Thanksgiving 2020

At this time of Thanksgiving last year, I was blogging about the annual Blessing of the Hounds a tradition in Southern Pines since 1914. It has become a big tailgating event for thousands of spectators who come to watch the pageantry of this tradition.

It’s a time for the community to come together to show its pride in the equestrian culture, plus it’s a great time for friends and family to enjoy the morning together before heading off to their family feasts. It is a tradition not to be missed! The Blessing was held again this year but with no spectators similar to so many other wonderful events that we have all missed this year.

I am blogging about being so thankful that my family and friends are all safe and healthy and that we are still able to get out together and enjoy our favorite passions of golfing and riding. Golf is such a wonderful pastime for families to play together. Yesterday I had the chance to play golf with my boyfriend, my sister, and my 11-year-old nephew with my Dad and brother-in-law following along to watch. Bram is becoming a great little golfer even at 11! He has been playing for just over a year. What a great day we had to play at Pine Needles. I saw a few of my friends playing with their families as well. Oh by the way I got my first hole-in-one as well! What a great thing to celebrate with family!

While my entire family was not here due to Covid restrictions in some states, I did get to wish them a very happy Thanksgiving today via phone .and was able to start the day with family members that were here. We had a lunch time meal before heading to the driving range at Pine Needles. As we were sitting at our table, Bonnie McGowan, daughter of the legendary Peggy Kirk Bell, founder of Pine Needles, came up to our table in her mask and dropped off a card that she told us had her Mother’s favorite blessing on it it may be my favorite one now, too. Here is how it reads

we thank you for the moments of fulfillment when our performance matches our plans when our hopes are realized and our dreams are fulfilled when hard work and practice pays off. YET: Being thankful when things go good is easy. So we ask you for the grace to be grateful when times are tough Grant us, O Lord, calmness under stress, patience under pressure and courage when things go wrong When our plans become a jumble and bad breaks befall us and anger threatens to guide us For you are the God of all times and seasons, and the life YOU give is a blessing which is not meant to be waste on anger but is to be lived with joy and filled with love. Bless then this table spread with the bounty of Your earth and God, Keep us always grateful in or many blessings. Amen!” Wow. What a lovely blessing it was and how wonderful to share it with my family!

After eating, we went down to the driving range to work on getting even more holes in ones (I am addicted now), and we bumped into one of my former buyer’s, Jaime Diaz (I sold Jaime and his wife Steph their farm in 2006). It was so good to see him as I now only get to see him commentating on the Golf Channel! I introduced him to my nephew, Bram and Jaime even watched him hit a few balls and I am pretty sure he was impressed with Bram’s swing! I blogged last Christmas about one of Jaime’s great golf books called Hallowed Ground.

It is a wonderful book and you can buy it right from Courses and Horses at the above link. It makes a Great Christmas gift for any golf lover. Check out this pic of Jaime and Bram.

And after such a wonderful couple of days with family,

I ended the day with a trail ride on my horse Deuce. I brought a friend along and we had a relaxing, casual and enjoyable time! It was the perfect way to end a perfect day. SO THANKFUL! And here is a reminder, despite all the craziness 2020 has brought us .to be ever so thankful for all that we have our family, our friends and the amazing experiences that this live brings us! Happy Thanksgiving!