The Lovely Deseret

Hello people!
Wowzer, how much greater can life be? I wish I could bundle up my happiness and excitement and toss it all over all the ridiculous people out there who mistakenly think their life can't be most happy and enjoyable. It's all about what you want.
I left Knox Farm last June and have spent the summer on good ol' West Mountain with the fam! I have spent the days with my little sister Abigail, riding and thus selling my amazing little pony Bindi to a FANTASTIC home, playing with Helga and her puppies (5 boys), going to driving clinics with Chris and Phil, spending time with a cute farm boy in Idaho, and going on some amazing wilderness adventures with the most amazing folks. Overall, a most enjoyable summer. 
A new adventure is beginning! I am moving to Boulder, Utah for the next 3 months to live in a beautiful cave and string pack horses along through the desert of the Escalante National Monument. I will be living on a beautiful farm where they try to be as sustainable and off the grid as possible. Totally dreamy. With a pretty milk cow, gorgeous grass and alfalfa pastures, beautiful horses, some legit cowboys, a fair amount of hippie folks, and of course some of the most amazing people that I will be living with, it makes for a most magical environment just made for Allison Wonder Landes.
I will be learning lots about how to manage a homestead, sun drying tomatoes, making pesto, making cheese, milking cows, slaughtering pigs and turkeys, and of course making my way through desert environments by horseback. How am I the luckiest girl I know? If you think it, it comes true! Be out there, be brave, think about what you really want, and make it happen.

Loving it.

Good day! Or good days to be exact!
Good friends for a good time. Pretty Swedish Michelle came for a few days and we did such things as ski, dye hair, swim, soak, bake bread, eat pizza, plan the rest of our lives. The usual. I love her!!!!!!
Last week I had two great fellows stop by for a few days while they are on a 6 week climbing road trip here from Kentucky.
I met the one guy over a year ago through couch surfing and we climbed for a few days in the Red River Gorge. Amazing! I would for sure live in or near Lexington. Horses, great climbing, and great music. I am in!
I also hung out with him when I went back to Kentucky with Chris and the ponies this last fall.
It was pretty stellar to have some visitors. We spent one day skiing our hearts out right up the road and we picked a mountain and set out for it. Unfortunately, all I have are cross country skis, ad I have NEVER downhill skied (even though I have lived in Utah my whole life, yes I am a dinner) and was quite amazed and what a steep hill I had climbed and thus had to ski down. Hmmm.... Thus, there was a whole heap of me falling and twisting and sticking under trees and bushes. Rough. Until, the epiphany came that skiing is JUST LIKE RIDING!! Bent soft knees, internal rotation, chest and head up and steady. Then it was literally smooth sailing once I imagined myself riding to a jump the rest of the way. Next investment, an alpine touring set up for sure.
The next day we did a bit of climbing in Ross Park. Possibly the saddest day I my young body's life. The first hold I pulled on, I also pulled my tendon apart. I heard a squishy, spongey, squelch and my finger had no strength and I could feel my heart beating in my hand. Not a good sign. I had reinjured what is called the A2 pulley. I thought it was strong enough but alas, now I don't know what to do. No more climbing for me... Ever? I could be sat and cried I was so upset, but these great fellows helped me tape it up and I just climbed easy peasy stuff the rest of the day. Sigh.... Why can't bodies always do what they are told?
Other than that, things have been stellar. The horses are doing great and I am learning more than I can handle. I have numerous books in the process of being read, so I better get to it! Principles of Riding here I come.

Solitude

Well that was just a depressing last post, goodness.
Things are much better now! I have realized that my mood is based HUGELY on how my most recent ride has gone. Which may or may not be healthy... But it is true. Which is why my life is a million times more awesome after getting about 8 hours in teaching time from Chris within 2 days.
I have recently started riding Cookie. A totally gorgeous thoroughbred/Connemara cross that is a full sister to Andy, the other cross I was riding. Cookie is amazing. As Chris likes to say, "She is more trained than broke." Meaning... She doesn't have a million miles, and has never been off the farm (even though she is 13) but the riding she has had has all been by Chris, so she is perfectly trained, and an absolute joy to ride. Definitely the most well trained horse I have ever ridden. What a difference it is. It is so great asking for something, and getting a soft, calm, mannerly, smooth, energetic response. It feels amazing. So Chris gave me some lessons on her after not being ridden for a year, and basically said have at it!! I could definitely do my B dressage on her this summer if I decide I want to do that. A very exciting development indeed. The only bad part is feeling like I am undoing her training every time I ride, ugh. But let's hope it isn't too horrendous.
I have been on my lonesome this whole week and it has snowed about a foot. Talk about plowing my heart out. Oh, how I love snow blowers.
Other than that, status quo.
Hope everyone is doing well!

January

It is so darn cold
Like little needles in hands
Weight in mouth corners

Helga is happy
Snow face on all the day long
Floppy, paws, a smile

Was talent present?
Most likely just a silly wish
A passion, why this?

New Year

Happy New Year!
Lots if fun around the farm lately.
I pulled out my goals I made from last year and well.... I completed about half! Not bad, but not great either.
One of my goals was to stay at Knox Farm as long as possible. Guess that one worked out. Other goals I met included competing Bindi, learning to drive the horses, reading some horse books, learning new songs on the guitar,and keeping in touch better with the siblings. I think those all were successful.
This year has some big plans!! I have a LOT to do. Like...
Pass my HA rating.
Take my B dressage rating.
Ride my horse across the state if Utah.
Be a working student for Michael Fruend in Germany in November.
Sell Bindi :(
Have Gilbert Ground driving.
Break Bindi to drive.
Finish reading "Thinking Riding."

Master the sitting trot once and for all!!
And posting trot for that matter, ha.
I hope everyone out there still makes goals and plans for new year beginnings! I know it really motivates me, so I hope it helps you kick start your life into the direction you would like it to go.
Love you folks!! Have a most lovely new day.

Home for the Pseudo Holiday

I am currently the lucky passenger of Mama Mae and Papa Kay's vehicle on its way to Idaho. Back to Chesterfield!
The snow is laying around all pillowy and fat. Luckily the roads are great and we should make it home safely.
The few days at home have been amazing! I got to meet my niece Lydia who is a darling and smiles like Buddah. Her whole face is full of a smile and the cutest squinty eyes.
Some of the big events were the pie contest, visiting the Utah Natural History Museum, and the graduation celebration for Robert AND Mom, and Mom's 50th birthday. She still looks 30 though, so it's ok to say her age.
The Pie Contest was a very close race. We had 11 entries. Dad was the defender of Best Tasting and Best Looking awards from 2011 and we were all determined to not let that happen again. Alas, we err all surprised when an interloper, an intruder, a non-Landes took the first place prize with an amazing tangy, creamy, fruit jelly and raspberry topped pie curiously named Georgia White. An undeniable winner.
An evening of music was in order and we had quite the array of music. James blew our socks off with a swinging, bluesy, floozy version of Jingle Bells. Wowzers, impressed. Robert of course serenaded with his most sweet and elegant violin playing that left us silent. Papa Kay and Ryan pulled off a thick voiced rendition of Old Man River. Russell has one amazing voice that is still hard for me to believe and sang If Ever I Would Leave You.
Thus, the fam is doing well and it was a most lovely weekend. We all missed Adrienne and her family if course, but there is always next year.
Merry Christmas!

New Mexico by Highway and Byway

We woke up this morning in Early, Texas. I woke up at about five to a very rumbly tumbly and spewed the last of my Stubb's BBQ into the shower. Sad day for the BBQ.
Luckily we made it to a much better place. A REAL hotel in Albuquerque.
Today was amazing! New Mexico is pretty gorgeous, even when it is flat as a pan. We stopped in Rosewell, land of aliens and government
Conspiracies. We saw lots of pretty horse farms, along with lots of aliens either painted on the windows at Arby's, or 15 foot tall wood carvings painted neon green sitting in random fields.
We also went to the grand International UFO Museum and Research Center. I am more confused about how I feel about aliens now than ever. We did learn that throwing a hub cap in the air and taking a picture was a solid enough hoax to get published nationwide. Oh how far we have come.
The most interesting part of the day can when we visited out great-great aunt Mary. So, my grandma Diana's aunt. Aunt Mary is a lovely, talkative, beautiful 97 year old who has been living in a rest home for the last 10 years or so. Robert played Danny Boy, God Bless America,, Somewhere Over the Rainbow, and Silent Night. Aunt Mary sang along as best as she could, and was very moved by Silent Night. One of the nurses had to leave because she was crying so much. After hearing Rob play at church, and now for Aunt Mary, I am convinced his time at Rice was well spent. His playing is more elegant, clear, and moving than ever before. And I thought he couldn't get any better, psha! She was a very sweet woman and it was nice to visit with her and very hard I leave that tiny body and crying eyes alone in her room.