet ended, Bill Teske asked me to go to Canada with him, but I declined, instead making my way to Atlantic City, which proved to be a very good career move. Whatever came of Deb's Playboy after that year, I know not, aside from what's posted on Equibase, before the day of digital record keeping. I know that his last race was at Assiniboia, in Canada, on 8/23/1988 at the age of 9. If he's still living, he'd be 32 yrs. old as of 2011. I'm told that Bill Teske has since passed on.

My testimony on coming to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ

2010-12-09T05:59:00.000-08:00

In2books (username on MyChurch )
About Me

8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to [his] purpose. 8:29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate [to be] conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. 8:30 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.
Romans 8:28-30

Hi y'all,

Thanks for taking the time to read my profile. For those that don't know me for many years, as others do...this is a brief notation of my testimony:

I came to know the Lord "for real," and not by some vain profession of faith, on Sat., Sept. 12, 1992, in Santa Fe, NM, where early that morning, as I was getting out of bed, I received a supernatural, audible call to repentance from the Holy Spirit!Though I was 33 at the time, "repentance" wasn't really part of my vocabulary, so I said out loud, despite being alone in the house..."What?"

And I heard it once again, "Repent!"

So I said..."repent, repent...what does repent mean?" At this point I heard no more...but I immediately went to my faithful "New Merriam-Webster, dictionary, 1989 edition, and looked up the word, which read: "1 : to turn from sin and resolve to reform one's life 2 : to feel sorry for (something done) : REGRET---repentance."

Well, there it was, so I called my good Roman Catholic friend Jenny Vigil, (being that I too was raised as a RC), and told her I thought I needed to start going to church, I needed "religion"...and she invited me to the one she was attending.I asked where it was and what it was called, and she told me that she was attending Calvary Chapel de Santa Fe. I reminded her that I was Catholic, and she told me that this church was "non-denominational." I asked her "what that was," and she told me, "it means that anybody can go there."

I clarified that I didn't want anybody trying to "convert" me, like those radical fundamentalists...and she assured me that they wouldn't.

So the next day, Sunday morning, when I arrived at the "warehouse" where this "church" was meeting, real early...so I could observe the attendees in the parking lot after the first service...and see all the "hypocrites" as they dashed out of the church and tried to kill each other to get to their cars, as had been my previous experiences, thereby giving myself an excuse to leave, I was shocked at what I witnessed, and it scared me.

I saw true love among the old, young, men, women, and children, as they laughed, talked, hugged, and played with each other. I didn't know Agape love at that point...so I was confused to say the least. Any which way, I purposed to stay for the service.

Once in the service, my friend sat near the front...another thing I wasn't accustom to. Pastor Kon was teaching out of Luke 6 I think, and as the Holy Spirit began ministering to me...everything in me...per the inspiration of the Enemy of my soul, told me to get up and leave.

I so wanted to flee that I was physically nauseous. No person in this realm tried to convert me, but little did I know, the Holy Spirit was not going to let me go! Praise God!

But...by the grace of God, I literally couldn't move my body to go....So I took notes to cover my fearfulness...and that has been what I've continued to do for the past 16 yrs. now [2010 = 18 yrs.], except, the one difference now, is that where perfect love is, there is NO fear. I knew that Calvary was teaching the Truth, teaching Jesus Christ, and Him crucified, as per God's Word, even in my ignorance.I no longer clung to my false religion...but became a new creation in Christ.

So...that's a brief overview of how I came to know the Lord, though I have had many more supernatural encounters with the the Lord's ministering angels over the years...to be discussed at another point in time...

Be blessed,

======================================================
Resting in the loving arms of Jesus,
Sandy
"So, if the Son sets you free, you shall be free indeed (Jn.8:36, NIV)."
======================================================

5:17 Therefore if any man [be] in Christ, [he is] a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 5:18 And all things [are] of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; 5:19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. (2 Corinthians 5:17-19, KJV)

The most beautiful seatbelt advocacy commercial ever.wmv

2010-08-05T05:49:00.000-07:00

Rustic Santa Fe Charm 1986

2010-05-31T06:45:00.001-07:00

Rustic Santa Fe Charm 1986
Originally uploaded by Gator-Girl

I just friended with Olivia Schemanski on Facebook, and her Photos - Sketches & Studies of an abandoned vehicle in the woods reminded me of a photo I took in Santa Fe, NM 24 yrs. ago.

Being that I'd have to search my archives to find the original, and being that Flickr won't let me save my own work back to my system now, as part of it's copyright protection, I've opted to link my blog to my Flickr account to show a few of my pics.

Here is a shot that I took the first spring that I lived in Santa Fe, before temporarily moving away the following Sept., to Hawaii for 1.5 yrs. They did away with this house and car years later to make way for street widening.

I sure am glad that I got this shot on this day, with those lovely clouds in the azure sky...before the memory passed away.

Lady Legends Race

2010-05-25T08:13:00.000-07:00

Blogger: The Brock Talk - Post a Comment

2010-03-15T15:21:00.000-07:00

Now that we know that 2009 Rachel Alexandra will not be going to Oaklawn Park to meet the undefeated Zenyatta in the Apple Blossom Invitational, our retrospect allows us to confirm what some have suspected all along. Rachel Alexandra seems to have very much enjoyed her vacation and is taking her own sweet time in coming back. And apparently principal owner Jess Jackson is living true to his word that he "will let Rachel Alexandra tells us when she's ready.

Even back in early February, when the $5 million Rachel v. Zenyatta Apple Blossom was on for April 3, a few days later Jackson announced in a press release the race was off. Asmussen was quoted in that release as saying "Getting to this level of fitness after a six-month layoff takes time."

A short time later, the race was back on - this time, scheduled 6 days later on April 9.

Caution Flag!

Even going back to the post Eclipse Award ceremonies when Jackson talked with TVG about Rachel Alexandra's return and awkwardly talked about her first "untimed" work in 17 seconds. I knew a valet in Prescott that could do that in a gunny sack.

But looking at it now, it was probably Rachel Alexandra just not being overly excited about being back at work after six months. We've all been there trying to get back in the swing of things after a holiday.

I suspect on a cold and damp January morning at the Fair Grounds, exercise rider Dominic Terry motioned to Rachel that they were going for a nice easy work. And Rachel responded something like, "uhhh. Yeah! Like a real easy work. Hello?" Hence, the "untimed" work.

Caution Flag.

But like the professional that she is, Rachel soon picked up the pace and we began to see glimpses of her greatness in subsequent morning efforts. All of them were right on schedule and each one more impressive than the last.

But even then, Asmussen was saying in February that “I thought she looked beautiful. She went :50 3/5 today off of her :52 the other day. I think that’s pretty much the progression that we’re expecting.” While in the next breath he was saying they would "do what’s right by her.”

Caution Flag.

Then the loss Saturday to Zardana in the New Orleans Ladies Stakes at Fair Grounds. On paper, Zardana appeared to be a horse Rachel Alexandra could outrun easily. Even with Asmussen facing the difficult challenge of "not tightening the screws" on Rachel's machine until the Apple Blossom, Zardana seemed to be a mismatch.

By Sunday afternoon, the Race for the Ages was off.

It could not have been an easy decision for Jackson either - not with the every fan, media member, horse racing facebooker and tweeter clamoring for it. But somewhere inside the final eighth of a mile in the Ladies, Rachel Alexandra said "Nyet."

My teeth gnashed as much as the next person's. But there are a few things to understand before we all begin to complain, strut, point, and or discount the Horse of the Year vote.

Nobody would have wanted a sub-par Apple Blossom. Even the biggest Zenyatta fans (of which I am one) would experienced an empty victory if a less than prime Rachel Alexandra would have shown up in Hot Springs, Ark.

That was never going to happen. I know the entire Asmussen family enough to know they all speak English, Spanish and French. I've never heard any of them speak equine, but I've seen 'em understand it.

So if Rachel is saying "slow down just a little," I'm glad Asmussen is there to understand it and Jackson is there to listen.

Posted by Brock Sheridan at 9:48 AM

Labels: Apple Blossom Invitational, Jess Jackson, Rachel Alexandra, Steve Asmussen, Zenyatta

Reactions:
2 comments:

Anonymous said...
I totally agree with you. It's pretty aggravating to listen to people who have no contact with the horse to second guess everything about her. She's a top-flight filly, and of course they are going to do right by her. Let's stop all the negative and do right by the horse, as they are obviously doing!

March 15, 2010 2:35 PM
In2Books said...
Amen! Personally, I'd like to see her retire now (there's no shame in 2nd places), and quickly go to visit Curlin in the breeding shed. A 2013 2 yr. old by Curlin, out of Rachel Alexander would be phenomenal...much more so then a mare/filly standoff.

Let's FB and Tweet about the new foal, watching webcams of that entire event unfold over risking her racing any further. Besides, we women all know that having babies while we're young and fit is much better for producing a healthy baby...so too with animals! ;o)

March 15, 2010 3:24 PM
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Genetics and Societal Norms: Rising Above the Collision

2009-09-03T15:17:00.000-07:00

Today, Thurs. Sept. 3, 2009 it came to my attention that on Sept. 8th, our President is planning an historic event to become the first president ever to address the entire nation's school children, K-12, via a live-feed. Upon researching into this matter just a wee bit, I stumbled onto this poster containing a partial quote by Michelle Obama. Between the poster art and the quote, I couldn't help but to think about a Research Paper I wrote back in 2005 for a Psychology class I was in, about Hitler, a historical figure who also sought to gain control over the minds of youth.

Ironically, while Obama's coming attempt is being linked to indoctrination and propaganda, as witnessed years ago, the subject matter of my paper, education, is the exact vehicle he is using to gain access into the hearts of our youth through the eye, ear and mind gates.

Proverbs 4:23 warns us, "Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life." The John MacArthur Study Bible Notes explain that, "the heart commonly refers to the mind as the center of thinking and reason (3:3; 6:21; 7:3), but also includes the emotions (15:15,30), the will (11:20; 14;14), and thus the whole inner being (3:5). The heart is the depository of all wisdom and the source of whatever affects speech (v.24), slight (v.25), and conduct (vv.26, 27).

Here is my paper, which I hope you enjoy, but please don't plagiarize, and be warned about coming events.

GENETICS AND SOCIETAL NORMS

Genetics and Societal Norms: Rising Above the Collision
Sandra J. Koster
Developmental Psychology

There comes a point in each of our lives when we must, as individuals, decide who and what we will become. Usually, a combination of our ancestry and the cultural elements in which we were raised will most influence the outcome of our decision. Our decision, initially perceived by us as insignificant in light of how it may benefit or harm, will have lingering, if not profound effects within our family, our community and even society at large.

Genetics and Societal Norms: Rising above the Collision will highlight two key historical figures: George Washington Carver, and Adolf Hitler. They were from diversely different backgrounds both genetically (nature) and culturally (nurture), that were diametrically opposed.

Both were men of great intelligence who were ahead of their time with their futuristic visions. Both overcame adversity, had loyal followers, and had financial backing for their specific causes, and yet, somewhere along the "global line", genetics and societal norms collided for each of them. Almost 65 years later, the repercussions from these collisions still shake the world, though, one for the positive and one for the negative. So, let's review the up-rearing of these two men and the overriding drive that propelled them forward in an attempt to answer the "why" that both lives presented.

First, we need to know how the Life-Span Human Development textbook defines the "Nature-Nurture Issue". They define it as, "the debate over the relative importance of biological predisposition (nature) and environmental influences (nurture) as determinants of human development" (Sigelman et al, 2006, p. G-9).

Despite the genetic makeup of the many differing people groups that make up this world, such as the African American, Semitic, East Indian, Asian, European, or Hispanic peoples, etc., the blood they were born with cannot be changed, does not devalue the individual and should not be discriminated against. Additionally, the culture in which each individual is raised also has certain "societal norms" within it based upon their belief systems, and these "norms" also have values which need to be respected as well. The environmental elements within each society influence the individual to either create or destroy, and become part of the fabric of who they are.

Or, as the developmental biologist Gilbert Gotieb has put forth in his modern
evolutionary-epigenetic systems perspective on development:

Development is the product of complex interplays between nature and nurture—that is, between interacting biological and environmental forces that form a larger system. . . .Environmental factors influence the activity of genes just as genes influence environment. . . . The message is clear: genes do not determine anything. They are partners with environment in directing organisms, including humans, along certain universal developmental pathways as well as in unique directions. . . . And there is no point trying to figure out how much of an individual's traits and behavior is caused by nature and how much is caused by nurture because genes and environment "coact." (Sigelman et al, 2006, pgs. 46-47).

With this perspective in mind, let's take a brief walk through the life of George Washington Carver before we review Hitler's life, and conclude with a comparison and contrast of the two lives.

George Washington Carver was born in 1864 and died January 5, 1943. Born to a slave mother, kidnapped by Confederate nightraiders, oppressed and persecuted his entire life for being born black, agricultural scientist, inventor and contributor to the wellness of all mankind, George Washington Carver is remembered today as a creative genius who developed more than 300 derivative food and industrial products from the peanut and more than 100 from the sweet potato. He overcame the barriers of racial prejudice and discrimination to achieve worldwide recognition as a man of science and a great humanitarian. "But he was also a man of deep faith who gave credit to God, “The Great Creator,” for all of his discoveries. George Washington Carver was truly a man of science and servant of God. He denounced the "White American" cultural thinking of the day that disbelieved that a black man could practice science. While it was also said that "science and religion" didn't mix, Carver never made a major move in his creative expertise without giving God the credit. He walked, talked, and communed with God, taking the time to see the beauty of the world around him each day, while he affirmed the value of each person he came into contact with" (Carver).

Carver was a humble man whose life emulated the principle of the Golden Rule in that, despite the hardships that he and his mother endured and never having known who his father was, he was able to put the pain of his afflictions behind him and instead choose to help others in need. He is quoted as saying, "The primary idea in all of my work was to help the farmer and fill the poor man's empty dinner pail. My idea is to help the 'man farthest down', this is why I have made every process just as simply as I could to put it within his reach" (Carver).

There is truth to the epitaph on the grave of George Carver Washington which says, "He could have added fortune to fame, but caring for neither, he found happiness and honor in being helpful to the world." You see, Carver became well known throughout the world and he even "declined an invitation to work for Thomas A. Edison at a salary of more than $100,000. a year. Presidents Calvin Coolidge and Franklin Roosevelt visited him, and his friends included Henry A. Wallace, a vice president under Franklin Roosevelt, Henry Ford, and Mohandas Gandhi. Foreign governments requested his counsel on agricultural matters: Joseph Stalin, for example, in 1931 invited him to Russia to superintend cotton plantations in southern Russia and to make a tour of the U.S.S.R., but Carver refused" (Carver, 1990, p. 913).

"Regardless of his endearing qualities many people, including other scientists and some blacks, were still critical of him and suspicious of his references to God as a collaborator in the laboratory. For the skeptics, because of Carver's modesty, in conjunction with his eccentric dress and mannerism, and his attempt to live up to Christian teachings, Carver came off as unbelievable and he gave the impression that he disapproved the conventional pleasures and rewards of this life" (Carver, 1990, p. 913).

Yet, despite ongoing persecution throughout his life, including racial atrocities at a time when being black often resulted in being either hung or burnt alive, as well as the discrimination he suffered at the hands of his own people whom he spent his life trying to help, nonetheless, George Washington Carver chose to rise above it all and walk in integrity. He chose the higher, nobler path—not to hate, but to forgive. Or as Abraham Lincoln once said, "Am I not destroying my enemies when I make friends of them?" Carver turned what seemed to be obstacles into stepping stones on the path that God laid out for him. By his account, it was service that measured success, not money.

Meanwhile, at the opposite end of the humanitarian spectrum and across the North Atlantic Ocean, during the same time frame that George Washington Carver was making his mark on the world through science, Adolf Hitler was rising to power on Germany's political scene. Adolf Hitler was born on April 20, 1889 in Austria and died on April 30, 1945 in Berlin. He was the dictator of Germany from 1933 – 1945, Fuhrer, and chancellor. During his early life:

Adolf received a secondary education and, although he had a poor record at school and failed to secure the usual certificate, did not leave until he was 16 (1905). There followed two idle years in Linz, when he indulged in grandiose dreams of becoming an artist without taking any steps to prepare for earning his living. . . . His ambition was to become an art student, but he twice failed to secure entry to the Academy of Fine Arts. For some years he lived a lonely, frustrated and isolated life, earning a precarious livelihood…and drifted from one municipal lodging house to another.

Hitler already showed traits that characterized his later life: inability to establish ordinary human relationships; intolerance and hatred both of the established bourgeois world and of non-German peoples, especially the Jew; a tendency toward passionate, denunciatory outbursts; readiness to live in a world of fantasy and so to escape his poverty and failure.

In 1913 Hitler moved to Munich. Temporarily recalled to Austria to be examined for military service (February 1914), he was rejected as unfit; but when World War I broke out he volunteered for the German army and joined the 16th Bavarian Reserve Infantry Regiment. He served throughout the war, was wounded in October 1916, and was gassed two years later. He was still hospitalized when the war ended. . . . He greeted war with enthusiasm, as a great relief from the frustration and aimlessness of his civilian life. He found comradeship, discipline, and participation in conflict intensely satisfying and was confirmed in his belief in authoritarianism, inequality, and the heroic virtues of war (Hitler, 1990, p. 624-628).

Hitler was so anti-government and rebellious that he found great approval and voice among other dissatisfied former servicemen of the German Worker's Party, and from it the Nazi Party began. Hitler's "strong arm" squads liked to exploit violence for the impression of strength it gave, and any perceived enemy to the German Worker's Party became subject to their self-imposed disciplinary measures. "Behind Marxism Hitler saw the greatest enemy of all, the Jew, who was for Hitler the very incarnation of evil, a mythical figure into which he projected all that he feared and hated" (Hitler, 1990, p. 624-627).

Once in power, Hitler proceeded to establish an absolute dictatorship. "As dictator, Hitler then turned his attention to foreign policy and World War II (1939-1945). His "new order" for Europe called for indiscriminate extermination of whole peoples; the Jews of Europe were the most numerous among victims of the barbarism. Hitler retreated to the chancellory in Berlin in January 1945 and, in the face of impending defeat, committed suicide" (Hitler, 1990, p. 950-951).

So there we have it, Hitler was a disillusioned psychopath until his very last breath, and his fears and insecurities drove him to such a crazed state that he tried to enlist the services of the world to murder all those individuals he thought to be inferior. His view on genetic makeup collided with his belief system in the most monumental way this world has ever witnessed. So what was the deciding factor between him and George Washington Carver, which made them into such distinctly different human-beings? Why did Carver retain a heart of compassion in light of his torments, whereas Hitler became increasingly embittered? What we do know, and Plato said it well, is that "Poverty consists not in the decrease of one's possession but in the increase of one's greed." Is it possible that despite Hitler's professed "Superior" bloodline of which he was a product, and despite his maniacal pursuits, what really determined his destructive life course was his pride and greed? Hitler's whole life revolved around focusing on him, his wants and his attempts to convince everybody else to embrace his demented way of thinking.

Carver, on the other hand, opted to think of others and sought to serve them throughout his life. His focus was upward, his action was outward, and his reflection was inward, and he emphasized the individual worth of a single person, regardless of race, religion, status or creed. He constantly denied himself for the better of mankind, and when he departed this earth, he left it a better place. He gave sound and timeless advice when he said, "How far you go in life depends on your being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving, and tolerant of the weak and the strong. Because someday in life you will have been all of these" (Carver).

In conclusion, what have we learned about the influences of genetics having an overriding effect on our developmental psychology? Will genetics predetermine our course in life or are we simply predisposed to certain traits? What about our environment? Does poverty and hardship conclusively determine that we are destined to remain in such a state? Or is what we become in life still our decision afterall? I'd have to close in citing The Declaration of Independence on this matter as the answer to all the above questions, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" (Congress: 1776, 1989, p. 699-702).

Happiness, well-being, who we become, character and integrity, are all attributes that we have the power to control and direct in our life, regardless of circumstances. Herman Spertus summed up this individual choice well in his opening letter in The Holocaust Chronicle when he said, "Of all the virtues we bestow upon ourselves and others, one of the greatest is education. The educated person has learned to be empathetic to the origins, needs, and feelings of others. Education fosters tolerance and the capacity for love—the love for one's family, and for the greater human family that includes us all. . . . And so by learning and teaching, we aspire not just to knowledge but to compassion and understanding. We make ourselves whole" (Harran, Kuntz, Lemmons, Michael, Pickus, & Roth, 2000, p.12).

As the history books present it, George Washington Carver excelled in the education he fought for and attained, whereas Hitler did not. Therefore, if education were the determinant as to why these two men's perception on life was so different, perhaps Hitler should have spent less time worrying about genetics and more time promoting higher education. What a different world we'd have today if that were so.

References

Carver, G. C. (1990). George Washington Carver. In Encyclopeadia Britannica (Vol. 2, pp. 913). Chicago: Encyclopaedia of Britannica, Inc..

Carver, George Washington. "The Tuskegee Years." Day of Discovery.
Sky Angel Network. Grand Rapids. 12 Feb. 2006. Broadcast. 12 Feb. 2006,
from http://www.rbc.org/dod/information/program.php

Congress: 1776, . (1989). The Declaration of Independence. In . New York Public Library & Stonesong Press, Inc.(Eds.), The New York Public Library Desk Reference (pp. 699-702). New York, NY: Webster's New World.

Harran, Kuntz, Lemmons, Michael, Pickus, & Roth, . (2000). The Holocaust Chronicle. 1st ed. Lincolnwood, IL: Publications International, Ltd..

Hitler, A. (1990). Hitler. In Encyclopeadia Britannica (Vol. 5, pp. 950-951). Chicago: Encyclopaedia of Britannica, Inc..

Hitler, A. (1990). Hitler. In Encyclopeadia Britannica (Vol. 20, pp. 624-628). Chicago: Encyclopaedia of Britannica, Inc..

Sigelman, C., & Rider, E. (2006). Life-Span Human Development. Fifth ed. Belmont,
CA: Thomson Wadsworth.

What God Requires of Us vs. the Sin we See

2009-08-30T07:45:00.000-07:00

As per God's Word, there are 2 verses specifically, among many others, that the Lord impresses upon my heart regarding sin, warning, and accountability. Here is the first verse about the actions of a sinner needing to be called into accountability lest their actions go unrebuked and their hearts become set to repeat the sin, thereby establishing a pattern of rebellion, aka a behavior.

Ecclesiastes 8:11 (NKJV) - "Because the sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil."

In the NLT: "When a crime is not punished quickly, people feel safe to do wrong."

In the NASB: "Because the sentence against an evil deed is not executed quickly, therefore the hearts of the sons of men among them are given fully to do evil."

Like with the Watchman on the wall in Ezekiel's day, when a person is involved in an action that is clearly a sin per God, He instructs us to warn them and if we choose NOT to, because we are afraid of "ruffling their feathers" or the discomfort of doing so, then God says that WE will be held accountable in their stead.!!! That's scary. Therefore, as in the second verse, if we warn them and they choose NOT to turn away from their sinful actions or omissions, then our soul will be delivered from all part of their iniquity.

Ezekiel 3:18, 19 (NKJV) - These verses, from now on, will be copied from the Blue Letter Bible, a great study tool of a Chuck Smith ministry, and if you click on the individual verse citations, you will be able to read a variety of Scripture helps including a list of commentaries about them. Here is the website URL: http://blueletterbible.org/

Eze 3:18 "When I say to the wicked, 'You shall surely die,' and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life, that same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at your hand.
Eze 3:19 "Yet, if you warn the wicked, and he does not turn from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered your soul.

Per the NLT:
Eze 3:18 If I warn the wicked, saying, `You are under the penalty of death,' but you fail to deliver the warning, they will die in their sins. And I will hold you responsible, demanding your blood for theirs.
Eze 3:19 If you warn them and they keep on sinning and refuse to repent, they will die in their sins. But you will have saved your life because you did what you were told to do.

Per the NASB:
Eze 3:18 "When I say to the wicked, 'You will surely die,' and you do not warn him or speak out to warn the wicked from his wicked way that he may live, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand.
Eze 3:19 "Yet if you have warned the wicked and he does not turn from his wickedness or from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered yourself.

The whole topic of a "sinful" matter comes under the heading of Accountability first:

There are a variety of types of accountability: Restorative; Preventative; Constructive; & Task-Oriented.

Denial (2Sam. 12:1-7) and Lies (Col. 3:9) "If a person is not willing to admit mistakes or failures, there can be no accountability."

Blame (Gen. 3:11-13) and Pride (Rom. 12:16) are enemies or obstacles to accountability being effective. "Humility is a cornerstone of accountability...and it is not easy to make oneself vulnerable to another person's scrutiny" (The Soul Care Bible, pg. 966).

"When a group meets for accountability, questions are asked that encourage honesty and revelation. 'Have you lied to anyone since we last met?' is an example of the type of questions that can provide structure to the meeting. "

"Accountability brings the body of Christ together in a supportive way to encourage us to grow in Christ. It allows the development and use of our gifts and promotes unity within the body. We grow by doing what is right. Through accountability, our faith is strengthened by the example of other's obedience" (TSCB, pg. 966).

For a believer to enter into a carnal lifestyle (aka "the brethren") evidences unacceptable behavior that shows an active, on-going action of the chosen sin that makes God a harlot and the sinning believer an adulterer in his lifestyle. An on-going action is not the same as a "Peter thing" of backsliding by his denials of Christ over a several day period.

The sin of adultery is an important topic for several reasons.

First, for a marriage to be restored, it's important to retain a heart of forgiveness and humility in order for that restoration to be possible.

Second, the faithful spouse, any children of the marriage, the church and God, have been offended by the adulterer, and confession and true repentance (a broken and contrite heart that turns a 180 from the sin and realigns with God's holy standards) needs to occur. God's Word says that unless there's a Biblical divorce, the sinning spouse makes anybody he/she gets with after the fact an adulterer too, by association.

Now we go to the book of Hosea, Hosea, whose heart was broken by his wayward spouse, Gomer, seeking intimacy with someone else. But "despite the hurt and anguish that Hosea experienced by Gomer's actions, he went to great lengths to find Gomer and bring her home." But just like how wayward Israel hurt and wounded God by their spiritual infidelity, He loved them and wanted them back." This is a good book to read in order to see a spirit of forgiveness in action as it relates to God and Homer.

"People faced with adultery struggle with some of the most painful of human emotions: abandonment and betrayal, as well as anger and despair. Although adultery strikes at the heart of the marriage covenant, forgiveness and healing are possible, and broken marriages can be and are being restored" (The Soul Care Bible, pg. 1128).

The God I serve, the God that is the Savior of my life and who has Headship of it, Jesus the Christ, is the God of the resurrection, and He alone makes what appears to be dead, live again. He can take a broken and bruised life, or marriage, and restore it or you back to glory beyond all comprehension.

In God I trust (Psalm 71), what about you?
__________________________________________

A few Quick References:

Accountability: Jer. 3:11

Adultery: Hos. 1

Boundaries: Ex. 20:1-17

Depression: Psalm 130

Divorce/Separation: Deut. 24:1-4

Family Life: Josh. 24:15

Family Problems: Gen. 25

Fatherhood: 1 Chron. 3:1

Forgiveness: 2 Cor. 2:5-11

Healing/Recovery: James 5:14

Health/Spiritual: 2 Sam. 12:1-23

Hope: Jer. 29

Jealousy: 1 Peter 2:1

Loneliness: Ps. 69:1-8

Love: 1 Cor. 13

Love Languages: 1 John 4:12

Marital Communication: 1 Pet. 3:1-9

Marital Problems: Col. 3:18-19

Marriage: Mark 10:1-12

Obedience: 2 John 6

Pain: 2 Cor. 12:9

Prayer: Mat. 6:5-13

Premarital Relationships: Ruth 3:10-14

Relationships: Eccl. 4:9

Repentance: Ps. 51

Responsibility: Jer. 1:8-10

Restoration: John 21:15-19

Sexual Integrity: 2 Tim. 2:22

Sexual Sin: 1 Thes. 4:5

Sin: 1 Kin. 8:31-40

Singleness: Matt. 19:12

Temptation: Gen. 39:6-15

Truth: Zech. 8:16, 17

Values: Gal. 5:22

My 2008 e-Portfolio Archived

2009-08-26T10:21:00.000-07:00

Sandra J. Koster's
E-Portfolio
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"A Brave Heart is a Powerful Weapon" –Rudy Garcia-Tolson; Photo by Marite2007 on Flickr

TABLE OF CONTENTS

The page numbers were the active links on my original Geocities Webpage but are now reminders to me of my layout should I ever wish to recreate this e-Portfolio. Click the "back button" between pages. Have fun reading.

Personal Statement........................................ 1
Personal Statement

Hi, I'd like to introduce myself and tell you a little about my short and long-term goals, as well as share with you a few of my personal interests.

My name is SJK and I [was] am currently enrolled in the Paralegal Program at the Santa Fe Community College (SFCC). While I still have 2.5 semesters left before completing the Paralegal Program, I've been contemplating the idea of focusing my legal attentions on the field of Intellectual Property. Certainly this decision is likely to change as I continue to learn more about the many fields available within the legal camp.

Being as my heart's passion has always been Healthcare, and since I have many years of experience working in it with humans as well as Equine, namely Thoroughbred Race Horses, there is a great chance that my future in the legal profession will embrace aspects from both worlds.

Genetics are near and dear to my heart and since Pedigree is of paramount importance to racehorse breeders, I can certainly see how genetic engineering could possibly take a "front-seat" role one day within the racing industry. Additionally, we already know that DNA evidence and gene manipulation are of serious importance in the legal camp as well as the Medical world, which equates to future needs for workers that are well versed in these areas.

Given this awareness, one can readily see how important securing patents on this type of intellectual property already is and will continue to become. Bio-technologies and e-technologies have become huge businesses globally.

Therefore, being a "detail oriented, critical thinker" with a scientific mindset, I am confident that I will be an asset to the right legal firm in the very near future.

In addition to my personal educational goals, I find relaxation and invigoration by applying myself to a number of other interests:

Helping to serve other's needs.

Animal Welfare: rescue, rehabilitation, placement, and adoption.

Environmental Protection: education, awareness, recycling, energy efficiency, and all aspects involving our global warming concerns. Let's go "Green"!

Cooking: Gourmet vegetarian, all natural and organic, and hot and spicy.

Photography

e-technologies

Books

Medical issues: Bio-technologies, anatomy & physiology, genetics, terminology, 3rd World issues.

Legal issues

And now, I thank you for taking the time to peruse my e-Portfolio. Have a great day! Bye.

Microsoft Word Documents.......................... 2

MS Word Documents

Examples of my research and writing skills:

v genetics
MS Word Documents

Examples of my research and writing skills:

v genetics

v project1a

v project1b

v project2

v project3

Examples of my document formatting skills:

v MediaLoft Buzz

v Perennial Garden

v Chicago Marketing Report

Excel Spreadsheets........................................ 3

Microsoft Excel

Examples of Spreadsheets I've created:

v carloan

v olive

v survey

v timesum

PowerPoint Presentation............................... 4

"To Behold His Glory"

My Blog......................................................... 5

http://in2books.blogspot.com

First Webpage Created.................................. 6

"Radiography Webpage"

Widget Web Services Webpage.................... 7

Widget Web Services, Inc. E-business Services

We offer the following services:

Web-based Software Training
Providing online tutorials in MS Office,
StarOffice, and the Windows operating system.

Click here to view our Customer Service Presentation.

1 Customer Service: What, How, Who, and Why?

2 What is Customer Service?MEETING OTHER’S NEEDS: Human, Animal & Environment
COURTESY
RESPECT
SINCERE INTEREST
MORE THEN A JOB TITLE!

3 SMALL PIECES IN A BIG PICTUREPERSONAL ATTENTION
Ask questions
What do they need?
LISTENING
Response required
Customer Constraints?
Analysis of facts
FOLLOW THROUGH
Investigate & Implement
Contact all parties involved
Customer Satisfaction
Closure

4 Two Rules to Always Remember:
1) The Customer is always right!
2) If the Customer is ever wrong, refer to rule #1.
5 Who needs Customer Service?Shoppers (realtime and on the Internet)
Consumers
Clients
Patients
Patrons
Pets

6 Who is a Customer Service Rep?Telemarketers
Healthcare Providers
Legal Professionals
Wait Staff
Pet Groomers
Investment Brokers
Law Enforcement
Military

7 How Do Reps Behave?As people with character and integrity
With a “servant’s heart”
Like people who invest in the lives of others rather then themselves
As givers, helpers and doers
With love
AND…

8 Bottomeline is...Why? Because without happy customers, clients, patrons, pets and people…You’ve got nothing, nobody and no business, job or money ! You won’t have a nest egg.

E-Training
Consultation services are provided to help you and your organization maximize the power of the Web to meet your training needs.
Click here to read about Web design.

"A Websmith's Recipe for an Effective Business Webpage" by Sandra J. Koster

E-Commerce
Consultation services to help you transition your organization effectively to Web-based sales and services. Click here to read about e-business.

Widget Web Services, Inc. is here to serve your Webpage e-tool needs. Consultants will determine how you and your company can get the most "bang for your buck" through the personalized creation of your webpage. We link the world to you through our user-friendly e-commerce e-tools.

The tables below contain links to a few websites that contain useful web and graphic design information:

Web Design:

Grantastic Designs

Symbiotic Design

Graphic Design:

Finer Design

Visionary Websites

Last Revised on Friday April 6, 2007 by Sandra J. Koster

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Last updated by Sandra J. Koster on 4/16/07
Resume.......................................................... 8

NAME
Temporary Mailing: FL 32696 ~ Tel: (352) hm. or (352) cell
Permanent: Santa Fe, NM 87505
~ E-mail: ~ E-Portfolio: available upon request

Summary

Former NM resident of 17 yrs. returning home. Reliable professional seeking permanent
Paralegal or legal Support Staff position with growth potential.

Qualifications

Windows: Microsoft Office proficient including Outlook, and trained in E-Source
technologies.
+ 65 GWAM. Exceptional proofreading abilities with good executive function.
Cross-trained on multiple computer and office systems.
Analytical abilities with strong initiative; management experience
Top notch organizational, prioritizing and follow through skills for multi-tasking
Effective verbal and written communication skills (Pleadings, Civil procedures, case
management, demand letters). On-line and legal book research technique.
Court document maintenance procedures. Maintain Judge's library. Ability to work in a
fast-paced environment, detail-oriented team player though self-regulated and selfdirected.
Extensive knowledge & experience in Medical & Sports related issues

Achievements

Completed numerous "communications" seminars. Mature & dependable.
Completed OSHA , Fire & Bomb Safety, and HIV & AIDS training.
Certified in American Heart Association First Aid and CPR.
3.87 GPA, Dean's List, The National Scholar's Honor Society, and Phi Theta Kappa.
American Law, Business Law, Tort, Medical Terminology, Anatomy & Physiology,
Healthcare, Psychology, Critical Thinking, Web Publishing, Excel, Keyboarding 1 & 2.
Internship, Litigation, Real Estate Law & Property, Internet for Office Professionals,
Employment Law, Legal Writing & Research, and Wills, Trusts & Estate Admin./Probate

Education

Santa Fe College Gainesville, FL
Legal and Medical AS, Paralegal Program (April 2008)

Santa Fe Community College Santa Fe, NM
Biology and English 1990 – 1997 (cont. ed.)

Employment

Newberry's Backyard Bar-B-Q, Newberry, FL
Server 5/22/08 to and thru 9/2009

8th Judicial Circuit of Levy County: Honorable Judge Glant
Paralegal Internship 7/9/ 2007 to 12/21/2007

SFC Gainesville, FL
Full time Student Jan. 2006 through April 2008

Adena Springs Racing Farm, Ocala, FL
Exercise Rider (former Pro. Jockey) April 2002 – March 2005
Administrative Assistant Jan. 2004 – Oct. 2004

Genzyme Genetics, Santa Fe, NM
Cytogenetic Technician, Senior Tech. Dec. 1987 to March 2002

Favorite e-Mailing Lists................................. 9
e-Mailing Lists

Here are a few of my favorites:

v A.Word.A.Day

v E-Mail Edifications

v Harvest Daily Devotional

v Daily-Manna

v Avera Law Firm

v AISH

v Medscape

v CNET

v Heartlight

v Snopes

Favorite Poetry.............................................. 10
Poetry

A few of my favorite poems:

v If

v Daffodils

v How Do I Love Thee

v Resolutions

v Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening

v The Men That Don't Fit In

v Oblivion

v Resolutions2

v To See a World in a Grain of Sand

"All friendly feelings toward others come from the friendly feelings a person has for himself" -- unknown

A Little Humor.............................................. 11

Dedicated in memory of my Mom................. 12

In dedication to my brilliant and inspiring Mother, Patricia M. Koster, who spent her life filling her mind with a wealth of knowledge so that she could be "all things, to all men, all the time". The saying, "Books fall open, you fall in," is a testimony to her life. [picture missing]

She was born in 1927 and died on July 11, 2006. Below is a copy of the painting that my deceased uncle, Eugene Koster, painted of her during the 1950's. Norman Rockwell found this painting to be the best, in an art show my uncle had some of his works on display in. He painted another portrait of my Mom's sister, my Aunt, which is equally as beautiful. They were real "lookers" in their day! [picture missing]

My Mom grew up to become an avid, trophy winning golfer when few women were in the sport. She also had an "eagle eye" for shooting a rifle and was known as the Annie Oakley of her day. She won "clay pigeon" shooting competitions as well.

This is her as a young girl. [picture missing]

Even as a young girl, she was moved to be heard and wrote the President of the United States, Franklin D. Roosevelt, to address the needs of her father, my grandfather, who was out of work during the recession. He wrote her back and while sympathizing about the misfortunes and hardships of the times, FDR encouraged my mom to become a leader in the Girl Scouts. And a leader she was.

My Mom and Aunt went on to become executive secretaries for E.I. DuPont, and stayed with the Company for over 30 years. My Mom was a giving and understanding soul, not standing in judgment of anybody. She constantly gave out of the abundance of her own poverty, unselfishly, not expecting anything in return.

My Mom spent the last 4 years of her life living with me in FL where she had opportunity to relax on the screened-in porch, do her crossword puzzles, drink her tea and watch the vast array of migrating and local birds come to our feeders, along with the 50 million squirrels, and observe the wild looking Florida spiders and bugs…which constantly fascinated us both. She too loved animals, was also a former equestrian, and especially adored her cat, Lotus Blossom (a Snow Shoe). [picture missing]

Now that my Mom has passed, my relationship with her only sibling, my Aunt Dolores, has taken on its own beautiful hue. She has become my new confidant, counselor and friend; the roles my Mom once held. Below is a picture of my Aunt Dolores and Uncle Jack (also deceased), that I took of them in DE around 1988.

I applaud my Aunt for assuming such an influential role in my life and I'd like to lift up all those people, younger and older, who take on a mentoring position in the life of another. Afterall, we really are "our brother's keeper".
___________________________________________________________

The heart and crown insignia are representative of my chosen "colors" as a former professional jockey. I own a racehorse by the name of Herz Koenig. His name is German for Heart King, or King of Hearts. This is where placing the heart over the crown comes into play. I have named my property (a corner parcel) after my horse and the Lord Jesus, The King of Hearts, who provided it for me and my Mom.. It is called, Koenig's Korner.

Last revised Mon. March 3, 2008

Shoo!TAG Cost Analyses & Effectiveness Update

2009-08-12T17:47:00.000-07:00

Hi y'all,

As promised, here is my final input on what I've experienced thus far as a Shoo!TAG user. Beginning June 11th, 2009 I purchased tags for all of my animals, including myself. The Equine tags were for fly/mosquito, the Canine tags for flea/tick, the Feline tags for flea/tick, and the Human tag was for mosquito.

None of the tags were effective any longer then 5 weeks though the manufacturer purports the tags will last 4 months and that they will be 40% cheaper to use then Frontline Plus.

Well here are the various cost analyses based on a 5 week effectiveness period. None of the costs calculate in local sales taxes or shipping charges:

Equine: $34.95 for one pack of tags, costs $27.96 a month. Pyranha used twice daily costs $12.50 a month.

Canine: $39.95 for a 2 dog pack costs $15.98 a month per dog. Frontline Plus for the Extra Large dog upto 130lbs. then dosed between 2 smaller dogs at 1.5 mls. & 2.25 mls., with a 0.50 mls. left to divide between 2 cats, costs approximately $6.00 a month per dog (cats treated free).

Feline: $34.95 for a 2 cat pack costs $13.98 per cat, per month to treat. Using the excess Frontline Plus from the dogs, NOT Advantix as it's lethal to cats, makes treating 2 cats free.

Human: $24.98 for one Mosquito tag over a 5 week period brings the cost to $19.96 a month. These tags are worn on all animals and humans, 24/7. Sleeping with a piece of plastic around your neck, like on the horses head, ends up stabbing you in your armpits, your breasts, neck etc. Plus, you still get bit by mosquitoes, though maybe not as bad. I now continue to use my herbal pest sprays, which work just fine, and only cost about $5.00 a season.

Overall, I would NOT depend on these tags in places of any type of pest infestation. Like don't go to the Amazon and think you won't get bit. And don't depend on them with your animals either.

In a clean apartment dwelling, with one tiny animal, bathed and groomed weekly, at 7000 ft. altitude, I'm sure the tags will work just fine, because...there won't be any flies, fleas or ticks to even worry about so of course the tags will work.

So, Shoo!TAG Equine was the most effective of any of the tags. It truly did work quite well on my horse for the first 3 weeks, but diminished in strength daily after that. Plus, even with 2 tags on my horse, one on his mane by the poll of his head, and one on his tail, the energy field was NOT stronger.

Additionally, horses are large animals weighing up to 1200 or more pounds that like to roll in sand/dirt, scratch on trees and fenceboards, run, jump, get things like braids out of their hair, etc., and the Shoo!TAGS do in fact get scratched up, bent, broken, lost etc. They're only flimsy plastic like a credit card, so what else would be expected??? If the horse or its companion goat get a chance...they'll eat them too.

Now, $170.00 later, I can honestly attest to having given this Non-toxic, environmentally safe (though the production of plastic is not eco-friendly) alternative a fair chance and the results have me back to topical pest control, backed up by aggressive inside and outside pest control.

My Radiography Webpages Preserved

2009-08-06T13:42:00.001-07:00

Hi Y'all,

On Oct. 26, 2009 Yahoo will be shutting down the Geocities branch of their various available applications (which was free, but new services for $60.+ a yr. are available), so for those of us that would like to reference the material we posted, we have to save it to our system or post it elsewhere before the cut-off date. Therefore, I'm attempting to preserve my writings here. This page was my first attempt to creat a webpage, while applied to the Radiography Program of Santa Fe College in Gainesville, FL, back in 2005. Have fun rereading the archives!

MY INRODUCTION PAGE AND VARIOUS AFFILIATED LINKS

Radiography

Career Web Project
SLS1101, AM2
Teacher: Donna Musselman

Summary
Essay
Photo Gallery

Descriptions:

Radiologic Technologists and Technicians

Radiologic Technologist

Professional Organizations:

American Society of Radiologic Technologist

American College of Veterinary Radiology

Schools, Colleges, or Universities:

University of Pennsylvania: School of Veterinary Medicine

Santa Fe Community College, Radiography Program - [dead link now]

Employers:

ACVR-Veterinary Radiology - [dead link now]

Peterson & Smith Equine Hospital, Radiologic Technicians

North Florida Regional Medical Center

Non-Web Sources:

Merrill's Atlas of Radiographic Positions & Radiologic Procedures

Principles of Radiographic Imaging

Radiation Protection in Medical Radiography

A very special thank you to Jimmy Yawn of SFCC's Career Resource Center for all his help in creating this webpage. Without his instruction this project would not have happened. Bless you Jimmy!

rev. June 24, 2006
web hosting 174 viewers as of Aug. 6, 2009

MY SUMMARY

Hi y'all,
My name is Sandra Koster and I've applied to the Radiography Program at SFCC. SFCC stands for Santa Fe Community College, of which there are currently 2 in the United States. While I transferred from SFCC located in Santa Fe, NM, I am now attending SFCC in Gainesville, FL, where I reside. There is no affiliation between the two schools aside from their name.

This Website is my attempt to share with you the direction and progress of my life while remaining a source of encouragement to those of you, who like me, have found yourselves "starting over" with a new career midway through your life.

After extensive investigation and much thought, I have chosen to present a number of sources directly associated with Radiology which are distinctly different from one another, yet still part of the same medical discipline.

I hope that these links will help to stimulate your mind to "think outside the box," so to speak, whether choosing a new career or starting over, and regardless of the direction in which your life seems to be going, remember that it's important to retain a good attitude.

Essay

To begin with, the photographs that you viewed on the opening page of this website are of me just after a serious racehorse riding accident involving a speed of 44 mph., and my being catapulted into a very large and firm 3/4's pole much like an Oak tree. The collision left me with a broken ankle, a broken tibia, a huge lateral femoral lesion, 2 torn ligaments (MLC & PCL), a huge hematoma on my thigh that I was told I'd have died from had it have ruptured, a concussion, a sprained neck, brain trauma, brain stem injury, migraines, 7 broken teeth, TMJ (temporomandibular joint syndrome), vertigo, numbness and paralysis due to 2 herniated disks in my neck, 2 herniated disks in my lower lumbar, and stammering and stuttering where I used to be very articulate in my speech.

Three surgeries later, and a full month spent in the VAX-D Lumbar traction program, I am now enrolled as a full time student at the Santa Fe Community College and have applied to their Radiography Program in hopes that I will be selected as one of 30 students to participate in the program, out of approximately 300 students to have applied. Coming from a racing background, while these odds sound horrible, one time I did win on a 125/1 shot at Atlantic City Race Couse in NJ, so remaining optimistic about 10/1 odds now is no problem.

Sometimes these career changes in our life come of our own selection, and other times, like mine, we're thrust into them. Whatever the reason, I've come to learn that there is truth to the saying, "blessed are the flexible for they will not be broken." While I sustained lots of "physical" breaks, humans are basically fragile and we are susceptible to lots of other types of breaks and fragmentation as well. For instance, psychologically it is very hard for most of us to adjust to the reality that our entire life has been uprooted in an instance and now we must attempt to pickup the pieces of our shattered existence and start afresh, and typically this requires re-education, as in returning to college. In mid-life, this can be very scary.

What I have found to be essential in such circumstances is "full surrender". A complete acceptance of the need to totally reformat your life. It requires that you abandon yourself to God, and trust that he will provide your "daily bread" so to speak, both literally and figuratively. For me, faith and trust in the Lord is what sustained me throughout this entire horrific ordeal, and continues to equip me to "keep on keepin on". It's been 15 months now since the date of my injury, which was March 13, 2005, and the uncertainties of my future continue to haunt me being as I don't yet have solid footing on my future. Humans are creatures of habit, we like the security that comes with routine and to date, that security still eludes me.

While I have a "game plan" outlined, only the Lord knows what will truly come to pass. So, until such a time as when I know more, I shall just press forward with the course of action laid out before me, taking each thing that comes into my life on a moment by moment basis but remaining optimistic regardless. This brings us to the present--my being a college student in my 40's.

There are many thoughts that come into a person's mind when they re-enter the world of higher education and they are out of a job, lacking the freedoms and liberties that a stable income provides (and what we "had" been accustom to), all the while being under the gun, so to speak, in meeting the financial obligations that one is already committed to. Weeding out the new career possibilities and weighing out the benefits of those selections to determine a final course of action becomes paramount.

As I was putting this web page together, which is an assignment for a class I'm taking this summer semester in hopes of gaining the points that come with obtaining an "A", (the Radiography Program offers approximately 9 additional courses that students can take as extras in order to accrue points to become more competitive in the selection process for the program), I came upon an interesting link which I'd like to share with you. Regardless of whether or not you're selecting a new career or perhaps looking for the "greener pastures" that come with a career change, it does demand reflection so I encourage you to check out the thoughts of another total stranger who has also contemplated the positive and negative aspects associated with such a change. Because in my perception this guy appears to be smart, makes sense, is accomplished, is going places, and is subject to all the variables of uncertainty like all the rest of us are, I recommend that you check out what he has to say. The following link which will take you to an article written by graphic designer Jonathan Gayman, based out of New York city, titled "Designing Greener Pastures" contains his thoughts on this subject.

Now, having cleared up my background information, let's get back to the positive aspects of my bright and brilliant future yet to be, in the field of Radiography. Coming to the realization that Radiography was to be the field of study that I needed to apply myself to was actually very simple. First off, I made a list of those areas of study that I know that I'm gifted in. I then researched what vocational programs were being offered by all the schools within a 60 mile radius of my home. Then I counted the costs of my monthly overhead and sought out "financial aid" for students in my bracket as well as applied for retraining through the Dept. of Ed, Worker's Compensation division. Following that, I considered what types of environments I function best in, for instance, I'm an outdoors kind of person that is allergic to cigarette smoke and am chemically sensitive as well. Therefore, working in closed-in environments subject to a lot of artificial smells and synthetic heat doesn't work well with my "system". Keeping that in mind, I also considered the fact that like all things living, I'm too am still aging.

As we get older, we need to have a realistic view of what we plan on doing for work during our "golden years," and we also become fixed on obtaining a job with good healthcare benefits. Then, there is the very real acceptance of the new physical limitations I have after coming close to death from getting all broken up like I did. After weighing my options carefully and praying about it, I based my decision on all the above criteria and reviewed the median salary ranges for a Radiographer (as well as a Paralegal should "Plan A" fall through). I concluded that if I was to apply my skills in the clinical setting of a hospital for humans, then the sterile aspects and temperature control of that environment would work well for me. Especially since I've already worked in such an environment for 15 years in Santa Fe, NM as a Cytogenetic Technician. But if I'd like to apply my skills to helping Thoroughbred racehorses, like Barbaro, then that would be like icing on the cake since I'd be both inside and outside, with people and with animals, especially large horses with a temperament that I can relate to and love.

So, thinking outside of the box, despite the limitations that I've been restricted to now by my Neurosurgeon, meaning "no more riding racehorses as a profession", I'm still able-bodied enough to help others, and helping others is what it's all about anyway. What I've learned from the multitude of injuries I've sustained, and all the many tests I've had to undergo, namely: Radiographs, MRI's (Magnetic Resonance Imaging), CT-Scans (Computed Tomography), brain scans, electrophoresis, nerve conduction studies, learning how to walk all over again, aqua-therapy, physio-therapy, deep massage therapy, aptitude tests etc., that there is a great big need out there in our little tiny world for healthcare workers who are empathetic to the patients in their sufferings and life disruptions that real life presents. And once again, that need transcends the human element to include all life. Animals can't communicate with a language that we are most familiar with therefore, we must be tuned-in to being able to hear their heart's cry and know what they need and what would bring them comfort. Unfortunately, Thoroughbred Race Horses have been falsely labeled as being "unruly, fractious, psycho, nuts, crazy, etc.," and nothing could be further from the truth. They are an elegant, majestic creature of the finest caliber that closed-minded people don't bother to take the time to understand. I've spent about 15 years working with racehorses and own one myself. They will be your best friend, and play with you much like a big dog if you let them. Well, the lack of vested interest in communications is how it is to a great degree within the hospital settings too, among healthcare workers. Because they for the most part, don't feel the pain and suffering of the injured party, or because the injured party may happen to be of a different culture and adhere to different societal norms, unfortunately, the "supposedly educated" healthcare worker chooses to ignore the pain, suffering and need of the patient rather then taking the time to dig deep inside of themselves and apply themselves to understanding what is trying to be conveyed. And I know this is true first hand, and not just in Florida, but all over the world.

Therefore, when one does come across that certain healthcare worker that truly cares about your wellbeing and opts to go out of their way to accommodate you, they touch your life so deeply that you'll never forget the love that was conveyed. For instance, there was a time that I was injured in a race at the Fairgrounds Race Track in New Orleans, LA. I was on the X-Ray table and extremely nauseous and very upset because I'd left my dog in my car (not thinking that a routine exam was going to get me admitted in the hospital), in some parking lot, with a hand gun in the glovebox, and my dog needed to go to the bathroom.

Well, my anxiety over these matters was making me even more ill and febrile, so, the Radiography technologist assured me that she'd take care of matters. And she did. She went out in search of my car on her lunch break, found it, approached my car with a Dobbie Shepard mix in it, made friends with him (Astro), took him for a walk, hid my handgun, called my brother to come get my dog, and then brought me an apple, being as I'm a vegetarian and she thought that it would make me feel better. Well let me tell you, this girl so touched my life that now, some 24 years later, I've applied to take up the cause of helping others through Radiography that she began all those years ago. I don't know where she is these days, or what her name was, as over the years I'd lost touch with her, but nonetheless, her choice of actions in caring for a total stranger, in a big and out of the ordinary way, touched my life forever and made all the difference.

Moving on up to the more recent present, it was this past Christmas that I had to have my neck fused. I had that work done at North Florida Regional Medical Center, in Gainesville. I will tell you, the day of my surgery was December 14th, 2005, and the shift of nurses that worked the operating room for neck and spinal injuries, and then those that worked the floor that night in the neck and spinal ward, were the most loving and compassionate group of ladies and men, that I've ever experienced aside from that Radiography Tech. There is nothing like waking up in pain, feeling like hell, and having somebody come to your aid who really cares about you and your needs, no matter how small they may be perceived to be.

Those particular folks at NFRMC that day and night, were so genuine. I've never met a group of people so called to their profession as those nurses. They sincerely have servant's hearts and that makes all the difference in the world to a patient.

If I am selected into the Radiography Program, I will be looking to sign-on to working in the Radiology department of North Florida Regional Medical Center first and foremost. After that, I'll be considering my options working with my former employer, Adena Springs South, a Racing Thoroughbred Farm in Ocala, in their yet to be developed Equine Medical Center. God bless you all and stay positive in your career search, and do remember that being "healthy" is about wholeness in mind, body, and spirit. Bye you, and have a great day!

UPDATE: As of Aug. 2006, (one month after my Mother passed on) I was notified by SFCC that I did not draw into their Radiography Program. While my dear friend in Santa Fe, Tom Reed had committed to sponsoring my education to continue in the healthcare programs, he unfortunately underwent a brain aneurism which rendered him unable to fulfill his financial committment to me. Therefore, it was imperative that I follow the second career choice outlined as per Workers' Comp., and that was the vocation of a Paralegal.

I sucessfully completed the Paralegal Program and graduated with high honors as such. Unfortunately, with both the US economy taking such a downward spiral, and the school not involving itself in student placement after graduation, I am now working as a waitress.

While all education is good education, and I am thankful for what all I've learned thus far, "Medical" truly is my passion in life. One day, God willing, I'll continue my education to obtain a BS in Biology in order to qualify to do what I previously won awards in, given my God-gifted ability to detect subtle microscopic rearrangements, or leave the state of Florida (where their backwards statutes prevent me from continuing in the field I was proficient in for over 15 yrs.), so that I can once again re-enter the world of Cytogenetics.

Photo Gallery of Skeletal Bodies

Shoo!TAGs Update

2009-07-02T15:38:00.000-07:00

Hi Y'all, it is now Thurs. July 2, 2009 and I'd like to convey my latest observations regarding these tags for the various animals and myself. The news reports for June have indicated that 6 or so horses have been confirmed in 3 separate counties surrounding my county to have contracted Eastern Encephalitis, and given the initial dry conditions, the intense heat, and now the very wet conditions, we are at the peak of mosquito/fly/flea season in North Central FL.

June 23rd, as last mentioned, I did return the dog tags to Shoo!TAG for them to scan in order to verify the encoding. I am yet to get the results, but they did notify me that they received the tags on the 28th. I'll keep you apprised when I learn more about them, but I'm fully convinced, given the evidence of effectiveness of the other tags, that my dog tags must have been corrupted.

June 28th I bathed both of my dogs, both goats, and my horse with VIP-20 Iodine Shampoo. The mild solution was not rinsed off. I also sprayed the outside of my house, along with the 3 porches, with Indoor/Outdoor house pest spray which says it will kill scorpions, ants, silverfish, roaches, fleas, and the like. While I was spraying around the front porch, in a known "mosquito-ville", I received 2 bites, one to the inside of my right thumb, and one behind my right knee.

Additionally, I spread the Sevin granules along the 12ft. wide security path surrounding the one, one-acre paddock, and lightly spread some Sevin dust on the spot under the tree where Sandy dog lays in the sand.

On June 30th I fully scrutinized the body of my Yellow Tabby, 21 lb. Sorbet. I was very impressed that he did not have even one visible flea crawling on him.

On July 1st, at about 6:30 a.m, I put 2.25 ml of Frontline Plus on Cowboy (60 lb. dog) and 1.5 ml on Sandy dog (40 lbs.). I also sprayed their feet, ears, and hind quarters with an "all natural" herbal mosquito/pest spray called "Beat It", that contains: Citronella, Eucalyptus oil, Tee Tree, Neem, Sweet Orange, lemongrass, & other essential oils blended in Aloe Vera gel and Wheat germ oil.

Around 8:00 a.m., when I went to feed the horse and goats, I saw around 4 flies nesting atop Hertzy's back, and about 6 under his belly. This is the first time in 21 days that the flies have landed on him and stayed so I immediately went to check to see if the tags were still on him. To my surprise, the fly tag was very scratched up, but not the mosquito tag. The scratches were pretty deep. So, I sprayed him lightly with Pyranha fly spray, cleaned off the tags of residue, and went to work.

At around 6 p.m., there were a few flies on him again, but they were slow moving and I swatted them dead.

July 2nd, at 8:00 a.m. I went to feed the horse and goats and no flies were on him much to my surprise. Stacey at http://www.genuineShooTAG.com did say his energy field may have been weak on July 1st, but it may have also been a combination of the scratched up tag, the residues & body oils on the magnetic strip, and the fact that the mosquito tag (which had a piece of scotch tape preventing it from eclipsing the fly tag) had come loose and was covering the good portion of the fly tag, thereby blocking the frequency.

After feedtime, I proceeded to do a "Spring Mucking" of his and the goats stall. I also dusted the mats with a wee bit of Sevin dust to kill the ants that were climbing on my goats feet and biting them. Fresh straw was laid atop the mats.

Around 11 a.m., I recorded a new video using my cellphone since there were about 50+ flies in the stall, swarming inside his feed tub, yet none were on him. When I swished them prior to recording, they all landed on my face, arms and legs, but still only 2 landed on the lower region of his legs. The new video is called Equine Shoo!TAG at 22 days with Scratches.

It is now 7:13 p.m. and I am about to go feed the horse and goats again and will let you know what's up.

Feedtime was uneventful. No flies were on my horse though a zillion were swarming his empty feed tub. Upon putting the new food in, the flies continued to swarm, but none were landing on my horse, signifying that the tags, though damaged, are certainly still working quite well.

All around the feed tubs of the goats, flies continued to swarm their pellets and sweetfeed. Mind you it's about 95 degees outside with high humidity.

It's now 8:25 p.m., and while hanging out with my kids, I received 3 small mosquito bites: one to below the lateral knee, which was very small, one to the inside of the right calf, and one to the outside of the right wrist. All this to say that while the Shoo!TAGs are NOT 100% effective, Lord knows that I'd never be outside in shorts and short sleeves during the "mosquito hours" without the confidence that the damages I were to incur were to be minimal.

See ya next post!

Well, while I was feeding, at 7:00 p.m. I received an e-mail from Stacey Lemire at Shoo!TAG notifying me that while the encoding on my canine tags was intact, nonetheless there was a problem with them as it they had to put them through the reader several times to get positive results on the information. So...hallelujah, as not only are they sending me 2 new tags for both of my dogs, they are also sending me 2 new fly tags for my horse! See...ask and you shall receive, good measure, pressed down, shaken together and overflowing!

And by the way, still no fleas visible on Sorbet cat either.

Thank you Lord

Shoo!TAG Products

2009-06-23T08:00:00.000-07:00

Shoo!TAG Products

Hi y'all, I'd like to give a short review of what I've experienced thus far, as a user of Shoo!TAG Products which take upto 36 hrs. to reach maximum effectiveness on healthy animals.

As an owner of a 5 acres mini-farm in Central FL, I have 2 dogs, 4 cats 1 ex-Thoroughbred Racehorse, 1 parrot, and 2 goats (Toggenburg/Boer/Dairy/Texas-Spanish blends). Therefore, I am currently invested in the tags for me as a human (mosquito tags), canine (flea/tick), feline (flea/tick), and equine (fly/mosquito).

I first applied the equine tags (June 11th, 2009) by braiding them into my horse's mane, up by the pole of his head. After 28 hrs. on him, the results were astounding and undeniable. The flies and even gnats just hovered around him, but none were landing on him initially, nor biting. It's now been 12 days, and the results with the equine tags prove to be most exceptional. I typically go through approximately $200.00 a yr. in buying the oil based Pyranha fly spray, and have to apply it twice a day during summer months. Since adhering his Shoo!TAGs, I have not had to apply it at all, but have chosen to put a wee bit on my hand and wipe his face and ears to keep the gnats away from the moisture glands.

On the same day, June 11th, I adhered the dog tags to my dogs' collars, on the tag ring. At that time they also had their rabies tag on, which I positioned to make was sure would not scratch the magnetic strip on the tags, nor flap around, causing friction which could interfere with the frequency barrier for the pest in relation to the energy field of the animal. I used a small piece of scotch tape to stop the tags from moving, careful not to put anything atop of the magnetic strips.

On 6/13 I noticed my wirehaired Hungarian Pointer, Sandy scratching her neck (they'd both had a Frontline Plus treatment on June 1st as their last topical), and my Australian Queensland Heeler, Cowboy was scratching his belly. Upon inspection of Sandy, she had a very happy looking flea and eggs/droppings under her one ear. So, on the 14th I removed the rabies tag on both dogs completely. Cowboy turned out to have scratched a sore on his belly as well, so I put sulfa ointment on it, and it healed up well.

On 6/16 I took the Shoo!TAGs off the ring of the collars and taped them onto the inside of the dog's collars, with the magnetic strip free of the duct tape used, and clean.

On 6/17 I noticed 4-6 flies on my horse's belly, and he was stomping his legs a bit too, indicating biting.

On 6/18 my mosquito tag came and I put it on around my neck, hanging above my solar plexus at 11 a.m.

On 6/20 the feline tags arrived and I'm yet to adhere them to their collars as they need to become accustom to wearing collars again first.

On 6/21, at 8 p.m., 81 hrs. after I put my tags on, 3 mosquitoes were sucking blood out of the exposed area of the lower region of my legs, within 10 seconds of each other. I smashed them and then went back into the house and put long pants on.

Today is 6/23, and my dogs have been scratching more and more daily. I searched Sandy's belly first since she is a white dog, and WOW! lots and lots of fleas running all around! So, the tags have been removed completely off of both dogs now, and have been sent back to Energetic Solutions, Ltd, in Austin, TX for either a replacement (should they determine that the tags were de-magnetized), or a refund if the encoding on the tags proves to be active.

Meanwhile, the Frontline Plus has been reapplied to both of my dogs and the one outdoor cat.

At 12 noon today (6/23) I attached the feline tags to the 2 outdoor cats' collars. When I opened the packaging for the Feline Shoo!TAGs I was surprised to see that the ziplock Static Sensitive Bag was NOT sealed shut tightly, allowing air to get in. Since the tags say 2008 on them, my next question would be whether or not these tags that I paid $34.95 plus S/H are even effective now?

Shoo!TAG's Frequently Asked Questions states:

"Our products do not actually kill the pests and therefore, it offers no home protection from fleas or ticks. An alternative to the use of topical chemicals would be a multi-faceted approach which would include treating the yard, frequent vacuuming of the house and installation of flea traps to eliminate any fleas which are brought into the house and fall off the animals."

As for other precautions I will now take: I'll start to use Sevin-5 dust in the sandy areas where my dogs lay under the Cedar trees, I'll also spread Sevin granules in the grassy areas that surround the equine paddocks where the dogs run. Additionally, I vacuum the house regularly and spray the outside and inside of the house for bugs about every 6 months.

FYI: The health of all animals is tip-top. They all eat holistic foods. The dry food for the cats and dogs is manufactured by Solid Gold, Hund-n-Flocken and Katz-n-Flocken. The horse gets a hot mash daily with apple cider vinegar, ground flax seed, OBS brand Hi-Amo sweet feed, wheat bran, organic carrots, Strong's Minerals, corn oil & several quarts of hot water. Plus, he and the goats eat plenty of Orchard Alfalfa blend shipped in from Wyoming or Colorado. As for me, I'm a lacto-ova vegetarian and have been for over 33 yrs. I eat predominately organic foods, rennet free dairy products (low to no-fat), do not eat eggs, do not drink sodas, do not buy or eat refined or bleached flours or pastas, nor do I eat many sugars, but, I do eat lots and lots of hot peppers both jalapenos and Red and Green chiles from NM. I do not smoke, nor put commercial creams on my skin. I do not use products that contain OMC (synthetic sunscreen) either.

Instant e-Bible

2008-09-30T07:44:00.000-07:00

Bible-Book List
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A Year Later

2008-07-14T12:23:00.000-07:00

It has now been a year since my last post. In the past year, I completed the Paralegal Program, graduating with high honors. I also learned a lot about our Judicial System, having interned for 5 months for Judge David A. Glant, of the 8th Judicial Circuit, at the Levy County Courthouse. I also made a new friend in Wendy Thurow, his Judicial Assistant, who is such a godsend.
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Mary Russ-Tortora, my former race riding colleague and dear friend for over 26 yrs., accompanied me to the ceremony. I was so elated that she would take the time out of her busy life to recognize this achievement with me. It really meant the world to me that she cared and the gift that she and Ricky, her husband, gave me was really unexpected. What a blessing to have such tried, true and trusted friends.

Being that the housing deal I had going with my neighbor's daughter fell through, prohibiting me from moving back to NM just yet, I am now applying myself to finding that future employer in the legal camp. Until then, I am steadily employed by Newberry's Backyard Bar-B-Q, in Newberry, and am very thankful that the Lord opened up a job for me among people that work hard, are professional, and run a tight ship, so to speak, at this very clean restaurant, that has outstanding homemade foods.

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Meanwhile, as the grass and weeds continue to grow here, I met a man at Sparr builders a few weeks ago, who convinced me that what I really needed was a goat or two to help relieve my burdens. So, then Albert, one of the managers at the Farm supply, gave me the number to the GoatLady of Levy County, Colette Morris.

Colette and her husband Fred, a Williston Police officer, were very gracious people with their time, talents, and expertise in helping me to learn what all being a proper goat owner would entail. Fred met Colette several years ago, they grew in love, were married, and now, after 2 yrs. of marriage, they live happily ever after on their farm, with all these kids and more!

More on my new goats...Rocky and Layla, later! Until then, it's time for me to start setting feed for all my kids too, as now I have 2 dogs, 4 cats, a horse, a bird, and 2 goats! :-)'

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Life Moves On...

2007-07-07T07:14:00.000-07:00

Well, it's now 7/7/07 (Live Earth Day), and the polution of July 4th has past (for the most part). It's been quite a while since I last wrote. While most people joined in celebrations with family and friends on the 4th...it rained here in Williston and due to the volatile nature of my horse being a Thoroughbred, I opted to stay home with my animals, namely my horse, so as to make sure that fire crackers didn't spook him through a fence or something.

The evening went off without complication, and I was very thankful for the rain, being as FL is under a severe drought right now too, and fire hazzards are high. Foolish people who are irresponsible, often burn the houses of others down due to their negligence, and don't even realize the consequences of their flagrant actions. Therefore, due to the rain...my biggest worry now is cutting the grass every week. And with 6 acres, it is a worry, lest the mosquitos overtake me. Plus, being as I feed my horse before work, that means I have to walk out in the wet morning grass at 3:00 A.M....which is not so fun being as the creepy crawly things come out at that time here in FL, and little spiders (and huge ones) build their nests throughout the grass and attach to the trees too! Hence the desire to keep the grass short.

Yes, Florida offers opportunity to partake in all kinds of flora and fauna! What fun!

Meanwhile, as many of you know, I've been invited to serve my internship with Judge Glant at the Levy County Courthouse, the 8th Judicial Circuit, beginning on Mon. July 9th. The semester doesn't officially begin until Aug. 23rd, but the Judge's Judicial Assistant needs help now, so I think it best to get in asap...to be sure to secure my spot before registration...plus, God willing, after a time working for them, when the semester is over, maybe I'll be offered a permanent job with the State...which might then be a tool I could use to tranfer back to Santa Fe and gain a State job there too.

So, how did your July 4th go, what did you do, and what pictures can you post for us all to share? If you'd like to post them on my Flickr blog, just go to: http://www.flickr.com/photos/santafesandy/ and have fun.

Lots of love to one and all! you know who. :)

What It All Means...

2007-02-11T18:46:00.000-08:00

...but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving...

"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentelness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds, in Christ Jesus.

Finally, brothers whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things. Whatever you have learned received or heard from me, or seen in me--put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you....for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances....I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation....I can do everything through Him who gives me strength....And my God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus.

To our God and Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

(Philippians 4:4-9, 11b, 12b-13, 19-20, NIV)

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Now, what does Phil. 4:8 really mean? I once heard a teaching, which I think was given by Chuck Swindoll, which discribed the elements of Philippians this way:

When the Apostle Paul addresses "true" things, he is referring to those things laid out for us in accordance with Scripture, the infalliable Word of God. They are the things that are the opposite of dishonest and unreliable things.

"Noble" refers to that which is dignified and worthy of respect.

"Right" refers to conformity to God's standards.

"Pure" refers to that which is wholesome, not mixed with moral impurity.

"Lovely" speaks of what promotes peace rather then conflict.

"Admirable" relates to what is positive and constructive rather then negative and destructive.

These 6 "objects of thought" are then described as excellent and praiseworthy.
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Like Attracts Like

2007-02-11T15:56:00.000-08:00

It's just about Spring time, and my Azaleas are coming in to bloom once again. Soon the death of winter will yield fresh new buds as life springs forth from underneath of the decay of last year's fruits.

As I witness the newness of life all around me, I can't help but to examine my own life, which has really taken on radical change most recently.

While talking with my dear friend, Carol, who has also been dealing with a divorce, she shared a new "craze" that the country has been embracing lately called "The Secret." My friend tried to encourage me to, "give it a chance in my life, as it may help me," and directed me to the website, http://thesecret.tv/ which addresses some precepts of quantum physics, which were written about almost 100 yrs. ago in a small book called, "The Science of Getting Rich", by Wallace Wattles. After reading the book, and having viewed a program on Oprah recently where she interviewed a number of the teachers of this "way of thinking," I concluded that while I too needed to realign my thought life, it was imperative to stay grounded in God's Word, and not the ungodly, psycho-babble of these "get rich quick" schemes. The proponets of "The Secret," try to make people believe that their teachings are in line with God's Word, but nothing could be further from the truth as they are New Thought theology from days of old, that is in direct alignment with the New Age movement of today.

So, after my Mom passed on this past July, I found myself thinking that nothing really mattered anymore. For a number of months, until now, I'd been living in a real mental funk, scattered in my mind as to my residency, career path, schooling, and job search. I'd been like a ship tossed at sea without a rutter, and hadn't had clear direction due to not having clear focus. Meanwhile, the results of all this indecision only seem to attract more uncertainty. The results of this uncertainty manifested in lots of negatives: confusion, vacilation, the back and forth, flip flop action of a real Jekyl/Hyde. I now say, "no more".

Therefore, through much prayer, and by the grace of God, I have reclaimed the strong focus I once had but allowed to be clouded by the fears of uncertainty, and am now back to speaking in the affirmative. The same determination I once used to propel me to accomplish so much in my life thus far, from becoming a professional athlete, to traveling the world at will, to becoming a home & horse owner with acreage, is the very energy that is available to all of us per God's plan. We are created in His image and He does want us to realize the fullness of what that really means.

So, I now look forward to hearing from all of you about the positive events and words of wisdom that the Lord is laying on each of your hearts as you too choose to move forward and allow yourself to blossom like the spring flowers.

Remember, as "Iron sharpens Iron," so too "like attracts like". Think clean, clear thoughts of purity and goodness into your life (Philipians 4:4-9, 11b, 12b-13, 19-20), surround yourself with like minded people, study to show yourself approved, and realize the fullness of your dreams by living a life of faith with focus which will solidify your purpose. See it all happening, and it will.

Next post: What it all means...

High Tide, High Noon

2007-01-26T08:59:00.000-08:00

Well, it's now high noon on Jan. 26th, 2007 and this is my first entry into my first blog. Tomorrow is my niece's birthday, and I haven't sent her a card, but maybe I can let her know that she is in my thoughts and prayers by acknowledging her here.

I have an appointment downtown in 1.5 hrs. in attempts to secure the ever elusive job, by filling out more paperwork, more applications, a written assessment etc., therefore, I need to wrap this up for now.

I need to load the dogs into the truck now since they too enjoy a car ride. Well, things are changing in my life, just like the ebb and flow of the changing tides. That's a picture I took on Cedar Key, FL back when my Mom was still alive, but just like the passing of life to death, the seasons of our life take on new form as well. See you later...maybe.