Motivation

In yesterday's public proclamation of my fitness goal and desire for baggy jeans, I alluded to a recent development which is proving to be a great weight-loss motivator and which might change the course of history at the 7MSN.  I'll get to that in a minute. I think we should first put all of this into context.

Many of you were around last February when I unexpectedly lost my beloved Lyle. Will I ever be able to type that with dry eyes? Probably not.  Several weeks later, I kicked the elephant out of the room and told you I planned to get another horse because I couldn't imagine my life without riding. I even went so far as to say it would be a saddle-trained BLM mustang. But then I took Hank to the vet and learned it might be a really bad idea to bring a new horse into the herd, given the condition of his knee. In order to do right by Hank, I decided there would be no new horse in our future and life would just have to go on.

Over the course of the next eight months, we grieved and adjusted and grieved and adjusted some more, and Hank, George and Alan became a band of brothers, albeit with one of them getting more than his fair share of the hay. Then in November, Bernard from Morning Bray Farm came over for a play date with George and Alan. Hank didn't play or get physical with our guest donkey as he would a horse, and I got to thinking that maybe I could bring a new donkey into the herd permanently. The next day, I announced that my search was on for another donkey, maybe one that was saddle-trained. That was November 8. The more I thought about it, the more I knew that adding a riding donkey to the herd would be a huge win-win for Hank and for me.

But little did I know that riding donkeys rarely come up for sale. I kept checking the national equine classified ads, to no avail. I wish I could remember who said "the horse you want to buy is the one that's not for sale." Anyway, I remembered that sage advice and placed this wanted ad on Meredith Hodge's website in mid-December: I am looking for a saddle-trained donkey/burro - large standard or small mammoth, gelded male. He would be used for trail riding. I can offer him the very best home and lifestyle (learn about us at www.the7msnranch.com). Am willing to travel to find the perfect match.

I never heard from anyone.

Until last week.

I got a message from someone who had checked us out and said she may be interested in selling her donkey – her saddle-trained, in your pocket, do everything, sweetheart of a donkey. A few more messages and a long phone call later, I was ready to hook up the horse trailer and go get her. Cooler heads prevailed and I realized that the middle of winter is not a good time to be traipsing through the Rockies hauling a horse trailer. It may be April before the coast is clear to make the trip. And it may turn out that once I get there, this may not be the perfect match. But in my heart, I know it is. Still, a lot can happen between now and April and this could all blow up. But in my heart, I know it won't. Anyway, without further adieu, meet my motivation to get back into riding shape:

If this gorgeous 14-hand jenny turns out to be my new ride and I'm 99.999% certain she will, I think she'll appreciate me more if there's about 20 pounds less to appreciate. You all know there's nothing I wouldn't do for my animals, present or future, and she's all the motivation I need to meet the goal.

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A few of you expressed interest in joining me in my 12-week fitness challenge - whoohoo! The more the merrier! Let's plan on meeting back here on Saturday to swap ideas on what's working, share healthy recipes, commiserate and otherwise kick each other in the butt support each other. Wynonna told me she plans to weigh in with some of her favorite weight-loss tips.