Misty Watercolored Memories
May 29th 2007
Nicole JordanGoddess Classics
Congratulations are in order, my fellow goddesses! I’m a proud new mom. Please welcome the latest edition to my family – a 1200 pound, 3 year old (that’s a teenager in horse years) bay Warmblood mare named Riva, who will no doubt change my life forever.
I’ve had her a week and I love her already. She’s big and beautiful and smart and full of energy (as teenagers will be). And she rides like a dream (even though she has a lot to learn about leg and rein aids and ground manners!)
Her baby pictures are precious. Her breeder took these when Riva was a foal, and I’m posting them here so y’all can properly admire her (the gray is Riva’s biological mom, Nationale). I’m sorry, but Suzanne’s guppies just can’t compare to a horse in my affections!
…(click to enlarge)…
With her bloodlines, I expect Riva to be a champion someday and hope she’ll have a long and successful career as a show hunter to replace my beloved Irishbred jumper who’s retired.
Last week my hubby came out to the barn with me and took more photographs of our new kid to show family and friends and to commemorate the special occasion. My hubby has become quite a good photographer (he’s had a succession of digital cameras, starting when they first came out, and prints all his own photos). He’s also the nostalgic type. He creates artistic books of photographs and labels them by year, then reviews them regularly, while I stuff pics away in a box and never look at them again.
I really don’t need to have photos of the special times in my life. Instead I rely on the photographs in my mind. My favorite memories are almost as vivid as the day I lived them. Some of my best:
- Horseback riding in London’s Hyde Park when I was in highschool (and that was long before I became a writer 
and fell in love with the Regency period).
- A picnic and softball game on a lovely spring day with my college friends, which let us escape the grind of our engineering curriculum.
- Another picnic many years later with my hubby, enjoying wine and strawberries on a summer afternoon on a flower-covered mountainside.
- And of course I’ll never forget the day my new horse came into my life.
First, you’ve gotta properly coo over my new baby! And second, what are some of your best memories? Those special moments in your life that you’ll never, ever forget? Did you capture them on film or just in your mind?
31 Comments »
31 Responses to “Misty Watercolored Memories”
Kay on 30 May 2007 at 2:09 am #
Congratulations on your new addidtion. She looks amazing.
Best memories captured on film—holding each of my children for the first time and my wedding. Most of my other favorite memories with my Dh and children have not been
recorded on film or pixels. We try to get the birthdays, Christmases, and family gatherings in pictures. It doesn’t always work out, though.
My DH and I are not techincal people, and on more than one special occasion we have had the videocamera refuse to work. It happened last week, when our sons were playing a duet at a concert. They had practiced for months for this, and the camera just beeped at us. Since they were the only ones playing, no one else taped it, either. It is still a special memory, I just wish we could have shared it with the grandparents who live too far away to be there.
MizMacgyver on 30 May 2007 at 6:04 am #
Your new baby is beautiful, I don’t think there is anything more thrilling to see than a horse (or most any animal) running, the muscles moving together so fluidly is just a sight to behold. You can tell she is a girl right off cos she has her diamond right there on her forehead!
Most of my special memories are in my head because for some reason I am not a camera person. I have one but half the time I don’t even know where it is. My most wondrous memory was when I saw my baby girl (now 28) holding my baby boy (now 17). There is a picture of that. My next thrill was seeing my son holding my granddaughter at the hospital the day after she was born. I also have a picture of four (and one half) generations. We count my son as a half generation because of the years between him and my daughter. People in my family don’t live long so it was something to see 4 generations together.
DebMarlowe on 30 May 2007 at 7:18 am #
Congrats Nicole! What a beauty! I can hear the proud mama in your voice right over the internet!
I love pictures and my kids love pouring over the family albums, but some of my most special memories are not on film. I think those ones take on a special glow because the re-experience of them is so personal and colored by our emotions and perceptions. Those are the best ones to share too!
Cail on 30 May 2007 at 8:03 am #
oh Nicole, i’m so jealous! i LOVE horses. She looks beautiful.
A lot of my memories are saved photographically, but the ones that are the best are the ones that i can recall mentally moment by moment in vivid color.
Sandi on 30 May 2007 at 9:27 am #
The horse is beautiful. Enjoy her for both the riding pleasure, and the companion she’s sure to be.
I’m not at all a good picture taker. Have the digital camera, and years ago there was an ad about the pictures still being in the camera…well that’s me! I also just got the video camera, and haven’t tried it yet…got to work on that!
Sandi
Caren Crane on 30 May 2007 at 9:32 am #
What a gorgeous girl you have, Nicole! I know you will enjoy many happy years together. Just remember, teenagers need space and patience. She may not be a prize-winning jumper today, but after she finishes rebelling and skipping class to smoke pot with her friends and running around with boys you don’t like, she’ll shape up fine!
Kay, I my husband and I have the same photo philosophy as you. We have birthdays and major holidays and graduation (only one so far). But we are also plagued by dead batteries, full memory cards (used to be full tapes) and inexplicable technical snafus. My husband can never seem to have charged batteries, blank memory cards and the actual equipment all at the same time. Even if we test drive it and all works well, it will be forgotten at home or in a far away vehicle. So, sadly, we have more memories only in our heads than we would choose to have.
And Nicole, my pictures stay in boxes, too. Makes for fun to sort through later, though!
Nicole Jordan on 30 May 2007 at 10:08 am #
Thanks for the compliments and good wishes, y’all! I will be sure to pass them on to Riva.
And that is too funny about the rebellious teenager years, CarenC! I’ve never had a young horse before and I’m finding there’s a huge difference between youngsters and trained veterens.
Those memories of holding your kids sound very special. And I love DebM’s rationale for why those make such a huge impact on us:
“I think those ones take on a special glow because the re-experience of them is so personal and colored by our emotions and perceptions. Those are the best ones to share too!”
That’s beautiful!
NicoleJ
Sabrina Jeffries on 30 May 2007 at 10:10 am #
Lovely horse, Nicole! And I say that knowing nothing about horses, except that I rode a few once and enjoyed the experience immensely. When I was a kid I used to dream about running away from home on this horse I’d ridden at the beach, but then I’d remember that I lived in Thailand and there was jungle and cobras and I didn’t speak the language hardly at all, and I would abandon the idea. Running away just isn’t the same in a foreign country.
I do take photos, but not nearly enough (still, I do have a lot, especially of my sweetie Nick). We have videos from when he was a kid, too. I keep photo albums, mostly because my son LOVES to look through them. He’ll sit for hours looking at the pictures.
zambonigirl on 30 May 2007 at 10:45 am #
Very pretty horse. The mother is gorgeous, too. I’m sure she’ll be a champion. What are you guys doing with the retired one? Can she still be ridden, or are you just keeping her as a pet now?
My favorite memory was during New Year’s. I went to NC to see my bro and his family. My niece and I were playing with play-dough. She’s 2 right now. She was working really industriously and mixing all these colors, and I was making cut-outs with black dough. I asked her what she was making, and in perfect Southern Drawl, she said, “Buuuuuuuuuhhhhhhhter. Ah’m may-kin buuuuuhhhhhhter.” (My bro’s in love with Paula Deen. I think that explains the fascination with butter.)
It should also be noted that she pronounces my first name “Hottie.” Smart kid.
Julia London on 30 May 2007 at 10:45 am #
Beeee-yoooo-tiful, Nicole! Beautiful horse! Once, many moons ago, my father raised quarter horses. Don’t know what happened to them, actually. Note to self: ask him.
I love that you are such a horse person and have the place to train them. Stupid question, but do they train like dogs? Repetition and reward-type thing?
As for misty-water-colored memories….easy. Since I can only remember the last few weeks, haha… but our wedding in Tahoe rates right up there. Driving with my siblings to see my dad last summer. Just the four of us without spouses or kids for the first time in probably 20 years. We had a blast! We instantly reverted to birth order and privilege and laughed across the US. I will never forget it.
Claudia Dain on 30 May 2007 at 12:00 pm #
What a gorgeous horse! No wonder you’re so proud and pleased! I can’t wait to hear all the fun (teenage) details about how you train her. I might be able to use a few with my two-legged kids.
I’m terrible at taking pictures and the whole video craze passed me by. I just want to enjoy the moment without thinking about how to save the moment for posterity.
Plus, as my DH laughingly points out, I’m so sentimental that I can’t bear to look at the pix of my kids as babies or my parents teaching me to swim…bawl!!! I look so tough on the outside, not taking photos, but on the inside…mush. And my DH just laughs and laughs.
RachelG on 30 May 2007 at 1:45 pm #
Congrats Nicole. Riva is beautiful. Growing up, I had a palomino, and I rode her all over the foothills of Boise.
As for pics. I am notorious for packing the camera and forgetting to take pictures.
Suzanne Enoch on 30 May 2007 at 1:47 pm #
Okay, the horse is very pretty, Nicole. But she doesn’t have a multi-colored tail or gills. On the plus side, I suppose you can take her out for a walk. Guppies don’t like that so much.
I carry my camera in my purse with me — mostly for pictures of my nephews, but they grow up SO fast.
Nicole Jordan on 30 May 2007 at 3:04 pm #
>>do they train like dogs? Repetition and reward-type thing?
Exactly, Julia! But you have to know exactly what to do to teach them, and how to respond if they don’t do what you want — which is not my forte. My trainer is really good at starting babies, thankfully. Also since Riva is a Warmblood, her body will take a year longer to mature than most other breeds. So she’ll need a light ride for quite a while to protect her joints and back, and won’t start jumping until she’s at least four.
LOL, Suzanne. Nope she doesn’t have gills, which I am very thankful for. But she does have a lovely tail… black with auburn highlights. Several women at our barn have commented that they wished they had hair that color.
I’m no good with camaras, either. So I’m glad my dh is an expert. The other great thing is that he’s really good at fixing digital photos to make them look good. Cropping, touching up color, that sort of thing. So if I need help, I just yell for him.
NicoleJ
Karen Hawkins on 30 May 2007 at 3:23 pm #
Nicole, what a GORGEOUS horse! I have a gazillion photos but I never DO anything with them. Wish I would. It’d be nice to relive some of those memories. I always think I’ll remember, but unless something tips me off, I don’t.
I need to eat more spinach. I hear that sparks the memory meter.
Btw … what’s a warmblood? Aren’t all horses warmbloods? And where did you get the name? ‘Riva’ is beautiful — and so is she!
Susan K on 30 May 2007 at 3:32 pm #
That’s a very pretty horse! I was on a horse once when I was little. My grandpa lived out in the country and his neighbor across the street had a horse. She would put me on the horse and walk us around the yard. But I have never actually ridden a horse.
Nicole Jordan on 30 May 2007 at 4:24 pm #
Actually, Warmblood is a breed of horses, mostly the decendants of European medieval knights’ warhorses. Other familar breeds are Thoroughbred, Arabian, Barb, Morgan, Quarterhorse, Saddlebred, Tennessee Walkers, and lots more. Not as many different breeds as dogs, though.
And within the Warmblood category, there are all kinds of sub categories… Dutch, Swedish, Holsteiner…. Riva is Holsteiner going way back at least 6 generations, only — and this gets confusing — she’s registered and branded as an Oldenburg sport horse because of the peculiar European breeding rules.
And Riva is her barn name… Her registered name is Rivella (based on her sire was Rivano and her grandsire was Riverman) which my dh hates cause he thinks it sounds like the ugly stepsister in Cinderella, or the villan in 101 Dalmations, Cruella DeVille. So I shortened it to Riva. We’re still pondering a list of names for her to show under, based on ski runs at my dh’s fave ski resort. I wanted him to have a vested interest in his new kid, lol.
NicoleJ
Susan K on 30 May 2007 at 4:24 pm #
I’m not the greatest at taking photos but I’m trying to get better. I’ve even started carrying my camera with me. Cause I love to scrapbook! I’m working on several scrapbooks right now. One of all the pets I’ve ever had, one of different things in my life, and one for my best friend for her birthday. She doesn’t scrapbook so we made a trade. I’d do her scrapbooking when she has kids and she’d make me jewelry. So as a surprise I am starting one of different things in her life.
If anybody wants help putting together scrapbooks let me know. I’m for hire!
Judy F on 30 May 2007 at 4:26 pm #
What a beautiful horse. I have always loved horses though they tend to scare me a bit. The high off the ground thing..
I do take a lot of pictures and most of them are not in an album.
Just watching my brothers and sisters girls grow up. Just the everyday memories. One will be tonight my sisters youngest is graduating from High School, where did my little buddy go.
TinaLouiseF on 30 May 2007 at 5:59 pm #
Congrats on Riva. Are you going to train her yourself?
My first horse accident occured because we had the horse trained by someone that does reining competitions. When the horse runs away with a 10 year old girl, she is not going to remember to hold the reins down lower than the saddle horn in order to get the horse to stop. I think that was the only time we had someone else train one of the horses.
TinaLouiseF on 30 May 2007 at 6:00 pm #
All three of my horse accidents I remember in vivid detail.
I take photos on my vacations.
Brandy on 30 May 2007 at 8:25 pm #
Riva is absolutely gorgeous. As for memories, well mine’s not the best, so I take pictures all the time. As a matter of fact, I carry my digital camera in my purse, and I take picture of everything! My kids, my cats, and I even sneak pictures of the hubs! But, if you were to look at my pictures, you’d notice that I am managed not to be in any of them! (That’s on purpose btw!)
Julia London on 30 May 2007 at 9:18 pm #
Lets all guess how many books Nicole has to sell just to feed Riva.
And to get her a fancy mane-do at show time. Don’t they make tight little buns all down her neck? (I am using official horse terminology here, BTW. You may not be familiar).
ArkansasCyndi on 30 May 2007 at 9:30 pm #
She’s beautiful. Congrats New Mommy!
I grew up in Hot Springs, AR. We have thoroughbred horse racing here 60 days a year. Being up next to these horses are absolutely amazing. I guess I’ve never gotten over the little girl wants a horse fantasy!
But, I did take hunter/jumper lessons about 20 years ago. English saddles. Very interesting!
Congrats!
Nicole Jordan on 30 May 2007 at 10:53 pm #
Scrapbooking is a really cool hobby, SK! I’m envious of your creativity.
>>All three of my horse accidents I remember in vivid detail.
LOL, TinaL. I have a few of those painful memories myself. And no, I wouldn’t dare try to train a hunter. I don’t have the eperience or the time. Fortunately my trainer is excellent at it.
Brandy, that’s so great that you’re a photo wiz. I can’t remember, are you the artistic type, too? How did you get to be interested in taking pics? Is it a creativity thing, or do you just want to be able to capture moments?
>>>I guess I’ve never gotten over the little girl wants a horse fantasy!
I can sooo relate, ArkC. But I don’t know where I got the “love horses” gene, since no one in my family or ancestry got bitten by the bug. Actually, I was looking for a T-bred gelding, never really wanted a mare or a Warmblood. But we fell in love with Riva at first sight. My trained kept telling me that the right match would come along, and I truly believe she did.
NicoleJ
Brandy on 31 May 2007 at 1:16 am #
I would love to be the artistic type, but I don’t think I am. I write poetry, and book reviews. I bake and I sing. But, above all I like to read. Taking pictures is a way for me to freeze a moment in time. So that I can always look back on that moment and it should bring forth a memory that will either make me laugh or smile, or even cry. (Like the photos of my kids being born.) Um, I am kind of known for my funny pictures of my kitties. *g*
darkshire007 on 31 May 2007 at 11:22 am #
Your baby is gorgeous! (You are obviously proud!) I can’t think of any one moment in my life that was “special”. Though I have traveled extensively and taken lots of pictures; they are mostly scenic. I put them into scrap books and bring them out occasionally to show my mother. She tells me she lives vicariously through my photos of my travels. (Now that I think about it, that is actually rather sad.) I don’t know much about horses. I have ridden one in Texas on a trail and in Iceland on a trek. But they sure are pretty to look at! Congratulations!
Karen Hawkins on 31 May 2007 at 3:07 pm #
Nicole, that is so cool about Warmbloods! I never heard of that, but it all sounds very romantic and I’m all about romantic.
Riva’s a BEAUTY, Nicole! We want periodic posts on her and how the training is going!
I wish I had a horse. But noooo … just LBDs (Large Brown Dogs).
Sigh.
MJ on 31 May 2007 at 7:38 pm #
She is Beautiful. I’ve always wanted to learn to ride….and particularly when I see beauty like that…. (pity the poor horse, though, if I tried). It wasn’t possible when I was growing up, as my stepmother was SO allergic that you couldn’t even visit a stable (and there were quite a few nearby, although I lived in a large city. No petting kittens either, so it wasn’t just horses that were verboten.)
(Sorry to be tardy, I’ve been AWOL, but just had to tell you how lovely she is).
dbrown3400 on 01 Jun 2007 at 7:40 pm #
You have a beautiful baby. Enjoy her while she’s young. Our children grow up all too fast. Then they want the keys to the car.
Donna
Nicole Jordan on 02 Jun 2007 at 10:10 am #
Thanks, y’all! I know it can be exasperating — and downright annoying — when proud moms push their baby pictures on you, but I couldn’t resist.
And I sure hope Riva doesn’t try to swipe the car keys, lol. Right now I just hope she learns to go in a straight line or a circle when I ask her to.
NicoleJ