Hobby Horse Blog Hop - Week 15: Countdown

This week has been tough. I've been counting down the days until I take the horses to the trainer, who will later sell them for me. I talked about my decision to sell them on this post. The time marches inexorably closer. As I do something with the horses, I find myself thinking, "I will only be able to do this 6  5  4 more times." The numbers tick closer to 0. It makes me sad. Tears well up in my eyes.  But I know that this is the right thing to do. The horses need more than I can give them. They are young. They want to work. In gardening, it's important to pick the right plant for the right place. I realize this is true with horses, too. These aren't the right horses for me. They aren't in the right place. Some day I will find the right horse!

So, enough of this sadness. Let's get hopping!

Welcome to the Blog Hop. 

I hope you can join in the fun.

In case you are new... or as a reminder:

Each week I post at least one prompt.
Respond as you wish on your blog or in a comment.

Or, just link your blog to mine if you

care to share something else about yourself.

The part I like most is having blog hoppers

complete their blog posts (or comments) 
by asking a question of us.

I am really enjoying answering your questions,

and look forward to seeing other responses, too.

I think it's a great way to have a conversation of sorts!

Link your post to the Hobby Horse Blog Hop

by using the Linky Tool below.

Click where indicated, just after it says

"You are next...."

Or...

Leave a comment with your thoughts 
on my blog, down below.

Visit other participating blogs on the list

and respond to their questions in your comments on their pages.

Hobby Horse Blog Hop Prompts - Week 15:

1. Tell us about something you experienced which began with a countdown.

2. Count....  What counts for you?  Or what do you count?

3. Down.... What is a downer for you and what strategies do you use to overcome a depressing situation?

My answers:

1. We went to a Space Shuttle launch in 1994. My son's teacher's brother was the Commander of the flight. I wasn't prepared to be excited by this. However, when the earth shook under our feet, and then the sound rumbled over us, I was in awe. This was one of the most amazing countdowns I've ever experienced! 

2. Who wrote this question? This is too hard! I'll skip the first, and move on to the second. My kids and I used to count in the car. We'd try to guess how far we'd have to count before we made it home, or to school, or to a friend's house. We also practiced 'skip counting'. One of us would choose a beginning number, one would suggest the 'skip' interval and the last would decide whether we would add or subtract. For example, we might begin at 93, count at intervals of 7, and subtract. Then, we'd take turns naming the next number in the sequence: 93, 86, 79.... and so forth. Both of my boys are excellent in Math. I suspect that this type of activity gave them a head start!

3. Downers for me include grumpy people, rainy days, sad stories and seeing, or even hearing about, abused animals. It helps me feel better if I can confront the situation. If I can't, being active distracts me from the depressing situation. I think that's why I enjoy crafts. 

Now it's your turn. Respond to the questions on your blog, or in the comments. Don't forget to ask us a question!