I've been sad today . . .

[Kathie in Thorp]

One of my dearest friends died just before Christmas 2010, after complications from a recreational 4X4 accident. She was my neighbor and confidant for many years. Her mother was Kentucky bred, and Rusty and her mother went many years to the Derby together. I keep in close touch with Rusty's daughters. Their dad died unexpectedly with a very weird blood disorder, and they buried him today in Idaho. So today, I was thinking about Rusty and how she loved the Derby, and that her daughters had to bury their dad today, and I cried . . . and my daughter sent me the best, true thing:

They LIVED their whole lives and died only one day. Celebrate the days lived!

[Kathie in Thorp]

I wanted to just delete this. Post is too old -- hours old. I'm going to go out, and walk with my cattle, cry a little, and reconcile myself to all this. See you all tomorrow. G'night.

[VanC]

Hang in there, hon. I've found that even though we always remember lost loved ones, sometimes a certain date, event, song, etc brings those memories to the forefront and suddenly we feel the same as we did the day we lost them. I like being alone at those times, too.

[Kathie in Thorp]

Hang in there, hon. I've found that even though we always remember lost loved ones, sometimes a certain date, event, song, etc brings those memories to the forefront and suddenly we feel the same as we did the day we lost them. I like being alone at those times, too.

Thanks, Van. Going out to talk to the cattle now. They won't give a rat's a$$ about how I feel today, but I get solace from being with them.

[3waycross]

My best friend in HS and the kid who worked the racetrack with me killed himself about ten years after we graduated. I never watch a horse race without thinking of him. Especially the Derby cuz we used to hot walk horses for Wayne Lucas back in the 60's up at Atokad racetrack in South Sioux City Neb.
I always remembere that there was a beer joint up the road a mile or so from the track that would let a couple of teenage kids come in there in the afternoon on those days when it was 101 in the shade and cool off and drink a soda!. We used to listen to Jim Ed Brown sing Pop A Top and Wyn Stewart sing It's Such A Pretty World Today.

I know how you feel.

shytty

[Kathie in Thorp]

Bless you, Vic. Thx!

[breed549]

sounds of silence god bless
br

[I luv herfrds]

Yeah Kathie pretty dam sh*tty deal losing your best friend. I'm still traveling that road. Wanted to talk to her the other day.

Hugs your way hon.

[Kathie in Thorp]

I wasn't so sad for the loss of my friend today . . . . as I was sad for her girls, who had to bury their dad today, on what would have been one of their mother's favorite days. Just all came in on a rush, at my end. I couldn't be there with the girls. They knew I was there "in spirit," but that's not the same as being able to hug and console them, and them for me.

[ANAZAZI]

Hang in there kathie!

They LIVED their whole lives and died only one day. Celebrate the days lived!

[Kathie in Thorp]

Hang in there kathie!

They LIVED their whole lives and died only one day. Celebrate the days lived!

Yes!

[CKC1586]

Today will be a better day. Hugs.

[Kathie in Thorp]

Today will be a better day. Hugs.

It is.

[cow pollinater]

I've been surrounded by close calls lately that could really easily be deaths... It's just the $hits when you look around and know that we really have no control over it.

The worst one for me was a kid that I knew when we were in gradeschool together. I have always had horses and cattle even when I was into other stuff and he lived in town but wanted to be a cowboy so bad he could taste it and never got the chance. We were about thirteen when I remember him as if it happened this morning, begging me to let him ride a horse... I said no. That afternoon he got in a fight with his brother and jumped on his bike in tears and rode out in front of a truck...
Every once in a while I think about him and it makes me remember that I'm blessed to have what I do and all of a sudden it turns from a stressfull job back into a lifestyle that I love... I haven't skipped very many opertunities to share it with other to this day.

[Kathie in Thorp]

No, CP, you'd sure never, ever forget that kid! Ruff story. I still have the fairly stressful job, but when I leave it, I LEAVE IT right there in the chair.