Dear All,

Here is the fourth "walk" we can take together. The archives are growing, so be sure to check the links above if you missed any previous newsletters.

This newsletter has the following:

• Master to Master
• Story Time...Endless Openings and Options
• Playground Activities And Calendar
• Vacation Rental Specials

Master to Master

I visited with a woman that other day who called me to request a chance to meet. She is relatively new to the area and has big dreams. She had heard that the work I do centers on manifesting dreams and was hoping that by meeting with me she would get some ideas. I was happy to spend some time with her, starting with identifying what specifically she most wanted to talk about. Although she was interested in hearing about the work I do with horses, she seemed most curious about my life and how I had come to be where I am now. She wanted to know what pivotal steps in my experience had brought me to this little piece of heaven here in Sebastopol. From there we were off and away in a whirlwind conversation that had little to do with me and her as individuals. Her open curiosity and fervent believe in dreams becoming reality mixed with my willingness to ride the currents of the moment with her brought us face to face with the Master within each of us. I had promised her a half hour chat and this burgeoned out into an hour and a half.

Early on in our conversation I asked her if she had ever read Gary Larson’s Far Side cartoon where the dog is sitting dutifully in front of his Master who is talking to the dog. The dog hears “blah, blah, blah, blah, Fido, blah, blah, blah, Fido…” In other words, the only thing the dog understands is his name. That is all that matters. I said that to me life is like that, too. Depending on what it is I am focusing upon, moments are like a string of blah, blah with magic moments of Christine sandwiched in. Those magic moments are like puzzle pieces for anything I am desiring answers to or ideas for or relief from. If I remain as open as that dog, I can hear them loud and clear.

Our conversation naturally lead into the topic of the horses and how spending time with someone who is singularly focused on well-being can reveal options previously unseen to us. Much like the dog, horses remain constantly alert to the ever-present openings and options in their moments that lead to their well-being. Being with the horses, I told her, can lead to a student realizing that they have lived 40, 50 or 60 years with these options right there, undetected until now. It is not uncommon for tears to flow. The young woman nodded, saying this realization must cause grief. Not at all, I said! Those tears are most often tears of joy. However, as a coach I do stand at the hub of that experience and if I choose to focus on the tears as tears of grief I could influence the one who is crying towards that experience. I prefer to see the joy in seeing something new revealed. I hold out like that dog, ears pricked, tail wagging, waiting for the connection that sounds like “Christine”. I have found this can influence others to do the same for themselves. Furthermore, the shared experience of this broadening sense of wellness if phenomenally intimate!

As I said good-bye to this vivacious visionary, I asked her about her dreams. She mentioned creating a “healing center”, to which I suggested considering a “wellness center”. When someone seeks another because they desire relief from some issue in their life, it is such a breath of fresh air to connect with someone whose ears are pricked and tail is wagging, waiting for the opportunity to share Master to Master the wellness that is intrinsic to all life. Oh yes, she said, blah, blah, blah, Fido!

Story Time...Endless Openings and Options

This morning dawned another beautiful day of possibilities. As the morning sun splashed onto our kitchen floor, I ate my breakfast, read a book, and sipped my tea. The dog barked at something in the direction of the road. I turned my attention to her and she turned to look at me, barking still. She wagged her tail, raised her tone and barked all the way over to the door with her eyes glued on mine. I rose and opened the door to the patio, realizing as I did so that the planter of flowers to my right needed water. I stroked the dog, inspected a toenail of hers that looked funny, enjoyed the sunshine on my back and the feel of the heat on the dog’s black coat. Then, I watered the flowers using a water jug that took several fillings to do the job. The dog, who is an outside dog for the most part, had curled up on the carpet under the kitchen table and followed me with her eyes as I went back and forth. Each time I turned from the planter on the patio with the empty jug to go back into the kitchen for a refill, she thumped her tail on the floor. One of our black cats had joined us and sat with his eyes half closed in the sun just outside the shade cast by the eves of the house.

I finished watering and glanced through the kitchen window towards the horses, realizing they were still in the arena where I had closed them in for breakfast. Leaving the patio door open to let in the fresh air and allow ingress and egress for the animals, a gift as they are all outside animals, I left the house through another door. The dog heard me putting on my boots and joined me as I hit the path for the pasture. She leapt about jubilantly, apparently happy for the adventure. I crossed the pasture, which is now quite dry with sparse patches of short-cropped grasses interspersed with dusty earth, to the arena.

None of the horses, who stood around in a loose cluster, stirred much as I approached. Stopping at the pipe gate, I put my face just enough through the bars as to eliminate them from my vision, and looked at Indie, who was the only one looking directly back at me. I said hello and asked him if he was interested in going out. He did not move, so I pulled my head back and unclipped the latch on the chain to enter the arena. As I entered, Indie came towards me, ambling in a self-assured way, our conversation already in bloom as I waited for him. I backed up, opening the gate to suggest he was invited to leave the arena. He stopped in the gateway and nudged one of the pipes even as I saw his intent and let the gate go so he could “help” me open the gate further.

Rowdy, who outranks Indie, sauntered up, predictably displacing Indie and sending him past me. Rowdy’s momentum took him headlong into my personal domain and I waved a warning at him about it. He took a step back, and then stretched a tentative muzzle towards my left cheek, softly blowing out warm breath where it mingled with the sunlight on my skin. I reach up and lightly scrubbed his forehead, forgiving him his trespasses. Indie had turned to face me on the opposite side from Rowdy and lifted his nose now to nuzzle my right cheek. I cupped his chin in my hand and pressed his velvet nose against my temple, inhaling the sweet scent of his breath. Rowdy mimicked the gesture on my other temple and I was momentarily held in a cocoon of warm fur, heady horse perfume and morning sunlight, all woven with the intent to simply share space. Then, I dropped my hand from Indie’s chin and fluttered off, like a butterfly just released. I floated across the pasture, not looking back, no longer even thinking of the horses, but noticing how the edges of everything we sharper, the colors brighter, the birdsong more evident. This is what it is like to live, I thought.

Playground Activities and Calendar Events

A Big Deal

Full House Farm is a member of Sonoma County Farm Trails which supports sustainable agricultural diversity in Sonoma County. For anyone who is interested in outdoor activities, animals, growing things, or Sonoma County in general this is a great organization to know about. The reason I am telling you this is because we are only four weeks away from the inaugural Farm Trails event, Weekend Along the Farm Trails . I am up to my ears in planning for this, including building a Tea Room and Art Store where we will offer local organic tea, sell some of my photographs and cards, plus some of the best books on the ways of horses and people.

The Larger Plan

Full House Farm plans to offer Farm Life Tours , The Horses’ Tale Demonstrations, FHF organic fruits and veggies, home-baked pies and bread (by the slice or whole) for sale, plus free local organic tea (iced or hot). Bring yourself, bring your friends, and bring your family for a day of learning, walking our private trails, picnicking, sipping and nibbling on fresh farm products.

Volunteers Needed

This is a first-time event for Farm Trails and consequently for Full House Farm. I have no idea how many folks will show up. Whether as few as two or as many as two hundred, I have a list of positions I would like to fill to help make this day run smoothly for everyone. Please review the list below and let me know if you can offer any of your time as a volunteer.*

• Arrival & Departure Attendants (one at the top of the driveway, one at the bottom)

• Parking Attendant

• Arrivals Director and Trail Head Attendant

• Trail Cruiser

• Barn/Demo Manager

• Snack Bar Attendants (two snack areas will be set up with two volunteers at each)

• Main Yard Attendant

• Garden Attendant

• Store Attendant (2)

• Coupon/Sales/Booking Manager

*All volunteer will be invited to a day-long retreat (date to be set sometime in October) playing with the horses, lunch included

September M-TH Special:

Book 2 nights and we'll pay 50% of the cleaning fee
Book 3 or 4 nights and we'll pay the entire cleaning fee

Know anyone who could use this?

Imagine arriving at Full House Farm Vacation Rental & Retreat for a short reprieve from your fast paced life. You drive down the driveway and park next to the little path leading towards the house. Climbing out of your car, stretching out the kinks, you follow the path into the lush, shaded landscape. Just over a little rise you hear the soft murmur of a waterfall as it tumbles into a small pond at the edge of the patio. A patio table and chairs call to you, but you decide to check out the house first. Inside, a bottle of locally grown and bottled wine sits on the kitchen table with two wine glasses beside it. On the counter is a tray with a luscious loaf of fresh-baked bread from Sebastopol’s Village Bakery. There is Taylor Maid Organic Coffee, too, and a variety of teas and even a crock full of chocolate-covered biscotti. In the fridge you discover a large bowl of farm-fresh, organic eggs and butter and several different jams. Leaving the kitchen, you wander the spacious rooms, choosing the one that you like the most. Finally, you pull the living room curtains open to reveal a spectacular view of the westward ridges. From this window you can watch the sunset or a doe with her fawn meander past. Of course, you could also do this from the relaxing hot waters of your private hot tub nestled outside beneath the oaks, too. After that you can make your way up to the veggie garden to pick strawberries, green beans or ripe, juicy tomatoes. You can even dig up the finest organic potatoes around. Mmmmm, this could be the best vacation ever!!