God Provides

I believe in God, in a Creator of the Universe who also made me and all people, animals, things, ideas- in short, a God that is in everything because everything comes from God. Having said that, I can remember driving on a Wednesday night a couple of years back, which, in Memphis, means Bike Night on Beale Street. Bikers from all over the Mid-South come down to Beale Street and park their bikes right on Beale (normally, no cars on Beale) and then they hang out and check out each others bikes. I have always wondered about the planning of this event. You get a bunch of bikers and bike owners (there is a difference :) standing around, drinking, socializing and then send them off on their bikes as they drive home. Maybe Bike Night should be held in a church parking lot. Anyway, it was a couple of years ago and I was bound and determined to get a ride that night so I parked on Second Street, right in front of Beale. And I sat and sat and sat... I remember thinking to myself, "This is so ridiculous...I have been driving for a long time... I'm such an experienced driver...I give such a good tour (if I do say so myself.)..." and nothing happened. No rides appeared, no money was made, it was all for naught. These days when I go out to drive, I don't beg God for money, I don't ask for rides. I think it has to do with my AA background, but I ask to accept God's will, no matter what. The hour tour that offers a five dollar tip when I drop them at their $400 a night hotel- I want to accept that as God's will for me, as part of the plan of the Universe for little Karin's life. The "made-my-night" kind of rides, also in God's plan. The hours spent trying to keep my spirits up and sound enthusiastic when a potential ride does wander by, all part of the will of God. Does this perspective really work for me? It does, when, as they say, I work the plan. When I embrace that all I do and all that happens to me as an expression of God, it makes what I see as injustices or just plain unfairness easier to swallow. Last night was no exception. With my husband still recovering from his thoracotomy, leaving me as primary wage earner, I feel the pressure but I try to stay in the present moment and maintain! Last night I only did two rides and there is no way these people knew my situation but the hand of God guided these people and they were more than fair to me. In short, it was another night on the carriage where I felt the Universe's hand extended to me and surrounding me in it's care for me.Driving a carriage and working for commission has given me so much room to grow and change. I am literally grateful not only to have a job these days, but to have a job that offers me that kind of opportunity for metamorphosis! Until later...

It was one of Those Nights

It was one of those nights where it is hard to figure out how to get enough time to go use the restroom. I always bring books with me on the carriage as sometimes it takes a long time to get a ride. But with it being so hot out and it being summertime, the rides pretty much start as soon as it's cool enough to take the horses out. My summer reading has suffered somewhat but it's always fun to drive a carriage when there are lots of people who want a ride. Had several men succeeding in impressing their birthday women- technically speaking, a carriage ride never fails to make an impression! It started drizzling last night and the ride I had were troopers about it. I had several umbrellas I bought for MusicFest last year and have never used. As the rain refused to let up, my ride put up their umbrellas and just continued to enjoy themselves. Sorry for kind of a lax entry here, but I had to get up early to go watch the ducks march at the Peabody because my brother, Dan, from Michigan, was in town with his four kids. They had aspirations of being chosen to ride the elevator with the ducks- they mistakenly thought that maybe being really cute kids (one boy, three girls) would get them the privilege of riding in an elevator with some Mallard ducks. Turns out, cuteness has nothing to do with it. All you need is $200 to make a donation and you, too, can be an assistant duckmaster. Lunch at Huey's, lots of toothpick blowing and crayon writing on the walls and they are headed back up north. Always nice to see family, especially when they do all the driving! :) Gotta hang back till the heat lets up a little today, then, I'm gonna hit it hard and heavy. Until later..

Certainly True of My Clan.

It is a beautiful Saturday in July here in Downtown Memphis. As I haven't left the house yet today and the Mississippi River doesn't run directly through my living room, I have no way of knowing how the Mighty Missip is doing today but feel safe in assuming it is not only flowing quickly South but that it is being appreciated by loving admirers just blocks from where I write this. Don't they say that humans have always congregated around rivers? Certainly true of my clan. It is slightly cooler today- a heat index of 100 degrees right now instead of 105 degrees the same time yesterday.Carriage driving is a seasonal job in that we work all year round, but driving schedules change as the weather does. A driver at my barn told me his preferred schedule, year round, was "when it's sunny". Sound about right to me. Late summertime means the day is mine and the night is spent driving. Thus, the rebirth of my blog, which is the second blog I've ever had. The first is at TheEnglishMajorMemphis.blogspot.com. I got a big kick out of blogging and have missed it- I didn't realize how much!
Had a wonderful family from Northern Alabama last night- they had the quietest eighteen-month-old baby- she was awake and looking around and seemed very content but barley uttered a sound. Must be all that country living! Drove a Memphis Grandma and Grandpa around with their Granddaughter from Nashville for her birthday.When I asked how often she came to Memphis, they answered for her- "Not enough!" :) Drove some folks from Los Angeles through our beautiful parks. We talked about Downtown Los Angeles and how, for the longest time, if you found yourself in Downtown L.A., there was no where to go for enentertainment or food, so they have revitalized Downtown and now the surrounding areas of Palisades and North Hollywood have suffered because Downtown LA is so great! I taxied two vet students for a few blocks; I pressured them a little about what they were going to do together after graduation. Someone's going to have to move somewhere! And lastly, a young couple from St. Louis, in Memphis because they like coming here. They seemed to really enjoy the ride!
So I am off the figure out what to do with afternoon hours I know won't be available to me come Fall. Much as I hate to say it, these hot, hot, hot summer days are simply better spent inside than out. The perfect time to write! Until Later~

Back in the (blogosphere) Saddle Again!

I had a nice night. I got to talk with a girl, mostly about books, for about 45 minutes. She and her husband were en route to a new home. It was nice to talk to someone about books. For three years, that's all I did all day. They say a degree in English isn't worth squat, but it was the perfect degree to have to run a used bookstore. She suggested a few authors and was one of the few readers I've talked to who, like me, reads a lot of non-fiction and for whom it takes a lot to get into fiction. It has to be really good writing and most people who have recommended a book to me because "the writing was so good", have a vastly different definition of "good". Anyway, had an hour reservation with people who listened and another ride with people who didn't. Interrupting me on the carriage when I am giving my tour is somewhat sacrilegious to me. The consequence of such rudeness means I turn my back to you and just drive. I am not under any contractual agreement to even talk to my rides. The rides that listen infinitely make up for the ones that don't, that's for sure. The heat was unbearable and then, as usual, after sunset, it was another beautiful, Southern, summer night. Sigh. Wonderful breeze of the Mississippi- not a bad night.

I Have Returned!!!

Weird. It is really strange to be resurrecting a blog you thought was dead and in the ground. I am posting a "blog" on Facebook called Horses IntheCity ( kind of a first name and last name thing) and plan on posting the same entries on here for people who don't have Facebook. I met one tonight who was just a little younger than me and was anti-technology enough that although she had a smart phone she thoroughly enjoyed, Facebook was out of the question. So this is for those folks! Enjoy!