Angelo's BreyerFest loot

Yesterday after work, I drove over to Angelo's condo to see their BreyerFest loot.

Of course, there were some Breyers. It's BreyerFest. There are always going to be Breyers.

But, like me, Angelo's tastes runs more to artist pieces.

They came home with a small but exquisite herd of new resins including this unpainted Ataraxia by Amanda Brock...

and an amazing Ratrod painted by Stephanie Blaylock.

Another thing we have in common is a love of broken things project ponies.

Merry might be missing a foot, but it's okay.

He came with an extra leg!

As always, some of the most memorable loot isn't model related at all. Take a loot at this handmade leather skull purse.

It comes with its own custom halter!

I had so much fun, hanging out with Angelo and looking at all their new treasures. And what do you know?

There were some treasures for me, too.

Sunrise ceremony for Laurel

Laurel Dedes was a longtime, much loved part of the model horse community. In her honor, Corina Roberts, the boss of Redbird Ranch, asked Grace and Skye to help her with a memorial service. Here is how that went.

Sunrise Ceremony for Laurel

 by Corina Roberts

The boss had asked for a sunrise ceremony.  

Everyone was ready.

Brilliant, glorious, immediately warm, the sun's light burst across the landscape. And the ceremony began.

"I want to thank you all for coming," the boss began. "When a beloved one leaves us, the remembrances, the gatherings, they are to show respect for the departed, but moreover, they are for healing. They are for the living, to let them mourn, and to let them have closure. To let the healing begin. I asked Grace and Skye to help us in remembering Laurel Dedes this morning."

"I asked the girls to saddle an Appaloosa, and an Arabian. Laurel owned a number of Arabian horses throughout her life, caring for them like royalty. Laurel was also a fan of a good Appaloosa; a horse with color, conformation, and stellar character."

"I asked the girls to use the saddles Laurel gave us shortly after Grace arrived. Laurel shipped us her finest show tack so that we would have something to start with; because when Grace arrived we owned a single western saddle. Laurel instructed me to return some of the tack as I was able to replace it with our own, but to keep these two saddles. Gifts to help us move forward."

"Laurel wasn't just generous to us. Generosity was a hallmark of her personality. She was fiercely loyal to her friends and family, and as one of those friends said, 'She was the best momma an animal could have.' She also had many dogs and cats throughout her life, and she had a special place in her heart for German Shepherds."

"The Arab mare is wearing a halter by Shandi Bech. Laurel was instrumental in connecting us with Shandi, and our friendship endures to this day as we mourn the loss of Laurel, remember her, and channel her fighting spirit into our own bellies as forge our way forward." The boss paused for a moment. Then, "Skye, whenever you are ready."

Grace continued around the arena as Skye brought out Precious.

"Precious was a gift from Laurel. I wanted to present her covered, and we only have one summer sheet, and it happens to be pink. Laurel had esophageal cancer, so the proper color would be purple. Ultimately, pneumonia took Laurel from us, as her body weakened from decades of battling for every day of her life."

"She did that battle with gracefulness, with candor, with immense courage, all the while caring for her family and her animals, all the while engaged in leadership roles in numerous model horse showing clubs. She was fierce. She was determined. She was her own woman, and she made her own path through this life, bold and yet gentle; a living example of the strength of compassion. It is our job now to carry on, and to embrace those life lessons that she taught us, not so much in words, but in the example she gave us all in the way that she lived."

Skye paused before hanging the halter and long line.

"You know, I thought this weekend, since everyone is either at Breyerfest or Equilocity or both, I'd do something silly...I mean no one's paying attention, so, I don't know, maybe ride around in my pajamas or something. It seems like there's been so much heavy stuff lately."

"I think you're right" Grace replied. "There has been a ton of heavy stuff. But this was meant to help give everyone some healing and some closure. Try to think of it like that."

"Can we plan something fun before the end of summer? Skye asked. "Or maybe right at the end of summer, when it's not so hot?"

"I think that's a great idea."

"Even if there's more chaos?"

"Yeah. For sure. Especially if there's more chaos."

Thank you, Grace, Skye and, especially, Corina. That was a perfect tribute to such a wonderful person. In her honor, I hope we can all find our way to a little bit of light-hearted chaos.

Laurel Dedes

Last week during BreyerFest - a celebration of model horses and model horse collectors - we received the sad news that one of the absolute best model horse collectors had lost her long battle with cancer. Laurel Orrin Dedes passed away on July 10.

I can't tell you exactly when I "met" Laurel, but she was one of those people I feel like I'd known of forever; a longtime hobbyist, avid photo shower, an essential part of the hobby itself.

a few of Laurel's entries from the July 2011 MEPSA Resin and Custom Qualifier

We connected more properly later on, first through MEPSA and later via a trade, which was one of those happy occasions where both parties felt as if they were getting the better end of the deal.

I definitely did

Although we chatted occasionally over the years, mostly, we were Facebook friends.

That doesn't sound like much, but Laurel was the best kind of Facebook friend. She was honest, funny and consistently kind. She wrote about the things she loved - animals, family and New York Times puzzles - and generous with comments and compliments on her friends' posts.

For the last little bit, most of her words were focused on her failing health. She fought so long and hard and handled the situation with dignity, grace and optimism. There just aren't enough words to say how much I admired her.

On June 27, she wrote about her hopes for the future, saying: I want to sit in the sun on the patio and the shade under the trees, and on the front porch, with the company of my pets and sometimes my people. With ice water. If my coughing and the way I feel & cough allows, with a phone or my smart phone. I'd enjoy that. A shower will feel SO good. We don't need a pie, but if I could make a strawberry or peach one, that would be delicious.Just to sleep in our bed! Yes!

Godspeed, Laurel. Thank you for everything. I hope where ever you are, there's a porch with sun and shade, all the animals and a few people, sometimes. 

FestFriends

Here's something you'll hear if you hang out at enough model horse hobby events: I came for the horses, but I stayed for the people. And it's true. As great as the horses are, the people - the friendships - are even better. Here are a whole bunch of friends, enjoying their time in Kentucky.

Angelo Žunić and Heather Malone

Eryn Schell and Sarah Townsend

Nancy Kindraka and Karin Hullatti

Larry Combs, photo by Ellen Coleman

Kathleen Chamblin with Darynn Bednardczyk and husband,Vincent Lange and Trinity Honaker 

Kristian Beverly, Eva Mathews and Sara Bowman

Stephanie Blaylock and Lindsay Diamond at the Children's/Youth Show

Eric Yeh and Andrea Brygidyr

Clarice Bone and Kenneth Smith

Celeste Alvarez-Plitz, Kimberly Ann, Brooklyn Crespo, Caroline Harvey, Lesli Kathman and Eleanor Harvey at Hola Havana

Fabian Rodriguez and Lindsay Diamond

Diana Ruth Dubbeld

Valerie Farley and Lisa Smalley

Sarah Townsend and Amanda Reed

Angelo Žunić and Tiffany Purdy

Sara Bowman and Erika Isbell

Lindsay Diamond, Shauna McDaniel, Bailey Walsh, Arya Walsh, Kate Wilson, and Kerry Walsh

Celeste Plitz, Kenzie Williamson and Tegan Davis

Heather Bochonok and everyone