Old Actresses- Guest Post by Mom!

******Note from Horse Crazed Mind. I am posting My darling mother's comments from yesterday's post "Hotties of Old". I had a feeling that my Mom might post something politically related to my topic. She has always been one to stray off the beaten path, a trait I admire and hope to have inherited! I thought she might say something about the double standard of my post, that I would be considered chauvinistic, were I a male picking "hottie" females. Or maybe something about the homosexual tendencies of some of Hollywoods greatest male hearthrobs! Its true! But no! She pulled through with something even better. The discrimination that woman over "a certain age" face in Hollywood today. The information she provided was interesting, and provocative, and certainly worthy of being a topic in its right. So, Mom, you are invited to add on to your very first blog post! Take it away!! *******

Old Actresses (whoops, Actors!)

"Okay, so being that most of my favourite older men are taken already and the ones that really hit home with me don't make the hit list because they are too young, although in my dreams age isn't an issue, lol....Without a hesitation my favourite's are George Clooney, Johnny Depp, Bruce Willis, Colin Firth, Patrick Swayzee, Kurt Russell, need I go on? These are all just a smidgen younger then what we are talking about but worthy of mentioning as they are on the cusp.

I am going to take this opportunity to give tribute to the likes of Helen Murrin, Sophia Loren, Candice Burgen, Diane Keaton, etc etc.... Older women only make up 8% of the available roles in movies where 1/2 of the roles for men are made up of men over 35! What does that tell us? I find it ironic how we have advanced so far in so many areas yet the so so called "eye" candy for men at the movies does not include a women in her 40's, 50's or older and if they do it usually is related to movies like "Somethings Got to Give", with Jack Nicholson and Diane Keaton.

Most often the romances are between "much" older men and "much" younger women! Grrrrr...The Graduate was one of the few earlier movies that was the opposite, a very young graduate played by (Dustin Hoffman) and Mrs. Robinson (Anne Bancroft) if any of you younger people out there haven't seen it, it was a movie that really was a legend in it's time! 1967

To be continued....

The Hotties of Old!

To continue with my love of old things. How about the Hotties of Old?


As a twenty-six-year-old woman, I have to admit that I never understood what all the fuss was about with respect to Marlin Brando, Robert Redford and Paul Newman. I grew up with...

Leonardo DiCaprio, (with his baby face good looks)

Mathew McCanaughey,

(who does yoga for Petes sake!...mind you that is kinda hot...)


and Brad Pitt (even if has become a bit of a pu$$y, as of late, sorry, but he has!) Lets remember him for the way he was...

Each are hotties in their own right but of a different generation.

I have never been one to watch old movies, so hadn't the opportunity to see the hotties of old "in the flesh" or "in their prime" (so to speak) until....

A few years ago I was flipping channels when I stumbled upon the movie, "The Great Gatsby". I don't think I had ever seen a man so gorgeous (other than my DB of course), in my entire life, as Robert Redford in that white suit. Now, when I see his weather worn skin, chiseled lines and ruddy completion, all I can see is the dazzling blue of his eyes and rugged sex appeal. I have to give the man credit for the way he looks today. Did you know that he is 72 years old?

(well, not in that picture he isn't but, damn, that man is fine!)

I had also not had the opportunity to see the Marlin Brando as anything but a balding, very heavy, lisping, old guy. A Street Car named desire changed that perspective in a hurry. He had the looks, no doubt, but his energy! Oh my! He was one slick cat. I have to say, Marlin baby, you left me a little breathless!

This week, we lost the great Paul Newman, another "unknown hottie" of my generation.

So I thought that in the spirit of "Ol' things" and as a tribute to Ol' Newman (not the Seinfeld, or Young and the Restless variety...but then, hey! if they "do it for you", who am I to argue?) I would put this question to you....

Who is your hottie from times past?

*****


If you comment with a name, I will find a picture (or you can post a link to one.) and I will add it to the post. Only one rule. They can not be any less than 60 years old today!

*****
Cndcowgirls: Gene Kelly (Such a gentleman! Yup, hez got the moves!)



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Melanie's: Cary Grant and Rock Hudson (Helllooo! how hot of a name is Rock? ) other picks include Clint Eastwood and Robert Redford. OFF her list, Sean Connery! Sorry Sean, what can I say....the woman has picky taste!

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Leah Fry- had to sneek this one in for you girly! Mark Harmon is a just a baby at 57! But here shares my DB's birthday so we will forgive him (Sept. 2nd not 1951!)

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Big Guys Mom: Gregory Peck (To Kill a Mockingbird) (to me, he looks like the kinda guy you marry! Did I just say that!!!)

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Stephanie: I am SO sorry! I had to post this pic of Harrison Ford! It came up on the first page of Google images and just jumped out at me! Pick me! Pick me! I'm naked, hairy and pale! Pick me! LOL I loved Indiana Jones but never liked Harrison Ford as an actor outside of that film.

To make ammends. I'll think of him as Indiana. *grin* He turns 70 this year!

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Laura's pick: Colin Firth (at 48 he really misses the cut off but as he really was such a cutie as Mr. Darcy, he is worth the honorable mention.) Give me something older darlin'.

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Mrs. Mom's: She pulled out the stops and gave me quite the list. Sean Connery (78), Harrison Ford (70), Tom Beringer (59) and Bruce Willis (53) but settled with Tommy Lee Jones (62) and Robert Duval (77).

F.Y.I. No one has actually picked poor Sean Connery yet...Melanie passed him up for Cary Grant and Rock Hudson.

***** BrownEyed Cowgirls: Antonio Benderas (48) was too young to make the list. I loved him in that boxing movie, Play It To the Bone with Woody Harrelson.

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Aunt Krissy: came through for me with Clint Eastwood! Oh yah!

Train Wreck: Now I am wondering if something did happen to this post! Melanie picked him too. Either way, here he is, the one and only Cary Grant!

Speaking of old things...

I don't know about you, but I love old things. I love that they have seen things beyond my own time. I like to think of the people that have handled them over the years, of when they were used and the lives that were touched by them. I love old worn books for their character, their rips and tears, their stains and missing pages.

My favorites are my grandmothers old cookbooks, the ones that have been used and loved the most. Their pages are speckled with batter and singed at the edges but carry their battle scars with the pride.

My Granny's beautiful handwriting, her notes and recipes, line their pages. Stray cards and papers, buried treasure pressed thin, come loose and fall like feathers to floor as I finger my way through them.

I love them for what they are, not just what they contain. I know that she touched them and read them and took pride in feeding her family their delicious recipes. I think about the stories she shared while standing over their pages; or the occasions that took place while they lay, quietly on the counter; Weddings, Christmas, birthdays.

I love them for what they have seen. I think of these things when I use them, to cook for the people that I love.

Western Horseman 1960's Style!

A few years back a good friend of mine was cleaning out her basement when she came across an old box of old Western Horseman magazines. I happened to be visiting at the time and so we spent a good hour or so flipping through all the pages and admiring how much styles, techniques and products have changed over the years. She had been packing these old magazines around since she was a kid and though she would have liked to keep them, she knew that it was time for them to go in the garbage. I couldn't stand the thought, so offered to take them (knowing the flack I would catch when I came home with more "junk").

Over the next few months I worked my way through the box. Many of the magazines were damaged so that it was impossible to open them without tearing the pages. Others looked like they could have come straight off the news stand, if it were not for the faded yellow and outdated dress on the covers. The dates ranged from the early '70's to the late '80's. I found the articles, styles, and pictures fascinating. I found old stallion advertisements for Doc Bar, Poco Bueno, Impressive and other legendary sires. The oldest of the magazines were from 1963, '64, '67 and '68. I put these aside to give back to my friend, as I felt that the were worth keeping. Yesterday, while cleaning my book shelves, I realized that I still had them tucked away. I flipped through them and decided to take some pictures so that I could share them with you all today!

So here it goes.... Western Horseman, 1960's style!

Check out the fashion of the day!! Now that is "hot"!

Or how about a brand spankin' new trailer for $1295! Cutting saddles have changed shape over the years! I bet they didn't even hang on to the horn!

The saddles were not the only thing to change...look behind the judges and check out the head set and style of these top Western Pleasure horses (taken at the Quarter Horse Congress)

I picked a moderate headset in comparison!

I think it is safe to say that reining has evolved over the past 44 years! Then....

and now...

The original Halter horse back when "form to function" actually applied....

What exactly is it that this horse is suppose to be conformed to do?....

My personal favorite....people smoking in clothing advertisements....

Wouldn't you love to hear what Fugly would have to say about "Junior Horseman"! I love that they actually printed the addresses of these young riders below the pictures!

How about the stallion advertisements.... (Joe Cody and Pacific Bailey)

And I just about died when I saw.... Peppy San!!! (Leo Bar on Right)

I hope this makes you smile!

It is time to lighten things up a little...so here it is....my favorite commercial of all time.... It inspired me! It reminded me that no dream is too big! That a strong heart and a brave soul can overcome any obstacle! That there is no such word as "cant"! That with dedication and hard work....okay, okay, you get the picture...here it is!

**click here to open a link to youtube**

One more...just 'cause! This one made me teary eyed the first time I watched it!

**click here to open another link to youtube**

**Oh damn, one more!**

A song that speaks to me...

Take a listen to: "I dont want to be loved, by anybody but you..." by Jewel.

Please excuse the advertisement before the video. Jewel is speaking to me tonight, not so much in words, other than the "you may call me foolish" part :) but in her tone and emotion. Thank you all, once again for you comments. I need time, so I am going to take it. I am looking into other options and am trying to give him my best shot. One of the comments made by my friend, Browneyed Cowgirls, keeps pulling at my heart strings and taking my mind away from my own feelings and concerns. Her words, "Bless his damaged heart, he has nothing left to give..." were a reminder that there is a soul in that horse, that thinks and feels, and deserves to be considered in his own right. I know what to do. But my heart simply refuses to accept it. I simply cant. I simply must. There is nothing simple about this at all.

Thank you

I wanted to send out a big "THANK YOU" today to all of my friends and family (blog world included of course!) for your support and kind words. Each of you have helped to ease my burden, in not having to face such a heart wrenching decision alone. In my heart, I have to admit that the decision was made the moment he blew up in that trailer, not this past weekend, but last month...all along I have felt it sitting, a huge lump in my throat but I was unable to swallow the weight of it. I hope that one day I will be able to. I have loved every horse I have ever had, both good and bad, but Shaunti stole my heart because he was so needy of my love and attention. I have put so much of myself into getting this horse right, that I am finding it nearly impossible to let go of not just him, but the idea of him; And the future I dreamed of us sharing.

My Heart, Broken by a Horse....

**I have been trying to get this post done all day. I have not had a chance to tighten things up so please, bear with me. I wanted to get it out there sooner than later. I would really, really apprecaite your advice in this matter****

Be prepared, this is a long one. I know this sounds silly but this weekend I had my heart broke by a horse. However silly, it is the truth. I give my heart and soul to my horses. I try to feel what they feel and get into their heads to understand them better. I try to see things from their perspective and work with them accordingly. I GIVE a lot. I TRY a lot. If I were a mare, I think I would be a good one. I'd try to work hard for you and give you my best. So why don't I expect the same from my horses? Abby is a good mare. She is all heart and lays it on the line just about every time (we are all entitled to a few bad days here and there!) But Shaunti does not try.

Until this past weekend I had not been honest with myself or taken a good hard look at my horse. I saw what I wanted to see. Shaunit's nickname is "ol'man" or "grumpy ol'man". He has seen a lot in his days and suffered more than most should, so I figured that he was entitled to his grumpy habits, his idiosyncrasy's, and gave him more time than I have ever given a horse to work through his issues. Here is where I went wrong. I tried to work through his issues. He didn't. I have gone the extra mile to help him shape a new perspective of the world. I changed the way he was handled, fed, led, and rewarded. I thought that he had come a long way because it appeared that he had. But I realize that deep down I never trusted that he had actually changed his mind. He had changed his actions, at least when I set him up to succeed. Shaunti has healed fractures to his wither and shoulder from pull back and flip over accidents. He came to me with a broken nose. The horse I went to buy was suppose to be a "been-there-done-that" good ol'gelding that my Mom and DB (both inexperienced) would be able to ride. To say that he was not "as advertised" would be a gross understatement. I bought him out of pity. He is not a horse I would ever trust anyone inexperienced to ride or handle and I found out after purchase that he does not tie, and had serious pull back issues when handling his face. I put hours and hour into getting this horse to where he is. People at the barn comment all the time that they cant believe he is the same horse. He looks and acts like a different horse. In some ways that makes him worse than he was to start with...now you cant see him for what he really is! In a sense, I dressed a wolf up in sheeps clothing!



On Friday I was suppose to go back to Lundbom. Anyone who has not read about the amazing trip I had last month can read about it here; Part 2; Shaunti had some issues in the trailer but was given a good trip that ended well. He had walked off the trailer last time relaxed, calm and loaded back in again without any fuss. I didnt expect a problem but was a little worried that I had not taken the hours and hours or prep as I had last time.

Over the past month I have not been riding him 6 days a week or handling him for hours in a day, as I have in the past. I used to keep him really finely tuned but I have had a pretty full month and so he has only been ridden twice a week and has not been kept tuned up on his new ways. As the weeks went by he became more and more like the horse I had originally purchased.

So on Friday, I expected that it might take a little time to get him settled in the trailer, but I was prepared to help him through it. When I pulled him out of his stall, I knew I had reason to worry; He was full of piss and vinegar. I went to point him the trailer (as it is way to dangerous to actually get IN the trailer with him) and he blew backwards and out of hand. We had backed up to the arena so I went and caught him again. This time he loaded. I had planned on letting him go in and out but something about his attitude told me not to bother. We closed the door of the trailer behind him. He was standing in a large stock trailer, loose and as mad as a bat out of hell. He bit the sides of the trailer, shoved the door with his nose and pawed the floor. We gave him a few minutes to settle. I talked to him gave him a rub on the head. He came down a little so we tied him up. He stood for a few minutes and jigged. Something about the way he held himself told me not to put the other horse in yet. It was like I could see the words race across his face. "Screw this! Screw you!", he said. Shaunti was simply MAD. He was not panicked or scared. Shaunti decided to check out. "Cheque please!" He made a DECISION. He blew. Up, backwards, sideways...every way. He busted his halter in two spots. When he finished, he stood facing the exit and bit the door, hard. He was not shaking or wide eyed. He was not scared. He just wanted out.

In the end I had to take him out so that my friend could get on her way. Being the good friend that she is, she refused to leave me behind and arranged for me to take another horse. When I let him out of the trailer, he ran to the far side of the arena. It took me 10 minutes to catch him (I have never had a problem catching him) and he blew up once I had him on line...even though I was calm (as I could be) and was being quiet. He was the exact same horse that I had picked up, beaten, mad and frustrated, one year ago. The same look, the same distrust, the same horse. I have put countless hours into him and when it was time for him to pay me back, to take me where I needed to go, he checked out.

For seven years I kept horses that did not work for me. I sacrificed my needs to keep them. I have promised myself that I will not do that anymore. If a horse has paid it dues with me, they will earn themselves retirement but this horse has not. I have given a lot, not just to Shaunti but to Loachan, Keo, Ellie and Ghala. I GIVEN and GIVEN and got nothing in return. I cant go down that path again.

I need my horses work for me. I spend and obscene amount of money (I love that scene in Pretty Woman, dont you? "An obscene amount of money":) on horses every month and always try to balance that with what I get from them.
Here is where things get sticky. I can not sell him. Period.

I cant sell Shaunti because he is dangerous. Not just at the trailer. If you were to walk up to him and grab his halter, he would rear up on you. Horses are VERY dangerous They all are. That is just part of the gig. But I personally believe that if you have a horse with a KNOWN HABIT that is mortally dangerous, it is your job to either fix the problem, or if you cant, keep the horse in an environment where you KNOW that people can not be harmed (as in your own backyard) or failing that, have the horse put down. I believe that wholeheartedly and would give that advice to anyone so would be lacking my own conviction if I didn't give myself the same advice.

I know that Shaunti is dangerous. Some might not agree but others have not been in my shoes when they have seen him snap. It might not be this year or next, but at some point, for an UNREASONABLE excuse, Shaunti will blow up and hurt or kill someone.
If the REASON why he behaved dangerously were REASONABLE, I could accept that as part of the inherent danger of horses.


This horse has some serious issues, firmly ingrained in his eighteen year old head that cause him to be an unexpected danger to people around him. I have had professional help with this horse. I believe that I have done everything I can to help him get past this. I dont believe, any more, that he can get past this.

So where does that leave me???

I put this out to you, my blog world friends. Your advice would be much appreciated!!

House Work Makes you Ugly!!!

My house is spic and span. I am not. Why is it that housework really does make you ugly? I just finished cleaning my house from top to bottom. Right now I look SO nasty! I mean... I look like a 60 year old bag lady having a bad hair day. Maybe the problem is that I wear paint smeared sweat pants and a wife beater. Wow! Did I just type that? Wife beater! As in white sleeveless tank top!? I just realized where I went wrong! How could I possibly look decent when I am wearing something that is named after shirt worn by some chauvinis, beer stained, paunch bellied redneck named Bubba?! Lets face it. I looked bad before I even started! Maybe I would feel better if I wore a 50's inspired dress curled my hair before scrubbing the tub! That way I could come out looking all pretty and perfectly pressed like one of those little Stepford wives? Those little freaks that dust and mop in poodle skirts and heels! Maybe they are on to something! Maybe that will make me feel all glamorous and feminine! Or maybe not. So, I do apologize for the profanity you will see in the photo posted below. I just finished four hours of housework. I smell like Mr. Clean, dust, sweat and god knows what else. My cat just spit up a hairball on my freshly washed and formally glistening floor and I still have two loads of laundry to do. God bless the Stepford wives for getting it done while lookin good but for now....


Happy Thursday!