Anyone who has read my books for awhile knows human characters aren’t the only ones I adore. Animals of all kinds often make an appearance, everything from the service dogs in my new series to goats, roosters, chickens, donkeys, llamas and more.
But some of my favorites are the horses. Every summer as a child I went to horse camp. My heart would beat wildly as they taught me how to groom and saddle—and of course trail ride!
I was the little girl who spent all her time in the local library searching for anything HORSE related—both fiction and nonfiction. In addition to anything I could find on how to take care of your horse, what all the different tack was called and even horse anatomy, I read fiction.
Black Beauty, Misty of Chincoteague, The Black Stallion…and my favorite, its sequel The Blood Bay Colt. I couldn’t get enough, and as I read, I dreamed of owning a horse of my own. That was supposed to happen first thing when I was all grown up. But as you know, life has a way of sweeping aside childhood dreams, and as I married and had children in a small-town neighborhood, hopes of having a horse of my own drifted by the wayside.
But recently that deep desire of my heart came hurtling back. I suspect it’s a midlife crisis, done western inspy author style. My sister (who most of you know runs an animal sanctuary) showed me a photo of a—wait for it—blood bay colt named, of all things, Moscato, my favorite wine. Could he be more perfect?
My heart was sold, but I had to talk my hubby into believing this was a good idea. I’m still not sure he’s entirely convinced, but nevertheless, I’d like to introduce you to MY beautiful horse Moscato.
Isn’t he just the most gorgeous gelding you’ve ever laid eyes on? I’m still pinching myself at this dream come true. Waaay better than a fancy sports car. And I’m sure Moscato will soon be making an appearance in one of my books.
COVID-19 has put a hitch in so many people’s plans, hopes and dreams. What are the deepest desires of your heart? Tell me how God has ministered to you and someone will win a $5 Amazon card!!
Don’t forget to pick up The Black Sheep’s Salvation while it’s still available!
~~Love Courageously~~ Publisher's Weekly Bestselling, award-winning author of 30 novels, Deb Kastner enjoys writing contemporary inspirational western stories set in small communities. She feels especially blessed to be able to include faith as a natural and genuine part of her characters' lives. Deb lives in beautiful Colorado with her husband and a pack of miscreant mutts. She is blessed with three adult daughters and two grandchildren. Her favorite hobby is spoiling her grandchildren, but she also enjoys reading, watching movies, listening to music (The Texas Tenors are her fav), singing in the church choir, and exploring the Rocky Mountains on horseback.
Well, I wanted the world to stop for a while so I could catch up and people to be kind and considerate to each other – covid chaos wasn’t how I pictured it would start occuring, but I am at home and I am slowly working through the backlog and discovering new events, activities and people which has been brilliant for me.
Moscato is beautiful.
My life has not changed much given the pandemic.
My life honestly hasn’t changed much because of Covid. I worked from home anyway, Bible study had already ended for the summer right before it hit. I have cut back on my trips to the grocery store, which I now term the scavenger hunt, because some things I need still aren’t in the stores. I kept kidney beans on the list for two or three weeks, finally got some, and when I was at the store last, I was going up that aisle to go down the next one for what I really needed, and the kidney beans were gone again! I did start my own proofreading this business this year, and that is going great! My dream job, actually!!!
Our every day life has not changed too much. But April marked our fifth anniversary and we had hoped to plan a big trip to Hawaii or take a cruise or something fun like that. We didn’t end up planning it, and that ended up of course being a good decision.
My husband and I would love to be able to take a great trip like that one of these days, God knows best. And that timing will all work out I’m sure one of these days.
Beautiful horse! I think God’s been ministering to me throughout everything going on by just helping me to learn that I can only do what I can do, I can’t fix everything or protect everyone like I want but He can and I have to trust Him.
Dianne, I’m so glad you could find good within the chaos. Even though I’ve always worked at home, I still struggle when I turn on the news. (Yeah, I know…if it hurts when you touch it, don’t touch it!) I’ve also started a new craft, something I haven’t taken time for in years (diamond painting, it’s really fun).
Thank you! I’m so excited to have a horse in the family. I home “not changing much” is a good thing for you.
How exciting to start your own business! I started freelance editing on the side after my hubby had his double stroke and I really like it.
I completely hear you about the scavenger hunt. Our local store RATIONED RAMEN packets to two per person and they were still gone. Rationing ramen??? What has the world come to?
And another bizarre one for me was the Italian dressing dry packets I use to make my basalmic salad dressing. For a full month they weren’t available at my local market, so I went to Walmart and still no packets. I ended up having to find them online.
Bummer, Patty! Nothing as big as that, but we’ll be missing an important writer’s conference and a couple of things to which I had tickets were cancelled, including very good seats to Celtic Woman. That one especially hurt. I hope you will get to be able to plan your special trip once we hit the “new normal,” whatever that is.
Thank you! That is a great way of looking at things, drawing closer to God during this instead of complaining so much, as I tend to do. We all need to trust Him!
Yes!! I mean, I can kinda understand the toilet paper, though not enough to stock up!! I went to find that, and, oh, my!!! I finally found small packs, and there was a limit. There’s a limit here on how many cans of veggies you can buy at one time. Two cans, of any one or two kinds is all you can buy. Some pasta is the same way. I have now bought a few things I don’t “need” at the moment just so I can get them while I can. I totally don’t get why people have bought out the dishwashing liquid, though! Some things make absolutely no sense!
I’d say for me, just being able to travel to visit my sister-in-law again is dream held off, if you will. We normally go up a couple of times a year, with me going up by myself a couple of times for a “girls week”. I miss that so much!
Then the other big thing I miss the most, is an annual vacation my husband and I take for our anniversaries. We got married April 5th, 1997 and have taken a trip every year around that time for just the two of us. We live on the Oregon coast, so we’ve been all over both Oregon and Washington state and a couple of places in California. We have not had a couples vacation this year and I miss the time with just my husband.
Some long-term dreams were years away anyway, so those are still being planned and dreamed for :-) God willing, of course!
Deb, your horse is beautiful! I haven’t ridden one in years, the last time I was a teenager in Girl Scouts. I also love when an author includes animals in a book; they lend their own personalities & quirks to the story :-) I hope you get to enjoy Moscato as much as your heart desires!!
Hi, Your horse is Beautiful and Moscato was meant to be with you. My life has not changed much during the COVID, it has just made me think more about what we all should know or have known all along it’s just reinforcing to “Not take Anyone or Anything for Granted” and we must also Never lose Hope. Have a Great week and stay safe. Thank you for sharing your Beautiful story with us.
Thank you so much! Moscato is at the beginning of his training, although we put a saddle on him and he didn’t freak so we suspect he is probably at least somewhat familiar. And I love putting as many animals as possible into my stories! My new series not only has service dogs, but a petting zoo that makes several appearances and has donkeys named Taco and Beans thanks to Boo, and in the marine story I’m writing now, a feral kitten comes into play.
The COVID-19 virus has definitely made us all pause, even if our lives aren’t majorly affected or work lives changed by it. For me, church and choir are the big things I really, really miss, but we have to be extra careful since my hubby is a diabetic who suffered a double stroke.
Congratulations! I love my horses and hope you enjoy yours :)
Thanks, Dalyn. Definitely a bucket list item for me.
Moscato is just gorgeous. I’m so glad you’re getting to enjoy a dream come true.
I think that one of the best things that has come out of the trials of the past year for us, is the understanding that God’s provision comes in many forms. Not just the 9 to 5 that was so steady. Not just the love of family who are now gone or in poor health. Even when the traditional sources are gone, God’s care is still faithfully present.
Years ago I came across a wonderful illustration. When craftsmen built a stone arch bridge across a creek, they would build a wooden framework in the shape of the arch. The design of the arch was such that the weight of the stones and the load of whatever crossed the bridge would be supported by all the stones in the arch. They would carefully lay the stones and form the arch and the roadbed of the bridge. When the stones were all in place, there was still one more step to complete the process. They would knock out the wooden supporting frame and drive a heavy wagon across the bridge to forcibly settle the stones into alignment. The illustration is this: God is building the life of faith within us stone by stone. Sometimes He knocks out the familiar supports that we have known and applies pressure that we have not had to bear before to lock our experience of faith in place. It is not the temporary support or the absence of external pressures in our lives that show His provision. It is the faithful work of His Holy Spirit to build the beautiful design of the arch which, when fully set in place, allows us to handle the greater weights of life. Not only sorrow but success as well. The Master Craftsman continues to make of us His Masterpiece.
to be published again
Hi. I’m so happy for you and your fulfilled dream of getting your own horse.
God allowed me to fulfill my life dream (which began growing from about the age of 8) when I learned to scuba dive recently at the age of 50. This was before COVID but I will always be thankful that I got the opportunity. I hope I’ll get to return again someday “after COVID”. I have found that for me the quiet depths and active marine life below draws forth unrestrained praise – rather like the stones crying out in Christ’s example. I will forever be thankful. It’s a wonderful setting for spontaneous praise and meditation.